The title of Solomon Burke's new album is a rueful acknowledgement that he's not exactly a pin-up. In fact, at the age of 64 and weighing over 20 stone, he looks more like a retired boxing champion than a sublime soul singer - but that, of course, is exactly what he is. Having retired from music at the end of the 1960s and become a preacher in Los Angeles, Burke is now enjoying a fantastic secular comeback. Mostly made up of well-chosen covers (Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison), the tracks here range from gospel blues to country-rock, all given a welcome layer of grit by some inspired session-guitar work. It may be as retro as it gets, but Burke's grizzled voice hits the spot every time, resulting in an album that's oozing with passionate intensity. Inspiring stuff.

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