Queen Of Soul The Atlantic Recordings Music Cd

Aretha Franklin - Queen Of Soul The Atlantic Recordings

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Queen of Soul: The Atlantic Recordings      Artist : Aretha Franklin      List Price : $59.98 USD        Your Price : $47.98 USD      ProductGroup: Music      Release Date : 1992-09-29      Studio : Atlantic / Wea      Label : Atlantic / Wea      Avg. Customer Rating : (29 reviews)

Reviews Customer Reviews for Queen Of Soul The Atlantic Recordings      The ultimate Aretha package!      Rating:      What can be said about the dynamic (big understatement) impact that Aretha Franklin has had on not only R&B/soul music but music in general? Words simply cannot express what music can in every essence. In her recordings, both in the studio and live, her story was told. With an inherent gospel fervor, she had brought the Church mainstream to make what Al Green refers secular music as "people's music," and like many before and since her, Aretha had topped them all. The bedrock of R&B is gospel and Aretha had never let that aspect be skewed. With her gospel piano-playing and musicianship backed by the mighty Muscle Shoals band, every ingredient was there to present that down-to-earth yet gutsy and soulful southern R&B sound. That was Aretha in her prime at Atlantic records. Spanning four discs at 86 tracks, this may as well be THE Aretha set to own. All of her hit songs are here, plus many great album cuts and B-sides. Naming songs here is not essential, because if you can think of one or a few, they're likely to be there. Like all box sets, the material thins out somewhat at the end so that the latter end of the era covered is close to being scant. The last song is "Something He Can Feel" recorded in 1976, yet Aretha was with Atlantic for three more years. By that time, however, her records were charting lower and lower and were not altogether that memorable. Nevertheless, this is a very strong set complete with what'd you'd expect from a decade's worth of Aretha's prime material. Included is a great booklet with great liner notes, numerous photos, quotes, discography, chart information, track by track annotation featuring recording and release dates and sessionography. Anybody who is at least 10 years of age should know about Aretha Franklin and perhaps be encouraged to investigate further into this superb musical genre. Having recently seen her in concert three months ago in Baltimore, it can be said that she is still going strong and still does not fail to wow and engage an audience in such a captivating manner. There will never be another Queen of Soul; it is only Aretha Franklin!     Customer Reviews for Queen Of Soul The Atlantic Recordings Cd      Soul Sister Number One      Rating:      Keith Richards once described Aretha Franklin's voice as the "greatest natural instrument" he'd ever heard. Franklin has more tags than a yard sale, black singer, female singer, soul singer, gospel singer, blues singer - but whether you call her diva, Queen of Soul, the preacher's daughter, soul sister number one, or re-re; no tag will ever be enough - she is, quite simply, one of the premier singers ever. When Franklin launched her career everyone wanted to claim her. To blacks she was a symbol of black pride. To women she was a feminist icon. Top 40 kids thought she was a party on wax. Of course, gospel purists viewed her as a prodigy who'd crossed over to the dark side and was singing the "devil's" music. Franklin's power, range, expressiveness, and sense of unqualified joy and fun caused America to embrace her unequivocally. Her years at Atlantic were one long succession of hits. Soul has always been somewhat slippery to define, but whatever it was, listeners knew she had a whole truckload of it outside and could go all night. Franklin moved effortlessly between raw, hard blues, Dr. Feelgood & Night Life, breathtaking torch ballads, Ain't No Way & My Song, upbeat, catchy pop, I Say A Little Prayer & Son Of A Preacher Man, funk, Rock Steady & Mr. D.J., and even pure gospel; in fact CD #4 of this essential anthology has a perfect example with full choir, How I Got Over - if that don't get you testifyin' and talkin' about it then man - you're Swiss. With Franklin it is tempting to focus on her technical abilities, which are truly overwhelming. She moves all over her vocal range with such finesse that you never stop and notice that what she's doing is practically impossible. Like other virtuoso performers before her, she makes it all seem so easy, and what you're left with is her ability to use this miraculous instrument to communicate whatever she feels and make you feel it too. So much of this music is full of spunk, vinegar, and rambunctious fun, it's ebullient. But when she says, "Everybody wants to know why I sing the blues," the authenticity almost stings. Ultimately that is what makes Franklin timeless, her ability to be completely honest in everything she does, and introduce you to rooms in your heart you didn't know were there. Other Aretha Franklin anthologies are available - make sure this is the one you get. Editorial Reviews for Queen Of Soul The Atlantic Recordings Audio Cd      Amazon.com essential recording      Queen of Soul trumps all other collections of Aretha's recordings for Atlantic by adding dozens of album tracks to a selection of epochal singles ranging from "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" and "Respect" to "Spanish Harlem" and "Rock Steady." Over three CDs and change--the fourth runs out of steam, as did her creative energy during the mid-to-late-'70s period it chronicles--we hear many emotional shifts: impassioned, triumphant, wistful, and always truthful about her condition and our own. --Rickey Wright