Customer Reviews

Unforgettable: Tribute to Dinah Washington

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This proves that she can be Standard Jazzy as well as Contemporary and the best was yet to come from Aretha Franklin.This is a wonderful tribute to Dinah Washington especially with Unforgettable,Cold Cold Heart,and What A Difference A Day Made just to name a few of the Albums Highlights.

I stumbled upon this album in a used record store years before it was issued on compact disc. I have always been a huge Aretha fan but was not impressed by her Columbia work as a whole. This album was a huge surprise. In my opinion, it stands with her classic work at Atlantic Records. One can feel in her voice the raw emotion with which she sings these songs. Her sense of loss in the death of Dinah Washington is palpable. I have been a music collector for over forty years. If I were to compile a list of the ten best "forgotten" albums, this would be at or near the top of the list.
The sound on the compact disc is superb. I was delighted to see that Columbia issued the album in its entirety on CD, rather that chopping it up for another in the seemingly endless stream of Aretha compilation albums.
In short, buy the compact disc and give it a few spins. If you are an Aretha fan who has not heard this album, you will be pleased to have another master work in your collection.

As a tribute to the recently departed Dinah Washington, called by many the Queen of the Blues, the future Queen of Soul recorded many of her best known songs in 1964. Needless to say the young Aretha puts her own vocal stamp on these songs, improvising lyrics here and there, and altering vocal melodies to suit her own style. That is but one of her many gifts. ( Her own songwriting and her piano playing are both quite noteworthy.) But it's the music on "Unforgetable" that some might find slightly pedestrian and "adult" in their arrangements. True, that is the one weak link in a lot of her Columbia material . But I think there are many moments of incredible musical intensity here. The organ and drum fueled "Nobody Knows the Way Feel This Morning" just smokes. The mournful trombone solo that begins "Don't Say You're Sorry Again" sets the tone for the lyric perfectly. The title track itself begins just as many of the songs on the album do; slowly the strings and the spare combo begins, building and blending with the first few somewhat undersung verses, until the vocals and instruments reach a fever pitch and almighty is let loose for the finale. "Drinking Again" , "This Bitter Earth " and "What A Diff'rence a Day Made" all follow this same pattern. Her take on "Cold Cold Heart" actually manages to rival the original Dinah Washington single ( itself a cover of the classic Hank Williams tune ) . While Dinah's versions ( she recorded this song a number of times ) featured bland backing vocals from a chorus of what sounds like a terribly uptight all white church choir, Aretha belts this number like her life depended on it. The music is spare, and the just-behind-the-beat rhythm puts her voice front and center. This cd re-issue closes with the bonus track "Lee Cross." Not included on the original album, it was recordeded during the "Unforgetable" sessions, and is a Southern Gospel-style raver that points both to where Aretha came from and where she was headed with Atlantic Records. A worthy addition to your Aretha collection, and a real keeper. I think this is one of her finest Columbia albums, when taken as a whole. Very Highly recommended.

The Queen of Soul before she was the Queen of soul. Aretha Recorded this tribute shortly after Dinah's death in 1964. I assume that recording a tribute album of covers to a legend who only had just died would be terrifying. Aretha did it, and did it well. Aretha, 'churchified' some select tracks from the Dinah Washington song book.Her version of "Drinking again" is an intense mature recording, and surprisingly empathetic from someone who was so young.The album shows off her range and style brilliantly. Vocal runs and prowess are great.Aretha maintained the origional dignity of the songs she was covering, and added her soul and personality into every recording, essentially "Aretha-izing" the already brilliant songs.Aretha would continue to cover songs through her long successful carrer. She always did them her way. The same way she did here. She Aretha-ized them.
Key tracks: Cold Cold Heart, What a differance a day made, Evil gal Blues, and drinking Again.

I'm not sure if this is Franklin's premier album: she was 21 & it seems to be. It seems to me she'd already had a hit with "He's Got the Whole World In His Hands", when she was 16: but that was a single.
The world Franklin knew (Detroit) was deep in mourning for Dinah Washington. Washington had been a friend of Franklin's father, the Rev. C.L. Franklin (whose sermons were the models for Rev. Dr. ML King, Jr, Jesse Jackson, & just about anyone who wanted to preach). Washington had encouraged Franklin & her loss must have been both personal & social.
The producer, Robert Mersey arranged the album in a way that lets one see Franklin growing. "Unforgettable" has a lot of Nat King Cole, as well as Dinah Washington. In the following cuts, Franklin follows Washington's line closely. But by "Drinking Again", I began to think I preferred Franklin's version. Finally, by "Nobody Knows the Way I Feel This Morning", we have the great Aretha Franklin: a full fledged star. And that's just the first side. What a fantastic introduction to one of the all time greats.

Let's face it: Aretha Franklin's Columbia recordings have been wrongly criticized and dismissed by many for far too long. This classic album is a spellbindingly-gorgeous tribute to Dinah Washington and is every bit as important and relevant as any of her 1967-75 Atlantic releases. Had this album been a commercial success when originally issued in 1964 it just might have vindicated John Hammond's vision of Aretha as the next "Queen of the Blues".

The Queen of Soul before she was the Queen of soul. Aretha Recorded this tribute shortly after Dinah's death in 1964. I assume that recording a tribute album of covers to a legend who only had just died would be terrifying. Aretha did it, and did it well. Aretha, 'churchified' some select tracks from the Dinah Washington song book.Her version of "Drinking again" is an intense mature recording, and surprisingly empathetic from someone who was so young.The album shows off her range and style brilliantly. Vocal runs and prowess are great.Aretha maintained the origional dignity of the songs she was covering, and added her soul and personality into every recording, essentially "Aretha-izing" the already brilliant songs.Aretha would continue to cover songs through her long successful carrer. She always did them her way. The same way she did here. She Aretha-ized them.
Key tracks: Cold Cold Heart, What a differance a day made, Evil gal Blues, and drinking Again.

Dinah Washington is was and always will be a great legend, however she sold out in the 60's(meaning she stopped singing jazz and blues)by singing middle of the road muzak like Unforgettable ans all the songs that Miss Franlin is trying to sing. Stay away from this and buy Dinah Washington's "Dinah Jams" on EmArcy with Clifford Brown.

Just as "Queen" Dinah paid a tribute to "Empress" Bessie Smith, young Aretha paid her respect to Dinah on this 1964.album which eventually ended up being just a good intention,but boring as a product.Concentrating too much on Washington's commercially succesful pop period,this album is weighted down with one ballad after another - they all seems to begin and end the same way (dramatical start and gospel finale),the only exception being strong,smashing "Evil Gal Blues" where 21-year old Aretha sounds even better than original.This one shining moment shows that the album would be much better if songs were chosen to showcase Aretha's rhytmic potential instead of singing ballads.Its strange to notice how Dinah achieved such a depth of feelings in original versions of excatly same songs,without all those gospel whoops and theatrics - her artistry was all about the feelings and understanding of lyrics.

I simply love it. You know why she's THE QUEEN.