Solomon Burke - Don't Give Up On Me (2002)

Solomon Burke - Don't Give Up On Me (2002)

Wow, this album is so inoffensive! I can't remember the last time I've been so thoroughly unoffended while listening to an album. This is so devoid of anything the least bit controversial or out of the norm that even the most staunchly conservative spokesperson for all that is good, moral and decent would have a hard time finding anything wrong with it. First thing that popped in my head while listening to Don't Give Up On Me: I'd be shocked if this album was not nominated for a Grammy when it was released (just checked online and...yup; it won, too). Second thought: I didn't go into a Starbucks in 2002, but if I did I would not have been surprised to hear this album playing in store.

That's not to say that this is a bad album. Fundamentally, there's really nothing wrong with the music, which is incredibly solid throughout. Burke has been at it for a long time, and it shows with how skillfully interpreted these songs are; emulating the blues and eventual wisdom that can only come from someone with life experience, and the ability to turn that experience into a strong, soulful statement. There's not a bad track to be found here, and a few of them are exceptional. I guess I just mean to emphasize that this album fits the "Adult Contemporary" tag to a T. And in being so unoffensive and safe, it actually appeals to me less than would something more unconventional. Maybe if he threw a theramin in there somewhere or something man I don't know.

Good album, but this is totally what your granddad wishes you "whippersnappers" would listen to instead of "that awful racket".



Score: 7/10


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