Reviews (page 7 of 14)
such an enjoyable and fun live album with big band, early funk influences, and just an overall energetic vibe!
Great album! Energy is super high and the vibes are good. Music is obviously great as well! 8.1/10
Oh what I’d pay to attend this concert
His energy is infectious
Liked the live album format more than i expected. pretty freakin legendary performance. such a tight set.
Loved these soulful oldies.
Sam Cooke had one of the very best voices in all of music, and simply oozes charisma and charm. The album suffers slightly from period-appropriate flaws with the production that mutes the instrumentation a bit, although it also provides some sense of verisimilitude. Truly great showcase for a truly great talent.
Ja: nie lubię soulu. Także ja: Nie mogę wyjść z podziwu nad tym satynowym głosem, lekkością i klimatem. To nie jest płyta, którą kiedykolwiek włączę sama z siebie, ale gdy już się pojawi to będę się rozkoszować każdą nutą. 7/10
I love these songs. Bring it on home is an all time fave and I love his version of the Tennessee Waltz - the live recording didn’t do much to augment. Classics.
Great live album, full of life and character. He sings like he feels it. The audience is loving it. You almost feel like you're in the room. Would relisten.
I thought I would hate this.. but I'm into it. Wish I was at this concert!
4/5
Sam Cooke, good. Too much crowd noise on a live album, not good. I bet this was a hell of a show though. He's got such a distinctive voice. After listening to 70s Marvin Gaye albums in this project, something might be said for 60s R&B. Cupid is a great R&B song. Advising your audience not to hit their wives is a solid move. Twistin' The Night Away was one of his bigger hits...I prefer Cupid or A Change is Gonna Come. Bring It On Home to Me is another great song. A good album by a legend.
OH yeah
Very good album. Not usually a fan of live albums but this is a top notch recording. It feels very organic. Amazing when you consider it was recorded in 1963. Oh and did I mention that Sam Cooke performs on the album? Lots of classic songs from a more innocent age.
A happy and fun live album, lovely vibes
It's not really my thing musically (too R&R) but it's a good live album with some classics, which (not always the case back then) Sam Cooke has written himself. Hence it deserves a 4 for me.
Unbelievable vocally. Gritty, soulful, powerful. In terms or the voice this is everything you could want from a live album. This will perhaps be considered blasphemous but some songs can be a little repetitive at times. The nature of the genre, along with a likely deliberate decision to incorporate repetition for the purposes of the live show, means parts of the album do become a little monotonous. But the energy of the performance does counter this. Getting the crowd singing along. Brilliant. Overall an enjoyable album. I listened 4 times through in the end. 12 bar blues in the DNA with a mountain of soul on top. A winning combo. 8/10
A definite Paolo Nutini influence
Don't really like live albums but did like this one. Lot's of energy and fun.
Lots of fun. Wish I could’ve been at that show.
This is pretty enjoyable live album
Liked this quite a lot. R&B is not my go to but really liked the passion on this one. He was definitely into it.
Sosososo good. Had such a good time listening to this. Super energetic and I love Sam Cooke’s voice
Great fun album
Sam can make anything soulful. Great recording for a live record from the 60s. His voice is in fine form and the band swings. Unfortunately the fast live energy doesn’t translate super well to a recording- some songs need more room to breathe a little.
Powerful performance from a legendary singer
That was high energy! I'm not much of live album guy, but all these songs are classics and it's fun to hear a different version than what the radio plays.
Would have liked to be there
I take this vibe, 4/5
This album was just full of soulful joy and good vibes! This sounded like one hell of a concert. It’s not music I typically listen to but I would definitely listen to this again if I needed something to bop to and something to lift my spirits. Nothing but good vibes here!
Uiteindelijk ook maar naar de 2005 reissue geluisterd, omdat de 1985 variant echt nergens te vinden was. Deze varianten zijn echt significant anders, dus ga nog wel een keer op zoek naar het origineel. It was still good tho, geweldige stem en wat betreft dat een live album, ik vind dat wel echt wat toevoegt aan dit album. De nummers voel veel meer levendig en ik denk dat de kale studiopnames me minder hadden bekoord.
Would have been such a vibe
Honestly this one is just good. He definitely earned the name Mr. Soul.
So talented, gone too soon.
Great vibes and great live show flow
Tiene pinta de haber sido una noche muy divertida...#fomo.
Another outstanding voice on a live record. You can just feel that Sam Cooke has an effortlessly cool stage presence here. The live mixing isn’t the best, and the crowd sounds muddy the songs a bit, but this is an electric performance that I was really into. I thought I was a bit over live albums on this list, but when they’re of this quality keep them coming.
Sam Cooke is easily one of my favorite vocalists. Great album!
Great album, amazing performance. The sheer presence of Sam Cooke is almost physical, even across continents and half a century. It’s still a live album though, and I fundamentally do not think it belongs on this list. Great listen though.
Would listen to the album again
A great set from a fantastic writer and performer.
Great live soul record. The energy of Cooke and his band is incredible. Almost seems like he was hopped up on something because he just never stops for a breath.
This album was recorded in 1963, but not released by the record label until 1985, apparently worried that this performance would damage Cooke’s reputation as a pop singer. Well, to put it bluntly, RCA are idiots. This is a fantastic performance - raw, unfiltered and soulful, bantering with an enthusiastic crowd and full of energy. Definitely one of the all time great live albums.
Great musician, great voice, great energy, great live album. But we can sometimes feel a little too much of the live setting, the crowd cheering all the time and almost covering the music. The quality of the recording is not the best but it conveys the raw energy at least.
Sam Cooke cooks.
I'd heard covers of many of these songs before, but never sung by Sam Cooke himself. Loved his voice. Loved the performance. The only negative was a few of the between song cuts. Some were quite jarring. Makes me wonder if a full concert recording exists of this show, and if so, why hasn't someone released it. Faves: "Cupid", "Somebody Have Mercy On Me"
This man could move mountains with that voice, not just is the music good but how he engages the audience is such a treat to listen to, the little quips the ways he goes off in some way during the song, the audience reactions, the energy. Everything about this is awesome
Sam Cooke's voice is a one of one. It's perfect and buttery. Rich and full of life. Truly my favorite vocalist of all time, he was gone way too soon! Fun hearing him in a live setting, I really enjoyed this album.
# Playlist Track - Bring it on Home to me # Notes - Pretty fun! - The record quality isn't great, but it's pretty interesting.
Sam cooke is a legend- the jealousy of not seeing this live is why it's getting a lower ranking. Chain Gang ( a banger). This music is influential and impactful... pure joy
Ehkä paras livelevy minkä olen kuullut. Tiiviissä ympäristössä, melkein pubimainen fiilis.
This album made me want to dance! I especially loved the It’s All Right/For Sentimental Reasons medley!
He has an awesome voice and this whole album is a bop. Definitely enjoyable to listen to and felt like a party
Never thought I could enjoy something so happy sounding
I'm not a live album kind of guy, but this is a rare exception. Bursting with energy and, yes, soul.
Another gone too soon artist. Thoughts of what could’ve been accomplished by an artist more music had been created. Cooke was just a flawed man but man could he sing. This album is a good example of what he brought to the world.
What a voice. Solid live performance by all involved
This was a great experience, amazing and distinctive voice. Will definitely listen to him more!
Enjoyed it. Best song: Cupid.
High energy and killer saxophone. Incredibly fun
Some good live soul. Sam Cookes voice is always really nice to listen to. I also really liked the general energy of this album. Feels very of its time. 8/10 Favourite: Bring It on Home to Me Least Favourite: None
Fun listen and energy from the live
This was great, and Sam Cooke is better than Taylor Swift.
4/8
A fun blast from the past! Great energy and crowd engagement from Sam Cooke. Foot tappin' music that melds together.
Excellent collection of classic soul and R&B songs. Sam was an excellent vocalist and the backing band is a group of highly talented individuals. It is a shame that Sam's life was cut short. I give this a 5 star rating but I am going to knock it back a star do to the overall sound of the recording.
A delight. Fun and energetic.
the music feels really alive for some reason. despite the history during those times, the air feels joyous and bright.
What live albums should be, a window into the party some people had, no wasted time, no excessive banter, no encore. Enough to make you move, and wish you were there.
This is a very solid, outstanding quality live album. It's crisp and clean while also sounding raw and that's everything you want in a live album. Standouts were "Feel It (Don't Fight It)" - kinda creepily titled, considering the events surrounding Cooke's death, but good song - "Twistin' The Night Away," and "Somebody Have Mercy" I quite enjoyed this listen actually. I'd have killed to be in that audience. All the songs were swingin' and the energy is great. This is like a 9/10 album for me. The only thing holding it back I think is the lack of variation; everything is very good, but also kind of the same type of song and I got a little tired of it by the end.
This live album was recorded in 1963 but was not released until 1985, because the record label felt it would be bad for Cooke’s image. Fortunately someone found the tape and it was released after 22 years. Naturally the sound quality in 1963 was inferior to today’s standards, but the album gives the feel of being there. Since Sam Cooke was shot in 1964 there’s not much of his live music available. This gets a high rating for its historical significance.
It was good.
Fantastic live album from an artist I have clearly not spent enough time with!
it ain’t that leukemia 🕺
It’s an album I would have never listened to outside of this. It’s the type of music that I would never sit down and listen to, since it feels way more like the kind of music you go to see live and dance to. It feels like a “top 100 performances you wish you could have seen live.” But, that being said, it was also pretty mind-boggling how good he sounds live. And feeling the crowd through all the cheering and laughing… so nice. Really liked this one the line “it ain’t that leukemia” and then laughing during “Somebody Have Mercy” was fucking weird, but when I googled it there’s a whole wikipedia page for the song that says the line “tell me what is wrong with me” created speculation and rampant rumors that Cooke had leukemia, which was false… feels like I am still missing everything between point A and B, but that was a wild moment Bring it On Home to Me blew my mind. What a ballad. And when he says “I know I laughed HA HA HA when you left” the laugh part REALLY reminded be of Robbie for some reason lol
Listened to it like 3 or 4 times, energy is insane and it's so fun to hear the people freaking out. Went to a concert last night and was thinking about this album and how I was wishing every concert was just 30 minutes of nonstop intense bangers... I think the only thing preventing me from putting it at 5 for right now is that this kind of music resonates most with me when the TUNES are really undeniable and for some reason despite listening several times the melodies and hooks didn't stay with me that much. This might be a skill issue on my part tho! Fav song: Feel It (Don't Fight It)
So much fun to listen to. You really get caught up by Sam's charisma, even just through the audio. Happy to have listened to, but it's just not the type of album I will return to.
Sounds like a party!
Fantastic joyous dancing music!
There’s a real sense both of the energy in the room and also of Sam Cooke’s ability to communicate with an audience, to create a sense of connection. The band are red hot and there’s a lot of improvisation and ’question and answer’ type conversation between Sam and the band, and between performers and crowd. You’re also struck by Sam Cooke’s voice, instantly recognisable but smokier than the records demonstrate; he has an earthy, sexy vibe which the studio works never quite captures.
Contagiously energetic performance
One of my favorite genre of live album where it’s someone who sounds incredible in studio and then we hear them live with rawer vocals and less clean instrumental and it’s suddenly transcendent. Very very few pop acts these days could ever hope to make a live album like this these days.
I generally don’t like live albums but this is great
A fun album to listen to. You can really feel the vibe of 1960s soul music. The performance highlights Sam Cooke’s charisma and his interaction with the audience. His backing band is also excellent. The reason this album gets four stars rather than five is the recording quality. The songs were recorded live in vintage quality — while it definitely captures the magic of the club atmosphere, this particular sound makes it harder for me to include songs from this album in my playlists. It's the kind of album that's fun to play in full every now and then.
great energy, great songs, great live recording
Happy energetic music. It all flowed together and sounded a bit like a variation on the same theme, but overall, a pleasurable listen.
Sound like it was a lot of fun being there, and that energy comes through in the recording.
Enjoyed it...felt like I was there. "Do you mind if we dance with your dates??"
Uh Sam Cooke - das git so gueti Luune! Und tanze würd mer au gärn. Das erinnered mich a Chicago, wo de Thomas und ich aafangs 90er in än Blues Club sind...und die einzige Fremde gsie sind😂
tönt wie e seeehr igspielti band. feel it isch etz seeeeehr basic. nööd viel als song. sini stimm isch super. chain gang schono cool haha. aber etz au nöd meeega en geile song? er bringt s publikum zum stöhne dasch no cool. es goht afoch wiiter keei pause. huere zug druff. cupid isch au acht mol s glich. sini stimm isch super aber jäääh. bim medley giter uuuhuere gas wooow sini stiiimm. jööö wie d crowd mitsingt. twistin the night away seeehr cool. super groovy. evefybody get take the handkerchief round haha. nothing can change this love isch sooo cool mitem ewige intro. d lüt wönds uuuunbedingt ghötr.
Great energy, infectious.
Live at the Harlem Square Club is widely considered one of the greatest live albums of all time, and with Sam Cooke’s unfiltered nature and raw energy, for good reason. It displays his ability not only as a musician, but also a performer. He had the crowd in the palm of his hand throughout. Though I did find that on some tracks like It’s Alright/I Love You, Cooke’s entertaining of the crowd got in the way of the performance. However, as the track continues, he unleashes his full vocal ability. Cooke puts on a brilliant show, and on this recording, he’s absolutely on fire. His voice is gritty, passionate, and dynamic, conveying emotion like few others can. He elegantly plays off the crowd’s energy, combining dialogue with singing. His band provides aggressive, rhythm-focused backing, adding to the intensity and rawness, creating an undeniable ‘60s authenticity. While I feel Live at the Harlem Square Club is to be taken in as a whole experience, tracks like Cupid, Twistin’ the Night Away, and Somebody Have Mercy are perfect for any setting due to their unique, unrefined liveliness and less focus on crowd interaction. The low-quality production of this record creates a special feeling, almost like you were there yourself. 8/10
Beautiful voice and great charisma and the band plays real nice too
You can just feel the energy permeating from this, like sweat from everyone dancing in that club. If you close your eyes you can put yourself there. Usually not a huge fan of live albums but the setting of this is undeniable. Very cool moment in history
What an energy bomb, such a positive and uplifting album. Sam manages to engage the whole audience, together with us, into a hell of an experience. Sam mixes a great, powerful voice, which dominates the sonic scape, with a great deal of showmanship and positive energy. Right from the first seconds we are drawn in. Not one seconds goes by without energy and happiness, as Sam calls out to the audience. This energy doesn't fade for the whole duration of the album, no matter if the songs are slow ballads, or more uplifting twisters. The lyrics talk about love, feeling good and being happy, living with a soul. This album is the essence of the genre in that regard. The saxophone solos are another standout feature of the album. When Sam gives the queue to go for the solo, the sax takes the front stage perfectly and screams like it's nobody's business, with clear and melodic phrasing. Literally every solo on the album is phenomenal. Even though this is a live album, it really doesn't lack in the mixing department, which is a great sight. Live albums can often come of as weak and unbalanced, but here this is definitely not the case. Even the audience sounds are great, they are heard somewhere in the background, but they don't get in the way of the music. Great album, I haven't heard of Sam Cooke before, but I see why they call him the king of soul.
Great energy and presence on this one, just how a live album should be. A performance, not just playing the hits.
Soulful and energetic. So many classics. The live recording is very clear.
Cooke tears through about twenty songs in about 35 minutes, sounding almost manic as he pumps up the crowd and sings every song at full power, and it's terrific. Massive live-performance energy as he goes through the hits, and there are a lot of hits. Cocaine is a hell of a drug!
Love it, high energy. Will be returning to this.
Energetic
Of the live albums I’ve had to listen to for this list, this album at least had the energy and crowd interaction to make it feel worth being a live album. It was a nice listen, but it mostly reminded me of seeing a band perform on a cruise ship. There’s a lot of talent from the band, but it feels like they’re playing to a room that’s more focused on drinks and other activities. Closer to the end of the album the feeling starts to fade, but it was just kind of an uncanny observation.
Super energetic and fun, great music to exist to. Like a fellow user, this is the album that makes me get why live ones exist.
Incredible live recording for that time, there are much worse studio recordings made later in that decade. One can feel the connection between the audience and Cooke and his musicians. Great listening.
Beautiful and entertaining
One of them ones that’s surprising me how good it is 4/5- but I wouldn’t be surprised if I change it to a 5 one day
I don't usually care for live albums, but this one is worth it. It manages to bridge the Motown sound of the 60s with the emerging soul of the 70s. Definitely worth a listen.
It’s fine
I really soul so this is pretty classic, for an old live album it has incredibly good sound.
Nearly manages to bottle the magic, the only thing I could say really let it down for me would be the recording quality, but I bet the engineer did all they could to cope with the screaming audience. Live albums seem to be better when they're older, I wonder if the same is true of live shoes in general.
This is my first time listening to this album. Definitely not the Sam Cooke I’m familiar with, but I like this unfiltered live sound a lot better. The energy from the audience, the band, and Cooke himself is really palpable, even through the recording. I think he gave his audience exactly what they were looking for, but I personally would have loved to hear a couple of big solos from the band, especially the saxophonist on Having A Party. Maybe I’m reading into it too much because I’ve been reading a book about prisons, but I really wonder why he chose to put Chain Gang in the middle of an otherwise upbeat set full of songs about love and dancing. Overall quite good, would listen again.
I didn't need to hear it live, but I do love his music.
the artist in the classic soul sphere that i personally vibe with the most, his music is comfy and satisfying to listen to and he has a distinct charm this one is extra upbeat, same charm and enjoyability frankly he cooks
8/10. This is a live album that is alive.
Excellent live collection of Sam Cooke classics. Worth the listen, despite his history... -Cupid -Twistin' the Night Away
very energetic! fav track is cupid
Harlam 1963, great soul/RnB live record, like being in the club
You can't have a bad time listening to this. Simply impossible
Live albums are always fun, and Sam Cooke was possibly one of the greatest singer showmen in history before his untimely death. "Bring it on home to me" is the highlight for me, gorgeous song. Enjoyed this one!
Sam cooked with this album. The best part for me was imagining Boyd banging his head and playing an imaginary sax while declining asylum seekers.
Great artist with great music, but the live format didn't really ring with me
Very nostalgic
Great live album.
Normally I'm not that interested in live recordings, but the way he interacted with the audience throughout the entire performance was really fun. And that huge buildup and tease before Bring It in Home was incredible.
Live albums aren't my go to albums for any artist, but the appeal of a live album feels very apparent on this album. Fast, loose, charismatic and soulful throughout the whole album. A great listen overall
Incredibly Fun and vibrant album. Felt Like I was there. Really enjoyed listening to this and would happily play this again and listen to it again. Might even buy it
The energy on this live album is something to admire. There's a beautiful list of tracks that flow so well. You can feel Sam Cooke's impactful state presence throughout the album. A wonderful listen all around. Best - Feel It, Chain Gang, Cupid, Medley: It's All Right/For Sentimental Reasons, and Bring It On Home To Me No bad songs 4.00-4.50/5
Overall pretty good. Sam goes through his set with hardly taking a breath. Some really classic soul songs. 3.5/5 Would listen to again
me gusta porque parece re intimo pero la están viviendo mal
Great album. What a surprise! Something I wouldn't have picked up by myself to give a listen. Powerful voice and performance. Feeling it throughout!
Greatest male vocalist of all time?
The singing was incredible, and the songs had a great atmosphere. The energy from the crowd made it even better. Very enjoyable.
Not a fan of live albums but this one was a blast. I can only imagine how it would have been in person. Obviously Sam Cooke is a legend for a reason and this is a small sample of why. Favorites: Chain Gang, Feel It
'Unrelenting. Remorseless. Unremitting.' These are the three words that come to mind to describe Live At The Harlem Square Club. Maybe not remorseless, but they come as a trio and two out of three ain't bad! Even when he threatens to slow things down, Cooke and his band go full throttle and it's a delight to hear the audience respond to it so enthusiastically. No wonder it's only 36 minutes, you could never keep up the pace - it's like the Attractions shows in '79, when they were so full of amphetamines that they did everything in double-time. That's probably one reason that live albums are such a chore - they're the length of actual concerts, but without the mitigating factors. This has the decency to be album length and not even a Best Of album, just a regular album that contains many of his best cuts. Some live albums benefit from being Best Ofs, others suffer, but some, like this and Show, which I mentioned yesterday, reveal the best. While this undoubtedly soul music - Sam Cooke was the King of Soul - Cupid, You Send Me, Twistin' the Night Away are very much pop songs and it a thrill to hear pop sound as gritty, phlegmy, and coked up as the Beatles in Hamburg or the Ramones anywhere. A great recording. 4 Well I have already done a bit on puzzling over how to rate a live album vs rating a studio album and although it all applies here as well I’ll skip it. I loved this. ‘Portrait of a Legend’ is played regularly in our house and I have often said that Sam Cooke is my favourite singer but I’m obviously a bad fan because I’ve never listened to this before. It knocked my socks off. The singing is incredible but I loved the crowd noise as well - they are having a great time and they are all in fine voice themselves. Cooke is feeding off their enthusiasm and his energy just grows and grows through these tracks. This rendition of Bring it on Home to Me is magic. And the ad-libs… “Everybody get them out for me. Get them handkerchiefs out.” That’s a level of civilisation that will never been seen again at a gig this exciting. So I am going high with my rating, but taking a mark off because Greatest Hits shouldn’t count as an album and because this is too short. 4/5
What us this? Who is Sam Cooke? A live album? What is going on? All thoughts I had when this popped up. We'll after a little teeny tiny listen i got it. It rules. I was skeptical with a live performance, how do you really distill a concert into just an audio stream? Well I think it was done here. The way he talks with he crowd and you can hear the crowd, he plays off them and it's so cool to hear on a record. And what a crop of songs? They rock. All of them but the cupid on and twisting the night away? What that song has an original author? What? It's not like some folk tune from olden days? So crazy. All the songs though are great. What a sick pick. Thank you 75 years ago and that fun night out.
Gotta be honest, if I got to the Harlem Square Club in 1963 to see Sam Cooke perform and he only did 39 minutes I’d be like “Wish there was more, but I’ll take what I can get, he’s insanely good”. As an album, though, it does work. Full of energy and excitement. I’m opposed to live albums as a concept on a ‘best of’ list, but this is great. 4/5
I enjoyed this album a lot! I was familiar with a couple songs going in, and found myself enjoying Sam Cooke and the band. I think the live aspect was overall a success- sometimes the crowd noise was distracting and it felt like Sam wasnt giving people enough time to breathe, but hearing the people sing along was fun. Overall- very good album
Cool funky soul music!
Roligt album, samma här stärks albumet av att det ör live. Svårt att inte blir glad när man lyssnar
It's wild that this was held back at release for being "too gritty". From a modern perspective it's so tame. You can definitely hear his passion in his voice though so calling it "raw" I get.
A true artist, this generation of soul singers it’s better to listen to the live album to truly understand greatness
Usually don't like live albums, but this one really had me wishing I was there watching it live.
Live hype, nummers onbekend maar kwaliteit, jazz/soul, voor nu 7/10.
Guter live Mitschnitt vom "King of Soul". Easy durchgehört und nicht langweilig geworden.
I know there is a bit of editing in this album but long gone are the days of quick smooth transitions...
As someone who doesn't ever listen to live albums, this was surprisingly good. Favorites include Chain Gang and Twistin' the Night Away
Beautiful vocals, fun set list and energy
What a voice. Great energy. 62 years ago!
Sam's great. A little too much banter in the performance but I relistened to this one immediately because it's a dandy pick-me-up on a gloomy Monday morning while I'm having an existential crisis.
This was fantastic. Sam Cooke has an incredible voice - so much soul and feeling going into every song. Well worth multiple listens. 4⭐️
He has a fantastic voice and the setlist is great, not overly long and just giving the audience a good time. Probably not 5* because as with a lot of live albums I'm not sure this adds a huge amount. I do like the energy of the crowd and enjoyed it though
That was fun. Well performed too.
Phenomenal
Some really great songs on this one!
I forgot how good Sam Cooke is. There's nothing bad on this album. I can't even imagine what it would have been like to be there that night but I like to try. Easy four stars.
Perfect!
I really liked this
Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 is raw, electric, and full of soul. Sam Cooke didn’t just perform—he commanded the room. The energy in this set is miles away from his polished studio recordings, and that’s what makes it so good. The crowd is into it, Sam is giving it everything, and it’s clear he knew how to work a room. RIP to one of the greatest voices in music history. This live album is a reminder of how powerful and dynamic he really was. Favorite song: Nothing Can Change This Love
Party time!!! Beautiful sax solos amazing vocals. I really love live performances where you can hear the audience getting involved. This was great! Will absolutely be revisiting
Hot
generally dislike live albums but Sam Cooke is a legend
What a party of an album. THIS is how a live album should be.
I was not looking forward to this because I don’t tend to enjoy a lot of live live records, but this is great. It sounds great and I feel like I’m at the show. I’m very nostalgic for live music like this. This is a great album!!
I know a handful of Sam Cooke songs, but I’ve never really sought out any of his music before. I haven’t really enjoyed many of the live albums on this list, but I’m hoping Sam Cooke can be the first person to blow me away. Let’s go down to the Harlem Square Club! I wasn’t blown away by this album, but I thought it was really good. I enjoyed how raw and unpolished it sounded, because it’s not the type of sound that I associate with Sam Cooke. In my opinion, a lot of black artists in the early sixties had to maintain a clean-cut image in order to attract white listeners, but the energy of this album really defies that image, and it gave this album an air of authenticity that worked really well. I never thought of Sam Cooke as having an easily recognizable voice, but as I went through this album, it gave me a new appreciation for his singing. The deeper I went into this album, the more I was able to recall songs that I’ve heard before, and correctly identify them as Sam Cooke songs. As far as individual songs go, I really liked “Chain Gang,” “Cupid,” and “Twistin’ The Night Away.” I had no idea that “Chain Gang” was a Sam Cooke song. As a kid, we had an album by The Nylons on vinyl that had their version of “Chain Gang” on it, and I’ve known for quite a while that it was a cover, but I don’t recall ever having heard the original artist. “Cupid” showcases Sam Cooke’s voice really well, and just how soulful his singing is. “Twistin’ The Night Away” was just a lot of fun and easy to groove along to. This album isn’t completely my cup of tea, but I loved the energy and Sam Cooke’s singing was fantastic. As far as live albums go, this was definitely in the upper echelon.
Excellent album, I didn't realize how many great songs he had until I heard this. I'm a fan now and I plan to listen to more of his work. It also has a kind of nostalgic vibe to it for me.
Honestly, a really great live album. Sam Cooke is such a great singer/performer and you can just tell from listening to these recordings that his show would be such a blast.
Really enjoyed this!
Can really hear how good his voice was here
Love it. Favourite track is Havin A Party 4/5
Nice!
Incredible energy and cheerfulness to this powerful singing performance
This has a beautiful live sound. Chain Gang is awesome. Twisting The Night Away is a classic. Somebody Have Mercy is soulfull.
Before this project I would never listen to live albums. Live songs being different from the album version would throw me off… This was a very good live record again 4/5
This album was incredibly enjoyable, funny, and lighthearted. Loved that it was live. For sure will listen again.
An album most musicians should listen to, if only to learn how to interact with an audience. Also an amazing energy!
Really enjoy Sam Cooke
Goddamn this is a good time. I wanna be at that party.
I never feel equipped to talk about souls music and other black culture stuff but the power of Sam Cooke's voice is undeniable. That it's a live album is even more incredible - the energy is off the charts.
A fun album; hard to believe it's 62 years old. Was his microphone working between songs? The crowd was much more into the music than his banter.
All around great performance, that show must have been electric.
This was such fun! What a great gig with an amazing singer.
Oei, ik hou niet zo van live albums, dus ben zeer benieuwd of dit dan het album gaat zijn die me gaat overtuigen dat ik gewoon een zeikerd ben. Sommige nummers zijn heel ruig, niet heel vreemd; is uit 1963!!! Maar nummers als Cupid klinken eigenlijk echt heel erg goed zeg! Echt hele lekkere, bijna vuige Jazz en soul is dit zeg. Sam heeft echt de tijd van zn leven, dat kun je gewoon horen. Ik geloof meteen dat Sam hier gewoon een feest aan het geven was. Zn stem klinkt top, de muziek helaas niet altijd even goed, maar dat word goed gemaakt door het publiek dat duidelijk de tijd van hun leven heeft. Eerlijk; ik ben best een beetje om, dit was top en pure soul en laat zien hoe fucking vet een soul show kan zijn. FAVO: Feel it, Cupid, Medley, Twistin', Having a party
Really interesting in how raw the songs sound compared to the originals. I wish the sound were better that would have made the album even better.
A live recording that makes you wish you could have been in that room. So many great songs delivered with sweaty energy. Fun fact: my introduction to Sam Cooke was via the Animal House soundtrack in high school.
This was a good time. I knew a lot more of the songs then i was expecting.
Had a real good time listening to this one. Lots of energy, good stuff.
Amazing energy
I enjoyed this album. It's nice to listen to some old-fashioned soul.
I didn't know we were doing live albums here! I'm a fan of Ain't That Good News, but don't know any of his other stuff. This was nice. I've never been a huge soul person, just because I feel like it is too soft and smooth and I'm a little taken aback by such straightforward earnestness. But if you want smooth soulful earnest love songs, Sam Cooke does it about as well as anyone.
There are few live albums I actually enjoy. In my experience, they generally have poor audio quality and a bunch of audience clapping. But this album avoids that problem and captures the performer's energy - not the audience's. And in that way, it is a good example of what live albums should be.
I think I’m most impressed by the quality of this live album from the ‘60s. This was a lot of fun to listen to.
If I was in the room that night I'm sure it'd be a 5. What an amazing performance.
He's having a great time and it's one of those performances that could make you a fan of a new artist. But it's still mostly the same songs that everybody else sang at the same time. 3.5/5, but rounded up for the party
My first proper introduction to Sam Cooke. Pretty solid album that genuinely felt like part of a time capsule. It really transported me to a different time and made me feel like i was there watching this performance live
Absolutely love this classis. Sam cooke is such an entertainer and just an excellent vocalist. He manages to bring in so soft and sentimental songs with a mix of energetic material, which has been blended so tremendously well. I love him involving with the audience and their respective reactions. Just overall a near perfect live record, this is just an experience to me. The only reason I won't give this a super high score is because I love Sam's "live at the copa" even more, which has a lot to say about Sam as a performer. Favorite track: Twistin the Night Away(HM to For sentimental reasons and cupid, I love the live version of the latter so much). Overall score 8.8/10
So sollten live Alben sein 😃😁
Classic. Love it. So much live energy.
****a good fun album
soul twist- 7 dont fight it- 8 chain gang- 8 cupid- 8 its all right- 8 twistin the night away- 7 somebody have mercy- 8 bring it on home to me- the intro is funny. 7 or 8 nothing can change this love- 7 having a party- 7
he changed music rules. This live not so good
This was a fun listen. What a snap shot of a place and time.
Really good.
Great album. 4.3/5
was en entertainer, het vollgas harlem nightclub vibes i mis zimmer im schwedische winter portiert ^^ haha mehrmals die gliiche 2 chords bim intro (chain gang & cupid) die art vo musig wo's mir ned uffallt dass d songs vlt harmonisch simpel sind, sust gaht defür soviel ab. d band isch richtig locked in, freakin epic. sini stimm isch ned so clean wie uf andere recordings woni kenn (vlt scho es paar konzert täg vorher gha), aber stört ned gross findi. und sini "diktion", wo er silbe ufem beat platziert oder wasauimmer findi freakin elegant, gfallt mer. s publikum gaht au ab daamn, ich wünscht es gäbt oder ich kennt clubs wome zu so livemusig chent tanze o.O (finde das review sehr passend: "captures one of the most beguiling figures of 20th-century music as close to the peak of his powers as he was ever recorded, sounding grittier and more seductive than you'll hear on those good-times oldies blocks but still every bit in command")
ohh theyre having so much fun!!
Has a voice that commands to be heard, which is refreshing to a live recording. I feel like vocals get muffled a lot. Anyway, enjoyable upbeat (even the romantic song). Sounded like a fun place to be. Can't picture anyone walking out the club upset
A little more raucous and sweet with the likably rough edges of his voice matching the spotty production and recording. It's not hard to hear what made him a legend, even if this isn't exactly in one's sweet spot (a bit much James Brown-y showmanship for one's liking) and one admits to preferring Otis Redding and maybe Al Green, too. One wonders, had one been present, if the audience's enthusiasm would have merited a shushing. Still, one gets what made him legendary, albeit somewhat briefly, albeit in what seems a rather hopelessly more innocent time.
I enjoyed it. I could close my eyes and just imagine what the room and the crowd looked like based on the sounds.
Great record. Sam Cooke must have been awesome to see live.
fye
This was dope. Biggest vibes album, felt very old school cool. I've heard Sam Cookes voice was amazing, and it definitely was. Almost deserves a record spin to vibe around the house.
Old R&B feel. Great album
Overall: 8/10 My approach to listening to live albums is to try to put myself into the audience because realistically it's the only way I can truly enjoy a live performance. That helped a lot with this one and even though I'm sick today I found myself having a lot of fun with this one. The only Sam Cooke song I actually know wasn't a part of this performance but I actually preferred that because I wasn't waiting around hoping for the one song I knew! Cooke's energy is infectious and it's easy to see why he was such a big star at the time. The best part about his demeanor is that it seems so effortless and cool. The songs are pretty good too, much more energetic than I expected. (Also I get that it was recorded in 1963 but the album itself wasn't actually released until 1985. If Dylan's 1966 Royal Albert Live counts as a 1998 release then this should get the same treatment from the list and the website.) Fav Song: Chain Gang Least Fav Song: Twistin' the Night Away
Terrific live soul album with bags of atmosphere.
Very talented. I thoroughly enjoyed the first half especially.
вайбовенький, лёгкий, меланхоличный
;)
I'm new to this list but this is the first disc I've listened to that I'd never heard of and need to own.
What a fun concert this would be. It’s simple but it works. I wish we heard more banter. Bring it on Home to Me was my fave.
Sam Cooke as they didn’t want you to hear him! It would have been great if video were recorded as well. His voice is great and the energy is phenomenal. The medley style of the performance is cool too and kept me on my toes throughout.
I don't know any of these songs but you are going to have a really hard time convincing me that anybody was having more fun on the night of January 12, 1963 than Mr. Sam Cooke. Wow. What a great idea to make sure you recorded this man live. His voice sounds great, you can tell he's playing to the crowd and he even coaches them through a sing-along section without missing a beat himself and he made it sound like natural ad-libbing instead of the obnoxious way I've heard other singers basically break up their set to make the crowd play along with their egos. This guy's just having the time of his life and wants everybody else to have a fraction of the good time he's having. Wow. This is one of the best live albums I've ever heard, and certainly the best I've heard where I didn't already know any of the songs. I can't believe they shelved it for over two decades.
I effing LOVE Sam Cooke!! His is one of my favorite voices of all time and I was so happy when this album popped up as my next listen. It has so many good songs on it. One of my favorites by him is Nothing Can Change This Love. Just lovely 🙂 The only thing stopping me from giving it 5 stars is that it was live 😩 It had great energy, but I don’t like all the screaming and the audience sing-a-long nonsense.
I've tended to harp on the live albums that are featured in this list, but the jazz ones seem to deliver above the rest. This one is no exception. No time is wasted here, each song leads directly into the next on the setlist but it doesn't feel rushed or sloppy (after listening, it sounds like some of the interludes are edited out, but regardless). Mr. Cooke sounds authentic and lively here with his signature tenor voice, getting the crowd involved all throughout too. It's just pure fun and makes one wish they could be briefly teleported to that night in Miami in 1963.
Absolute legend.. Live is always better as well. Solid album, good vibes
Groovy music and live aspect was made you feel more involved. Absolutely here for Bring it on home to me
The biggest mistake they made on this live album was not letting King Curtis shine on the sax more. Good lord that guy can fucking play. Not usually a fan of live albums, but this goes pretty hard. Super enjoyable, super fresh. Not perfect, but that's probably why it was buried for 20 years.
Having the guy who got shot and killed in self-defense during a kidnapping singing about 'Girl don't fight it' right at the beginning is the kind of foreshadowing that people would mock
A very energetic and vibrant album, shame to the record label for delaying its release 22 years after the fact. Having said that, I cannot help but look at the more romantic 'I need you' type of songs without thinking about how Sam Cooke got plugged by a hotel receptionist while he was wearing only a sports coat and one shoe in search of some groupie he *totally* was gonna be friendly with. Overall, a thoroughly good album with no misses but on repeat listens I found it hard to distinguish one part of the album from another and it became a little repetitivey. 8 out of 9mm Highlights: Chain Gang Medley: Yadda Yadda Nothing Can Change This Love
First listen. Pretty good.
I have been a fan of Sam Cooke since I was young, so i obviously liked this album. All of his songs raise feelings of nostalgia in me, but not one that would make me very sentimental, but rather a kind of nostalgia that warms me inside out by reminding me of all the adventurous car rides with my family. As for this album, it's insane how masterfully Cooke can sing and what he can do with his voice.
Aangenaam verrast. Lekkere vibes gecombineerd met live energie
Sometimes you just need to listen to a feel good album.
Forgot to write. Another solid jazz performance. Great listen. Standouts: Feel It (Don’t Fight It), Chain Gang, Twistin’ The Night Away, Somebody Have Mercy, and Having A Party.
5 stars for Sam the Man; -1 for live album
Love Sam Cooke, dislike live albums. Classic tunes though so 4/5 Chain Gang, Cupid, Twistin’, Having A Party. Gold!
Favourite song - Cupid
Was surprised to find out I really liked this. Added a lot to the playlist & will definitely revisit songs
I quite liked it
Sam Cooke is the King of Soul and his voice is almost instantly recognizable. All of the songs flowed together and this album was great to listen to. Almost 40 minutes of music that felt like about 5. The man had a great voice and was a gifted performer. Twistin' the Night Away is just a great song. According to my extensive research of reading Wikipedia, although this is an album for a live show done in Miami in 1963, the label did not like how it sounded and put it on a shelf for 22 years. So not released until 1985. On Spotify this appears to be the reissue released in 2005 after adjustments to the mix of audience and Cooke's singing.
Absolutely incredible. Never really listened to this type of music but it blew me away. The heart that it shows is immaculate. RIP Sam.
Really great album. You can really feel the passion in Sam's voice and even the instruments.
That's not my taste in music. But wow - interesting music. Great musician
Infectious energy and joy. Sweaty, soulful and sweet.
Very cool
I enjoyed this a lot. Light, fun! I will likely put him in my rotation!
8/10
Actually really enjoyed this, a lot more than I thought I would. He was obviously putting on a good performance. The atmosphere came over well, yes if I see it on a music stall yes I probably will buy it. Definitely a 4.
Enjoyed every song. Chain gang had a great sing along Cupid was really good
Awesome
Perfect uptown live modes
Enjoyed!
Driving and lively.
Live At The Harlem Square is considered one of the best live albums for a reason. Cooke’s energy and vocals are fantastic. The production is a little airy but good enough 8.3/10
Top entertainer, great live album
I would enjoy this live
I usually don't like live albums but this was just seamless and fun
Lively, gritty, warm album. Great sound quality and crowd interaction. Big fan. Best song: (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting here, more live soul, funk, or jazz perhaps? But this ain’t that. This is proper rock n roll in its purest form. Really incredible live album, it’s hard to believe they waited 20 years to actually release this recording. Sam Cooke is clearly charismatic and extremely talented. I enjoyed this album a lot more than I expected to. Musically it’s tight, soulful, and very fun to listen to. 4*
This endeavor is convincing me that my prejudice against live albums is misguided, as we have another fantastic one in this 1963 recording of the peerless Sam Cooke. His vocal talent is every bit as strong live as it was on recordings, and the musical quality of this performance is very good. More valuable than that, though, is that this recording gives the listener a sense of Sam Cooke as a performer and personality, which is particularly valuable considering that his life was tragically cut far too short. It’s a delightful listen and you can’t help but smile as Cooke charms and captivates his audience. 8/10
Great energy. Great songs.
I tried to "Feel It (Don't Fight It)". But maybe not hard enough at first. Or maybe I don't love soul music enough to fully appreciate this very early album in the genre--at least right away. Don't get me wrong, I quickly understood that the grittier sound of this live recording sounds so authentic that it can provide great emotions to all Sam Cooke fans. The thing is, I would rather get acquainted with the studio output of the legendary soul singer first. Live versions are rarely good entry points, are they? And apart from pretty "(What A) Wonderful World", or moving a "A Change Is Gonna Come" (not in this album, but that most people have heard in film or TV soundtracks)", I'm afraid l don't know much about Cooke. If the man is the legend that soul fans say he is, isn't it a better idea to first discover what he sounded like on the radio? Those cuts on this live album, admittedly groovier that "Wonderful World" and "Change", document awesome performances. The songs on the first side seemed are all interchangeable in my ears. And yet this record received a 3.78 global score on this app, which is rather high as far as its usual 3/5 grade goes. I started to wonder: "What is wrong with me?" As I finished writing the words up there, "Somebody Have Mercy" began playing. And that's how it goes : "Somebody have mercy, baby, and tell me what is wrong with me". I swear that I had never heard that song before (or didn't consciously remember it). It was a nice serendipitous moment, and I guess that song is gonna stay with me because of it. Then "Bring It On Home To Me" followed, and unless I'm mistaken, the intense, mesmerizing introduction to this version of the live ballad is absent in the studio rendition, that I discovered on the list of Cooke's most played tracks on Spotify. Another cut that's gonna stay with me, I guess. And so will "Having A Party". It's tribute to good songs "on the radio" bring me back to the start of my review. Something's going on with this album. Its last leg sound incredible, which is, I guess, quite logical if you follow the template of a live show. Leaving the door open to this one, then. Leaving it wide open... 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 4. 8.5/10 for more general purposes (5 + 3.5) Number of albums left to review: around a hundred, as I've went over the 1000 line and this generator is including albums from all editions of the book Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 431 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 256 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 316 l
Not bad at all.
So much fun to listen to this. Sam Cooke was a phenomenal talent taken way too soon.
There's a good sized contingent that just don't like live albums then. Who knew? Feels like your missing out on that feeling of eavesdropping on a unique moment in time when a piece of magic is worked between performer(s) and crowd. This is a very good example.
This was really good. The music is a bit dated, but being love just adds so much.
I love Sam Cooke and have never listened to any of his live albums. This was a fun listen--the gritty soulfulness of his voice comes through in a way that studio albums don't capture. The medley with "For Sentimental Reasons" and "Bring it On Home" were special delights. I listened to this album twice and would definitely revisit it; it's not my favorite of Sam Cooke's (and not in my top live soul albums), but a great album nonetheless. I dock it one star because it makes me jealous that I wasn't there.
Side 2 takes it from a 3 to a 4 star rating
2 Sterne für die Musik. 2 Sterne für sein Entertainment und die Art das Publikum mitzunehmen und zu begeistern, da wünscht man sich einfach im Publikum zu sein. Songs der Playlist hinzugefügt: Keine
Least amount of fluff in any live album I've listened to. Great energy all around
Good energy
A surprise today. Really enjoyed it though
Surprised at how much I liked it despite being live. Very upbeat
I don't normally like live albums, but the energy here is great.
Chad. Probably the best live album we’ve had here and probably the best there is.
A superb singer, writer, and all around performer.
live zoals live moet zijn
Loved it. Plus the crowd involvement was quite nice. Solid 4/5.
I'm not sure I've ever heard anybody work a crowd like this guy does. Electric performance, really good stuff.
Raw and urgent. Some of these songs actually feel somewhat rushed and peaked. Very charming crowd work and electric room sound but I might prefer a studio "chill" version of all these song. Of course I feel like I'm missing context but I find myself preferring something like Live at the Apollo for a document of a live performance.
Love this album. Only reason it’s not a 10 is because there aren’t many standout tracks. But it still has really good energy and is one of my favorite live albums. 9/10
A really great live album from one of the greats. I’m glad this was recorded before his death.
Pretty good. Delightful vibes. Amazing voice.
A great document of a really solid performance. Everyone is firing on all cylinders here and the crowd loves it.
Pretty good, and it would’ve been amazing to be there in person. Sam’s voice seems a little more rough than studio recordings, which I guess I prefer. But still a solid 4!
Я был настроен на самые легкие 2 звезды в моей жизни, но очень удивлен по итогу. Это звучит в меру стандартно по меркам жанра, но с какой страстью это всё исполнено! Лучшая песня - Bring It on Home to Me.
Imagine being horny and heartbroken in the 60s and then Sam Cooke comes to town with this thing...
I mean its Sam Cooke, dude has a great voice, Chain gang is a great song that really hits different.
Fun!
Juhlat! Hienon tasaista laulua läpi keikan, ei katoa vire vaikka sopiva raspi pysyy. Bändi soittaa hyvin, mutta Cooken karisma yltää kaiken yli koko ajan. Nautittavaa! Hyvät biisit, joista tosin parhaiten jää mieleen ja toimii hitti Having a party.
So. Much. Energy. What would this guy have done if he had lived long enough to listen to 70s Stevie, Funkadelic, Sly Stone, the Beach Boys, Hendrix?
Vilken röst och vilken entertainer. Det är precis så här ett livealbum ska vara. Omöjligt att inte ryckas med och bli glad av denna. Som vanligt önskar man att man hade varit där.
sensible fun
Despite (or perhaps because of?) the simplicity and similarity of these tunes there’s something I find so pure and joyous about this type of music. It kinda makes me wish I was growing up in the 50s and early 60s, twistin’ every night away. The live setting and crowd noise gives the songs a huge boost of energy, and there’s an almost religious euphoria (without being too cultish) to the soul-iest bits, like Bring It on Home to Me. I was also pleased to learn that Cooke wrote everything himself, rather than filling his set with covers of standards, as often seemed to be the case in gigs of this era. 3.5 / 4
4.5
This was a bit…. Rougher around the edges than the studio performances I’ve heard. But the audience is into it. It’s fun.
Girlllllll I could feel this concert through my screen
great jazz piece
Very fun and some infectious energy. Cooke's presence could be felt on every track, and I couldn't help but smile, dance, and sing along as he encouraged the crowd in the performance. I did feel a lot of the songs felt too similar at times, but this is a great listen and dance album that doesn't overstay it's welcome. Top tracks: Chain Gang, Medley: It's All Right, Bring It on Home to Me
The crowds enthusiasm really gives this album a leg up - it's a really fun snapshot into how a live venue must have sounded at the time. Some songs have become a bit dated, but generally a fun album. 4/5
Yeah great songs obviously! Wish it wasn't a live album, what's the point?