What You See Is What You Sweat [Import]

Aretha Franklin | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 8, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: BMG International
• ASIN: B000006YT1
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #545,635 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the high points of Aretha's Arista career, December 9, 2001

By 

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

This review is from: What You See Is What You Sweat (Audio CD)

The fact that this album was not laden with duets makes it worth your while. There's only two -- the mediocre "Doctor's Orders" with Luther Vandross and the timeless "Ever Changing Times" with Michael McDonald. That compares with FOUR duets from the album prior to this one. The other cuts are 100% Aretha, doing all of the vocal acrobatics and imparting the passion you'd expect from the Queen.

The only reason I give this album 4 stars instead of 5 is because she's not quite in top voice. This album is recorded a couple years before she gave up the smokes. She sounds a little raspy on some cuts and out of breath on others, with her upper range sounding quite gritty. However, Aretha "not in top voice" is still way better than a lot of the "divas" we have to choose from today.

The main point is whether or not Ree puts her heart into it. She does. "I Dreamed A Dream" was performed for the President at the 1993 Inaugural Convention, and this earlier studio version almost captures that magic. "Everyday People," especially the remix by Shep Pettibone, is the best of early 90's R&B/soul. "What Did You Give," an original Aretha composition, is a great song, as are her Mayfield-like "You Can't Take Me For Granted" that she also penned and the super-90's title track.

This CD is a good sample of R&B/soul from 1991, well-produced and enjoyable. The fact that Ree is the center of what's going on makes it all the more worth buying. Enjoy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars SWEET ARETHA, June 28, 2000

By 

Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: What You See Is What You Sweat (Audio CD)

Here she covers strong material like Sly Stone's Everyday People (of which there is also the Shep Pettibone remix), Mary Goes Round - a stomping piece of funk with George Clintonesque overtones, the uplifting ballad I Dreamed A Dream, the stunning You Can't Take Me For Granted with its propulsive rhythm and pianocrobatics, and Doctor's Orders, an electrifying duet with Luther Vandross. And Aretha is exactly what the doctor orders if you want sweeping passionate ballads and dance numbers with real power and emotion.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classical Eighties Soul With A Sweet Twist, September 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: What You See Is What You Sweat (Audio CD)

Great Album, several classic songs, including amazing duet with Michael McDonald and the everlasting "You Can't Take Me For Granted"