I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

Really good, opens with a great first 3 tracks and ends with a nice cover of A Change Is Gonna Come. Enjoyed everything between too.

3.5

Being a metro Detroit native…..she is THE QUEEN. Flawless vocals and such an entertaining album. The Queen can do no wrong. She even made her cheesy 80s music sound incredible. There will NEVER be another Aretha.

Aretha (and her backup singers, and the band) are all great. Some of the songs are not great, but there are a handful of gems, and the lesser songs are still performed very well. The title track blows me away every time.

A great voice and a nice album. It's not exactly my cup of tea but I liked it nevertheless. Favorite Songs: Respect

I love soul music. It takes so much musicianship to make a record like this. Even without the vocals, the music is amazing. And then you have THAT voice on top of it all. It's just so good. Also, how good do you have to be to take an Otis Redding song and make it even better? It deserves all my Respect (wink, wink).

Aretha finally breaks through. 2 very good singles (Respect and I Never Loved a Man.....) which are surrounded by some average to good album tracks and covers. This is something that would justify its position on your CD or album rack, and I doubt anyone would say anything bad about it. It's not quite peak, but very solid and the proper start of a very long career.

Schönes ruhiges Album. Hab ich nicht erwartet, dass mir das so gut gefallen würde.

I like this style and her voice, too.

mid

This is the kind of music that everyone claims is timeless, that it's one of the best albums ever made, that Respect is the best song every created (what?). When I listened to it, it did absolutely nothing for me. I'm glad it's not timeless because I really wanted it to end.

Excellent

Solid, not bad.

Sounds like a greatest hits because she’s so great.

8/10

i really enjoyed this album, do right woman was a standout for me :)

Turning a pretty misogynistic song into a feminist anthem is an absolute power move, especially in the 60s! This is a mid 4

I don’t care about “good" vocals, one might say I prefer "bad" vocals. I do not care for an album that’s entire appeal is meant to be “look how good of a singer she is”. Some people might really like this, and I applaud them for it, but for being mostly a cover album made for a voice and where nothing else happens, that is 100% not my thing.

Aretha Franklin is goated but we know this. What I did not know is how good this album is. Aretha has one of the deepest bags of all time, she dont miss.

This album comes in hot with “RESPECT”. It loses some energy but it keeps the soul cooking. Aretha was an incredible talent and a perfect inclusion

Timeless tunes, amazing voice, just an easy listen that pulls the heart strings

She's the goddamn queen for a reason. Absolutely great album from a true GOAT. Also can I just say there is a stunning lack of Motown on this list? 10/10

Love Aretha Franklin I’ve never done more research of an artist than her she is an icon and anything she makes is a 10/10

Aretha really makes every song on this her own. There's a lot of raw emotional intimacy on this album as well as a lot of just raw power (see: Respect). Love the bossa nova on Don't Let Me Lose This Dream. A common complaint about this one is a lack of variety after the first track but I honestly can't complain because it just works. I'm too much of a romantic for the apparent "sameness" of the lyrics to bother me. They call this soul music for a reason.

Shes an amazing singer, but not my favourite album of hers. Still got some amazing songs on it!

"Respect" has to be one of the best songs I've heard in a while.

ну такое не мое

Wild that this was her 10th album in and the first to hit.

The album that truly started Franklin’s journey to being dubbed the “Queen of Soul”. The amount of emotional expression that Franklin can achieve with her voice is lovely. The backing band? Yeah, they’re pretty solid too. There isn’t much that I don’t like about this album.

If this is what they mean by "soul music" then I think that's a perfect name. Very beautiful album, from the sounds to the lyrics to the voice.

Hele soul-album synes jeg noen ganger kan bli litt kjedelig og monotont, men her er det fem-seks sanger som skiller seg ut; selvom Nina Simone sin versjon av Save me er bedre

Awe man, I love Aretha. What a fucking legend, man. Drown In My Own Tears is really pretty. Oooh Soul Serenade has a great captivating beginning! I sure am loving this sound today. This is getting 5 stars from me.

Этот альбом отлично состарился. Крутой вокал, крутое музло, 8/10

Real up and down week so far. A classic in soul. A must listen in every respect. 4 bumped to 5

Hmmm…

Mamma

Love the bangers, can live without the ballads

That voice is genuinely stunning sometimes. Got some great tracks on this, but nothing that turns it into a 5 for me. Maybe I have Respect fatigue

Aretha Franklin — I Never Loved a Man the Way I Loved You Pre-listening: I know Respect and I know this will be good. Best: Respect Runner-Up: Soul Serenade Third: Good Times Post-listening: Man, they don’t make singers like this anymore. Her confidence on the mic is unparalleled. It was interesting to me to find that this was actually her 10th studio album and that the rest were duds. I wonder if that’s drove her to a state of, this needs to work or it’s over, but perhaps it just took the right timing. Still, this album is filled with hi’s and lows but all of them are beautiful in their own way. RIP Aretha, thanks for the posthumous entertainment! Rating: 9/10 Stars: 4/5

Voz foda, energia característica. Nunca ouvi alguém falar mal dela. Álbum bom do início ao fim.

rym 3.89 Deep Soul/Southern Soul 旧旧的陈年好味道啊。如果我要拍一幕，女人杀掉背叛了自己的丈夫的场景，我一定会用这首同名曲的。 pick: I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You), Don't Let Me Lose This Dream

❤️

5/5 from the first note to the last.

Proper soul music. Yeah, it's alright, innit? Emotional stuff. Didn't overstay its welcome.

<3

Iconic not my test but no one can dispute.

Powerful.

one of the goats 🏆

Gotta address the mega hit in the room first, it demands respect. This is my second album from her and I've grown an appreciation for the way her voice commands the songs in a very undeniable way, it's partially due to the gospel style that was created to convey great meaningful feelings. Also appreciate how snazzy and spicy some of these songs allude to, feels ahead of the late 60's.

So. Dang. Good. After listening to a handful of soulless synthesized 80s albums on this site, Aretha is a breath of fresh air. Her voice. The deep feeling in the music. The soul. It never gets old. It always shines. Thank you, Aretha.

I liked it, but mostly the stereo versions of the three songs at the end were the highlight. Maybe I need to get a completely remixed version, because the stereo versions really sounded great.

Nice album :)

Bloody lovely

It’s Aretha Franklin, nothing more to say. Favorite tracks: Soul Serenade, Baby Baby Baby, & Dr. Feelgood.

Grande voix. La musique soul ne m'atteint peu ou prou. Respect on l'a beaucoup joué au secondaire en ensemble big band c'était notre "staple". Pour ma part, elle a fini par m'emmerder un peu. RIP Aretha tu es une queen malgré mes réserves !

[Posting this in both Aretha Franklin entries on this list.] Aretha Franklin was especially prolific during this period, releasing no less than seven albums in three years. All of them are fantastic and she more than deserves her title of "The Queen of Soul." You need listen to at least one of those albums before you die in order to be a proper human with an acceptable life. But... Having more than one of her 1967 to 1969 albums on this list is just gilding the lily and taking space from other deserving artists.

"You heard of Aretha Franklin, right? OK, she's a big lady. But when she sings, she blows people's minds. Everybody wants to party with Aretha! And you know who else has a weight issue? Me. But once I get up on-stage, start doing my thing, people worship me. Because I'm sexy and chubby, man." - Jack Black

Lady soul herself. yeah we all know this is great.

Aretha Franklin's album, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You comes from the era when an album's merit was based on its singles, not necessarily the experience as a whole. Record companies were churning out albums at breakneck speed, with some artists releasing 2 or 3 a year! As such the deep cuts often suffer, held up by tentpole singles. Aretha has the advantage of possesing one of (if not THE) greatest soul voices of all time, elevating every track beyond its station. I Never Loved a Man deserves to be in the 1001 for the song Respect alone, but the title track and a few others make it worth your time beyond the legendary first song.

Maybe the greatest soul album ever? This is the essential Aretha Franklin album. Standouts are, of course, Respect, but also Baby, Baby, Baby, I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You) and Save Me. Full marks on this one.

She really was a power house. 4 Boolean: True

awesome awesome album. Some sweet deep album cuts I'd never heard before too!

A classic, I guess.

Really niceeeee

The Queen of Soul and the Queen of Yearning! She is down bad but taking absolutely no one’s shit. This album is raw and emotional. Powerful vocals, beautiful instrumentation, honest lyrics - I couldn’t think of a better album to kick off my 1001 album journey!

Listening to Aretha just makes you feel happy

it’s definitely good! just nothing i’d prob listen to daily

an absolute soul classic. aretha definitely has one of the best voices in the genre. i've actually listened to this album a good bit before, but it's subtly fallen out of my rotation in recent times, so i'm glad i was given it again, as i will definitely be revisiting it more soon.

Aretha Franklin is just that good

First listen five stars

Beautiful album. I enjoy most of the songs, but the title track boosts this to a 4.

Objectively really good. Not something I see myself revisiting all that often though. Rating:8.1/10

Great from beginning to end. It's Aretha mfing Franklin.

Respect is a bop, there only seems to be heaters on this album. She is very good at switching from faster paced high energy fun, to slower more serious songs. Ive never listened to her music outside of the huge hits, but I like it so far.

Wow. Absolutely beautiful, powerful album. The track sequencing was an absolute Rollercoaster of emotion but everything was written and performed so gorgeously. Phenomenal

What can you say about Aretha Franklin. Amazing voice with lots of emotion and expression. This album of standards and originals is exceptional. Respect is the song everyone knows but far from the only great song here. Personally, I like and can appreciate the album and I'm glad it's here. It's just that it's not really my thing. Personally I'll give it 4/5 but overall it's a solid 5/5.

Perfect!

It's Aretha, it's going to bit you in the soul. Didn't expect the level of feminism and time defining to be so prominent yet subtle a true feel of female empowerment

Respect stands out here and the rest of the tracks highlight her incredible voice but nothing really captured my heart.

Now THATS what I'm talking about

Actually banger

Great soul R&B album, lots of covers but she makes them her own. It is a bit slow at times, her voice and the backing of Muscle Shoals keep it interesting. One of the all-time greats!

We get it, Aretha. You can sing

5/10

Everything she touches is gold

Day 401 Amazing voice, not really my style of music. Highlights Respect

Sublime

Not really my bag. But not horrible. 'Respect' is the obvious track that everyone knows. The voice is powerful but it can be overdone. 'Do Right Woman...' changed the tempo just when it was getting a bit samey. And the Sam Cooke cover also helped. A bit more of those slower tracks would make you appreciate her range a bit more and make you perk up and listen. But lyrically, it leaves me a bit bored so maybe that's why nothing higher than a 2...

Amazing classic, but still does very well today, timeless voice. Some great songs on here, true Soul powerhouse

Great stuff, never knew she had a version of A Change is Gonna Come and it's hauntingly beautiful.

Queen of soul with another great album. Still feel like the pacing and style isn't there and while I feel bad, it's still not a 5 star

The only way not to enjoy this record is to listen to the stereo version. "Respect" has the most locked-in backup vocalists in all of musical history, and I hate myself for not loving this entire thing even more than I already do, quite frankly.

Also really great. Just had another Aretha album a few days ago that was amazing. This is also 5 stars. She's the Queen for a reason.

Brilliant piece

Starts with Respect, so hard not to give this five stars. The rest of the album is great soul/gospel music as well. I should probably get this on vinyl!

Beautiful. Starting to worry that I’m handing out too many 5-star ratings, but I mean come on.

Really good album! Other than Respect honestly, there are TONS of good tunes on this one.

it goes without saying how incredible her voice is but i was also pleased with the song variety on here too

It was an amazing album that projected common issues from respect to men looking on women to things changing It was a nice listen

Lovely album on so many levels and one that deserves its place on the list. Shamelessly belting out the hits, and belting out the other songs too. This is the type of album that in here for.