Live At The Harlem Square Club

Bring it on Home to Me, what a fucking tune. Covered by the Animals and Jimmy Barnes, but I’ve never heard Cooke’s live version before. It sounds amazing (not withstanding the long as shit call and response lead in). You can hear from the hysterical crowd how completely he commands that room. As a relic of that era’s soul scene this is clearly an important listen. It’s not enough to make me a full fledged soul convert, but I’d gladly ‘twist’ to Feel It (Don’t Fight It) at the next sock hop; segregation be damned.

Sam Cooke is great, but the audio quality on this one made it challenging to fully enjoy.

First time listening to a Sam Cooke album. I was familiar with several songs and understand his talent. Love his voice and might try listening to a studio album rather than a live version. Enjoyable though.

Blir lite skränigt. Men många bra låtar

Gut gemacht, Stimmung kommt rüber, nicht zu lang.

It was ok....

Some good swingy songs and infectious crowd energy, but the music itself wasn't super notable to me

nice

Uplifting album!

Twas fine.

The first round I gave this album was while I was trying to put orders together and it just wasn’t the right vibe. I actually thought I would rate it pretty low based on that listen. But then I popped it in my earbuds at work and enjoyed it a lot more. Classic jazz/blues sound, and gives me that cozy retro feeling. Sam Cooke is a singer everyone should have in their repertoire. Listen again: probably Purchase for my collection: if I found it cheap Favourite Song: Cupid

Kul inspelning! Förvånande bra ljudkvalitet med tanke på när inspelningen gjordes. Sam Cooke har ju en jävla pipa. Kanske inte ett album jag kommer lyssna på många gånger men väldigt kul att höra!

Enjoyable album. Contains many classical songs that I did not know were by Sam Cooke.

The sound quality of this live album doesn't do Mr. Cooke any favors but the inherent soul in his songs comes through clearly.

Very good.

I’m confused about why this is so highly rated. It was good, enjoyable, but didn’t blow my mind, was kind of just another pretty good live album :/

Fav: Chain Gang Least Fav: Somebody Have Mercy

Nice classical rock ’n roll with good live crowd energy.

3.8

Heard some Sam Cooke songs before. What a sweet, heartwarming album 3/5

It was fine, nothing that really grabbed my attention. Wouldn't relisten

Soul album which fails in a fundamental Level as it doesn't measure up to the manicured artificiality of studio production. While it provides a raw, free expression of live performance, it features all the considerable weaknesses of all live recordings. This makes it difficult rate it highly.

Handwerklich very good But a Bit Boring

nice jazz album not smth i would listen to often but it was pretty chill and nice

Good old-fashioned dancing music. I can imagine how it would fill a dance floor.

2/19/25

I listened to it while working and actually that was good but I didn't pay attention to it but sometimes it was really catchy I was moving my body and enjoying, I'm sure that's a pretty good album but wasn't enough focused sorry.

I'm not sure how I feel about live albums. Audio quality is lower, we hear the crowd, we hear the fuck ups, which is fine when you're actually there, but just listening to it is meh imo. Actually there are 0 fuck ups in this one it's quite impressive Last one was cool, him playing with the crowd was fun to hear

Sam Cooke is incredible. I do not think this was a necessary recording to hear of his.

"Don't fight it, we gon' feel it" is the intro and it's apropos. It's a lively romp through some soul tunes. Sam's got a voice, and I'm not sure this is for me, but it's a good recording. Favourite: Cupid

Lekker livealbuk maar de opnamekwaliteit maakt het wel dat je er minder van kan genieten

Solid Jazz album with some very consistent songs and almost no skips Favorites- Cupid, Nothing can change this love Least Favorites- Somebody have mercy

Espero mucho de todo lo que sea Soul honestamente, no me gustó sin embargo no creo que sea malo. Rating: 5.0

Couldn’t bare to give this album 2 stars, it’s Sam Cooke! But this album went by uneventfully for me.

In 2025 it's funny listening to a crowd get as pumped up as they do, based on nothing but talent and charisma.

That's one manic cat singing up there, 3/5

groovy!!

An enjoyable album from a classic soul, singer, but ultimately a lot of forgettable songs.

Great MC ;-)

Veldig kult! Masse energi gjennom de korte30 min platen er. Chain Gang It’s all right Twistin the night away

I didn't really know what to expect. His energy is really fun. So is his voice. It's very joyous. The sax player was really good. But I think Sam Cooke's voice is what really brought this to life for me. A bit too old-timey for me though, i think. But i did enjoy this.

3, wow dude can sing and wonderfully perform live. Couple awesome tunes

Eh, it's whatev but I don't, like, hate it though...

Pre-listening thoughts: Second live album from the 1960s in 3 days. What is happening Post/during listening thoughts: well I will say between this and B.B. King, my opinion on live albums has changed. It's pretty cool getting to feel like you're at a concert you would never be able to attend. It's a neat form of preservation. I was kind of hesitant that live albums would have structure or good sound quality but I have been pleasantly surprised thus far. Sam Cooke is incredibly talented. Also whoever is on backing vocals is really hitting those harmonies. The crowd engagement is fun to hear. Once again, the music is slightly repetitive. I enjoyed this. 6.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: once again idk. Live albums are a diff territory in my brain Fav tracks: Chain Gang, Cupid, and I love Bring it On Home to Me but hot take don't love the two min long slow intro Least fav tracks: n/a

Old time Rock n roll

Classic oldies. Not my thing

This was good, but I wasn't in love with the live performance. It felt rushed and not very intimate.

Good, soulful music but the format of this record was a bit weird. I wish they would have let the concert just play out instead of adding pauses in between songs. That ruined the flow a bit. It also seemed a bit forced and rushed. I'm not sure why that is, but I just couldn't get past that.

Nice oldies soul. Good performance but just not my cup of tea.

Sam Cooke's Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 album artwork captures a raw, electrifying essence that hints at the live performance's energy. While visually compelling, the design feels slightly dated and lacks the crisp, modern graphic sensibilities of contemporary album art. The color palette effectively communicates the gritty, intimate club environment, with its warm tones suggesting the passionate performance within. However, the typography and overall composition could benefit from more dynamic arrangement. The artwork successfully evokes the album's mood but falls short of being truly groundbreaking. It's a solid representation that serves its purpose without pushing significant artistic boundaries. Album artworks rated: 30/1001 The music is actually really nice.

Yeah it was okay

Very good. Me likes.

Nice songs, even though structury and chord-wise there are sound-a-likes. The recording is really nice, feel like you really want to be at that concert. Sounds so fun!

Fun and full of energy. Not super familiar with the genre, so songs feel repetitive and they all start to sound the same.

Im going to go against the grain and feel slightly underwhelmed by this. His voice is excellent, but the band are nothing to write home about and the audience interaction I find a bit irritating. Sorry. Hey it’s short and that’s good.

This is quite a good album overall. I wish often, as in basically all live album situations, that I "could have been there" as Sam Cooke and company seem to be great entertainers. Not being there certainly takes away from the experience you sense from the audience and his interactions with it. Nevertheless it is well recorded and pleasant to listen to. I do wonder if maybe listening on your own home system, it might be better to hear studio recordings? I don't know....

Quite good for what it is. Lots of really good songs, but the live versions aren’t the best, in my opinion. Still, solid 3.5 stars.

I liked it, incredible talent.

fun!

Needs remastered

It's alright but all the songs are the live versions

Pretty good live show I'd bet - can see why this album was well received. I dug it.

Pretty

not my style but not bad 2.6

I would have liked this more if it were remastered and maybe not live

The wife beating comment was crazy

I bet this would have been a cracking night. Enjoyable listen, a snapshot back in time. But the audio quality isn't good enough to keep coming back to, or save anything down to a playlist which is a shame. Hard to justify this reaching 4* due to this.

Live At The Harlem Square Club was an album that i quite enjoyed. At first the album did sound a bit messy and noisy at the beginning but either that was just in the intro song (which is exclusive to the 2005 edition by the way) or i just got used to it but either way i started enjoying the album from the second song onward. Whether it was the fun and jazzy songs or it was Cooke's energetic stage presence, this album was always a fun time through nearly all of it's runtime whether the songs were fast and fun or slow and romantic. This is one live album i thought was pretty good. Best Song: Nothing Can Change This Love Worst Song: Soul Twist / Introduction

lady you shot me!

I love live-recorded albums, so long as they sound this good. Sam Cooke had such a great voice - so strong with the perfect amount of rasp. Sounds like he's playing with a quartet (drums, bass, guitar, sax). Love the melodic interplay between his vocals and the sax. It's very cool that he's able to ask the crowd to sing along with him. He must be performing standards because everyone there knows the words. Would've been so cool to be there.

I do not understand why it has to be live. It's annoying that we have to laid some sort of authenticity instead of any sort of sound quality. That being said I didn't realize he sang all these songs. I'm definitely looking into him more.

It was fine.

The album was fun but made me remember how I like studio albums better than live albums.

Το πρωτο live album που ακουω ολοκληρο. Πραγματικα απιστευτο performance και vocals. Παρ'ολ'αυτα ποκυ παρομοια κομματια και γενικα τι να πω ειναι ενα live album. Ρισπεκτ αλλα δεν μπορω να βαλω πανω απο 3 Rating: C

I liked it

Undeniably seminal for many important artists today, but I don't often listen to this music for fun. The sax elevates this beyond "music that Elvis stole."

38 minutes of good songs played in a row. When they are over … it‘ s done. Technically under par.

ganz ok, aber nicht mein Favorit

Barely three stars just for Sam Cooke's energy, though I was not crazy about the songs themselves. More importantly, live albums are just an awkward middle ground that I find hard to appreciate since the thing that makes live performances special is actually being there (says the man who has never gone to a concert!).

Nice recording featuring Sam Cooke's best known songs. Hearing it 60 years later and knowing the songs well, it does sound a little on the bland/safe side. But an enjoyable listen nevertheless

This was great, considering running it back

3.5

Sounds like it would've been a fun show in person

Fantastic voice and just a very cool vibe

Sam’s reputation precedes him, as despite having never actively listened to him, I knew I’d know his voice and songs. This was surprisingly good for a live album (which I normally largely avoid). His presence seems to come through effortlessly. Good pick for a Friday!

It's okay, I guess? Not something I expected to say about a live album by one of the most exciting soul singers at the height of his powers. He does the hits and it all sounds very tight and professional but he races through his set almost as if on autopilot. Not entirely sure what the added value of this being a live album is over a regular best of album.

Now, I *like* Sam Cooke, but this was just kind of...there? Like, he's great, but the lack of production does him no favours, and overall this just left me a bit cold.

3.5/5

Only listened to 1/2 but pretty funky

Great for Sunday afternoon listening. Great as a live album, tight musicians. Lot's of energy in the vocal performance. Highlights are Cupid and Twisting the night Away. Can start to repeat itself after the first 6 songs and sound a bit samey though.

Overall not my cup of tea, and quite repetitive in sound throughout. However it sounded like an absolute whale of a time!!

Ja men det här var mycket bättre än jag väntat mig. Rösten är väldigt bra. Musiken medryckande. Glad att jag fått lyssna på det här albumet.

Amen får erkänna att jag dras med. Det funkar ändå rätt bra med live-album. Får nog ändra inställning där en smula. Iaf för denna skiva funkade det. Skön energi, satt å gungade/stampade i takt.

I was taken out a little when he asked the men in the audience to think of the things “their women” do for them and to not “go home and hit them.”

At first I didn’t like the live sound, but when I came back and listened a second time I was feeling it more.

I don't believe live albums should be on this list, but at least it was a collection of his biggest hits.

Average songs/arrangements but exciting performances and energy

A rasp to outlast all rasps. The world has not produced many vocalists like Cooke.

So crazy how raw it is, yet how good his vocals sound the entire time. Electric! Not my fav genre

Cooke is a great performer. The songs he performs range from mediocre to good.

pure fun and joy, was dancing and singing a long the whole times. His live performance aura shines through

Great tunes, awesome energy. Not a fan of live disks though; sound is not the best, lots of talking. 7/10

Solid performance. Not my style though. I can appreciate the energy.

fun live album

This is not really my favourite genre or decade. But. It does put me in a good mood. And sort of makes me sway and tap my feet. Some of the recording/editing artefacts still audible are a bit odd, though. Like this was a bit of a rushed job that nobody bothered to clean up in the last 60+ years.

Jo men gött sväng. Det känns lite för 50-tal för min del för att det ska bli en fyra. Men skit i det

3.4

I'm not a big fan of live albums because I think the audience engagement detracts from the music and the performance. That being said, Sam Cooke gave a great performance on this album with classics like Chain Gang, Twistin', Cupid, and Having a Party. His voice was a bit more gravely in this one than usual but it also might be sound quality. Still, an excellent and commanding performance.

3/5, przyjemne jak na live

It's fine - a live record from a talented artist - but doesn't change my feelings about live albums in general.

I like it OK. I do like Sam Cooke but I don't know this concert just got boring for me after awhile. Not that it is bad or anything it just didn't blow my mind

Sam Cooke was a wildly inspirational singer who reshaped the music scene in his image. I just don't really care for live albums.

Sounds like a party I'll always be sad to have missed.

Noteworthy songs - 808080808 Magical Dream - Kinda catchy synth, but the rest is bland. Ancodia - Good background noise. Cobra Bora - Actually kind of cool, reminds me of Bomberman Hero. Pacific 202 - N64 vibes, but melody isn't great. Donkey Doctor - Nothing too special, weird ending. 808080808 - Really cool beginning. A little slow in the middle but stays interesting enough. Sunrise - Nothing remarkable. The Fat Shadow - Eerie. Very short.

I’ll say it once, I’ll say it a hundred times- I love live albums. I think they make you feel what it was like to be at the concert and experience the music like it was meant to be experienced. Although I might’ve cut out all the American twaddle at the start of each song. Call it British ignorance, or call it ignorance in general, but I’ve never heard of Sam Cooke before and he really is quite impressive. Really enjoyed this.

Wel oke, niet top

A really good live version of some classic tracks

Good album but not necessarily what I’d choose to listen to most of the time. The fact it’s a live recording means that it flows really nicely, no breaks in songs, commentary running over a couple of tracks etc. Overall a good listen but not my favourite genre so might not listen to it again for a while.

Rating: 6/10 Pretty enjoyable but did not care for most of it. Choice cuts: Feel It (Don't Fight It), Chain Gang

Sounds like a good gig to be at tbf! Just didn't love all the songs :( 3.5/5

It almost rocked? Sounded like a good time, just not quite my style

bão ta

Pretty good

Never listened to a live album before, this was good

Soul, live 1963 -> 3

fun, not totally my thing but i liked it

Good enough music But quite samey

Classic Jazz

First thing I notice is the fluid change between Sam’s speaking voice and his singing voice. He really is one of the greatest singers who ever lived, and you can hear it right in that transition upfront. His tone is just awesome. Also, this show, his stage presence, the song list, is all so excellent. He covers most of his hits. I can imagine everyone dancing and doing the twist, not just sitting back and watching this performance. It would have been great to attend, I’m sure. I find the aside interesting when he asks guys to consider not hitting their girlfriends. He leads in like that would be the most common thing to do in the world for a man who suspected infidelity. Times have improved in some regards, it seems!

This was good. I wonder if this exact live show was the type of shows I've seen referenced in movies where the crowd is dancing all wild and sexually because that's what I wanted to do!

Liked it more than I thought I would

Pretty good!! I don’t know anything about the background of this album but I enjoyed it. It was odd hearing people in the background laughing and not paying attention, though. I found that part a little distracting, but the songs were catchy.

Strong voice from the start era.

One of the most accomplished Soul musicians. Great stuff.

normally id love this but his little screams threw me off

Very enjoyable live gig from Sam. 3.5 stars

It sounded like a great party

Great voice, although the live production kinda sucks. The music is also corny - the type of stuff Martin Scorsese would play over the 17th montage of his latest 4 hour film

Poor recording quality and samey songs, only the energy saves it.

the energy was amazing !!

Songs of love and heartbreak. We really don't have enough of those.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d1phCytJyg

Ganske chill 3.5

I’m generally not a fan of older live albums due to poor production but this one sounds pretty good. I would still go for the studio recordings of most of these songs. Sam’s voice is very powerful and cuts through the thin recording but the instruments are a bit weak. Typical of live recordings.

Rated July 24th 2024 What a fun live album. The crowd is so lively and Sam Cooke feeds off of it so well.

That was a fun little show. Very well recorded for the era. 3 stars

Fun. Joyful.

Great songs not the best recording though

Wasn't as good as I was expecting.

I love Sam Cooke but the quality of this left much to be desired.

p62. 1963. 3 stars. Pros: THAT voice, and some great material. Cons: I'm not a fan of live albums. And strangely... it all felt a bit artificial... and dare I say it, soulless?

I imagine this was out of this world to actually go and see live. I just struggle with connecting with some of these live albums. Can’t question Sam Cooke’s incredible talent! Glad I listened but doubt I’ll turn to it again. 3.2

A fun listen. Huge energy and I'm sure it was a blast to see in person. Vocals are great but there's not enough in the way of other instruments to elevate this album to a 4. Still glad I listened though. 7/10 (3.5/5)

Good soul live album, they were clearly having fun there. That said, I don't care for live albums.

Guy can belt a tune out! Enjoyed this although not my type of music so not intending to listen to much more

I don't have many opinions about this album, it is fine but nothing really stood out. I don't really listen to this type of music ever and I think this is the only Sam Cooke album on the list so I would have preferred to listen to one of his studio albums because now I probably never will. I hope this live album had some historical significance that made it more important than all of his studio albums.

This was a real fun listen. You can hear they all have a really good time. Sam Cooke’s voice is great and legendary

Feel It (Don't Fight It)

Fun! Live! Very lively, danceable. Groovy. Nice.

Funky and foundational rock'n'roll. It's hard to put yourself into a 1963 state of mind and listen to this as it would've been heard back then, before rock music had taken all the turns it took in the subsequent 60 years. There's a lot to enjoy here though. The man can sing!

Upper mids

One of the best voices in pop history, but this performance felt a little tame, especially considering King Curtis and his crew were backing.

Good

Fun, short, and sweet soul album. I liked it. Listens: 1 Fave Track: Feel It (Don’t Fight It) Rating: 3

Up on the pulpit To a raucous crowd, preaches Living through troubles

The first album I was given to review. I don't usually listen to live albums or this music style but I enjoyed it. Nice to listen to something different! The energy was great. Highlights: Chain Gang Twistin' The Night Away Having a Party

Good, but his studio productions were better

Really strong performance but a bit same-y from front to back and not something that really draws me back.

Prima album, goed gespeeld, ook weer niet baanbrekend

Gear: Focal Clear (ZMFed) Artwork: 😑 Mix: beeindruckend für eine Aufnahme von [1963]! Musik: [Sam Cooke] schafft es leider auch nicht, den Zirkel der mauen Live-Alben für diese Top-Alben-Liste zu durchbrechen - trotz beeindruckender Arbeit mit dem Publikum! Wertung: 🎙️🎙️(🎙️)/5

It's okay, not something I'd listen to again.

Thoroughly enjoyable rambuncious r and b album! Excellent fun!

Actually a pretty nice album, very jazzy, enjoyable having this in the background, makes you want to tap your foot to the beat.

Surprisingly nice.

Decent live album, but the live part is the most interesting thing about this as the songs are standards 3/5

Feels like I'm there. Was probably a great evening. Nice PSA about not beating your wife I suppose.

3.5 Excellent live album, just a lot of fun.

Lot of fun this!

Doesn't feel like it does Sam Cooke justice. Lot of chatter, intros, and then the actual song content is quite brief. Shame, it's great what is little there is. 3*

Nuevamente, toca artista que no conocía. Pasional para cantar Sam Cooke. Dueño de un estilo más sucio (o por lo menos, en este vivo que estoy escuchando). Hoy fue una mañana difícil, así que la reseña cierra acá.

6/10 Highlights: Chain Gang

He’s so fun

Pretty solid throughout, lots of energy. The story of the album is more interesting than the music itself, but was enjoyable.

Maybe I would feel better ab this if it wasn’t a live album. I think live albums have a time n place and this list is not the place bc usually I only listen to/appreciate live versions if I already love & am familiar w the song. 6/10

Good fun

Fun but not sure I'm that wowed

Listened to this while playing 7th Citadel. It was funny hearing this immediately after Ice Cube...which was soooooo horrible towards women (kicking pregnant women in the stomach level terrible)...so it was a breath of fresh air hearing him say (paraphrase) "don't hit your girlfriend or wife...tell them it's ok and you love them anyway." I really loved the set of music and the way in which it was ordered...it almost told a story through it's 37 minutes.

Music is fun, but it's an old live album, so the sound quality suffers.

Wow what a voice.

I like Sam Cooke

Pretty modern for 1963

Like if Elvis stuck to Jazz Did enjoy, just felt kinda repetitive at times, needed more solos/instrumental sections but probably wasn’t integral at time of recording

It was an album,it was jazz

If this could be cleaned up a little and/or completely remastered it would be a 4-star album! Sam Cooke’s voice was so great!

Fun, great voice and great raw energy.

A noisy live party album, full of energy it almost feels like I'm there.

classic album in the sense that it jams well but it wasn't my favorite. the melodies were good, but the live albumness of it all somehow took away from it.

Solid

I love live albums and I was pretty excited to listen to this one. It was good but I will say I was expecting a bit more energy. Don't get me wrong, there is definitely energy with this one but it's not quite what I expected after listening to other live albums from this time period that have shown up on this list. It was fun hearing these songs live though. Good soulful classics in a live, and energetic environment. Sam Cooke has an amazing voice and is very charismatic with the crowd. I love hearing him work the crowd and hearing them sing along.

Not bad. 3/5

The biggest knock I have about this album is just the fact that it is a live recording. Yes, there is energy to it, but the crowd noise really hurts it for me. This is also not the type of music I'm really going to put on myself, but there are so many classic songs, and they really do hold up as just great songwriting. I'd probably give it 4 if the recording quality was better, but I feel I have to put it at 3 just because of the recording quality.

Decent recording, but not my style

Apparently "one of the greatest live soul albums ever released". Not really my cup of tea musically. Good quality recording. 5/10.

Lively and a great voice that fits the style, not really my jam but nothing painful

Not my thing but it was pleasant!

Nat king Cole and James Brown fusion with some Louis Armstrong thrown in.. Nice Jazzy soul.

nothing too special, pretty fun

Bet it was fun to be in that crowd

3.5

Cooke has some of the most memorable lyrics/songs in the history of modern music. This would've been an amazing concert to attend. That said, even the best remastered released of the album leave A LOT to be desired from a sound quality perspective. Still a pretty fun listen.

Old

This was a fun listen. Sam Cooke live took me by surprise. High energy, dare I say cocaine fueled? Reminded me of the Jerry Lee Lewis live a little while back. Great stuff. Couldn’t help but think of the Dewey Cox movie and the drugs they did. I expected crooning - got something I’d like to check out video for.

Sam Cooke is an all time great. This album is not representative of his greatness. Too much filler noise.

A fun album with most of my favorite hits. Love his voice. Not a particularly tight production but nice to hear him live.

Frábær rödd hjá kallinum, ein sú allra allra besta! Ánægður með hann að peppa menn í að berja ekki konuna í It's all right. Dillaði mér alveg við þetta.

Decent album

I'm really not a huge fan of live recordings, I can see why it was done here, the crowd and interactions bring another element of life to the music and that is where this genre really shines, the life and energy of the performer and audience.

A fun album, and the recording captures their live performance really well (which is always impressive, but particularly for a 1963 recording). I really like the energy of Sam Cooke and the band, but I'll admit there's not as much variety among the songs as I'd like, despite different lyrics and sensibilities among the songs. Maybe that's a casualty of the live recording? What a shame that RCA prevented this from being distributed for nearly 20 years!

It’s enjoyable, but music of this era/style sort of blends together for me. I would like it more if I could watch the performance as well as hear the live album. Sounds like he was a great performer. Wish I didn’t read about his personal life/death while listening.

Live albums always carry so much excitement and ambiance. You can hear the cheers and interactions with the audience as the performance takes a new turn. Fun album.

Sonically interesting and definitely emotional, but failed to really grip me. Solid background music.

Goofy-a twist thing

Jolly enough but I don't like live albums

Fun listen. Probably wouldn't listen too often again tho.

1st song - P says "I dont love this" I'm surprised at how many of these songs I know. Sounds like a fun club concert. I liked the atmosphere but prefer the studio versions of the songs.

He sounds nice. Quite pleasant to listen to.

Really fun music!

# 168 : I don't particularly like live albums, but, to reiterate what some one else said - "Sounds like the best party ever" Fav Track : Chain Gang

2 for 2 on live albums so far. I used to think they could never match up to studio albums but this list is proving me wrong. Great album, high 3.

There is a ratings cap on live albums (unless there are really exceptional circumstances). I just don't think there should be as many live albums on this last as there are. That said, the content here is pretty good. All the songs are very good I like how short it is, I like all the songs, the performance is quite good I'll go maybe 2.9/3

It’s a good soul album, but I don’t like live albums. I will give us 3 stars. It would have been 4 if a studio album.

BRING IT ON HOME TO ME, MR SOUL

A fun and romantic, I'm glad I waited until Valentines day to give this a listen. Best Song: Medley: It's All Right / For Sentimental Reasons Worst Song: N/A

3.5/5

This is what feel good music is all about. Sam Cooke has an amazing voice and can turn any song into a pleasure to listen to. Whether he’s singing about love or heartbreak the music is rather special. This being a love album shows that he was in rare company with his vocal talent. Not many live albums have the appeal as studio made ones but when you’re this good it doesn’t matter. 7.5/10

Not Bad!

Geinig, maar veel van hetzelfde

This gets me grooving.

3.22 per track. Good album!

There are some highlights here, but nothing that particularly grabs me besides the track I highlighted. Difficult not to romanticize the story of his rapid rise and fall. The live aspect has tradeoffs - his voice inflections and crowd interactions bring a new dimension of energy, but they lyrics and instrumentals are frustratingly muddled. Favorite track: Bring it On Home to Me

Well this was a speedy and energetic rip through the hits. The quality of Sam's voice in this live setting is just amazing, tons of natural talent and the band punch out the classics with pace. Definitely sounds like they are playing fast to jam as many well known songs in their set (probably limited by others on same roster that night). The evidently delighted audience got their moneys worth. Smashing.

Love Sam Cooke. His personality really shines in live recordings.

Yeah ok. I figured we'd get some Sam Cooke or Otis Redding or Percy Sledge on here at some point. I think Sam is a great stage performer and this live album shows that off. It's just not something I would sit down and throw on repeat. I recognized a lot of the songs, and it's cool 60's alt-music but not my normal go to.

Love Sam Cooke but live music for me is better live. It’s not quite the same recorded.

This is a pretty good live recording, you can feel the crowd energy coming through. At first I enjoyed the roughness and imperfections, but by the end it had started to grate a bit. Favorite track: "Feel It (Don’t Fight It)"

Good

It’s usually never difficult to talk about albums I love, and it’s usually never difficult to talk about albums I don’t like at all. It’s the ones that are very middle of the road, and rather uninteresting that are the hardest. It’s simply that when there is less to latch onto, there is less to write about. This live album somewhat falls into that category. It’s not bad, and I can think of positive things about it. It’s fun and wild, and Sam clearly had a commanding presence on a stage. The crowd is loud, and there are many times where they can be heard in the background, and where Sam even directly interacts with them. The band is also playing consistently energetic the entire performance, and Sam is very much in tune with the band. But that is pretty much where the positives end. Mostly because this album doesn’t have much to offer. I noticed just how quickly it moves from one song to the next. There is basically no breaks or pauses. And this album offers one kind of sound. So because of how fast this moves, everything sort of blends together, and I became a little bored of how monotonous this was by the end. This is still solid, but not an essential live album in any category. Rating: 6/10

Pretty fun recording from that far back that sat in the archives.

Always down for something soulful. Not sure if I would ever return to this on my own but great to play at a dinner party, etc. Cooke comes off as a great showman. Favorite track was “Bring it on Home to me”.

Amazing singer and some nice happy songs but it sounds like the band were playing the same tune for 3 songs

Fun live album that really show the inspiration for Leon Bridges and other newer soul singers

Nice live album.

#96. Those people there seemed to be having a gay old time, but it isn't really the kinda shit I want to be listening to, personally. 3/5: it's fine, for the most part.

Kätevän tiivis blues keikka. Parhaat: Chain Gang, Bring It Home On To Me

Had never heard of him but now understand why on this list. Godfather of soul. Awesome raspy voice. Recognized quite a few songs. Another great one lost way too young. Definitely influenced many after him. 3

Track 1&2: fun intro and love the live sound a the saxes. Track 3: a little fun song. Digging the live sound. Track 4: liked the song and his vocals. Track 5: like the scatting in the beginning and nice transition. Track 6: love the sax in this! And the solo was awesome! Track 7: good transition into this and fun song! Track 8: kinda long intro. Track 9: good song towards the end of the album. Track 10: fun crowd work in this and a fun closer for the album. Overall: 6.8/10 I like Sam Cooke and his vocals, he is a great performer, but nothing really stands out but it’s still a solid album to put on and listen to!

Fast paced live album with songs that i dont really like. Must have been one hell of a night

3.5 I like it but not quite 4 stars. The lyrics aren’t doing it for me

Ver lively performance.

- Soul - Gute-Laune-Musik

Energetic, boisterous, almost rowdy. His voice is rough, but good. Considered to be one of the best live albums. Crowd sounds really take you there. 3.6

Pretty good! I don't usually listen to this genre

Great songs. Would’ve enjoyed them in a studio format better. Felt the live recording was disjointed and distracting.

schönes live Album

Cool old rock, live

12/11/23. Sam Cooke has a classic voice. Decent live album.

I’m not a big fan of live albums. In the studio, artists have all the time in the world and every piece of equipment under the sun that they can use to record and re-record every piece of their songs and then stitch the best take of each instrument and vocal together so the end result is a song that is absolutely as good as they can make it. Live versions are just one take of whatever they can throw together on a stage on one particular night. All that being said, this is a good live album. I love Sam Cooke, but he can sound a bit too polished, so it was fun to hear his songs done in a rougher style. “Bring it on Home to Me” was particularly enjoyable.

idk I don't think I like live albums very much I need to watch it as well as hear it. Old enough that most recorded music by him will be live though so I'll deal.

Nice vibe but most of the songs sounded very similar. Could feel the emotion

Reminded me of my grandparents. Love the live sound, and felt a little festive.

Listened to this before. Cool snapshot of the past.

could be worse

I like Sam Cooke, and this album makes me want to be there. I think that's about the highest praise you can give a live recording. His singing was spot on, but crowd work could have been better. Best Songs: Not that kind of album Listen Again: Yes

Goede sfeer wel. Maar niet iets wat ik zelf op zou zetten. Wel andere nummers van Sam Cooke, alleen geluidskwaliteit was so-so

Lekker jazzy. Voelt wel iets teveel van hetzelfde.

I like Sam Cooke and I like pretty much all of these songs, I just don't enjoy live albums. It seems like it was a great performance, it's just too 1960's recording technology heavy for me. Great artist, bad recording.

Nice one, with several of the classics on it

Love Sam Cooke.

Unsure what to expect here - jazz?? I did quite enjoy it; was good for a dreary Monday afternoon. Lifted my spirits quite a bit tbh. Didn’t think I’d enjoy it but that sax was mesmerising. Felt like I was at a sock hop or something.

Not my favorite Sam Cooke but a fun listen still

Soulful as fuck.

69/100

Very nice, fun collection of songs, though they are a bit repetitive after a while. His singing was fantastic. The quality of the recordings isn't that good, in fact from this aspect it was probably the weakest album so far in my challenge.

It was nice, but they all sounded basically the same

not my style but nice groove

a nice collection of perfomances, nothing too incredible about it, but each song sounds kinda the same and repetitive honestly. the kind of sound that makes me swing a bit and think about and love. didnt listen to the whole thing, i skipped through moments of songs and didnt find any that really caught me, but i think thats what you should expect of early 60s live albums. maybe ill listen to it again doing the dishes some day. a soulful voice really.

Catchy but not super into it

Really nice album with some classic tunes, deff worth if in jazzy mood

менее интересно чем рассчитывала

I recognized a couple of songs: Cupid and Twistin' The Night Away. Sam has a good voice, and the quality of the recording is impressive given it was a live show. It must have been fun to be there. But for me this is now just a little too old timey.

Interesting live performance. I liked how it flowed from song to song. Not a jazz fan, but I didn't mind listening to this album

a lot of crowd interactions that didnt translate super well to recording

3/5. Really enjoyed this live album from Sam Cooke. Lots of fun and not something that comes up too often within this journey.

I've never been fond of a live recording. I love a studio album, or to be in a live crowd. I did like the instruments in this

Definitely filled with vitality, but I wouldn't be able to remember a single note from it.

More spirited than I expected. I’m unlikely to revisit but it definitely has some oomph.

Ihan jees meno!

Is it just me thinks Chain Gang is just Wonderful World with different lyrics? I like Sam Cooke, I'm sure that would have been an awesome soul night in person at the club that night.... but sadly for me, the quality of recording on this live album has lost the soul of his soul music. So it's not that I don't like the soul tracks Sam produced, I love them, I just don't like this recording.

Sound quality is not to the standard one would expect from a live album these days, but it captures the essence of his performance. Some great songs - most of them classics.

cool tracks: chain gang cupid twistin' the night away somebody have mercy bring it on home to me having a party live isn't cool