Customer Reviews

Tender, Moving, Swinging/Soft and Beautiful

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Two vintage Columbia albums from Aretha Franklin on one disc. That's a good thing by itself. One of them is very good, the other one is just okay. And the two albums are so different from each other that you can't help but wonder why they paired these particular two together. But, better to have them available like this rather than not at all.


** The Tender, The Moving, The Swinging **

This 1962 set could have been The Electrifying Aretha Franklin Part II, which is no bad thing. Many of the arrangements are quite similar; in fact "I Apologize" sounds almost exactly like "I Surrender, Dear" from TEAF.

But this set lives up to its title. She's tender on that "I Apologize" number, as well as her own composition "Without The One You Love," which shows her to be a skilled songwriter even at the age of 20. Aretha moves us with her quiet but firm "Try A Little Tenderness," as well as her testimonial "How Deep Is The Ocean." And man, does she ever swing on "I'm Sitting On Top Of The World" and "Lover Come Back To Me."

Complaints? Sometimes Aretha's voice seems buried in the mix. Not sure if that's just this reissue or what, but "Don't Cry Baby" and "Lover Come Back To Me" suffer slightly for it. In addition, some of the arrangements are too similar ... if "Just For A Thrill" and "God Bless The Child" were going to sound alike, did they have to be sequenced right next to each other? And "Look For The Silver Lining" gets a bit hokey, even for the most avid fan.

Regardless, this is the young Queen of Soul in fine form, growing into her crown and handling a wide variety of material with ease.


** Soft And Beautiful **

These are the kinds of songs that many Aretha fans hate, no question. And I can see their point: sometimes the strings are overbearing, the arrangements are syrupy sweet, and they SEEM devoid of soul. There are some duds here. I love to hear Aretha sing anything. But it pains me to hear "People." And while she does some interesting things with "My Coloring Book" and you can sense she's trying to get into it, it never quite clicked.

But I would like to offer that soul is not always about squalling and shouting down fire from heaven. Listen to her reading of "Jim" and her post-romantic interpretation of "Shangri-La." Two very different songs, yet Aretha pours her heart into them. She reached down and got something from her life experience and applied it to these numbers. "A Mother's Love" takes on a new significance when the listener realizes that Aretha lost her mom at a very young age, and that dimension comes across even through the mildly sappy arrangement. And "Only The Lonely" remains one of Aretha's best Columbia recordings.


I disagree with the one reviewer that says this twofer should be dismissed except for historical purposes. Amidst the howlers there is some genuinely good music here from the Queen of Soul. Not only that, the sound quality is good and the reproduction of the liner notes is top-notch.

Don't deprive yourself of this unique set ... no telling how long it will be in print, given the state of the music biz.

when i was seven or so, i used to play this album a lot. very loudly. usually before i went to school in the morning. i was obnoxious--i know it! but i loved 'the tender...', especially 'don't cry baby' and 'sittin on top of the world'. as far as i knew, it was soul music. it would take a few years to find out that one was associated with les paul and mary ford and the other was one of al jolson's standards!

it's still soulful.

now that i have the cd re-release, i am more than happy to play it again, nice and loud. but i promise i won't do it first thing in the morning.

trust me i will!

"i purchased this cd for my sister for her birthday. she recently called me to thank me profusely for this cd. it was a walk down memory lane that is unforgettable... especially memories of my father and family parties. no one does it better than aretha franklin. the seller was prompt with shipment and hassle free. thank you... XOXOXOXOX"

I bought this album simply because I was looking for a recording of a certain song. I was really blown away by Aretha Franklin's abilities and sensibilities with so called torch songs. In my 1960's rock-and-roll opinion this should have been her true calling, she is wonderful and refreshingly different from the norm in this role. What a multi faceted talent she has! I am delighted by such a big surprise.

But "Swinging"? Hardly. This is the type of album that shows exactly what went wrong with young Aretha Franklin during her time with Columbia Records. Her debut was recorded with a terrific, small jazz combo, with Aretha herself on piano on several tracks. While it was slightly succesful and lauded by jazz critics, it didn't produce the type of "pop" hits her label was after. So a new producer was brought in, and she was roped into recording show tunes, standards and the like, accompanied by large, lush orchestras and choirs. It was all very white bread. Very "adult" and rather like elevator music. These two albums, combined on one cd, are full of that type of material. Even though her vocal performances on many tracks compensate for the incredibly sappy and sentimental musical arrangements, it's something of an effort to sit down and listen to the almost two dozen songs to find the three or four that are worth more than just a single listen. Important if only in a historical sense, in that the vocal style of the young singer begins to develop into the powerhouse we now know. Skip this one completely. Honestly, I am such a fan, I try to buy everything I can get my hands on, be it on Columbia, Atlantic, or Arista. But this one left me completely cold, and I cannot recommend it.