I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

If that's not one of the greatest voices I don't know what is. Great sound for its era

Maybe not quite as good overall as Lady Soul, but it's not like I'm not giving a 5 to the album with "Respect" on it

Calming and relaxing

Tolle Stimme, recht gute Songs, aber stellenweise komisch leise produziert und mit schwacher Backing Band... Die Bläser klingen teilweise so als würden sie vorbei laufen, die Drums sind aus dem gegenüber liegenden Haus aufgenommen und die Keys (die Franklin offenbar selbst spielt) stellenweise zu laut. Was mir im Prinzip alles nur auffällt weil die Songs recht same same sind mit ähnlichen Spannungsbögen.

I mean, if there was one individual voice that could represent the entirety of "soul", not just the genre, but the word as we define it, it's Aretha Franklin. And admittedly, this is about as straightforward as soul comes in LP form, but the quality, consistency, and mood of this thing are just fine-tuned to perfection. It's one of those records where you press play, and it's over before you know it. You're immediately whiplashed by the impeccable, transformative cover of the Otis Redding rocker 'Respect '- a tight, driving, and punchy opener, just before you're mellowed out again with the heart-wrenching ballad 'Drown in My Own Tears'; there's so much power in those harmonies and vocals in this one. I love the way the song keeps boiling up to its final explosive conclusion; such great use of tension building. And the album refuses to lose momentum after that; the rising and falling energy spans multiple tracks mostly, but it also exists within certain tracks. Some tracks may lead you to believe that we're slowing down, just for Aretha to go back into putting her entire being into the track. The title track is one of these songs, but the groovy and personal favourite 'Don't Let Me Lose This Dream' is another. While we're on personal favourites, 'Do Right Woman, Do Right Man' is such an all-time soul ballad; it's one of the few songs that stays in this really low-key pocket, and the iconic call-and-response nature of Franklin's harmonies is at some of their most well-executed here. And just like I said in my Otis Redding review, there is no such thing as a not-incredible '60s cover of 'A Change Is Gonna Come', and the one here is no exception, just a phenomenal closer that I'm always eager to get to. While I personally still prefer 'Lady Soul', I just think that it takes a lot of Aretha's best aspects and fuses them with some more interesting production; this is an undeniable and endlessly referenced touchstone in the history of soul music. Iconic and important can't begin to describe it.

3.5/5, heard some songs that I didn't realize were by her.

Perfection!

Very nice :-)

loved it lowkey some fun songs. feel good af

Hyvin mamma svengaa. Vaikea arvioida 60 -luvun kriteereillä, olisin luullut uudemmaksi musaksi.

Respect is so good it's here twice on the Spotify album. The second version is one of the last three tracks from the 1995 reissue: now in stereo! Can't say a bad thing about Aretha. Gotta thank The Blues Brothers for introducing me to her work.

It is great, but it does blur at some point

Her voice can still astonish.

This is a pretty good album. Her voice is amazing even if this isn't normally the type of music I listen to. Fun album but not something I'm super into.

Classic songs, may

How can you not love this album, the queen at her peak

Ho hum

Idk I wish I liked it more than I do but I don't think it's really the kind of album I'd listen to more than once.

I love Aretha and love her voice. She is one of the defining voices of soul music. I would only really say I wish this album had more variety to it, it started to sound a little similar after a while.

An incredible voice, a great band. A really enjoyable album from front to back with a couple of all time hits. 3.75* rounded up to 4*

Respect sounds like an opening to a high school movie.

"Respect" probably is the greatest album-opener in the history of popular music (hiperbole but why the fuck not, she took man's desperate plea into a female empowerment anthem). Alas, similiarly to other soul artists, the industry then had "singles first" attitude and the rest of the album, despite her spellbinding singing is mostly sldrowned in souly lovelorn hysteria, usual ballroom-dance routine and easy soul drama, The musicians are mere a canvas for her voice hut that voice, this shit has different calibre. So most tracks are shmaltzy but her voice elevates them for me. She has the most beautiful scream in music - not Munchy, but one of affirmation. But the almost constant eposure of intensity can be tiring, becomes a limitation, and it had a dreadful influence on all the white rock singers who thought all they had to do to create emotion was scream - we see you Robert Plant - but that, I suppose, is not Franklin's fault and she has much control over her abilities. Myself was always a Billie's boy but cant feel a respect and awe for Mrs Franklin

Brilliant singing and music, pleasure to listen to this album, might not dip back too often in the future regardless a solid 5

I don't think I've ever listened to Aretha Franklin on purpose. She just seems to always be there. She can sing a hole through the steeliest of hearts, but more than three songs worth starts to wear me out.

I mean, come on: Aretha backed by Muscle Shoals? It's untouchable.

They call her The Queen of Soul for a reason.

Later albums are more consistent but who can argue w Respect and the title track

hay muchas canciones que me hicieron pensar en Janis Joplin.

Very cool,it sounded very orange if that makes sense

Nice

Strong vocals, solid songs. It’s good but nothing id rush back to and I really really really never need to hear respect ever again

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.

Damn this album is fucking good, yeah I get it.

3.5 Enjoyed this , especially on a second listen, but feel like there was some filler

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 :)

she might be genuinely one of the best highlights: respect i never loved a man (the way i love you) do right woman, do right man save me a change is gonna come

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

Respect carries this enough to be average at worst. Didn't get as much out of it as I had from other Aretha projects.

Hmmm…

Mamma

place on this list deserved. Not my jam. Good for the culture.

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

Seems rude to even try to rate Aretha. She's vital to the fabric of the world, like air or trees or something. You'd never claim to not like oxygen, same thing applies here. This album is also a great example of how crucial backing singers used to be (to be, to be!) There's endless fun to be had adding your own (yoooour own) backing vocals (Ooh baby baby baby!). Aretha has made my afternoon much more enjoyable. And let's be honest, you really can't beat a 'sock it to me sock it to me sock it to me' occasionally.

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 🏆

Maybe the greatest voice in history. Every note is smooth as butter. R-E-S-P-E-C-T

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.