I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

Standouts: Respect, A Change is Gonna Come, I Never Loved a Man, Do Right Woman Do Right Man. The album is solid. Just not something I would listen to often. 3.5/5

No notes

Another elite because it’s the original. Shocked by the year it came out

You can’t deny her talent!

Classic Sound and Groove!

Honestly, I really enjoyed this despite not being the biggest soul/r&b type person. An album that doesn't contain too much filler and just sounds right. The instrumentals aren't supposed to be complex or anything, but they're nice to listen to. But what really stood out was Aretha's voice, such a powerful delivery and fiery passion I've heard from her compared to some other vocalists from this genre. Obviously, this contains the classic Respect, but I liked a lot of songs on here too (Never Loved a Man, Save Me, Soul Serenade, etc). Overall, a great experience I never knew I would have.

Aretha is always good!

Aretha in my heart for ever

Was an ok album.

Aretha is one of the GOATS. This isn't music I would typically listen to, but it is still pretty good. I wouldn't have it on a playlist per se, but it is still enjoyable to listen to. She has got a really good voice that really carries a lot of her songs. A high 3/5

She can belt it out like no other. This was a pleasure to listen to

Aretha is at her peak here. The songs are carefully selected and the blues and gospel formats give her voice room to "stretch out". "Respect" is a great track that has become a signature song for the feminist movement.

It starts off with a bang with her best song ever, which is of course, Respect and there’s no doubt that she is one of the all-time greatest female vocalist but the rest of the album just can’t compare to the lead track so the album doesn’t get above mediocre rating.

Album full of great soul!

Now, I don’t mind company. Because company with Aretha’s LP is perfect.

There was never any question in my mind that Aretha Franklin can sing. I'd heard "Respect" before listening to the album, of course, but had never heard any of the other songs. And while I definitely had respect for her (pun not intended), I'm not usually a big fan of singers who don't write their own songs. I was under the impression that she only sung covers. I was pleasantly surprised to find she had writing credits on quite a few of the songs. However, the album is still more about her voice than about the songs. I do find her tone a little shrill for my liking a lot of the time, but there's no denying she's a great, soulful singer who knows how to deliver her message convincingly. Of course, it's iconic how she took Otis Redding's "Respect," which was initially kinda misogynistic, and turned it into the ultimate female empowerment anthem. Other than that, I loved the self-written "Baby Baby Baby." You can really hear her pain when you listen to it. Favourite songs: Respect, Baby Baby Baby

El décimo álbum de Franklin marcó su ingreso a la cultura popular norteamericana. Una colección de canciones increíbles, con singles impresionantes como “Respect” o el homónimo, que dejan en claro el talento de la cantante. Un indispensable para cualquier fanático de la música.

Surprisingly doesn't fall off after respect. Pretty great

Respect nie wystarczy na 4

This is a good album for sure, probably her best. Some of it sounds very inspired and some of it sounds kind of run of the mill. Nonetheless a great Saturday morning record.

Smáskífurnar þrjár bera af, hin lögin eru svoddan filler, en konan gat sungið og grúvið er gott. Hún er svo mikið æði að ég hef fyrirgefið henni uppákomuna á Grammy verðlaunahátíðinni 1975.

No arguing with that voice or that Respect is one of the greatest songs ever recorded But nothing else on here touches that level But then, whatever could…

If I lose this dream It's goodbye love and happiness Yes you're the one I need I don't want a love that's second best There've been things all of my life I wanted to do that made me blue Help me hold onto this dream For sometimes dreams often come true And they all come true they all come true For me and you Wait a minute baby This album is so fucking good that it makes up for all the awful britpop and UK post punk shit that I've had to endure on this list. This is a solid soul album that will change your life the first time you experience it. 5/5

Hade gått långt i Idol.

Love it!! Aretha is indeed the queen!!

Ja respect is een klassieker, maar het viel me op dat spul serenade, a change is gonna come en don't let me lose this dream ook echt mooie nummers zijn. Heb dit niet geluisterd sinds ik soul meer ben gaan waarderen.

Respect is zo'n harde banger, man. Op sommige nummers krijg ik iets meer van die soul-ad-libs dan ik chill vind, maar dat neemt niet weg dat de muziek lekker is en de vocalen super indrukwekkend zijn.

It’s like listening to the voice of God

nenhum defeito

This is good shit

This is very good but honestly it doesn’t set my world on fire or anything

I mean, come on. It's ARETHA FRANKLIN in her prime. You'd never guess any of these were covers because she OWNS every track with those massive powerhouse pipes. If you're into this style of music it's a must-listen

One hit to make the album, so not really a top album for me

it’s flawless

Every song on the album is a banger.

Respect slaps. I didn’t notice the other songs but was excited when the album looped around and Respect came on again

her voice is ephemeral, not gunna lie. some really great soul music here.

Amazing.

i mean it’s aretha

although i prefer lady soul cause this ones a little less versatile its still a great collection of songs and you just cant go wrong with aretha

I can understand why she was popular. Just not for me. Very talented though.

3-4

Greit detta og

2.5

Aretha doesn't get reviewed. She gets 5*s and we all just move on to the next one just that little bit happier

A greatest hits of Aretha Franklin album would be great from start to finish. This album has a couple of songs that would definitely make it onto that, and also a lot of dime a dozen Fats Domino style rhythm and blues. None of it is bad, but not all of it is great. Favorite song: don't let me lose this dream

Very good album. Like the shorter song length time for a change. Beautiful voice and this album has her biggest hit Respect. Rating: 4.0

Works pretty well together with a glass of wine in the afternoon.

R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Ms Franklin spells it out for us on the opening track of this classic album. A song that is woven into the fabric of music history , because of this album and the voice of this woman. There are many good singers in the music world, there are few superstars, Aretha Franklin is one of that rare breed. Across these eleven songs her voice is pitch perfect. During recording the session musicians were in awe of her power and poise. It’s an album that can work at any time. Sunday mornings lazy listening to bring on a new day, or Friday night kicking into the weekend. It is perfection and a record every serious collector should own.

otrolig röst har hon! men blir försiktigt repetitive :/ men finns några riktiga bangers på plattan så blir ändå en 4a! Aretha är aretha

Aretha toca un soul/blues algo así. Suena parecido a Ray Charles, canta una barbaridad.

Wow. MS. Franklin is the GOAT. What a gorgeous, lyric, voice she has. And the music is so easy to listen to! Love.

Pretty good.Ashe has a wonderful voice.Respect is obviously the best song but the rest aren’t bad.Wouldnt mind a re listen.Very of its time.

Phenomenal album with standouts in Respect, Drown In My Own Tears, and I Never Loved A Man.

What a voice.

Connecting some dots to songs I'd heard before without realizing it.

She had an excellent voice. I've been curious about this album, so I'm glad I finally got it. It was a pleasant thirty minutes for sure. My favourite song was Respect.

Not bad. Not my jam

BL: Aretha, oh Aretha. In my opinion Aretha has one of the best voices of all time, it’s indisputable. Have never listened to a project the whole way through though, so let’s see how it goes AL: this project just highlights how powerful of a voice Aretha had and how powerful she was as a women. While a lot of the songs I’d argue are filler material with someone like Aretha at the helm it still makes them incredibly listenable and just reminds us how she’s such a tour de force. And that Sam Cooke tribute at the end was beautiful. FT: “baby baby baby”, “a change is gonna come” 3/5

You start the album with RESPECT?? Where do you go from there? One of the greatest voices created one of the best albums of the 60’s

Man, something about Aretha Franklin's vibes just make the realization that I'm probably gonna have to work through the holiday this monday so much easier to process. Good feels all around. Speaking of good feels, I'm a little concerned about her dating Doctor Feelgood, I'd highly advise anybody and everybody from dating Gene Simmons.

Aretha Franklin’s voice is unmistakable, true to her, or the singing character she adopted, and no recording featuring her voice can be less than listenable. Voice aside, much of this record is unremarkable. Most of the ballads blur in subject matter, sound and feel. Stand by your willy. There are standouts: “Save Me”’s opening distorted guitar made my ears twitch out of ballad-induced torpor. The circular riff reminds me that Krautrock came as much from dance music as it did from the Velvets. Next comes “A Change is Gonna Come”, which feels ironic as it is another slow ballad, though one of the better ones, waltzing hi-hats elevating it. “Respect” automatically raises any ranking a notch. Got to give a little. Least a three.

Another banger all the way through just like Lady Soul

5/10.The R-E-S-P-E-C-T album. Aretha has a great voice, but it's not enough to overcome the samey sound of this album for me. If you like the style and genre you will enjoy this, similar to The Strokes album Is This It, where you either love it or it's not for you. This wasn't for me.

I love

So sick. Aretha a goat fo sure

What can I say - it’s Aretha!

I respect her talent.

What can you say? Aretha Franklin is a formidable talent who deserves all the accolades. The album trailed off a little toward the end, but hard to complain about the songs when it kicks off with "Respect." Fun fact, this was released three weeks before the day I was born. So... there's that.

Somehow, this was my first time through an entire Aretha album. She's obviously got an amazing voice. I can't imagine what it must be like to be able to sing like that. And yet, at the same time, I found myself getting fatigued about halfway through. Unsure why exactly. She has an incredible dynamic range, which she employs to great effect. But her voice cuts through the mix in a way that kind of wore me down after a while. In small doses, she's incredible. Each song was well done. Great, even. But a whole album was a bit much.

This album is nothing but a powerhouse in soul and singing performance. This is a statement to why Aretha Franklin is regarded as maybe the best singer of all time. Franklin's soulful vocals and emotional delivery make it an instant classic with highlights like "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man,", "Dr. Feelgood," and the mega hit ”Respect”. The last being named as the greatest song of all time by the popular music magazine Rolling Stone Franklin's incredible range and ability to convey deep emotion through her music is well accompanied by the album’s production, which was handled by Jerry Wexler and Tom Dowd, two legends in the music industry. The instrumentation and arrangements are greatly crafted, and they perfectly complement Franklin's vocals, creating a rich and powerful sound. This album is very very close to a five star rating, but falls just short due to the smaller lack of versatility on the record, it’s a fantastic listen though.

Respect was #1 in the USA the day I was born. This is the first time I have heard the album. Respect is classic Aretha. The rest of the album is good. I've never been to crazy of a fan of her. 3/5

Voz inconfundible de soul. Auténtica voz indiscutible. No está mal el disco, pero te tiene que gustar ese estilo

Che voce! E che canzoni...

4.5

Easily 5 stars. Need to purchase. 5/5

A great album from the Queen of Soul. What a voice she had!

4.25

9 unsuccessful jazz albums on Columbia and then Atlantic and Jerry Wexler roll out the MF Queen of Soul. RS said "It rings out like revealed truth happening in real time, a declaration of independence." A masterpiece.

I mean, if you're going to listen to an album by Aretha Franklin you might as WELL start off with "Respect." The title track is a pretty damn good one too. The instrumentation and back up singers do make it seem a little dated, but Aretha BRINGS IT. Pretty much trumps over the dated feeling of the songs. I never realized how short "Respect" was. I mean, they always wanted the songs to be less than 3 minutes. The more times they can play it, right? But only 2 1/2? Wow. In fact, none of the songs are very long at all. The longest just barely crosses over 4 minutes. And yet they don't feel short or long they fit right in the amount of time necessary. I mean, "Respect" alone makes the album rank pretty high in my book. But the other songs do it justice as well. I'm only dinging this a little just because it sounds a little dated, but Aretha does a lot to keep it sounding pretty fresh. Still quite enjoyable.

So, this was her tenth album in her first seven years of being a singer. Wow. Respect (see what I did there?). Her voice of course is outstanding. Respect is a massive song and no one does it better than here, though many have tried. She also does a very powerful version of A Change is Gonna Come, even though Sam Cooke's original is electric (and Otis Redding also recorded an excellent version prior to her). Overall, the album feels like an old-time movie. If you're from that era and caught it when it first came out then it's amazing. If you're not then it feels a bit grainy and dated - still cool, but what are all these older folks talking about? I'm not from the Motown era, so to me it was good but not amazing. My apologies if I'm not old enough to fully get it.

Great album

genieten. Respect en A change is gonna come, bangers;

Aretha altijd genieten

Beautiful voice (I mean obviously) and overall a nice project to listen to. Not really something I'd willingly purchase for myself, but still pleasant to listen to her raw talent and this classic style

Yeah it’s good, I preferred lady soul but this is still a great album 4/5

Respect

Big respect

This is historically some of the best music ever made. It’s before technology had an impact on music and artists had to be talented. Aretha sings her heart out on this album. Every song is well made and sounds great. This is an album that is done the way music is supposed to be made. 7.9/10

мне понравилось

Bra

Il y a respect haha

PREFS : Respect, I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You), Soul Serenade, Don't Let Me Lose This Dream, Do Right Woman, Do Right Man, Save Me, A Change Is Gonna Come MOINS PREF : Dr. Feelgood

Respect

can you imagine listening to this album for the very first time, and the opening track "respect" absolutely knocks you off your feet? wow! this is a beautiful album. aretha franklin had the most heavenly voice, and she's absolutely wonderful here. her voice is so well suited for these songs. these songs are silky smooth and her voice is like honey on top. what stands out is how accessible this is. this is soul music sung by a black woman, and it's just so darn easy to listen to. something shocking is the track listing. two dynamite songs bookend the album: otis redding's "respect" (which she undoubtedly made her own) and sam cooke's "a change is gonna come" (considering more people know of her version than cooke's, she did the same here, too). there are good songs in between, but nothing comes close to the power those two have. not to mention, it isn't easy at all to create the most popular or well regarded version of a damn good cover.

Each song conveys extreme emotion, as well as vocal range and talent. Aretha sounds pristine, elegant, and crystal clear on every track. She communicates such intentionality and grace and seems to command every note she sings on this album. This album was a defining moment for women in music and continues to be absolutely timeless. Also, back in the 1960s, it was not every day that a woman could cover not one but two tracks on the same album and make those songs so dominantly their own. Aretha's version of Respect is not ONLY amazing, it changed the course of music forever and is still one of the greatest recordings of all time. But this album is among the greatest for another reason. This album is an act of persistence and perseverance. Aretha had nine albums before this that just didn't do well, due to her record label trying to silo her into jazz music. But pushing on still, "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You", her tenth album and first under her new label, finally saw success when she was allowed to create soul music. It tapped into her true talent and allowed her to showcase it. This album changed and pushed Aretha's music career, cementing her as the queen of soul once and for all, and it changed the face of music itself forever. This is a powerful album by a powerful woman.

Pretty good! It took me awhile to recognize Change is Gonna Come, and I really like this version that's kind of in between Sam Cooke and the Gits. Not much else to say; classic Aretha!

Liked this album. Was nice and I'd listen to it again. I don't have a ton more to say beyond that. 3.75/5

Aretha was the Queen for a reason. The power of control on her voice is incomparable. No one could match her, and the music behind her is just as good, shuffling between R&B, rock n roll and jazz with ease. A-, just missing one more classic to drop the minus.

Another absolute classic album!

Nice

Respect is a soul classic, the title track was a great song as well, jazzy, soulful, just overall great. I will say that her version of "a change is gonna come" is one of the best I've ever heard. Aretha was one of the best there ever was.

Overall good album, same vibe throughout, Dr feel good - best song so far Do right women - good slow sad song

She can certainly sing. Mixing seemed very off and the singles were definitely boosted. Up and down.

Not my cuppa tea, but damn has she got a nice voice

Another Aretha Franklin, another instant 5. Amazing voice, great songs, and doesn't overstay it's welcome. Seriously, what's not to like?

Genres: Southern soul Formed: Detroit, Michigan, USA in 1966 Run time: 14 songs, 41 min 26 sec The tenth studio album by the singer. Referred to as the "Queen of Soul", Rolling Stone twice named her as the greatest singer, and listed her as the ninth-greatest artist of all time. The least popular song is track 5, “Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream”, with over 1.6M plays. The most popular is track 1, 12, “Respect” with almost 500M plays on Spotify. She has such a powerful voice that is as clear as a bell. She could sing the contents of a newspaper and it would be a hit. As well as being a great songwriter, she has some fantastic covers on this album. Not only can she cover Otis Redding and Sam Cooke, she makes the song her own and probably does it better than the original. Listen Again?: Yes and then some. My Rating: *****

Really enjoyed this album. Respect is a great song and one I’ve heard many times, so it was really cool to hear the rest of the album.

It's a really nice time. She has such a lovely soulful voice (I mean, obviously).

Yeah fine. A couple of classics on there but certainly not an album I'd listen to again in a hurry.

lol @ the absolutely gushing reviews here. Suuuuure guys, suuuuure. Realistically? She can sing but it's a covers album, painfully dated, and only has one song anyone recognises. It's a 2/5.

Dit is een heel goede zangers. Ik ga me wel storen aan de adlibs, maar desondanks goed te luisteren als je van heel rustige soul houdt. De paar uptempo nummers vind ik geweldig. **

Lovely album

lovely voice

An album that can be appreciated on every level. No filler, the band is super tight, and Aretha kills. A no surprise 5.

i’ve always been torn about albums full of covers, but i totally get it now. these are all well-written songs, and the greatest singer of all time is performing them. the easiest 5 i’ve given so far

Ça force le respect

trop bien

Another iconic voice! Aretha is one of the greatest of all time, truly remarkable.

Blues negro, muy piola para tener de fondo y Aretha Franklin canta muy bien. Respect muy buen tema obvio, los otros no me los acuerdo tanto pero son blues y estan buenos que se yo.

Respect! Aretha in her prime.

Good album

Perhaps greater for context rather than content

Perfection!

Aretha Franklin, one of the original divas with such a powerhouse voice. Who knew that Respect was not even two and a half minutes long?! It was surprising to learn that this album only spent 2 weeks at #1 in the overall Billboard charts, after what we know today as some of her most famous works. However listening to it, it is understandable as there is not really much else on the album that really holds a candle to the two released singles. Best: Respect Worst: Don't Let Me Lose This Dream

4 stars like the other Aretha Franklin album we had so far. Great voice, good songs (although I disagree with considering Respect one of the greatest songs ever, very good but not THAT good) and also some good covers of soul hits. A pretty nice album, but not one I'd have spinning on repeat.

Fun but not my style

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

Amazing album, amazing voice. I knew of her hits of course, but never fully listened to an Aretha record before. Every song was just amazing.

This starts off with Respect, which immediately makes it great. However, the rest of the album is low key crooning. Don't Let Me Lose This Dream is pretty good.

Amazing. Stunning voice, great songs. Brilliant album.

a solid 4 Wow could this lady belt it out. The vocals on the title track esp are tremendous.

The blues influence and great vocals make this album pretty timeless despite the kind of dated sound. She good.

Glorious. Freed from the shackles of Columbia, the switch to Atlantic Records allowed Aretha to soar to the heavens. 5 stars from me, and anyone who rated this less than 4 stars should have their ears chopped off >:[

She can sing. But it’s not a great album

We all know Aretha can fucking wail, that’s a given. And you gotta give respect to “Respect”, because it is a powerful track we all know and love, but it’s fucking fun too! This was a great listening experience overall.

Not for nothin' is Aretha the Queen of Soul! Her voice and her ability to emote are unbelievable! She just oozes talent and soul

Incredible voice, great album!

There’s a reason she’s the Queen of Soul. This album is full of it and damn she can sing. I was bored at times but that’s a me thing, cannot deny this woman was talented as hell.

Great throwback. Smooth voice, highly recommend

Solid album. Memphis soul stuff. Not stax but it sure sounds like it.

mmmmmmmmmm

It's Aretha, anything below a 4 would be criminal. "Respect" is by far the best song on the album and by a slimmer margin the best in her catalogue. I didn't like this album quite as much as Lady Soul, but this is still a damn good album. Other highlights for me were "Soul Serenade", "Baby, Baby, Baby", "Save Me", and "A Change is Gonna Come". All in all a great album from an all time LEGEND.

Sole classic Aretha on this one - her vocals are perfectly situated within the mix on top of some creative, funk-inspired instrumentals and backing vocals that make each track pop. A bit downtempo for my taste, but still great to hear the context around some all-time classics

I love her. Great album.

Day 1: Lush vocals, chilled Motown vibe.

So good! Opening the album with RESPECT is a great move. The perfect music to put on while cooking dinner or going through an evening settling routine.

This is a lovely warm, album - short sweet to the point - it can't get wrong with 'Respect' as an opener. Aretha's voice here is immensely beautiful - one forgets and might take it for granted - but hear her sing is a wonderful pleasure.

Yndisleg plata. Dásamleg rödd!

Começa com um hino, iniciar a audição com Respect é ter certeza de vivenciar por 41 minutos a atuação carregada de potência e emoção. A satisfação de está em contato com uma obra-prima de soul e pop notável.

Before this, I had never listened to a full Aretha album front to back (I was only familiar with her hits), so this was quite the treat! I'm glad to have discovered some of her deeper cuts, and it makes me want to go back and listen to her other albums now! Highlights: Drown In My Own Tears I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You) Baby, Baby, Baby p.s. I recommend watching this video on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qz2efshhuq4

I never loved a soul singer the way I love Aretha Franklin. Good album.

Everybody wants to party with Aretha!!! Such a beautiful album. Her voice brings me back to my childhood. Love love loved every second of this.

GOAT

I enjoyed this, Aretha and her band were crisp and all tracks hit. This was bluesier than I thought it would be which was a nice surprise. Great pipes, great band, great album. 4 stars

very good - timeless.

Last three tracks are immaculate. Everything else is real solid.

This was an album I had not heard most songs on! I have been dabbling with modern R&B and neosoul, and I really like this sound. This album is sooo good. Aretha Franklin's voice is amazing. To me, this album is when you're at home making food with a romantic partner. Some favourites were "Soul Serenade," "Save Me," and "A Change is Gonna Come."

Not sure on where this fits chronologically but feels like it could be a blueprint album for a lot what came after. Love the light touch on instrumentation, highlighting her voice. Funny how the wave of nostalgia makes this sound modern.

God I love how 60s soul albums were mixed

Absolute classic, Aretha's voice is incredible

Just not a personal preference. Only knew 1 song, Respect. Didn't like any others.

Another banger all the way through just like Lady Soul

You absolutely MUST respect the Queen of Soul. This album is magnificent, start to finish, and anyone who says otherwise is objectively wrong.

So good

8/11, 72%

R E S P E C T

R-E-S-P-E-C-T!

bien ah 7/10

Actually enjoyed this way more than I expected! Do Right Woman, Do Right Man slaps

Great voice! Some big hits, some songs I liked, a few songs I didn't

Listened Before? N Soulful and hard-hitting at the same time. She's a unique talent and this is her at the top of her game in the late 60s. I enjoyed it even though it's not really my style. Respect is an all time classic, though, and it's the song I chose to represent this one. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Respect

Loved it loved it loved it! What a voice!

Damn this album is awesome! It has to be a 5. What a voice.

Respect is one of my top 10 covers so yeah. It takes a fresh listen to remind myself how damn good it is. And also that the iconic spelling refrain is not a chorus but more like the bridge/outro. The rest is very soulful and good writing, but I have to admit the recording is a little distracting. She’s pitchy sometimes and even overmodulated a bunch on the title track. So not a perfect album but pretty close.

All killer no filler from the Queen of Soul.

Kan ha funkat men ändå , lite snark

La reina del soul. Sólo por Respect ya se merece el 5.

Bien.

p129. 5 stars. One of the great voices on absolutely top form, with the songs and production to match it. There is not a weak track on this.

Excellent legend obvs, janis joplin sounds a bit like this

Such a classic, what a voice

Crazy how many people probably only know Aretha from Respect. There's a wealth of other great soul songs on here and I'm glad I didn't skip over this one. Standouts: Don't Let Me Lose This Dream; Do Right Woman, Do Right Man; A Change Is Gonna Come; I Never Loved A Man

What a voice.

This was a perfect listen for a Sunday morning, and a great way to start 2023. Absolutely the Queen of Soul.

Exquisite! Aretha's voice is both powerful and calming, and these songs do her every favor possible. It's soulful and emotional, and it makes you feel things. That's how you know that the music has done its job. Although there are a couple of tracks that don't match up to this record's highlights, it's a high, high 4-star and I have absolute respect for the queen. More Aretha has to be on the way in this list, right? The standout tracks here are of course, Respect, as well as Drown in My Own Tears, Do Right Woman, Do Right Man, and that beautiful title track.

One day, Aretha explored the domain of soul. She conquered it ever since.

Classic sound. But I can’t highlight anything.

Klassikko

Essential. Especially on vinyl.

Lordt. There are five star albums, and then there are albums that transcend ratings. Iconic.

This was lovely. A great listen!

Hard to lose after opening with "Respect" and with all her soulfulness and that explosive voice. Side note, I did not realized that Otis Redding wrote Respect!

Awe inspiring. I have to go through her entire discography from beginning to end now. I'm reminded of this quote from Billy Preston: "I don't care what they say about Aretha. She can be hiding out in her house in Detroit for years. She can go decades without taking a plane or flying off to Europe. She can cancel half her gigs and infuriate every producer and promoter in the country. She can sing all kinds of jive-ass songs that are beneath her. She can go into her diva act and turn off the world. But on any given night, when that lady sits down at the piano and gets her body and soul all over some righteous song, she’ll scare the shit out of you. And you’ll know—you’ll swear—that she’s still the best fuckin’ singer this fucked-up country has ever produced."

Queen.

Contrairement à ce qu'en a pensé eltrapeze, il s'agit d'un album très solide. Il prend encore plus de sens lorsque l'on a vu son biopic au cinéma cette année, ce qui n'est pas mon cas.

Si même Aretha se met à faire de la musique moyenne, je n'ai plus aucune foi en ce générateur.

I love Aretha! This is such a great album to put on in the background but then her vocal delivery grabs your attention and makes you listen to the lyrics.

Enjoyable, but this is not my jam.

Yeah very good, respect (wink). Powerful voice and seemingly lyrics, gonna have to give this a 4, always tough to give a 5 if I haven't heard it before

I would vote it higher based on talent and objectivity, but this is my subjective ranking and I'm not likely to grab it off the shelf to put on. 3/5

Aretha is a classic I loved hearing more of her work here

More than half the album are considered standards, which in my regard makes this an outstanding classic. The soul and incredible blues rock vocals are better than most out and out rockers. Along side Lady Soul this is a standout LP from Aretha’s body of work.

Wow! Amazing!

Awesome voice and talent. Did make me want to listen to the Commitments album though 😁

This was tremendous. Aretha on spectacular form here alongside some really tight arrangements, funky guitar and her own bluesy, soulful piano. Just about every track is a stone cold classic. Love it.

Another very classic album that I don’t really get. This is more a genre that I don’t like much (soul) than some of the others that I have rated, however. There’s just not really anything there that I feel strongly about.

Good but not for me, could be fire in the right mood

Very solid soul album. Respect is the biggest hit and the obvious highlight.

Aretha's the Queen of Soul, and if you can't figure out why after listening to this album then you're probably a lost cause. Not only is it solid from start to finish, but it's got two of my Top 4 Aretha songs, "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" and (my personal favorite) "Baby, Baby, Baby" (the other two songs being "Chain of Fools" and the "Blues Brothers" version of "Think"). An easy 5 stars.

Absolutely incredible. So perfect from start to finish, I listened to it twice in a row. How I got this far in life & had never listened to one of her albums in full is a shock. It's no wonder she's The Queen of Soul.

I will never not enjoy sitting down and having a listen to some classic Aretha Franklin.

Quite a nice little album. Nothing too special though but could see myself listening to it again.

Respect immediately brings this album to a 4. I've always considered it better than the original, not only because flipping the genders makes it a lot more fun (and less mean-sounding), but also because the execution is just so well done. The rest of the songs are very well done as well, but don't grab my attention in the same way.

some really classic songs. maybe overplayed? IDK. Always a worry. but a fun one. yep. boring.

The singing and vocals is really what makes this album, and it certainly does that exceptionally well. Definitely not the kind of music I usually listen to, though it was a good listen nonetheless.

Though I prefer Lady Soul (of the 2 Aretha albums I’ve listened to in full), there’s a certain gift in performing decent songs and making them sound like the anthem of a generation. Those Redding & Cooke covers, they’re enough to justify listening to this in full. HL: “R.E.S.P.E.C.T.”, title track, “A Change is Gonna Come”, “Save Me”, “Don’t Let Me Lose That Dream”

Beautiful voice, but soul can be dull

What an icon.

Gute Platte, die neben Respect noch weitere Perlen enthält. Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream ist der heimliche Star des Albums.

Ça part fort avec une chanson iconique, mais après ça garde pas assez l'énergie. Dommage!

First of all, they need to remaster this on Apple Music. The sound levels are way low. There's so much great sound on this, and you have to crank it up to hear it. Respect to Respect. What a hit this song is. Aretha's perfect sound, the Motown sound, the rhythm, the sax, it all works. This song will live on forever. Nothing subsequently reaches the heights of Respect, but it's a nice little gospel, jazzy little album, clocking in around 30 minutes. The cover of Sam Cooke's A Change is Gonna Come pushes it to the 4-star level!

A classic album.

Magnificent album from the Queen of Soul.

Outstanding vocal performance.

очень хорошо - вопросов и претензий не имею

No comments needed here.

Good singer. I like her music. "Respect" is fine. Also "Dr. Feelgood" and "I never loved a man".

The problem with an album like this is that the opening track is so perfect that anything that comes after it pales in comparison. Respect is such a fucking amazing song that everything else just feels second rate after it.

She's the queen of soul for a reason. I don't listen to a lot of soul normally, but I'd happily put this album on.

Lovely album, great voice.

She's perfect!

It insists upon itself.

If this album consisted of Respect, the title track and Yoko Ono singing over geese honking for the rest of the album it still would be 4 stars. Add in songs like Soul Serenade, Do Right Woman and Drown in my Tears it's hard not to bump it 5. Sure a few songs don't hit, her version of Change is Gonna Come is ok but only because Sam Cooke made it untouchable.

Soulful and bluesy with gospel underpinnings. Classic.

I'd never just put this one but it wasn't bad.

These types of albums are the hardest for me to rate. There's no denying that it's good, she can sing, the songs are tight, etc. But I just don't like it. After a couple of songs I get bored.

Ok

Aretha. Just say her name and we're there. What I didn't realize until this album came up in the rotation is this is her tenth studio album and it's 1967. Wow. She blazed trails in so many ways. What an album. What songs! What a voice. What a performer. Aretha.

She was so talented!

No words necessary, she is amazing

Superb voice

Aretha is beyond amazing.

Hot take: Aretha Franklin's voice is good. Favorite track: Soul Serenade

Undisputedly 5* album. Some absolute classic tracks on here.

Really excellent, voice of the century. I've loved this album for years. Never Loved a Man (the track) is wonderful as is Do Right. Brilliant, evocative, soulful - very gospel inspired, beautifully arranged. Just really really good

"I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You" is the tenth studio album by Aretha Franklin and the first released under her Atlantic contract. She departed Columbia after nine disappointing jazz-standard albums. The album began recording at FAME in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and later finished at Atlantic Studios in NYC due to an altercation between her husband, a band member and the producer. Some might notice the difference in the two recordings due to tape recording speed discrepancies between the two studios. The album was a big success reaching #1 in the US. This album is worth listening to if just for Aretha's voice. What can you say? The album begins with the classic cover of Otis Redding's "Respect." Horns and a guitar intro. Outstanding backing vocals by three women which persists throughout this album. Aretha's forceful voice. Hard to not put this song up near the top songs of all time. A slower pace led by the piano fuels the soulful "Drown In My Own Tears." A Henry Glover cover. Aretha's soulful delivery! The first single was actually "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You). More of a blues beat led by the organ, piano and horns. A lying, cheating man but she loves him nonetheless. A highlight of the second side is "Good Times." A Sam Cooke cover. More blues than soul. Guitar. No backing vocals. Aretha slows down her delivery in the excellent "Do Right Women, Do Right Man." A soulful ballad. Excellent backing vocals. Need to treat your women right. The album ends with another Sam Cooke cover, "A Change is Gonna Come." The original is such a good song and Aretha does it right. Slower, more soulful. I don't know if I've heard a better vocal performance than Aretha on this album. And, I don't know is this is breaking any new ground with music but Aretha takes this to another level. An album obviously worth checking out.

What a voice. Music bit smooth though, 3 stars

This is Aretha Franklin's 10th studio album, and is her first with Atlantic Records. From what I understand, in her time with Columbia, they were trying to mold her into a pop star, forcing her to try and fit into a mold of what was popular at the time, and that just wasn't her. Atlantic gave her artistic freedom to just be herself, and man does it show on this record. Her vocal runs and creative freedom shines bright here! Her backing band on this record, Muscle Shoals Sound Rhythm Section, were super tight, melding seamlessly with Aretha's huge voice. It was with this record, that she blew the top off of the soul/blues genres and paved the way for future acts to aspire to. Every song on this album is phenomenal, and just makes ya wanna move. On an unrelated note: Every time I hear Aretha's name, I think of the part of School of Rock, where Dewey is trying to convince Tomika that she can sing in front of people, even though she's a bigger girl. "You've heard of Aretha Franklin right? She's a big lady. But when she sings, she blows peoples minds! Everyone wants to party with Aretha!!" Favourite songs: Respect, Good Times, Save Me, A Change Is Gonna Come, Soul Serenade, I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You) Least favourite song: if forced to choose, "Baby, Baby, Baby" 5/5

A beautiful album by the Queen of Soul. Several classics like Respect, A Change Is Gonna Come, Do Right Woman, Do Right Man.

Very good

7/10 classic

Lovely! What a voice. A sweet and warm listen, a nice mix of smoothness and intensity. No song ever drones on and on, they're like little tasting samples, in the best way possible! Ideal length. Really enjoyed the bossa nova influence in Don't Let Me Lose This Dream. This one is one that will enter the rotation for a rainy, grey weekend morning.

Elevating and beyond soulful, or rather definitively soulful. One thinks the back-up singers get perhaps less credit than they deserve. Gospel never sounded so sexy, or love songs quite so upstanding. The playing is solid +, letting the Queen do what she could do. The reinterpretations of Redding and Mayfileld shows how she can have her way with a song, and it's how she inhabits the song, not just singing it, that makes AF the Queen of Soul, right? And she is indeed Queen of Soul AF.

The Queen!

Respect is so good they put it twice on the album. 5 4

An amazing classic beautiful album with a beautiful album cover!

Classic and timeless

Another musician I’m only vaguely familiar with, whereas perhaps I should really know more songs than I actually do. I’m hopeful and hesitant at the same time - R&B/soul are generally genres I don’t enjoy much. Songs I already know: Respect, A Change Is Gonna Come Favourite after listening: Respect, A Change Is Gonna Come Overall: 5/10 I feel like this is a score that people are going to disagree with, so let’s get one thing out of the way - music is very subjective, and no album is going to please everybody. Respect is still a classic and an enjoyable song, but the rest of the album just doesn’t do much for me. Aretha Franklin is an excellent singer, but vocals have always been the least important part of a good song to me. Take away the vocals, and it is frankly uninteresting music to my ears. I can respect (pardon the pun) the talent of Aretha Franklin, but it just isn’t music that clicks for me. I even went back and listened to this again in case I was wrong the first time round, but that actually made me lower the score from a 6 to a 5 as I got bored halfway through.

Cool

Te steriel, weinig tempowisselingen, geen emotionele connectie

I can’t pick any song out because it fell on a Friday and I’ve not been able to review for two days. There is a new album today, so I’m not listening again. No pun intended, respect what she does, but I was a bit bored listening to this one.

Listened to it on Friday. Can’t remember the songs really so I’m not doing the format. No Respect

Motown classic

amazing

Soul. R&B

Sept 19/20

I can definitely appreciate her talent and contribution to music. Respect will always be a great song. However, I am rating on personal enjoyment and this album is just simply not aligned with my taste. I will probably not listen again.

Classic, soulful, amazing

Very, very good. Should listen again

How can you not like an album which includes the greatest song ever, 'Respect', as determined by the unassailable metrics imposed by Rolling Stone Magazine? Joking aside, Franklin truly is at full force on this record, making incredibly good choices in the songs she covers. A highlight is of course 'A Change Is Gonna Come' - Franklin might be one of a handful of artists capable of matching Sam Cooke's emotion and strength on this song.

What a voice; absolutely surreal that it took 10 albums for her to finally strike some much deserved success. It really sets the bar high opening with “Respect” and while the A-side continues to deliver solid songs, it’s not until Franklin herself gets songwriting credit on “Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream” and “Baby, Baby, Baby” that I can really sense her full presence accompanied beautifully by her sisters on backing vocals. I would’ve liked for the drums and guitars to be a bit more present in the mix, which is heavily dominated by bass and the horn section. But with Franklin’s vocal in front, it doesn’t bother me that much.

Classic

Classic Soul, amazing voice. Easy to listen to, a classic

Great soul album, killer voice and the songs were solid.

One of the greatest voices ever. This is objectively a good album, but by my own rating system i think it’s a 3

Aretha has an amazing voice, hands down. But I'm not that into this album. I find it a bit boring.

Good album

Queens tend to be a sensitive subject these days. Aretha was more of a force of nature than a regal entity. Respect is such a perfect song.

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

Amazing and I want to listen to more Aretha. This is another review I wish I the time to write more

Skide god. Hun synger mega godt, ved dog ikke om der er noget jeg kommer til at lytte til mange gange

Legend singing

hoe

Beautiful; very different from previous Aretha albums after she got with Wexler Soulful, emotional voice, with great lyrics and stellar backing

LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOO 3 repeated songs at the end? Not a bad thing, just strange

R E S P E C T

Looks like we are getting some awesome albums this week. I don’t know if this is her most famous, but I thought this album was fantastic. Some songs weren’t, but overall this was a great soul album from start to finish.

Here's a winner! The other from Aretha that I have on vinyl. In college, a coworker once asked me if I could only listen to one song for the rest of my life, which song would I choose? I took a few days to think about it, and came back with "Respect" by Aretha Franklin as my answer. Timeless, fits different moods, just one of the all-time greats. It opens this album, which is full of plenty of other great tracks along the way, including a cover of Sam Cooke's masterpiece "A Change is Gonna Come," which is not on the sole Sam Cooke album featured on the list. This is a fantastic album. Favorite tracks: Respect, I Never Loved a Man, A Change is Gonna Come, Do Right Woman, Drown in my Tears, Good Times. Album art: About as ethereal as a portrait shot from an album this old could be. Looks vaguely like a wedding photo, or maybe she's supposed to be an angel in heaven? Either way, I do enjoy this one, and I like the old school font. 4.5/5

Just an absolutely stunning voice every time. Not as good as Lady Soul was, but still a transcendent talent. Favorite track, non-Respect division: Good Times

Comments: Even tho the genre isn't my thing, it was a very enjoyable album nonetheless. First Listen?: Y Fav. Tracks: Soul Serenade, Respect, I Never Loved a Man Rating: 3/5

Amazing voice and talent

One of her best. Got it on vinyl.

Kova mut kalpenee kyl Lady Soul:ille 3/5

Hyvä, muttei ihan niin kova kuin Lady Soul.

Voimakasta menoa! Erityisesti Respecthän on nyt klassikko. Jostain slowareista en sit niin välittänyt, joten taitaa mennä keskitielle 3/5

Love this album, the iconic Respect is such a rocker.

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

Classic. She’s got an incredible voice and it was good to hear some of the songs from the early days of Aretha that weren’t “Respect”.

Would listen again good background album