Reviews (page 6 of 12)
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!
Fine. Good even
Love malt shop rock.
Maybe I was just happy to hear something from this genre & time I haven’t heard a million times before. This is probably close to 4 songs, but idk how much “doink doink doink doink doink…” piano tinking repetition I can handle, but each of this songs on their own I enjoyed
Goes great with a Pepsi Free
Pleasant collection of songs but nothing special. There is a comfortable old fashioned production on this. Like most long playing recordings from the early sixties more a collection of hits with filler rather than a proper album. On the plus side Solomon is a good singer but just let down by uninspiring material
Uneven selection that shows impressive range but lacks cohesion.
Such a vibe listening to classic soul + blues like this. Most songs carry old outdated ideas on love but it's from 1964 so. Really enjoyed listening to it. (saved 2; unlikely to keep or shuffle into playlists)
The best soul albums can, even though they usually have the same backing band and vocalists behind each song, make each song seem different and grand. This album does not do that, but it's never bad and it has a few winners. "Beautiful Brown Eyes" is a complete winner, and "You Can't Love 'em All" isn't. So it goes.
68/100. This is just some really great early soul music. Solomon Burke pulls together R&B, gospel and even hints of country into a style that feels incredibly familiar but groundbreaking all at once. Most of the tracks revolve around love and relationships, treating romance as something with real emotional and spiritual weight, though the actual songwriting itself was not the main selling point for me. What really makes this album fascinating is its historical importance. Rock 'n Soul dropped right during the era when soul music was still figuring out its own identity as a distinct genre. Burke played a massive role in bridging the gap between church gospel and secular rhythm and blues, basically helping to map out the musical formula that would define soul music itself. In that sense, the record feels less like a finished product and more like the exact sound of a genre discovering what it could actually become. It is also crazy that Burke does not get brought up nearly as often as guys like Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, or James Brown, especially given how huge his influence was on the foundations of soul. His contribution to the genre deserves way more credit than it usually gets.
Pre Listen: Haven't heard of Solomon Burke. Album cover is definitely dated, would be something I'd overlook in a records store for sure. No expectations, outside of this will probably be decent, but boring. Notable Tracks: Cry To Me - I know he's saying "Don't you feel like cry-cra-cry-cra crying to me" but it sounds like he's saying "Don't you feel like a cracka cracka cracka". Just saying. You Can't Love Them All - My favorite song. I think it got the best song, the soft instrumental ensemble plays together so well. I especially like the acoustic guitar and piano. Post Listen: About what I was expecting. Old soul, nostalgic feeling, one stand out song and the rest wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything incredibly special. A very. *very* inoffensive album. I would almost describe it as cute. Everything is done ok, and again, no bad songs or anything like that. I'm struggling to come up with anything to say deeper than that. Another album I would've really loved a decade ago or so when this was the sum of my music tastes. 3/5.
Good! Added a few of these. Just Out Of Reach was a gem.
Something you’d say “an oldie but a goodie!” to.
Nice as background music. Good soul/jazz. Nothing really grabbed me though.
Good
This was alright. Good soul music
Lo mismo hay gente para los que este disco es un referente, pero yo solo lo veo como cultura musical. Suena muy bien, pero nada me ha llamado la atención. Esto sería un 2,5 que como no puedo poner lo dejo en 3 por no ser Grinch.
This started slow but ended up delivering. These oldies are hitting. Cheeky songwriting.
gewoon oke, er is me niet zoveel bijgebleven van de plaat
klinkt precies zoals je zou denken door de cover
Fine. Solid 6
The story of this guy's life is absolutely wild. He was definitely born to be the star in his own musical. The charisma and authenticity shine through on the music and it makes for a fun an entertaining listen. That said, it doesn't really add a ton to the genre and I prefer the styles of Sam Cooke or Ray Charles more.
It's good! The arrangements on some of the album cuts were a bit different than what I expected from his other hits (i.e. more acoustic guitars).
Dadgum is this a fusion of rock and soul, solomon sure got that one right.
I love his voice but most of the material is blah and cheesy. Balances out to a 3/5
Nice for a Sunday morning
Didn't know the guy, but clean and smooth vocals, well performed songs. The songs are mostly dull but inoffensive enough.
Very pleasant, albeit very unmemorable indeed. It's really perfect music to have on if you're working, or feeling a little overwhelmed, or don't really want any music to be very honest. He has a lovely voice, and the songs are well put together. But it doesn't raise the pulse or stir the blood.
Great classic soul r& b record.
Solid. The man can sing like nobody's business and there is some fun guitar work on a handful of the songs.
Solomon has a voice for the ages. The window dressing is fine, standard early rock and soul; rather than brand name, it feels more kroger brand
Cry For Me
Not the most amazing soul and rock album, but still very good. I liked his voice, and the backing instrumentals. I honestly hadn't heard of Solomon Burke before, but this was quite good.
ik zou dit wel aanzetten op onze speakers voor de familie gwn chill vibes, beetje als van morrison gwn consistent album die in de achtergrond aankan :thumbsup
gwn solid soul met beetje rock vibes maar niet heel speciaal
I had never heard of Solomon Burke…At first, I thought he was going to be a crooner, but he really turned out to be a really good R & B vocalist. This one’s a solid three stars.
So it’s soul, oh I like it, it’s natural
Listening closely, you can trace the historical roots of soul music in this record. There are clear R&B and Gospel influences here that form the foundations of the genre, along with Doo-Wop and some others. But with how low-energy it feels overall, I struggled to find it engaging. Perhaps it's unfair to judge it against the genre it effectively births, but it's hard when you can hear the ingredients of soul without the right result. My main issue is that the mix is extremely vocal-forward; the band suffers for it. Burke is a great singer, no doubt, but that ends up being all the record has going for it. The backing vocals are beautiful, and there's some nice guitar work, but there are too few opportunities overall for the rest of the band to shine. Too many ballads for my taste. Overall, it's a nice listen and historically interesting. It's also around 30 minutes long, which is very considerate, especially after having to sit through a 90-minute album previously. This record is a sign of better things to come, even if it isn't quite there yet. 3/5
Some bops in here.
duro
Pretty good soul music. A little generic though.
Great singer, good songs. As an album experience the songs started feeling a little “samey” by the end, but good overall.
Soulful for sure; Solomon Burke has such a distinctive voice; He should be more recognized than he is today;
Rating:★★★ Pretty good old time soul music. Reminds me of some Fallout type music. Not to shabby at all.
not bad actually, but it’s not something i’ll listen to on my oen
6.8.26 A smooth and pretty listen. Beautiful voice and compositions. Favorite Song: You Can't Love 'em All Rating: 3.5/4
7/10 great voice Will i add this album to my library: maybe
Great classic soul album. Glad it popped up.
One of the pioneers of soul, according to Wikipedia. Lots of short love songs and covers turned to “rock and soul”. I understand the genre a bit more through this record; it’s very vocal-focused, which makes sense given its roots in gospel. As for this album, I think it suffers from how similar-sounding each song is. I guess since soul was just breaking ground, it was still attached to like rock and R&B (3.5).
Коли слухав цей альбом, то згадав серіал місс Мейзел, там був такий персонаж - співак Шай Болдвін. Такий собі образ соул\рнб співаків 50х-60х. Власне більше нічого не маю сказати, музика застигла в тому часі і для мене сприймається виключно як щось архаічне. Не знаю чому так, але так. Між 2.5 і 3, поставлю 3.
Some good songs and a whole lot of okay ones. Seems to be the formula for many of these 60s soul records.
on a besoin de plus de soul dans ce monde de brutes. album sympa, très bonnes vibes 1) beautiful brown eyes 2) we'll have to go 3) cry to me
Très sympathique mais je ne le réécouterai pas
Ca va
Nice
When I think about cheesy oldies, this is it.
6 - solid Motown
6/10 Great singer. Songs didn't age well.
need to listen more
This is fine. The more important thing is he had 21 children. 4.5/10 Top song Cry to me
what a voice!
so so fun!! keeps the energy pretty consistent for the most part with just a couple dips :)
I can't recall ever hearing the name Solomon Burke. Thoughts while listening 3 times ... I kept thinking that at least one of the songs would be something I've heard before, just because this has been around a long time. I read that the "Cry To Me" song was in the movie Dirty Dancing, but I don't remember that, having only watched that movie once a long time ago. Solomon definitely has a good voice. I can definitely see similarities to Sam Cooke and Otis Redding and a couple of times reminded me of Elvis. Even though I didn't recognize any specific songs the whole thing has a vaguely familiar sound for some reason. I guess it's just that old timey rock and soul sound :) This was a nice listen - cool to discover someone completely new (to me). I ended up liking 5 songs on this one - "Cry To Me", "Just Out of Reach (Of My Two Arms)", "Goodbye Baby (Baby Goodbye)", "If You Need Me", "Can't Nobody Love You", and "You Can't Love Them All" Liked songs on Spotify: 6/12 Rating: 3/5
Did not finish listening, was okay but not really my jam. Bit too slow
I think I am running out of things to say about nice records from this era aside from "this was a pleasant way to spend 40 minutes" but it was! nothing worldchanging but I was happy
Nobody puts Baby in a corner.
Cool retro music, high calibre singing. The 60s are not my cup of tea but I'd this any day over talking heads or the cramps.
Still the era before an album was anything cohesive. He has some good track and obviously a special voice. I agree with others here, the acoustic tracks were the standouts which was a surprise for a soul album.
Not my fav but okay!
This was pretty alright. 5/10
It was fine, felt like forgettable tracks on a better album. Really found the acoustic tracks interesting though
Cry to Me is one of my very favorite songs to sing and it's featured in one of my all time favorite movies "Dirty Dancing". The rest of the album is not nearly as impressive but Burke does have an excellent voice.
Jazz/Blues singer so he must have had either alcohol dependencies or infidelity problems. Let me check... Never fails
This man is smooth! I really like the combination of country and soul, but it really doesn't feel like a cohesive album. It feels like a collection of singles, which tracks for albums of that time. My rating: 3/5
Enjoyable, but not very much more than that. Probably down to me, but I personally expected a bit more from this artist. 3/5
Fun, sweet songs, amazing production and mixing. Loved his vocals and songs are nice.
The talent comes through on this album.
Pretty stereotypical mid 60s album
6/10 Favourites: Goodbye Baby (Baby Goodbye) Can’t Nobody Love You ⭐️ Someone to Love Me
(3.5) come on who hurt him
I enjoyed it but it also didn't jump out as anything super special to me.
I love his voice and what he brought to the record was always his best.
Cálido, elegante y emocional.
The voice and arrangements were great but just couldn’t connect lyrically to it
This was a satisfying listen. You get what you come for. Dude's voice is STRONG and it's clear that a lot of male singers after him used him as the model. Really really clean runs. My main thing with this one is that I would love to see a bit more diversity. Woulda loved an extra fast paced song or 2. I just got tired of ballads by the end. Highlights: Can't Nobody Love You, You Can't Have 'Em All
solomon burke definitely knows soul and his voice is phenomenal but the album is nothing to write home about.
vibey def thing of it's time still fun to Grove to tho
ziemlich chill & vibey
A fine album but slightly repetitive. I feel records from the early 60s serve more to lump a bunch of random tracks together rather than to try and create a specific theme.
Solomon and I hadn't been properly acquainted before today, and I can really appreciate the historic significance here, so this is another album I'm glad I heard before I dying. This young man was born a few years before album art was a thing, and at 25ish made an effort with 7 charting singles. I know there's a lot of factors in there, but I find it impressive just the same. As far as the actual sound, I feel a lot of heavily cemented influence that spans music history, and because it's so common to me now, I don't particularly find the music too enjoyable. It feels very standard, very modern, but with dated technology and ideas. So, thanks albums generator, but as far as personal enjoyment, very mid. 2.7/5
Very listenable Fave track: Cry to Me
Probably went off back in the day. 2.5/5
Enjoyed this one for one listen. I guess this is not my genre as I feel like there wasn't enough variety in the songs so after a while it kind of blended together.
2026.05.10.
some corkers on here
a vibe
Good album by a legendary soul singer. Burke has great range and really does show it off. Tragically the album itself is rather dated, but it's definitely worth a listen for historical appreciation.
60’s Soul ⭐️Cry to Me
2.7/5 Pretty stock standard stuff but I enjoyed my time and thought most of the songs were pretty good.
That voice! Awesome rhythm & blues record, happy to be exposed to this!
Appreciate it rather than massively like it
It has a strong voice at the center and you can hear the roots of a lot of later soul and funk ideas, but as a full listen it feels more like a collection of performances than something that builds or evolves. The emotional delivery carries it, though I keep wanting more interplay or expansion instrumentally.
I didn't think I knew this guy but once it started I recognized Cry to Me from that one scene in Dirty Dancing. You know the one. Definitely understand the inclusion of this album for historical importance, but suffers from the early 1960s production and focus on records as vehicles for singles instead of making a cohesive album. 3.5⭐️
The most Sunday album ever
Starts out strong, but get kind of weird the longer you listen.
Eu não estou animada para esse(ainda estou traumatizada pelos psicodélicos), mas quero ouvir por ser o primeiro cara negro aqui. Ele tem uma voz muito clara, especialmente para a época e sem remaster. Uma letra bem Leandro e Leonardo. Nada muito novo para o instrumental(me lembra dos anos 70). A letra me lembra Jesus. 7 de 10 Amei a introdução de Just Out of Reach, é bem mais calma e me lembra You Belong To Me(1930). Eu gostei da música e da letra(bemm amiga da vizinhança). 8 de 10 Goodbye Baby me lembra a Amy Winehouse. Amo que ele está me levando para várias épocas. 8.5 de 10 A letra de If You Need Me me lembra Jesus. Uma música bem jazz(sla). Jesus Jesus, glória a Deus. 9 de 10 Um violão interessante em Can´t Nobody, mas na letra vi um pouco de perseguidor. Ray Charles!! Um bom final. 8 de 10 Um bom instrumental em Someone to Love Me. Bem lenta, consigo ver esse numa dança. 8.7 de 10 You´re Good for Me é muito gostosa de ouvir. Achei ela engraçada. 7.2 de 10 Essas músicas me lembram de Não se Preocupe, Querida(anos 50) One More Chance é legalzinha, me lembra uma serenata e papa´s. 8.7 de 10 Concordo em Hard, realmente é dificil amar alguém que não é ama você(ainda bem que Jesus me ama). Gosto da história contada. 7.6 de 10 Stand by me no início de You can´t love 'Em All, a letra é engraçada, mas bem problemática. 7.1 de 10 BBE é uma música de fundo legal. 8 de 10 He'll have to go me intriga. Essa musica poderia ter sido escrita hoje em dia. Tem orquestra. Um final calmo para o álbum muito gostosinho de ouvir. Um álbum legal de plano de fundo, a voz do Solomon é muito boa. 3.6 Já dei nota para 13 álbuns e consigo dizer SOMENTE 2 que realmente vale a pena ouvir antes de morrer
I liked this, but it did all blur together.
Lovely album. And damn this guy could sing.
It could just be the nature of soul, but it doesn't really sound dated. Idk if maybe that genre just hasn't really changed much over the years. It also is just good quality music, even if the only song ever written is "baby I miss you"
I hadn't heard of Solomon Burke before. I was really curious to see what I'd get. In the end, it sounded a lot like Elvis Presley to me and eventually started to get on my nerves. Although the album isn't bad, I probably won't listen to it all the way through again. 3/5
nice background music
More soul than rock
It was pretty soulful and quite short but enjoyable
============================================== ============================================== ============================================== SOLOMON BURKE - ROCK 'N SOUL (1964) ============================================== ============================================== CALIFICACIÓN ★★★☆☆ ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== 1. Cry to me (★★★★☆) -Me recordó a CCR (Creedence...) en algún pasaje por su forma de cantar. 2. Just Out of Reach (★★★☆☆) -No es de mi estilo, pero está bien ejecutada. 3. Goodbye Baby (★★★⯨☆) -No es de mi estilo, está bien ejecutada y la letra e interpretación sumaron. 4. If You Need Me (★★★☆☆) -No es de mi estilo, está bien ejecutada y la letra e interpretación sumaron. 5. Can't Nobody Love You (★★★★⯨) -Puede ser la mejor o una de las mejores del álbum. Me produjo una sensación conocida como "frisson". 6. Someone to Love Me (★★★☆☆) 7. You're Good for Me (★★★☆☆) 8. Won't You Give Him (★★★☆☆) 9. Hard, Ain't It Hard (★★★☆☆) 10. You Can't Love 'Em All (★★★★☆) -Me gustó. Los arreglos de guitarra, la letra y la mezcla sumaron. 11. Beautiful Brown Eyes (★★★☆☆) 12. He'll Have to Go (★★★☆☆) ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== PUNTAJE TOTAL 40 ============================================== ============================================== PUNTAJE PROMEDIO 40 / 12 = 3,333... ============================================== ============================================== CALIFICACIÓN FINAL ★★★☆☆ ============================================== ============================================== ==============================================
3/5
Enjoyable (for me), but sounds more like the 1950s than 1964. Two years before Sergeant Pepper, for example, and this guy is crooning away with a close-harmony chorus of girls behind him.
I had sadly never heard of Solomon Burke, but am so happy to have listened to this now. It was beautiful and soulful all the way through.
Fun album and beautiful strong voice. However, the songs felt a bit repetitive.
3 - Can't Nobody Love You goes soooooo hard. The rest of the album was enjoyable but nothing stood out to me!
Easy, smooth listen
Easy listen
A perfectly enjoyable album that's very much of its time. I liked his voice, and I enjoyed those 50s/60s arrangements but I kind of expected to stumble upon one or two familiar songs - I know the name but I don't seem to know a single song by him. So yes, a nice find - I'd be interested to hear more by him, but I'm not in any hurry.
Another one I get to show my ignorance about - probably a forerunner of those who had hits later or something but it feels like there were probably lots of artists like this about who were all perfectly good, but there is no sparkle for me.
Really smooth to listen to. Some songs sounded familiar.
A strong showing to be sure, but despite some heat it gets a little boring and same-y. I love soul, would have loved to see more rock. 3/5
Nice voice. Backing vocals way too prominent at times.
Knew I'd be in for a good listen after recognizing the opener. Fun record with some nice vocals from Burke.
Jamais écouté avant. Un document intéressant sur les premières années de la soul, sublimé par la maîtrise vocale de Solomon Burke, mais qui souffre aussi des défauts de son temps : textes clichés, instrumentation minimaliste et répétitive, chœurs un peu trop présents... Top : Cry to Me Flop : Won't You Give Him (One More Chance)
Good album.
Beautiful voice, meh album
I think I'm starting to wear thin on 60s soul, it's either that or I had unmet expectations for this album. I felt very underwhelmed by this, I think in part because it sells itself as sort of a mix of rock and soul, and I really didn't get a ton of that from this. It was a solid soul album for sure, but as a combo I didn't really get anything out of it. It was a solid listen though, I was just hoping for more. Also just looking at it for my favorites, but apparently the track listing on Apple Music is like crazy mixed up from the original release, I'm not sure if it's like that on Spotify too but it was really shocking cause I thought I was just listening as it was meant to be listened. And it turns out I wasn't. Favorites: Cry to Me, You're Good for Me, Beautiful Brown Eyes
It’s a very 1950’s album in 1964. It was around the early Beatles albums. It just feels a bit outdated for the 60’s although not bad! 3/5
Bom álbum, muita música bonita mas não me apeguei tanto.
All around solid with a few stand outs for me 3
If I was locked on a room and forced to listen to 60's soul music, I hope it would be this album! Beautiful voice, and the orchestra does not dominate A cool discovery in this 1001 album process!
More like this, please.
Nice album, classic sound 3/5
Random thoughts: * I listened to this while cleaning my house getting ready for album club. * This was good music for cleaning the house. It was some solid 60s R&B/soul. * I might have to revisit this one but I didn't have a lot to say here. Good listen,
Alright.
;-;
I swear to glorious HaShem, why are all of these tracklists wacked the fuck out on spotify?? Again nothing a little queueing won't fix, but it's so weird. Like the tracklist is right there, ON THE COVER, how's you gonna mess that up???? Whatever. This album definitely isn't "rock 'n soul," but it's pretty good. Mr. Burke's voice is lovely, and it has a good range between of a buttery, soulful, middle ground, a wild, howling higher register, and a deep, romantic lower register. It's a good vessel for these songs. The entire album itself, in terms of instrumentation and musicality, is quite pleasant too; its best moments are just straight-forward southern soul, such as "If You Need Me," or "Can't Nobody Love You." Many of the songs end up sounding much more pop-soaked, such as "Cry To Me," or "Hard Ain't It Hard." It's a very consistent and easygoing listening experience. The background singers, though they get old somewhat quickly, are still pretty pleasant all around. What ends up really holding it back, frankly, is that none of it is really, truly, GREAT. Even if there are some really cool songs here, I can't really say that I'll come back to any of these songs, genuinely, even if it's enjoyable. 7.2/10
Listening session: april 13th, while going for a walk Listened to before: heard one song before Thoughts: I didn’t know Solomon Burke before listening to this album but he has a really nice voice for soulful music Favourite tracks: Cry to Me, Goodbye Baby (Baby Goodbye) & He’ll Have to Go
Pleasant enough to listen to, find it quite dated with its production though
Solid for the style and time. Would be great to have a remaster of this. Would listen again but probably wouldn’t actively choose to put it on, so a 3.
The album was exactly what I expected it to be like, for better or for worse.
Not my usual, but was a nice change of pace.
Haven’t ever listened to Solomon Burke but I really liked it. Very similar to Sam Cook in my mind. No big standouts but enjoyable
this was sooo vibey, I would totally listen at a dinner party or something like that
Fino mi je ovo, mogu zamisliti da bi u kontekstu vremena bilo dosta napredno.
good
loved it, a classic
Pretty good.
Variety: 2 Adequacy: 4 Listenability: 3 Uniqueness: 2 Emotionality: 3 = 2.8 rounded up to a 3 "Now when your girl is gone and you're broke in two/ You need a little bit o' soul to see you through" Burke is a guy I had never heard of until I did a deep dive into 60s R&B and Soul around 15 or more years back. His name kept popping up, and I got the impression he was a "soul musician's soul musician" so to speak. In other words, very influential, but semi-forgotten (though he sold millions of records at his height) among the giant names from that era who had blockbuster hits, and who were maybe more willing to play ball than Burke, who by some accounts was a bit of a pill, and given to whims and antics that made him a bit of a hard sell. But the modern reappraisal of him seems to take all of this into account as a big man, with a big personality who did things his way, seemingly unconcerned with what people thought. I've liked most stuff I've heard, but most of it was on compilations, so likely the cream of the crop. I have never listened to any of his albums all the way through. Looking forward to this one. THE TRACKS "Goodbye Baby (Baby Goodbye)" - What a voice. The gospel leanings definitely come through here. Solid opener but nothing amazing. I think the echoey production might throw some people off, but I tend to love this early 60s recording style where the vocals can sometimes get into registers where you can tell the equipment can't handle it. "Cry to Me" (Bert Russell) - Little bit more going on here musically to support Burke in this midtempo number. The stops and the judicious use of the piano and background vocals all give this one a distinct flavor. "Won't You Give Him (One More Chance)" - Very unique instrumentation here with a sort of loosely strung acoustic guitar it sounds like. Much more like something you'd here on a Beatles record or at the very least something by Harry Belafonte, rather than a traditional soul record, and contrasts really well with the vocals. "If You Need Me" - Back into a more traditional mode here with piano, electric guitar and some bare bones percussion. Closer to the kind of thing you might expect from Sam Cooke. Background vocals are a little too much on this one I think, but they don't overpower Burke by any means. "Hard, Ain't It Hard" - Energy gets back up here with some more of that acoustic guitar that almost sounds a bit country fried. Checked and Woody Guthrie wrote this so I guess that makes a sort of sense. Interesting stuff, but doesn't really grab me. "Can't Nobody Love You" - More acoustic, bit a lot bluesier on this one. Instrumentation and background vocals once again find a great balance with Burke, and there's some great counter melodies going on that give this a really cool dynamic. "Just Out of Reach" - Ugh... I hate the Country and Western feel of this one. Sounds like something that would have been in an Elvis cowboy movie. Burke's great at this, is just not something I want to hear from him. "You're Good for Me" - And we're back in it. Almost too traditional though. Am I crazy or are Burke's vocals doubled up here? Not bad by any means, but this was as generic as anything on here. "You Can't Love Them All" - This was boring. The horns and the background vocals on this were playing at a level way below Burke. I can see a much better version of this that was less clattered maybe. "Someone to Love Me" - Loved this one. Everything is in balance here. Perfect use of the background singers, teh guitarist is on point with the bluey accents. Burke delivers the goods as usual, and tied up nicely in a tight 2:59. "Beautiful Brown Eyes" - Perfectly fine, standard stuff, but nothing special. Move along... "He'll Have to Go" - Low, low energy for our closer. Otherwise fine, but did not care for the strings on this one. HIGHLIGHTS - "Cry to Me" - "Won't You Give Him (One More Chance)" - "Can't Nobody Love You" - "Someone to Love Me" MIDLIGHTS - "Goodbye Baby (Baby Goodbye)" - "If You Need Me" - "Hard, Ain't It Hard" - "You're Good for Me" - "Beautiful Brown Eyes" - "He'll Have to Go" LOWLIGHTS - "Just Out of Reach" - "You Can't Love Them All" FINAL THOUGHTS With the one exception that felt really out of place, Burke shines on every track. Unfortunately I can't say the same for the instrumentation and quality of the material he's working with. There's a deficiency of memorable hooks throughout, and the background singers seem to alternate between very capable and well used ("Someone to love Me") , to overblown and all over the place ( "Of You Need Me"). Was overall disappointed that this one didn't wow me as much as I hoped. Definitely was not expecting all the country influences here, and have to say that stuff worked least for me. This sort of thing failed for me where it works on something like Ray Charles's Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. I guess maybe Burke paved the way for Charles to be able to that. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Just keeping the highlights here FURTHER LISTENING - Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music - Ray Charles - Sam Cooke by Sam Cooke - Seven Letters by Ben E. King
Not as one-note as a lot of other important albums around this time. Easy to see the incredible influence this had on so many people. Rock 'n Soul is literally the best possible way to describe what he's doing here, and he nails it on both fronts. Maybe the date shows a bit, but overall it's a win.
The title of this album is quite accurate. Burke's singing is wonderfully soulful, and when he lets loose he's fantastic to listen to. The emotion is right there. Then there's the rock piece. It's the 50's sound with mostly similar arrangements and the same background singing that was reminiscent of the time. I loved the soul of this album and didn't really care for the rock of this album. I can appreciate it for being a bridge into a sound that led to some of my favorite music, but it's not quite there and that unfortunately kept me from totally loving the record.
I don't think I've ever listened to an album in this genre, but it's definitely a nice breath of fresh air. The only word I would use to describe it is vibey? I almost never listen to music like this, but this album was quite enjoyable and his voice was incredible. The production in general wasn't great. I really liked You're Good For Me. More of a 3.7 to me, but I don't think it's quite good enough to be a 4.
This is good. Not super memorable but very solid.
Decent
Heavy on soul, light on rock. That's not a bad thing, just an observation.
Not my style 5/10
Enjoyed the blues, rock, 60s soulful album
It's funny...this is different than other soul albums of the time, and its interesting, and yet it still doesn't pull me to like it any more than usual. Oh well.
A bit too old sounding for my taste even at 30 mins it becomes a slog.
****
3.5
This was an enjoyable listen.
All killer no filler
Soul. Solomon Burke's vocals are fantastic, beautifully sung throughout. The songs themselves are simple and enjoyable. Thirty four chilled and enjoyable minutes.
Nothing bad about this album. Can't say I loved it. I'm not the biggest fan of soul, but this is good.
Love song 2 but the rest of the album isn't for me
Rock N' Soul encapsulates this record perfectly. That's what you're going to get here. And it's all good. Solomon Burke brings his voice to pay tribute to a genre of music that was definitely on its last legs. So if you're in for a a bit of oldies, or want to feel like you're down at the old soda shop or sock hop, fire it up. Highlights: Someone To Love Me
It was alright, but there are other soul artist I like more than I'd rather listen too. It's not something I will relisten too, but it wasn't bad. Favorite Track - Cry to Me Least Favorite Track - If You Need Me ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This record was quite smooth. Favourite Track(s): Beautiful Brown Eyes Least Favourite Track(s): If You Need Me
Good old music. Enjoyed it.
cry to me is good
Ihan kiva. 3/5.
Ehh
Soulful and smooth, a really easy on the ears listen
Old love movie songs
Good stuff. I’m new to him but I like it !
The lyrics leave something to be desired. The singing is great.
Nothing too special
A solid album, stifled by the standard production of the era. I would love to hear a stripped-down mix of this, without all the backing vocals and strings.
You can't love 'em all ... no I can't ... but let me tell you ... I'm sure going to try. That pretty much sums up me and this list!
Slay
Solomon Burke had one of the great voices in American soul music — big, preacherly, and rooted deep in gospel tradition. On Rock ’N Soul, that voice is front and center, and when Burke locks into a song with full conviction, the results are genuinely powerful. The Atlantic Records infrastructure around him is excellent, and the material is strong throughout. The problem is the production formula. Burke’s gospel roots are built on call and response — voices in real conversation, trading authority and emotion across the room. What he gets instead is a wall of lush, sweetly arranged backing vocals that feel more like decoration than dialogue. Track after track, the same syrupy approach sits behind him, and what should amplify the music ends up flattening it. The backing vocals don’t push back, don’t surprise, and don’t breathe — they just hover. “He’ll Have to Go” captures the tension perfectly. Burke takes a Jim Reeves country standard and makes it feel completely natural — proof of his remarkable range and instinct. But the call-and-response that follows is lovely for about thirty seconds before it grows tiresome, which is a pretty good summary of the whole album. The voice earns a four. The record it’s trapped in is a three.
very smooth vocals, groovy but got kinda boring as i reached the end of the album, easy listening
pretty classic 60s soul album. that is to say: a scattering collection of similar sounding nondescript singles and covers by a guy with an incredible voice. the problem for me is that every song here sounds identical and it's entirely tropes. i'm not really sure who this way of arranging songs can or should be attributed to, but it's like The sound of the 60s, so it's difficult to appreciate burke's voice when it feels like he's done a disservice on every track. if he's not getting drowned out in the mix by fully conventional big-band-esque instrumentation, then it's the cheesy background singers. it's frustrating. let me hear him!!! he's got range!!! there's also the typical lyrical misogyny Yuck of the times any time he says anything about "little girl" or whatever else.
There's an interesting dichotomy here between an incredible voice, and for the most part pretty good songs and the fact that this has the problem 60s pop albums suffer from being just a collection of good singles mixed with B-sides with little care for the album listening experience. As a result you get a bunch of truly pretty great songs that get very tiring when put next to each other in an album format. Solomon Burke's voice is incredible, I love "cry to me", a song I associate heavily with Dirty Dancing and songs like "goodbye baby" show off incredible musical talent. However, I feel like this album is a great display of why rating individual songs and averaging them out doesn't neccessarily give you an idea of how good an album will be. By the end of this I was tired and kinda over it, which is sad when the potential is so high and it is fulfilled on some of the songs here.
As a kid born in the late 70’s I was exposed to Motown and old R&B early and often. Had this been the first record I ever heard I would say it was great. However, in the pantheon of great singer and songs of this genre it was very forgettable
This felt very dated. Almost like an early 50s album rather than a 60s one. I couldn't really get on with it. That said, it was pleasant and short enough that it didn't feel like a chore to get through.
A lot of soul. Good album.
Great soul singer, Solomon Burke probably deserved more recognition and success than he got. Just been reading about his life, 4 marriages, 21 kids, it seems he lived his life to the full!
not my kind of music but good i uess
Solid rock, solid soul, and a good voice. It’s a very average album for me. 3/5
Very good earlier soul (in mono, as well). Plenty of feeling…
Some good soul singing by an artist with a powerful voice and wide range. Decent arrangements even if they're a little tame.
This is decent enough, he has a great voice and the opening track is one I knew. The rest is fairly standard 60s love songs, nothing too complicated but pleasant
5/10
Never heard of album or singer. I’ve liked the r&b albums so far so looking forward to this one. Cry to me is super old. Really simple. Well written. Production is good for 60s, mid for now. Just out of a reach is just a little too slow for me. I like the production a lot better in this o e. Goodbye baby is pretty catchy. Nothing too special. If you need me is cool too. Not a lot of range on this album so far. Great song writing on can’t nobody love you. Simple background track again. I like the harmony and guitar on someone to love. Good not great song. Won’t you give him didn’t last the test of time. Bad song. Hard is relatable and well written again. Good guitar. I like the chorus on can’t love em all a lot. Great piano/horns too. This is a good song. A lot of the songs kinda blend together. Not a great trait. He’ll have to go is fine. I think it works as a closer pretty well. Overall album is fine. Definitely dated. Enjoyed it, but won’t ever listen again. 2.6 stars.
Some sweet songs, this was pretty lovely
Favorite songs: Cry to Me, Goodbye Baby (Baby Goodbye), If You Need Me
soul
Listenable.
I enjoy soul I enjoy this it’s evocative, but like I also couldn’t tell you one song from the other. Feels like a compilation of Soul classics you buy your gran. 6 / 10 Best track/s: They were all … nice
en af soul og rnb's founding fathers apparently. Jeg synes det var en rar oplevelse, men ikke noget man ikke har hørt før. Jeg kan godt lide åbningsnummeret, det er også med i dirty dancing, ayy.
dnf, had guests over
Great singer, but the second half of the album feels like filler to me. The songs definitely aren't as strong as the first half.
I really love his voice.It sounds so incredible over some of these tracks.This is a good album , not my favorite of the era , but it is solid
Great voice. Songs that aren’t memorable though.
i love soul music but can’t find anything exceptional about either the music or Solomon’s vocals. what am i missing?
Solid soul album that was surprisingly under my radar before this project. Not as strong as some Motown or Stax contemporaries, but still a keeper. 3.5⭐️
Dude liked his women
Sure, this is ok and was probably great at the time, but music has moved on and it’s not very exciting, plus some of the lyrics have not aged at all well …
Pretty good. Seems very foundational.
Pleasant but doesn’t stand out
Started out meh, but the guitar work in some of the later songs won me over.
Very middle of the road on this one. Didnt love it or hate it. I had a good enough time. Enjoyable but nothing that blew me away. Dude had a great voice and the backip singers also are exceptional. I was just not that into the songwriting. Nothing stood out. Everything was decent but never amazing. Just alright all around
Decent listen.
It’s pretty good blues, what more can I say?
Haven't listen to such smooth music in a while. Slow. But slow isn't always bad.
Decent, just nothing that stood out to me
little one note, but enjoyable
When it's soul or rock I like it very much, but a lot of times it's kind of country, which is a bit of a bait-and-switch.
Can't believe I've never heard of this guy. Solid set of songs
Sweet soul sound
Short and sweet
3/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/solomon-burke/rock-n-soul/ Some songs I really liked, but all in all it's held back by too many mwuah songs, especially in the second half. Also, since my first real introduction to soul/rock 'n roll through this list was Sam Cooke's live album, everything after just sorta falls flat.
Strong 2,5
I have somehow missed the greatness of Solomon Burke.