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Solomon Burke

Don't Give Up on Me

Don't Give Up on Me Tracks
1. Don't Give Up On Me (Dan Penn)
2. Fast Train (Van Morrison)
3. Diamond In Your Mind (Tom Waits)
4. Flesh And Blood (Joe Henry)
5. Soul Searchin' (Brian Wilson / Paley)
6. Only A Dream (Van Morrison)
7. The Judgment (Elvis Costello / Cait O'Riordan)
8. Stepchild (Bob Dylan)
9. The Other Side Of The Coin (Nick Lowe)
10. None Of Us Are Free (Mann & Weil / Russell)
11. Sit This One Out (Pick Purnell)
Solomon Burke - Don't Give Up on Me
Don't Give Up on Me Review
Of all the great male '60s soul singers--a short list that includes Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, and James Brown--only Solomon Burke still actively records. More amazing, he's produced his best full-length album with Don't Give Up on Me. It's easy to give some credit to the album's star songwriters, who include Burke fans Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Van Morrison, Brian Wilson, and Bob Dylan. But really it's the quality of the songs and Burke himself, one of the most versatile and charismatic singers around, that make this album so special.

The 11 songs range from the lazy, seductive plea of the title track and the gravelly gospel of "Diamond in Your Mind" to the country-soul of "Other Side of the Coin" and the civil-rights-era urgency of "None of Us Are Free." Joe Henry's production is suitably subdued, and the instrumentation--generally guitar, bass, drums, organ, and piano--is sympathetic throughout. And if you doubt that Burke is the real star in a room crowded with those folks, consider this: the two slightest tracks here were written by Wilson and Costello, while one of the best, the album-closing "Sit This One Out," was written by someone named Pick Purnell. A great album not fixed in the past or fully of this decade, Don't Give Up is a crowning achievement of an R&B pioneer who has returned to reclaim his self-bestowed title from the '60s: "The King of Rock and Soul." --Keith Moerer



Users's Reviews
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Don't Give Up on Me
5
I got the new (2005) Solomon Burke and loved it.
I think "Don't Give Up on Me" is even better.
I particularly liked "Fast Train" and "Soul Searching".
Posted by Anonymous, on 2005-09-10
An impressive comeback by Solomon Burke
4
Nicknamed "The Deacon" and "The King of Rock & Soul", ordained bishop Solomon Burke was one of the important early soul pioneers of the 60s before vanishing from the charts. He still played hundreds of concerts, though, his strengths largely intact, and in February 2002 he stepped into the studio to record this fascinating album.

"Don't Give Up On Me" features original songwriting contributions from several very well-known artists including Van Morrison (two songs), Bob Dylan, Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, Brian Wilson, Tom Waits, and producer Joe Henry himself. And it's not just soul, or R&B, rather it's a hybrid of sorts, blending soul, R&B, rock n' roll, blues, folk and a touch of gospel. 62 year old Burke delivers everything with panache and a voice full of soul, though, and every one of these performances are filled with power and intensity.

"Don't Give Up On Me" is remarkable for its sparse sound and low-key production, no big bands or string orchestras, just bass, percussion, a guitar, an organ and the occational piano. It is reminicent of Johnny Cash's "American Recordings" in that respect, and there are some terrific songs here. The title track is the best, a gritty, dramatic deep soul tune with a huge hook and a lot of passion, but there are plenty of other highlights. It's actually a bit funny how much the slow swagger of Tom Waits' and Kathleen Brennan's "Diamond In Your Mind" sounds like a Tom Waits song, even though it's Burke singing it, and "Stepchild" sounds almost as much like the Bob Dylan song that it is.

Brian Wilson's "Soul Searchin'" is another highlight, as is Van Morrison's swampy "Fast Train", and Nick Lowe's slow "The Other Side Of The Coin", another genuine soul number.
If I am to complain a little bit I'll say that the relatively unvaried tempo and similar arrangements wear a little bit thin towards the end; a couple of up-tempo songs would have been nice. But there is an awful lot of amazing performances here, and "Don't Give Up On Me" is a worthy comeback for one of the greats of soul and R&B.
Posted by Anonymous, on 2005-07-01
Soul Music at its Best
5
One of the best records i have ever heard hands down. This one ranks up there with some of the best ever. As for Solomon's voice it is better than ever, and the songs are all top notch.
Posted by Anonymous, on 2003-12-25

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