Rose Is Still a Rose

Aretha Franklin | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 24, 1998)
• Original Release Date: March 24, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Arista
• ASIN: B000002VTV
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #129,726 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars ...and Aretha is still Aretha, January 13, 2002

By 

Peace Brotha (Ohio, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rose Is Still a Rose (Audio CD)

Many people have mixed feelings about this album, both hardcore fans and people that just liked the title track. The fact is that this album is a solid example of late '90s R&B, with Aretha in good voice on virtually every cut. Let's look at each one in order.

1) The title track, produced by the amazing Lauryn Hill, stands on its own merits. I personally don't feel it's the most comfortable song for Aretha to sing, but it's a great number nonetheless.

2) Never Gonna Leave You Again - mellow and low-key, with a very laid-back beat. Nothing overly special, but pleasant to listen to.

3) In Case You Forgot - A typical Aretha song, in the good sense. Strong production values, with a message to her suitor that he should remember how good she's been to him.

4) Here We Go Again - watch out Janet: 'Ree sampled Change's "The Glow Of Love" 2 years before you did on this one. Funky little groove that was a minor hit for Aretha.

5) Every Lil' Bit Hurts - Another mainstream R&B number about the heartaches of love. Not bad but the Queen's voice is a little frayed on some of the higher notes.

6) In The Morning - One of my favorites. She made up for not being in top voice on the previous track. Her voice is clear as a bell, with some 1970's notes coming through. The song itself is solid and with proper marketing could have been a hit or the centerpiece for a movie soundtrack.

7) I'll Dip - I'll pass. I'm a hardcore Aretha fan but I question whether this song should have made the final cut. Good beat, but the arrangement is wrong for Aretha and she sounds quite uncomfortable in singing it.

8) How Many Times - Very classic radio ballad that Aretha puts her heart into and it shows. Solid arrangement that sounds just a little '80's but this song will stand the test of time. One of the albums's best cuts.

9) Watch My Back - Again, I love Aretha more than the casual fan, but let's face it: she's not 20-something anymore, and she shouldn't use a lot of jargon and slang as though she is. This song is full of this type of thing, some of which you can't even understand. Definitely not up to Ree's standards.

10) Love Pang - this song is worth the price of the CD alone. With an outstanding production by Michael J. Powell, Aretha makes you feel how good SHE feels after an intimate night with her lover. Just like the "In The Morning" track, her voice is without peer and she hits some notes she hadn't come near in years. This cut could have easily come from the "Sparkle" album if that gives you an idea of the concept of it. Lush and luxurious.

11) The Woman - an Aretha-written grand finale that starts out slightly churchy and ends with a lounge-club feel with some scats between her ad-libs.

Solid effort by the Queen.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hey, guys, this is REE we're talking about...., December 22, 2002

By 

Reginald D. Garrard "the G-man" (Camilla, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rose Is Still a Rose (Audio CD)

Aretha Franklin can do more with one note than most singers can do with a complete aria. So what if it's not up to her best, anything that she does is worthy of at least four stars...and this one doesn't disappoint.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Rose is Still A Rose, November 13, 2000

By 

Terrance H. Heath "terrancedc" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rose Is Still a Rose (Audio CD)

...And the Queen is still the Queen. I bought the cd on the strength of the single, and was not disappointed. It spent most of the summer in my Discman, and I found myself humming the songs when I wasn't listening to it. Franklin has still got it, and can sing rings around most of today's female singers, without so much as breaking a sweat. While some of the material doesn't stand up to the quality of the title track, this cd is still worth a listen, and belongs in any Franklin fan's collection.