... All the songs were written especially for Solomon Burke and this album Don't Give Up On Me.
A diverse range of artists wrote songs for this album including the likes of Tom Waits, Van Morrison, Brian Wilson, Bob Dylan and Elvis Costello aswell as the album's producer Joe Henry who wrote ... Read review
...Solomon Burke and this album Don't Give Up On Me.
A diverse range of artists wrote songs for this album including the likes of Tom Waits, Van Morrison, Brian Wilson, Bob Dylan and Elvis Costello aswell as the album's producer Joe Henry who wrote the song "Flesh and Blood". Some well known songwriters there but will the album work well or not. well here are my thoughts.
**Don't Give Up On Me**
... ...This is a superb track to start the album off with, One of the most emotive on the album and Burke's voice drips with emotion. The subject of this song is about pleading with a partner to give you a second chance to show you much you love them. A wonderful song sung incredibly.
2 Fast Train
This is a mix of bluesy soul and country which if you know anything about Solomon Burke you will know that he is well known for ... more
**Introduction**
As a fan of Soul music One of my favourite artists has got to be the legendary soul singer Solomon Burke, With a voice as big as his build Burke is regarded as one of the greatest singers of all time by fans, critics and fellow performers alike. This album is made up of songs written by some of his biggest admirers in the music industry. All the songs were written especially for Solomon Burke and this album Don't Give Up On Me.
A diverse range of artists wrote songs for this album including the likes of Tom Waits, Van Morrison, Brian Wilson, Bob Dylan and Elvis Costello aswell as the album's producer Joe Henry who wrote the song "Flesh and Blood". Some well known songwriters there but will the album work well or not. well here are my thoughts.
**Don't Give Up On Me**
1 Don't Give Up On Me
This is a superb track to start the album off with, One of the most emotive on the album and Burke's voice drips with emotion. The subject of this song is about pleading with a partner to give you a second chance to show you much you love them. A wonderful song sung incredibly.
2 Fast Train
This is a mix of bluesy soul and country which if you know anything about Solomon Burke you will know that he is well known for this kind of song. To me this song is about taking a moment to look at your life or relationship and realising that you are taking it too fast.
3 Diamond In Your Mind
This song is about keeping the good things in your mind, This has a very laidback feel to it and doesnt quite hit you with that spark that the best tracks on the album do. Not bad at all though.
4 Flesh and Blood
This is a really great track which has such a spine tingling feel to it, Close your eyes, sit back and just listen to the emotion and grace in his voice. This song is spectacular in just about everyway that matters.
5 Soul Searchin'
This is another great track that has a laid back feel, this song has a great flow to it. His vocal delivery is so impressive on this track and this track is one of the catchiest on the album.
6 Only A Dream
A superbly sung ballad about realising that something that felt so real was only a dream. In particular a relationship that you both felt perfect together. The vocals are superbly backed by the music.
7 The Judgement
This is a haunting ballad which again showcases Solomon Burke's big voice. This ballad flows very well and is one of the best tracks on the album. This song shows the range in his voice as he sounds quite different to some of the other tracks on the album.
8 Stepchild
Granted Bob Dylan is a great lyricist but Solomon Burke is the better singer by far, (t's not even close) and this song shows that Bob Dylan's songs are better when they are performed by someone who can sing well.
9 The Other Side of the Coin
This is a great piano led ballad which has a shuffling soft drum part which adds to the intimacy of the song. This song is about two different opinions and the other side of the coin is a great metaphor.
10 None of Us Are Free
This track has a feel which reminds me of his earlier stuff especially the likes of Cry to me and everybody needs somebody to love in the way they have a great chorus which the backing vocals blend superbly with Burke's voice.
11 Sit This One Out
The final song on the album and what a special way to end the album, This is a wonderful ballad which shows how well he constructs a song. His voice sounds amazing all the way through the different parts of this song.
**Track Listing**
"Don't Give Up on Me" (Dan Penn, Carson Whitsett, Hoy Lindsey) "Fast Train" (Van Morrison) "Diamond in Your Mind" (Tom Waits/Kathleen Brennan) "Flesh and Blood" (Joe Henry) "Soul Searchin'" (Brian Wilson, Andy Paley) "Only a Dream" (Van Morrison) "The Judgment" (Elvis Costello, Cait O'Riordan) "Stepchild" (Bob Dylan) "The Other Side of the Coin" (Nick Lowe) "None of Us Are Free" (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Brenda Russell) "Sit This One Out" (Pick Purnell)
**Overall verdict**
This is a very fine album indeed which makes the idea of a writers collective album more and more appealing. Solomon Burke is one of the finest singers the world has ever known and he has worked with some of the most well known musicians around.
Product Information for "Don't Give Up On Me - Solomon Burke" »
Product details
Title
Don't Give Up On Me
Performer
Solomon Burke
Genre
R&B
Sub Genre
Soul
Release Date
22/07/2002
Recomended Retail Price
10.99 GBP
Original Release Year
2002
Label / Distributor
Fat Possum / RSK/Trilogy Logistics
Engineer
S. Husky Hoskulds
Producer
Joe Henry
Pieces in Set
1
Studio / Live
Studio
Stereo
Stereo
Format
Performer
EAN
8714092035827
Catalogue Number
03582
Additional notes
Album Notes
DON'T GIVE UP ON ME features song contributions from Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Van Morrison, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, Nick Lowe, Dan Penn, Joe Henry, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Personnel: Solomon Burke, Blind Boys Of Alabama (vocals); Daniel Lanois, Chris Bruce (guitar); Bennie Wallace (tenor saxophone); David Palmer (piano, organ); Rudy Copeland (organ); David Pitch (bass); Jay Bellerose (drums, percussion); Niki Harris, Jean McClain (background vocals). Recorded at Sunset Sound Factory, Hollywood, California on February 25-28, 2002. Includes liner notes by Johnny Whiteside. DON'T GIVE UP ON ME won the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, Van Morrison--the stellar list of songwriting contributors on this comeback effort by '60s soul legend Solomon Burke goes on and on. Did we mention Brian Wilson, Nick Lowe, and even his highness Bob Dylan also donating tunes? Burke came to prominence when soul music was a staple on AM radio as performed by himself and peers Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, and Aretha Franklin. Contemporary R&B singers from the endlessly melismatic school could learn a thing or two from Burke's passionate restraint. As producer, the singer-songwriter Joe Henry takes a page from the Daniel Lanois (Dylan, Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris) school favoring natural sounds, deep resonance, and subtly spectral reverb. There is much reverence to the past in this relatively stripped down approach, but it is also perfectly evident upon close inspection that this is a contemporary album. Burke had recently been active singing in church, and on this effort he shows that he hasn't forgotten where he came from, bringing along his parish's tasty organist, Brother Rudy Copeland. The tone throughout is primarily serious, occasionally solemn, and then along comes the straight-ahead blues by Dylan to inject the proceedings with playful self-pity and -mockery on "Stepchild" (as in "You treat me like a"). Honorable mention goes to Fat Possum Records for having the foresight and inspiration to re-introduce an overlooked American gem to a mainstream audience.
Album Reviews
Rolling Stone (12/26/02, p.104) - Included in Rolling Stone's "50 Best Albums of 2002" Mojo (1/03, p.72) - Ranked #1 in Mojo's "Best Albums of 2002" - "...[A] rich, measured collection of classic soul singing..." Uncut (1/03, p.95) - Ranked #14 in Uncut's "100 Best Albums of the Year" Rolling Stone (7/25/02, p.73) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Some tracks sound as if they could be forgotten gems from the heyday of soul...and some have the galvanizing intensity of spirituals, but all of them share one essential trait: They wouldn't be nearly as rousing sung by anybody else..." Q (9/02, p.101) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Brilliant." Entertainment Weekly (7/26/02, p.68) - "...Astonishing...Burke's baritone breathes fire into 11 instant classics..." - Rating: A Living Blues (9-10/02, p.44) - "...Burke is rarin' to go..." NME (7/20/02, p.44) - 9 out of 10 - "...As pure and proper a record as you'll hear all year. If you've ever laughed or cried, you need to hear this." Uncut (9/02, p.112) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...one of the few towering voices still surviving from soul music's golden age...makes no concessions to contemporary R&B fashions..."
Titles on disc 1
1.
Don't Give Up On Me
2.
Fast Train
3.
Diamond In Your Mind
4.
Flesh And Blood
5.
Soul Searchin'
6.
Only A Dream
7.
Judgement
8.
Stepchild
9.
Other Side Of The Coin
10.
None Of Us Are Free
11.
Sit This One Out
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30/03/2005
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