Customer Reviews

Respect: The Very Best of

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4 star:		(1)
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This excellent collection of hit singles amply demonstrates the major contribution the Queen of Soul made to popular music over almost forty years. On Disc One, my personal favourites include her amazing interpretation of Spanish Harlem which was a huge hit in 1971, the vocally innovative Chain Of Fools, the urgent Don't Play That Song, and the lovely lilting You're All I Need To Get By. Disc Two kicks of with her assertive Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves, the powerful duet with Annie Lennox which saw her re-establishing herself in the middle 1980s and includes the catchy Freeway Of Love from the same period. It also contains her beautiful versions of The Beatles' Let It Be and Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water from the early 70s. In the sixties, Aretha's soul was more rootsy than Motown, in other words, you had to work a little bit harder to fully appreciate it, but when Disco arrived in the mid 70s, her star faded a bit since she never really had consistent commercial success in that era. But her return in the eighties saw some great music again, like the album from which Freeway Of Love was drawn. This is a comprehensive compilation of her greatest hits and always a pleasure to listen to. Not many artists have such an impressve portfolio or have consistently made such brilliant music over more than 4 decades.

There's been only one of her. She is by far one of the greatest vocalists and artists of all time. The soul genre shook under the feet of this mighty woman (thats not a dig at her weight - I swear), for hers was the mightiest of voices, and it has never been captured better, than on this collection.

Granted, Aretha is one of those singers that with almost every song sung offered an essential piece of music to cherish and remember, however, most fans of her music (and i am one for sure) can still never be without her hits. They're all here. A one disc collection of her recorded work is, frankly, a joke - unless part of a series - like Rhino's The Very Best of Aretha Franklin '60's and '70's CD's. However, a two disc set is fairly acceptable, and this is the best you will find.

Combining the lady's many Atlantic hits, and some slight rarities, as well as her Arista power house throw downs, is a God-send, that any fan will adore, and sew a special pocket on all their clothes for its carriage so as to never be without it(maybe, or is it just me?).

Although thats not to say that only fans would appreciate this collection. I'm sure any more casual fan of, say, Respect or Think or Chain of Fools (which i assume anyone with ears is), would highly likely fall head over heels in love with much of the material included here.

Therefore, it is my recommendation that everybody buy this CD. And might I suggest that if you like this you buy some of her remastered reissued original albums, so as to hear the overlooked gems on each.

My only complaint is that there is noticeable tape hiss on a few of the songs. I listen a lot on a portable stereo,
so it was quite easy to pick up.

I came across this looking for a birthday gift for my mother. I was having really hard time trying to think of something. Seeing as her birthday is on Christmas Eve, then had to think of something to give to her for Christmas. These cd's where perfect!!

My mom always talks about the music she used to listen, but she doesn't even have a cassettee tape or even a vinyl record of any of the music she listened to from her childhood through her adulthood. Giving her these cd's was the best idea every. She actually cried!!!! My mom told me listening to these songs, she could remeber who she was with, where she was, and what she was wearing, when she heards the songs that Aretha sang.

The price was great, considering you got two cd's. And they deliveried the day before her birthday.

So, if your looking for a gift to give someone, who always talks about the music they used to listen to, but they don't have any of it, and they love Aretha Franklin. This is the perfect gift.

Aretha's best work, showcased here, proves that she has justly earned her title as Queen of soul despite some ups downs in her long career. Aretha took a long time to establish herself but once signed to Atlantic, she found a producer (Jerry Wexler) who was able to make the most of her distinctive talents.

Aretha has had many major hits in America although she has not been particularly successful in the British singles charts. During her time with Atlantic, Aretha had two UK top ten hits (Respect, I say a little prayer) and two other UK top twenty hits (Don't play that song, Spanish Harlem). All those hits are included here, together with many of Aretha's other classic recordings for Atlantic, some of which were minor UK hits but all of which did much better as singles in America. These classics include Think, You make me feel like a natural woman, I never loved a man they way I loved you, Chain of fools, Do right woman do right man, Angel, Since you've been gone and Until you come back to me.

With Aretha's distinctive voice and delivery, her cover versions are always interesting. Surprisingly, Satisfaction (Rolling Stones) is omitted, but Bridge over troubled water (Simon and Garfunkel), Oh no not my baby (Maxine Brown) and Let it be (Beatles) are among those included.

Aretha eventually left Atlantic, joining Arista in 1980. This rejuvenated her career although she never quite achieved the level of success that she had in her early years with Atlantic. However, she had two major international hits via duets - Sisters are doing it for themselves (with the Eurythmics) and I knew you were waiting for me (with George Michael), the latter becoming a number one hit in Britain (where it remains her only number one hit) and America. She also just missed the UK top ten with Who's zooming who - but most of her UK hits in the eighties were minor hits, just as they had been in her Atlantic years.

This compilation, spanning several decades of Aretha's music, clearly shows why she is regarded as the Queen of soul. There are many Aretha compilations to choose from, but if you want one covering her whole career, this is as good as you are likely to find.

even though I have always considered Aretha Franklin a Album Artist you gotta give it up to Her for Her Hit Songs that still bring a Soulful feeling to your Mind&Soul.Her Voice is still a Signature that you always know.I think her Mid 60's to Mid 70's was Her Golden Period.She has Some Jams from the Early 80's&a few songs since that still sound alright.I still enjoy Her Version of Stevie WOnder's "Until You Come back that's what I'm gonna do".She has worked with So Many Great Talents over the Years but at the end of the day Aretha leaves Her Trademark Wail&Feel on the Songs.

This double CD release covers 30 years of Aretha Franklin's career from the first 1967 Atlantic recordings till "A Rose is Still a Rose" from 1997. Although there is no strict chronology in the running order, on CD 1 emphasis has been put on the early years from 1967-71, and this is also where the majority of musical pearls are to be found. It is a pure pleasure to re-listen to classics like "Do Right Woman," "Son of a preacher Man", "Respect," "Chain of Fools," "Think," "A Natural Woman" and all the other great songs there.

Numbers Like Elton John's "Border Song", the Beatles' "Let it Be" and many of the other covers of well-known classics become something completely different and exciting when they are exposed to Franklin's interpretations.

CD 2 is logically a more uneven affair including early tracks alongside more recent recordings. Her later material is generally does not live up to the high standards of the early recordings with producer Jerry Wexler.

There are, however, exceptions like the Eurytmics collaboration "Sisters are Doing it for themselves" and Stevie Wonder's "Until You Come Back to Me".

Among the early songs on CD 2 "Dark End of the Street" and "People Get Ready" stand out

A very good buy if you just want a broad range of Franklin best numbers, but it may also very well turn into an appetizer for getting some of her early classic albums as "Never Loved a Man," "Lady Soul", "Aretha Now" or "This Girl's in Love".

Im happy with the CD, however when it arrived the case was broken, so you cant keep the outside of the case on. postage was pretty slow (1 month+) compared to other purchases

I'm going to see Aretha next month & wanted to "brush up" on her music. This CD rocks! I love all of her classics & am looking forward to seeing her in person. An awesome value too.

Arrived the day after expected but well worth the wait. Listening to Aretha takes you back to simpler times in a powerful way.