Reviews (page 8 of 13)
4.5.... RESPECT is an insane banger. I can only imagine hearing if for the first time. Damn. Also, Change is Going to Come is sooo good. But, the rest of the songs on the album didn't really match the vibe of those two and so album-wise it's missing a bit of glue.
Love this whole soul sound and this was no different. I loved my listening experience with this one, and Aretha’s voice is perfection in sound. This was great.
Respekt!
c: baby, baby, baby h: respect
Unreal voice. Hard one to review. Give it a listen.
Some classic stuff. Without a doubt she is a great singer. Respect sets a high bar. A couple of tracks lost my interest. I like Sam Cookes A Change Is Gonna Come better. The later release added Stereo tracks also sound better.
It's Aretha! I can't get behind every track but I'm not hating any one of them.
At first I thought I would give this a 5, then I started listening to the songs. There are 3 songs that I don't care for, which means I cannot give this album a 5. There are also duplicate tracks on the album which is kinda weird.I realized they are the stereo versions of some songs which I can do without. My favorite song from this album is Don't let me lose this dream.
muinto bom
Not a bad song on the whole thing
I love Aretha's voice; so much power and just the right amount of smokiness.
Hellll yeah
Truly the Queen of Soul!!!
FAME, Dan Penn, Roger Hawkins, bama shit, memphis shit, all comes together. I don't quite like it as much as the lady soul one (mostly cause of the unhinged backings sometimes) but it is real good. Hilarious the RS review is quoted as saying the drums aren't hard enough when big roger hawkins drenched every beat in perfect grease, acknowledged at the time and forever RIP.
mad respect to aretha franklin and her modern day counterpart mercedes jones fav song: do right woman, do right man
Although it's not the type of music I listen to on a daily basis, it's still gold. Great voice.
Great record.
A huge surprise! I really vibed with this album, from the excellent opener Respect, to the majestic closer. A couple of songs were a little below average, but for the most part, this album is sublime soul with Aretha's awesome vocals in the forefront.
Tinseltown in the rain is a bop
Охуенно девка исполняет, лайк
4.5
Cohesive, soulful and thematically bold. Aretha's voice and her chorus are beyond excellent and the instrumentation complements it perfectly. Starting with a song as powerful as Respect makes it fizzle out a bit after that song. Great closer.
A phenomenal soul album. It made my day, just vibing to this all morning long. Would not recommend to listen and run if you're trying to get a pr on your 5k, but absolutely would recommend if you are looking for an upbeat, happy vibe. 4 stars, hands down.
Such a great voice! Combined with punchy music makes for a great album!
I love you, Aretha Franklin! Her voice is wonderful. It's like walking on the clouds.
When reading reviews to get some inspiration for what to write here, I found out that this album consists of covers, which I then found out was a common thing to do around this time, this is one of the more impressive examples though. Aretha is obviously a name I’ve heard before, who hasn’t heard of her? She changed the soul genre for the better, without her I wouldn’t have one of my goats Lauryn Hill so I have to give her credit there. This album is full of powerful vocals and she does her own spin on all these different songs she chose to cover very nicely on smooth jazzy beats which never sound dull or boring, I can see why this album spiraled her into stardom. Favorite Tracks: A Change Is Gonna Come, Do Right Man, Do Right Woman, and Respect. Also, here’s a tip, if you use Apple Music like me and add this through her discography, be aware that for some reason the page links to the mono version, don’t accidentally listen to that instead of the main like I did.
What a nice album to listen !! Respect !!
Lovely
Great listen. Loved it!
You gotta have a ton of respect for Aretha Franklin. This album is a classic.
Not in the mood to write but she's great, I can't think of anything negative. Plus now I know that Respect is that one song that plays in TV things.
Beautiful
I've never listened to this entire album but it has several of her greatest hits. "Respect" is one of the greatest songs ever by anyone! Then you move on to highly listened to tracks like "I Never Loved...", "A Change Is Gonna Come" (another all time great song, but I prefer the original), "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man", "Drown In My Own Tears", & "Dr. Feelgood". I enjoyed "Good Times" & "Save Me" as much as any of the hits. It's packed with hit songs and she was at her peak in 1967. I did not enjoy "Don't Let Me Lose This Dream", it sounded like Irene Cara, shrilly. Coincidentally it was the least listened to song on the album (2M listens). Overall, very good from top to bottom and packed with some classics. 3.5 stars from me but I'll round up.
QWAN
This was cool but didn’t hit me as much as her other record on here.
Good listening but didn't stick to anything
Something really soothing about listening to this album. When music had more soul and one woman singing alone could really wrap you up into the vibe.
Classic.
Hits
Good Times
literally a girl boss before that was even a thing. they called her the “queen of soul”, and for good reason. a deep, rich voice with feminist ideals (ahead of her time, in that regard).
Incredible voice.
Einfach angenehme Hintergrundmusik. Wahnsinniges Gesangstalent. Würde ich jetzt nicht jeden Tag hören aber trotzdem top. 'Baby, baby, baby' und 'Do Right Woman, Do Right Man' fand ich am besten.
It’s a classic. It’s not my thing but it’s great as it is
Good Vocal, Old souls, enjoyable, 7/10
Aretha can wail. Very enjoyable and uplfting music.
Franklin really belts it out on this one. Really good songs, however I found the covers she does on here better than the original songs by Franklin.
Fantastic Aretha! Nearly perfect, could be a 5, but would need to listen to it more.
So much heart and soul in this can’t wait to go back.
Beautiful meditations on relationships and self 4.5/5
classic.
R.E.S.P.E.C.T!
Aretha Franklin's voice is phenomenal. She puts so much emotion into every note that it's impossible not to root for her.
I wish I could connect more emotionally to this album, specially with the slowest songs, because Aretha's voice is truly one of the greatest in music's history, showcasing a very powerful and passinate performance through the whole album.
A lot of great material with amazing vocal performances by Aretha. Some meh songs too.
This was an amazing experience. Her voice is fantastic, and the instrumentals don’t disappoint. Love the bluesy style of some of the songs. Most songs I would definitely listen again. Although, I feel like her voice is a little bit overpowering on some of the songs.
• 4/5 • tour de force
It's that thing with older music where the lyrics and subject matter are kind of basic but the singing is so good that you have to love it anyway.
Quite great
I find it hard to have anything to say about this sort of soul music; it’s just self explanatory sublime.
A beautiful voice performs one of the most recognizable songs on the planet. As for the rest of the album, it is more of the same but not quite at that level. Very soulful.
Powerful voice, and fantastic song renditions. She commands your attention and then pleases with the backing orchestral embellishments. The production quality is of course a little harsh on certain speakers, however this album shines all the same.
Really solid album. Save me is a hidden gem. Could have become a northern soul classic in another life
Aretha Franklin is sooo talented. I think I liked this album more than the last album of hers. It's definitely fun. "Respect" is a classic. Actually a 3.75 Liked Songs: "Respect" , "Drown in my Own Tears" , "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Loved You)" , "Don't Let Me Lose This Dream" , "Dr. Feelgood (Love Is a Serious Business)" , "Good Times" , "Save Me"
liked songs: Drown in My Own Tears, Baby, Baby, Baby, A Change Is Gonna Come (fantastic cover/reinterpretation) Very good. I love Aretha Franklin's voice, even if I don't come back to her music often enough. 3.75
I appreciate it but I think Im a bit to young for you
Really well executed soul, even if the quality is a bit dated
Hell yeah
A solid album from a music legend.
It was fine
Good stuff.
Respect // Baby, Baby, Baby //
She was amazing... Long live the queen
Beautiful vocals , beautiful instrumentation, Aretha is such a gem to the jazz scene
Such an incredible voice, clear, strong but beautiful. Backed by brilliant instrumentation which just composed so well. Great listen.
Great vibes. Listened in stereo. Not a bad song on the album but will give it another go in mono to embrace how it was released originally.
R E S P E C T.
It doesn't knock my socks off the same way Lady Soul does, but it's still good.
Very well structured album and her voice is amazing
I know Aretha Franklin mostly from a few hits and her gorgeous voice. Regarded as one of the greatest vocalists of all time she possesses both power and soul creating some beautiful moments. That being said I've never heard a full album from her so I'm excited to have a listen and see what she can deliver outside of her hits. Respect. One of the hits, and an absolutely iconic piece of music. A cover which truly elevates the song and changes its context to deliver a feminist message. Fantastically performed and popular for a reason. Amazing. 5/5 Drown in my own tears Calming, jazzy, moody. Sentimental performance. Feels true and honest. She paces her performance well across the entire track, allowing her vocals to grow organically towards the end of the song. Instrumentally does get a bit stale after a bit. Very of it's era. Great. 4/5 I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Loved You) Vocal performance as impressive as previous tracks though the instrumental kinda lets the song down. Great chorus. The horns don't sound too great. The mix sorta drowns the vocals out by the end. Decent. 3.5/5 Soul Seranade. Starts really promising. Great delivery on the chorus. The verses are kinda uninteresting, though I guess they're not really the selling point. Doesn't overstay it's welcome, rather peters out by the end. Decent. 3.5/5 Don't Let Me Lose This Dream Feels classy. I enjoy the pacing. The bass is a highlight in the instrumental. The piano is a bit too quiet. Backing vocals do a decent job of adding to the song without taking away from the main performance. Great. 4/5 Baby, Baby, Baby A basic premise and a safe choice. The verses are well written. Backing vocals don't add much. Carried by an amazing vocal performance yet again. Decent. 3.5/5 Dr. Feelgood (Love is a Serious Business) Could come across as cheesy, though feels sincere enough to avoid it. The horns sound kinda rough. Builds on itself. Ends well. Good track. 3.5/5 Good Times A nice positive song about having a good time. Simple and sweet. Catchy, moves along nicely. Appreciate its briefness. Swingin' 4/5 Do Right Woman, Do Right Man Kind of a slow start. Novel through modern ears, progressive for its time. Well structured chorus, though the background vocals are kinda rough. Great. 4/5 Save Me Repetitive instrumental, though has a sort of funky energy to it. Especially the bass. Comic book references are fun. Fine. 3/5 A Change is Gonna Come. Powerful and anthemic first minute. The piano is really pleasant. Has a different kind of class to it, hard to describe what causes it. Really highlights her fantastic voice. Made it her own. Beautiful. 4.5/5 Pleasant listening experience. Certainly a great album. Thoroughly carried by the majestic vocals which remain amazing every step of the way. And while I understand the point of the album is to highlight Aretha Franklin's voice, I just wish there would be something else once in a while to catch your ear on. The instrumental really isn't too interesting for the most part. And while the love songs are beautifully peformed and well written, some change in subject matter would be welcome for more than a brief cameo. Still for what it is and what it's trying to be, it does a great job, and really offers a worthwhile view into the world of 60s soul music. Overall an enjoyable, would revisit.
:-)
Fantastic album with incredible songs personally one of my least favorite is the actual title song of the album but the rest are great. I would say it gets a little too similar in songs after respect to Dr feelgood but then it kicks into another gear from there.
Strong 8
me ha gustado bastante, y realmente se me ha hecho bastante corto. No es lo q suelo escuchar y por eso le doy 4 estrellas, siento q le falta algo, si hubiesen 4.5 se las daría
Surprisingly fantastic. This isn’t usually my type of music, but it’s a goddamned good time.
A very solid Soul album. Not really much to say about this one. Mid 4.
"Respect" is one of the greatest songs of all time, and fits so many little emotional pockets of enjoyment for all kinds of listeners. It's a pump up track that will get you moving on the dance floor, it's a defiant set of lyrics that probably showed hundreds of thousands of young women that they shouldn't just request respect and fairness- they should demand it, and at it's surface is a vocal performance for the ages. This track alone would make any album worth being on this list. The rest of the record of course isn't as spectacularly historical or other-worldly good like "Respect" is, but it's still a very solid album. There's lots of soul enriching tunes, but ultimately makes me yearn for more of what "Respect" gave me. That uptempo wild ride of a track as an opener is really great, but the lack of that energy is obvious when you get to the song, "Good Times, and realize that it's been 7 songs since you've had any kind up uptempo high energy pace that you were given right from the start. It's a small blemish on a really fantastic release. Strong 4/5.
mother………
4.5
A good solid album with plenty of good tunes, and of course what a voice!
I mean. It's Aretha. It's pretty great.
Smooth
Exceptional
Aretha Franklin voice and it sounds really classic and stylish, hard not to enjoy it for the one listen. All the more impressive given the recording standards of the time. It's the sort of thing I'd enjoy in the background or live but can't say it grabs me. Unlikely to be intentionally back for another listen but I'll enjoy it when I unexpectedly hear it. 3.5.
Love a bit of Aretha
Much R E S P E C T.
She is genuinely so talented. Respect is such a classic! Really enjoyed this.
8/10
Albumi #141, 08.02.2024 Aretha Franklinin kymmenes albumi lienee hänen albumeistaan tunnetuin. Loistava klassikkoalbumi, joka tulisi löytyä jokaisesta levyhyllystä. Soul-levyjen aatelia.
There's soul in her voice
Great Album. She is so powerful
👸
Can't say I've heard anything outside of the Respect before. That said, Aretha Franklin's voice is stellar here. The backup instrumentals are solid. Pretty hard not to give this anything lower than a 4.
A great and highly influential album from a great and highly influential singer.
poteva essere più corto ma iconic mi ha fatto ballare sulla sedia
I really need to listen to more soul
I was assigned Lady Soul not too long ago, and it absolutely blew me away. Now, whether that was ONLY because of Aretha's incredible vocals or if it is actually just a great album, is hard to tell because this album is very good but it's not quite AS good as Lady Soul to me. It felt a little more repetitive in sound and some of the tracks kind of lost me whereas Lady Soul kept me hooked for multiple listens. Despite opening up with arguably the best soul song of all time, this one fell just a little flat for me (again, perhaps just by comparison but that's the way it goes sometimes). Still a solid 4.
La de fliparsela con técina vocal es algo que general ente me produce mucho rechazo, pero al ser del 67 como que cambia la forma de verlo. Como que si este disco saliera ahora no me molaría, sin embargo lo evidente que es aqui un talento tan jarto me ha llamado la atención varias veces. Medio siglo peña intentando recrear diferentes aspectos que ya se encuentean en este disco de forma mucho más efectiva.
The album is like the wave about to crest. Power about to be unleashed.
Aretha is so great. Phenomenal and iconic. "Respect" is such a classic, and her version of "A Change Is Gonna Come" is gorgeous. This is Aretha at her best.
3.5
😍😍😍
Her voice and lyrics are so powerful I cannot give anything below 4 stars. I don't think I will actively put the album on again, but would never mind listening to it.
4 stars. Solid album
Great singing. Great backing instruments. Great length.
Obviously know Respect but not too familiar with anything else on here. Really dig some of these. She just has an insanely great voice. Good stuff.
Another album I've only heard one song from. My soul feels different now.
Think
Loved this one
Quite good album and you recognize the artist immediately which says something about the iconic sound she has. Save Me was a pleasant surprise. I was confused about the repeated tracks at the end of the album but apparently they are from a re-release in 1995 which included some stereo versions and now I wish the whole album was in stereo.
I always love Aretha Franklin
Listenable all the way through, and demonstrates Aretha's vocal prowess, something that I imagine was a big breakthrough in soul/gospel/r&b or whatever you want to call this genre mashup at the time. Might rate it higher if there was more variety in lyrical theme and more original songs.
Late night slow
this is a great album that really showcases Aretha's vocal talents and the heart and soul she puts into her singing. It's crazy to think this is her tenth studio album but she's still really only at the beginning of her mainstream career and there are still so many amazing songs to come. Of course "Respect" is iconic, but I really loved a lot of tracks on here that I had never heard before just because I only really knew her biggest hits. I do wish I could have heard it on vinyl because I think the sound quality and mixing might come across a bit better, but I'll be on the lookout for it now in my local record stores :)
Not my favorite Aretha Franklin album, but it does include one of my favorite songs of all time, "Respect"(which was recently voted the greatest song of all time by "The Rolling Stone" magazine). She still graced Earth with the greatest singing voice of all time, and most of her songs will lift your spirits. Favorite song: "Respect"
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You is the tenth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin released on March 10, 1967. The best female vocalist of all time. Period. I wouldn't call this her strongest record, although there are many strong points. Namely, Respect and A Change is Gonna Come. This record is mainly dominated by ballads. The funkier tracks are definitely stronger but I like the ballads too. The rhythm section is also very strong.
Kick ass backing band
An odd album. I either really enjoyed a track or completely zoned out. Listened through twice.
Enjoyed listening to this based just on Aretha’s talent alone. Other than a couple of standouts, the non-Aretha parts weren’t really that great. She shines so bright that it brings the overall score way up though.
4.5 so close to being a 5, such a well rounded album
8-9. Great voice, great production. Some songs stronger than others. Need to listen again.
An incredible industry turn around for Aretha and a crucial moment for the cross over from gospel to R&B. Amazing to think she had 9 albums before she hit with this one. A one-of-one voice.
It’s Aretha, nuff said.
Fantastic vocals and arrangements. Great vibe, easy listening.
Aretha is always good. 4 stars on this album. Good but not incredible for me.
Sehr angenehme Musik
One of the best female voices to ever exist! Incredible album as well, and very important for soul music. Respect is a classic.
Yeah, this is good. What else is there to say?
4/5 veldig fin jazz!
An objectively good album, but not one for me.
Soulful
Easy listen with some already known and enjoyable hits
Soulful, beautiful. Hard to have a stronger opener than Respect.
Good lord what a voice. First time diving deep into an Aretha album and I was very pleased. Respect is an all-timer and you really never get tired of hearing her sing. Not quite a five but a solid four.
Solid album all around. "Respect" is probably in the top 10 songs of all time. I have nothing really negative to say about this album. If a couple more songs were more recognizable I probably would have given a 5.
The GOAT
Album art:3
try not to say mother challenge level impossible!!
What a voice, I love soul music and this album had that and more! Some funky blues hits in there too. It's not quite a 5 for me but it's creeping up there!
Solid album, great singer
I’m a no good heartbreaker
one of the best voices of all time hadn’t listened to this in full before, not something i’d normally listen to all the way through albums from this era often suffer from having a few “filler” songs which have no real place but that’s not too much of an issue here best song: soul serenade worst song: dr feelgood
amazing voice, great album
Great
我很久沒有聽爵士樂了，其實也不能說自己有沒有聽得懂。我在聽這張專輯時，搭配著悠閒的一咖啡廳下午，桌上有著很還好的檸檬塔（太液態），這感覺挺不錯，我要去拿一間外套了，冷了身子感冒不太好。
Great album. Ms. Franklin has a lot of talent and such a powerful voice. Favorite tracks: Save Me; I’ve Never Loved a Man
One of those albums I’ve known about, but never listened to. What an incredible singer.
I haven't had this long but I think I'm going to love it. What a voice.
Love the voice. It’s pretty classic.
There’s a reason she’s the Queen of Soul.
Legendary album.
I RESPECT this album
As a vehicle to show off how much of a raw talent Aretha Franklin is - splendid
So much talent but not my favorite music
She's the queen. I enjoyed it, even if this isn't the style I normally turn to.
This album could be twice as old as it is and I still wouldn't be able to forgive it things like Ms. Aretha standing 10 meters away from her Microphone on Save Me. But few technical aspects like this aside - yes it's obviously absolutely phenomenal and goregous and awe-inspiring collection of soul music, with Respect being one of the greatest openers to any album in history.
Truly and forever the Queen of Soul ❤️
Jamen hun er så god jo
Bedre end den anden Aretha vi havde synes jeg! Meget consistently høj kvalitet, hun synger pisse godt. Folk tager generelt fejl når de synes at de skal lave et cover af A Change Is Gonna Come, men den her var vel en af de bedre
Respect
Iconic voice and incredible soul singer. Plenty of classic hits on this one that remind us of why Aretha is so great. She really sets herself apart both as a female artist and as a soul artist in whole. Great record.
It’s good, it’s Aretha Franklin. Not sure why the songs repeated twice though. I couldn’t hear a large difference if there was any. Standouts: Respect, Drown in My Own Tears, Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream, Baby, Baby, Baby, and Do Right Woman, Do Right Man.
Listening to the mono recording. Not much more needs to be said about her singing. But these are good songs too. The instruments sound great and the album is tight and focused. I definitely see myself putting this on again. Timeless. Favorite tracks: Respect, Soul Serenade, Don't Let Me Lose This Dream, A Change is Gonna Come.
Borderline 5.
I like da bass
She’s got some pipes
Heard before. Pretty good record.
Pure talent
Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this album. Incredible voice and incredible woman. Some absolute standout songs but the rest did not disappoint.
Unbelievable talent of soul. One of a kind voice.
Very good
Respect. Album production and recording quality lets the album down a bit. It would be amazing to listen to this recorded with modern production. Best: Respect, Save Me Worst: Soul Serenade
Really enjoyed this one and it was so close to a 5. Great singing, great arrangements. Nice to put on after dinner.
Delightful listen
Solid!
Who doesn't like Aretha?!
Great Soul Record! Lyrics and Instrumentals got really pushed to another level because of aretha.
This album fucks. I only knew the hits but every song is really good. I think the kids would call her a baddie? I am for sure playing this one again.
Soul powerhouse. Some classics on here. I could listen to her voice forever. Love the subject matter of the songs as well.
Brilliant record. Her voice, the music, the lyrics and overall themes. Its so so good. I think it's easy to kind of just move on past Respect, but that song is important! Deep themes in that one. Then its followed up by the heartbreaking Drown in My Own Tears, which is not only a fantastic blues song, but has some sneaky good blues guitar. Her voice is what holds you throughout. Soul Serenade is perfect. Such a great soul / blues song. She's waaaails. Baby Baby Baby is such a good love song. Perfect for the time, still holds up. Do Right Woman, Do Right Man is a sneaky feminist anthem. Really cool. I love the covers of Good Times and A Change Gonna Come. She takes over and just owns those songs. Really incredible record.
Très doux et puissant ; joyeusement mélancolique, et coloré dans l'ombre de l'existence de sa chanteuse. Un album classique de la discographie d'Aretha. À écouter sans modération.
Listened to it in the car on the way to Oshawa for 4:45PM.
Makes me want to dance Full of energy Some songs are a bit boring
Bit samey but overall great
A Change is Gonna Come 3 *repeat* tracks Aretha has a beautiful voice. Most of these aren’t something I’d regularly reach for but nice slow melodies. 4/5
Funky, I love it... hadn't heard much besides RESPECT and now I know why she's a legend!
I’m going to cut to the chase. Is this album a five out of five for me personally? No. I do feel that the album gets a little monotonous after Respect, and a bit too much of the tracks sound a little like each other. I’m also not really the biggest fan of soul. But with the negative stuff out of the way, it’s still a half hour of Aretha Franklin serenading your ears, and that’s probably better than maybe more than half of the albums on here. Favorite track: Respect Other hits: Soul Serenade, Baby,Baby,Baby, Good Times, Do Right Woman,Do Right Man, Save Me, A Change is Gonna Come
this didn't have a lot of standout moments for me (besides Respect) but i did enjoy it!
this was a pleasant album and aretha has an incredible voice. respect is of course a bona fide classic. i also didn't realize how funny and fun some of her lyrics were, like in dr. feelgood and i never loved a man. the rest are solid tracks, even if they didn't grab my attention like those three. favorites: respect, i never loved a man (the way i love you), dr. feelgood (love is a serious business)
good
Bien.
é pur sempre Aretha...
Great
Soulful and body-piercing in the best way possible!
A very great and compelling album. Really no low points, just the fact that it's very simple in nature holds it back. But will keep listening. 4/5
She really sings her heart out in this one.
Classic, rock solid foundational soul from THAT VOICE! This is ‘comfort music’ (even though I have no particular personal emotional history with it).
Amazing singing. Classic composition. It feels very powerful. Standout track: A Change Is Gonna Come
Aretha's voice is just so powerful and enchanting. She really is one of the all time greats. The album itself had a nice progression- it highlighted the rral difficulties in relationships, while also capturing zuch raw emotion. Overall- I enjoyed it a lot. Probably a 4.5 star, but not quite a 5
Gotta love Aretha.
The queen of soul. This is a good album.
Thoroughly engaging, a real treat
Classic album. Some really good tunes. Whole album has a movie sound track feel. Got to be in the right mood to listen 7/10
So much better than just respect
Liv 3
If I could sing like this every problem in my life would be solved
Pretty nice sounding soul music. Stand out track: Respect
easily one of the greatest singers of all time. this is a great album
Really liked this album! Had not listened in full prior
Great soul from a legend! Not the most varied lyrics though. Love the hit Respect.
For someone to do an Otis Redding song better than Otis Redding garners my Respect.
Franklin's voice is incomparable. Some of her great hits on this one, as well as some other songs we didn't know but really enjoyed.
I guess this is the reason why Aretha Franklin is considered one of the best. This album was great. I love good vocal work. And she hits every note with ease. And you know there is no pitch correction or auto tune. Just straight up talent. Not sure why this record has 3 repeated songs. Is this just a streaming thing? Is it just the era of music? Unnecessary either way. Great listen.
Such a great voice!!
As R & B albums go, this is one of the most influential and recognizable landmark releases for sure. There is no denying her signature sound and style. My first introduction to her was actually in the 1980 film, “The Blues Brothers”. This is not a frequent go to genre of mine, but I do understand this contribution to the evolution of modern R&B/ rock history.
I was a bit surprised at how most of the songs fall into the same slower tempo. But it doesn’t matter with a voice like Aretha’s. Preach.
Aretha’s vocal talent is the obvious standout here, as the songwriting sort of out kicks its coverage. She could sing the dictionary and still get a 4, though.
Aretha’s voice gave me a hug and I liked it…a lot
Obvi great but doesn’t reach 5* for me personal ear holes. 4/5
Come on, it's Aretha Franklin. I've never listened to this album the whole way through, and I don't actually like Soul all that much, but this is good.
4/5
My only complaint about this album is that Aretha's voice can be overpowering. She swings for the fences on every track, which would be fine if she were the lead singer for Led Zeppelin, but too much of the material here is just softball stuff.
'Respect' so good they put it here twice. In all honesty, could have gone for a third.
Outstanding album. Another artist I've never really listened to but probably should. So soulful and groovy.
Beautiful album. So soulful, I could really feel everything.
She's the queen of soul, I can't help it
There's a reason why Aretha's called the queen of soul. This music is so well performed, and that voice! She's timeless! Liked songs added: - Respect - I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Loved You) - Do Right Woman, Do Right Man
Great
Beautiful soulful voice.
7.5/10
Restepce!
She's got a great voice and is known as the Queen of Soul. This album doesn't do anything to make me think differently.
Go power, vild åbner sejt album.
A bunch of standards performed to an incredibly high quality, can't ask for much better.
No misses on this one.
good
Fantastic voice, lots of soul in the best way. I wish more of her tracks were played in rotation, seems like Respect is the only track anyone plays by her
The very best of the genre. My Favorite songs are Respect and I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)
When there's "Respect" opening the proceedings, how can you *not* select this album in a list such as this one? Aretha transcends Otis Redding's song and her choices of vocal arrangements are so effective and soulful that the original version pales in comparison, as nice as said original version already was (and who among general audiences even remember it today, right?). The thing is, as far as essential or near-essential albums go, *Aretha Now* has more hits, and it's also clear to me that *Lady Soul* is an even better record than *I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You*. Let's face it, those other Aretha Franklin albums have a far more dynamic tracklist, with a perfect balance of lively cuts and slower ones. Conversely, *I Never Loved A Man...* mostly comprises ballads, and if the four that follow "Respect" are stellar (special mention for the bossa nova tones of ""Don't Let Me Lose This Dream"), the ones at the center of the LP ("Baby, Baby, Baby" and "Dr. Feelgood") are quite lukewarm. And most of all, they sound too damn similar. Sam Cook-penned "Good Times" is a bit more enticing, but it's also somewhat mundane and quite predictable as well. Which is not the case for another tune written by Cook, closer "A Change Is Gonna Come"--Aretha's performance on this ballad serves its oh-so-topical contents in such a moving way that the song soon becomes quite anthemic. And the two other highlights on side 2 are "Save Me", with its pop-rock overtones, and "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man", with its tense-yet-sensual mood and its dramatic background vocals. As such, those three standout tracks make up for the relative loss of momentum that has occured right before their appearance, at least... So yeah, maybe that's a slightly overrated album in my book, but the overall message of emancipation conveyed by a lot of those songs, plus Aretha's legendary singing chops, still make this one a keeper... And if you think I'm splitting hairs here, look at my final grade. 4/5 for the purposes of this list of "essential albums". 9/10 grade for more general purposes (5+4) Number of albums left to review: 123 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 381 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 225 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 283
This is easy: great artist, great music, great album.
Queen of Soul with her signature song, Respect. So amazing they had to put it on the album twice?! Ok, maybe one is a mono version and the other is stereo. No reason though to not listen to Respect twice. I can't say I've listened to much Aretha besides the hits but this was a solid listen and I'll have to put this into the rotation.
Committing a heresy here - I'm not a huge fan of Franklin's voice, despite its might and resonance. But - this is about as perfect a vehicle for her talents as can be imagined. The backing band add a little grease. Although it can get a little soupy at times, this is a bona fide triumph.
Bangers
A great collection of songs mostly well sung and played. Sometimes I wish Aretha would back off on the impro and just play it straight.
she's the queen for a reason !!
Respect is such a powerful opening track, I wish I could hear it for the first time again. It's a tough one to follow though, and I honestly can't remember how any of the other songs sound now that it's been a few days. But I know it's a joy to listen to her sing, and I'll plan to give this another listen sometime.
The lyrics can get repetitive, but Aretha's voice partially makes up for it.
I find the environment I listen to these can really matter for my experience. This one was unexpectedly perfect from that perspective. I listened to this while walking from hotel to the US Capital while on vacation. It was great so walking and strolling. I’ve hear this one before on another long list challenge. Great song choices. Great performances. All around wonderful record.
After all the psychedelic hippie bullshit and completely unremarkable Brit pop on this list, it is so refreshing to hear pros that are masters of their instruments (watch the Muscle Shoals documentary if you haven’t yet) backing an amazingly talented singer and making perfect pop/soul/R&B songs. There should be way more albums like this on this list and way less of the garbage that’s actually on here. The title track and “Do Right Woman” are incredible and “Respect” deserves its reputation as one of the best songs ever recorded. The rest of the albums is less impressive, but is still worth hearing. This album captures one of the greats of American music in her prime.
„Respect“ auch Soul kann fesselnd und spannen sein. Es wir mutig provoziert, jedoch bleibt die Klarheit und Ausducksstärke der Stimme erhalten. Texte und Konzept des Albums sind gut. Es bringt einen gedanklich in eine Südstaatennacht nach New Oerleans.
Pretty good. I liked the general theme of the album and some of these songs were very fun and catchy. Overall I enjoyed it
I think I didn’t give this one enough attention. Really loved some songs though so should revisit on a day not directly before a show lol. Happy opening to twelfth night!
I'm very surprised at just how many 2- and 3-star ratings there are, with a significant number of them being some variant of "Respect is great, but the rest is meh." Nah, no way. This is easily a high 4-star album, if not 5 stars. There are a couple of factors holding it back. Like Lady Soul (another album on this list), the production is noticeably poorer than more modern soul material - which aligns with Franklin's releases having performed poorly on the charts prior to this one. The mixing is typical for old-school blues/soul, bringing out all vocals much more clearly than the rhythm section. This is a little problematic for the backing vocals, which sometimes overpower Franklin's lead (and/or the horn/piano parts) when they shouldn't. Otherwise, though, there's nothing to fault. The lead vocal is stellar. The songs - many of them covers, by the sound of it - are fantastic, paying homage to the original versions while (almost always) brilliantly overshadowing the original with soulful, powerful vocals and instruments. The piano is also really good throughout the album. 4/5 Key tracks: Respect, I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Loved You), A Change Is Gonna Come, Soul Serenade
Very good but not her absolute best.
Great album!
Respect is one of the most important tracks ever made. The rest makes an important and classic soul album.
Great voice, great album, but not nearly as great as Aretha Now and Lady Soul. Nevertheless a timeless soul classic. 3.7*
Fabulous voice, love Respect. None of the rest of the tracks stood out to me but I enjoyed the album. 3.5 rounded up to 4.
although a great and solid album, it lacks versatility
Aretha is fantastic. Enjoyed this one. She is so revered for a reason. 4/5 Will listen again
Amazing classic soul
It’s Aretha. So you know it’s classy. Kicking off with Respect is setting the bar ridiculously high for an album. I thought I would know more of the tunes. There aren’t many of the bangers. Surprised to see it made Apple’s 100 as it hasn’t left that much of an impression one me. But it’s Aretha.
Fantastic R&B album by the Queen of Soul. A joy to listen to, and even better when the running time clocks in at around 33 minutes. Fantastic!
Solid fucking R&B album that was really more bluesy to me. This was an unexpected pleasure.
Very Soulful indeed.
The Queen. Can you imagine these lyrics today, though?
Kiva että hitit tulee lopussa vielä uusiksi, niin ei tarvitse käännellä levyä. Okeiiiii on hyvä levy, asenne pysyy läpi levyn: ei ole ”baby please” -biisejä vaan asiaa. Eheä kokonaisuus, vaikka sinänsä toivoisin muuta kuin sinkkukokoelmaa. Kolme puol pyöristyy neljään.
Tämä hittiparaati ei välttämättä kolahda heti, sillä kappaleet on rakennettu (tai lainattu) ennen kaikkea esittelemään artistin verratonta laulutaitoa ja -ääntä. Mutta hiljalleen biisit avautuvat ja paljastavat koukkunsa, jotka syntyvät milloin mistäkin: torviriffeistä, yllättävistä osista ja tietenkin ihan vain melodioista. Tämä levy täytyy kuulla.
No much to say. Just Aretha.
It's Aretha. C'mon.
Freakin fabulous
Brilliant voice, brilliant songs, properly stopped me in my tracks at points. The title track, A Change is Gonna Come and, of course, Respect were highlights. Four stars - although very very close to the full five!
Sublime soul songs, didn't expect anything else. 4.5*
Probably not something I'd listen to often, but this is no doubt excellent.
I was listening to this in the car and my dad said that Aretha Franklin was in the Blues Brothers movie so we watched that, and she had a whole musical number that’s pretty good. Too bad that was not on the album. The album itself is great as a whole, but outside of the first song not many stood out by themselves for me.
Great! I loved the hits I knew but the rest were good too. 8/10
Really really good. Super close to giving it a 5 but I don’t know how many of these songs I’ll actually listen to frequently. Album was a great listen though
Incredible vocals and very well produced. Great. 4.
very good songs
Excellent songwriting and one of the most timeless voices in music. Probably not the best to listen to right after a breakup
Absolutely outstanding voice and songs. One of the best all time singers in history. Much enjoyed
"A Change is Gonna Come" The Queen of Soul.
For what it is, I think it’s pretty good, but I don’t listen to this kind of music regularly. She’s obviously very talented. It was a good listen.
Energetic
I don't know why I don't have any of her albums. This was wonderful.
great
Would I listen to it again: yes Is it a no-skip album: yes Do I like it: yes
Voice, composition, on point
Not my style, but she has a great voice and the songwriting is also quite fascinating. Lyrics are quite boring though.
Legendary Aretha Franklin. Fun to hear! This album took me by surprise and was way better than I'd expected. I half expected it to sound quite dated, like some of the 50s albums we've had on the list. And it did to some extent, but mostly I was surprised how it sounded relatively modern, and almost all songs on the album were quite good actually! I enjoyed listening to it back to back, and I never felt like I zoned out and just forgot about it. Every song took my attention even though I was working. Not a lot of albums do that!