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Music : The Man and His Music
1 2
Rating: 
- nice singer, mediocre composer
Sam Cooke first attracted my attention in the 1970's with his Twistin' the Night Away on a compilation album. Infectious music, well sung, but textually awkward and melodically and harmonically relatively simple. This cd collection, which I bought some fifteen years ago, is hailed by what must be diehard Cooke fans as one of the greatest artistic achievements in the history of music (see the other reviews). Now, I don't want to tread on anybody's toes, but that's too much praise by far.
Sam is a wonderfully soulfoul singer with a great voice, perfect pitch, sometimes relaxed, sometimes with a burning intensity. Best example of the latter is A Change Is Gonna Come, with a rich orchestral scoring to heighten the dramatic impact of the song. This is really what Sam Cooke is all about and what he does best. All the songs were apparently written (music and words) by Sam himself and that is the weak spot of the album. Not only are the tunes very short (otherwise one couldn't have crammed 28 on a disc), they also sound so much alike that only looking at the display of the audio set discloses that you're listening to another song. Textually the songs are unsophisticated (boy-meets-girl subject matter, the "moon-june" rhyme scheme), repetetive and harmonically simple (four chords is about it). Pop history shows us that only very few great singers have song writing abilities that surpass the pedestrian and unfortunately Sam Cooke is a prime example. So a "best of" album, as is so often the case, generally says more about record sales than about artistic quality. I truly wish Sam had lived longer so that he might have been persuaded to record better material, music that would have given him a well deserved place among really great artists as Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby etc. (they at least knew that they had better refrain from writing songs!)
Rating:
- n excellent collection but there is a better one
Whether Sam really was the first soul singer, I'm not sure, though he has a strong claim to the title. In any event, this is an excellent collection of his music.
Sam made his breakthrough with You send me, which went all the way to number one in America (where it sold a couple of million) though it barely made the top thirty in Britain. In the fifties, when music was often racially segregated, this was quite an achievement. Sam was well aware of the problems, as is clear from his song, A change is gonna come. The change did come (to some extent, at least) though Sam, murdered aged just 33, did not live to see it.
Another important American hit, Only sixteen, fared slightly better than You send me in the UK despite being covered by Craig Douglas who took the song to the very top of the UK charts. Sam's version of Wonderful world, another huge American hit, again only registered in the UK top thirty at the time of its original release, though Brits grew to love this song, with Louis Armstrong and Herman's Hermits both having big hits in the sixties. Sam's version made number two in the UK when re-issued in 1986.
Sam finally achieved success in the UK when Chain gang, Cupid and Twisting the night away all made the top ten. Only two more UK hits followed - Another Saturday night (which Cat Stevens covered in the seventies) and Frankie and Johnny (not included here), both of which made the top thirty. However, Sam had many more (and bigger) hits in his homeland, where his music was better appreciated. There are many other great songs here, too numerous to mention.
I bought this originally on vinyl and later replaced it with the CD. It provides a great selection of Sam's music but there is now an even better compilation titled Portrait of a legend, featuring extensive liner notes and even better sound quality. Many of the songs are the same but there are a few differences, although all the essentials are on both collections.
Rating: - THE COLONEL IS AGAIN LEADING US ON THE RIGHT PATH......
This album is positively breaming with life and happiness. Whenever I listen to it I cannot help but start movin. If you are a first time listener or buyer, then I assure you that after listening to this album you will be a devoted fan. A fantastic array of songs from the highs of 'another saturday night' and 'wonderful world' to the gracefull harmonies of 'A change is goanna come', I cannot find the words to tell the world how good this music makes you feel...
Possibly the best song on this album and one which I have yet to hear or see anywhere else at all is 'good times',which is a truly awe inspiring peice of art...unbelievable
If people buy and play Sam's music then he will never die, with his tunes he lives on in everyone of us who feels the glory in the words and rythem of his work. I listen to a broad variety of music and artists, and never have I ever felt such a moving and compelling feeling from other music as when I play Sam Cooke, and this album really illustrates those thoughts...
Thankyou for taking the time to read the Colonels notes and I can guarantee you will not be dissapointed...........
Buy it.... Hear it.... Feel it.... Become it...
The Colonel
Rating: - THE COLONEL IS AGAIN LEADING US ON THE RIGHT PATH......
This album is positively breaming with life and happiness. Whenever I listen to it I cannot help but start movin. If you are a first time listener or buyer, then I assure you that after listening to this album you will be a devoted fan. A fantastic array of songs from the highs of 'another saturday night' and 'wonderful world' to the gracefull harmonies of 'A change is goanna come', I cannot find the words to tell the world how good this music makes you feel...
Possibly the best song on this album and one which I have yet to hear or see anywhere else at all is 'good times',which is a truly awe inspiring peice of art...unbelievable
If people buy and play Sam's music then he will never die, with his tunes he lives on in everyone of us who feels the glory in the words and rythem of his work. I listen to a broad variety of music and artists, and never have I ever felt such a moving and compelling feeling from other music as when I play Sam Cooke, and this album really illustrates those thoughts...
Thankyou for taking the time to read the Colonels notes and I can guarantee you will not be dissapointed...........
Buy it.... Hear it.... Feel it.... Become it...
The Colonel
Rating: - Captures Cooke's magic in all its glory
Given the fact that this album seems to be hard to find these days, I am very happy to have picked it up when I did some years ago. Sam Cooke was a magically gifted singer whose easy-going, mellifluously liquid voice never fails to lift me from even the darkest of moods. His roots were in gospel music, the powerfully joyous element of which underlies all of his music. He exudes happiness in both his appearance as well as his music; it's impossible to picture Sam Cooke without that bright smile he always seemed to have. Dubbed the king of soul by many music fans, Sam Cooke left a musical legacy of great importance. His influence on past, present, and future singers sometimes goes unspoken and unrecognized but is profound nevertheless. On the liner notes of this CD, you will find a number of quotes from such notable performers as Smokey Robinson, Rod Stewart, Aretha Franklin, and Keith Richards praising Sam Cooke and describing the influence the man and his music has had on their own careers.
The Sam Cooke songs I sometimes hear on oldies radio stations, classics such as Chain Gang, Cupid, Another Saturday Night, Twistin' the Night Away, and Bring It On Home To Me, wonderful as they are, really don't even begin to show the immense talent and diversity of this consummate performer. This CD crams 28 Cooke tracks (all of which he wrote himself) into its grooves, offering a wonderful cross-section of his life's work. Since no track list is listed here, I feel compelled to name the songs included on this incredible compilation album: Touch the Hem of His Garment, That's Heaven To Me, I'll Come Running Back To You, You Send Me, Win Your Love For Me, Just For You, Chain Gang, When a Boy Falls in Love, Only Sixteen, Wonderful World, Cupid, Nothing Can Change This Love, Rome Wasn't Built In a Day, Love Will Find a Way, Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha, Another Saturday Night, Meet Me At Mary's Place, Having a Party, Good Times, Twistin' the Night Away, Shake, Somebody Have Mercy, Sad Mood, Ain't That Good News, Bring It On Home To Me, Soothe Me, That's Where It's At, and A Change is Gonna Come. Whether it's inspiring gospel music, tender love ballads, or toe-tapping "feel good" songs, Sam Cooke did it like no other, with a natural and charming style all his own. If you can find it, The Man and His Music is a wonderful album that captures the heart and soul of one of music's greatest talents.
- nice singer, mediocre composerSam Cooke first attracted my attention in the 1970's with his Twistin' the Night Away on a compilation album. Infectious music, well sung, but textually awkward and melodically and harmonically relatively simple. This cd collection, which I bought some fifteen years ago, is hailed by what must be diehard Cooke fans as one of the greatest artistic achievements in the history of music (see the other reviews). Now, I don't want to tread on anybody's toes, but that's too much praise by far.
Sam is a wonderfully soulfoul singer with a great voice, perfect pitch, sometimes relaxed, sometimes with a burning intensity. Best example of the latter is A Change Is Gonna Come, with a rich orchestral scoring to heighten the dramatic impact of the song. This is really what Sam Cooke is all about and what he does best. All the songs were apparently written (music and words) by Sam himself and that is the weak spot of the album. Not only are the tunes very short (otherwise one couldn't have crammed 28 on a disc), they also sound so much alike that only looking at the display of the audio set discloses that you're listening to another song. Textually the songs are unsophisticated (boy-meets-girl subject matter, the "moon-june" rhyme scheme), repetetive and harmonically simple (four chords is about it). Pop history shows us that only very few great singers have song writing abilities that surpass the pedestrian and unfortunately Sam Cooke is a prime example. So a "best of" album, as is so often the case, generally says more about record sales than about artistic quality. I truly wish Sam had lived longer so that he might have been persuaded to record better material, music that would have given him a well deserved place among really great artists as Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby etc. (they at least knew that they had better refrain from writing songs!)
Rating:
- n excellent collection but there is a better oneWhether Sam really was the first soul singer, I'm not sure, though he has a strong claim to the title. In any event, this is an excellent collection of his music.
Sam made his breakthrough with You send me, which went all the way to number one in America (where it sold a couple of million) though it barely made the top thirty in Britain. In the fifties, when music was often racially segregated, this was quite an achievement. Sam was well aware of the problems, as is clear from his song, A change is gonna come. The change did come (to some extent, at least) though Sam, murdered aged just 33, did not live to see it.
Another important American hit, Only sixteen, fared slightly better than You send me in the UK despite being covered by Craig Douglas who took the song to the very top of the UK charts. Sam's version of Wonderful world, another huge American hit, again only registered in the UK top thirty at the time of its original release, though Brits grew to love this song, with Louis Armstrong and Herman's Hermits both having big hits in the sixties. Sam's version made number two in the UK when re-issued in 1986.
Sam finally achieved success in the UK when Chain gang, Cupid and Twisting the night away all made the top ten. Only two more UK hits followed - Another Saturday night (which Cat Stevens covered in the seventies) and Frankie and Johnny (not included here), both of which made the top thirty. However, Sam had many more (and bigger) hits in his homeland, where his music was better appreciated. There are many other great songs here, too numerous to mention.
I bought this originally on vinyl and later replaced it with the CD. It provides a great selection of Sam's music but there is now an even better compilation titled Portrait of a legend, featuring extensive liner notes and even better sound quality. Many of the songs are the same but there are a few differences, although all the essentials are on both collections.
Rating:
- THE COLONEL IS AGAIN LEADING US ON THE RIGHT PATH......This album is positively breaming with life and happiness. Whenever I listen to it I cannot help but start movin. If you are a first time listener or buyer, then I assure you that after listening to this album you will be a devoted fan. A fantastic array of songs from the highs of 'another saturday night' and 'wonderful world' to the gracefull harmonies of 'A change is goanna come', I cannot find the words to tell the world how good this music makes you feel...
Possibly the best song on this album and one which I have yet to hear or see anywhere else at all is 'good times',which is a truly awe inspiring peice of art...unbelievable
If people buy and play Sam's music then he will never die, with his tunes he lives on in everyone of us who feels the glory in the words and rythem of his work. I listen to a broad variety of music and artists, and never have I ever felt such a moving and compelling feeling from other music as when I play Sam Cooke, and this album really illustrates those thoughts...
Thankyou for taking the time to read the Colonels notes and I can guarantee you will not be dissapointed...........
Buy it.... Hear it.... Feel it.... Become it...
The Colonel
Rating:
- THE COLONEL IS AGAIN LEADING US ON THE RIGHT PATH......This album is positively breaming with life and happiness. Whenever I listen to it I cannot help but start movin. If you are a first time listener or buyer, then I assure you that after listening to this album you will be a devoted fan. A fantastic array of songs from the highs of 'another saturday night' and 'wonderful world' to the gracefull harmonies of 'A change is goanna come', I cannot find the words to tell the world how good this music makes you feel...
Possibly the best song on this album and one which I have yet to hear or see anywhere else at all is 'good times',which is a truly awe inspiring peice of art...unbelievable
If people buy and play Sam's music then he will never die, with his tunes he lives on in everyone of us who feels the glory in the words and rythem of his work. I listen to a broad variety of music and artists, and never have I ever felt such a moving and compelling feeling from other music as when I play Sam Cooke, and this album really illustrates those thoughts...
Thankyou for taking the time to read the Colonels notes and I can guarantee you will not be dissapointed...........
Buy it.... Hear it.... Feel it.... Become it...
The Colonel
Rating:
- Captures Cooke's magic in all its gloryGiven the fact that this album seems to be hard to find these days, I am very happy to have picked it up when I did some years ago. Sam Cooke was a magically gifted singer whose easy-going, mellifluously liquid voice never fails to lift me from even the darkest of moods. His roots were in gospel music, the powerfully joyous element of which underlies all of his music. He exudes happiness in both his appearance as well as his music; it's impossible to picture Sam Cooke without that bright smile he always seemed to have. Dubbed the king of soul by many music fans, Sam Cooke left a musical legacy of great importance. His influence on past, present, and future singers sometimes goes unspoken and unrecognized but is profound nevertheless. On the liner notes of this CD, you will find a number of quotes from such notable performers as Smokey Robinson, Rod Stewart, Aretha Franklin, and Keith Richards praising Sam Cooke and describing the influence the man and his music has had on their own careers.
The Sam Cooke songs I sometimes hear on oldies radio stations, classics such as Chain Gang, Cupid, Another Saturday Night, Twistin' the Night Away, and Bring It On Home To Me, wonderful as they are, really don't even begin to show the immense talent and diversity of this consummate performer. This CD crams 28 Cooke tracks (all of which he wrote himself) into its grooves, offering a wonderful cross-section of his life's work. Since no track list is listed here, I feel compelled to name the songs included on this incredible compilation album: Touch the Hem of His Garment, That's Heaven To Me, I'll Come Running Back To You, You Send Me, Win Your Love For Me, Just For You, Chain Gang, When a Boy Falls in Love, Only Sixteen, Wonderful World, Cupid, Nothing Can Change This Love, Rome Wasn't Built In a Day, Love Will Find a Way, Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha, Another Saturday Night, Meet Me At Mary's Place, Having a Party, Good Times, Twistin' the Night Away, Shake, Somebody Have Mercy, Sad Mood, Ain't That Good News, Bring It On Home To Me, Soothe Me, That's Where It's At, and A Change is Gonna Come. Whether it's inspiring gospel music, tender love ballads, or toe-tapping "feel good" songs, Sam Cooke did it like no other, with a natural and charming style all his own. If you can find it, The Man and His Music is a wonderful album that captures the heart and soul of one of music's greatest talents.