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Rating: 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.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Meet Me at Mary's Place (02:44)
A friend of mine told me one early mornin'
(Over at Mary's place, ho)
Said tonight there's gonna be a party goin' on
(Over at Mary's place, ho)
He said "If you can enjoy a real nice affair
(Over at Mary's place, ho)
Then you'll make it your business to be right there"
(Over at Mary's place, ho)
He said in fact: Meet me (meet me at Mary's place)
We're gonna have (we're gonna have us a ball today)
Why don't you (meet me at Mary's place)
Why don't you meet me (meet me at Mary's place)
We're gonna have (we're gonna have us a ball today)
Why don't you (meet me at Mary's place, ho)
He said: There's one thing I that want you to know
(Over at Mary's place, ho)
You're gonna have a good time before you go
(Over at Mary's place, ho)
He said: There's one more thing that I'm gonna guarantee
(Over at Mary's place, ho)
Got to have fun if you're a man like me
(Over at Mary's place, ho)
If you wanna have fun, meet me (meet me at Mary's place)
We're gonna have (we're gonna have us a ball today)
Why don't you (meet me at Mary's place)
Oh meet me (meet me at Mary's place)
We're gonna have (we're gonna have us a ball today)
Why don't you (meet me at Mary's place, ho)
If you wanna have a good time (meet me at Mary's place)
We're gonna have (we're gonna have us a ball today)
Come on & (meet me at Mary's place)
Oh, meet me (meet me at Mary's place)
We're gonna have (we're gonna have us a ball today)
Come on & (meet me at Mary's place, ho)
03 Good Times (02:28)
Wo ah la ta da, wo ah la ta da, da da da all night long (x2)
Yeah, come on & let the good times roll
We're gonna stay here till we soothe our souls
If it take all night long
One more time, come on & let the good times roll
We're gonna stay here till we soothe our souls
If it take all night long
Gotta tell you, evenin' sun is sinkin' low
The clock on the wall say it's time to go
I got my plans, I don't know about you
I'll tell you exactly what I'm gonna do
Get in the groove & let the good times roll
I'm gonna stay here till I soothe my soul
If it take all night long
Yeah, everybody let the good times roll
We're gonna stay here till we soothe our souls
If it take all night long
Yeah, it might be 1 o'clock & it might be 3
Time don't mean that much to me
I've felt this good since I don't know when
& I might not feel this good again
So come on & let the good times roll
We're gonna stay here till we soothe our souls
If it take all night long
& all night (all night) & all night (all night)
& all night (all night) & all night long (all night)
Somebody said it might take all night long
& all night (all night) & all night (all night), so
Come on & let the good times roll
We're gonna stay here till we soothe our souls
If it take all night long
06 Tennessee Waltz (03:12)
I was dancing with my darlin’
to the Tennessee Waltz
When an old friend I happened to see
I introduced him to my loved one
and while they were waltzing
My friend stole my sweetheart from me.
I remember the night and the Tennessee Waltz
Now I know just how much I have lost
Yes I lost my little darlin’
The night they were playing
The beautiful Tennessee Waltz.
She comes dancing through the darkness
To the Tennessee Waltz
And I feel like I’m falling apart
And it’s stronger than drink
And it’s deeper than sorrow
This darkness she’s left in my heart.
I remember the night and the Tennessee Waltz
Now I know just how much I have lost
Yes I lost my little darlin’
The night they were playing
That beautiful Tennessee Waltz.
07 A Change Is Gonna Come (03:13)
I was born by the river in a little tent
And just like that river I've been running ever since
It's been a long time coming
But I know a change is gonna come, oh yes it will
It's been too hard living, but I'm afraid to die
Cos I don't know what's out there beyond the sky
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change is gonna come, oh yes it will
BRIDGE:
And then I go to see my brother
And I ask him to help me please
And he just winds up knockin' me
Back down on my knees
There were times when I thought I couldn't last for long
But now I think I'm able to carry on
It's been a long, been a long time coming
But I know a change is gonna come, oh yes it will
REPEAT VERSE 2
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