The Great American Songbook

Aretha Franklin | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 1, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2011
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony Legacy
• ASIN: B004EPYYG8
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #90,395 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Aretha Franklin is one of the giants of soul music, and indeed of American pop as a whole. More than any other performer, she epitomized soul at its most gospel-charged. Her astonishing run of late-'60s hits earned her the title "Lady Soul," which she has worn uncontested ever since.

With these songs by America’s greatest composers, Aretha Franklin paved the path to her own greatness. From standards to bebop to gospel and blues, these recordings are indelible snapshots of a special time in the career of a musical legend; a portrait, if you will, of the artist as a young woman.

This stand-alone CD features classic American songs by such classic American composers and lyricists as Billy Strayhorn, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, the Gershwin Brothers, Oscar Hammerstein, Johnny Mercer, Jerome Kern and Hank Williams.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lush and beautiful!, February 1, 2011

By 

Nse Ette (Lagos, Nigeria) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Great American Songbook (Audio CD)

Aretha Franklin could sing the menu from your local Chinese takeaway and it would still be brilliant. This collection comprises 18 recordings from the 60s, interpretations of compositions by Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer, George and Ira Gershwin, and Irving Berlin to mention a few.

Sounding very young (she was in her twenties when these were recorded) with her vocals strong and expressive. Some of the songs have Jazzy arrangements (the bouncy "Love For Sale", the horn-driven "What A Diff'rence A Day Made"), some string-swathed Soul ("My Little Brown Book", "Try A Little Tenderness", the Gospel-tinged "Cold Cold Heart", the piano-sprinkled "God Bless The Child"), bouncy Jazz/Soul ("Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody"), and Gospel ("Are You Sure"). Her vocals are top notch, but special mention must be made of her fiery performance in "That Lucky Old Sun".

Die-hard fans will probably already own these tracks (from the various albums they were culled). For others like me, this is a superb overview of some of Ms Franklin's overlooked gems.

23 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Great MUSIC / TIRED CONCEPT, February 2, 2011

By 

CANARY LOVER (LOS ANGLES CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great American Songbook (Audio CD)

These tracks are hardly "overlooked gems"; they have been constantly re-issued (at least annually) by Columbia/Sony since Aretha hit the big time after her move to Atlantic in 1967. There is not one new track. From Aretha's eight excellent original Columbia lps the label has continuously milked her catalog to death, under dozens of new titles and concepts, all the while releasing precious few unrelased tracks from ths vaults. Any Aretha fan already has every track on this cd 5 times over.
Buy the original 8 Columbia albums (all available on cd, including 2 for 1 offers) becuase every Aretha fan needs each one! Skip all these shoddy compilations.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great tracks from young Aretha, February 24, 2012

By 

eweydownunder - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Great American Songbook (Audio CD)

This collection is from an early time, before "Respect", which was my first contact with her. It shows off her vocal range and a great talent to interpret songs with style and class.