Soul of the Blues

• Artist: Solomon Burke
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1993 04
• Total Time: 56:26
• Genre: Rhythm & Blues

Review

Solomon Burke could probably sing the want ads from last week's paper and make them sound powerfully soulful, but he had an easier task on this album, in which he adapted a dozen classic blues numbers to his epic-scale R&B style. Burke would probably have preferred livelier material than much of what he gets on Soul of the Blues, especially "Sufferin' Mind" and "Candy," which almost give the man a bit more room to stretch out than he needs, and while the arrangements on this set are ambitious and full-bodied, they're also founded on a lot of contemporary blues clichés and sometimes lack the drama and punch Burke deserves. But no one has ever accused Burke of not knowing how to sell a song, and the man is in typically superb form here; he sounds nothing less than joyous as he rolls through "Good Rockin' Tonight," he brings a potent and powerful gospel undertow to "Letter from My Darling," and he all but steals "Pledging My Love" away from Johnny Ace. Soul of the Blues captures the sound of Solomon Burke dipping his toes in a traditional blues style with the passion and conviction he always brings to his music, and it's a fascinating side trip for one of soul's greatest voices; if there are minor flaws in the production and arrangements, that has nothing to do with the glory of Burke's voice. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
My Babe	Willie Dixon	Solomon Burke	(5:10)
Good Rockin' Tonight	Roy Brown	Solomon Burke	(5:28)
Sufferin' Mind	Eddie Jones	Solomon Burke	(3:56)
Letter from My Darling	Rose Marie McCoy, McCoy Singleton	Solomon Burke	(5:02)
Don't Deceive Me	Chuck Willis	Solomon Burke	(3:37)
Candy	Mack David, Joan Whitney, Alex Kramer	Solomon Burke	(4:11)
Crawdad Hole	Lou Willie Turner	Solomon Burke	(2:58)
Along About Midnight	Eddie Jones	Solomon Burke	(4:05)
Pledging My Love	Ferdinand Washington, Don Robey	Solomon Burke	(4:23)
Lonesome Highway (Lyrics)		Solomon Burke	(4:50)
Street Walking Woman	Jack White	Solomon Burke	(3:42)
No Nights by Myself	Sonny Boy Williamson	Solomon Burke	(6:36)

Credits

Hammond Scott (Mixing), Clarence Hollimon (Guitar), Eric Traub (Sax (Tenor)), Eric Traub (Saxophone), Derek Dressler (Project Assistant), David Farrell (Editing), Selassie Burke (Producer), David Torkanowsky (Piano), David Farrell (Engineer), David Farrell (Mixing), Solomon Burke (Horn Arrangements), Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff (Harmonica), John Roberts (Package Supervision), Eric Traub (Soloist), John Roberts (Artwork), Selassie Burke (Vocals), Sammy Berfect (Organ (Hammond)), Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff (Sax (Tenor)), Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff (Soloist), George Porter, Jr. (?), George Porter, Jr. (Bass), Heather West (Production Coordination), Jeff Palo (Reissue Producer), Raymond Weber (Drums), Solomon Burke (Vocals), Sammy Berfect (Piano), Diane Wanek (Design), Shawn Amos (Reissue Supervisor), Hammond Scott (Editing), Nauman S. Scott (Executive Producer), Sammy Berfect (Piano), Hammond Scott (Sequencing), David Farrell (Audio Engineer), Jamil Sharif (Trumpet), Selassie Burke (Horn Arrangements), John Sinclair (Liner Notes), Sam Mayfield (Soloist), Ted Myers (Project Assistant), Randy Kling (Mastering), Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff (Horn Arrangements), Clarence Hollimon (Guitar), Shane Mooney (Editorial Supervision), Steve Suter (Trombone), Rick Olivier (Photography), Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff (Sax (Baritone)), David Farrell (Sequencing), Selassie Burke (Vocals (Background)), Kelly Keller (Production Coordination), Sam Mayfield (Guitar), Hammond Scott (Producer), Jeanette Posner (Production Coordination), Anthony Hamilton (Bass), Sam Mayfield (Guitar), John Touchy (Trombone), Hoyt Dooley (Mastering), Selassie Burke (Vocal Arrangement), Hammond Scott (Audio Production), Clarence Hollimon (Soloist), Sammy Berfect (Hammond B3), Herman V. Ernest III (Drums), Shawn Amos (Liner Notes)