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

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.

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

While I question the algorithm at times (after 450 days of no Aretha, I get two Aretha albums in one week, and a Lady Day album between them), I will not complain too much about listening to Aretha again. Perfect voice, perfect songs. Natural Woman very well could be the greatest recording of all time tbh.

Holy shit, that band.

Ikke så mye å si. 5/5

Aretha. Respect. 5⭐️

Much more consistent album than I Never Loved a Man The Way I Loved You. Damn good jams start to finish.

Wow.

Aretha Franklin is a national treasure and is so incredibly talented. It's a joy to listen to her music. This album was really good and is one of the best from the genre.

Soulful album by one of the best vocalists in history.

The Good: The Queen of Soul The Bad: The album being called Lady… thus confusing us… The Ugly: This being the second album of Mrs Franklin where several tracks are repeated on the album, without it making sense… Some classic tunes here, but one of the greatest voices of the 20th century. I really have nothing to say… just listen to the album and enjoy, I guess! 4 1/2* upgraded for balance

A delight from start to finish. Natural Woman and Chain of Fools are the big stars, but Good to Me as I Am to You knocked me sideways — she’s serving soul on a silver platter. She's a goddess, a girl boss, a superhero in heels. And Groovin’? It’s so smooth it could probably broker world peace.

God i wish every fucking album was 30m and sounded like this (jk)… but for real love at first listen

Very emotional album, didn’t expect to like it as much I did but the honesty and age of this song gove it so much power

Ontem e hoje, back to back soul. Obrigado 1001 albums generator ponto com! Isso é música. Quando penso música, eu penso nisso. Uma cantora infinitamente talentosa com uma voz de ouro e veludo. Uma banda fantástica com composições maravilhosas e delicadas. Um disco coeso, que não desperdiça sequer um segundo, que não desperdiça o plástico no qual foi preensado. Isso é música. Um LP de respeito. A regra é simples. O disco não tem defeitos, então não tem outra nota que posso o dar. Ain't No Way... que arranjo maravilhoso. A melhor música desse disco e uma das melhores que ouvi esse ano. 5/5

Fantastic

Absolutely wonderful, Aretha Franklin has the most incredible voice.

Hit after hit with effortless vocals from the queen of soul. Flawless

Magnífico

Such a powerful voice and album. Listened to the same songs again from the extended edition because it was so good

The GOAT!

Damn she actually was the Queen of Soul.

Perfect for a Friday! All hits, no misses on this album.

Wonderful

This is peak r&b Aretha, her third Atlantic soul album after her run of relatively unsuccessful Columbia jazz standards records. She’s really hit her stride now. Like so many soul singers before her, a train in the Pentecostal church proves an amazing academy in improvisation and melisma with spirit. Along with Aretha Now later the same year it’s a contender for her best album. She makes the Carole King/Gerry Goffin/Jerry Wexler song Natural Woman sound like it was written for her. There are a couple of songs on here she co-wrote and they’re very good. She was already on top form by this point in her career; now that she’s found her genre, she’s unstoppable. Lady Soul indeed!

Just a great album. Unrivaled vocal talent, excellent songwriting, and a stellar band behind her. Nothing boring, though Chain of Fools and A Natural Woman are the singles off the album for a reason. Deserves the accolades.

Unbelievable. “People Get Ready”, “Groovin’”, “Ain’t No Way”, stood out above the others and the others were phenomenal. I haven’t really listened to Aretha in a while and it was a stark reminder of the extreme talent and personality and soul that went into this record.

30 minutes of just absolutely gorgeous soul tunes. More than one stone cold classic song on here.

one of the greatest albums of all time

The only downside is the very short running time. I think this album really shows her incredible vocal range. She conveys different emotions at different times in every single track. The music itself is one of the best examples of the Muscle Shoals sound.

Magnificent

Again, no need to listen to this. Great album with amazing image. Love it to bits

Sensational, funky, heartfelt.

Not my go to genre of music, but relaxing and soothing none the less. Guitar sounded warm and I found myself mesmerized by his voice. Felt like i was near a campfire or on a porch on a summer night and my grandpa is singing to me

Aretha's voice is not of this world. It exists on a higher plane, we're just blessed that we get to hear it.

Several timeless hits here from the Queen of R&B. Rounding up.. 4.5/5

This album demands R-E-S-P-E-C-T!

All in on this one. Several classics, a bunch of lesser known songs that go hard… I don’t know what else Aretha can give you on this one.

God dammit she is great! Not sure I can say anything that hasn’t been said but I loved this. Of course she can sing and this felt so authentic…hit all the right moments. Baby baby sweet baby.

Cathartic getting this day after Joni Mitchell. If Joni was the vasectomy, Aretha is the ice pack on your nuts. 4.25/5

absolute banger of an album. aretha can sing and has one of the most iconic voices of all time. incredible bass lines.

An iconic genius at her absolute peak. Classic after classic after classic. My only regret is that she didn't record it at Stax.

Une voix divine, qui ne pèche jamais par excès. Inégalée

Such powerful soul music - well-known songs include Chain of Fools and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman. A variety of rich and dark songs mixed with faster and lighter melodies - all with Aretha's powerful voice. Wonderful album.

Went in thinking I wasn't really in the mood for Aretha Franklin but then listened to 'Aretha Now' right after this one.

It's crazy to me that music from 1968 can still hold up today. Aretha Franklin is truly one-of-a-kind. Literally every song on this album is awesome. Even "Niki Hoeky" which is the least listened to song from this album is still fantastic. Subjectively, would I return to this album? Maybe? Maybe not? It's not something I'd listen to every day. Objectively, it meets all the criteria of being a 5 star album. Every song is good, great stand-out singles, highly influential, there's really nothing wrong with this album.

sooo cool

What strikes the most every time I listen to this album, well after admiring Aretha’s other worldly vocal performances of course, is how impressive the collection of session players, songwriters and production team is. At this point everyone knew what Aretha could do, the job was to provide the best situation for her to transcend to a level of vocal superiority that few will ever hold a candle to. The team knew the assignment and did the damn thing! This is an easy 5.

- ..... 5 just for "Chain of Fools" .... -

A classic, I grew up listening to this album in my grandmas house every dang day.

5/5. Although "Never Loved..." is more popular, I do believe this is overall a better and more soulful album. She feels confident here and with a solid backing vocal chorus and band, you can tell she is in her own. Plus the song selection here is shorter but she is allowed to go all out on each one, so the longer ones feel that much more full. I think this is a pretty perfect album, short and sweet with more soul than it should be allowed to contain. Best Song: Chain of Fools, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, People Get Ready