I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

I mean... I feel like just having Respect on here automatically gives this a 4. What is interesting to me is how many of the songs are actually covers, and moreso, how common this was back in the 1950s-1970s. One song would be done by multiple artists. You can see it here too: Respect (Otis Redding), Good Times and A Change is Gonna Come (Sam Cooke) among others on the album. I think it's really interesting to think about: this album is considered one of the GOATs, it wasn't about HER songwriting, but her singing, music, and conceptions of these songs. It reminds me of Patti Smith and Gloria. Adding their own flair to male contemporaries' songs and revolutionizing them.

Now I get it.

“I Never Loved a Man the Way I Loved You” by Aretha Franklin (1967) Never listened to this album, but familiar with Aretha Franklin through hits and radio airplay. Powerful vocals across the tonal range. The performances here are impressive and unquestionably influential, lacking only the stylistic variety that would be discovered and developed by those following in her considerable wake. Backing vocals, however, are weak, lacking tonal blend, and are much too prominent in the mix. Backing instrumentals lack density and are recorded with too much of a ‘small studio’ sound. Somebody please tune that damn piano (especially on “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man”). The mix is too simple, frequently ‘stuck’ on an inappropriately dominant feed of certain instruments, which distracts from the real music—Franklin’s wonderful voice. But what a voice. A better cover of Sam Cooke’s classic “A Change Is Gonna Come” is to be found on “Suitable for Framing” (1969) by Three Dog Night. Much better. In every way. I recommend that you listen to this album for its historical importance, but to 2021 ears (begging indulgence, your majesty), the Queen lacks soul. 2/5

Incredible album, I loved being able to hear Aretha, and got me into listening to more of her music. Such a powerful voice and the music she has backing her is so lovely to listen to. I will definitely be adding more of her stuff to the rotation! Highlights: -Respect -Soul Serenade -Dr. Feelgood -Do Right Woman, Do Right Man -A Change is Gonna Come

Aretha's talent really carries this album because while she delivers a great performance on every song the music and lyrics are for the most part boring and kind of repetive.

This album is good for the soul. I can't help but feel the music and want to join in. Aretha's powerful and adept vocals are first and foremost the glorious centerpiece of every track. But when I listen to songs like "A Change is Gonna Come" I also realize that her performances enhance the movement and the emotions of the underlying music as well. Every pause and flourish beautifully embelishes the solid framing that the band provides. The songs don't just reference the range of human emotion, they evoke them, and that is one of the truest measures of art that I can think of.

It’s everything I want and more. Consistently incredible and never a dull moment. I had my eyes closed, face scrunched, and head bobbing for the entire listen. I can go on for way too long, so I’ll cut it here and just say that it’s one of my favorite albums ever. Aretha Franklin is one of the best to ever do it and she deserves all the respect you have and more. Perfection.

A performance for me to doze off and fall asleep midway through, only to be woken up when it ends by everybody else clapping, and I start clapping too because I feel like I have to. I respect Aretha Franklin's singing ability, but this record lacks the vigor to keep me engaged.

Starts with a bona fuse classic but very quickly loses steam. No questioning her voice but each song sounds like the one before and I found myself bored very very quickly

While the inclusion of "Respect" -- one of the truly seminal singles in pop history -- is in and of itself sufficient to earn I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You classic status, Aretha Franklin's Atlantic label debut is an indisputable masterpiece from start to finish. Much of the credit is due to producer Jerry Wexler, who finally unleashed the soulful intensity so long kept under wraps during her Columbia tenure; assembling a crack Muscle Shoals backing band along with an abundance of impeccable material, Wexler creates the ideal setting to allow Aretha to ascend to the throne of Queen of Soul, and she responds with the strongest performances of her career.

The kind of voice and lyricist that illustrates why music is an art form.

Smooth and soulful, I feel everything. A beautiful album, well paced and intentional.

Easily a solid five without RESPECT (one of the very few songs that is a cover very much better than the original, all due apologies to Otis Redding who even thought the same). Aretha Franklin blending pop, funk, soul, and gospe are fantastic. Her cover of Sam Cooke's 'A Change is Gonna Come' is just hauntingly beautiful.

Other than respect, it’s ok.

We love Aretha but outside of the major hits I was not vibing.

Wife didn't like it after the second song

So I knew this was gonna be great, obviously. After all, we’re talking about Aretha singing her greatest hit here But a part of me was a tiny bit skeptical: I generally think that Motown got better the closer we get to ‘72 or so. Take Marvin, one of Aretha’s contemporaries, who didn’t really make his best work until 1970 (though his ‘60s resume was immaculate nevertheless). Boy was I wrong. This is a great record that hasn’t aged a day. This is one of the albums that elevated not just Motown, but American popular music as a whole from good to great. I think 1965-1975 might be the greatest decade in popular music, and this record is right in the upper pantheon.

This woman is a monster of a performer. There hasn't been another voice like hers since she left this earth. Raw power harnessed by perfect control combine to create unforgettable performances that leave you with no doubt as to her meaning, feelings, or desires. Perfection.

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You started Aretha's incredible run at Atlantic under the aegis of producer Jerry Wexler, and it's an indisputable soul classic in it's own right. For the first time, Aretha peerless gospel, blues and soul stylings are properly matched with production, instrumentation, and arrangements that accentuate rather than dull her edge. This album is every bit as much Jerry Wexler's triumph as it is Aretha's. I find it amazing that Wexler hit the sweet spot on his first attempt. Respect and I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Loved You) have a gutbucket soul feel, but aren't so raw that they couldn't be sold to the mainstream. But Wexler is flexible enough to arrange the pop soul of Don't Let Me Lose This Dream as well. But I don't want to shortchange Aretha's role in this. She wasn't just a great singer. She was a supremely tasteful keyboard player as well. And you can bet that she had a lot of say in the songs that were chosen along with Wexler, and there isn't a weak one in the bunch. Just how good are these renditions? When Otis Redding heard Aretha's cover of Respect, he hung his head and muttered \"She done stole my song.\"

It insists upon itself.

Wow

Magic on tape

"I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You" by Aretha Franklin - where do you even start with an album that not only redefined soul music but also captured the essence of an era? This isn’t just an album; it's a revelation, a soul-stirring journey led by the Queen of Soul herself. From the opening notes of "Respect," Aretha doesn't just perform; she commands, turning a simple demand for respect into a cultural anthem that resonates through the ages. Then there’s "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man," where her voice, rich with emotion and depth, navigates the complexities of love and respect with the ease of a master. Each track is a testament to her unparalleled ability to convey the deepest human emotions, transforming the personal into the universal. The production? Flawless. The emotion? Palpable. The impact? Immeasurable. Aretha’s voice, infused with power, grace, and vulnerability, elevates this album from merely great to transcendental. "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You" is not just an album; it’s an experience, a masterpiece painted with the hues of soul, gospel, and R&B. It's no exaggeration to say that this album is a cornerstone of American music, a beacon that shines brightly in the pantheon of the greatest recordings of all time. Five stars don’t seem enough for an album that continues to inspire and awe listeners with its raw power and beauty. This isn’t just music; it’s Aretha Franklin at her most sublime, and it doesn’t get better than this.

Not sure why spotify repeats 3 songs?

DAMN URETHRA

She's lady soul babyyyyyyyyyy

Is "Respect" a Toploader? Yes, but only in the sense that it is one of the ten best songs of the twentieth century (and probably the best cover). Everything pales beside it...

Aretha Franklin is perhaps the greatest singer in American popular music. Not only is she supremely talented, having superhuman control, dynamic, and range, she is one of the most expressive and ecstatic singers to ever record. Her studio records are brimming with energy as though she may burst out of the speakers at any time. This record is her Atlantic debut and leads with the career defining ‘Respect’. Her vocal performance throughout is exquisite and intimate

What a voice. You cannot deny the power and soul that this woman always had. Incredible sound. This had me dancing around my apartment with some tracks, and with others just sitting floored by the way she fills every word with emotion! Also, RESPECT. So yeah its a 5 from me dawg.

This album is truly a classic. Admittedly, I had never listened to it before. It starts with one of the greatest anthems of all time in RESPECT. I was worried it might fall flat from there, but it did not disappoint. The album was solid all the way through and after one listen convinced me it belongs in my vinyl collection.

When Respect is the first song on the album, you know it's gonna be good.

Love Aretha...

Classic soul album She has such a great voice and so much of the blues is in this. 10/10

Brilliant! She should be famous!

I mean it’s Aretha ... So...yes

Don’t let me lose this dream

She's a Queen

Beautiful feeling and voice

Impossible to not be 5 stars

Love!

Respect

Classic. And great listening for family foosball tournament!

Nr. 56/1001 Respect 5/5 Drown in My Own Tears 3/5 I Never Loved a Man 3/5 Soul Serenade 5/5 Don't Let Me Lose This Dream 4/5 Baby, Baby, Baby 4/5 Dr. Feelgood 3/5 Good Times 4/5 Do Right Woman, Do Right Man 4/5 Save Me 4/5 A Change Is Gonna Come 4/5 Average: 3,91 Incredible voice and great selection of songs.

Another banger all the way through just like Lady Soul

Typical of the Motown sound, very formulaic in the musical composition. Beyond her words, you can hear some of the pain of her life, and with it, the optimism she had to get through it. Aretha deserves her place as a household name for her strong voice. For me, the harmonizing backup singers and simplistic catchy tunes bring it down.

had some soul to it, but it kinda just felt like background noise.

Aretha and Urethra are very similar words, but there are vas deferens. — | — Listen to 'I’ve Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You' and agree with me — a standard UTI doesn't evoke as much pain as Aretha does on this album. There’s this incredible feeling of a heartbroken innocence that runs from beginning to end. The first track worth mentioning, “Drown in My Own Tears” wraps you in the warmth of a dark, desolate dive bar where Aretha’s voice is the only thing you can feel after hours of drinking alone. And that holds true for most of the songs. This album could’ve been the soundtrack to every B movie made in the 80’s. The title track, 'I Never Loved a Man…’ could easily be set to the scene of a lonely bride hiding her face at the altar in an empty church. Queue up the song, close your eyes and imagine the scene. The camera, focused on the bride, slowly backs away up the aisle, gently pulling out of a small Baptist church, out the doors, down the steps and then, just as slowly, points to the blue sky as a single black bird crosses the frame. The credits start to roll. Through all of this, the undercurrent of an organ and backup singers evoke possible redemption through faith. However, everyone knows only time will heal a broken heart, and antibiotics ease pain caused by gonorrhea and even the worst UTIs.

It's just a load of covers right? Obviously a great voice and some really good versions but still hard to go higher in the ratings

Now this is essential. Just sheer bliss from start to finish. Pure soul. Sure they are mostly cover versions, but the you didn’t write it argument with quality interpretation like this, is a weak argument ( and anyway looking at music nowadays with lots of hits written by committee and ghost writers). What a talent Aretha is, emotion, power and control, there is a reason she is seen as 1 of the best female vocalists ever, to think if she was starting today they would probably autotune the heart and soul out of her.

Aretha is a queen and we all know it, but I wasn’t really in the mood for this album when it came up. Then I put it on, and man did it make my mood immediately better. Classic.

I’ve never sat down and actually listened to a whole Aretha Franklin album, but man I am blown away. Everyone knows Respect and probably some of her Christmas songs, but to sit down and just let her voice carry you is honestly something else. She is truly a generational voice. While the writing is relevant for the time, being that the lyrics are simple, it doesn’t take away how incredible Aretha sounds. My first initial reaction to finishing this album was “man, I really need this on vinyl”. Heck of a voice and what an album.

Aretha is the queen.

Kinda feel weird dishing out two 5s for Aretha's albums in close succession mostly because "she just sounds good", but... she does really just sound so good that you're not focusing much on the songwriting, arrangement and production, though those elements certainly aren't weak here.

Queen.

Iconic Soul music awesome artist

God blessed her with the greatest voice ever!

Not perfect, but it's the queen.

Soulful greatness

What a queen

Such an amazing album. So many hits.

Un disco que comienza con Respect, su versión es la canónica y definitiva, ya se ha ganado la eternidad. Solo de esta canción se pueden hacer libros enteros. El resto del disco es otra colección de gemas del calibre de la titular I never loved a man the way i love you, Do right woman do right man, Save me a lomos del Gloria de los Them que es una version/adaptación del Help me de la King Curtis Orchestra donde tocó un desconocido aun Jimi Hendrix... Soul sureño de Muscle Shoals que le sentó como un guante a la voz y carácter de una Aretha que por fin encontró su identidad en el sello Atlantic. No hay un tema que baje del notable, y hay maravillas como Soul serenade o Rock Steady. Un disco imprescindible y el paso a previo a ese descomunal disco que fue Lady Soul. Publicó ese mismo año Arrives, de enorme calidad pero que entre uno y otro quedó menos reconocido. Otras obras editadas ese mismo año 1967: Sgt. Peppers y Magical Mistery Tour, Forever Changes y Da Capo, The Velvet Underground y White light/White head, Surrealistic Pillow,The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, The Who Sell Out, Days of Future Passed, Disraelí Gears, Bee Gees´ First, Younger Than Yesterday, Evolution y Butterfly, Safe as milk, Something Else, Scott, Bee Gees´ First (en realidad el segundo), Wild Honey, Sunshine Superman o Happy Together... así como debuts de ese mismo año fueron los de Jimi hendrix (además de Axis: Bold as love) , The Doors, Experience, Scott Walker, Pink Floyd, The Velvet Underground, y también aunque menores los de Van Morrison, Janis Joplin, Bowie, Electric Prunes o First Edition.

Amazing.

Very good

Unquestionably one of the greatest vocalists of the 20th century. Great album with some even greater songs. What could you possibly complain about?

Aretha's first record on Atlantic and it changed the trajectory of her career. Great record! Probably my favorite female singer

8/11/24 A good strong album.

Yeah, this is an amazing album. Were you expecting me to say something else? Aretha Franklin is arguably the most iconic female singer that I hadn't yet gotten an album from up to this point. This album is one of her most iconic, and for good reason. This album is excellent. Aretha's singing is just phenomenal. I totally get why people love her singing so much. The sound on here is strong too. It has a perfect blend of jazz and soul that I really like. The songs are great as well. While she did help write a few of these songs, most of them are covers. However, these covers are quite transformative in my eyes, both in terms of the sound and the perspective. The obvious example is in the absolutely legendary opener, "Respect." I like the original Otis Redding version. I did give the album it was on a 5 after all. However, this is basically Aretha's song at this point. Her slight lyrical changes and overall performance change the song from being yet another song about a man wanting a sexual relationship with a woman to the strong female empowerment piece it's seen as today. That is the beauty of this album. While no other songs live up to the example set up by "Respect," this album's other songs are still great and have a similar core to them. Overall, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You is a strong album that has stood the test of time and left a cultural legacy that most albums can only dream of having. While there are albums I like more, I can not deny this album the praise it deserves. Also it's like the perfect length so it has that going for it as well. Light 5/5.

Soul music. The instruments are pretty basic, but that’s okay. The focus is on Aretha Franklin’s voice, and rightfully so.

Soul queen

Fabulous voice!

Came to this

a classic album - best voice

R E S P E C T

Incredible album! Loved every single song. Added to the list of Vinyls I HAVE to get

She is so incredible!

While I’ve heard Aretha’s most well known songs, I’ve never sat and listened to one of her albums all the way through. What was I thinking? This album was amazing. There’s a reason Aretha is the Queen. Her vocals are impeccable and the emotion and connection she draws with the listener is everything I want in music. This album felt like a Saturday night in front of the fire with a glass of good wine. 5/5 for me.

What a great way to start a Monday! It's not the first time that Aretha Franklin has appeared here. First Chains Of Fools and now Never Loved a Man. There is nothing more that can be said on this subject. She's the best of soul, she's the greatest singer of all time! The only comment that I will, in fact, repeat, will be the old saying that says that Aretha between the second half of the 60s and the first half of the 70s was at her peak... and my comment about that is the following: When hell wasn't she at her peak?

Unbelievable talent.

Man this lady can sing!

Day288 - a true legend and worthy of her queen of soul title

What’s there to say? What a beautiful album. Bow down to the Queen! God Bless Aretha Franklin, the One and Only!

The Queen of Soul at the height of her power and the pinnaacle of the genre.

The Good: the Queen of Soul The Bad: the album I was directed to on Spotify had the first 3 songs of the album repeated at the end of the album The Ugly: it was only 3 songs, should have been all songs... Killer album of killer songs sung by a killer voice. 5*

Respect automatically knocks it up to 5. Areatha is amazing throughout but some of the material she has to work with is a bit weak

great album

Just sublime soul lady doing sublime soul lady shit, a tremendous cover of "Respect" that meant she took ownership of the song, the title song is passion unbridled, and "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" is a timeless classic. The start of a run that has rarely been equalled in music; this album followed by Aretha Arrives in 1968, then Lady Soul, then Aretha Now, then the Aretha Live in Paris live album in 1969. 18 or so months of solid gold bangers.

5/5

There's a reason she's called "The Queen of Soul," her vocals on this album are phenomenal! From "Respect" to "A Change is Gonna Come," each song pulls you in from deep within and beckons you to feel what it's say and playing. Beautiful instrumentation, production was amazing, I'd give this a 10/10

Opening with Respect is so c*nty. Also sis can SING

Finally!

Favorite Tracks: A Change Is Gonna Come Respect I Never Loved A Man

One of the best albums I've ever heard. I get the hype

Loved it!!

Too many bangers to give this album less than five. Will come back to next time I need to hear some Aretha.

Yes they are just covers, but the range of Franklin's voice... I think that's all I have to say

She has such a beautiful voice, that is so effortless and yet passionate and emotional. So much love and pain in the album, truly a classic and beautiful album.

This album is excellent. The queen of soul definitely brings the soul. The whole thing is pretty flawless. Easy 5!

estoy poniendo muy alto todos. Serán realmente buenos o me estoy condicionando?

This was absolutely flawless. I had a backlog of albums to listen to for this project and was "saving" this one because I just knew that this was going to be great. And it was! My favourite track was the title track, but of course "Respect" is a classic, iconic song for a reason.

Perfection.