List item: Listen to the 250 greatest albums
Progress: 51/250
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| Title: I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You Artist: Aretha Franklin Year: 1967 Position: #88 |
Title: Lady Soul Artist: Aretha Franklin Year: 1968 Position: #136 |
I know it’s sacrilegious to say this, but the moment I hear the opening of Aretha Franklin’s version of ‘Respect’ the first thing I think of is the entrance of Daniel Cleaver in Bridget Jones’ Diary. More seriously, what a way to open your debut album on a new record label, her 10th in total. This cover (originally sung by Otis Redding) still makes a huge impact the moment it comes on, so I can only imagine how it must have sounded back in the 1960’s. In the original context it was about a man feeling he provides his woman with everything so is due ‘respect’ when he comes home, now it becomes this huge anthem powered by Franklin’s astonishingly powerful voice and some brilliant production.
I first listened to this album 6-7 years ago when I was going through a big Nina Simone phase. I used that as a stepping stone into the world of Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and (of course) Aretha Franklin. Actually listening to a full album of Aretha Franklin made me feel a whole lot of respect (pun unintended) for her and and voice. You know how it is when you are younger, if a singer from a time outside your field of listening you have it in your head that you shouldn’t give a damn.
The thing is, I Never Loved A Man The Way I Loved You (and in a lesser way Lady Soul) feel utterly of the moment. Time has not taken away much from these albums, in fact with the explosion of Adele a few years ago it has, if anything, it has given them a renewed strength. I mean, who are we kidding, there is a reason people look up to the soul singers of the 60s. Tracks like ‘Soul Serenade’, ‘Chain of Fools’ and Carol King’s ‘(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman’ all stand up to modern scrutiny. Even if, at times, some of the production can feel just a tiny bit dated, not too much, just a smidge.
