Solomon Burke: Make Do With What You Got

2 Ratings: 4.0

2005 audio CD release

Though soul giant Solomon Burke's 2002 album DON'T GIVE UP ON ME was hailed as a comeback, in fact he had never gone away. Occupied by songs from the pens of famed rockers such as Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, and Joe Henry, the record alerted ... … see full wiki

Tags: Music, Albums, Soul, Rhythm And Blues

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A measure of r&b, a dash of the blues and a whole lotta soul

Dec 3, 2008

by drifter51
posted in Music Matters

Rating:

Solomon Burke is an American original. He is nearly 70 years old now and I am here to tell you that his latest release "Make Do With What You Got" sounds every bit as good to me as the highly regarded recordings he made for Atlantic records some forty years ago. Released earlier this year by Shout Factory "Make Do With What You Got" spotlights Solomon Burke's incredible vocal prowess which is readily apparent on songs like Bob Dylan's "What Good Am I?" and "At The Crossroads", a tune written by another legendary figure Van Morrison. I might also recommend to you "It Makes No Difference", "After All These Years" as well as the amazing title tune "Make Do With What You Got". The wild card on the disc would have to be the final track "Wealth Won't Save Your Soul" which was written more than a half century ago by none other than Country Music Hall of Famer Hank Williams. You might recall that Solomon Burkes 1960 recording "Just Out Of Reach" was a huge hit on the country charts and sold well over seven million copies!!
It is a mystery to me why Solomon Burke never became a bigger star. I would compare him to Charlie Rich, another incredibly gifted artist who had a highly successful career but never quite made it to the top. It seems to me that both men made a conscious decision many years ago to simply sing the songs they loved to sing. Since they both refused to be pigeon-holed into any one genre the record companies simply didn't know what to do with them. "Make Do With What You Got" only reinforces my admiration for Solomon Burke. The man can still belt out a tune with the best of them. And kudos to the excellent work of the backup band as well. If you are like me and have not heard a Solomon Burke recording in a long time then you are in for a real treat with "Make Do With What You Got". Recommended