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I love it. This is clearly a must-have for any Aretha Franklin fan; and it makes a fine starter CD for people just discovering Aretha's talent. She could sing out the phone book and I'd be standing there applauding her with a standing ovation, begging her for more. "Drown in My Own Tears" has an excellent piano arrangement and it just doesn't lack anything--this music is all THAT good."I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" is excellent music by the great Aretha Franklin; she belts this out and she stays squarely front and center which is quite all right by me. "Good Times" has Aretha swinging gently as she delivers this tune to perfection--and beyond. The percussion is used very well and those backup singers harmonize faultlessly.
It's also a stupendous album for anyone who appreciates classic soul music. Aretha Franklin made it big with this incredibly wonderful soul album back in the day--and every song still sounds wonderful in our times. Aretha's voice is in excellent form here; and I love every minute of this album. Feelgood (Love Is a Serious Business)" features Aretha at her very best with a perfect musical arrangement as she sings; and I really like this song.
"Dr. The percussion and drums work wonders for this one, too. "Save Me" strikes me with its fine arrangement; Aretha makes this her own with a singularly beautiful interpretation.
There's a stereo version of "Respect" that will amaze you just as much as it did me; and I like the stereo cut of "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)." The album ends wonderfully with the stereo version of Aretha Franklin performing "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man." What a fine ending for this superlative CD.Aretha Franklin continues to enjoy great success to this day; and she will always rank very high in my book. "Soul Serenade" impresses me with its natural beauty; and I think you'll like this number if you haven't heard it before. Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" shines brighter than silver and gold when Aretha handles it; and that's mighty fine.We get three bonus tracks on this album. The quality of the sound is excellent and that artwork is magnificent.The CD starts off with one of Aretha's greatest hits ever, "Respect." "Respect" has an awesome beat; this tune is the best and Aretha sings it with all her heart and soul.
"Good Times" is easily a major highlight of this album and that electric guitar just sounds so good. In addition, "Baby, Baby, Baby" gets the royal treatment from Aretha and the backup vocalists; this number has a great beat and it's perfect for anytime listening. "Drown in My Own Tears" is quite strong and memorable; Aretha gives this a most sensitive treatment again from the heart and she never skips a beat, either. How's about that brass.
Even if she had never made another album, "I Never Loved a Man" would have almost certainly sealed her fate as the Queen of Soul. the infamous Muscle Shoals rhythm section, which is also featured prominently on this album) are no joke. The legendary stories about her ability to bring hardened--even racist--Rednecks to tears (e.g.
From the scintillating "Respect" (a classic that successive, international generations will continue to rediscover and cherish long after the Queen of Soul is gone) to the heart-rending blues of both the title cut and "Drown in My Tears," to the country-soul of "Do Right Woman, " the gospel-samba of "Don't Let Me Lose this Dream," and the honky-tonk defiance of "Good Times," this album is an astonishing and surprisingly varied showcase of an artist who sang what she lived. "I Never Loved a Man" contains no throw-away tracks or filler. This debut album from Aretha Franklin probably ranks with the greatest pop albums of all time (and yes, that group includes Ray Charles, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Barbra Striesand, Jimmi Hendryx, Janis Joplin, The Supremes, Elton John, Michael Jackson, Donna Summer, Whitney Houston, Tina Turner and Bruce Springsteen).
You can actually feel the grit, the soul, the gospel, the heartache in just about every track here. If you do not buy or listen to anything else of Aretha Franklin, this is the album to get.and keep very close to your heart. Though she was once a phenomenal gospel singer, Franklin was also one of the hardest working secular singer--the only female singer in the 1960's who could match the wondrous power of Barbra Striesand.
As with Striesand, Aretha had an uncanny ability to immediately locate and communicate the (emotional) essence of just about any song, no matter how weak the material.
The album also includes B-Sides: "Do Right Woman-Do Right Man" which was a Top 40 Billboard Chart Hit Single, and the Non-Charting "Dr. The down side to this Compact Disc Reissue is that it is presented in Mono with the exception of: "Respect", "I Never Loved A Man" & "Do Right Woman-Do Right Man" being Repeated (They call them 'Bonus Tracks'.).
In the meantime this is a Must-Have for ANY Collection, and who knows, maybe one day we'll get a Massive Box Set Of Aretha's Complete Atlantic Outpet of ALL of Her Recordings for the label.Wouldn't that be nice. This I don't understand when this entire project was Released In Stereo back in the day (Yes., I still have my Stereo Vinyl Record of it).
Or should I say 'The One That Started It All.' After this Legendary Album Aretha has NEVER had a dry spell and/or looked back (Over 5 Decades of #1 Billboard Hits and Countless Billboard Top Ten Hits). Just for the History Records: This Album has NEVER been Out Of Print since it first seen the light of day.
Starting with the Gold Billboard #1 Smash Single "I Never Loved A Man", Aretha come back with even a BIGGER #1 Gold Billboard R&B and Pop Hit Single: "Respect" that has become the All-Time Female Anthem.
Feelgood", along with Album Killers: "Baby, Baby, Baby", "Drown In My Own Tears", and "A Change Is Gonna Come" Aretha was offically off and running.
Is this the best soul album of all time. Released 40 years ago (I bought the album when it first came out-oops, hahaha) and it's STILL an incredible listen today. this album is a killer. Probably would spark a huge debate, but I tell you what, in my humble opinion, it's close. I know what you're waiting for so I'll say it: "It's a classic." Aretha smokes on this one. She's made some excellent albums and had a seemingly inexhaustable run on various singles charts, but the fire, energy, and intensity she puts forth here takes some beating, and is a joy to behold.
The Ronettes, The Marvelettes, The Supremes were just a few examples in a myriad of rather simular sounding early 60's girl groups where oftengood looks were more important then actual talent. A very powerful love song with alot of soul and Aretha shows talent for writing aswell.She and her husband wrote the song "Dr Feelgood" aswell. Many of her anthems dealt with woman's emancipation in the turbulence of the late 60's just aswell as plenty of political songs for the civil rights movement. The way she sings this one makes is hard for any man not to respect her. As hard as it is to challenge Cooke's undisputed classic, Aretha makes a great job and I like both versions.Overall, A true classic in every way.
Once again Aretha made it her own in her special way. This is a must have in your collection and if You're further interested in her music, check out Lady Soul aswell which is equally good. Aretha puts her whole soul into this song and you will hear it time after time on this album. After 1 year in the studio she released this, a true landmark for Soul and Aretha would make her nickname "The Queen of Soul" justice.The not so aptly titled album "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You" feauture classics like "Respect", "Dr Feelgood" and the title track "I Never Loved A Man" ofcourse. The wonderful "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" another female anthem is summed up perfect with these lines "A woman's only human/You should understand/She's not just a play thing/She's flesh and blood just like her man". More bluesy, yet soulful and the most famous of Aretha originals. Personally I think it's one of the best songs. Unfortunately, the music that was released was more Jazzy then the Gospel Soul that later became her trademark, While it wasn't bad per se it just seemed that Columbia wanted something diffrent out of her and this stopped her artistic development.
Alot of the songs were actually written by men, Otis Redding who sadly died in the same year wrote "Respect" the biggest female anthem of all time but it suits Aretha perfect and became "her's" with her outstanding vocal performence and great backround choirs. After very few memorable hits and a sound that wasn't her own she accepted an offer from Atlantic in 1966. Next song "Baby, Baby, Baby" was co-written by her and her sister. What could I possibly say about Aretha Franklin that haven't been said before. This song was written by two young white men and it got this country feeling. There can only be one Queen of Soul and she's in full control. But she also had a huge impact for female solo singers and women in general. Aretha was under contract with Columbia Records for six years and released several albums for them.
We all know she's a tremendous singer with huge impact on Soul music, just mentioning her name is Respect giving. She wrote "Save Me" which is an uptempo song slightly simular to "Respect" with great horns and bass. Based on her magnificient voice it isn't hard to see why but back in the day there were few female singers. Most were stuck in diffrent kind of manufacted groups singing music that had been written and produced by profesionals like Phil Spector with very little artistic creativity of their own. Based on the sexy lyrics I bet Ted White was a great lover. It's hard for me to express how good this album is, so if you haven't heard it yet go get it.
Aretha probably got the most recognizable female voice in history and one of the greatest too. It was a song about the civil rights movement and the message is very clear. Even if many of the Aretha classics weren't written by her, she co- wrote the next song "Don't Let Me Lose This Dream" with her by then husband Ted White. This would be a landmark for alot of upcoming soul and the new-start of a long and successful career. "Good Times" is the first of two Sam Cooke covers. The closer "A Change Is Gonna Come" was a hit for Sam Cooke (my alltime favorite singer) and it's one of the greatest songs I know. "Soul Serenade" is actually more or less an instrumental, she just sings the title while her band backs her up perfect.
Aretha delivers from song to song and there's nothing here that isn't brilliant, the only problem I have is that too many of the recordings are cut short and would be much better if they would be longer but back then few songs were over 3 minutes. "Drown in My Own Tears" was previously recorded by Ray Charles and it's a slower piano based song of sorrow, in this case a woman who misses her man and will literally drown in her own tears if he won't come back. Cooke's version was slightly diffrent, slower more forward while Aretha's is more soulish and powerful. Aretha comes out as a strong independent woman with alot to say that craves respect from anyone, but she was actually one of the first female Soul/R&B singers to make it solo. This is a great but a it short recording and mostly a feel good song, backed by a jazzy band. "I Never Loved A Man (The Way I love You)" is another strong number and the lyrics are very straight forward of a woman that had enough of her man that can't treat her right "You're a no good heart breaker/ You're a liar and you're a cheat/And I don't know why, I let you do these things to me" Aretha even gives herself dignity and sais "Baby, you know that I'm the best thing That you ever had". Aretha would never have fit into any of those bands cause she didn't look like Diana Ross but thanks got she went solo instead cause she opened doors to so many others and the recordings she left behind are nothing short of majestic.Things could have gone diffrently though.
The song spent an impressive 8 weeks at #1 on the pop charts in 1967.
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