Solomon Burke Like a Fire

• Like A Fire
• We Don't Need It
• The Fall
• A Minute To Rest And A Second To Pray
• Ain't That Something
• What Makes Me Think I Was Right
• Understanding
• You And Me
• Thank You
• If I Give My Heart To You

While Al Green enjoys a revival of interest with his intentionally backwards-glancing Lay It Down, fellow soul compatriot Burke's latest offering surely offers a welcome counterpoint. Taking the more familiar contemporary approach by working alongside other long-time peers, such as Eric Clapton, Keb' Mo' and producer Steve Jordan, as well as younger upstarts, like Ben Harper and Jesse Harris, his album promises a remarkable sheen that has come to be expected of pop music's elder statesmen. However, being similarly steeped in both religious and secular traditions, "King" Solomon frequently simmers his music at a rolling boil that blends spiritual clarity and impassioned physicality. Like a Fire promises another heated exchange from one of the great voices of the 20th (and now 21st) Century.

Abstract by Dan Nishimoto