Search - Sam Cooke :: Best of

Bonus Tracks Still Leave Artist Shortchanged

Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 09/23/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"For more than two decades, the original 12-track release of 1962's THE BEST OF SAM COOKE (see my review) was the most complete collection of his hits. In 1986, it was replaced by the double-LP THE MAN AND HIS MUSIC (now out of print). In 2003, ABKCO released the definitive 30-track PORTRAIT OF A LEGEND (see my review).



Now, two years later, RCA upgrades THE BEST OF by adding three bonus tracks: "Win Your Love For Me" (No. 22, 1958), "You Were Made for Me" (No. 27, 1958) and "Nothing Can Change This Love" (No. 12, 1962). Unfortunately, this collection still ends with 1962 which means it is still missing major hits like "Another Saturday Night," "Shake" and the posthumously released classic "A Change Is Gonna Come."



The bottom line is this: Sam Cooke is the most influential soul singer of the past half century, and any serious music collection must include at least one Sam Cook album. But the album to get is PORTRAIT OF A LEGEND. Why? It includes all 15 tracks from THE BEST OF, plus 15 more (including the three mentioned above). The three-star rating isn't for the music (that's five-star!), it's for shortchanging such an influential artist."

Gone But Not Forgotten

Rocky Raccoon | Boise, ID | 02/19/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sam Cooke should be considered like Nat King Cole and Johnny Mathis as an expert of soul and pop. With an occasional format on oldies' stations, Sam Cooke's legacy deserves a revival for uninitiated audiences. Remarkably, the production of his songs is clear and smooth, fitting for his voice. The instrumentation and backing vocals did the soul singer proud. He could do pop crooner songs with prefection on "Only Sixteen," "What a Wonderful World," and "Cupid". But his festive party numbers could still bring the kids onto the dancefloor, including "Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha," and "Twistin' the Night Away,". To further his repertoire, "Bring It on Home to Me" showcases a rockabilly start and a soulful piano for a substantive hidden nugget waiting to be rediscovered. The engaging lyrics are quick to please, but "Chain Gang" increases the scope to social commentary. The three bonus tracks sound like they belonged there in the first place, rather than tiresome encores. Only one complaint is deserved, with the quality and quantity of great Sam Cooke songs, they don't include "Another Saturday Night," one of his greatest songs. I can only conjecture that there were some copyright disputes, but this omission doesn't stop the album from its high stature."