I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

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

Un bon petit album d'une grande chanteuse, pas tellement de quoi de plus éloquent à dire. 6.5/10

Other than "Respect" the album doesn't really shine the way you'd expect from an Aretha Franklin record.

Enjoyed this quite a lot, very listenable soul.

Too long ago to remember let’s say 3

Музыка по большей части не моя, но альбом хороший. Лучшая песня - Respect.

Pretty good, but why is Respect on this twice?

3.5

When you start an album with a song as strong as respect it’s inevitable that the songs after won’t reach the same heights. That said, enjoyable album with amazing vocals.

I mean, it's good but outside of the hits I feel it's a little redundant.

Didn't think I would like this one as much as I did

Impressive and impactful but not completely my thing. Much better than expected though and I can understand the appeal

Halfway through I decided that there is a lot of grating vocals here. Still some good songs, especially on the back half

It's a decent album I like. "Respect" is alright but not the best song like the Rolling Stone says it is. The other tracks are similar and remind me of "Great Gig in the Sky" but with lyrics. Franklin did a great performance on this album. I can't wait until the next album I'll review. 3 stars for "INLaMtWILY".

Soulful as expected. Pretty good, although this is something I have to be in the mood for.

Good tunes for the background but why is Respect here twice.

Exactly what I’d expect from an Aretha Franklin album

Nostot Good times ja A change is gonna come aika hyvö mutta vähän liian minimaalinen tuotanto, tykkään soulimmasta soulista

Great showcase of vocal talent, but not coherent as an album and not particularly exciting for me musically. Amazing voice though!

“Respect” +1, killer voice, generic 60s R&B

Kæft et åbningsnummer. Der er få albums der kan måle sig med så ikonisk en åbner. Det er en af de få covernumre som jeg syntes er markant bedre end originalen. Derefter går der lige lovlig meget “hjerte rimer på smerte” i den. Men Mrs. Fraklin er ikke the Queen of Soul uden grund. Den stemme bærer meget af albummet. Ikke mindst på lukkeren, hvor Aretha brænder fuldstændig igennem på et cover af Sam Cookes ikoniske A Change is Gonna Come.

Tranacendent for sure, wont return to it but it sounds pretty modern

Pas mon style mais j ai passé un plutot bon momznt, elle chante tzrriblzmznt bien aussi 7/10

Ya know, I've always thought that Franklin had an amazing voice. I liked and downloaded a fair few of her songs on spotify. And even though I enjoyed them, I always find myself skipping them. I really have to be in the right mood for them, because even though her voice is great, I always find the songs themselves to be too sleepy for my taste. That's ultimately what I found here; an album that I can appreciate but ultimately isn't for me beyond the few hits.

3/5

Its ok. Its soul. Its a classic.

Vocals are insanely beautiful, I've mixed feelings about the lyrics, need a few more listens.

Good album and pleasant songs to get lost in. A few songs I really liked

Very good

RESPEGC!

Of course, an incredible voice and a classic style. But it’s an album for a certain time and mood, which is few and far between for me. A perfect example of how appreciation and an understanding why it’s great doesn’t always equate to something I deeply enjoy and want to listen to often.

- Wieder so eine Kult-Künstlerin und Kult-Album - ein paar "Oha"-Momente aber insgesamt hat mich das Album ziemlich kalt gelassen, was mich dazu bewogen hat, dass hauptsächlich im Hintergrund zu hören. 2,75/5

Great voice but not really my favorite style of music. "Respect" secures her the third star. 2,5

RESPECT Rating: 3.4/5

Great voice, really fun 60’s style stereo separation, but most of the tracks didn’t do that much for me. 2.5 rounded up.

Really good album

É bom, gostoso, datado, mas muito agradável. Não pararia para ouvir, mas tomaria um vinho com amigos ouvindo numa boa.

Ok

Great vocals, of course. Not my go-to style as it's a bit outdated but obviously immensely talented. 6/10 (3/5)

Respect.

This a 2 star album, dragged into respectablility, and occassionally brilliance, by Aretha. She is so badly let down by the band, the arrangements, the production and most of the song choices that it's amazing this is listenable. The producer obviously had no idea how to cope with her voice. It feels like the mic is somewhere in the band, next to the backing singers (who are way too loud and average). Aretha's voice is coming from somewhere over the other side of the stage/studio. I can see how this album marked her arrival. There's no denying she is something special. But compared to the amazing bands and production on Motown, this sounds amatuerish. She deserved better. Listen for her and you won't be disappointed. Tune the rest out if you can.

Ain't my jam but good

Most songs are similar, soulful blues. First track Respect is a bit too familiar. A Change Is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke is very spiritual.

I listened to this a while ago in the car but forgot to rate, it was good but the ppl I was driving started inquiring about what my Spotify wrapped was last year and I was like uhh why the interrogation ahhhh. I listened to Lady Soul and this immediately after. But I listened to lady soul while walking so I think I internalized it more but I think it's better regardless. like a super high 3.

5/10 - Respect is a classic song but the rest did not stun me. I was not the most locked in during this album, I was trying to problem solve while playing pokerogue and it was not going well.

Controversial take, but a lot of people put Aretha at the top of the list of the best singers, but I wouldn’t. Don’t get me wrong, she’s great and this album is fantastic, I just don’t think she’s the greatest of all time.

3.5

Don't really feel this one. Its got great songs and some of the best songs of the time as covers, but as an album it doesn't really strike me. Later Aretha albums are a bit more coherent and work better as albums, rather than singles collections.

Respect is the sole thing keeping this album afloat imho

Already listened, beautiful vocals and soul at one of it's peaks

C'était bon.

First song was okay

Respect banger rest okay

Such a classic voice!

Really liked this one a lot! What a voice!

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You" by Aretha Franklin was middle-of-the-road for me. Soul music has never truly resonated with me, so it's challenging to highlight specific aspects when nothing particularly stood out. However, it didn't irritate me either; it just didn't connect with me on a deeper level.

Classic, of course. A couple bossa and rocked up songs, but mostly straight forward soul. It gets a little same-y after a while, but it's a crime to slag off Aretha. 3.7

33min Excellent classic melodies Great voice Soulful Favorite songs: Good Times, A change is gonna come 72

greatness

She's a decent singer and there's a few big tunes, but it's not really my kind of music. Can't give more than 3 stars for something I'll never choose to listen to again.

She's got a brilliant voice, good backing singers, and it was a lovely short album. However the two biggest songs on the album are both covers of other people's work.Admittedly they're both good but it takes away a star unfortunately

норм, но хватило бы и одного её альбома в списке

Арета великая, а мы всё ещё жалуемся на составителей списка. И такое бывает, да.

She sure can sing.

Enjoyable listen. I saw Respect landed at the no. 1 spot of best songs of all time by Rolling Stone mag. Pretty massive achievement.

May not go on my rotation but was good for the listen. Will I listen to again: 5%

already listened

Respect is a classic. But nothing else here is really that interesting. And Respect is on here twice. Lol

I hate to tell you, because it’s already too late and you probably learned it at some point, but you’re better off without men, because they’re not gonna do any better and you’re value is greater than the chance that they will.

Favourite track: I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You)

Such a great voice, and two absolute timeless classics in Respect and Do Right Woman, Do Right Man. That being said, the themes are very consistent love and heartbreak, basically singing about men. Also, soul isn’t my favorite genre so this is a very personal preference rating of a three from me.

Not my thing at all, but I can recognise that it is well executed.

- one of the frickin voices of all time. - love mr feelgood (dr feelgood?) as an expression of female desire. ought to be more of that - late night album, summer deck

C'est l'album d'une voix, en ce qu'elle est capable d'atteindre et de produire, mais aussi dans ce qu'elle s'affirme et devient l'outil d'émancipation d'une femme.

listened to whole thing. Aretha reminds me of my Grandma Kathy but black.

I feel like music like this usually isn't really my thing, but that could also be just because I wasn't really in this kind of mood. One thing is for sure, Aretha Franklin was one hell of a singer.

Does she have a good voice? Yes. Is Respect a classic? Yes. Does most of this not really do a lot for me? Also yes. I feel like this is an album that I should like more than I do. It's not bad, it just didn't thrill me.

I enjoyed the arrangements/Motown of it all, and of course Aretha's voice is awesome. But I struggle to stay interested for more than a song or two when the main draw is being wowed by the talents of the vocalist.

Not bad 3.5 ish

Not really my bag, but good nonetheless.

-Good length -strong start -amazing voice -doesn’t flash me tho -lyrics kinda weak

Classic. Dug her song's I recognized more.

The queen of Soul. Gospel inspired quality songs with a fabulous voice

Rating: 6/10. Good not great. Not my taste, but has value. Might make it into rotation if I liked the genre. Genre: Soul, R&B Respect is a banger. Aretha Franklin has an amazing and powerful voice. The songs don't really resonate with me. The album is very vocal-centric, while to me the vocals of a song are of lower importance.

It’s easy to see why Aretha was the Queen of Soul. All pretty similar in sound, but if that sound is what you’re after, boy, it can’t be beat. Great version of A Change Is Gonna Come. Songs added to Spotify: 2

theres the occasional good track but overall very boring. i recognize she has a great voice but her compositions dont interest me and i dont like her voice enough to be entertained. a change is gonna come is the best song here but it is significantly worse than sam cooke's version. very mediocre. 5/10

Easy listen, and she can sing :) 3/5

Thanks Mrs. Jemima:)

This was my first time listening to Aretha Franklin intentionally. The album itself was a well rounded album that carries a theme most women can relate to, loving an ungrateful man. The soul and power carried throughout the album makes it hard not to empathize with her frustration, and even recall some of your own experiences. Starting off with respect, and throwing in a diverse musical experience it was a decent album for casual listening. I rate it a 3/5 because although the music was well written and preformed, it was not memorable. It felt like something I have heard before and did not leave me wanting to relisten to a single song or to further explore her catalog.

Leppoista soulia. Ei oikein se mun teekuppi, mutta Aretha Franklin on tärkeä laulaja historiassa. Parhaat: Respect, Good Times

3.5 no denying that Aretha has a great voice but besides “respect” there weren’t any other songs with staying power

Her voice is amazing and the popular track (Respect) is huge. The rest of the tracks still showcase her voice, but none of them had the same hook.

neat

For Respect 3.2

I have somewhat of a cutoff when it comes to the year the music I listen to is released. Usually anything released before 1965 is entering dangerous territory. But there are many albums on this list that were released before then. So it has definitely helped me get out of my comfort zone. But I don’t generally love those albums. This album though? It’s pretty solid. Becoming aware of the power of Aretha Franklin was a joy. She stands out as one of the most commanding female vocalists of all time, and just one of the best vocalists in general. Look up any top female singers list, and she will be on it, and she will be high up the list. If she’s not, the list is objectively off. Her range and control of her own dynamics is incredible, and most of the noteworthy moments on this come solely from her. Her voice really is soul music personified. The instrumentals aren’t super crazy. Don’t expect anything very impressive or dense. They are mostly just there to give Aretha something to sing over, and nothing else. The one thing I find to be consistent with albums from this time period is a lack of memorability. Like, this album is good, and I am able to recognize that. It’s just that I don’t know if I ever see myself coming back to any particular song from here, because I don’t remember what made them good the next day. I would probably have to be in a very particular mood to find myself listening to this, and I’m not even really sure what kind of mood that is. Rating: 6/10

For an album that's quite out of date, it's pretty good to listen to.

The queen of soul.

If you take yourself back in time, I can imagine putting this record on and letting it spin and finding enjoyment.

I am slightly disappointed, because I adore soul, but maybe it's just not the right day for this album? I loved loved loved a few tracks, been meh on most. I don't outright dislike any though, which is a change from yesterday's album. Favorite songs: Respect - who doesn't know this song, of course I love it Baby, Baby, Baby - THIS, this is that shit I like A Change is Gonna Come - profound lyrics, I got chills, great instrumental Almost there but not quite songs: Soul Serenade - a grower Do Right Woman, Do Right Man - feminist, call back to Respect I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You) - a shrinker Good Times - a shrinker Least favorite songs: Don't Let Me Lose This Dream - elevator music Save Me - the arrangement is too busy, it gave me a headache

RESPECT.3/5

This album is so influential, it's hard to rate it. It's not the kind of album I would put on to listen to very often, but lots of albums I do listen to often are directly influenced by Aretha.

I know she's a legend but this was just ok for me

Its okay but not perfect, i give it a 3, just for the absolute banger at the start

Aretha is perfection. Definitely a vibe.

3/5

Aretha can sing like nobody's business and these songs work great as a platform for her to display her abilities.

Lovely voice, just not my thing.

Soul music. Loved the heart.

One of those voices for the eternity!

The music here sounded great, but there was no part of me that found it relatable, nor that interesting. Mostly comprised of bluesy songs about love, love, love and more love (not surprising given the album's name). Some of the more upbeat songs, like the empowering "Respect", were more to my liking, but not even those escaped my general dislike for the genre. Because it's not my preferred style of music, I'm unable to rate it higher than 3 stars. Because there was nothing technically wrong with the music, I feel like I shouldn't rate it anything less than 3 stars. I wouldn't listen to it in my downtime, but I also wouldn't mind bobbing my head to it if I heard it for whatever reason. Middle of the road enjoyment.

Terrific

She has a great voice but the album is slow, with the exception of good times and respect, of course.

And on the reverse (after calling Tim Buckley outdated), Aretha Franklin shows that a record can spend 55 years on a turntable and still sound fresh. But, man, what about those fades?

Not my type, but okay. Tom & Jerry vibes.

This was good. I was never a big fan of Aretha but I do enjoy her now.

Beautiful, but nothing grabs your attention like respect and the other tracks just don’t match up.

Nice retro 60s vibe. Not my absolute favorite, but I enjoyed it. 7/10

It's cool it's cool.

Classic but not that interesting

Quite nice and relaxing! Felt like I was in a coffee shop

omg sometimes we take for granted just was a good song respect is.

Forgetable

Geiler Sound, aber etwas langweilig und catcht mich nicht so

I like Aretha but a full album was too much

Some classics

Album started out with a classic. She has a great voice and can hit some heavy notes. Interesting to hear the theme of woman empowerment during a time where women were more oppressed than today. Nice lil collection of tunes. Would listen to this album again.

Kröftug söngkona. Byrjar af krafti en mér þótti samt rólegu lögin ekkert spes þannig séð... en ekki hægt að fá allt.

What an album.. Aretha Franklin has such a beautiful, powerful voice.. an actual queen. Some of these songs are classics that I still love to this day, but I found a lot of deep cuts I never knew about thanks to digging into this album.. She was definitely sad on this album, dealing with some kind of heartbreak as many of us have. I think my favorite track on this thing is 'Baby, Baby, Baby' its got this slowdance, 80s back up vocals, swing feel that I love. There are definitely a few songs on this thing that I didn't LOVE.. ('Don't Let Me Lose This Dream' just felt out of place here a bit and kind of like resort/cabana music lol wasn't a big fan of this one.. at times it ALMOST had me but nah..) Overall: 3.1/5

Let’s hate men in a creative way

I can respect this album but it's not something I would listen to

It's like a blues album, with a needy woman shooting at you how incredibly weird and inept at being in love she is. Good singer tho.

good.

Great voice, good album. Highlights: Respect Save me Good times Don’t let me lose this dream Soul serenade

Pretty good. She has such a great voice.

How deeply influential Aretha Franklin has been in the 50 years since this album has done a disservice to it for a first time listen. While certain tracks are incredibly strong, as an album experience the rest is repetitive and lackluster, due in no small part to every failed attempt at a copycat that's come since.

I love the soul touch to this album. Listening to new genres makes me realise how much I’m missing out. The soul core of this album relaxed me entirely and was a great addition to my morning routine!

What a voice Worth a listen.

Album homogène et peu varié, avec Respect et Dr. Feelgood pour mes deux titres préférés.

Loud

Maybe one of the bigger disappointments so far, this album really only has the one standout song in Respect. The rest, while not bad by any means, still left me unimpressed or even bored. Highlight: Respect Lowlight: Save Me Surprise Hit: Soul Serenade