Rock 'N Soul

Solid soul album. Solomon is a fantastic singer, I could listen to his voice all day. Every song here is good, but they’re all essentially basic love songs so it can get somewhat repetitive. Very comfy listen, I’ll probably come back to this sometime in the future.

Not bad at all.

Good soul album

I love the backing vocals and the songwriting. really good work vibe. favorite track in first listen was won't you give him (one more chance) and my least was cant nobody love you just because I'm so used to the zombies version

HL: "Cry To Me", "Just Out of Reach", "Beautiful Brown Eyes", "Someone To Love Me", "Won't You Give Him One More Chance" Not familiar with these songs, but it's straight comfort food for me 🍲

Buttery, silky voice. Immediately reminded me of Sam Cooke. I have never heard Solomon before and while these may just be your standard love and loneliness songs, he executes them so well. Lots of guitar licks, with some horn, keys, and backing vocals to carry this album to a wonderful place. I loved it.

Cry to Me has been a favorite for a long while thanks to Dirty Dancing, but I was surprised to find new favorites. What a voice! It feels like he's signing straight to your soul. I was raised on 60s soul & rock, so this felt warm & familiar. Great addition to this challenge. 4 stars.

This was a fun way to start the day. I very much enjoyed this one.

With a voice as smooth as butter Rock 'N Soul by Solomon Burke ranks with the classics of the original rock and roll founders like Chuck Berry, Little Richard and on-and-on. Pop Soul as Burke's sound is helped lay the tracks for Otis, Motown and other black artists to once again, pave the way for future musicians to walk on.

Good voice and full of soul, but I think I'd get a little bored of it after a while. Lyrically not too complex, but it wasn't too distracting.

Pretty good early RnB/rock and roll album. Solomon as a lot of groove and sounds a lot like Otis Redding. Pretty nice. 7,6/10

I'm not a fan of soul, I wouldn't choose any album from this genre for my everyday listening playlist, but after hearing Solomon Burke for the first time today I might change that. "Rock 'N Soul" is an incredibly climactic and atmospheric album, moving you straight to a jazz club in the middle of nowhere in Tennessee. First five songs to start the record were simply amazing and sounded very fresh - I would not guess, that this LP has almost 60 years. Beautiful and deep voice by Solomon was perfectly mixed with a female choir, and on the top of that a great upbeat music created an almost perfect recipe for success. In the second part the album slowed down a bit, but still maintained a high level throughout. great record, that widened my horizon just a little bit more.

Cry to Me is a total jam, and If You Need Me is a gem

What a fun album! I had been barely acquainted with Solomon Burke previously, but this album was a gem and I look forward to revisiting it. 4/5.

Good stuff. Lesser known than some of his peers, but I liked him as much as I like Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding. Very nice voice.

Not bad

I'm a sucker for this type of music, the soul leaving into the blues rather than jazz like Gil Scott-Heron. Really made me want to listen to Sam Cooke and Bill Withers.

Very lovey dovey and soulful. Great sound quality. Solomon Burkes voice and singing is amazing. Songs are a bit repetitive in theme and sound.

So full of soul, great listening.

I’d never heard any Solomon Burke before today… and what a voice I was missing out on. Described as one of the founding fathers of soul music in the early 1960’s, he has never enjoyed the same level of success, ubiquity and ongoing influence as Sam Cooke or Otis Redding. After listening to “Rock n Soul”, it’s hard to see why. He possesses a stunning range and great control: sometimes he howls, sometimes he croons, sometimes he wails, always with tremendous depth of feeling. When he sings “I’ll never see brown eyes again” in “Beautiful Brown Eyes”, you really believe it. “Can’t Nobody Love You” is perhaps his most showstopping vocal performance of all, flipping from raspy grit to soft honeydew within a single phrase. Dense multi-layered lead and backing vocals help to add an immensely satisfying, thick sound (see the backing vocals in “Someone to Love Me”, or all of “You’re Good for Me”). Burke’s voice is by far the key selling point: as pleasant as the songs are, they’re mostly forgotten standards of the day. They’re also mainly soul numbers with little in the way of rock: the mournful waltz-time ballads (“If You Need Me”, “Goodbye Baby”) become a little wearing within the short runtime. It would have been nice to hear more upbeat tracks like “Cry to Me” and the excellent “Hard, Ain’t It Hard”. Later in the album, “Won’t you Give Him (One More Chance)” are “You Can’t Love ‘Em All” are both intriguing changes of pace from the first few tracks, with Latin-inspired percussion and rhythm. Burke then croons his way out on the traditional-sounding “He’ll Have To Go”, a disappointingly understated finale (but the string arrangement is nice). “Rock n Soul” may not change my life, and I may not die full of gratitude to have heard it. But it’s a beautiful place to spend half an hour.

Man, Cry To Me is the real deal, even 60 years later it really hits. I can see why it was used in DD.

A lovely soul/R&B album, Solomon Burke's voice is very good, very smooth. I liked this album.

A great mixture of rock and soul. Sounds great but doesn't soar as much as either of the genres separately.

What a great voice. I feel a bit embarrassed I don't recognize his name but I do recognize a few songs. His softer songs (Out of Reach, You're Good to Me, Beautiful Brown Eyes) aren't as good as the rest, maybe because that voice should always be set to soar or because his backup singers can't match his quality (they sound bland in comparison). But he is on fire on Cry to Me, Goodbye Baby, If You Need Me, You Can't Love Em All, He'll Have to Go (one softy where his voice still carries). And he's still pretty good on the rest. I read he prefers to be called soul and not R&B, but whatever it is, if he was a pioneer of this sound, god bless.

I liked it.

An absolute unit of a man. Saw the year of release and thought it’d be one of those that had aged like milk, but I was pleasantly surprised. Grew on me with every listen

What a voice. Sounds great for 63. Founder of soul. Why isn’t this guy more renown? Enjoyed that SoT Cry to Me Just Out of Reach Can’t nobody love you Won’t you give him one more chance You can’t love em all 4/5

7/10 fallout soundtrack vibes. Some pretty bad lyrics

Being a worse Sam Cooke isn’t too bad. I think there was a bit of country twang in some of the slower songs that made me like them less. 7/10

Possibly the same person as Otis Redding. Has anyone ever seen them together?

Really enjoyed this record brought me to a place I’ve never been before. This sound was so rich and his nostalgic vocals were gold. The love lyrics could relate to me as well. Definitely added some of these songs to my rotation.

groovy, smooth, romantic. its good!

Great tracks on here. He does a great job at blending the old-school 50s doo-wop sound with the newer, more energetic 60s soul/Motown sound.

Awesome voice! Worth relistening at some point. Highlight : Can't nobody love you.

Cry to Me is solid gold. This singer sounds best when he doesn’t try to sound like Elvis.l, IMO. Overall, a great album that I am happy I have heard before dying. ;)

Good

Was in the mood for this.

Feels like every mediocre soul singer/group in the 60s was trying to recapture what happened here, but it's inimitable. Best track: You're Good for Me

"Rock 'N Soul" is a studio album by American singer Solomon Burke also referred to as "The King of Rock 'N Soul," "King Solomon," "Bishop of Soul" and the "Muhammed Ali of Soul." Burke embraced the interconnectedness of rock and soul. This album was originally released as an LP as Atlantic Record #8096. This album is sort of a compilation of his songs including seven top 100 hits. Burke has a fabulous soulful voice mixed with more rock-pop sounding music "Goodbye Baby (Baby Goodbye)" starts strong with female backing vocals which then harmonize with Burke's voice. Right away he earns his nicknames. One of his biggest songs "Cry to Me" has Burke begin in almost a whisper. He then goes loud and back soft. With the piano, more of a rock song. Honestly, not the best sounding production and mix, kind of muddled. "If You Need Me" is a great example of a rock and soul mix with the music and vocals. "Beautiful Brown Eyes" is romantic and soulful with the horns. The album ends with my favorite song "He'll Have to Go." Strings are added. It's slower. He's telling his girlfriend her other guy will have to go. This is a great album if only just listening to Burke's voice. The music has that early 60's sound. Sometimes not the best quality production/mixing but worth it for the overall music.

This was totally new and awesome

I enjoyed this album a lot, especially the vocals.

Enjoyable but not amazing

Wow. How had I never heard of this? This guy is the link between the rock'n'roll of the fifties and the soul of James Brown.

Solid soul vibes

Was not familiar with the artist and this had a great groove

Truly amazing, how's this been kept secret?

Some fascinatingly frantic 12-string on this LP. There would probably be no John Fogarty without Solomon Burke. A great record.

ça m'a plu

Enjoyed this. (And the short songs, too!)

Varied enough to not sound same same like some of its contemporaries and retain my interest.

I had never heard of Solomon Burke before, but I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this vibrant record. There is nothing truly groundbreaking happening, perhaps if it was released 10 years earlier, and the lyrical content is not complex at all, but Burke's voice is magnetic and the instrumentation on point. The tracks never overstay their welcome, and there is plenty of variety both in genre, mood and dynamics. Pleasantly surprised!

Easy listening - really liked it

Bluesy. I recognize a song from dirty dancing soundtrack

Una joya oculta. No conocía el nombre ni el disco y la verdad es que es muy bueno. Algo como entre Otis Redding y Elvis de sus primeros años (?).

Fun songs from an era long gone. The picking is excellent and reminds me of how Brian Jones played. The intricate picking continues through the verses in a way that isn't interruptive. The ability to do this impresses me.

Old school cool and classic love songs.

A historically noteworthy and highly listenable album. I really love the very simple and early production on this album, but you can tell they were trying some things. The instrumentation sounds great and Solomon's voice is like silk. If you wanted one criticism its that the songwriting is a bit samey after a while, but then again, its soul, that's not really the point. What a pleasure to listen to.

I really enjoyed this!

A very enjoyable, little soul album. It seems to have more depth than is apparent on the first spin and I might give it another listen in the future. Haven't listened to much classic soul since a while so it was a nice throwback for me.

Pleasent 4/5

Great voice!

So classic, so good

An overall delight, with shades of the great Sam Cooke. This is just loaded with hit after hit. The ideal album for those who can't give their love to just one person.

I feel like I'm in a very cool bay area brunch joint. Or possibly a Quentin Tarantino film. Great, but great for specific contexts is what I'm saying: not an everyday listen. (Except why not? Because it doesn't feel like "my life"?)

I dig it

Obviously I’m gonna love 60s R&B. Feels a bit like “Otis Redding with more production”

Classic foundational stax soul. Amazing performance, pretty good songs. Coming so soon after Ray Charles may have done this album a disservice.

Excellent vibe

I really enjoyed the blues-rock blend on this album, and while the lyrics were very simple, his emotions poured out, and I could feel the sting of heartbreak seven decades gone. Cry to Me was my personal favorite, I also especially loved If You Need Me and Beautiful Brown Eyes.

I enjoyed listening to this, but I'll probably never listen to it again. I'm not great at reviewing things but I enjoyed this listen. So yea, there it is.

Great album, mostly rock-'n'-roll ballards

its in the name i guess old time rock and soul mixed, i love the sound on this track for some reason feels different than other records from its time, decent songs too

Solid.

Smooth - very smooth. Fave track - "If You Need Me". I quite like his preoccupation with landlines.

tem algo sobre esse tipo de musica que nenhum outro tipo consegue entregar, é uma forma de empolgação e ao mesmo tempo tristeza por não ser amado

Oh man. I'm always a sucker for jazz, blues, and soul. This kind of had Sam Cooke vibes, in a good way. I didn't adore it but I did strongly like it. How could you not with that voice? This album makes me want to curl up with a scotch and watch Mad Men. Favorite track: Beautiful Brown Eyes. Lovely production, soulfully sung, great time signature, and blue eyes have enough songs about them already. Nice to have some variety in here.

Yes

Loved it. Smooth, well written songs!

There are some mind-blowing good songs on this album and some really lack lutre ones. But a great voice and soo much heart ache makes this a stomper.

Horney Gospel. Love it! This guy an sing. What a talent. Really enjoyed this album.

Lovely

Very good album. Classic R&B sound and very talented singer. Some hits on here that stand the test of time.

first listen classic crooner soul

05/07/2022 Really great stuff here! Great voice; could listen to this all day.

Great sultry voice! "Cry to Me" gets bonus points for being on the Dirty Dancing soundtrack 😁 A bit of a one-faceted album but a wonderful listen

Such easy listening! Enjoyed this a lot with smooth vocals

So good. Great singing. Great arrangements. Great songs. Feel it in my bones mannnn

Imagine have the soul to sing 'Cry to Me' with the power and emotion of Solomon Burke. Almost makes me feel like an inferior human being. Sadly his 'prodigious output' means it's a mixed bag of an album, he was probably already writing his next album 10 minutes after releasing this one.

There’s an honesty and purity and directness to this singing and playing that is very rewarding. Burke had such a big voice, but it’s agile and fluid, too, moving smoothly through the different sub-styles (e.g., Calypso, blues, ballads). “You Can’t Love Them All” and “Beautiful Brown Eyes” are the highlights for me. 4/4. Easy.

That man can sing.

Iv never heard of Solomon Burke before but I have heard cry to me before from dirty dancing. I’m a fan of Sam Cooke and Otis Reading so was always going to enjoy this. A great soul album one I’ll add to my rotation.

Heel mooi

I really like this genre

Lovely 60s soul

RnB com uns temperos de country? Massa. Gostei, o álbum fluiu com tranquilidade. 7/10

cry to me é pica, versão do idles topp tb

baco exu do blues tem razão

Flott snemm-soul plata. Lögin skemmtileg og flutningurinn dúndur. Mæli með.

This is a pretty good record. Cry To Me is a great classic tune. You Can't Love 'Em All is a little creepy in a Mambo Number 5 kind of way. Solomon has such a powerful voice and I like how subtly he goes from crooning to wailing. The album has a really great 60's R&B/Soul feel.

Banger

This one kind of stunned me. I was not expecting so many quality songs. Us there a genre Solomon can't do and make his own. He does a country song that is note perfect. I had to spin this one twice to begin to appreciate his incredible range. 4.5 🌟

ja clean house music

I'm surprised I've never head of this artist! The songs have exciting instrumentation and the vocal performance is very moving! Especially in songs like "If You Need Me"!

I love soul but I was a little underwhelmed on first listen. I guess I prefer the dance tracks to the slow jams and I didn’t recognise anything on here. I enjoyed it more the second time around and do appreciate that he was an important step in creating the genre. His wiki is worth a read!

Soul canónico.

Boy does Solomon have a voice. Feels like a good album for a cold fall day next to the fire. A little, uh, old timey for me but a pleasant listen.

A new artist and new music for me. I apparently had seen a clip of Burke's performance at his induction to the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame, but apparently I didn't remember much about that. I liked this album. Some of the tracks had elements that sounded like Burke might have influenced Cee Lo Green. "Cry to Me" and "Hard, Ain't it Hard" were the tracks I rated the highest. Both had a good energy and a good groove. This would be an easy album to put on again, to listen to something different than I normally do. Rounding up to 4 stars.

Interesting, had not heard this before.

Bra album

Very interesting early soul music. If you like soul and R&B, this album is an interesting look at the early development of the genre.

A short, sharp, burst of blues, soul, and rock and roll.

Soul canónico.

A great voice singing some great old songs. What's not to like? 4 stars.

Love his voice and the way he spans genres. I think it's hilarious when he name checks Sam Cooke and Ray Charles on "Can't nobody love you."

Bombastic vocal performances, everything here is super slick. Not something I'd always listen to but it's very nice.

He has a great voice. It's interesting hearing this early bridge between R&B and Soul. Definitely a foundational record worthy of being included here.

Fun

Burke reminds me of Brown, Cooke, and Womack. Maybe some Ray Charles too. He’s not quite at the level of those guys but he’s got a sound and the sound of soul.

this is the kind of music i like listening to when im doing stuff around the house like dishes or folding clothes, whistling along, twirling for no reason and feel like im in a movie. the songs blended in with each other for me and not all of them were the most memorable on their own, but for me it was more the entire experience than each song to its own!

Cry To Me is a stunning track. Smooth as. Definitely an artist to warrant further listening.

Very very nice, need to listen to it again.

Daaaaamn, dude’s one of the best soul singers and is from Philly? Who knew? Album kinda one-note, but every performance is great 4/5

Good t&b. Catchy and smooth, lyrically a bit dated

Good old Rock n Roll

Classy soul

Just what it says on the label: a healthy mix of soul and rock n roll. Solomon expertly blends the styles; both sides of the coin feel equally represented and endlessly enjoyable.

Absolutely Classic Sunday Music. Very easy to groove and rock to this piece, and I would say the percussions were played very well.

pretty good

The Solomon Burke album is sort of a “cool, obscure” , but still a fun record. (7/10) FT: Cry to Me, He'll Have To Go, If You Need Me

souuuuuuuuuuuuuuuul

riktigt go

A classic.

album name checks out. it promises both rock and soul, and that is exactly what it delivers - there's some great old-school rock & roll, and there are some tracks just dripping with the man's naked soul. given what was about to happen in american music at the time it was released, with the british invasion just starting to get properly underway, this album must've felt like a holdover from a time whose time was passing. i'm glad it managed to hang on, though, because it's a great view into the maturing of bluesy rock, and the beginnings of proper soul, all in one.

Great album, enjoyed more than I thought I would.

Actually, liked it a lot, even more than supposed

Solomon Burke. Rock 'N Soul. 1964. 7 of 12 are top 100 hits.

Only knew one song of his previously, and this was a lovely listen.

What. A . Voice

Ye Mayne Dass guud

I loved this! I sometimes find soul blurs into one a bit, but these songs were brill. would like to listen again

Find soul music like this so easy to listen to, just comforting

Very nice album :)))))

Heerlijke soul. Prachtige stem. Leuk album voor een regenachtige zondag tijdens het bakken van een taart :)

Heerlijke oude soul. Zwoele zomer. Blijf het ‘oude’ stereo lastig vinden.

Good album from someone I wasn’t familiar with.

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Can’t nobody love you, Won’t you give him

Bluesy 1960's soul

Pretty cool album! I appreciate the vibes on a lot of the tracks and have actually already given the full thing a few listens.

I loved this one. To me this is one of those albums where everything comes together just right/just enough to make it an easy, enjoyable listen. Smooth soul with a touch of gospel at times and an almost funky r&b vibe at others. Lyrics sometimes rely on phrases that seem cliche now but do so without being cringy or too repetitive. Each song tells it's story without dragging on after that. Great use of supporting vocals, just where they were needed. Listened to this three times and will definitely come back.

gah, another 3.5. It hops up to a 4 because it has that good 50s-ish oldies sound that I like even though it came out in 1964.

I dug the acoustic guitar arrangements on this album

Really liked this. I could listen to soul singers all day.

Soothing record that mixes soul with many other sounds

I could listen to this ish all day.

All hail King Solomon! I've always admired Solomon Burke's music, but was admittedly more familiar with his late-career efforts. This album was a revelation to me. The way he integrates gospel, country, and folk influences into soul music feels sui generis, even today. I really appreciate the range and passion behind the music. Ahead of its time in 1964, that's for sure! Favourite songs: "Won't You Give Him (One More Chance)", "Cry to Me"

nice

This was really good. It reminded me a lot of Elvis.

Enjoyed the album. Didn’t know what to expect and thought it might be more ‘rock n roll’ but was actually more soul and R&B. Made me wonder if he had any association with the likes of the Drifters but don’t think he did.

Aika hempeää ja sielukasta musaa. Äänimaailma oli raikas ja avara, tykkäsin. Tiedä sitten johtuiko saundin diggailu itsestään levystä vai siitä, kun siirryin Tidalin hi-fi -tilaajaksi?

One word Wednesday = Enlightening. But I can’t stop at one word - really, really great stuff even though it’s outside my normal listening universe. Great voice, and I’ve never heard of this singer prior. Nice

Absolutely wonderful. A very ownable album that people would enjoy as background music. Feels like a rainy Sunday with coffee type of album.

Nice Rock and Nice Soul, maybe 3.7 but enjoyable

Music is good, but not my style

This was one more great album that I absolutely didn't know. It's incredible how this project has been a great introduction for some important musicians for me.

Once again, not something I am got used to, but I honour this kind of "real" music.

Maybe even preferred it to yesterday. Cool.

Tres bon album avec beaucoup de soul et de rock comme son nom l’indique. 4.25 car un peu repetitif, mais c’est l’epoque.

Really dug this! Blended in places, but clearly was a bedrock for more R&B moving forward.

Veldig pent, fine blues låter, bra synging og spilling. Veldig sjarmerende. Jeg ville vanligvis ikke vært så interessert i sånn musikk, men dette traff så bra at jeg drar opp scoren.

He's new to me. Ache in his voice that contrasts well with the tight instrumentation and pristine backing vocals.

Really enjoyed this.

Really good music. I don't have a lot to add here. Great voice, good tunes.

I LOVED this album

довольно неплохо

Much better than the previous album. Definitely dig the sound on this one😎

very cool album

good

Lækkert gammel rock og soul album. Flere fede sange Bla. Everybody needs somebody to love

k

Never heard of this chap; but this sort of soul music is right back in trend!

ça va en vrais, c'est de la musique chill mais nothing to go crazy about

I solve Solomon’s voice, the opening song is great and the mostly sparse production sounds like you’re in the room. There is however an overuse of the massed, close harmony, female backing vocals that are just too much. It was fashionable at the time, but it’s not for me!

Review - not bad. Hadn't heard this guy before when I probably should've. Good early soul. Not as good as his more famous contemporaries but still worth a listen. Score - 5.5/10 Need to listen? YES

I like the upbeat songs but some were slow and dragged.

It was alright. Didn't hit me very hard but I enjoyed what I heard.

Nice, solid classic soul record

a chill listen

Ok

Неплохой старенький соул альбом, не особо моя тема, 6/10

Perfectly fine but a bit boring and not very memorable.

Great vibes, solid album to sing along to while making some dinner

Great album of soulful crooning.

not my usual listen but still pleasant

Probably he would have blown the socks off the teenage girls when he was in his prime, but he sounds pretty dated all these years later.

No the style of music i usually listen too. But it didn't sound bad.

Great voice, nice and relaxing, but overall the same.

Really solid foundational soul music. Cry To Me, especially, is fantastic.

It's a fine soul album from a legend, don't really see why we should include so many similar soul records, just to cover all the artists bases?

some generic soul... more like 2,5 but 2 is harsh

Trying to be mindful of the time it was produced, it was still quite formulaic and not very interesting lyrically. Vocals and production are good; he incorporates a variety of different vocal textures and does it well. A couple of different musical ideas accross songs, occassionally undermined by backing vocals.

3.5

Enjoyed

Cosy

Average soul music, didn’t really stand out to me. 3.

It's alright.

3.5/5

Приятный, я бы даже сказал, уютный соул альбом. Насколько я понял, фигура достаточно значимая для жанра, но ни в нем ни в жанре я в достаточной степени не разбираюсь. Интересно было послушать Can't Nobody Love You в исполнении Бёрка.

Solomon Burke obviously has an incredible voice and incredible talent, I feel this album is just missing that feeling to it that makes you just love listening to it. It’s almost as if the songs are watered down.

Cry to Me is a song I only knew because IDLES covered it. Look at that, it’s actually from the early 60s. This is not music that I usually listen to, but it’s well done. He’s got a good voice, with a great girl group type chorus in the background. I like these kind of songs with the syncopation of the guy’s singing with the music and the chorus interweaving. It’s kinda blues, kinda proto-James-Brown. I’m enjoying the backing music, but there are no credits on the wiki, so I can’t tell who did it - I guess there was a session band? The Spanish-y guitar on “Won’t You Give Him (One More Chance) is interesting, for example, and the piano on “Beautiful Brown Eyes.”

Wednesday, 2 September, 2026 Great soul album. Burke’s voice is smooth. Only a few standout tracks.

pleasant but a little shmaltzy. a little boring/old-fashioned for my liking.

This was good but it's pretty low key, not a ton of rock 'n' rolls vibes.

The Black Elvis Presley — more soul than rock and roll. Good for an introduction

Incredible voice.

Buen álbum pero no me parecio innovador.

Interesante el Soul como género. Muy escuchable, aunque es raro como álbum, siento que las canciones no pegan tanto. Pero estuvo bien, imposible ponerle menos de 3.

All I could think of is dirty dancing while listening (and I’m not made abt it)

it's pretty nice. early soul from when it still had a strong connection to its shared roots with rock n roll. even the title acknowledges it. not my favorite thing in this style but i did enjoy it! deserves to be one of the 1001? maybe

Nice Motown music Solomon has a really good voice. I enjoyed it.

It's a pretty good album that I enjoyed, but will likely never seek out again

60's blues polished up for the white folk

Soul sounding like soul should! Brothers voice absolutely slaps! Really enjoyed this one!

Like a lot of soul from this era, I think the singing on here is great, but the album just doesn't do much for me overall. Some really great tracks like Cry to Me, Goodbye Baby, and One More Chance though. Just nothing really memorable for me.

Pleasant enough and historically important, but not really my thing though. Feels like four tracks in and I've heard every trick he's got already. Thanks for the education.

Great soul and R&B tunes. Solomon Burke has a fantastic voice, and I connected with this record more than I typically do with this genre of music from this era. There's just something classic about it.

Don't let the Rolling Stones hear this album, they will steal all of it.

Ehh, it's okay. He has a nice voice. The songs are fine. Just not for me.

Classic rock, for me it doesnt sound special but it probably was new at the time

I enjoyed it, good album with a smooth vibe.

Meh

A lovely listen! Would revisit

Started off great but I don’t think any single song blew my mind

#79 A nice 60s Soul album, but not the most memorable or unique. He has a great voice. Highlights: Cry To Me, You Can't Love 'Em All

just enough black

Pleasant album to listen to. Nothing unexpected, very much in the Sam Cooke vein of bluesy soul. But not quite at Sam Cooke levels. Fantastic voice, great range. Backing music and vocals aren’t breaking any new ground, even for 1964 they’re a little dated. But every now and then the odd track will surprise you and you wonder how good the album as a whole could have been. Won’t You Give Him (One More Chance) being a good example. Solid album all in all.

The first song is a hit. The whole album is hard to listen to in one sitting

I liked this more than I expected!

Nothing to love or hate. Just old school, early rock and roll.

Good, classic soul. Perfect with Sunday morning coffee.

Yesterday I had Justin Timberlake, one could argue Burke & JT are in the same genre. They both have similar themes & both can song. I hated JT but I like this. How did r&b go from this to that? 3

Classic 50's and early 60's early Motown. Think Little Richard, Sam Cooke, early James Brown, Stand By Me. Smooth, comfortable, black crooner.

I can totally picture some of these on a fallout soundtrack. I feel it dropped off in second half a bit so kinda glad it was only 30 minutes but a decent 30 minutes .

No you can't love em all. It's a shame really

Maybe not as timeless as it could have been but you can see it's influence on modern music. Overall solid album that leans towards soul rather than rock.

I really appreciate the jazzy background, and the emotion in the vocals. I don't think he's speaking to me - he has a different target audience.

Nice change of pace. Good singer, good songs. Nothing got to me but still enjoyable.

This is not my grape jam but feels totally fit to be on the list.

I like this album. It didn't blow me away, but I'd listen to it again at almost any time.

easy listening, and nice to discover a new artist for myself. i don't think there was anything exceptional about this album, but after reading Burke's wikipedia page, i can see why he was included

I’ve never heard of Solomon Burke. His voice is great, but the songs don’t do a whole lot for me. 6/10

Nett, aber nix für dauerhaft

An artist I’m familiar with from a genre I like: usually a one-way ticket to four-star city. This one however is missing the magic pixie dust. I enjoyed it, but I don’t think I would actively listen to it again with purpose, and therefore I must give it three.

Fine. Cry for me is a perfectly good song, but I guess the hears have just made this 'pleasant' rather than life changing. I can't fault it, but I also can't really recommend it either. Perhaps i'm nlt appreciating the context of the time? It's a weak 3 or a very strong 2. 3, as i'm being generous.

I mean, it was pretty nice. A very smooth and relaxing listen, with extremely professional vocals (great backing vocals too) and instrumentation. The only issue is that it's clearly a bit dated and doesn't necessarily sound 'fresh'. I don't love it, and I certainly don't dislike it, but I could understand why someone would call it 'boring'. I'm glad I listened, but I won't be going out of my way to listen again.

It's a nice album. Smooth as silk. Very little variety between songs - they're all fairly generic Soul love ballads - but at least that one sound is pretty good. Both Burke and his backup singers have great control over their voices and the whole package is well-written and well-performed. It's not a particularly interesting album in the grand scheme of things, but it's listenable and sweet enough. Can picture throwing this on for a cute little slow dance in the kitchen with the missus. Fav tracks: Won'T You Give Him (One More Chance), He'll Have To Go

Genuinely great voice but I think the songs let Burke down here.

This album may get better with more listens, but with the minimal time I gave it, it was kind of same-y. I love his voice, but it was not enough to carry the record alone. I am going to listen again today to see if I missed something. Cry To Me is the biggest hit here Biggest Hit - Cry To Me Biggest Miss - Hard, Ain't It Hard Hidden Gem - Can't Nobody Love You

Pretty good! He has an excellent voice and it's an enjoyable soulful album. Nothing spectacular for me, but good overall!

It's an enjoyable listen, but there's much better out there. As much as I think Solomon Burke's voice is perfect here, I feel as if everything else was a little monotonous in terms of production, with each track blending into one another and forming this musical malaise. Don't get me wrong, there are a few bangers here, such as "Cry to Me" and "Beautiful Brown Eyes", however it's nothing that'll stick with me for too long. Still, I don't regret having listened to it, which is why I'm saying that it is good rather than great.

Great voice, but it's a weird artifact of an age where they tried to de-fang "rhythm & blues", so it's a bit too tame. I mean, it's great sock hop music, but I liked it more for its historical significance than as a listening experience.

Burke has a lovely voice. I've never been a big fan of this style of female backing vocals.

GOOD ALBUM

#206/1001 🇺🇸 What a voice Burke has. I'm only familiar with a couple of the tracks here but enjoyed listening. Best Tracks: You're Good For Me, Cry To Me, If You Need Me.

some classic R&B great stuff

Sad, lost love, love that never was. Hardy voice. Wasn't totally feeling it probably because of where I am at right now. Worth coming back to.

Total unknown to me. This feels sort of like standard 60s rock/soul. Nothing too inventive, just solid singing and music playing. Can only imagine the times when doing something like this made for a very comfortable living. Glad I listened to it, might snatch a few tracks out for the playlist but not something I'd return to frequently.

I'd never heard of Solomon Burke. He's a fine soul singer, with elements of Otis Redding, Elvis, and John Fogerty in his voice. The arrangements are fine (including some interesting 12-string guitar on "Won't You Give Him (One More Chance)") and the vocals are strong, but it doesn't have the underlying fire of Motown's Funk Brothers or the Stax "house band." It's very good for its time, but doesn't have the staying power of some of the other '60s classics.

Great voice but, other than the first song, nothing stood out that much. It was background music. Not on same level as some of the other soul greats but an enjoyable enough listen.

Pleasant 60s soul music. A bit more lightweight than the stuff I like best, I'm not sure why but it doesn't hook me like music from Sam Cooke or Otis Redding. Enjoyable enough, if a little samey.

Like the title suggests, some solid rock and/or soul. Top tracks: "Someone to Love Me," "Just Out of Reach (of My Two Empty Arms)"

Buena música de fondo para hacer otra cosa

C'était fort sympathique ! J'ai bien aimé, mais j'ai quand même trouvé que c'était finalement assez classique pour un album de cette époque. Je ne suis pas sûr de pourquoi il figure dans ce classement, mais ce n'est pas un genre musical que je connais très bien, donc je ne suis sûrement pas en mesure de prendre la pleine mesure de la qualité de cet album dans son genre musical ?

done

Had a blast listening to this one, it’s like a total time capsule of the early 60s. Solomon Burke’s voice is just unreal, he can go from smooth and soulful to a rough, gritty wail at the drop of a hat. "Cry To Me" is a total standout and honestly shows why he’s one of the godfathers of the genre. That said, you can definitely tell it's an older record. The production feels a bit dated at times, the backing choirs are super cheesy, and some of the instrumentation is a little flat, which takes away from Burke’s incredible performance. Plus, since it’s basically just a collection of singles rather than a cohesive album, it can get a little repetitive by the end, and some of the lyrics are definitely showing their age. Still, his raw talent is so good it carries the whole thing. Does exactly what it says, rock and soul, beautifully done.

I mean, what a voice. Directly reminded me of Otis Redding. Sometimes can be a bit boring tho, no songs really stand out.

The whole essence of this album is literally in its title — rock and soul! So to speak, it plays both sides. Solomon Burke, a former preacher and mortician, a burly man (which proved his undoing in his old age), and the father of twenty-one pil... I mean, twenty-one children, sings here with a velvety, melodic voice, accompanied by a big band, and occasionally breaks into a rock 'n' roll roar. The instrumental is at times reminiscent of the blues of The Rolling Stones, and this is not surprising; the Stones are big fans of Burke and have covered his songs many times. They did it as best they could, though, with all of their roughness, sometimes out of tune; but Solomon himself plays and sings everything precisely — these songs could easily be on the soundtrack of a Hollywood film. Which is often the case. Surprisingly, this album isn't boring for the genre, though it is a bit monotonous. So, as is now the custom for soul albums for me, I give it three stars — but strong ones!

decent doo-wop. Songs are fun but get really samey

Good stuff, never heard these. 3 stars

Beautiful soulful singing. Only a couple songs stuck out to me, and I found myself skipping others.

buen disco pero no me mueve

This album probably goes so hard for soul enthusiasts. Unfortunately I'm not one of those, so this album is just alright for me. It's got some good songs and it's short enough that it doesn't start to drag, so fine enough for me.

What a voice! This one caught me by surprise.

Pretty average, not good not bad.

Not my style but not bad

Fun sound!

Ok I actually had fun listening to this. His voice is pretty great and the backup singers are nice. It's just .. idk, nothing really jumped out at me.

Solid album with good sound. Reminds me of a fallout shelter where the most beautiful woman I’ve known is sitting 2km away in a different shelter and all I can do is try and remember her in my mind.

Sam Cooke ish. A little big band, a little rock and roll. The Spanish guitarist is the most interesting part - some tasty noodles and arpeggios. Never heard of him - now I know why

I guess is it's pretty good for this style and era. I'm gonna go with my personal ratting on this one though and give it a 3.

Suena como un disco muy atrapado en su época, pero al mismo tiempo suena muy bien y tiene una gran voz

A great rock & soul (no pun intended) album all around, but I probably could’ve lived without listening to it. Swooning, melodic rhythms laid over with Burke’s expressive voice, but the songs began to feel indistinguishable past a certain point. Three feels good here. STAND-OUT SONG: “Cry to Me” HONORABLE MENTION: “Someone to Love me”

They have been doing a great job of finding good representative early rock albums that don't sound repetitive like a lot of the 80s albums they chose, and this is no different. Very unique. I liked the female background vocals throughout. I liked his occasional wailing. It was a solid album. Only critique is that it falls into the early 60s mantra of minimalist instruments.

Nice voice, but it gets repetitive after a while. Probably due to the fact that it feels like a bunch of singles pretending to be an album, but this was 1964 so I really don’t know how much control Burke had over that.

Its lovely but it gets a little same-ey after a while.

The top-rated review at the moment nails my thoughts exactly here. Wasn't familiar with Mr. Burke prior to this, but his voice and range are excellent. Easy to see why he was considered one of the founding fathers of soul music. But the actual musical content of the album just lacks variety in a lyrical and instrumental sense. Almost the entirety of the album can be thrown into the "crooning love songs" bucket. That's fine I guess, it's more so indicative of this era of soul & R&B. Also I just now learned that Solomon Burke originally recorded "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love". That song had played immediately after this album ended and I had to do a double take. Much slower in tempo than the famous Blues Brothers cover, but both are good recordings in their own right.

Fun album when he cuts loose, a little more boring on the more conservative tracks. Great voice, but it doesn’t really stand out to me over a lot of other 60s soul.

good soul album and i’m not usuallly massive on soul some songs were better than others though

Groovy

Great ‘old’ music. Three stars…

Wasn’t personally for me not saying it’s bad just saying what this album tried to do. I’ve heard done better on other projects.