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Solomon Burke | Don't Give Up On Me

Comeback of the year album from the king of Rock 'n' Soul.
CD, Fat Possum/Epitaph

Tekst: Martÿn ter Haar

Publicatiedatum: 26 september 2002

Although officially crowned King Of Rock 'N' Soul, Solomon Burke is not a household name like Otis Redding or Sam Cooke. And that for a man Jerry Wexler himself called "the greatest soul singer of them all". Fat Possum records has taken the challenge to set that situation right and save Burke from oblivion, like they have done before for bluesmen like R.L. Burnside and T-Model Ford.

The recipe followed by Fat Possum is almost a carbon copy of the one Rick Rubin used to revive Johnny Cash's career: take songs from famous songwriters, throw in some classics and record it minimalistic, giving the artist room to shine. Don't Give Up On Me was recorded live in the studio in 4 days in Hollywood, with singer/songwriter Joe Henry at the helm. To say that the result does not disappoint is an understatement.

Burke's biggest power is that he always does less than you expect him to. Even when The Blind Boys Of Alabama join in for the gospel None Of Us Are Free, singers and band keep back, building more and more tension, only putting jubilant accents where necessary. This track - recorded in one take! - is one of the absolute highlights of the album, together with Flesh And Blood, a brooding romantic ballad written by Henry, where Burke explores the depth of his range, aided by a muted saxophone.

The weaker material is by some of the famous guest writers. Van Morrison's Fast Train is unremarkable and just barely saved by Burke's interpretation. Tom Waits' Diamond In Your Mind keeps sounding like a Tom Waits song accidently sung by the wrong guy. Bob Dylan and Nick Lowe do deliver the goods with Stepchild and The Other Side Of The Coin respectively.

And so Fat Possum's branching out into soul music does not only deliver them their first artist who won't beg for cash with them all the time (read the rant in label sampler Not The Same Old Blues Crap II), but also the comeback of the year album.

http://www.kindamuzik.net/recensie/solomon-burke/don-t-give-up-on-me
Meer Solomon Burke op KindaMuzik: http://www.kindamuzik.net/artiest/solomon-burke