Ain't That Good News (Remastered)

iTunes Review

Ain't That Good News is split between an up-tempo first half that shows the many ways Sam Cooke could adapt R&B styles, and a second set of orchestration-drenched tracks. Both give the great one plenty of room to maneuver, delivering one intensely subtle, affecting performance after another. But one cut stands above the rest, both on this album (Cooke's last before his death in late 1964) and in the singer's catalog. "A Change is Gonna Come" was Cooke's response to Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" and the civil-rights movement that had riveted America over the previous few years. The song, of course, has often been recorded since, but the original is saturated with a pain and puzzlement that no one else has quite touched. This would be an excellent Sam Cooke recording without this remarkable song. With it, this album is essential.