Customer Reviews

Man & His Music

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Given the fact that this album seems to be hard to find these days, I am very happy to have picked it up when I did some years ago. Sam Cooke was a magically gifted singer whose easy-going, mellifluously liquid voice never fails to lift me from even the darkest of moods. His roots were in gospel music, the powerfully joyous element of which underlies all of his music. He exudes happiness in both his appearance as well as his music; it's impossible to picture Sam Cooke without that bright smile he always seemed to have. Dubbed the king of soul by many music fans, Sam Cooke left a musical legacy of great importance. His influence on past, present, and future singers sometimes goes unspoken and unrecognized but is profound nevertheless. On the liner notes of this CD, you will find a number of quotes from such notable performers as Smokey Robinson, Rod Stewart, Aretha Franklin, and Keith Richards praising Sam Cooke and describing the influence the man and his music has had on their own careers.

The Sam Cooke songs I sometimes hear on oldies radio stations, classics such as Chain Gang, Cupid, Another Saturday Night, Twistin' the Night Away, and Bring It On Home To Me, wonderful as they are, really don't even begin to show the immense talent and diversity of this consummate performer. This CD crams 28 Cooke tracks (all of which he wrote himself) into its grooves, offering a wonderful cross-section of his life's work. Since no track list is listed here, I feel compelled to name the songs included on this incredible compilation album: Touch the Hem of His Garment, That's Heaven To Me, I'll Come Running Back To You, You Send Me, Win Your Love For Me, Just For You, Chain Gang, When a Boy Falls in Love, Only Sixteen, Wonderful World, Cupid, Nothing Can Change This Love, Rome Wasn't Built In a Day, Love Will Find a Way, Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha, Another Saturday Night, Meet Me At Mary's Place, Having a Party, Good Times, Twistin' the Night Away, Shake, Somebody Have Mercy, Sad Mood, Ain't That Good News, Bring It On Home To Me, Soothe Me, That's Where It's At, and A Change is Gonna Come. Whether it's inspiring gospel music, tender love ballads, or toe-tapping "feel good" songs, Sam Cooke did it like no other, with a natural and charming style all his own. If you can find it, The Man and His Music is a wonderful album that captures the heart and soul of one of music's greatest talents.

Whether Sam really was the first soul singer, I'm not sure, though he has a strong claim to the title. In any event, this is an excellent collection of his music.

Sam made his breakthrough with You send me, which went all the way to number one in America (where it sold a couple of million) though it barely made the top thirty in Britain. In the fifties, when music was often racially segregated, this was quite an achievement. Sam was well aware of the problems, as is clear from his song, A change is gonna come. The change did come (to some extent, at least) though Sam, murdered aged just 33, did not live to see it.

Another important American hit, Only sixteen, fared slightly better than You send me in the UK despite being covered by Craig Douglas who took the song to the very top of the UK charts. Sam's version of Wonderful world, another huge American hit, again only registered in the UK top thirty at the time of its original release, though Brits grew to love this song, with Louis Armstrong and Herman's Hermits both having big hits in the sixties. Sam's version made number two in the UK when re-issued in 1986.

Sam finally achieved success in the UK when Chain gang, Cupid and Twisting the night away all made the top ten. Only two more UK hits followed - Another Saturday night (which Cat Stevens covered in the seventies) and Frankie and Johnny (not included here), both of which made the top thirty. However, Sam had many more (and bigger) hits in his homeland, where his music was better appreciated. There are many other great songs here, too numerous to mention.

I bought this originally on vinyl and later replaced it with the CD. It provides a great selection of Sam's music but there is now an even better compilation titled Portrait of a legend, featuring extensive liner notes and even better sound quality. Many of the songs are the same but there are a few differences, although all the essentials are on both collections.

This is the only (and definitive)greatest hits package of Sam Cooke's fabulous music. It's hard to come by but if you are lucky enough to find it, you're really in for a treat! Sam was ahead of his time, writing & arranging alot of his songs and heading up his own publishing firm, unheard of back in the early 60s. Regrettably, Sam's life ended all too soon back in 1964 in a tragic situation that will never be completely solved. This is the only Sam Cooke collection you'll ever need, and if you check back with Amazon to see when (and if)they get it back in stock-click on SEND right away! Highly recommended.

What can I say about one of the most inspiring/soothing singers of all time? Sam Cooke possessed the sweetest voice in soul, and his elegant vocal style inspired almost every singer worth his nickle. He was also a terrific songwriter, and the string of hits created prior to his death in 1964 was unrivaled.

This 28-track greatest hits release is now out of print and has been replaced by a state-of-the-art digital audio release titled "Portrait of a Legend 1951-1964", but this release just does it for me and I can't upgrade just yet. I can hear this CD non-stop for days, weeks,.... It should be mandatory listening for all singers to listen to this release as it showcases a singer whose delivery was so elegant and did not have to go through vocal gymnastics to bring it home. It did not matter whether he was singing traditional pop, soul, gospel, or (you name it), as it all came back to Sam's voice and elegant delivery.

This collection has all the songs, including the indispensible "A Change Is Gonna Come". Sam's version continues to be THE definitive version and any collection that overlooks it should be banned. As you can imagine I give this my highest recommendation and hope that you can get your hands on it. If not there is always 2003's "Portrait of a Legend 1951-1964", which covers pretty much the same ground and tops this release not only in sound but in content as it goes behind the history of the songs. I'll stick with this one until it dies.

This year I've found myself listening to the new releases by Al Green and Ron Isley as well as this release, and I am reminded that new artists have it really hard as Sam raised the bar so high and so early that it makes it virtually impossible for anyone to make better sounding music. There are some out there who show much promise and I am always trying to support them, but Sam is Sam and God bless him.

Sam Cooke is revered as the definitive soul singer. This out of print CD features 28 of his classic songs. It only features songs that Sam wrote himself. So, Sam's hits that he didn't write (like "Send Me Some Lovin'", "Frankie and Johnny" and "Little Red Rooster") aren't included here. But all the songs that are included here are great, whether they were hits or not. This is an excellent compilation, but it is unlikely to ever some back in print, because the material from the last year of Sam's life is now owned by a different record company.

I consider myself supremely blessed since I bought this collection years ago. Needless to say, you just about can't cram more songs on a disc than on this one. Simply put, Sam Cooke was the greatest singer who ever drew breath and this CD shows you why. Unlike most single disc collections, this baby contains "A Change..." which is often hard to find. If you don't own this CD, click and buy a used copy right now to make your life complete. As soon as you hear Sam tear into "Touch the Hem of his Garment," you'll know that heaven also exists here on Earth. The record company fool who let this go out of his print should lose their JOB!!!!

Sam Cooke was the greatest singer to ever have existed. (And this coming from an 80's pop lover.) My husband got me interested in Sam Cooke and I can say that he has become my favorite. His voice was so powerful and emotional. I have never heard another singer who could convey such depth as Sam. His Gospel songs are heart-wrenching. I truly love him.

Sam was taken from us all too soon. However, before he did he made some wonderful music for us. This collection has all you would ever need.

It starts with Sam's roots -- in the churchhouse. His early work with the Soul Stirrers, like the magnificent "If I could Touch The Hem of his Garment" is well represented. Then, it moves to the more secular. He had some wonderlly innocent and gentle hits "What A Wonderful World", "Only Sixteen", Twisting The Night Away" and "Having A Party".

A fine, fine collection. Look in the cutout bins at an old record store for this disc. Hopefully, Amazon will be able to locate this version soon.

Very much worth looking for.

Would that all CD compilations were as well-produced and generous as this early one [1986] from RCA Victor/abcko which, not being titled "best of" or greatest hits of", cannot be criticized for not offering only hit singles.

Even so, you do get 21 of his 43 Billboard Pop/35 R&B/4 Adult Contemporary hits which he chalked up from 1957 to 1966 - two years beyond his tragic death at age 33 in December 1964. In addition, track 14 was the flip of Another Saturday Night [track 16] and, on its own, was a # 106 Billboard Hot 100 "bubble under" in 1963. Only tracks 1 [done while with The Soul Stirrers], 2, 6, 13, 17, and 26 were not hits - or the B-sides of hits - although when you hear them you will wonder why they did not chart - assuming they were even released as singles, especially Meet Me At Mary's Place [track 17].

If there are negatives these would relate to the meagre liner notes which, in a fold-out insert, offers sincere but all too brief comments by the likes of Jerry Wexler, Aretha Franklin, Rod Stewart, Bobby and Cecil Womack, Smokey Robinson, Huey Lewis, his long-time producer Hugo Peretti [of Hugo & Luigi instrumental fame], and Muhammad Ali, in addition to his father, Reverend Charles Cooke, and daughter Linda Cooke Womack. The best in this regard are those by Herb Alpert. There are also some great colour shots of Sam, including one with Muhammad Ali.

As for the tune selections, it would have been nice had they included two that are extremely hard to find. One is Cousin Of Mine [# 31 Hot 100 in 1964] - although they do give you the B-side, That's Where It's At [track 27], which made it to # 93. The other is his rendition of the old Patti Page hit, Tennessee Waltz which, as the flip of Good Times [# 11 in 1964 - track 19], made it to # 35 on its own.

Why is it that the best of the early CDs like this one and Brook Benton Forty Greatest Hits have fallen out of circulation while the junk crunched out by the likes of Curb continues to linger around? Come on, RCA or whoever - re-release this jewel.

This cd is a must have for any true or just casual Sam Cooke fan.
I cannot add much beyond what other reviewers here on Amazon have said already. A genius with a God-given voice was Mr. Sam Cooke. This cd touches all of his moods, and the aforementioned
"A Change Has Got To Come" I believe was one of his final recordings. Hearing it once agin brings back that tragic memory of 1964, when we had heard (and still find hard to believe)of his untimely death. His memory lives on with this cd.