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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

Don't Give Up On Me
by Solomon Burke


9.3

based on 13 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 8 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

The legendary 1960s soul singer, now a young 66 years old, is still going strong with this latest release, featuring brand-new songs penned by an impressive group of songwriters, including Elvis Costello, Brian Wilson, Tom Waits, Van Morrison, and Bob Dylan. No one will be giving up on him after this release.

LABEL:	Fat Possum
RELEASE DATE:	23 July 2002
DISCS:	1 disc
GENRE(S):	Soul, Rock

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

E! Online

It's okay, you can believe all of the fawning reviews you're going to read about this album. Because when still-kicking '60s soul legend Solomon Burke puts his earthy baritone to lyrics written by some of today's most critically acclaimed songwriters, it's simply magical.

100

Entertainment Weekly

The results are astonishing. [26 July 2002, p.68]

The Onion (A.V. Club)

With the spotlight firmly planted on singer and song, Henry keeps the production lean, reminding the world how powerful the combination of the right man, the right band, and the right studio can sound.

All Music Guide

Don't Give Up on Me leaves no doubt that Solomon Burke is still one of the finest voices of his time, and anyone who has ever been moved by the power of soul music needs to hear this album.

New Musical Express

Burke delivers as pure and proper a record as you'll hear all year. If you've ever laughed or cried, you need to hear this.

Q Magazine

The songs are perfectly pitched, and even the less obviously suited numbers are approached with interpretive genius. [Sep 2002, p.101]

CDNow

Okay, call it a comeback, because it ought to raise Burke's profile higher than it's been in decades.

Rolling Stone

Burke is the rare singer who makes songwriters sound wise beyond their words -- he finds ache lying dormant in unlikely places and manages to pinpoint, with GPS accuracy, the murky emotional terrain within the lyrics.

Uncut

The entire album sounds as if it was made to be heard on a Fifties jukebox rather than a state-of-the-art super-audio digital system. [Sep 2002, p.112]

Vibe

The perfect platform for Burke's unerringly tasteful phrasing. [Sep 2002, p.248]

CultureDose.net

Even at its worst, Don't Give Up On Me is never anything less than elegant.

PopMatters

For the most part, Don't Give Up on Me ably lives up to its promise.

Village Voice (Consumer Guide)

The latest Old Person to forge Honest Music in the teeth of a Youth-Orientated Marketplace has lost his legendary voice, so what's the attraction?

The average user rating for this album is 9.3 (out of 10) based on 8 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Jim L gave it a10:
Great!

Lawrence P gave it a10:
The best soul LP of the last 20 years, he makes all these songs his own.

Gert-jan van der Wouden gave it a 10:
best album of 2002. No doubt in my mind. Youngsters, hipsters, makers, and fakers, eat your black heart out....

Sjoerd F gave it a 9:
A delight for your ears and mind. Pure listening pleasure!

Aaron L gave it an 8:
Simply wonderful. A wonderful introduction for younger audiences to discover this overlooked soulman.

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Don't Give Up On Me by Solomon Burke

Don't Give Up On Me
by Solomon Burke