The 2 Sides Of Sam Cooke (compilation album) by Sam Cooke

From Repo 08/04/2017 11:42

TRUE LOVE

If I walk in the pathway of duty
If I work ’til the close of the day, Lord
I shall see the great king in all his beauty
When I've gone the last mile of the way (The Last Mile of the Way)

Just like a king, I've lost everything
I sit all alone on my throne
I've got my pride, but deep down inside
I'm yours, I'm yours alone
Can't sleep goodnight, I can't eat a bite
Just call my name, woah-oh, I know I'm not ashamed
I'll come running back to you (I’ll Come Running Back To You)

This album does not work. Every single song on here is perfect. But still. This album does not work. The two sides just don’t gel. At all. Side A is totally devoted to Cooke’s early career as a gospel singer. Side B contains his first soul singles dealing chiefly with love and the pain it has brought him. And it doesn’t work. After listening to 6 of the most intensely spiritual songs ever sung, the love songs just sound off. Totally incongruous. It’s akin to watching a devoted and passionate father of four cute little girls who used to be an alcoholic suddenly start binge drinking again and staying out all night while his cute little girls are home alone panic-stricken and desperately calling out for him “Daddy! Daddy!” And he can’t even hear! Because he’s passed out in some gutter somewhere. Sheesh! Get a hold of yourself, Dad!

But, it does delivers an incredibly important lesson. That the power of spiritual love utterly dwarves carnal love. It towers over it. And makes it look puny. Selfish. Pathetic even. The braying and tantrums of a small child. Which is key for me. Because it would be a miracle for me to ever fall in love again. But through this album and my own travails, I now realize just how selfish ( & even downright pathetic) human love can be. The mewlings of a child. How so much of it is really about us. About me. So often the other person is simply a vehicle. For our own fantasies. For what we want. We build them up into these idealized fetishes. Make them in the image of our own dreams. Our desires. And then are surprised when they disappoint. When they don’t live up to our own often outlandish expectations.

But that is enough on that. I will tell more on another day. Suffice to say that we are all capable of a much purer love. It’s just harder to attain. But more on that later as well because this album has another side to it. (get it! Another side! I slay myself sometimes)

We all the know the tale of Dylan. It’s legendary. The day he plugged in. The guts it took to knowingly alienate his audience at such a young age. But, I guess that’s when you make those choices. When you’re young. And you feel like you can do anything. And because you feel that way, you actually can! Well, way before there was Dylan, there was Sam Cooke. Pulling off an even ballsier move. And getting away with it on sole talent alone. He was the the SUPERSTAR of the gospel world. And going secular was literally sacrilege! And basically unheard of at the time. Once you were gospel, you were gospel for life. Sort of like being in the mob. But Cooke wanted to create a new sound. He wanted to create soul. And the second half of this anthology contains his first soul singles. The songs that gave birth to an entire genre. The songs that got him and his producer dropped from his label - Specialty. Which is crazy in retrospect because they’re easily some of the best soul singles ever released.

Grade: A+. This is definitely an album of two sides. The title does not lie. And it was hard at first to listen to the two sides in succession. But that quickly passes after the first couple of spins AND is probably unique to my circumstances. After a few spins, I was able to get over the initial compulsion to vomit with the neediness and selfishness of Sam Cooke’s human love songs juxtaposed to the uplifting spiritual love on side one. In fact, this is easily one of the best (if not the best) introductions to BOTH gospel and soul that you can find. If there’s a better one, let me know about it! Both the gospel and soul selections are stunning and easily the top of their respective classes. Sam Cooke steals the show of course. His voice backed by the doo wop harmonies of the Soul Stirrers needs little to no accompaniment. But, the subtle touches to the music are also stunning. His call and response with the tremolo, echoey guitar on “Pilgrim of Sorrow” in particular slays me every time. But every single cut is tastefully done & unique. And this conflicted album of split personalities positions itself all the way up at number 14.

A side: "Happy in Love" is the sort of song that Leland Palmer would positively crush. I wonder if I can make a request. Who else out there would love a Leland Palme covers the Classics sort of album. I'd totally buy that!

B side: “Lovable” is dedicated to my two little girls, Tilly & Genni who are the embodiment of lovable. Couldn’t do it with out you two! <3