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 - Classic Collectionwhen I was a Kid this was my first introduction to Sam Cooke.His Vocals&Writing are timeless.His Voice covered a wide range of styles&Continues to Influence Generations upon Generations of Artists.His Tone alone was so clear&Clean.He was a Singer's Singer.He is a Mount Rushmore Artist.truly One of a Kind. Rating:  - Bonus Tracks Still Leave Artist ShortchangedFor more than two decades, the original 12-track release of 1962's THE BEST OF SAM COOKE (see my review) was the most complete collection of his hits. In 1986, it was replaced by the double-LP THE MAN AND HIS MUSIC (now out of print). In 2003, ABKCO released the definitive 30-track PORTRAIT OF A LEGEND (see my review). Now, two years later, RCA upgrades THE BEST OF by adding three bonus tracks: "Win Your Love For Me" (No. 22, 1958), "You Were Made for Me" (No. 27, 1958) and "Nothing Can Change This Love" (No. 12, 1962). Unfortunately, this collection still ends with 1962 which means it is still missing major hits like "Another Saturday Night," "Shake" and the posthumously released classic "A Change Is Gonna Come." The bottom line is this: Sam Cooke is the most influential soul singer of the past half century, and any serious music collection must include at least one Sam Cook album. But the album to get is PORTRAIT OF A LEGEND. Why? It includes all 15 tracks from THE BEST OF, plus 15 more (including the three mentioned above). The three-star rating isn't for the music (that's five-star!), it's for shortchanging such an influential artist.
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