I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

I like Queen of Soul but Queen of Funk is better. Opener Respect is the main outright essential classic cool track that you hear all the time in movies and adverts but the rest tends to be a bit more boring and less popular. Get some Chaka Khan here instead. What Cha’ Gonna Do For Me = banger central.

Yeah, this is nice. Good voice, couple of bangers. Nice.

some absolute CLASSICS on this album!! aretha’s version of A Change Is Gonna Come is so amazing and her voice is so good.

Objectively good, but not exactly my thing. A pretty certain 3/5.

It was decent

I “respect” this album. Didn’t get anything new from it really. Weird how there’s like 3 songs that are on the album twice. Respect IS the album, everything else is in its shadow, except a change is gonna come which has such power in its lyrics, which is beautiful. I appreciate the historical significance and the flawlessness in her voice, but the album as a whole is dated and boring. Somehow falls short of timeless, but not far behind I guess. And also it’s low key depressing, lots of toxic love vibes. The album title is giving manipulator. I find it hard to separate the art from the artist sometimes. Bet Aretha was a rebel-rousing honeytrap diva in her day. God bless

Great great vocalist over some good songs and two or three mega hits. Hard to give this anything less than a 3. This is not my bag but I fully understand how it was many people’s bag in 67.

Again, I completely understand how some people think this era of soul is peak, but it just doesn't speak to me in the same way a lot of other music (including neo-soul) does. I did like this album more than Al Green's Let's Stay Together and "Respect" is an absolute bop, but that's not quite enough to push I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You into four star territory for me. Highlights: Respect, Don't Let Me Lose This Dream, Good Times, Save Me, A Change Is Gonna Come

Ik ben niet per se een soul type dus zal dit niet zo snel aan mij playlist toevoegen. Respect vond ik wel leuk, deze kende ik ook al, omdat deze een iets hoger tempo heeft. Ook vond ik do right woman, do right man wel catchy. De rest had ik niet echt iets mee, maar ik vond het ook niet heel erg om naar te luisteren. Prima voor achtergrond muziek ig

Clearly an over rated album based on the name alone. It's a decent album. Respect is the clear stand out and one of the greatest covers of all time but the rest isn't as earth shattering as people are making out. Can't question the vocal but everything else is nowhere near deserving of a perfect scores being handed out. The best songs are also all covers. 3/5.

I love Aretha Franklin, love her voice within this album and the power she echos from it. She is the queen of soul. Love the soul within this project with all sorts of instrumentals, drums, piano, guitar, trumpet and much more. A very nice RnB and soul album that lead great impact.

5/10

Good classic album from an icon!

la voz de esta mina es todo. hermosos los coros también. solo conocía el primer tema (respect) que banco mucho xq es un tema re feminista para la época!! el tercer tema que me hace acordar a bill withers. el tema baby, baby, baby me hace acordar a you really got a hold on me q la conozco x los beatles. es un buen álbum, más para ser del 67!! not my style tho

She has an amazing voice, for easy listening, but I was kinda bored.

Aight

S'okay. "Respect" is a deserving classic, and the rest of the tracks are nice, but nothing special to me. Production definitely dates things a fair amount as well.

Some strong songs including the classic Respect. I can appreciate Aretha’s amazing voice and her cultural impact but ultimately the genre is not for me. Would make a nice background to a dinner party with friends but not the sort of album I’d put on for my own listening pleasure

While I recognize that Aretha's voice is beautiful, the music itself is just not that interesting to me. It's good, but doesn't make me want to listen to it any more often. 3/5

Hey this is funny- in the last five days I've had to listen to Adele, Ella Fitzgerald, and now Aretha! I've never enjoyed Aretha - she's got volume and tone but she just didn't click with me at all. Having just had the Ella Fitzgerald box set, I can comfortably say that Aretha was wasted doing albums full of jazz standards before I Never Loved A Man. Soul and R&B are her genres. Ella is perfect for jazz; Aretha needs something with more oomph to back her up. She too easily overpowers jazz. Which makes me think she would be perfect for a rock band. Yes, I know, that's heresy - but my thought is that she can cut through a band's volume, and they can push her to push her voice to those powerful places that are her bread and butter. Can you picture her on the Zeppelin version of "You Shook Me," or Jimi's "Rock Me Baby?" Or Sabbath's "War Pigs"?????? Good God. Her voice is amazing. You can't argue with that. Maybe it's just her choices of interpretation that turn me off? Maybe its the songs themselves? The songs on this particular record are excellent, and show off her incredible dynamic range, especially the closer. But Aretha just doesn't grab me in the way that Ella does, or, in the soul category, the way that James Brown or Otis Redding do. She's amazing. Just not my bag. THREE STARS

Franklin has the smoothest voice and her lyrical work is so good here! She flows between playful and serious so well. Not even my favorite Aretha Franklin album but so good!

6.18

Best Song: Respect There is no secret that Aretha Franklin can sing. The 3/5 is strictly for replayability for me. I just don't see myself listening to this again, not that it's bad, just that it is timely and not my thing.

I understand it's a classic but nothing grabbed me outside of 'Respect' and 'A Change is Gonna Come.'

*1967. *Starts off hard right off the bat with Respect. *Smoky, jazzy short songs. Pretty and sassy. *A little goes a long way for me. RATING - 6.5/10

Pretty good. Aretha obviously has a killer voice but the backing band & arrangements didn't match her skills.

Soulful AF.

Never listened before but of course heard lots of the tunes. Solid & a good example of why this exercise is good.

Aretha completely revolutionized the way singers, especially female singers, approach vocal runs and vocal stylings in pop music She brought all those big gospel acrobatics into the pop fold. But that influence would only be felt starting with Whitney Houston in the 80's and then more widely during the 90's, with artists like Mariah Carey. The entire American Idol standard of singing can be traced back to Aretha. Sure, a lot of people go way overboard with it, oversinging every single line, but that is not what we find in this record. Here everything is tastefully and expertly executed, and Aretha makes these songs her own. Key tracks: R-e-s-p-e-c-t

3.0 It's interesting but I'm not interested. 4 for the music, 2 for how much I enjoyed it. I can appreciate the art but Aretha just doesn't do it for me.

It was pleasant. I, of course, know her version of Respect which I like. I also knew I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You.

- aretha franklin on nimenä tuttu, musiikkia en ole kuuntelemalla kuunnellut - iha jepa! ei oo tämmöset vahvat naislaulajat sillee ollu ittelle ykkösgenre mut ihan kuunneltavaa mussiikkia

yeah ok

First and last songs are the best. Rest of the album is a little slow.

fint. 3

You go girlfriend!

Not my thing

MARAVILLOSO

1967! Wow. A good listen. Had no idea this was nearly 60 years old

Really good album, Respect is an all time great song and I liked Good Times but I do prefer the Sam Cooke original. Overall I did enjoy it but it isn’t one I’m likely to ever go back and revisit. Top Track - Respect

08/1001 не мой жанр, но слушалось без напряга

Respect

What a voice. Well on display on this record. Fantastic soul album.

Aretha's version of "Respect" is so definitive that I never even knew until just now that Otis Redding did it first. Are the backing vocals on that song the greatest backing vocals in music history? I think they might be. (I also love that this album is 32 minutes. Look, I love Jeff Tweedy and his music, but a TRIPLE album? Come on, man.)

An easy listen to get through. Besides what I already knew, nothing made me feel like I was missing out on what Aretha has to offer.

Solid Soul album, honestly thought some of these songs came out later.

Fangt so guet ah und sie het au e extrem gueti stimm. Soooo viel soul finds ganz gross. Mues afach leider zuegeh dases mich geg de schluss nümm so packt het.

Once again I have been impressed by this lady. Modern bands of this ilk could learn a thing or two here. 11 songs at 2½ -3 minutes each, good singing and well written lyrics. I'm just not sure what to score it. In all honesty it's not as good as the last one we had, and it's not really my sort of thing. I believe 3 is a fair score.

A respectful 3 for a stunning vocal performance, even if the music is not to my taste.

Great voice just not my thing.

I feel very conflicted with this album, Aretha has arguably the greatest voice in the business and here it definitely shines, however I found a lot of the songs sounding the same, also a lot of the songs are covers which for me always drags down the legacy of an album. I’m not saying covers can’t be better than the original, but I find a whole or majority of songs on an album to be covers in a way making it easier for a recording artist vs originals or almost all originals which in my opinion makes them not as great

Not gonna seek this one out again, but it’s not a bad album

Ja. Det kan du si.

Pretty fun listen. Not something I'd really go back to but enjoyable enough.

I was really excited when I saw this come up as I've never listened to much Aretha Franklin but I was kind of disappointed. Her voice is amazing but the songs never grabbed me and her version of Drown In My Own Tears was kind of meh.

A nice, classic sounding record with a lot of soul. Although it was certainly hornier than I expected.

Soul classic

Super Einstieg, genial für nebenbei hören, es fließt son bisschen dahin.

I never listened to an album the way I listened to you

Has Respect on it, which makes it at least 3 stars minimum. Elsewhere, the other tracks are nice and pleasant enough - no real other highlights, though. Each song isn't bad or offensive, they just kinda flow in and out without much staying power. But it's nice enough, and for the time period, you can see how it was a major album.

Another great Aretha album

Not my thing. But do have RESPECT.

Respect is iconic and the rest here are also solid slices of 60s soul, but just not really my thing

Good voice Got a little one note for me but gotta respect one of the greats

Aretha

I already had two songs saved from the album, but listening to the whole was slightly less enjoyable. 3.

Lovely tunes thx

Shes got a crazy powerful voice

Its okayyy.

She is insanely popular and I see why she is here, but this just ain't for me. Would rate 2 for my preferences but 5 for influence.

Good collection of songs and obviously an incredible voice. Wouldn’t normally choose to listen but enjoyed it.

Favs: “Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream”, “Baby, Baby, Baby” I didn’t necessarily dislike the album but it’s not exactly my genre of music. Glad I listened though and wow is she an amazing singer.

Love her voice and her contributions to American music but I just wasn't really feeling this (unlike her live album).

Pas trouvé lalbum mais jaime bien la première chanson

Very nice, I liked some of these songs and of course her voice is powerful and amazing.

A bit of a letdown. Half of the songs on this record are pretty average for a singer of Aretha's caliber.

Worth listening to, but I probably won't revisit

brava

I get it, shes got a great voice. I dont actively dislike it but I dont fall at the altar of her being the greatest singer of all time. Good album!

voice and presence, a name you know stereo the first time, mono the next don't normally care for soul, but I liked a lot here a million fade outs, often unsuccessful backup singers the era before singer-songwriters where albums were largely cover works. these albums feel different. Lyrics of a time that are sometimes depressing. makes you think. Best tunes: respect, drown in my own tears, i never loved a man (the way i love you), soul serenade, good times; do right woman, do right man; save me, a change is gonna come

Pretty damn good.

Several versions of “I Never Loved AMan The Way I Loved You. I do like that song and anything by Aretha is always good

Classic. Beautiful voice and great songs. Nice to listen to them again, been a while.

She had an amazing voice, sultry voice. There are some true classics on this album. Enjoyable soul record, but didn't blow me away.

I don't think this album lacks in quality in anyway. Aretha has a great voice, I like a lot of the lyrics, and I'd be lying if I said the instrumentals were bad. It's just... not for me. It's missing something.

The album was enjoyable to listen to.

I prefer Lady Soul but this one is pretty good. Obviously has Respect which is a great song and I like some other stuff here too

This is okay! Of course Respect is good, everything else is pretty much fine although it sort of blends together for me.

Respect is a classic. I don’t think I’d listen again, but it’s a fun time overall! Just feel good music for the soul.

Solid album that gives us a glimpse of the even better music she would make later.

This album actually sounds better in Mono... like a lot of Atlantic / Motown records from the 60s and early 70s. Default version on YT Music is mono, not sure about other services. Amazing voice, but not the most amazing sounding backing group... needs some Wrecking Crew magic or something imo. 3 stars for the song selection, especially the two Sam Cooke ones. This would be a great album to put on the background while playing cards with your parents haha

I recognize it's good. I just won't come back to it.

Aretha was such a powerhouse! Of course this album is outstanding vocally. The music is slower in tempo and soulful, but nothing really groundbreaking. It's not really my speed but it's a pleasant listen, and it's great listening to one of the masters. Standouts were "Respect" "Soul Serenade" and "A Change Is Gonna Come" A solid 3 for me

Incredible voice and an enjoyable listen, but didn't blow my mind.

She sings amazingly and I don't mind the genre, but was not blown away

Not usually my style, but such a powerful voice. Nothing to complain about

fun listen. i like alt rock way more than soul but i enjoyed this album much more than the previous one (The Holy Bible by Manic Street Preachers)

Mediano e convencional. Típico disco de soul music. Apresenta alguns momentos interessantes em suas partes instrumentais.

Respect for Aretha. 3 stars

I recognize how great this album is in the pantheon of music, but I can’t help but feel a little bit sad about how this record sounds. It sounds…old. Really holds back the listening experience, in my opinion. It’s like watching a black-and-white film. Some people love watching those movies, but it’s not for me. Hearing the microphone consistently clip with Aretha’s voice and the static drone in the background left me wanting more. Pretty easy to listen to passively even if, overall, the songs were a little same-y. I don’t think I’ll find myself revisiting for active listening—pretty good, inoffensive background stuff. If the recording sounded better, maybe I could look past the mid songs to hear Aretha. Also, I hate fade-out endings. Just end the song. 4.5/10 Standouts: Respect Dr. Feelgood (Love is Serious Business)

Her albums during this period are fairly interchangeable. My favorite is probably Aretha Arrives. I like this one for Do Right Woman, Do Right Man, Let the Good Times Roll, and A Change is Going to Come.

This is a tough album for me to rate fairly, as it's not as strong overall as I'd hoped it would be, but how can you deny the greatness of "Respect"? (And until this project/collection I had no idea this was a cover of Otis Redding's song; she certainly owned it from then onwards.) It's really remarkable too that this is her 10th studio album and first with Atlantic Records--it's nearly criminal that Columbia Records buried her for 9 albums with middling jazz-singer fare. I'm *really* glad this collection includes another of her albums, "Lady Soul", which is even better than this weirdly debut-esque album. I'm just sorry that I got "Lady Soul" before this album, as I could have appreciated the former even more after hearing this one.

"Respect" and "Do Right Woman" are the stars and the rest isn't good enough to compel me to listen again. Those two songs are pretty good though!

Meh. RESPECT to Aretha but this was kinda boring in parts. Her other album on here that I recently got was much better

She’s great, I just personally find this music a little boring.

tää oli hyvä

Starts off strong with "Respect," songs are well written and BEAUTIFULLY sung throughout, but there were too many slow numbers. Would probably rate it higher if I were more in the mood for it

She proves she is way more than just Respect. Great album and great vocals. 7/10

Classic soul and an iconic voice. Strangely though, not an album that I would listen to again!

Why did they make her so quiet in the mixing? I swear this is the only time I've ever found production/mixing so poor to make a comment on it. Franklin's such a powerful singer but the damn audio engineer took all the power out of her. Past that the album's great, but it really needs a remaster.

it's pretty

🤏🏼🤷‍♂️

dura mi hermana

it’s not really my jam normally but i liked it

Harta del encasillamiento en Columbia Records, Aretha pega un portazo que escucha toda la comunidad. El segundo en abrir esa puerta —para asegurarse de que ninguna bisagra se haya salido como él lo va a hacer— es Jerry Wexler. En los FAME Studios de Muscle Shoals, plagados de sesiones reservadas por coros góspel y artistas del soul, la paleta sonora sedienta de rebeldía de Aretha ya se pintaba de otros colores. Pero como toda revolución, el álbum tenía que salir rápido y tenía que ser un golpe certero. En Columbia se equivocaron al intentar encerrar el poder de su voz kind of performance. Este álbum era un manifiesto. Puede que de ahí haya nacido su decisión de resignificar canciones ajenas y hacerlas propias: “yo también puedo decir eso, pero con sensibilidad, vulnerabilidad y otra carga emocional, estas canciones para mi suenan diferente, suenan más poderosas”. Wexler se adjudicó el mérito de haber roto las cadenas de Aretha, y ella respondió musicalmente sentada desde su piano: el hombre siempre tendrá las frases bonitas y el regocijo, pero ella se las apropiara con su poderosa voz para darles un verdadero significado. Ella se hace propia cantando. Aretha rompió sus propias cadenas, y con un piano, sus hermanas y los conflictos raciales de fondo, se refugió en las armonías góspel para sentir que lo que estaba haciendo era simplemente una armonía más. No era una diva pop. Era la Reina del Soul. A veces, sumar una sola voz más al coro es la revolución suficiente como para hacerse respetar. Cuando canta Aretha Frankllin el soul se conmueve y se organiza para seguir escuchandola.

Early albums like this can be difficult to rate. The way things worked were just so different then, right? Anyway, as a collection of songs, this is fine. But as a talent? As influence? R-E-S-P-E-C-T. You get it. Anyway, 5/5 as a milestone, but imma give it a three.

Just Soul

3.0 - Ok

Listened to it at work so was hard to really connect with, but sounds like a really passionate album. I will have to re-listen w/ lyrics. Really liked Dr. Feelgood for now

I feel bad for the audio engineer. His poor mics never stood a chance. Particularly the front end of the album is unpleasantly shouty. Aretha Franklin obviously has a great voice, but it's the only thing going on here. Everything else is as placid as could be. None of the instrumentation or melodies or lyrics impress except in Respect. One hit song, bad engineering but probably the best they could do at the time, and the album doesn't overstay its welcome. That's a high 2, low 3.

Another good soul album

Pleasant to listen to , easy on the ears except for some shrill recording segments of her voice, that woman has some serious pipes and range tho.

Typical Jazz band with pretty good vocals. Something you hear at like a restaurant. Nothing to write home about. Favourite Song: Save Me

She's obviously a tremendous singer. Are these tremendous songs? Hoo boy, no.

okay

Great vocals but too boring to listen for me

Good album, nothing stands out as my favorite tracks though. Smash hit "Respect" on this album though.

Not my usual vibe but not bad. Best song: Do Right Woman, Do Right Man Notable(s): Respect

Soulful!

okayyy slay girlboss queen

YES QUEEN YOU’RE DOING GREAT SWEETIE

Beautiful vocals, very heartfelt performance and yet, this album is exactly the type of music that sounds great at dinner but on itself makes me want to nod off.

Starts with a bang, sort of goes limp, comes back with the same song and falls down again. I'm definitely not the target audience for late 60's soul music, but I didn't hate it.

It was okay, didn’t hate it didn’t love it. Some good tunes.

...

This is an album with songs everybody has heard. I think all should hear it fully through too.

Respect is elite. Save Me is pretty good. But the rest sounds like what would be played for the slow songs at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance

I like the mixing on this album, which feels weird to say. I can identify individual instruments and voices, which is the opposite of the Wall of Sound Phil Spector used for a lot of groups in this era. Favs: Good Times, I Never Loved a Man

Solid

Classic buy average

Un autre cas de très bon, mais pas pour moi, malheureusement. Quelle voix ! Et le contexte du big band lui va bien. C’est clair que Dan Akroyd a du goût.

I think it’s still a really good album, I definitely enjoy the music, but it’s not something I go to all the time. If I hear it coming on or it’s in the background, I definitely appreciate it, Aretha‘s voice is timeless. Respect is an amazing song, I like the rest of the album, I could see her influence in so many current artists today.

Не пошло. Арета постоянно поёт криком, что невероятно раздражает. Наверное она просто не мой исполнитель или же не в том настроении слушал. 5,5 из 10.

RESPECT - Good vibes otherwise

I'm not much into this, but I'll still give it a 3 out of Respect for Aretha 3/5

Beautiful voice obv, but some of the songs are boring/redundant and drag. I would get bored, see how much longer a song was, and realize I was less than a minute into it.

Блюз, соул и немного джаза.

Some obvious heavy hitters in there. Enjoyed the lesser know tracks on the album more than I expected to, but not an album i'd choose to listen to

Fine album

3.0 in RYM.

3/5 pretty good

Elle a le droit de poser un classique comme ca au milieu de la salle ???

A classic.

Rating: 5.5/10 For a soul album, this is honestly missing some soul. Franklin is a great vocalist and the instrumentation is pleasant to listen to but it's missing something overall. Still slightly enjoyable but disappointing.

Heard it before. It's so nice to hear some good soothing music 3/5

Lei spacca sempre eh Ma non è una hit come altri album suoi che ho sentito

Aretha Franklin's powerful singing really excels on this album. At times it feels like the album was written solely to accompany her voice, which just means some of the other instrumentation seems a bit lacking. I do like the brass, organ, and piano that appears throughout the album, it definitely adds depth to an otherwise sparse back track.

Her voice is undeniably powerful, easily one of the most iconic in music history, the album overall left me a bit underwhelmed. Favourite Songs: Respect, I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You), Don't Let Me Lose This Dream. Least Favourite Songs: Good Times, Save Me.

Aretha Franklins voice is extremely powerful and beautiful. I imagine coming back to this album in the future for some of the songs, but overall it isn’t my style. While listening to this album it felt like some songs flowed together for me (in the sense that they sounded very similarish to me). Although I am sure this would change if I listen to this album more carefully and repeatedly.

Respect is a legendary song, the rest of the album is great but kind of hits the same note over and over.

Like the voice, really nice to listen while working Fav-song - Don't Let Me Lose This Dream 3/5

Soulful vocals but quite shouty. The kind of music that I find just ok. Plus the best tracks are covers. Not bad.

Another album that I respect (hah!) more than I actually enjoy. Obviously masterfully made and soulfully performed, but it doesn't connect in the same way other soul/r&b albums on the list do.

This one is fine. Just fine. I can understand why its iconic, but after hearing all the songs my entire life in commercials, the impact is softened.

Before: Detroit's very own! A motown legend and sweetheart. I've never listened to one of her albums front to back, but my Michigander soul needs it. <3 Standout tracks: Respect I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You) A Change Is Gonna Come Weakest tracks: Good Times Standout lyrics: "Yes, I'm blue, but I won't be blue always. Sun is gonna shine in my back door someday." - I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You) "Everyone but you adores me, but do you know pretty soon they bore me" - Soul Serenade During/after: R-E-S-P-E-C-T, FIND OUT WHAT IT MEANS TO ME. And she said what she said here. Such an iconic start to this album. Everyone knows this track and I would argue that it's one of the most recognizable songs of its time and of the genre. Drown in My Own Tears is so emo and soulful. I'm usually not a fan of the super melodramatic lyrics, but Aretha has pipes and great backing vocalists. The rhythm and tempo are also helpful in not making this song feel like a total drag. It's no Respect, but still great. I feel similarly to the next track, I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You). Interesting to see that this was the pick for the title track, but I suppose that it demonstrates that she wasn't dubbed "the queen of soul" for no reason. More powerful, belting vocals and a refreshing tone shift from the emotion and negativity of the last track to one that is empowering and optimistic. Soul serenade continues the epic horns and heartfelt lyrics. This song is a beautiful representation of yearning and unrequited love. There is a sleepiness to the percussion and trumpet that seems fitting with the theme and just sounds *good.* I don't love the transition into the more fast-paced, almost Latin sounding Don't Let Me Lose This Dream. It took some of the effect away for me, but the overall Latin sound of Don't Let Me Lose This Dream is really cool and the soulful Motown fusion is unique and ahead of its time. Dr. Feelgood makes me laugh because the way that lyrics portrayed and discussed sex like pre-1975(ish) is funny. I mean, she's real for that and I absolutely love that she got laid so well that she felt compelled to write a whole song about it. Period, Aretha. Good Times, however, is probably my least favorite track on this record so far. It sounds very 60's but in general just kind of schlocky and goofy. I can't put my finger on why, but I just didn't really like listening to it - maybe it was a combination of the plucky guitars and the lyrics, but it was not for me. This leads us to Do Right Woman, Do Right Woman, another disjointed transition. Transition aside, I really enjoyed this track. This one incorporated some very pervasive piano that added to the slow, soulful, passionate nature of the rest of the song. Save Me starts out with a really cool Elvis-y, western guitar that meshes really well with the soulful Motown sound in a neat way. This record came out peak Elvis, so I find myself wondering how much of an influence there was there. A Change Is Gonna Come is a perfect ending to this record. It's powerful, beautiful, and wraps up the mixed feelings and themes toward love and confidence that exist throughout. The instrumentals and vocals are damn near perfect. This album is influential, great, and iconic. Again, Aretha is Detroit's sweetheart so I have a very special place for her. A lot of the music I love today probably wouldn't exist (at least in the way it does currently) without her. However, it's just not generally something that I would have on rotation due to my personal taste. Jazz and soul don't tend to be my favorite genres - not that they're bad, just not the most pleasing to my ear. Since I try to rate albums based purely on my own enjoyment, I'm going to give this one a 3/5 (though I would give it a 3.5 if I could). If I were scoring this based instead on influence and technique, it would probably be higher. Unfortunately, I just don't see myself coming back to it, at no fault of the music itself. 3/5.

Super

I recognized a few songs on the album, since they get used in a lot of media. I feel bad rating it lower than Nina Simone's Wild is The Wind, but I feel I like they both sit on the fence between 3 and 4 stars.

great album, i was surprised at how jaunty it was

Amazing strong voice, nice chores, music which makes my leg move without control. I found my two favorits here: - A change is gonna come - Respect Respect!

I’ll prob regret this. But meh

this screams rainy (and rather sad) sunday afternoon, you cannot convince me otherwise 3,5/5 ⭐️

Respect!

Masterful vocals, but this music is just not for me. Soulful and powerful. A change is gonna come slaps.

Enjoyable, but not attention catching. Good background music

Pretty good

This album didn’t really draw me in and I was unimpressed by the lyrics at times. Tho I’ll say, the music was vibing. And there was a fun variety of love songs. I definitely see why this was so important for its time I just didn’t love it for my own taste.

I wish I liked this album more than I did. I know this album is great, I really do, but it just didn’t quite fully capture my attention.

Some good tracks here but a few not so good. Between 3 and 4 on this one.

Respect

I feel like I can’t appreciate this enough for some reason. I’m gonna go with a 3 as I think I’d really enjoy playing in the background.

Soul, 1967 -> 3

2.7 2x catch up 4/7/25 - with RESPECT hard to rate lower even though not my interest

Not my cup of tea but a good one.

Fine

Not bad at all but not full of bangers

Some good vibes I guess

Aretha Franklin is obviously a talented, powerful, and soulful singer. Her version of Respect is phenomenal and iconic. Everything else on here is enjoyable and demonstrates her ability and range, but can’t live up to that first track. I leave the album remembering few specifics outside of Respect and her great singing. And some classic soul bass - prominent, rhythmic and melodic, and always serving the song. It’s all good, just not an album I need to revisit in full often.

Incredible voice. Not for me

Felt I’d heard the whole album after the third song. Great vocals, but repetitive.

RESPECT is a ridiculous song. Aretha was a phenomenon.

RESPECT!

Fun songs. Great voice.

A thoroughly impressive and impassioned performance from Aretha Franklin across this record. The songwriting is usually excellent, and the vocals are uniquely powerful. The album does struggle with a lack of variety at points and can end up feeling a bit one note, even if that note is enjoyable. The album could do with some changes of pace or the removal of 1 or two songs to really hold the listeners attention. Stand out tracks are the title track, Respect, Good Times, Dr Feelgood and Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream. Overall 3.5/5

6.5/10

Like other albums from this era, with this kind of legend, I appreciate the artistry, but it felt very repetitive. I don't see myself ever putting this album specifically on, but it was pleasurable to listen to.

Aretha Franklin my queen

3 - very clearly not my type of music but very well done

Monster voice. Good times. Would throw on at a party to get the people boogiein'

Great voice but songs a bit too tedious.im mainly u to rock and metal but I'm open minded and realise her voice is amazing.just not for.me unfortunately

Between 3 and 4. I remember the hits and like the soulful vocals.

Finally some 60s music I can get on board with.

I feel like she would have been better served by a better engineered and mixed album. Her 10th album and first with this producer... they should have served her better. Still, good voice, good instincts.

Listenable.

Aretha is a powerhouse on album opener "Respect". She's a fantastic vocal talent on the rest of the album too, but the songs themselves are lower energy and much less memorable.

Good soul

it's a good, solid album. good job of showcasing her voice. do wish it had a little bit more variety in tracks. 3.5 stars

Aretha really hits it on this but not overtly impactful

The expressive voice makes all the difference. It is always a pleasure to listen to Aretha. You should be in the right mood to enjoy the songs.

7/10

Totally listenable, but not really my style.

I listened to the original album (11 tracks), not the later release with more tracks. This album has Aretha’s biggest hit, so I must rate it higher than the average album. However, I never cared for Aretha’s church choir solo singing style, even though she’s a good singer.

Some artists are so famous that it's hard for me to assess them with a fresh eye! Like, 'Respect' is great, but it's "BBC Proms" great, not "listening while I'm driving" great. (Although "sock it to me" is a funny little phrase.) And so I enjoyed this album, but in the way I like watching an old movie once in a while, not the way I like binging a reality show always and forever. Highlights: 'Soul Serenade' (& learning that there is an instrument called the 'saxello'), 'Don't Let Me Lose This Dream' (like zippy elevator music)

While I'm aware of Arethas career, I'm familiar with some of her recordings with Muscle Shoals, I've never really listened to her whole albums. I'm a fan of her soul and r'n'b tracks, not that into the blues ones and it seems I'm not the only one. I love her voice, I'm deeply into soul music and that side of her career.

Una voz genial con sentimiento, pasión.. "respect" parece no encajar en la historia que nos cuenta el disco.

Lovely voice, smooth, and so the bursts of power are more impressive. Nice enough, wouldn't come back.

Hard not to enjoy Aretha isn't it. Great voice, well known songs, which are on this album. Probably not really for me, but enjoyed it anyway. 3.5

Es impresionante el nivel de producción musical para asentar la voz pero son descuidar la calidad de los instrumentos qué buen álbum

пока не расслушала, просто Арета хорошо поёт, песни не запомнились. предыдущий альбом (тоже не помню) показался интереснее

Clearly accomplished, and Respect is incredible, but comes across a bit staid to me listening in 2025.

It’s a shame Respect is so overplayed because it’s a genuinely great song.

A powerhouse voice for a strong album.

3.50

This is #day167 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to some serious class music. Aretha Franklin has a voice, and the backing band is top-notch. However, I've noticed that the lyrics from this era often lean toward overly idealized, "fall-in-love-man-worshipping" themes. If that makes sense. Take the title alone, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You... the sentiment feels a bit out of step with how times have changed. It's not just a '60s thing either; similar themes show up in pop music from the '90s and early '00s. In a way, though, perhaps these themes are necessary to look back and appreciate how far things have come. This is a 3 out of 5. It's a great album, and I bet it sounds amazing on vinyl, but it's not something I'd put on consciously. Looking forward to #day168.

Great album. Not something I’ll probably ever put back on just cause it’s not really my style, but didn’t hate it at all.

Love a bit of jazz, just wasn't completely for me.

This sounded pretty dated, but she has an amazing voice

Das erste kommerziell erfolgreiche Franklins-Album. Highlight "Respect". Sonst ok aber nichts besonders spannendes. 3/5

Aretha Franklin was an unquestionable talent, and that certainly comes through here on her powerful renditions of Respect and Do Right Woman, Do Right Man. Otherwise, this made for some easy if not impassioned listening. The whole thing feels effortless, but also without any significance to me. So for that I'm calling this an enjoyable enough, but forgettable 3.

Great voice. Perfectly fine album. No notes.

#461. An amazing, powerful voice singing pretty generic love songs. Respect is great, but the rest is kind of average. 3/5: fairly good overall

3.8

great soul album

This is a good album. Obvious highlights are respect and the title track. Her voice is great must most of the other songs aren't anything crazy in my opinion. I just can't get over the fact that the rolling stone said respect is the greatest song of all time. It's good but is it that good? Really? I guess I'm not quite understanding the context in which it was released.

3.5

Great singer, songs a little to old school for me.

The music isn’t bad, it’s just another case of it not being made for me. The obvious highlight is Respect and the record never really reaches that same high again. The only other song to really pique my interest were Save Me. 3/5

I know Aretha Franklin is the Queen of Soul but I never listened to an entire album. I like her singing but not many songs stand out to me - and only very few songs (not including R.E.S.P.E.C.T) she has (co-)written herself. So, she is mostly a singer rather than an artist. Kudos for the vocal power and style. Nice but not wow.

This was fine. Not my favorite.

As someone who never liked "respect" this was a long 36 minutes. The talent is obvious, but the instrumentation and production really doesn't do much. Nothing here really caught my attention.

This was fine. Obviously "Respect" is an all-timer, and the vocals are great, but this is not in my wheelhouse. Objectively this is probably better than a 3. 3.1

It's very fine, but not something I'll go back to.

No questioning the talent or the voice. Well, the album seems to want to shift to the highest gear pretty quickly and stay there, so it gets to be a bit too much; the overblown vocals, the constant brass which occupies the same frequencies, leave something to be desired in terms of nuance and subtlety, but hey, maybe that wasn't what they were going for...

Aretha is a classic, but this particular album doesn't have any outstanding songs that remained in my mind after several listenings.

Run of the mill jazz, but easy to listen to.

I think it's a good album, but apart from R E S P E C T there are no songs that stand out. Very solid performance, but it's not extraordinary, not for me.

queen

while I appreciate the incredible singing, the songs didn't do it for me fav songs:drown in my own tears, save me, a change is gonna come

All the R-E-S-P-E-C-T for Aretha but I found this album and its themes a bit same-y.

Her voice is amazing. The album itself is not remarkable other than her incredible take on the Otis Redding classic Respect.

its good! first song is a banger

Aretha Franklin is often about vibes to me. The album starts with Respect, an all time banger, but the rest is kind of just vibes to me. It could be on loop for 3 hours and I don’t think I’d be able to pick out more than 2/3 songs but I’d also be enjoying myself the whole time. She’s an artist I refuse to be underwhelmed by. If a song didn’t hit me the right way, I’m wrong and I missed something, or I need to recalibrate my sensors or something. It’s like no listen again and humble yourself bc Aretha is a goat for a reason. I’ve listened before, probably will again. Love the artist more than the specific song selection of this album.

Has a timeless voice but it didn’t really budge over a three for me in this album.

Great album. She’s extremely talented and respect is universal with an awesome message. Succinct, but I still don’t feel compelled to listen to any of the songs again aside from respect. With that in mind, it was thematically consistent and enjoyable to listen to all the way through. 3 stars.

Vry gif

Too many slow ballads

Solid album but nothing really popped out at me, it felt slower than the last album I listened to.

I give you greatness personified.

-I think I prefer Lady Soul to this, maybe just a little bit because they’re both really good… her voice is super powerful and captivating, which makes up for the sort of dated audio quality and instrumentation. still so interesting to hear -Favorites are Respect, Drown In My Own Tears, and Soul Serenade

While this was nice enough. I didn't enjoy this as much as Lady Soul. Which I loved. Respect is, obviously, a classic, but I can't really remember another song on the album. This is a 3 borderline 4 album for me.

Good, but slow and sad

Viihdyin mukana ja kolme kertaa rullailin läpi. Kotiin pyöräillessä jäin miettimään millaista musaa Arethea laitettaisiin tämän päivän tuottajien ja mogulien toimesta vetämään?

Varma levy, vaikkei mullistava

The Queen of soul! I enjoyed the small studio with a large and powerful voice sound.

Aretha is a vocal powerhouse, but many of the tracks feel too similar. Regardless, I still enjoyed the record.

Soul

Aretha's voice is incredible and Respect is an incredible song. While everything else is good, nothing really stands out and blends together

Yeah it’s good, she sounds great, and the record is quick and pleasant to listen to. However I’ve been feeling really depressed lately. (I am writing this on November 7 2024.) Maybe this was a bad time to listen to this. But hearing ‘Respect’ and ‘Change Is Gonna Come’ kinda hurt right now.

Favorite tracks: Respect, I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You), Dr. Feelgood, Save Me. Aretha's voice is so good, so engaging. The songs sort of blended together for me, but I did enjoy listening to this. I wish more songs captured the magic and energy of Respect. 3 stars.

Such a talent. The arrangements sound so ahead of their time and her voice is amazing.

Soulful and nice to listen to. Not much else for input

Eh

Pretty great, if not fully my cup of tea

Almost exactly what you'd expect

Some good songs

Obviously this is very good. Whole lotta soul. I could put it on whenever and it would sound fine. It doesn't quite hit my personal sweetest of sweet spots, but this will do just fine.

This album doesn't seem too special. It features the classic track 'Respect', but apart from that it seems like generic soul. Aretha sings amazingly here and it's the only remarkable thing about the record.

Beautiful.

This one mostly coasts on one song. Respect is epic, but beyond that, there's only a couple of songs I would consider above average. Outside of those, the rest barely registers, and the streaming numbers back that up. Most of these songs sit under 10 million plays on Spotify, which isn't a high bar even for a 1967 album. Visions of Johanna, a deep cut from Dylan's catalog, has 22 million, and that's an old song too. Older songs tend to get less streams, so the bar is low. Yet most of this album still can't clear that bar. That's not a streaming problem, it's a songwriting problem. 3 stars. One legitimate classic, a couple of good tracks, and a lot of filler.

Her voice is amazing, but the most of the songs sound quite the same. And didn't like the lyrics at all.

Can very much imagine sitting in a darkly lit bar in America somewhere sipping a beer listening to this feeling very content with life.

Not really for me but I can appreciate the voice and the composition. I don't think I'm a Motown guy

Good artist, not for me.

Strong album, incredible vocals. Didn’t hit any nerves for me.

It's just a great vibe and while it's not my home turf, it's great turf to spend time on. My favourite moments are the bluesier numbers but you can't fail to admire the quality of her singing throughout.

It's good but I am not Feeling It.

A hell of a lot of undistinguished filler on this album (near enough all of the non-singles tracks are totally disposable). And even while everybody holds their tongue on this issue, Aretha’s voice is not as dynamic as people make out. When she’s belting out her soulful melodies, there’s no one better. But I couldn’t believe how quickly her sass started to wear thin with me - when she isn’t doing her one trick, just skip. That being said, the singles mostly make up for the album’s generally non-existent songwriting and anaemic production. I suppose it’s a drawback of this list’s criteria, but leaving aside her “signature song”, this is soul by numbers for me.

This was a good way to enjoy my morning coffee. Thank you!

Solid album from a fantastic singer.

Solid album. Enjoyed it, wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it again

Its a good album but lets face it I will never listen to it again.

Obviously she's a legend and her vocals are unbelievable... But boring tho.

Such a great voice. It must have been amazing to hear this album when it first came out, to hear Otis Redding’s Respect as the opening track and reimagined with such energy. Listening to it now, I didn’t feel excitement although I could appreciate her voice and arrangements. Over the years I’ve started to prefer to singers who have more grit/character in their voice. Otis Redding and Esther Phillips sing some of these songs and those are the ones to which I keep returning.

Album#2 Thought the majority of the album would be more fast paced especially after ‘Respect’ which was so high energy and such a banger. Vocals and instrumentation were very good but found a few of the songs boring and some of the lyrics very basic and quite bad at points.

Aretha Franklin isn’t usually in my wheel house but here I Am on the “1001 albums to Listen to….” Now of course I knew “Respect” going into this and it is definitely good song.Its not the songs fault that it’s a tad overplayed by today’s standards. I almost consider this a song used for Movie/TV soundtracks. Great opening but glad it was out of the way to get into the meat of the album Next up we have “Drown In My Own Tears”and is a more gospel break up song. The horn section is stellar on here. Title track is more of the same and kinda Meh. It’s not terrible but nothing mind blowing. Beyoncé based her entire career off this ONE SONG “Soul Serenade” has a amazing outro and another driving horn section keeping everything together “Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream” sounds like another song but can’t put my finger on. It’s definitely one of the BEST SONGS on here. It just Might be my favourite. “Dr. Feelgood….” & more so “Good Times” are a couple upbeat Duds. They seem innocent and fun enough but definitely preferring the Ballads. They are no “Respect” ,and I shall show these tracks none. It’s understandable that we need a couple more lively numbers but these just are not cutting the mustard “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man” is back on track can’t say it fully works but the chorus is really good. “A Change is Gonna Come” is a perfect way to end this album and makes up for a few rough spots. However this has Nothing on Sam Cooke version, sorry Aretha Franklin In the end this album had a chance at 3.5/5 (maybe even a 4) but that middle section/ most of the second half of the album was just decent. Solid 3/5 (It should be noted the backing vocals are just as amazing at Aretha herself) 1* - Not Good 2* - Has Merit 3* - Would listen Again (Good) 4* - Like It/Love it 5* - Love It & is A Classic album

Didn't know she had a version of Change is Gonna Come. Welcome surprise.

Favourite track: Respect

Great voice, a few catchy tunes. Another one that just isn't my style. I wouldn't turn it off if it came on, but I'd never seek it out.

Starts off strong with respect, then moves into slightly more gospel type music. All pretty good but not quite my cup of tea. Might go back and listen to the whole album but not in a rush. Has some strong social messages in the songs which were probably ahead of their time, don’t detract from the songs but just don’t think the genre is necessarily for me.

I “respect” the hell out of this thing but my rating reflects my enjoyment