At The Copa – SAM COOKE****

Best Things In Life Are Free/Bill Bailey/Nobody Knows When You’re Down & Out/Frankie & Johnny/You Send Me/If I Had A Hammer/When I Fall In Love/Twistin’ The Night Away/This Little Light Of Mine/Blowin’ In The Wind/Tennessee Waltz

Soul legend Sam Cooke spent a year on the US album chart with the live At The Copa. Recorded in July 1964, only a few months before he was killed, it showcases the smoother elements of his repertoire, toned down for a predominantly white audience. (US:29)

"In 1964, when this concert at New York City's legendary Copacabana night club was recorded, Sam Cooke was at the top of his game, having charted numerous times with his unique blend of pop and soul. The success doesn't seem to have gone to his head, though. He sounds relaxed and conversational throughout this intimate performance."

"Accompanied by a band that includes Bobby Womack on guitar, Cooke brings his R & B tendencies further to the fore than on his immaculately produced studio work. At The Copa is an essential part of the Cooke canon."

"One of a handful of live albums by any major soul artist of its era, this captured Cooke in excellent voice, and was well-recorded - it just wasn't really a 'soul' album, as Cooke toned down his performance and chose the safest material with which he could still be comfortable."

"At The Copa is fantastic and shows Sam as the ultimate cross-over artist. There are some musical hits, some of his own hits and a very good Bob Dylan cover. Towards the end of the show he starts doing more of his gospel style singing and that's where it really gets interesting."

. "For me this album has always been a little too neat. I think the real Sam can better be heard on the Live At The Harlem Square Club album where he performs in the black ghetto of Miami and turns it into a real gospel/soul show."

. "At first listen, this album, stylistically, sounded dated. By the third listen, I was hooked. This is one of the few albums that I can listen to over and over again without ever getting tired of it. Sam Cooke's genius really shines."