It's hard to talk about this album without leading with Aretha's voice, which is expectedly jaw-dropping. Kicking the album off with her cover of Otis Redding's Respect is pure class, with a better message from a female voice, and a horn section that is to die for. Do Right Woman - Do Right Man shows the power of her slower numbers, and the title track has a great deal of passion. Don't Let Me Lose This Dream and Soul Serenade are a bit too stodgy in the middle of the album for my taste, although Chloe loved the latter, but that is also in comparison to the stellar standard elsewhere. Dr Feelgood demonstrates the captivating sassiness of Aretha at her very best drawing the listener in with her narrative and then holding them in the palm of her hand. A Change is Gonna Come is another standout, with a stiff-jawed defiance that is awe-inspiring.
Whilst this was Aretha's eleventh studio album, it was her first with Atlantic. Having become stuck in a rut at Columbia, and not feeling that she was being given the creative freedom she deserved, this change of scenery clearly did her no harm at all. Indeed, it was after this shift that Aretha's career reached its most dizzying of heights, with Spirit in the Dark and Amazing Grace coming later on down the line.
It's clearly an exceptionally album, and showcases Aretha's immense talent. There are some classic songs on here that it is hard to tire of listening to. However, what stops it from being great is that it appears a bit too disjointed as an overall album. A great album is more than the sum of its parts, and this one falls the wrong side of that equation for me. That doesn't make it bad, nor does it reduce the quality of the individual songs, but it does mean that it wasn't the utter revelation I hoped it would be.
Chloe's album rating: 7
Chloe's favourite track: 4. Soul Serenade
Olly's album rating: 7
Olly's favourite track: 9. Do Right Woman - Do Right Man
Next week's album is 738. In Utero by Nirvana.
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