Uncle Roddus Album Of The Day
The Original Album Series box sets of 5 classic albums for 20 bucks has been a real bonus find lately and the first time I have owned any Aretha on CD, or Vinyl for that matter. I mostly knew her from the Blues Brother's movies but was slightly familiar with some of her songs due to them being so famous.
This total classic stayed on the iPod for the entire day, which was quite a long one, and even after 20 odd listens I wasn't''t at all inclined to change to something else. Aretha is peerless as a R n'B soul and gospel shouter with a voice that sends proxy-isms of pleasure down to my very soul. This set from 1967, well into her career by then and her first with Atlantic Records, is the earliest in the box set and perhaps the best.
Kicking off with a triple play of absolutely fantastic classics in "Respect", Which we all know, an amazingly soulful cover of "Drown in My Own Tears", also made famous by Ray Charles, and The albums title track, which is just sublime. The rest of this brilliant set jumps between slow gospel tinged soul and more up-tempo R n' B tracks with the quality staying at peak intensities throughout, with "Do Right Woman..." being the slow burning highlight on side 2. One of the all time classic albums from the 60s and gets a very enthusiastic Roddus Rating of 5+/5.
