Sam Cooke
Ain't That Good News

THE REVIEW

The impression, renewed even after numerous listens, is that ATGN sounds more like a collection of singles than a true album. Which, in reality, shouldn't be surprising, as the trajectory of Rhythm & Blues has been marked more by 45s than 33s. However, its lack of cohesiveness is not necessarily a flaw: each track can be appreciated as a snapshot of life, a brief description of a precise moment, the immediate musical transposition of recently passed events, performed spontaneously and with the utmost naturalness.

Rarely does music conceived for the mass audience manage to be remembered for such a long time. Starting with that "A Change is Gonna Come," still today the most famous and significant legacy of the singer, cemented by numerous covers that Soul/RnB artists began creating immediately following Cooke's passing (notable is Baby Huey’s rendition). A song that succeeded, like few others, in describing a situation of endless discomfort and the desire to dismantle an unjust regime. It goes without saying that Cooke was referring to the difficult living conditions of African Americans in 1960s U.S.A., but as happened years later with Bob Marley's music, the universality of the ideals of claiming one's rights ended up transcending the historical and geographical context, making it a true anthem of resistance wherever there are men and women fighting against social injustice. It's a painful injection of optimism, almost forced, but it reveals the absolute determination not to succumb to the repeated subjugation of one's person. The orchestration of strings and horns is goosebump-inducing, with Cooke’s voice vibrating with the intensity of the interpretation and the absolute mastery with which he transitions from high to lower registers, over a rhythm barely hinted at by drums and double bass. Cooke’s voice is undoubtedly the strength of all the other tracks, laden with a never-too-explicit sensuality, subtly maintained with enviable class and an innate sense of melody. It's no coincidence that the Mississippi soul singer would always be cited by Marvin Gaye as one of his main influences.

The album neither invents nor revolutionizes anything, but the perfection of the performances and the always exceptional presence of the artist ensure that within it, one can find little gems. Like "Good Times," a delightful blend of vibraphone and acoustic guitar, or "Another Saturday Night," practically antithetical to the masterpiece previously described, two songs that one might call jukebox tunes. Yet, the carefree attitude and the desire to leave behind bad thoughts that they exude are almost contagious. Obvious nods to the Rock n Roll so popular in those days (we're in 1964) and certainly appreciated by the white audience. Enjoyable as well are the country, never so urban, of the title track, the loose and danceable "Meet me at Mary's Place" and "Rome (Wasn't Built in a Day), and a "Tennessee Waltz" that is much less waltz and very RnB. The rest is mostly made up of fillers, perhaps of great class, but still a handful of sappy ballads without significant emotional peaks.

An album that certainly shows all its limitations and its age, but is extremely pleasant to listen to and at times touching in its almost adolescent innocence.