Aretha Franklin
Lady Soul

THE REVIEW

The Queen of Soul. Ten explosive tracks, divided between originals and (mostly) covers, make up one of the most extraordinary soul albums ever. A concentrate of typically rhythm&blues beats with her majestic presence, the quintessential soul voice, Aretha Franklin.

Daughter of a Baptist preacher, she discovered her passion for music early on, singing and playing the piano during the religious services conducted by her father; the girl had talent and spent the 1950s singing gospel, even making a recording debut at the age of fourteen. The move to Columbia Records (which happened in '60) was marked by jazz, which allowed her to showcase her qualities but also limited her expressiveness and creativity: she still achieved her first successes with singles like "Today I Sing The Blues", "Operation Heartbreaker" and "Won't Be Long".

The turning point came in 1967, when she switched to Atlantic Records, finding those strong soul and rhythm&blues influences that would define her classic sound. The LPs "I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)" and (to a lesser extent) "Aretha Arrives" marked the artist's consecration, but it was with the album "Lady Soul" that Aretha reached her artistic peak and her greatest commercial success, corresponding with a rougher and more incisive sound. Starting with "Chain Of Fools", a hugely successful single and the opening track of the LP, we are faced with a continuous series of masterpieces: in this case, it's a robust R&B accompanying Franklin, who alternates between the grit of songs like "Money Won't Change You", "Niki Hoeky", and "Come Back Baby", and sweet ballads like "Groovin'" and "Good To Me As I Am To You", among others.

A very important role in the album's success is played by the four singles extracted from the album: "Since You've Been Gone" and "Ain't No Way", a touching ballad closing the record, received a great response in terms of sales, but it is with the aforementioned "Chain Of Fools" and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" that Franklin hit the jackpot, achieving two worldwide successes that remained two of her signature interpretations. The fact that the album is mostly composed of covers does not diminish the work at all because Franklin does not simply interpret a song; she strips it and clothes it with her soul, often rendering the original author creating what will often be considered the definitive version. Thus, the Memphis vocalist, between tributes to James Brown, Ray Charles, her sister Carolyn (!), Curtis Mayfield, and Carole King, shows her versatility as a singer, with her voice standing out as usual over everything.

The rich sound characterizing the album is composed of a compact rhythm section, the continuous work of the backup singers, and especially a stunning horn section; among the many musicians involved in the recordings, the collaboration of Eric Clapton stands out on "Good To Me As I Am To You", accompanying the song throughout its duration with an inspired solo phrasing.

Produced by Jarry Wexler, who had already been at the service of Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, The Allman Brothers, Dusty Springfield, and many others, "Lady Soul" is one of the best soul records ever made, which in its barely 30 minutes duration encapsulates all the heart and grit of one of the best vocalists of the 20th century.

Let us pass it down to posterity.