Don't Give Up On Me
by Solomon Burke
Metascore
85

Universal acclaim - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. AllMusic
    90
    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.
  2. Uncut
    80
    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]
    All this publication's reviews
  3. PopMatters
    70
    For the most part, Don't Give Up on Me ably lives up to its promise.
  5. Q Magazine
    80
    The songs are perfectly pitched, and even the less obviously suited numbers are approached with interpretive genius. [Sep 2002, p.101]
    All this publication's reviews
  6. New Musical Express (NME)
    90
    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.
  7. Rolling Stone
    80
    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.
  8. The A.V. Club
    90
    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.
  9. Entertainment Weekly
    100
    The results are astonishing. [26 July 2002, p.68]
    All this publication's reviews
  10. E! Online
    100
    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.
  11. CDNow
    80
    Okay, call it a comeback, because it ought to raise Burke's profile higher than it's been in decades.
  12. Vibe
    70
    The perfect platform for Burke's unerringly tasteful phrasing. [Sep 2002, p.248]
    All this publication's reviews
  13. Village Voice (Consumer Guide)
    67
    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?
  14. CultureDose.net
    70
    Even at its worst, Don't Give Up On Me is never anything less than elegant.

Awards & Rankings

10
#10 Best Album of 2002

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 7 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 7
  3. Negative: 1 out of 7
  1. JimL
    Apr 4, 2006
    10
    Great!
  2. LawrenceP
    Mar 9, 2005
    10
    The best soul LP of the last 20 years, he makes all these songs his own.
  3. AaronL
    Oct 7, 2002
    8
    Simply wonderful. A wonderful introduction for younger audiences to discover this overlooked soulman.
See all user reviews »