Reviews (page 10 of 13)
I love Aretha! This is such a great album to put on in the background but then her vocal delivery grabs your attention and makes you listen to the lyrics.
Yeah very good, respect (wink). Powerful voice and seemingly lyrics, gonna have to give this a 4, always tough to give a 5 if I haven't heard it before
Aretha is a classic I loved hearing more of her work here
Awesome voice and talent. Did make me want to listen to the Commitments album though 😁
I will never not enjoy sitting down and having a listen to some classic Aretha Franklin.
Quite a nice little album. Nothing too special though but could see myself listening to it again.
Respect immediately brings this album to a 4. I've always considered it better than the original, not only because flipping the genders makes it a lot more fun (and less mean-sounding), but also because the execution is just so well done. The rest of the songs are very well done as well, but don't grab my attention in the same way.
The singing and vocals is really what makes this album, and it certainly does that exceptionally well. Definitely not the kind of music I usually listen to, though it was a good listen nonetheless.
Though I prefer Lady Soul (of the 2 Aretha albums I’ve listened to in full), there’s a certain gift in performing decent songs and making them sound like the anthem of a generation. Those Redding & Cooke covers, they’re enough to justify listening to this in full. HL: “R.E.S.P.E.C.T.”, title track, “A Change is Gonna Come”, “Save Me”, “Don’t Let Me Lose That Dream”
What an icon.
Gute Platte, die neben Respect noch weitere Perlen enthält. Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream ist der heimliche Star des Albums.
First of all, they need to remaster this on Apple Music. The sound levels are way low. There's so much great sound on this, and you have to crank it up to hear it. Respect to Respect. What a hit this song is. Aretha's perfect sound, the Motown sound, the rhythm, the sax, it all works. This song will live on forever. Nothing subsequently reaches the heights of Respect, but it's a nice little gospel, jazzy little album, clocking in around 30 minutes. The cover of Sam Cooke's A Change is Gonna Come pushes it to the 4-star level!
Outstanding vocal performance.
Good singer. I like her music. "Respect" is fine. Also "Dr. Feelgood" and "I never loved a man".
The problem with an album like this is that the opening track is so perfect that anything that comes after it pales in comparison. Respect is such a fucking amazing song that everything else just feels second rate after it.
She's the queen of soul for a reason. I don't listen to a lot of soul normally, but I'd happily put this album on.
Lovely album, great voice.
Soulful and bluesy with gospel underpinnings. Classic.
Ok
She was so talented!
Superb voice
"I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You" is the tenth studio album by Aretha Franklin and the first released under her Atlantic contract. She departed Columbia after nine disappointing jazz-standard albums. The album began recording at FAME in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and later finished at Atlantic Studios in NYC due to an altercation between her husband, a band member and the producer. Some might notice the difference in the two recordings due to tape recording speed discrepancies between the two studios. The album was a big success reaching #1 in the US. This album is worth listening to if just for Aretha's voice. What can you say? The album begins with the classic cover of Otis Redding's "Respect." Horns and a guitar intro. Outstanding backing vocals by three women which persists throughout this album. Aretha's forceful voice. Hard to not put this song up near the top songs of all time. A slower pace led by the piano fuels the soulful "Drown In My Own Tears." A Henry Glover cover. Aretha's soulful delivery! The first single was actually "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You). More of a blues beat led by the organ, piano and horns. A lying, cheating man but she loves him nonetheless. A highlight of the second side is "Good Times." A Sam Cooke cover. More blues than soul. Guitar. No backing vocals. Aretha slows down her delivery in the excellent "Do Right Women, Do Right Man." A soulful ballad. Excellent backing vocals. Need to treat your women right. The album ends with another Sam Cooke cover, "A Change is Gonna Come." The original is such a good song and Aretha does it right. Slower, more soulful. I don't know if I've heard a better vocal performance than Aretha on this album. And, I don't know is this is breaking any new ground with music but Aretha takes this to another level. An album obviously worth checking out.
Very good
Lovely! What a voice. A sweet and warm listen, a nice mix of smoothness and intensity. No song ever drones on and on, they're like little tasting samples, in the best way possible! Ideal length. Really enjoyed the bossa nova influence in Don't Let Me Lose This Dream. This one is one that will enter the rotation for a rainy, grey weekend morning.
Elevating and beyond soulful, or rather definitively soulful. One thinks the back-up singers get perhaps less credit than they deserve. Gospel never sounded so sexy, or love songs quite so upstanding. The playing is solid +, letting the Queen do what she could do. The reinterpretations of Redding and Mayfileld shows how she can have her way with a song, and it's how she inhabits the song, not just singing it, that makes AF the Queen of Soul, right? And she is indeed Queen of Soul AF.
The Queen!
Respect is so good they put it twice on the album. 5 4
An amazing classic beautiful album with a beautiful album cover!
Classic and timeless
Cool
Motown classic
Soul. R&B
Very, very good. Should listen again
How can you not like an album which includes the greatest song ever, 'Respect', as determined by the unassailable metrics imposed by Rolling Stone Magazine? Joking aside, Franklin truly is at full force on this record, making incredibly good choices in the songs she covers. A highlight is of course 'A Change Is Gonna Come' - Franklin might be one of a handful of artists capable of matching Sam Cooke's emotion and strength on this song.
What a voice; absolutely surreal that it took 10 albums for her to finally strike some much deserved success. It really sets the bar high opening with “Respect” and while the A-side continues to deliver solid songs, it’s not until Franklin herself gets songwriting credit on “Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream” and “Baby, Baby, Baby” that I can really sense her full presence accompanied beautifully by her sisters on backing vocals. I would’ve liked for the drums and guitars to be a bit more present in the mix, which is heavily dominated by bass and the horn section. But with Franklin’s vocal in front, it doesn’t bother me that much.
Great soul album, killer voice and the songs were solid.
Queens tend to be a sensitive subject these days. Aretha was more of a force of nature than a regal entity. Respect is such a perfect song.
Skide god. Hun synger mega godt, ved dog ikke om der er noget jeg kommer til at lytte til mange gange
hoe
LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOO 3 repeated songs at the end? Not a bad thing, just strange
Looks like we are getting some awesome albums this week. I don’t know if this is her most famous, but I thought this album was fantastic. Some songs weren’t, but overall this was a great soul album from start to finish.
Here's a winner! The other from Aretha that I have on vinyl. In college, a coworker once asked me if I could only listen to one song for the rest of my life, which song would I choose? I took a few days to think about it, and came back with "Respect" by Aretha Franklin as my answer. Timeless, fits different moods, just one of the all-time greats. It opens this album, which is full of plenty of other great tracks along the way, including a cover of Sam Cooke's masterpiece "A Change is Gonna Come," which is not on the sole Sam Cooke album featured on the list. This is a fantastic album. Favorite tracks: Respect, I Never Loved a Man, A Change is Gonna Come, Do Right Woman, Drown in my Tears, Good Times. Album art: About as ethereal as a portrait shot from an album this old could be. Looks vaguely like a wedding photo, or maybe she's supposed to be an angel in heaven? Either way, I do enjoy this one, and I like the old school font. 4.5/5
Just an absolutely stunning voice every time. Not as good as Lady Soul was, but still a transcendent talent. Favorite track, non-Respect division: Good Times
Amazing voice and talent
One of her best. Got it on vinyl.
Love this album, the iconic Respect is such a rocker.
I liked this. What do you even say about an album that has “Respect” on it? I don’t think I’d listen to this album again, but I enjoyed it all the same.
19/8
She’s the Queen for a reason
I have heard some of Aretha Franklin, but "Respect" was the only track on I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love you. "Respect", "Good Times", and "A Change is Gonna Come" were my favorite tracks. Aretha does a good cover of "A Change is Gonna Come", easily making it her own. I enjoyed listening to this album. I wouldn't skip a single track on this album, and I think I could grow to like the album even more.
A great voice, Respect is a classic and saved another.
Aretha’s reputation as the queen of soul proceeds her. With the focal point of the album being her soulful voice that strikes a balance between power and tenderness - there is no denying the emotion in the music. The horns and saxophone are used perfectly to accompany her impressive vocals. Some tracks do seem to blend into others but the feel of the album is never lost. The standout tracks are the iconic Respect and her rendition of a change is gonna come.
4/5 An amazing album powerful do emotional
Soul music just sounded so much better in the 1960s. I remember talking to a producer about why albums didn't sound like they did in the 60s and 70s anymore and he told me that they could do it if they wanted, they just don't want to. I feel this is a bit of a lie because if you could make albums sound this warm or make drums sound like John Bonham, you would.
Transformative.
Superb. Pure classic.
Great album
Queen
Solid
Out of the gates fast with RESPECT. Solid effort with a Fantastic voice.
Fun
Goede vibes
I really enjoyed listening to this one. I had never listened to much Aretha before. Her vocals are incredible and I was surprised at how strong the album was all the way through.
shes one of the greats
Really enjoyed this one
Great songs, love Aretha
How could I give the queen of soul a 3 or below? Soul isn’t really my thing personally hence the 4 but my favorite track was respect, understandably her most well known song
Prime slice of 60's soul. If you don't like this then you can fuck right off. Best Tracks: Respect; I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You; A Change Is Gonna Come
R E S P E C T
Whatever you think of the lady she had one hell of a voice- this is the pinnacle for what it is. Powerful, soulful and refreshing.
Always a delight these 60’s Aretha albums
Great soul album, incredible soul singer. I should check her other albums one day.
Historic album, we all know the hits.
Her voice is amazing. Incredible soul album. She deserve all that RESPECT
Very enjoyable album. The opening massive hit "Respect" puts you in the mood for a 1967 soul music ride. I always loved the sounds and tones from this period, especially the brass sections and drums. Aretha Franklin is a unique and powerful singer. A must listen.
-"Respect" is obviously super famous and a top quality song -"Dr. Feelgood (Love Is a Serious Business)" is not related to "Dr. Feelgood" by Mötley Crüe at all. -"Dr. Feelgood (Love Is a Serious Business)," "Good Times," "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man," 'Save Me," and "A Change Is Gonna Come" are all relatively upbeat tracks (compared to some of the earlier more ballad-like songs) -Generally Aretha Franklin always balanced the calm, sad parts of songs with strong, powerful finishes that stops entire songs from being low-energy. her band is always consistent with keeping a strong background top not just leave it as her voice, which is obviously great and powerful and handles all the songs beautifully.
Respect is a timeless classic. Aretha is a legendary singer with a truly powerful voice that rings with emotion. I loved listening to this album, as I wasn't familiar with most of the songs on it.
Obviously a really great R&B album, and Franklin’s singing is stellar throughout (especially considering she was just 25). But the musical accompaniment and songwriting aren’t as consistently great (though this is partly the reality of leading with the absolutely dominating Respect, which overshadows the rest of the album). Not to say any of it is bad - indeed mostly it’s very good - but the first song sets the bar so high it’s hard not to see the lackluster entries among what follows.
Such an amazing and soulful album. Can’t wait to give it another listen!
Two things: Aretha Franklin is awesome, especially in the 60s. And this 25 minutes of Aretha. Love her. (8/10) FT: Respect, Dr. Feelgood
8/10. Henceforth, I shall remember the Queen of Soul.
Very nice, they have an amazing voice and the songs are well written.
Classic, have it on vinyl. I think it's very close to 5 stars, but there are a couple snoozers on side 2.
9/10. Some of the songs went on a little to long but everything else was AMAZING
Absolute classic. Great album.
A nice listen
4/5 i liked it..
Great great artist, just not a style that appeals to me.
A powerhouse of a record. The fadeouts on every song were slightly annoying, but that's more of a function of the era than anything else. Best track: I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)
she wails, just a little disappointing how all famous female singers have to sing about love or wtvr to make it?
I love Aretha and this album only helped to cement that.
3.8 - classic soul tracks with a set of pipes that does the empowerment undertones complete justice.
Mixed feelings on this album. The first 3 and last 3 tracks are brilliant! The middle tracks seemed to drag the album down. I was close giving it a 3, but the bookends are so good it deserves more.
V Nice! Respect is overplayed though
What can you say! It's Aretha.
Great voice, great music
She sing good
One of the best singers that Ive heard. Fully recommendable to enjoy her music.
Truly timeless soul classics from one of the most iconic voices in music.
Franklin sent i sentint-se lliure per primer cop. Es nota i molt en el poder i fortalesa de la seva veu i la manera que ataca els temes del disc, des del 'Respect' d'Otis Redding al 'Change Is Gonna Come' de Sam Cooke. Respecte, i molt, efectivament
I did listen to this, but I forgot to review it. The singles are good, from what I remember.
I didn't know about the backstory and the nine unsuccessful jazz albums before this release. That shows some persistence. It's a rare example of the vocals matching up to the quality of the songs. A Change is Gonna Come is close to five star perfection. I found the album the ideal early morning listening for wfh.
Stunning. A 4.5 for me, but I'll round down to 4 as it's magic, but I wouldn't want to hear it all the time.
Хорошая запись. Динамика выдержана
Hat mir echt gut gefallen. die instrumentals sind echt immer gut on point und aretha franklin ist natürlich auch super. manchmal sind die songs nicht so super, aber insgesamt macht das echt spaß
The vocals are by far the best element on here. If I'm grateful for anything about listening to this album, is to hear Aretha Franklin's soulful delivery and notes. The songs are pretty good, Respect is one of the most famous songs of all time. Also liked Do Right Woman..., I Never Loved a Man, and Baby Baby Baby.
The queen! This isn't my favorite genre, but you can't help but appreciate and adore Aretha!
Great album, full of soulful, gorgeously produced songs. Franklin is in perfect voice and surrounded by some top notch musicians. Some of the middle songs are musically less interesting than others, but not due to Franklin, who gives her all to every song. Fave Songs: Do Right Woman, Do Right Man; I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You); Respect; Drown in My Own Tears, A Change Is Gonna Come, Dr. Feelgood, Save Me
Being that I'm born and raised in the Detroit area, of course I know that Aretha was a national treasure. Having said that, I've never actually listened to one of her albums start to finish. I'm really glad I finally did. So good, so soulful, so powerful. 4 stars.
Pretty strong soul albumn with incredible vocals backed by unique although simpler instrumentation
Yes, of course
Excellent.
r.e.s.p.e.c.t.
I knew Aretha Franklin was a great singer, and I listened to multiple individual songs by her but never full albums. This one started off on the right foot with Respect, and kept being good.
Its Aretha man, solid stuff. Its not my normal genre but deserves a 4. Love me some motown stuff every once in awhile
What a voice
We can look back in time and judge these songs as average, but the passion and soul she puts into her vocals brings them to such life. The great Aretha doesn’t fail!
Me: I don't know if I'm going to be able to get into this Aretha Franklin album Aretha: I'm going to start this album off at 1000 mph with Respect And that's why she's the queen of soul and I'm just some schmuck at a keyboard. On the other hand, this album really has no where to go after the first song because it's one of the greatest songs of all time. The album is good the whole way through, but man it starts off hot 4/5
Quite nice. Not my taste in perticular but it has a calmn and relaxed mood.
A have a lot of respect for this album. Soul Is just a genre way out of my normal listening zone, but I really enjoyed this one. Maybe not enough for a 5, but a strong 4. Would listen again.
This is a classic soul album with great songs. Aretha Franklin is always a pleasure to listen to. It's a bit measured for my usual taste but I enjoyed it.
"Respect" es un rolononón. 8.5/10
What a classic. Amazing vocal performance from the first track to the last. "Respect" is truly an anthem until today, and is testament to her influence on modern R&B/ Soul.
It's all in the voice.
Nice
"Dont let me lose this dream" is by far my favourite song from this album with "respect" coming at a close second. Very good album, very happy that I heard it.
She is one of the greatest. And it's nice and she just has this iconic voice. I like other popular songs of her more.
This is just a meat-and-potatoes great album. Not flashy, not exciting, just a classic. 4/5
Really nice, badass feminist album!
Aretha Franklin leaves no doubt that she was in fact, the Queen of Soul. This was the music of our grandparents, and to a lesser extent among the first introductions to music for our parents. With that in mind, this was a growing experience, and a meaningful one. This is a good listen, perhaps even great. This listener was not blown away entirely by the album, nor was there an expectation to be. In listening to music from 50+ years ago, the history always accompanies the listen. When looked at in the era it was recorded, the intentional choice of love, romance, but also respect in spite of the tremendous social anxieties, the listener with this knowledge, must be able to an extent empathize with why the Queen's contribution has only increased in its poignancy over time. The subject matter of the album carried romantic elements that society had wrongly held the black community of being incapable. Aretha Franklin broke the mold, and this album showed that love and romance are shared human elements, regardless of color. A frankly necessary reminder for the American society of the late 60's.
Brilliant voice, brilliant songs, properly stopped me in my tracks at points. The title track, A Change is Gonna Come and, of course, Respect were highlights.
lovely.
Nice album but it not my style
Songs to Add: - Respect - Drown in my Own Tears (Remake playlist) - Good Times (Chores Song) - A Change Is Gonna Come - Save Me Whole album aside from one or two songs has a melancholy tone. Reminds me of a sad, gray, rainy day. Think the part of the movie after the big fights where a couple spends the day thinking about the events the night before being sad and contemplating what to do next.
You cannot go wrong with 60s Aretha Franklin. Anyone who says otherwise is a total dope.
She can really sing. There are many well known songs on the album.
#2 Pretty good! Not my cup of tea, but love songs where you can make out the words!
Franklin's vocals are incredible, especially on Soul Serenade. Holy moly.
It was curious... i almost can't stand Respect. Every time i hear it, i want to change the channel. So, even with that discount, this album is still amazing and soulful. Definitely enjoyable.
Favorite track: Dr. Feelgood
Aretha makes you FEEL something here. Every word she sings has purpose, has a point. This album gets 4 stars on the title track and RESPECT alone.
Solid album, but a little screechy in places.
Don't mess w the best
The zenith of 60s soul. Franklin's strong voice revolutionized the genre, placing a greater emphasis on emotion than raw subject matter. And it is Franklin's voice that is the centerpiece. If you ever wanted to know what purpose backing vocals could serve, here you go. Their reiteration empowers Franklin's pride or distress, inviting the audience to experience the same. The piano serves a similar purpose. This is most evident in "Dr Feelgood" where they abruptly stop only when Franklin is about to speak, giving her room and respect to preach. It's not a perfect album, and certainly not the 13th best album ever (cough cough). Piano sometimes feel out of tune, and the instruments and backing vocals may clash with Franklin from time to time. But soul/funk was still a couple years off from having the high production that only just emerged in rock. Yet with solid songs the whole way through, and its high influence on the community, it is the apex of 1960s soul and deserves at least an incredible status.
Amazing voice, and some good tunes
Pretty good. I think I've heard all these songs before, but never listened to the album from start to finish. I approve. Not really my favorite and probably won't listen again anytime soon, but I appreciate hearing it.
soul goat. RIP
This and Lady Soul are probably the top contenders if you had to pick a must-own studio release from the Queen of Soul. For me, the slow, sultry, bluesy songs here are really what makes it the one to have. Honestly, I think a lot of R+B and Soul music from this era was much more focused on singles than full albums, and I'm sure you could argue there's better versions of some of these songs to be found, but I'd still say this is a solid album all the way through.
I'd only heard a few of the classics but never this album in its entirety. Absolutely fantastic and even hearing a song you feel like you've heard 1000 times ("Respect") and paying it closer attention (maybe just not hearing it in a commercial, sporting event, etc) shows how perfect a song it really is. Made in 1967 and I love the mix and clarity. I often marvel at how good some old records sound - so many times better than mixes 40-50 years later - and so much is due to careful arrangement and pre-production; knowing what *not* to put in just as much as knowing what to put in. Similarly, this is obviously a vocal artist so Aretha is the feature but on a personal mixing note I *so vastly prefer* what is apparently an older style of mixing the vocals much lower than what has become standard over the last few decades. The vocals mesh with the music far better in mixes like these as opposed to the modern-ish method of sitting way up front and "over" the music.
Great soul album.
So clear a purposeful! Such a beautiful lady. More!
1. good stuff 7/10 2. good 6/10 3. nice 7.5/10 4. great 8/10 5. okay 5.5/10 6. really good 8.5/10 7. decent 6/10 8. cool 6.5/10 9. wow 9/10 10. so so 6.5/10 11. decent 7/10
- best song: Do Right Woman, Do Right Man - saved - really good, very "exciting" for an album of its time for me
what's not to love about aretha?
A beautiful soul album with the unforgettable voice of one of the best, Aretha.
Holding some of the most powerful and iconic soul tracks of all time its no wonder that this album has massive staying power. Both sonically and socially relevant as the day it produced this album has a though line of soul that you can't help but shout a few bars our yourself.
Incredible. Timeless. One of the best displays of soul onto wax I've ever heard. The B side is a little weaker than the A side, but still very very nice.
Ein Album für Einsame, Hausfrauen, sexuell Frustrierte, Feministinnen, Leute mit Liebeskummer, Fernweh und Hummeln im Hintern. Eins davon war jeder schon Mal.
Nooit gedacht dat ik dit leuk zou vinden.
Gouden stem, goed album, maar zou het niet zelf zomaar eens opleggen
YES ARETHA! I'd only ever heard Respect before but this whole album is jamming. Good stuff, definitely will come back
A great Sunday Morning album, but I keep wanting the Sam Cooke versions of Good Times and A Change Is Gonna Come... Do Right Woman... is a total tyuuune though.
Not something I'd listen to all the time - but an enjoyable album. Good to listen to a full Aretha album instead of just the few famous songs I've previously heard.
can't give any less than 4 but lot of slower tunes
Incredible voice!
Pretty good, knew a couple of the songs.
fire
Wie Malo schon schrieb: diese Frau könnte ein schwarzes Loch zu einem saftigen Steak zersingen. Und sie kann es mit der Backröhre genauso wie mit dem Dampfgarer und dem Niedrigtemperaturberfahren. Und wie sie es kann! Bin gar kein so riesiger Fan von Soul Music, aber das hier: immer gern und immer mehr.
Aretha's powerful vocals give buoyancy to the entire band, including the backup singers! Tracks like "Respect", "Drown in My Own Tears", and "A Change is Gonna Come" truly showcase the soul of Aretha Franklin and her ability to sing freely around beat while still landing in time with the band, which allows her to put further inflection on top of her already emotional delivery. It should also be noted that her band that accompanies her on this album does a great job and bring life to the song arrangements, however they are overshadowed by the power that is Aretha's voice. The only thing holding this album back from being 5 stars is a lack of variety in the track listing, but the individual tracks that I previously named are all worthy of 5 stars by themselves.
I cry.
Album good, voice better. Aretha is a legend. Too tired to write more!
Very solid, they don't call her the queen of soul for nothing.
It's a beautiful, soulful album, literally. I could really use some more repeated listens.
It was great, such a beautiful voice. Certainly not something I'd listen to every day though
Since I saw the album as a teenager, I have wished this was a lesbian power album. Even if the lyrics are about the singer loving an abusive guy, this album slaps.
classic, deserves all the praise she gets
Fun fact, Aretha got pregnant for the first time at the age of 12.
Fave Track: "Good Times" (Written by Sam Cooke) Fun Fact: "Respect" was originally written/performed by Otis Redding Preferred the upbeat tracks. Mostly bluesy-soul numbers. Her TENTH album already by 1967, gives you pause to think how much music she's made over the years.
Respect.
Righteousness.
Always love a little bit of Aretha Franklin
solid, classic album
Gets me pumped.
Classic, never listened in full, but this seems like the epitome of soul from that time
Nog een keer luisteren
I only knew Respect on the album but you always gotta show respect to the queen of soul
Gotta show some RESPECT to this album
Love Aretha. Love the Sam Cooke tributes on here. "Good Times" was a great choice and her version of "A Change is Gonna Come" is fantastic, soulful, and spiritual. Favorite tracks: "Respect", "A Change is Gonna Come", "Drown in My Own Tears"
Respect stands out here and the rest of the tracks highlight her incredible voice but nothing really captured my heart.
Actually banger
5/10
Good voice but not my kind of music
Great voice, couple of belting hits. The rest is alright.
I knew one song. Didn't pay that much attention to the others but nice voice
Sebi findet es besser als Dusty Springfield, ich nicht.
I love her voice and there are some great tracks on here including a really well done Sam Cooke cover. I just prefer Lady Soul and Aretha Now over this one, but maybe that'll change in the future.
***A very good, easy listening album
repetitive sound but still really good. aretha's voice!!!
Enjoyed
couple good songs, not worth listening to the whole album
Aretha in her prime, singing her signature song. I was very surprised to read in the Wikipedia summary that this album was not that well-received when it was first released--I'm glad that changed over time.
DNF. Chill vibes excellent voice. Not really mynthing
Nothing particularly stood out but it was a solid enjoyable listen throughout
Surprised me at how good it was. Worth a relisten
Two great classics and a lot of okay filler don't make a great album.
08/19 Not bad
Even though I’m not someone who regularly listens to soul music (I definitely wouldn’t call myself a connoisseur), it’s really easy to get into this album. I probably wouldn’t normally go out of my way to listen to individual songs from it, but the way the album flows makes it a really enjoyable listen. It’s only about half an hour long, but it’s loaded with slower songs that let you appreciate Franklin’s incredible voice, along with more upbeat tracks that bring a lot of energy. Admittedly the covers are the highlights of the album. Otis Redding’s Respect is obviously a classic. Even songs like Drown in My Own Tears, Soul Serenade, and Do Right Woman, Do Right Man are phenomenal. I just don’t thank the originals are nearly as good. They lack a lot of movement, it doesn’t really feel like anything is changing. Very simplistic, simple beat, etc. and it makes the album feel like its dragging on. Will this album turn me into a huge Aretha Franklin or soul fan? I’m not sure. But there are definitely enough great songs here to convince even someone who isn’t normally into soul music to give it a chance.
Pretty good defied my expectations.
Respect Dr.feelgood Drown in my own tears
I respect it but I don't relish it.
JL : 3, A Change Is Gonna Come
6/10
A great collection of songs and performances. Had never listened to an entire Aretha album before, and a bit overwhelmed by some of the "bombast" to the point of relief when the softer songs arrived.
It was fine! Great voice obviously, didn't connect much emotionally
I can see the appeal but the truth is I can’t take more than 30 minutes of 60s soul at a time
I respect this album but don't enjoy it as much as, say, the Anita Baker one. I think it's well made though and she obviously has an amazing voice.
it's great!
Très belle voix mais ça se répète ! J’étais dans le bus je me suis endormi et aucune idée d’où j’étais dans l’album c’était pareil qu’avant
Couple really strong songs and rest of album was fine but mid 3/5 Favorites: a change is gonna come, respect
Soulful, approachable music that showcases Aretha's legendary vocals. Real slick record and would give it another spin.
Abrir con esa versión de 'Respect' es, nunca mejor dicho, para mostrar un respeto a esta artista gigante del soul. Leo que ella misma frenó los impulsos de los gerifaltes de la discográfica para tocar con músicos de sesión que limitaban lo que ella quería probar. Consiguió reapropiarse de su sonido, mientras la banda acompañaba sin ahogarla. Se metió al bolsillo a sus compañeros y a la gente, normal que sea una verdadera reina de lo suyo. Qué elegancia desprenden sus canciones (algunas versiones las transformó casi en algo propio, además de componer 4 canciones para el disco, algo raro para entonces, que había tanta fábrica de compositores). Por otra parte, el soul no es de mis géneros favoritos ni con el que más me emocione, así que eso limita un poco el resto de la escucha, haciendo que la puntuación tire para abajo.
This album is ok, not great. Most of the songs are slower soul and gospel songs than faster R&B songs. Respect is one of the exceptions. The backup singers are good though. She is considered the greatest singer but I don't agree. She's good but her voice is higher and thinner than I expected. The production was criticized by the Stones and is valid. As noted by a reviewer, listen to the Sam Cooke and Otis Redding songs she covers.
Great voice. Musics of note to me: "Respect" (both) and "Change Is Gonna Come".
Aretha is a classic but not my tempo
It was decent, didn’t blow me away
Ma ütleks, et väga okei album. Ei pannud kuulama, aga ma arvan, et siin mängib natukene rolli ka ajastute vahe. Pani mõtlema sellele, et ühest küljest on muusika lüürika aja jooksul aina lihtsamaks muutunud, aga kui teemasid vaadata, siis on tolle aja muusika vist isegi monotoonsem. Minu peas oli laulja mingit sorti kaudses dialoogis varasemalt kuulatud Ray Charlesi albumi minategelasega. Nad oleksid ikka paras paar, aga ausalt ma näen lahutust tulemas.
This is a solid collection of all the great songs by this powerful singer. A word needs to be said about the arrangement of the songs - great stuff. Not all the tracks are good enough though.
Has a classic at the start, and some other high points, but overall it was just fine for me.
О! Арета!
Obviously lots of classic material here by the Queen of soul. Her voice accompanied by smooth and groovy soul music makes for an easy listen.
I feel dead. so skip the proper review for this cause i need to revive. 3/5
The great singers of old - Sinatra, Franklin, etc. - are a bit shortshifted in terms of assessment in these types of lists because they are much more song centric than they are albums, which are never that strong as a collection or as a whole experience.
Solid if unspectacular.
Don't let me lose this dream stands out. Overall not for me, but not bad
This album does not generate as much excitement in me as I would like, or as much as I would have suspected based on the killer opening track. Beyond Respect there are a lot of pleasant soul sounds from a vocal powerhouse but they are not as iconic or memorable as I would expect given Aretha Franklin’s level of fame and adoration. She’s cool though and I could see this album as being a bit of a leveller - it would be hard to imagine someone who would object to this being put on at the beginning of a party, or when it's winding down.
Surprisingly only a high 3 for Aretha for me, two or three great tracks and a fair bit that doesn’t do a lot for me
Respect - what a way to start an album! I’m realising I’ve heard so many recent covers of this song, all serviceable, but Aretha’s vocals are something else. Although I enjoy listening to this album, the music is not diverse enough to hold my interest. I become somewhat bored around the sixth track.
Credit where it's due, Aretha has an AMAZING voice. This is back when you couldn't do a digital touch-up, her range is impressive, but the voice on her has a beautiful tone outside of technical skill. So, of course I wanted to love this album,especially starting off with that classic single. I find the album mostly forgettable though, and maybe it's the date seeping through, but I can't find myself getting excited over poossibly owning this record. 3.1/5
Ну средне, средне
Nothing wrong with some Aretha Franklin. I'm much more of a rock and roll guy, but daaamn she had a voice.
Stark 3a
Some real classic bangers in here but not enough to bring me back to the album as a whole body of work.
eh
Near the start of my 1000 journey I got my first Aretha Franklin album (Lady Soul,) now I've got my second from her around 430 albums deep. I wonder if she has any more... well Aretha has a very powerful voice, you can hear the defiance, the anguish, the sincerity all clear as day. The instrumentation is very obviously soulful and is very luscious and just very well done. Like her first album of hers I got, it's a bit difficult, even though I've gotten pushed out my comfort zone massively. Maybe I'm shocked by the strong presence by Aretha. Who knows, but I really like the instrumentation and I kinda like the vocals, and most importantly the albums are very brief. So, I'm willing to give the albums a couple more listens each, as I really do see why it's included on the 1001 generator. I do see myself returning. Highlight Song/s: "Don't let Me lose This Dream" and "Baby, Baby, Baby"
She's certainly a great singer, but she doesn't quite reach me.
Den ersten Song finde ich nur noch nervig, zu oft gehört. Danach wird es erträglicher. Gut, mal gehört zu haben, läuft aber sicher nicht allzu bald wieder.
Respect is huge. The rest is average
another classic album that starts out at 11 and then ... turns into a series of tame love ballads. it has Respect on it, but it's still a 3
It's okay, not my style nothing is really catching my attention. has a few classics on it
Ich fand’s schon okay, es sind einige catchy tunes dabei. Ich verstehe auch die Relevanz und dafür schätze ich das Album, aber insgesamt it fell flat. Vielleicht auch, weil es kein wirkliches overarching theme gibt (imo) und es eher in the short side ist.
this one's ok. i think i preferred lady soul a bit due to the heavier lean into an r&b sound. oddly though, i feel like i'm missing the gospel element too? which isn't really something i'd thought i was into. maybe it was the secret sauce all along..... "respect" is the hardest hitter for sure, and i like "baby, baby, baby" and "a change is gonna come" a lot too. franklin's singing is great as always but the rest of the tracks, idk.... i'm just not feeling it so much this time? i guess "save me" stood out a bit too, but in that case it's mostly riding on a great drum beat. it also probably doesn't help that, as before, the writers hadn't figured out how to end a song other than fading out yet. i guess what im saying is i don't really know why i didn't enjoy this one as much as lady soul. hmm....
Just what you’d expect from an Aretha album.
Thought the other album was better
Decent album. Has a few big hits that are great. Everything else is just ok.
3.46 / 5 stars for Aretha. I geniunely enjoyed this album, albeit a little out of my wheelhouse. Gospel, Blues, Soul, all of it was sung beautifully by Aretha, just these are not songs that I'd throw on my Road Trip Mix you know. "Respect", sure, but the rest of it, maybe not so much. Good album though.
Respect is a great cover, and Franklin has a great voice, but I can't figure out why the album is lauded so much. The other songs are fine but seem overshadowed by Respect. I can't find much info on why this album as a whole has skyrocketed to such fame.
Respect has to be up there as one of the greatest earworms of all time, going to be singing that all day long now, thanks. Overall solid album, but rating to my taste just a three as it's not something I will put in regular rotation.
jazz honestly, is not my thing, but aretha sounds beautiful as she looks in the cover. a great album, i liked it.
Un album entretenido, bonita produccion, buenas letras, me gusto pero creo no es lo que escucharia
This had some amazing parts but the rest kind of blended together.
Strong
Its fine just not my type of music.
its alright but like yeah
She's not as good as Nina Simone
The thing I find most interesting about this album is that a ton of the songs are covers. I could have gone my entire life thinking "Respect" was an Aretha Franklin original, but nope. It's actually an Otis Redding song from less than 2 years prior. This one is hard to rate for me. Albums that are objectively a 5 always make me feel terrible for not personally loving. Aretha Franklin is one of the most well known, beloved musicians of all time. Her voice is absolutely iconic. She has been given every positive accolade under the sun. Her version of “Respect” is also perfect. I was surprised to see it wasn’t her most listened to song on Spotify. If you put a gun to my head, I’d have told you it was number 1. Instead, number 1 went to a song from a different album entirely, that song being “I Say a Little Prayer”. By name alone, I don’t even recognize that song. In fact, even on this album, I only know “Respect”, and it’s my favorite song on the album by far. Why is this a 3 if I’ve acknowledged and understand how great she is then?? What fault could I possibly find in this album?? Well, none honestly. I can’t fault this album, I just don’t personally enjoy this type of music very much. That’s just not the way I rank these albums. I thought this was slow, not terribly interesting, and only has 1 memorable song. But that’s just from my perspective, personally. Again, I reiterate, this is a fantastic album. It’s just not really for me. This is the first of 2 Aretha Franklin albums I have rolled for this project. One of the best to ever do it, but for the modern ears, she just sounds alright to me, and I would not personally return to this. I can’t even really say that “Respect” got stuck in my head like I thought it would. It’s such a short song, and ends way too early. I wish it was even just 30 seconds longer so I could enjoy it more. Still though, now I want to wait to hear her number 1 song to see if I recognize it or not. I wonder if it really is catchier and better than “Respect”, but somehow I just doubt that it would be. We’ll see when I roll it at some point. Quick update after the review. Upon further inspection, the album with her top song isn’t even on here. I guess I’ll just play it regardless to see how good it is.
Good but not my type
Aretha Franklin is a vaguely familiar name to me, though I don't think I've listened to a single song of hers. I'm really split down the middle on what this album could be. It's too late to be a vocal jazz album and a little too early to be a soul album. The title doesn't strike me as blues, either. I suppose this album is closer to soul's time in the limelight than vocal jazz, so I'll hedge my bets on a soul album. Here goes. Yup, it's a soul album. I've been on a bit of a hot streak with my genre predictions lately. That being said, I'm beginning to tire of the soul albums, so this isn't catching me at a good time. Still, it was fine. Aretha Franklin is a competent singer. She harmonises nicely and has a clear, pleasing voice. Admittedly, her style of singing isn't to my liking largely because of how noisy and varied it is, though her performances are solid nonetheless. There's less to remark about the instrumentals. They're your standard, impersonal backing band affair, though the delicate pianos and bluesy guitars are among the highlights of its instrumental offerings. What I really salute about this album is its runtime - I'm always down for a shortie. Overall, I was content to let this one run through, though I doubt I'll ever return to it. Book time. "...the queen of soul". I'd venture to guess that's how I know of her. Franklin's previous record deal with Columbia stifled her creative potential, with this release from Atlantic being the one to bring her out of her shell. Aretha wrote four of the tracks on this album and played the piano. That's about it, however. Wikipedia says this album was Franklin's breakthrough release and had two successful singles. Contemporary reviews were mixed, though it's since been reappraised as one of the all-time greatest albums. Franklin's cover of "Respect" is considered her signature song. The album peaked at No. 2 on the US charts and No. 36 in the UK, but charted nowhere else. Yeah. I'm favourable to this album and I'll likely be favourable to her next album if she truly is the queen of soul. I cosign this inclusion.
Top songs: do right woman do right man, respect, good times, a change is gonna come
Álbum 5/10, Respect es un gran tema aspen. Con un día nublado este disco dan ganas de dormir, pero está bueno jaja
chill copado
No better voice in all of soul
it was obviously good vocally but it was kind of slow a lil boring and obv aretha franklin is a blueprint so it doesn’t sound like anything i’ve never heard before
Ziemlich mittelmäßig
It's Aretha Franklin so of course it's going to be high-quality. This kind of felt like an answer to the call of B.B. King. Her compositions are arguably a cut above, with a bit more creativity and extra detail details like background vocals, but the style and the sentiment is very similar. Again, I can't help but think men and women acknowledged their mutual need for each other more than they do now. I don't know if this is a criticism or a feature, but many of the songs just presented one idea and ran with it the whole song into a fade out ending, which kind of feels unfinished and a bit unsatisfying, but it also serves to make more room for her vocal performance. "Don't let me lose this dream" stood out to me in that sense because it actually progresses and changes. I'm finding that the vocal cadence is very much like talking, like she says "I'm gonna do this this and this," and of course the melodic delivery has a lot of artistry, but I kind of prefer more poetic lyrics sung in a more rhythmic cadence, I don't know. I think that is just a characteristic of blues that I don't love. Like they're kind of just talking quite literally about their love affairs and it gets kind of tiring. I would prefer a little bit more stimulus to my imagination.
Creo que uno de los poderes más grandes de Aretha Franklin es su capacidad de transmitir emoción y creo que transmite bastante fuerza
schöne stimme, ganz nett anzuhören
Respect is obviously iconic. Amazing voice. (14 songs, 41 minutes) with 3 repeats?
3 DEFF thats not bad but not good kinda boring i love her vocals just soooo fine
Not really my vibe but ig it was okay
You know, Aretha Franklin has undeniably an amazing voice. Respect is a classic. These songs are mostly fine. I think as an album, this is nothing special. Not a ton of variety, nothing terribly remarkable.
A deeply soulful album by one of the greatest to ever do it. Beautiful jazz production accompanied by one of the best vocals in soul.
3 for respect alone
Respect is such a classic song!
Undeniably strong voice and an amazingly talented singer. And I love the soulful style and sound. But overall the album doesn’t continuously hold my attention.
Decent, but not my jam
I can respect music like this, but I don't think it's entirely for me. Still, songs like 'Don't let me lose this dream' are pretty timeless. Very influential album by a very influential artist.
Love Respect and a few of the other songs. You need to be in the right mood for this album. Would listen again
I never loved this kind of thing
Not my cup of tea but still good
Aretha the woman that you are...!! 3.75 rounded down to 3.
Not my normal kind of music, but this was nice. A good one for dinner
God she can sing. There are 2 absolute lifetime bangers on here, (Respect + the title track) but the album collectively didnt speak to my soul past a 3.5/5 so have rounded down to 3
Respect
Mooi. En wat een stem. Tegelijk weet ik niet of dit album vaak ga beluisteren. Het is ook wel heftig allemaal. Ik denk wel eens: nu is het tijd voor een ballad of iets. Maar bijna alles is intens. Vol overgave. Misschien iets voor wanneer je met iets bezig bent in huis.
A really good 60s soul album
Big voice, average choons.
Fun 60s album, doesnt really fit into any of my playlists but the singer is very talented!
Beautiful voice, iconic songs. It didn't do much for me in terms of connecting with the songs, but I liked it enough and was glad to listen to one of her albums all the way through.
really good album. i love these kind of old music. her voice is really amazing. couldnt find a specific song i would listen over and over again. 6,5/10 i would definitely give it another try someday.
Pretty good