Live At The Harlem Square Club

This sounds exactly what you’d think it sounds like. He sounds great, but it does sound old and a it repetitive. Could be nice in the background but doesn’t really do it for me

Exquisite pipes, this guy, and a big band sound to boot. However, I don’t find myself getting lost in it like I would like.

I really need to re-learn how to have fun. There's so much going on in this album and it sounds like such a good time, but the energy of the album just isn't hitting me the same way it is everyone in the crowd. Sam Cooke seems like the kind of person to have every single woman in a 150 meter radius screeching like they just watched Jesus come down from heaven for the first time in thousands of years, and you can hear that at some points in the record. For me, It's way too bubblegum. It's a great album, and I wish I could feel it more, but it just isn't my kind of fun music.

Great songs, but not the best version of them.

Good vocals nice vibe very produced tho

i wish there were more live albums on this list. to me it counts more than B-side comps would count. you get this version of a song that can only happen once, string enough of those together and its sometimes better than the recorded compositions. i like sam cooke, some of these are classics and this is prob the best he's ever sounded. its got that great feel of a small place that would be insane to see him at. great energy all the way through. the whole band sounds awesome. the life this breathes into these tracks is amazing. 3/5, but damn close.

3. Not a big fan of live albums.

Sam Cooke’s 𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘮 𝘚𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘊𝘭𝘶𝘣 captures him in raw, fiery form, but the recording quality leaves a lot to be desired — understandable given the limited means of taping a club show in 1963. Had he performed this same set a decade later, it might have sounded entirely different, but history didn’t allow for that. What remains is a fascinating glimpse of Cooke’s power on stage, even if the sound doesn’t do him full justice.

Pretty cool little live album, was a nice listen. 3 stars

I really liked the first song, and then I felt like he kept playing it again and again, would have liked a bit more variety. Was fun to hear him interacting with the audience. Favourite song: Feel It (Don't Fight it) Least: Bring It on Home to Me

Great live energy Dated ('63 Obvio) but well done, quality music. Fun record 3 outta 5

3. Like in the intro, it's no secret that Sam Cooke is "Mr. Soul." This live performance had smooth transitions between songs and an overall good vibe but it didn't really work for me as an album. This was a recording of a live performance, and the pacing/order of songs doesn't really make sense as an album. Many of the songs sound very similar.

Das Konzert wurde im Januar 1963 im Harlem Square Club in Miami aufgenommen, blieb aber über zwei Jahrzehnte unveröffentlicht. Erst 1985 erschien es, und zeigte Sam Cooke von einer Seite, die sein Image als glatter Pop-Entertainer deutlich erweiterte. Der in den USA geborene Sänger, der zuvor mit Hits wie „Cupid“ oder „Chain Gang“ bekannt geworden war, präsentiert sich hier rau, leidenschaftlich und unmittelbar. Die Aufnahmen vermitteln Club-Atmosphäre: man hört das Publikum jubeln, Cooke feuert es an, die Band treibt ihn unermüdlich voran. Besonders die Versionen von „Bring It On Home to Me“, „Twistin’ the Night Away“ und „Having a Party“ zeigen seine Fähigkeit, Soul und Rhythm & Blues mit packender Bühnenpräsenz zu verbinden. Der Mitschnitt unterscheidet sich stark von seinen Studioalben – weniger poliert, dafür voller Energie und Nähe. Gerade das macht den Reiz aus: Man spürt, warum Cooke als einer der Väter des Soul gilt, der die Brücke zwischen Gospel, Pop und R&B geschlagen hat. Unterm Strich ist es ein intensives Live-Dokument, das sowohl musikalisch überzeugt als auch historisch bedeutsam ist.

Iconic voice, some great tunes, but the live version just feels like it’s the same song the whole time continuously. It takes away the character and clarity that the studio versions have. Good, but will never listen to it again.

Rating: 3.1 Live albums do not sway me. There is nothing on a live album that is better than anything that’s been put to record in a studio. Except for that one album. You’ll know when I get to it. Sam Cooke is good.

It’s been a long day, but I have now eaten lunch. A fake donair was the dish du jour. Still tasty but can’t hold a candle to a real Halifax donair. If only I could live there. God. I will never forgive the system that turned my childhood haven from afterthought to sought after gentrification magnet for insufferable Ontario socialites to flock to like maggots to a corpse. Ah well. I’m stuck renting in this prairie wasteland while dickweeds who can’t pronounce Tatamagouche soak up the shores my ancestors landed on centuries ago. Anyway. What are we talking about? A live album that everyone on the internet describes as happy. I’m reinvigorated, albeit a little mournful about Nova Scotia. Try to lift my spirits fellas. Soul Twist/Introduction - That saxophone is doing exactly what I would imagine a “soul twist” sounds like. Hell of a welcome for the young man. Feel It (Don’t Fight It) - Oof a little sloppy off the start there. Don’t fight it, gents. Alright, we’re in the pocket. A small pocket where your keys fall out. This song is kind of like that. Disappointing. He kind of won me over with the performances. Chain Gang - This was a favourite when I was young. First exposure that I had to Sam Cooke. This is a more raw performance obviously, and creates a different level of enjoyment. Very good song. Cupid - What a natural voice. This is another absolute classic chorus. The live music is really impacting me here. Medley: It’s All Right/For Sentimental Reasons - Yes, wake up your significant other out of a dead sleep and look at them (unblinking) and say “It’s All Right.” Just say it again if they’re confused. Oh, and I hate medleys at concerts. I saw Carcass in 2013 and really wanted to hear Reek of Putrefaction. I mean, who doesn’t? They put it as part of a medley where they only played the opening strains. I mean that is the most sickening part, but still. Anyway. “Carcass” probably isn’t a word that appears frequently in reviews of this record. Twistin’ the Night Away - Song that is very “of the time.” Enjoyable. Cute. Somebody Have Mercy - Somebody. Anybody. Buddy is going to the bus station. If anybody needs the gentle hand of mercy, it’s a public transit commuter. Greyhound?? Oh no. Bless this man. The only people riding Greyhound buses are serial killers and potential victims. Bring It On Home to Me - This thing brings the fucking house down. What an amazing song and it’s just delivered in such an electrifying fashion. Incredible. Nothing Can Change This Love - Can’t fully say anything different about this track. It’s a comedown from the previous song Having a Party - Sounding like a party and a raucous way to end off this very strong performance. This isn’t exactly in my wheelhouse, but I got a lot of the energy that was put into this record. The live recording in 1963 is what really grabbed me. It felt like you were there, and you really just got swept up in the moment. When attendinggn a good concert in real life, decent songs are fantastic and fantastic songs, shake you to your very core. I won’t say this album shook me to my core, but there was a lot to like here and I feel as exhausted as if I was there that night. I assume I’d stick out in 1963 Harlem, but much like my beloved Nova Scotia, Harlem in 2025 is probably one of the most gentrified places in North America. Don’t we love progress?? See ya energy and passion, we need microbreweries and chain brunch spots. 3.5 HIGHLIGHTS: Chain Gang, Cupid, Somebody Have Mercy, Bring It On Home to Me

The crowd noise really adds to the energy of the performance. 3.5

Not a huge fan of live albums but this one was pretty good. Reminded me a bit of the James Brown Live at The Apollo record also on this list. RCA being worried about releasing it and hurting his image seems so paranoid compared to what is released nowadays.

I only know 2 or 3 of Sam Cooke’s hits which are kind of basic and radio-friendly. But in this live show, he’s on a whole different level. Soul back then had so much class: raw, stylish, and Cooke’s voice is just insane. “I don’t want you operator! I want my babyyyy!!!” Then I found out he died in shady circumstances, with a story about kidnapping and an attempted assault… well, this record still rules, but all these romantic lyrics suddenly sound very fake.

Toe tapping live soul album and a really tight set with very little nonsense. Not my usual genre but this felt like an excellent time capsule. Probably more open to this following heavy listening of the Sinners soundtrack

Good live album, seemed like a legendary high energy set.

Le live ne m’a pas emporté… peut être de mauvaises co dictions d’écoute après une garde + canicule mal tolérée… Il faudra découvrir l’album studio mais le jazz est connu pour être bon en live

One good song. Better for background vibes

7.3/10. The best song was its all right/ Sentimental Reasons

Twisting the Night Away

Great voice! Unfortunately the pacing of this album sucks. The small amount of crowd interaction is next to nil. I did like how he messed up a song and without skipping a beat, he said, while the band is still playing, "let's start that again" and they just kept going. Great recover that could only been done by an experienced performer. Over all the album was only ok.

Not bad, a guy clearly loving what he does.

great voice

Sam Cooke’s spontaneous laugh is the highlight.

It’s a live jazz album which are two things I usually don’t like. This gets 3 stars because his voice is beautiful I just wouldn’t reach for it again

Great voice - enjoyable half an hour or so

Pretty solid live album. Can almost feel the energy he brought to the performance.

It's a live soul album and it was good.

Interesting live album. Good old time R&B/Soul.

Some classic soul, what a great voice

I'll give this a 3. Sam Cooke is great. I'll give him more with a studio recorded album if there is one on this list

Very nice

Not typically a fan of live albums unless I was there. However, 3 stars for Sam Cooke just being Sam Cooke. Velvet voice. Better album is a greatest hits collection than a live album. IMO

Me gustó mucho, sigue la misma onda yankee pero está zafable pa escuchar, hay un par de joyitas en el disco. Ya te das cuenta en los primeros 15 segundos la tonalidad de piel.

No es mi estilo pero cumple con lo que promete. Música estilo gospel, rocksito pegajoso

Lots of great energy here, and you can see why he was popular. It's a different side of him than I know from the radio, for sure. I didn't really love any of the arrangements, tho. It felt like a lot of show without real emotion. I'm sure it was fun to be there, and it's interesting as a document, but I guess it's not what I enjoy about Sam Cooke.

Amazing voice. Smooth and silky, and while I often love the energy in live albums, I don’t like it here. I just want more of Cooke’s vocals - that’s it. Not all the background noises and so forth. But oh my, he just roars!

Not the kind of music I'd pull up regularly but I enjoyed hearing this. Lots of energy; would clearly have been dynamite to experience live. I got a little burnt out on it halfway through though.

Low fidelity old timey soul

Working on a five point scale, it's a solid 2.75. Love Sam Cooke, just not a big fan of live music in general; it typically cannot compare to the quality of the music recorded in the sound studio. I would offer though, in this case, it may be more a reflection of the available technology of the day.

Odd opening for a live album. His voice is so classic and it holds up well live on stage. I have NO idea why this made the list though, it's just his best songs live, nothing revolutionary or groundbreaking there. The songs maybe have different percussion and tempo and some crowd participation but otherwise seem pretty straightforward. "Chain Gang", "Cupid", "Twistin'...", "Having A Party" and of course "Bring It On Home" solidified his status as a great vocalist. Enjoyable but not worthy of T1001. 3 stars as it's solid and fun from top to bottom. You heard a master of his art doing his thing in front of a live audience.

ANOTHER live album...... This was fine, I just don't like them

It's cool but im not really enjoying it

No doubt about it, Sam Cooke had an incredible voice.

Ik had liever een studio album gehad, maar ik vond het best swingend en het nodigde uit om meer van deze artiest te gaan beluisteren. Het voelde toch een beetje als een andere tijden muzikale aflevering, waar ik wel een zwak voor heb.

I've got a soft spot for oldies. I have to knock this one down a peg since it was a live album and I feel like live albums shouldn't be included on a top albums list. However, this was a great album. A lot of energy from Sam and the crowd. Wish I could have been there. 3/5.

Not bad at all

I really wanted to love this more than I did. There’s no question Sam Cooke’s voice is one of the all-time greats, and this live performance captures a rawer, sweatier, more impassioned side of him than the polished studio stuff he’s often known for. You can feel the energy coming off the crowd, the way they scream and shout at every little vocal run like he’s setting the place on fire. And I do like hearing that rougher version of Cooke—it’s like catching him loosen his tie and just let it rip for once. But for me, the recording itself doesn’t quite do the performance justice. It’s a bit murky, and at times the balance feels off, like the band’s buried under the noise of the room. I also found some of the song choices a little safe. I get that this was Cooke reaching back to his gospel and R&B roots, but I guess I was hoping for a setlist that surprised me more. It’s a really solid live record and has its moments

Harlem puro

Classic songs delivered in what sounds like an exciting live show.

Pretty good

great vibes, straight to the point, incredible performance! not sure i’m getting back to this because of the live poor recording quality but it was a fun experience

This is decent. Sam Cooke had a good voice and great stage presence, im just not too crazy about this style. The production also isn't very good, it's chaotic and impenetrable, his voice overpowers everything. You can hear the guitar and drums a bit but it's a bit exhausting, and the album isn't even that long A good listen but I doubt I'll come back to it again Highlights: Twistin' the Night Away

Not a fan of live albums but it was still a solid album.

Cool live album and was definitely a great night.

Uplifting and fun but didn't jump out to me as thought it might

That was a fun experience, one of the better Live albums ... like you were there.

This man has some energy This would have been wild live Not 100% my jam, but i do appreciate it still

Sam Cooke has an amazing voice. Otherwise, this is fine, but not really my style of music.

While listening we were trying to puzzle through why *this* album was held for 22 years as the record company thought it was "too gritty and raw" to be released.

this did not activate my live album rage. I like sam cooke the normal amount.

This was fun! I liked the last track a lot and I appreciate that the crowd actually seemed to be having fun and engaging because if a live album is going to have a crowd they should at least be lively.

Solid soul album. Live albums for me are always a detractor but a good listen regardless

3 out of 5. Damn good love album.

I recognized one song here, Twisting the nigh away. This was a classic, just not my vibe.

I suspect if you are a Sam Cooke fan, you will enjoy this.

שירים שאהבתי: Soul twist (introduction) & Feel it, Chain gang (גרוב רייד מגניב), It's alright (סם ממליץ בחום לא להרביץ לאישתך), Twistin'

Great showman - not my style musically, but very fun hearing the relationship between performer and audience on Medley. Can't deny the talent also, and great voice, so 3 stars it is!

Good early rock and roll. I'd probably enjoy a better sounding recording, but this live album does convey some of the energy of a live performance in front of a crowd.

Very rock and roll. Accessible and enjoyable.

An energetic, fun performance with good recording quality.

2 1/2 Fun but not great.

High energy and fun, but I'm not a big fan of the style, or soul music in general. Would be cool to see live or listen to when I'm in the right mood.

nice but nothing memorable

6/10

sounds like it was a good show Will I listen to again: 22%

Great Album . Sometimes too much Talking but that’s his stylw

zabavno!

again, i wish i could rate this 3.75, it was really enjoyable and i love that it was a live recording, just hearing everyone talk in the background and hearing him introduce the band was so cool :)

Great Energy.

Decent enough album, very decent album for a live album.

2 live albums in a row!? I must be cursed. This one was a little more enjoyable than the Cheap Trick one, I guess because it's more jazzy which seems more inherently "live" (idk). Like, there's actual crowd interaction, which I don't want to listen to, but at least it makes sense what the appeal is. Feels 50sish to me, like Drifters vibes. If it weren't a live album I would like it! Highlights: 'Cupid'

Sam Cooke Belting out songs live. Crowd was kind of dead, but great vocals

Best: Bring It on Home to Me

great perfomer !

Not really the way I want to listen to Sam Cooke. The audience is having a good time but distracting to me. I see that there are three versions of this album with varying degrees of the the audience in the mix.

Pretty good/decent classic soul/jazzy music. Medley: It's All Right/For Sentimental Reasons is good. Bring It Home to Me and Nothing Can Change This Love as well, with the latter having a great tenor sax solo. Good upbeat album.

three stars!

Let me first say that I'm really glad this rating system is out of 5 instead of out of 10. I feel like differentiating between albums with that sort of granularity is sort of beyond my capabilities, so this works well. Live at the Harlem Square Club was good honest fun. It was upbeat, catchy, and Sam Cooke has great crowd control. I did, about halfway through, find myself getting a little tired of the taste, though, which ultimately is what I think knocks it down for me. Otherwise, this was a fun listen in the style of music I generally like, and I was glad to be shown it!

Good - probably wont be back.

3.5 85%

I liked a few things but not really the whole thing.

I like it just as much any other blues or soul album I’ve listened to. It’s nice but not that enjoyable as a genre for me. After listening to two songs it feels like I’m listening to the same thing over and over again. But one good thing is that the singers have great voices so at least it’s a moderately enjoyable album but I’d give it a low rating because of the repetitiveness.

A good live performance by one of the greats of soul

Not my scene but great voice

good jams, not necessarily a live album person, but still good

-Sam Cooke has an absolutely phenomenal voice. listening to this really did make me feel like I was in a Harlem jazz club in the 60s, smoking a cigarette and ordering a whiskey or something -it didn’t all stand out to me that much, but I would like to listen to it again because his voice gets better with every song -Favorites are Chain Gang and Nothing Can Change This Love

So much energy and SOUL! What a voice!!

Solid, I know this isn’t his best too.

Super

Not a " Live album guy " but this was good! Can't go wrong with Sam Cooke!

Är ju egentligen en liveplatta men bara för att jag är så jävla snäll så blir det en trea.

Great vocal work by Cooke, you can feel the rawness of his singing and his ability to connect with the crows. That being said, beyond Cooke's exceptional singing, not much else was a standout.

I love Sam Cooke almost as much as his drummer loves his cymbals. Sounds like everyone is having a great time.

Wild, very intense atmosphere, however, it sounds like it’s the same song tenfold.

I love these songs, but I don’t know if a live record is the way to showcase them. Seems like his voice is a bit rougher than in the studio?

It's unfair that I also got James Brown's live album this week and overall preferred it. This is certainly good - great energy and great songs from a great musician. But the production wasn't very good, which I found distracting.

A lively listen, interesting that it was done live. Favorite song off the album is probably Chain Gang

Good, I imagine this would have been amazing in the venue seeing it live. A little dated and lively given the context I'm listening to it on a Tuesday Morning at 10am. Probably wouldn't listen to this live version, but will listen to more Sam Cooke. I listed to some more, but studio recordings rather than live. Preferred it a lot more, I rarely like live recordings unless it’s a performance that’s intended to be that way like tiny desk.

Couple of great songs on this like 'bring it home to me'. Clearly Sam Cooke was a quality entertainer. Not my favourite genre but good for a casual listen.

Bring it on Home to Me, what a fucking tune. Covered by the Animals and Jimmy Barnes, but I’ve never heard Cooke’s live version before. It sounds amazing (not withstanding the long as shit call and response lead in). You can hear from the hysterical crowd how completely he commands that room. As a relic of that era’s soul scene this is clearly an important listen. It’s not enough to make me a full fledged soul convert, but I’d gladly ‘twist’ to Feel It (Don’t Fight It) at the next sock hop; segregation be damned.

Sam Cooke is great, but the audio quality on this one made it challenging to fully enjoy.

First time listening to a Sam Cooke album. I was familiar with several songs and understand his talent. Love his voice and might try listening to a studio album rather than a live version. Enjoyable though.

Blir lite skränigt. Men många bra låtar

Gut gemacht, Stimmung kommt rüber, nicht zu lang.

It was ok....

Some good swingy songs and infectious crowd energy, but the music itself wasn't super notable to me

nice

Uplifting album!

Twas fine.

The first round I gave this album was while I was trying to put orders together and it just wasn’t the right vibe. I actually thought I would rate it pretty low based on that listen. But then I popped it in my earbuds at work and enjoyed it a lot more. Classic jazz/blues sound, and gives me that cozy retro feeling. Sam Cooke is a singer everyone should have in their repertoire. Listen again: probably Purchase for my collection: if I found it cheap Favourite Song: Cupid

Kul inspelning! Förvånande bra ljudkvalitet med tanke på när inspelningen gjordes. Sam Cooke har ju en jävla pipa. Kanske inte ett album jag kommer lyssna på många gånger men väldigt kul att höra!

Enjoyable album. Contains many classical songs that I did not know were by Sam Cooke.

The sound quality of this live album doesn't do Mr. Cooke any favors but the inherent soul in his songs comes through clearly.

Very good.

I’m confused about why this is so highly rated. It was good, enjoyable, but didn’t blow my mind, was kind of just another pretty good live album :/

Fav: Chain Gang Least Fav: Somebody Have Mercy

Nice classical rock ’n roll with good live crowd energy.

3.8

Heard some Sam Cooke songs before. What a sweet, heartwarming album 3/5

It was fine, nothing that really grabbed my attention. Wouldn't relisten

Soul album which fails in a fundamental Level as it doesn't measure up to the manicured artificiality of studio production. While it provides a raw, free expression of live performance, it features all the considerable weaknesses of all live recordings. This makes it difficult rate it highly.

Handwerklich very good But a Bit Boring

nice jazz album not smth i would listen to often but it was pretty chill and nice

Good old-fashioned dancing music. I can imagine how it would fill a dance floor.

2/19/25

I listened to it while working and actually that was good but I didn't pay attention to it but sometimes it was really catchy I was moving my body and enjoying, I'm sure that's a pretty good album but wasn't enough focused sorry.

I'm not sure how I feel about live albums. Audio quality is lower, we hear the crowd, we hear the fuck ups, which is fine when you're actually there, but just listening to it is meh imo. Actually there are 0 fuck ups in this one it's quite impressive Last one was cool, him playing with the crowd was fun to hear

Sam Cooke is incredible. I do not think this was a necessary recording to hear of his.

"Don't fight it, we gon' feel it" is the intro and it's apropos. It's a lively romp through some soul tunes. Sam's got a voice, and I'm not sure this is for me, but it's a good recording. Favourite: Cupid

Lekker livealbuk maar de opnamekwaliteit maakt het wel dat je er minder van kan genieten

Solid Jazz album with some very consistent songs and almost no skips Favorites- Cupid, Nothing can change this love Least Favorites- Somebody have mercy

Espero mucho de todo lo que sea Soul honestamente, no me gustó sin embargo no creo que sea malo. Rating: 5.0

Couldn’t bare to give this album 2 stars, it’s Sam Cooke! But this album went by uneventfully for me.

In 2025 it's funny listening to a crowd get as pumped up as they do, based on nothing but talent and charisma.

That's one manic cat singing up there, 3/5

groovy!!

An enjoyable album from a classic soul, singer, but ultimately a lot of forgettable songs.

Great MC ;-)

Veldig kult! Masse energi gjennom de korte30 min platen er. Chain Gang It’s all right Twistin the night away

I didn't really know what to expect. His energy is really fun. So is his voice. It's very joyous. The sax player was really good. But I think Sam Cooke's voice is what really brought this to life for me. A bit too old-timey for me though, i think. But i did enjoy this.

3, wow dude can sing and wonderfully perform live. Couple awesome tunes

Eh, it's whatev but I don't, like, hate it though...

Pre-listening thoughts: Second live album from the 1960s in 3 days. What is happening Post/during listening thoughts: well I will say between this and B.B. King, my opinion on live albums has changed. It's pretty cool getting to feel like you're at a concert you would never be able to attend. It's a neat form of preservation. I was kind of hesitant that live albums would have structure or good sound quality but I have been pleasantly surprised thus far. Sam Cooke is incredibly talented. Also whoever is on backing vocals is really hitting those harmonies. The crowd engagement is fun to hear. Once again, the music is slightly repetitive. I enjoyed this. 6.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: once again idk. Live albums are a diff territory in my brain Fav tracks: Chain Gang, Cupid, and I love Bring it On Home to Me but hot take don't love the two min long slow intro Least fav tracks: n/a

Old time Rock n roll

Classic oldies. Not my thing

This was good, but I wasn't in love with the live performance. It felt rushed and not very intimate.

Good, soulful music but the format of this record was a bit weird. I wish they would have let the concert just play out instead of adding pauses in between songs. That ruined the flow a bit. It also seemed a bit forced and rushed. I'm not sure why that is, but I just couldn't get past that.

Nice oldies soul. Good performance but just not my cup of tea.

Sam Cooke's Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 album artwork captures a raw, electrifying essence that hints at the live performance's energy. While visually compelling, the design feels slightly dated and lacks the crisp, modern graphic sensibilities of contemporary album art. The color palette effectively communicates the gritty, intimate club environment, with its warm tones suggesting the passionate performance within. However, the typography and overall composition could benefit from more dynamic arrangement. The artwork successfully evokes the album's mood but falls short of being truly groundbreaking. It's a solid representation that serves its purpose without pushing significant artistic boundaries. Album artworks rated: 30/1001 The music is actually really nice.

Yeah it was okay

Very good. Me likes.

Nice songs, even though structury and chord-wise there are sound-a-likes. The recording is really nice, feel like you really want to be at that concert. Sounds so fun!

Fun and full of energy. Not super familiar with the genre, so songs feel repetitive and they all start to sound the same.

Im going to go against the grain and feel slightly underwhelmed by this. His voice is excellent, but the band are nothing to write home about and the audience interaction I find a bit irritating. Sorry. Hey it’s short and that’s good.

This is quite a good album overall. I wish often, as in basically all live album situations, that I "could have been there" as Sam Cooke and company seem to be great entertainers. Not being there certainly takes away from the experience you sense from the audience and his interactions with it. Nevertheless it is well recorded and pleasant to listen to. I do wonder if maybe listening on your own home system, it might be better to hear studio recordings? I don't know....

Quite good for what it is. Lots of really good songs, but the live versions aren’t the best, in my opinion. Still, solid 3.5 stars.

I liked it, incredible talent.

fun!

Needs remastered

It's alright but all the songs are the live versions

Pretty good live show I'd bet - can see why this album was well received. I dug it.

Pretty

not my style but not bad 2.6

I would have liked this more if it were remastered and maybe not live

The wife beating comment was crazy

I bet this would have been a cracking night. Enjoyable listen, a snapshot back in time. But the audio quality isn't good enough to keep coming back to, or save anything down to a playlist which is a shame. Hard to justify this reaching 4* due to this.

Live At The Harlem Square Club was an album that i quite enjoyed. At first the album did sound a bit messy and noisy at the beginning but either that was just in the intro song (which is exclusive to the 2005 edition by the way) or i just got used to it but either way i started enjoying the album from the second song onward. Whether it was the fun and jazzy songs or it was Cooke's energetic stage presence, this album was always a fun time through nearly all of it's runtime whether the songs were fast and fun or slow and romantic. This is one live album i thought was pretty good. Best Song: Nothing Can Change This Love Worst Song: Soul Twist / Introduction

lady you shot me!

I love live-recorded albums, so long as they sound this good. Sam Cooke had such a great voice - so strong with the perfect amount of rasp. Sounds like he's playing with a quartet (drums, bass, guitar, sax). Love the melodic interplay between his vocals and the sax. It's very cool that he's able to ask the crowd to sing along with him. He must be performing standards because everyone there knows the words. Would've been so cool to be there.

I do not understand why it has to be live. It's annoying that we have to laid some sort of authenticity instead of any sort of sound quality. That being said I didn't realize he sang all these songs. I'm definitely looking into him more.

It was fine.

The album was fun but made me remember how I like studio albums better than live albums.

Το πρωτο live album που ακουω ολοκληρο. Πραγματικα απιστευτο performance και vocals. Παρ'ολ'αυτα ποκυ παρομοια κομματια και γενικα τι να πω ειναι ενα live album. Ρισπεκτ αλλα δεν μπορω να βαλω πανω απο 3 Rating: C

I liked it

Undeniably seminal for many important artists today, but I don't often listen to this music for fun. The sax elevates this beyond "music that Elvis stole."

38 minutes of good songs played in a row. When they are over … it‘ s done. Technically under par.

ganz ok, aber nicht mein Favorit

Barely three stars just for Sam Cooke's energy, though I was not crazy about the songs themselves. More importantly, live albums are just an awkward middle ground that I find hard to appreciate since the thing that makes live performances special is actually being there (says the man who has never gone to a concert!).

Nice recording featuring Sam Cooke's best known songs. Hearing it 60 years later and knowing the songs well, it does sound a little on the bland/safe side. But an enjoyable listen nevertheless

This was great, considering running it back

3.5

Sounds like it would've been a fun show in person

Fantastic voice and just a very cool vibe

Sam’s reputation precedes him, as despite having never actively listened to him, I knew I’d know his voice and songs. This was surprisingly good for a live album (which I normally largely avoid). His presence seems to come through effortlessly. Good pick for a Friday!

It's okay, I guess? Not something I expected to say about a live album by one of the most exciting soul singers at the height of his powers. He does the hits and it all sounds very tight and professional but he races through his set almost as if on autopilot. Not entirely sure what the added value of this being a live album is over a regular best of album.

Now, I *like* Sam Cooke, but this was just kind of...there? Like, he's great, but the lack of production does him no favours, and overall this just left me a bit cold.

3.5/5

Only listened to 1/2 but pretty funky

Great for Sunday afternoon listening. Great as a live album, tight musicians. Lot's of energy in the vocal performance. Highlights are Cupid and Twisting the night Away. Can start to repeat itself after the first 6 songs and sound a bit samey though.

Overall not my cup of tea, and quite repetitive in sound throughout. However it sounded like an absolute whale of a time!!

Ja men det här var mycket bättre än jag väntat mig. Rösten är väldigt bra. Musiken medryckande. Glad att jag fått lyssna på det här albumet.

Amen får erkänna att jag dras med. Det funkar ändå rätt bra med live-album. Får nog ändra inställning där en smula. Iaf för denna skiva funkade det. Skön energi, satt å gungade/stampade i takt.

I was taken out a little when he asked the men in the audience to think of the things “their women” do for them and to not “go home and hit them.”

At first I didn’t like the live sound, but when I came back and listened a second time I was feeling it more.

I don't believe live albums should be on this list, but at least it was a collection of his biggest hits.

Average songs/arrangements but exciting performances and energy

A rasp to outlast all rasps. The world has not produced many vocalists like Cooke.

So crazy how raw it is, yet how good his vocals sound the entire time. Electric! Not my fav genre

Cooke is a great performer. The songs he performs range from mediocre to good.

pure fun and joy, was dancing and singing a long the whole times. His live performance aura shines through

Great tunes, awesome energy. Not a fan of live disks though; sound is not the best, lots of talking. 7/10

Solid performance. Not my style though. I can appreciate the energy.

fun live album

This is not really my favourite genre or decade. But. It does put me in a good mood. And sort of makes me sway and tap my feet. Some of the recording/editing artefacts still audible are a bit odd, though. Like this was a bit of a rushed job that nobody bothered to clean up in the last 60+ years.

Jo men gött sväng. Det känns lite för 50-tal för min del för att det ska bli en fyra. Men skit i det

3.4

I'm not a big fan of live albums because I think the audience engagement detracts from the music and the performance. That being said, Sam Cooke gave a great performance on this album with classics like Chain Gang, Twistin', Cupid, and Having a Party. His voice was a bit more gravely in this one than usual but it also might be sound quality. Still, an excellent and commanding performance.

3/5, przyjemne jak na live

It's fine - a live record from a talented artist - but doesn't change my feelings about live albums in general.

I like it OK. I do like Sam Cooke but I don't know this concert just got boring for me after awhile. Not that it is bad or anything it just didn't blow my mind

Sam Cooke was a wildly inspirational singer who reshaped the music scene in his image. I just don't really care for live albums.

Sounds like a party I'll always be sad to have missed.

Noteworthy songs - 808080808 Magical Dream - Kinda catchy synth, but the rest is bland. Ancodia - Good background noise. Cobra Bora - Actually kind of cool, reminds me of Bomberman Hero. Pacific 202 - N64 vibes, but melody isn't great. Donkey Doctor - Nothing too special, weird ending. 808080808 - Really cool beginning. A little slow in the middle but stays interesting enough. Sunrise - Nothing remarkable. The Fat Shadow - Eerie. Very short.

I’ll say it once, I’ll say it a hundred times- I love live albums. I think they make you feel what it was like to be at the concert and experience the music like it was meant to be experienced. Although I might’ve cut out all the American twaddle at the start of each song. Call it British ignorance, or call it ignorance in general, but I’ve never heard of Sam Cooke before and he really is quite impressive. Really enjoyed this.

Wel oke, niet top

A really good live version of some classic tracks

Good album but not necessarily what I’d choose to listen to most of the time. The fact it’s a live recording means that it flows really nicely, no breaks in songs, commentary running over a couple of tracks etc. Overall a good listen but not my favourite genre so might not listen to it again for a while.

Rating: 6/10 Pretty enjoyable but did not care for most of it. Choice cuts: Feel It (Don't Fight It), Chain Gang

Sounds like a good gig to be at tbf! Just didn't love all the songs :( 3.5/5

It almost rocked? Sounded like a good time, just not quite my style

bão ta

Pretty good

Never listened to a live album before, this was good

Soul, live 1963 -> 3

fun, not totally my thing but i liked it

Good enough music But quite samey

Classic Jazz

First thing I notice is the fluid change between Sam’s speaking voice and his singing voice. He really is one of the greatest singers who ever lived, and you can hear it right in that transition upfront. His tone is just awesome. Also, this show, his stage presence, the song list, is all so excellent. He covers most of his hits. I can imagine everyone dancing and doing the twist, not just sitting back and watching this performance. It would have been great to attend, I’m sure. I find the aside interesting when he asks guys to consider not hitting their girlfriends. He leads in like that would be the most common thing to do in the world for a man who suspected infidelity. Times have improved in some regards, it seems!

This was good. I wonder if this exact live show was the type of shows I've seen referenced in movies where the crowd is dancing all wild and sexually because that's what I wanted to do!

Liked it more than I thought I would

Pretty good!! I don’t know anything about the background of this album but I enjoyed it. It was odd hearing people in the background laughing and not paying attention, though. I found that part a little distracting, but the songs were catchy.

Strong voice from the start era.

One of the most accomplished Soul musicians. Great stuff.

normally id love this but his little screams threw me off

Very enjoyable live gig from Sam. 3.5 stars

It sounded like a great party

Great voice, although the live production kinda sucks. The music is also corny - the type of stuff Martin Scorsese would play over the 17th montage of his latest 4 hour film

Poor recording quality and samey songs, only the energy saves it.

the energy was amazing !!

Songs of love and heartbreak. We really don't have enough of those.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d1phCytJyg

Ganske chill 3.5

I’m generally not a fan of older live albums due to poor production but this one sounds pretty good. I would still go for the studio recordings of most of these songs. Sam’s voice is very powerful and cuts through the thin recording but the instruments are a bit weak. Typical of live recordings.

Rated July 24th 2024 What a fun live album. The crowd is so lively and Sam Cooke feeds off of it so well.

That was a fun little show. Very well recorded for the era. 3 stars

Fun. Joyful.

Great songs not the best recording though

Wasn't as good as I was expecting.

I love Sam Cooke but the quality of this left much to be desired.

p62. 1963. 3 stars. Pros: THAT voice, and some great material. Cons: I'm not a fan of live albums. And strangely... it all felt a bit artificial... and dare I say it, soulless?

I imagine this was out of this world to actually go and see live. I just struggle with connecting with some of these live albums. Can’t question Sam Cooke’s incredible talent! Glad I listened but doubt I’ll turn to it again. 3.2

A fun listen. Huge energy and I'm sure it was a blast to see in person. Vocals are great but there's not enough in the way of other instruments to elevate this album to a 4. Still glad I listened though. 7/10 (3.5/5)

Good soul live album, they were clearly having fun there. That said, I don't care for live albums.

Guy can belt a tune out! Enjoyed this although not my type of music so not intending to listen to much more

I don't have many opinions about this album, it is fine but nothing really stood out. I don't really listen to this type of music ever and I think this is the only Sam Cooke album on the list so I would have preferred to listen to one of his studio albums because now I probably never will. I hope this live album had some historical significance that made it more important than all of his studio albums.

This was a real fun listen. You can hear they all have a really good time. Sam Cooke’s voice is great and legendary

Feel It (Don't Fight It)

Fun! Live! Very lively, danceable. Groovy. Nice.

Funky and foundational rock'n'roll. It's hard to put yourself into a 1963 state of mind and listen to this as it would've been heard back then, before rock music had taken all the turns it took in the subsequent 60 years. There's a lot to enjoy here though. The man can sing!

Upper mids

One of the best voices in pop history, but this performance felt a little tame, especially considering King Curtis and his crew were backing.

Good

Fun, short, and sweet soul album. I liked it. Listens: 1 Fave Track: Feel It (Don’t Fight It) Rating: 3

Up on the pulpit To a raucous crowd, preaches Living through troubles

The first album I was given to review. I don't usually listen to live albums or this music style but I enjoyed it. Nice to listen to something different! The energy was great. Highlights: Chain Gang Twistin' The Night Away Having a Party

Good, but his studio productions were better

Really strong performance but a bit same-y from front to back and not something that really draws me back.

Prima album, goed gespeeld, ook weer niet baanbrekend

Gear: Focal Clear (ZMFed) Artwork: 😑 Mix: beeindruckend für eine Aufnahme von [1963]! Musik: [Sam Cooke] schafft es leider auch nicht, den Zirkel der mauen Live-Alben für diese Top-Alben-Liste zu durchbrechen - trotz beeindruckender Arbeit mit dem Publikum! Wertung: 🎙️🎙️(🎙️)/5

It's okay, not something I'd listen to again.

Thoroughly enjoyable rambuncious r and b album! Excellent fun!

Actually a pretty nice album, very jazzy, enjoyable having this in the background, makes you want to tap your foot to the beat.

Surprisingly nice.

Decent live album, but the live part is the most interesting thing about this as the songs are standards 3/5

Feels like I'm there. Was probably a great evening. Nice PSA about not beating your wife I suppose.

3.5 Excellent live album, just a lot of fun.

Lot of fun this!

Doesn't feel like it does Sam Cooke justice. Lot of chatter, intros, and then the actual song content is quite brief. Shame, it's great what is little there is. 3*

Nuevamente, toca artista que no conocía. Pasional para cantar Sam Cooke. Dueño de un estilo más sucio (o por lo menos, en este vivo que estoy escuchando). Hoy fue una mañana difícil, así que la reseña cierra acá.

6/10 Highlights: Chain Gang

He’s so fun

Pretty solid throughout, lots of energy. The story of the album is more interesting than the music itself, but was enjoyable.

Maybe I would feel better ab this if it wasn’t a live album. I think live albums have a time n place and this list is not the place bc usually I only listen to/appreciate live versions if I already love & am familiar w the song. 6/10

Good fun