Lady Soul

it's aretha bitch

A classic and nothing else needs to be said

Not something I'd usually seek out on my own but absolutely loved this album. Some really funky tracks in alongside the more soulful stuff I was more familiar with.

Aretha’s energy is absolutely infectious on this album. Something that surprised me on this is the instrumentals. Some really great horns, piano, bass, drums, strings, etc. It sounds a little dated, as far as recording goes. I wonder what it sounds like on vinyl. Man, this is so good

Finally! An objectively fantastic album! From start to finish, an auditory pleasure!

Beautiful voice, timeless rhythm and production

R&B was never the same after Aretha. Classic songs on this album still important today.

Chain of fools - excellent Money won’t change you - very good People get ready - excellent Niki hoeky - good (You make me feel like) a natural woman - amazing Sweet sweet baby - very good Good to me as I am to you - good Come back baby - excellent Groovin - very good Ain’t no way - excellent 9.5/10

Amazing as always. Aretha Franklin had one of the most powerful voices in popular music. Lady Soul contains two of her greatest hits, but is enjoyable and explosive throughout. Her level of vocal control is remarkable and she never over or under sings. The musical backing is well arranged and highlights her voice well.

I have always focused on Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald neglecting Aretha because she had a Soul sound and I focused on the jazz sounds that the formers brought. BUT THIS IS INCREDIBLE one of the best Soul albums I have ever heard, and these are beautiful just mixed and sounding songs. AINT NO WAY IS ONE OF THE BEST SONGS I HAVE EVER HEARD GENUINELY. There is not a second a moment of filler anywhere on this album. The highs of Come Back Baby and the grooves of Sweet sweet baby. This is a template for what all the best music should be. I get actual goosebumps listening to this album over and over. Even slow songs like People Get Ready still feel beautiful and the drums feel like a train waiting in the station it is absolutely beautiful. I can hear all the music that has stemmed just from the lyrical and sonic genius of this. Money won't change me BUT THIS ALBUM HAS 5/5 one of my favorites so far.

All I know are the singles. My first voyage into the deep cuts of Aretha World. Man, what a delight. Interesting to be reviewing this right after reviewing Pearl. Because the two have a lot of commonality and I'm sure Pearl never would have existed without the influence of Franklin (and this record's release just two years prior). The ladies are going "five stars" two reviews in a row. Only because there isn't an option for 6 stars.

The OG Diva - and I mean that in the post positive sense of the term. Aretha is the shit. All "divas" since her (for better or worse - Tina, Whitney, Mariah, Adele, Beyonce, Lizzo) are emulating her - or trying. There may not be a better female (or male?) vocalist. But - let's also talk about the songs as a whole. I was really impressed with the arrangement of almost every track. These can be very simple, straight-forward songs - but they didn't settle for that. The horns, the strings, the little "kicks" and syncopations and chord structures - very well done. And - though I know it wasn't written for me - there may not be a prettier song than Natural Woman. I'm leaning 4 on this, but The Queen is getting a 5 out of respect (that's , r-e-s-p-e-c-t).

Amazing, packed with soul and hits. These are lady singing songs that are fun to belt in the shower and around the house.

Brilliant

What a great album. Great musicianship, a great voice, and great vibes throughout. Loved it.

The best thus far.

I went into listening to this album not knowing exactly what to expect. Obviously I'm familiar with Aretha's most popular songs, but I am not at all familiar with her extended discography. So, I was a little worried that there'd be some songs I vibed with and others not so much, but boy was I absolutely proven wrong and I'm so glad I was. There's not much for me to say beyond I loved every single song on this album. Like, every single one. I didn't know Chain of Fools by name, but recognized it immediately as soon as it started, and it started things off on a high note(I highly recommend the unedited bonus version that follows Ain't No Way) with everything that followed keeping that momentum. Aretha has an incredible voice that gives these songs appropriate power and feeling. To the point of giving me chills at times. Straight from my listening notes: "I am a sucker for a good pouring of the heart and I just love this. You deserve someone who makes you feel like A Natural Woman, Aretha. Yes." "YOU TELL 'EM ARETHA. THEY BETTER BE AS GOOD TO YOU AS YOU ARE TO THEM. Fuckin' love this one." "You're gonna catch me Groovin' with my baby on a sunday afternoon to this track for sure." I had more notes for each song, but you get the idea. I was on board the entire time. Not only will I re-visit, I think this entire album is going into my liked songs on Spotify and I eagerly await hearing them again. No doubt in my mind in giving this a 5.

5 One of the only - or quite possibly - the only album on the list thus far to have given me goosebumps. Her voice, her energy, her star power - Rolling Stone has now twice named the woman the greatest singer of all-time, and it’s hard to argue with that after listening to this. The album is a constantly swinging pendulum of fun and beautiful, and Aretha manages to knock it out of the park each and every time. Chain of Fools and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman are classics, but the song that really moved me here was People Get Ready, a rendition of a song by The Impressions that was being used as the unofficial anthem of the Civil Rights Movement. Listening to perhaps the greatest singer of all-time spread a message of unity, pride, and power so beautifully during one of the most important chapters in US history… goosebumps. Just goosebumps, man. While that was my favorite moment of my listening, truthfully, every song here is a highlight. I loved everything I heard and could probably go on about each, but the last thing I’ll touch on here is the closer, Ain’t No Way. One thing that’s stuck out to me about a lot of these older albums is a lack of finality, like you’re given a sudden ending once your collection of music runs out, but man, the song just seems to effectively sum up everything that makes the album and woman so iconic - the kind of closer that makes you take a step back once you realize it’s all over and go “Wow”. Unfortunately, you don’t quite get that if you’re listening on Spotify, as the application bundles four bonus tracks at the end, but in the fairest of exchanges, you get more Aretha, and even though they’re four tracks you’ve already heard, the extended version of Chain of Fools may very well be better than the original. Great listen from front to back. As someone who’s never claimed to be the biggest fan of soul music, I’m not sure how someone couldn’t like this - at that point I think you just hate music. I really didn’t set out to give this album a 5 when I started listening, but to give it anything lower would feel like a disservice. Iconic all around.

Another extraordinary recording by Lady Soul, a magnificent showcase for her stunning, soulful, expressive voice. Unmatched as a vocalist, blessed with a warm, comforting tone, this is an album to sink into and enjoy not just the singing but the exemplary backing band (a special nod to Tommy Cogbill whose bass work is incredible). Chain of Fools and You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman are recordings for the ages. Rest in Peace, Miss Franklin, we miss you.

This is a powerful album, crammed to the brim with classic originals and covers. Each track shows Aretha's ability to connect the listener to the emotion and the meaning buried deep down in the soul of every song. The tracks 'Good to Me as I Am to You' and 'Ain't No Way' are so incredibly good.

Every song is a winner and Aretha smacks it out of the park, her vocals elevating already strong material even higher. I can’t find enough superlatives to describe just how good this album is. It’s close to, (if not) the perfect R&B/soul album.

Kind of hard to hate Aretha, right? The more I listened, the more I realized I couldn't really find any flaws in it. Smooth soul and gospel backing a one-of-a-kind voice. Favorite tracks: "Money Won't Change You", "Since You've Been Gone", "Ain't No Way"

Before going into this I knew Aretha Franklin had a good voice but damn. This was great - loved every track, great mixture of blues and amazing vocals.

Wow! This is amazing. Not a style of music I'd usually seek out, but I really enjoyed it and may well revisit. Incredibly, powerful, melodic, rhythmic and soulful. Not a weak track on the album. It's difficult to imagine how R&B music (or any music for that matter) could be better than this. Objectively and subjectively this can't be anything other than a 5.

Yeah, this is again in my favorite eras and genres of music, so I am a big fan of this. Also, I was surprised to see that this was her 12th studio album! I didn’t realize she had recorded so many by this time!

La grandeza artística que tienen algunas personas a veces es abrumadora y eso sucede con Aretha, vi que esté ya es un disco recopilatorio pero está tan bien mezclado que no tiene un pero; soul, funk, R&B, Gospel y su maravillosa voz son una mezcla perfecta

Where would we all be without a Urethra? Franklin owhere. Great pipes. Ha ha, I'm pissing myself!

One of the most powerful voices in music. Just turn off the lights, stare at a wall and understand what music is all about

I'm familiar with a few Aretha Franklin songs, but this will be my first time listening to one of her albums from start to finish. Soul has been one of my favorite genres so far on this project, so I have high hopes that I'll enjoy this album. Overall, I found this album to be pretty middle of the road. Aretha Franklin is undoubtedly one of the best vocalists in music history, and she showcases a wide range of vocal abilities on this album. She harmonizes, she croons, and she can wails at the top of her lungs, all with a level of control that few singers can duplicate. On top of that, this album has some simple but well executed musical arrangements. The bass line on "Niki Hoeky" is fantastic, and "Money Won't Change You" and "Come Back Baby" have some fantastic horns. But rarely did the vocals and music combine to create something new and interesting. It's not that this album is bad, but I just wasn't wowed by it. Of course, the shining exception to this is "Natural Woman." Aretha delicately sings the verse before delivering the powerful chorus. Her intensity picks up perfectly over the course of the song, as she lets her emotion steer the song. The orchestral arrangements compliment her perfectly, and even though the strings and horns are beautiful, they never once steal the spotlight from Aretha's singing. As much as I love the Carole King version of this song, Aretha's version is something else entirely, worthy of all the praise it gets. Even though this album wasn't really my jam, I know it represents a watershed moment for Aretha Franklin, and it's a massive influence on soul music. Aretha opened the door for so many black women to be able to shine on their own, and her influence as a vocalist still reaches into popular music today.

This is the album that has two of the four Aretha Franklin songs that you know (Chain of Fools & Natural Woman). I was expecting to really love the album. But when it was over (it's only half an hour), I was a little disappointed. I didn't think it was bad. Aretha is in fine form. And I know Jerry Wexler is a legend of a producer. But I didn't hear anything in the song arrangements or the playing that I felt rose to the same level as the Stax or Motown recordings of the same period. The songs written for Aretha/the album (Chain of Fools, Natural Woman, Since You've Been Gone, and Ain't No Way) all sound vital. The covers (Money Won't Change You, People Get Ready, Come Back Baby, and Groovin') all sound like filler. This is a rare occasion when I wish there were half-stars. I don't think the album warrants a 4-star rating. But 3-stars feels a bit low. I wish there had been more of the fresh new songs, and less of the filler covers. The singles are great. The album is mid.

Fake orgasm vocals

Can’t go wrong with Aretha.

I never heard the rest of this album other than the really popular songs. Although I probably won’t listen to this a lot, I understand the talent of Aretha Franklin.

soul lady! the real deal

Beautiful, soulful, groovy, everything you could want from an artist like Aretha. Her voice can scream through the noise like no other, and the rest of the band deserves their credit as well for producing powerful rhythms to drive her through the record. You couldn’t get more timeless than this.

Breathtaking Best Song: Good to Me as I am to You Rating: 9/10 Stars: 5 Stars

amo a voz dela!!!!!!!

Excellent album from the Queen of Soul. I got to see her perform at the Opening Ceremony of the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games and she put on a great show

This is the kind of record that you don’t have to be in the mood for, because it just always fits the mood. Just amazing stuff from one of the legends of the genre. Best Track: (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman

Superb! I'm groovin in my seat 🤩 What a vocal range and much love ❤️ to the backup singers. Band keeps it tight and just right. Freaking love this album!

***** Classic Aretha album, classic Artetha songs. Hey, it's Aretha, so it is alway right. What a voice. Great album

Classic! I listened to this more than once as I never realized how great she was.

Outstanding. No bad tracks on the album. 26 year old Aretha sounds amazing. Chains of fools kicks off the album perfectly, Aretha is powerful yet restrained, almost too easy for her. Love this song. People get ready, grooving, and natural woman other standout.

So much of this is canon, I find it easy to miss how much brilliance and labour went into the making.

A short and sweet, very well produced album, with one of the greatest voices ever. What is here not to love? It absolutely deserves a 5.

The Queen of Soul!!!

There is no way I will give it below 5 stars. 🤩

A perfect album I think. Captures the essence of the Muscle Shoals sound and Aretha Franklin gets to showcase every aspect of what makes her so incredible. Special mention to the Franklin sisters who give a masterful performance on backing vocals. Ain’t No Way is probably top 5 love songs of all time and needs more, well, love

Love it

If there is a album with a more famed and established list of songwriters I would like to put it head to head with this one and watch the world explode. James Brown and Curtis Mayfield alone puts this album in a separate category, but you also have The Vegases and Jerry Wexler. And of course not to mention the combination of Carole King and Gerry Goffin who are one of the best songwriting combinations of all time. And I won't even begin to list out the legendary list of artists that played on this album, as I already know this review is going to be substantially long. But damn, is that just as impressive if not more impressive. "Chain of Fools" is a fantastic opening track followed by a couple of solid fillers. Then you have the one and only "(You Make Me Feels Like) A Natural Woman" the fact that this is just the end of the A-Side is possibly the one disappointment of this album. It rightfully belongs as the culmination of a fantastic album (as Carole did on her fellow 5 star album Tapestry). "(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone" is a great open to the B-Side. But the groove of "Good to Me as I Am to You" speaks to me in a special way. What a work of art on the bass! "Groovin'" is exactly what it claims to be. "Ain't No Way" is the only song that I can understand putting at the end over "A Natural Woman". The only way to end an album other than a song that powerful is with a song this heartfelt and powerful in a completely different way. All in all this is an album that you could apply every positive adjective you could ever think of to and it would be accurate. A masterpiece of an album! Anybody that gives it lower than a 4 star rating should be declared incompetent. That being said it should absolutely be a 5 star album!

Everyone deserves the privilege of hearing Aretha Franklin’s vocals at least once in their life. And this album (her twelfth, unbelievably) sees her on spellbinding form. There’s music for the head and music for the soul, and sometimes you can be so immersed in the groove or struck by such depth of feeling before even realising what you’ve been listening to. At its best, “Lady Soul” is one of those albums. Here are 28 words to summarise my thought process listening to its rapid 28 minutes: “I think Aretha’s quite overra- wha? whaaa? How does she do that?! Wow. She’s going… it went higher! Christ. All that GRIT! And she’s ROCKING! She’s a storm! She’s an icon! Holy shit.” The album is a lot more upbeat than I expected, though two of its strongest cuts are showstopping ballads (“People Get Ready” and, of course, “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman”). Across the board, Aretha, the band and the backing vocalists (Sweet Inspirations, who last blew me away in “Dusty in Memphis) give performances overflowing with passion and power. There’s four-to-the-floor rock, brassy Motown, lush soul ballads and smoky blues. On first listen, I was ready to nitpick and say it wasn’t flawless (the meandering blues of “Good To Me As I Am To You” lost me a bit). But sometimes, I should stop trying to dissect everything and write ten paragraphs per album, and just let myself be swept away. “Lady Soul” is one of those albums, and they don’t come around very often. What a thrill to spend half an hour with talent like this.

This is a glorious album and is well deserving of a Five Star rating. Aretha near the peak of her powers. Her voice throughout is strong and powerful, yet she can ease back when required, as in a controlled rendering of Curtis Mayfield's 'People Get Ready'. There is a surprise hint of tape hiss, and as a result it brings a bit more warmth and heart to the performances.

You got a problem with Aretha? Yeah? Then you have a problem with me. Don't mess with the Queen of Soul.

Nove. Os miúdos estão deitados. A sala já não tem desenhos espalhados, uma casa no campo, figuras de pauzinhos sem mãos dadas, pétalas do tamanho do sol. Ele já dorme, ou acorda, ou luta de olho semiaberto contra um loop de televendas que ninguém vai comprar. Os copos vão para a gaveta, os talheres para o alumínio, iluminado o frigorífico que me acolhe as marmitas, cada vez mais curtas. Amanhã começa-se cedo, em casas que não a minha. O sol já não me desperta há muito. A noite acolhe-me com alento, no barulho incessante dos camiões do lixo e o bruto arrancar do padeiro que não põe mudanças desde '97. Amanhã, como sempre, o mundo começa cedo. Abro a rolha, pop!, gulp gulp gulp da garrafa, não acorda ninguém. Um copo para o caminho. Um dia havemos de chegar. MotA: Chain of Fools (extended cut) "For five long years, I thought you were my man / But I found out, love, I'm just a link in your chain"

Dato inútil: este disco lo conocí gracias a Selma Bouvier. Ok, vamos a lo importante. Existe el Soul.... y existe Aretha Franklin. Está en otro nivel propio y es de esas contadísimas cantantes que de verdad sí se ganaron a pulso esos títulos como "Reina del Soul" o ser nombradas una diva. Nadie puede cantar como ella, la potencia, la emoción, la cadencia. A Natural Woman es de esas canciones icónicas que de manera perfecta reflejan como fotografía musical perfecta toda una época y género. En realidad creo que no puedo ni tengo que decir mucho más... es un disco que dudo haya alguien que no pueda apreciar su calidad. Voz espectacular. Una banda de estudio maravillosa con un punto de funk perdido en detalles, una cantidad perfecta de metales sin exagerarlos. Coristas de fondo excelentes, también en su perfecta medida sin opacar pero con suficiente presencia. La música puro soul puro, algunas rápidas, algunas lentas, algunas modernas algunas que se les siente el fondo de su origen en gospel. No hay pero para este disco.

What can I say? Incredible this was an actual album and not a best-of. What a time to be alive

Lovely album, lovely voice, enjoyed it quite a lot. The songs varied a bit too so it didn’t really get boring and there were plenty of familiar songs. Would listen again

Nr. 173/1001 Chain of Fools 3/5 Money Won't Change You 4/5 People Get Ready 4/5 Niki Hoeki 3/5 A Natural Woman 5/5 Since You've Been Gone 4/5 Good to Me As I Am to You 3/5 Come Back Baby 4/5 Groovin' 4/5 Aint No Way 4/5 Average: 3,8 Probably the finest voice in popular music.

J'ai bien aimé cet album mais j'en veux à cette dame d'avoir popularisé les expressions "Où est le respect ?" et "C'est le cousin à qui encore ??"

gude

Probably not an intergalactic paedo

a massage for your inner ear

Not my cup of tea but fantastic vocals

A gorgeous voice from such an immense talent. The style just isn't for me, but that doesn't away from being able to objectively see what made Aretha so great

she has a strong voice

This is an incredible album by the Queen of Soul. Practically a greatest hits album.

Soooooul

Great!!!

STUPENDO(*^ー^)ノ♪

Who is the greatest singer of all time? I'm talking about singing ability here. Whose voice shook the world the most? Well, and I'm just one person, so I can't really say this for sure, but I think Aretha Franklin might be that person. I know it's been said so many times, but Aretha Franklin's singing was truly one of a kind. It's just so perfect. Of course, good singing doesn't matter much if the songs suck. Fortunately, the songs on Lady Soul are great. This album's stellar. I don't think I could 100% call it better than the other Aretha album on the list, but it's a close call. The thing that really appeals to me with her songs is the natural sense of female empowerment. It doesn't sound like she's trying too hard. She's literally just being the girlboss she clearly was. Look at a song like "Chain of Fools." First off, this is an incredible opener. Secondly, look at the lyrics. It's basically Aretha telling off an unfaithful partner and I love it. This is the kind of music society needed at the time! It's excellent. Other songs take a more sensual approach, like the all-time classic "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman." While I love Carole King's version of the song off of her album Tapestry, this is another one of those cases where the song has basically become Aretha's. I mean, this album did release before Tapestry, so Aretha literally sang it before Carole, even if Carole wrote it. The musicians who play instruments here are great too. Did you know that Eric Clapton played guitar on one of these songs? I didn't, but it was a fun surprise. It's hard to believe that this album is under half an hour! I want more of it. This is an excellent album all throughout. Light 5/5.

Heals the soul in an autumn morning

The most incredible voice of the 1960s

Fucking hell what an album

Hot damn, I got a good album for today. If you all didn’t know, in the last decade or so, I’ve really gotten into Motown and Stax records. Rock ‘n’ roll is dead, or at least boring, so I jumped in a time machine and went back to the 1960s and 1970s to hear the jams I missed. And this album is right in my wheelhouse. There are songs on this album that are just imprinted in our brains and we don’t even know how or why. It’s like Aretha Franklin’s music is in the air and you pick it up without even realizing it. While listening to this album at work yesterday, I had to stop working a few times and just listen to these songs. For example, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, is just jaw-dropping and I’ve heard it 1,000 times. That song is so good that if you’re a dude, it’ll make you wish you were a woman just so you can really feel what that song means. I mean, it gets to you in your guts. Chain of Fools is a perfect song. It was her biggest hit off this album and was covered very nicely by a band in the hair metal era called Little Caesar. Embarrassingly, that’s how I first heard the song. I loved it then and when I heard Aretha’s version, I quickly realized she, of course, had the better version. People Get Ready takes you to church and for a southern boy like me, growing up in the church, this song reminds me of the incredible music I got to hear all my life. It’s music that swings and makes you feel good. It makes you want to go out and get baptized. Beyond Aretha’s voice, which is universally known and perhaps the greatest singing voice ever, the music is played by the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, or the Swampers. The Swampers played with everybody back in the day, including, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Wilson Pickett, Aretha, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Bob Seger, Paul Simon and more. It’s like fate meant for these two entities to come together. Hell, even Eric Clapton pops up on the song, Good To Me As I Am To You. I’m talking good Clapton, CREAM Clapton. I’ve often wondered if I’m the only one this happens to, but I get this thing where I’ll be listening to music, like great music, music that’s just so good that I start to feel emotional, like I’m going to bust out crying just because, I don’t know, it’s so beautiful. Anyone else like that? No, just me? Listening to this album there were several times I had to literally stop and compose myself. I haven’t had that happen in a while and that’s why I know this is a legendary album everyone must hear before they die.

Perfect!

She can't miss.

Immediate 5 stars. Absolute perfection.

Absolute belter, we had a soul filled house for 24 hours.

Chain of fools is a personal fave of mine, so crackin' way to dive right into the album. What a voice. So many feels. Ain't No Way pulls at the heart strings. A solid soul album.

The entire album was solidly good

Marvelous voice, marvelous singer.

Just a stellar album. Franklin’s voice is mesmerizing and her dynamic range is incredible. Almost every song in this album is memorable.

I already had this one on my Spotify liked albums! A perfect album front to back

Seriously an amazing album- I dont think there is a bad song on it. Franklin's voice is so captivating, and the compositions are full of emotion. Great album- deserves a 5

Not much to say here, this album is perfect front to back.

I will not include the CD reissue bonus tracks in this review. It's been a little over a month since I heard I Never Loved a Man the Way I Loved You on this album journey. While that record is more recognizable in Aretha Franklin's catalog, Lady Soul is still just as spellbinding. While Aretha's original songwriting largely took a back seat in favor of outside writers and covers, her bellowing performance was still top-notch. Running the gamut from the bass-leaden bounce of "Chain of Fools", the horn-accompanied renditions of James Brown's "Money Won't Change" and the Impressions' "People Get Ready", into the elegant ballad "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" composed by Carole King, Aretha effectively owned these recordings with her voice. That's not to say Aretha still didn't see results from her own songwriting chops. The powerhouse shuffle of "(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone" and the slowed-down swing of "Good to Me As I Am to You", complete with Eric Clapton's guitar soloing, were a pair of neatly penned deep cuts. Plus, it was a nice touch to let sister Carolyn write the closing number "Ain't No Way", which ended up being an effective final note in the raw, emotional swell of the presentation as the Sweet Inspirations provided the supportive backing vocals to complement Aretha's delivery. I think it would be difficult to say which of Lady Soul or I Never Loved a Man would be considered more essential, considering they were both fantastic records. Whatever the case may be, it was a pleasant time listening to the Queen.

The queen of bangers

when an album opens with Chain of Fools, how could you not love it? Best voice around.

I had no idea how good this was going to be.

Best Songs: Chain of Fools, Money Won’t Change You, People Get Ready, Niki Hoeky, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, Sweet Sweet Baby, Good To Me As I Am To You, Come Back Baby, Groovin’, Ain’t No Way Mid Songs: Bad Songs:

Just that guitar tone on Chain Of Fools gets 5 stars from me. And it's Aretha Franklin. This has got to be on the list.

Some classic soul, and what a good one too. There are a few stand out tracks on this album. Of course, you have classics like “Chain of Fools” and “(You make me feel) Like a Natural Woman”. I would also like to point out “People Get Ready” as a gem on this album. Single tracks might not be the point though, the vocals are. I feel like if you don’t appreciate Aretha Franklin, do you even like music? It’s very hard not to groove along with this album. Soul albums are a bit weird since they are not always original compositions and the same artist might have released multiple albums each year. I think this deserves a 5 for the vocals alone. Sure all the songs aren’t great but if you ever want to try soul music this is a good starting point.

This was excellent. Soulful, warm and immersive. Chain of fools, natural women, and ain't no way were top tier. But I enjoyed it all.

A quick 10 songs in 30 minutes, but solid all the way through

Loved her music already!

Es Aretha. Qué voz, qué letras, qué arreglos, qué música, qué intérpretes, qué canciones. Aretha acabando con todos los demás. No se necesita más cuando se escucha a Aretha.

Aretha is a the best singer ever to have lived. Im not a religious man but she is exhibit A in the argument that faith can and does have a positive impact on the world. This gospel and soul is just beautiful

If this record were not had Chain of Fools and a bunch of terrible songs it’d still be five stars. Lucky for us everything Aretha touches here is gold.

9/10 banger after banger on this one