1. Feel It
2. Chain Gang
3. Cupid
4. Medley: It's All Right/For Sentimental Reasons
5. Twistin' the Night Away
6. Somebody Have Mercy
7. Bring It on Home to Me
8. Nothing Can Change This Love
9. Having a Party
Oh, so we're back to good albums then, that's a relief. Sam Cooke swoops in to rescue me from my Christmas torture with the most soulful album yet. Since this is a live album, it eschews the big band, with jazzy brass and dramatic strings, that were ever constant in Ray Charles' albums and other soul music at the time. It's very stripped down in comparison, which gives it a bit more feeling than the meticulously constructed studio orchestrations.
Although I've mentioned Ray Charles primarily, Sam Cooke also followed that lush recording style. As a result, this album came as quite a shock. I'm used to Cooke sounding like Nat King Cole or something, but on this album he completely ignores that aspect of his voice and goes straight to the old gospel tradition. In this live document, Cooke is unrestrained and wild, imbuing his familiar hits with a raw, gritty sound that you just couldn't get in the studio in those commercially-minded days. There's nothing at all refined in this performance, with Cooke working the audience into a frenzy unrivaled by any of the other live albums so far. They even sing along quite loudly on a couple tracks. All his shouting and random asides make this by far the most exciting album on the list so far. Definitely not something I expected from Sam Cooke. Just be sure you don't twist too hard when you listen to it. 8.5/10
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