Queen Of Soul - (4CD Box)
CD Boxset
£39.99
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Description:
“With her switch to Atlantic in 1966,” notes the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on its web page chronicling Franklin's 1987 induction, “Aretha proceeded to revolutionize soul music with some of the genre's greatest recordings.” Aretha was crowned “The Queen Of Soul” during her extraordinary twelve years at the label, and her much-deserved coronation gives this expansive and essential boxed set its title. In turn, QUEEN OF SOUL - THE ATLANTIC RECORDINGS gives her transcendent and influential body of work from those phenomenal years the “Respect” it's due, spotlighting 86 definitive tracks on 4 CDs.
Jerry Wexler, who signed Aretha to the label and helped guide her evolution into one of the most important music artists of our time, was actively involved with the creation of QUEEN OF SOUL - THE ATLANTIC RECORDINGS. In the GRAMMY®winning liner notes for the elegantly presented 6” x 12” box, which was originally released in '92, he writes:
“Genius is the world. Clearly, Aretha was continuing what Ray Charles had begun - the secularization of gospel, turning church into rhythms, churn patterns, and especially church feelings into personalized love songs. Like Ray, Aretha was a hands-on performer, a two-fisted pianist plugged into the main circuit of Holy Ghost power...she remained the central orchestrator of her own sound, the essential contributor and final arbiter of what did and did not fit with her musical persona.”
In a December, 1992 review of QUEEN OF SOUL for the New York Times, Jon Pareles seconded the emotion, writing that, “A great singer, potent songs, a hot band, a smart producer and the right historical moment - they all came together when Aretha Franklin moved from Columbia Records to Atlantic...The voice that had grown up in gospel and detoured into pop ballads found its wings singing “Respect,” “A Natural Woman,” “Chain Of Fools” and other songs where the elemental power of blues and gospel was poured into statements about secular love, hope and desire.”
The aforementioned classics plus a wealth of other hits, signature songs, definitive album tracks and lesser-known singles spanning Aretha's peak decade of 1967-1976 are the core of the 86 bursts of musical brilliance on this four-disc retrospective. Other highlights include Aretha's first Atlantic side - and #1 R&B/#9 pop hit - “I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)” and the GRAMMY-winning singles “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Master Of Eyes (The Deepness Of Your Eyes)” and “Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing” (“Respect” and “Chain Of Fools” were also among her GRAMMY winners). Also featured are Aretha essentials including “Young, Gifted And Black,” “Do Right Woman - Do Right Man,” “Spanish Harlem,” “Rock Steady” and a reprise of “Spirit In The Dark” featuring the Queen of Soul with Ray Charles.
In addition to Jerry Wexler's notes, the box's deluxe booklet features contributions from Dave Marsh, David Ritz, Thulani Davis, Ahmet Ertegun, Tom Dowd and Arif Mardin. It also compiles a number of quotes from Aretha herself, including a comment to Newsweek from 1967 - the year her chart dominion as an Atlantic Records artist began - that soul is, “the ability to make other people feel what you're feeling. It's hard to laugh when you want to cry. Some people can hide it. I can't, so when I sing, it doesn't come across fake.” In 1991, she told VH-1, “I think soul is certainly a feeling that is transmitted in one way or another...it's something that's very empathetic and it's deep. Soul is deep.”
Explore just how deep as Sister Re socks it to you with hours of feeling on ARETHA FRANKLIN: QUEEN OF SOUL - THE ATLANTIC RECORDINGS