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Elly Roberts reviews
Shout! Factory Records
- Released: June 2008
- Rating: 8/10
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With a title like Like A Fire you expect some sparks.
This couldnt be further from it. Perhaps its a wind up. The veteran Blues-Soulshouter is going to disappoint many of his early fans with this release. His stunningset at this years Glastonbury showed the old master still has the tubes, but onfirst listen you begin to think Like A Fire is a sign hes being put outto graze.
Not so. After many rotations, its quite a neat and often understated package.Boasting a stellar line-up of writing contributors and musicians including EricClapton, Norah Jones fave writer Jesse Harris, Keb Mo and somewhere inthere, Dean Park and Totos David Paich, its hard to see anybody else otherthan Burke pulling of this type of album.
Were all accustomed, especially older fans, to Burkes rasping vocals on songssuch as Everybody Needs Somebody To Love, written and recorded in 1964;covered by The Rolling Stones, The Blues Brothers and Wilson Pickett. Despitehis popularity, he only managed one UK single entry with Junkie XLs Catch Up To My Step in 2003.
Since 1962 hes never stopped recording, (he needed to with 21 children and 88grandchildren!) with 2006s Nashville being one of his better latter releases.Like A Fire is a very pleasant album, no doubt, showing hes not prepared tostand still.
Ok, the power and fire is absent, nevertheless its still a very, very enjoyablealbum. Like genre stablemate (Reverend) Al Green, Burke is experiencing a bitof a renaissance so he keeps the faith in getting others (like 2002s Dont GiveUp On Me) in recruiting stellar writers/musicians Eric Clapton who gives twosongs the gorgeous acoustic treated title track and country inflectedThank You, co-written with Slow Hand.
Ben Harpers low hung groove on A Minute To Rest finds King Solomonenjoying the soulful template and steel guitar licks, whereas the country tingedballad We Dont Need It finds him in a much huskier mode, perfectly fusedwith the steady ballad, once again with splashes of steel guitar giving thetrack just enough texture.
Steven Jordans aint That Something is the jewel in the Kings crown.
Theres an old school Staple Singers soul-gospel thing going on. Burke gentlyshuffles off (literally check the drum brushes!) on the Jacobs-Crane-Brewster1950s loungy standard If I Give My Heart To You, which doesnt quitemake any sense with its inclusion a peculiar choice indeed.
From all the studio performances, Burke has delivered a genuinely warm, relaxedand sincere collection of mid-tempo songs, which might just bring on board anew generation of fans.
File under: Power to his 68, or is it 72 year old elbow?
Weblink:thekingsolomonburke.com
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Like A Fire
2. We Dont Need It
3. The Fall
4. A Minute To Rest And A Second Pray
5. Aint That Something
6. What Makes Me Think I was Right
7. Understanding
8. You And Me
9. Thank You
10. If I give My Heart To You
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.