Soul Men
By Sam & Dave
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Track listing
Show track credits
- A1 Soul Man 2:36
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writer
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writer
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- A2 May I Baby 2:38
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writer
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writer
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- A3 Broke Down Piece of Man 2:46
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writer
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writer
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- A4 Let It Be Me 2:45
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writer
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writer
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writer
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- A5 Hold It Baby 2:35
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writer
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- A6 I'm With You 2:50
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writer
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- B1 Don't Knock It 2:28
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writer
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writer
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- B2 Just Keep Holding On 2:52
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writer
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writer
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- B3 The Good Runs the Bad Way 2:15
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writer
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writer
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- B4 Rich Kind of Poverty 2:13
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writer
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Paul Selphwriter
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- B5 I've Seen What Loneliness Can Do 2:58
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writer
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writer
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- Total length: 28:56
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Review
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9 Issues
16 Reviews
What can you say about a song like "Soul Man" that the song itself doesn't already say? Hearing Sam Moore launch into the opening verse after the lead from the horn section is like being hit by a warm ocean wave.
"Good lovin'? I got a truckload!"
"Soul Man" is certain a strong enough song to carry an album all on its own, but Soul Men is amazingly strong enough that it'd have to be considered a classic with or without one of the most famous southern soul heatseekers of all time.
"May I Baby" is a jangly ballad that finds both Sam & Dave reaching and clawing to get as deep as they can get. It's a powerful song that nobody could perform as well as Sam & Dave. "Don't Knock It" is one of the rare Sam & Dave songs that David Prater opens with the first verse as opposed to Sam Moore, and the way Dave & Sam throw lyrics at each other in the song is a heaping helping of good times. "Rich Kind of Poverty" is great harmony between the duo, and when they step out for solos - it's an incredibly captivating listening experience. And don't forget the fine southern cooking that is "Hold It Baby." Does it get any hotter than this?
Sam & Dave's partnership with David Porter and Isaac Hayes defines soul music as much as (or maybe even more than) any other performer, duo, or group. Soul Men is proof that just having a Best of Sam & Dave album isn't enough. The truth is, pretty much every single song Sam, Dave, David, Isaac and Booker T. & The MG's collaborated on is worthy of the Best of treatment.
"Good lovin'? I got a truckload!"
"Soul Man" is certain a strong enough song to carry an album all on its own, but Soul Men is amazingly strong enough that it'd have to be considered a classic with or without one of the most famous southern soul heatseekers of all time.
"May I Baby" is a jangly ballad that finds both Sam & Dave reaching and clawing to get as deep as they can get. It's a powerful song that nobody could perform as well as Sam & Dave. "Don't Knock It" is one of the rare Sam & Dave songs that David Prater opens with the first verse as opposed to Sam Moore, and the way Dave & Sam throw lyrics at each other in the song is a heaping helping of good times. "Rich Kind of Poverty" is great harmony between the duo, and when they step out for solos - it's an incredibly captivating listening experience. And don't forget the fine southern cooking that is "Hold It Baby." Does it get any hotter than this?
Sam & Dave's partnership with David Porter and Isaac Hayes defines soul music as much as (or maybe even more than) any other performer, duo, or group. Soul Men is proof that just having a Best of Sam & Dave album isn't enough. The truth is, pretty much every single song Sam, Dave, David, Isaac and Booker T. & The MG's collaborated on is worthy of the Best of treatment.
Published
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Sam & Dave, the Black Gladiators, had upstaged the music scene with blasting gutbucket Soul anthems such as "Hold On! I'm Comin'", "You Got Me Hummin'" and "Said I Wasn't Gonna Tell Nobody" in 1966... A year later, riding high on the success of the superlative "Soul Man" single, it became obvious that the dynamic duo was also capable of churning out a perfect longplaying platter of 100% unadulterated Memphis-fried Southern Soul.
Naturally, "Soul Man" kicks off the jam and may well be the finest way of starting a blissful musical journey into the sweat soaked hard sockin' sphere of Total Groove.
"I got what I got, the hard way", they sing... and it doesn't take a degree in rocket science to detect the political overtone. Riding on top of a preposterous groove, Sam & Dave declare that they have lived, breathed, suffered and enjoyed the meaning of SOUL.
The musical accompiment to Sam & Dave's sermonizing is provided by the greatest little band in the world: Booker T. & the MGs. And they keep up the beat relentlessly throughout... "Soul Man" was the 'no hankey-pankey' intro, but there was so much more to come.
The mock-Chinese opening to "May I Baby", played on piano by Isaac Hayes, welcomes your ears after the horn-infested, gritty climax to "Soul Man" has faded. A heartwarming, pleading ballad featuring delicate, infectious stabs at the xylophone on every downbeat, this is one of those moments where Sam & Dave mix the sweetness of a ballad with the grit of Memphis soul.
Drummer Al Jackson Jr. gets right back in the down home, greasy pocket on "Broke Down Piece of Man", a criminally overlooked gem in Sam & Dave's discography. A thudding, thumping tour de force dealing with the unbearable hurt of love gone 'n' done wrong, with Sam's beautiful wails and moans and Dave's incredibly nasty groans. It's a shame the delicious, brassy finale is cut to fade so rapidly, but oh what a tune, nonetheless...
Who hasn't covered "Let It Be Me", the deathless Everly Brothers classic? Trust me when I say you'll never hear a more thrilling reading than Sam & Dave's interpretation... It never gets schmaltzy or overly dramatic, it's another one of those strange examples of the 'pop/soul' hybrid that, at times, can work tremendously well. Naturally, given the pedigree of the singers and musicians, this could only result in a brilliant tune...
It's right back to Swingville with the stuttering, rocking "Hold It Baby", with its menacing cascading riff on the chorus. The vocal interaction between Sam and Dave on this one is particularly awe-inspiring... Some call it 'improvisation', I'd like to call it pure Soul skills. The same goes for the funky "Don't Knock It", which picks up the pace after the wonderfully bluesy, laidback "I'm With You".
"Just Keep Holding On" possibly is one of the duo's most chilling ballads... A sense of melancholy hangs all 'round this beautifully executed song, the same kind of world-weariness that can be found on the LP's final track, the haunting "I've Seen What Loneliness Can Do."
Sandwiched between those two moments of quiet introspection is a last blast of hard sockin' boogaloo Soul: The superbly written "Rich Kind of Poverty", featuring more of those thick-as-molasses layers of brass by The Memphis Horns.
In all, a perfect album. All killer, no filler. A Southern Soul masterpiece by two of its most talented inventors.
Naturally, "Soul Man" kicks off the jam and may well be the finest way of starting a blissful musical journey into the sweat soaked hard sockin' sphere of Total Groove.
"I got what I got, the hard way", they sing... and it doesn't take a degree in rocket science to detect the political overtone. Riding on top of a preposterous groove, Sam & Dave declare that they have lived, breathed, suffered and enjoyed the meaning of SOUL.
The musical accompiment to Sam & Dave's sermonizing is provided by the greatest little band in the world: Booker T. & the MGs. And they keep up the beat relentlessly throughout... "Soul Man" was the 'no hankey-pankey' intro, but there was so much more to come.
The mock-Chinese opening to "May I Baby", played on piano by Isaac Hayes, welcomes your ears after the horn-infested, gritty climax to "Soul Man" has faded. A heartwarming, pleading ballad featuring delicate, infectious stabs at the xylophone on every downbeat, this is one of those moments where Sam & Dave mix the sweetness of a ballad with the grit of Memphis soul.
Drummer Al Jackson Jr. gets right back in the down home, greasy pocket on "Broke Down Piece of Man", a criminally overlooked gem in Sam & Dave's discography. A thudding, thumping tour de force dealing with the unbearable hurt of love gone 'n' done wrong, with Sam's beautiful wails and moans and Dave's incredibly nasty groans. It's a shame the delicious, brassy finale is cut to fade so rapidly, but oh what a tune, nonetheless...
Who hasn't covered "Let It Be Me", the deathless Everly Brothers classic? Trust me when I say you'll never hear a more thrilling reading than Sam & Dave's interpretation... It never gets schmaltzy or overly dramatic, it's another one of those strange examples of the 'pop/soul' hybrid that, at times, can work tremendously well. Naturally, given the pedigree of the singers and musicians, this could only result in a brilliant tune...
It's right back to Swingville with the stuttering, rocking "Hold It Baby", with its menacing cascading riff on the chorus. The vocal interaction between Sam and Dave on this one is particularly awe-inspiring... Some call it 'improvisation', I'd like to call it pure Soul skills. The same goes for the funky "Don't Knock It", which picks up the pace after the wonderfully bluesy, laidback "I'm With You".
"Just Keep Holding On" possibly is one of the duo's most chilling ballads... A sense of melancholy hangs all 'round this beautifully executed song, the same kind of world-weariness that can be found on the LP's final track, the haunting "I've Seen What Loneliness Can Do."
Sandwiched between those two moments of quiet introspection is a last blast of hard sockin' boogaloo Soul: The superbly written "Rich Kind of Poverty", featuring more of those thick-as-molasses layers of brass by The Memphis Horns.
In all, a perfect album. All killer, no filler. A Southern Soul masterpiece by two of its most talented inventors.
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Very strong soul with a few gargantuanly strong hits, and a lot of other good stuff. The vocals are probably the most charming thing about the album, both vocalists work very well on their harmonies, and they have some very strong moments that show off their powerful ranges and the soulful roughness of their voices, that being said they can also handle the softer moments very well, dealing with the more tender sound that the tone calls for while still making it feel full of substance. The instrumentals are also very good, I enjoyed the guitar quite a bit although I have to admit it wasn't super consistent, the piano and horns added some nice variety, and the bass and percussion gave a very solid backing to build off of. The highlights were Soul Man (Insanely good track), Let it Be Me, Hold It Baby, Rich Kind of Poverty, and Broke Down Piece of Man, while there weren't any lowlights although the highlights definitely stood a few levels above the rest. The album art is good, its classic and not the most unique, but I think the simplicity and authenticity of it fits the album well. Overall, this is good soul, it isn't doing anything crazy past Soul Man, but nothing is bad, and it feels consistently enjoyable.
Published
A pleasant and well-executed album. Perhaps a bit more pop-y than I'd expected, and the ever-popular "Soul Man" does overshadow the other songs on here (at least for me), but none of the tracks here are bad. Plenty of energy and emotion, and none of the songs get bitter or melancholy, so if you're looking for some well-played and light-hearted soul music to brighten your spirits, this is a pretty good option. Also, aside from the title track, I did enjoy "Let It Be Me" and "Just Keep Holding On" well enough.
Published
Well, "Soul Man" is an outstanding song, but not much else on this album appeals to me all that much. There's some decent soul tracks and everything, but I wouldn't consider much of it more than that. Still, "Soul Man" truly is exceptional and deserves all of the praise it receives.
Favorite tracks: Soul Man, The Good Runs the Bad Way
Favorite tracks: Soul Man, The Good Runs the Bad Way
Published
If I hadn't given both my kidneys away to go back in time to see The Temptations circa 1967, then I would give both kidneys away to go back in time and see Sam & Dave circa 1967.
Another Hayes and Porter gem (these dudes knew how to put the kick in a session), Moore and Prater sound like men possessed, rolling like rocks down the side of a mountain in the filler-free valley of soul.
Motown had it smooth and slinky. Stax had it raspy and rusty - Sam & Dave were the hammer and anvil it came from.
Another Hayes and Porter gem (these dudes knew how to put the kick in a session), Moore and Prater sound like men possessed, rolling like rocks down the side of a mountain in the filler-free valley of soul.
Motown had it smooth and slinky. Stax had it raspy and rusty - Sam & Dave were the hammer and anvil it came from.
Published
Despite the fame of the (almost) title track, this album feels overlooked, in my world at least. I've been a soul fan way too long to just be hearing this now. Anyway, it's never too late, especially for something timeless like this. It's a pretty straightforward album, just some steady and driving down South soul grooves with funky horns and keys, and two very powerful voices seamlessly interplaying with eachother, which is one of my favorite vocal formats when its done right. It's just a perfect musical formula, which works across the uptempo songs, the blues stompers and the slower ballads.
Published
At its best, like on "Broke Down Piece of Man", "Don't Knock It", "The Good Runs the Bad Way" and – naturally – "Soul Man", this probably most famous Sam & Dave album is as good as pure soul could be in the 1960s. This was before the new influences represented by Sly and the Family Stone, The Temptations and Stevie Wonder took over, and this doesn't necessarily count pop soul like The Supremes in. But still, the best few tracks on Soul Men are very, very good. It is basic soul, but it often feels more 'indicated' than the early-to-mid 1970s style of Al Green and Ann Peebles, who looked like purists in the surroundings defined by the aforementioned 'new influences', even though I don't think they were supposed be such. But "Soul Man" and the likes are just real stuff, simply, that is all.
I usually like uptempo soul more than soul ballads. This rule fits Soul Men as well. There are a couple of uptempo tracks that are not as good as the others in my opinion, while a couple of ballads sound better than the others. However, there is one track which I would have thrown out as a producer; I am speaking about the cover of "Let It Be Me" of course. That one is a real downer. Otherwise, even the lesser material is decent.
I usually like uptempo soul more than soul ballads. This rule fits Soul Men as well. There are a couple of uptempo tracks that are not as good as the others in my opinion, while a couple of ballads sound better than the others. However, there is one track which I would have thrown out as a producer; I am speaking about the cover of "Let It Be Me" of course. That one is a real downer. Otherwise, even the lesser material is decent.
Published
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Catalog
22 May 2024
14 May 2024
10 May 2024
29 Apr 2024
23 Apr 2024
7 Apr 2024
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A1
Soul Man
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A2
May I Baby
-
A3
Broke Down Piece of Man
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A4
Let It Be Me
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A5
Hold It Baby
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A6
I'm With You
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B1
Don't Knock It
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B2
Just Keep Holding On
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B3
The Good Runs the Bad Way
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B4
Rich Kind of Poverty
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B5
I've Seen What Loneliness Can Do
1 Apr 2024
30 Mar 2024
27 Mar 2024
25 Mar 2024
22 Mar 2024
21 Mar 2024
18 Mar 2024
6 Mar 2024
5 Mar 2024