Solomon Burke on Record

A selected guide to Solomon Burke’s albums:

“If You Need Me/Rock ‘n Soul” (Collectables). This 23-song album brings together Burke’s first two Atlantic albums. They are both seminal moments in contemporary pop, with young Burke singing his heart out, backed by a small army of musicians (often a four-piece horn section, three or more guitarists, organ, piano, bass and backup singers). Ray Charles had done much in the ‘50s to combine gospel, country and blues, but Burke is even more trailblazing in these early-’60s tracks, which serve as a door between the graceful, church-inspired singing of Sam Cooke and the rawer energy that would influence such great rock singers as John Fogerty.

“Home in Your Heart” (Rhino/Atlantic). This is generally considered the definitive Burke package, a two-disc, 41-song bonanza from the Atlantic years, complete with a booklet that gives detailed information about session dates and personnel. The box includes all but nine of the songs from “If You Need Me” and “Rock ‘n Soul,” plus the best of Burke’s later recordings. The latter include remakes of some R&B; hits (including Brook Benton’s “It’s Just a Matter of Time” and Charles’ “What’d I Say”) as well as some country excursions.

“Homeland” (Bizarre/Planet). There’s more to this 1991 recording than Burke’s version of “Try a Little Tenderness,” but that alone is reason enough for Burke fans to search out this CD. The easy thing would have been to just retrace Otis Redding’s version of the old pop standard, but Burke reshapes the song into his own, wonderfully personal statement.

“King of Blues ‘n’ Soul” (Fuel 2000). In this package, originally released by Black Top Records in 1993, he steps into a blues mode, putting his stamp on songs such as Roy Brown’s “Good Rockin’ Tonight,” a tune Elvis Presley recorded on Sun Records, and Guitar Slim’s “Sufferin’ Mind.” It also has some tracks from a live 1994 Burke album on Black Top.

“Don’t Give Up on Me” (Fat Possum). Working with producer Joe Henry, Burke sets aside the big band in favor of a small combo on intimate versions of tunes written for him or contributed to the album by Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits and other top-line artists. It’s a daring step that reveals a new, winning side of Burke’s interpretive gifts.