Sam Cooke - Mr. Soul (2016) [Hi-Res]

Sam Cooke, inventor and true King of Soul, recorded 'Mr. Soul' in the same year as 'Night Beat', and seems to be its more adult counterpart, with soulful ballads taking up most of the album. A laidback tempo and rich arrangements lay the foundation over which Sam's somewhat melancholy voice floats, creating an uplifting spirit that can mend anyone's broken heart. With standards such as 'Willow Weep For Me', 'I Wish You Love', and 'For Sentimental Reasons', Cooke shows a quiet emotive side of himself without losing his keen sense of melody, using the strength of his voice without overpowering the listener.

Sam Cooke's father once told him, 'It isn't what you sing that is so important, but rather the fact that God gave you a good voice to use. He must want you to make people happy by singing, so go ahead and do so.'

With these words of encouragement, he did just that.

„Sam Cooke released two albums in 1963, and the second, Night Beat, is often cited as the best of all his long-players. But the first, Mr. Soul, shouldn't be ignored, despite some flaws in its conception and execution. At the time, the powers-that-were at RCA Victor didn't know which audience to aim for with Cooke's albums. LPs were seldom huge sellers among teenage listeners, so the notion of trying to connect to an adult audience -- à la Nat King Cole -- probably seemed logical, and Mr. Soul suffered somewhat from this uncertainty of purpose and audience; it is a soul album, to be sure, but by the standards of the time a somewhat tentative one in many spots. Unlike Night Beat, which was an exercise in production restraint, Mr. Soul is over-produced and relies too much on strings where they aren't needed and choruses that are overdone, even when they work. But Cooke rises above all of it, and turns even some of the more questionably arranged songs, such as 'Send Me Some Lovin',' into mini-masterpieces. A couple of tracks off of this album, '(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons' and 'Nothing Can Change This Love,' were part of Cooke's live repertoire at the time and have, indeed, found a separate life on various compilations, but the rest was unavailable for over 45 years, until Sony/BMG re-released most of Cooke's RCA library. The best of that rest -- which is most of it -- shows him still rising to the peak of his powers, his voice wrapping itself around lyrics and melodies that might seem too familiar ('Cry Me a River,' etc.) and bland, and making them much more significant and powerful than they seemingly have a right to be. The strings are overworked at times, but where they are held back, as on 'Little Girl,' their presence only adds to the impact of the track -- and elsewhere, Cooke quietly overpowers them. Modern listeners should bear in mind that, as a soul album, this is a fairly laid-back record -- those expecting anything like the exuberance of Otis Redding, or Clyde McPhatter or Ben E. King, may be disappointed at first; Cooke does work up a sweat on various parts and phrases, but a lot of what is here, by virtue of the label's wishes for a crossover record, is what might be terms 'cool' soul -- smooth and sometimes bluesy, in a low-key way, quietly emotive on numbers such as 'These Foolish Things,' with the hot moments in special abundance on numbers like 'Chains of Love' and 'Send Me Some Lovin'.' But even in these cool, restrained settings, Cooke's was still one of the finest voices of his century, and worth taking in for every breath and nuance.“ (Bruce Eder, AMG)

Sam Cooke, vocals
Clifton White, guitar
Bill Pitman, guitar
Tommy Tedesco, guitar
Ray Pohlman, bass
Clifford Hils, bass
Red Callender, bass
Earl Palmer, drums
Ron Rich, percussion
Edward Beal, piano
Ernie Freeman, piano
Al Pellegrini, piano
Ernie Freeman, piano
Nathan Griffin, organ
Sharky Hall, drums
Ray Johnson, piano
Bill Green, saxophone
Plas Johnson, saxophone
John Ewing, trombone
Israel Baker, violin
Robert Barene, violin
Leonard Malarsky, violin
Myron Sandler, violin
Ralph Schaeffer, violin
Sid Sharp, violin
Arnold Belnick, violin
Autrey McKissack, violin
Ralph Schaeffer, violin
Robert Barene, violin
Jermoe Reisler, violin
Harry Hyams, viola
Alexander Neiman, viola
Jesse Ehrlich, cello
Irving Lipschultz, cello
George Neikrug, cello
Emmet Sergeant, cello
William Hinshaw, French horn
Horace Ott, arrangement and conducting
René Hall, arrangement and conductor on 'Nothing Can Change This Love'

Recorded August 23; November 29; December 14–16, 1962 at RCA's Music Center of the World, Hollywood, California
Engineered by Dave Hassinger
Produced by Hugo & Luigi

Digitally remastered