The period from 1970-1974 was not only the most important for Aretha Franklin, but for America’s civil rights movement too, and the two often went hand-in-hand. By the time the ‘70s rolled ‘round Aretha had already released fifteen studio albums, but the new decade, along with its cultural shifts, found her rejuvenated and producing the best work in a long and distinguishing career. Collecting five of those albums, along with a host of bonus tracks, this lavish set lives up to its title, and is indeed A Portrait Of The Queen. Released as a 5CD or 6LP set, we opt for the latter because with it’s warm, deep sound, vinyl is undoubtedly the best format with which to experience soul.
Disc One: This Girl’s In Love With You (1970)
With a voice that rings out strong and true, Aretha Franklin immediately breathes life into This Girl’s In Love With You with a gospel-infused version of ‘Son Of A Preacher Man’. It’s a song that’s been covered (and sampled) countless times, but this version remains the definitive, and like the majority of the tracks on this box set, sets a standard others can only hope to obtain. On a track like ‘Dark End Of The Street’ you can hear Aretha’s influence echoing down the years (Van Morrison, in particular, borrowed much of her phrasing) right through to today’s R&B upstarts. The version of ‘Let It Be’ found on here was the first to be commercially released (The Beatles didn’t issue it as a single until March 1970) and I’m sure Paul McCartney had gospel in mind when he wrote this, and that’s the vibe Aretha brings to the fore and you could easily imagine it emanating from a Baptist chapel on any Sunday morning. However, the cover of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ which follows falls a little short, it’s a lively rendition, and one that (rather surprisingly) dispenses with the emotional quality found on the original.
Perhaps best known for its appearance on the Easy Rider soundtrack, ‘The Weight’ is priceless as a historical document and Aretha’s cover captured the cultural zeitgeist in the union between the counterculture and the civil rights movement. ‘Call Me’ was the only self-penned song on this album, and it is a shame she didn’t write more because it stands proudly amongst the covers. In fact, it stands taller with its originality, it has a certain authenticity that the other songs hunger for. Nevertheless, This Girl’s In Love With You ushered in the new decade in style, yet more was to follow just seven months later.
Disc Two: Spirit In The Dark (1970)
Although only half a year separated This Girl’s In Love With You and Spirit In The Dark, the latter feels as if it has been place in a time machine and sent to the future. In terms of song composition it takes a quantum leap; it’s bolder and brassier and opening track ‘Don’t Play That Song’ arrives swinging to a jaunty beat. It’s a carnival for the ears, a musical orgasm that sends fireworks shooting in every direction and it’s explosive nature is further evidence of a new found confidence. Aretha handles the piano too, and it makes a fine counterpoint to her soulful vocals, the two working in tandem to pull the listener in opposing directions. Her playing is particularly stunning on ‘The Thrill Is Gone (From Yesterday’s Kiss)’ which captures the bluesy nature of the 1951 original, whilst adding a soulful touch, and is just one of many instances of duality that runs throughout this record.
This album contains many more Aretha Franklin originals (another sign of her blossoming confidence) and they help the album flow smoother than its predecessor. The self-penned cuts are more soul orientated, and while each song has its own unique feel, the tracks segue together far more smoothly. Yet, no matter your preferred musical genre, there’s no denying the musical power of ‘When The Battle is Over’ and it’s impossible not to get swept along with Aretha’s emotion. This album initially confused contemporary critics, yet time has been very kind, and Spirit In The Dark is now considered a sparkling diamond in Franklin’s tiara.
Disc Three: Young, Gifted And Black (1972)
1972 found Aretha Franklin moving further into soul territory and it was an approach that came to fruition with the Young, Gifted And Black long player. Song-by-song and track-by-track you’d be hard-pressed to find a better album, and to illustrate it’s quality, Young, Gifted And Black had an impressive five singles culled from its tracklisting (in an era when singles sold by the bucket load). This is an album that found Aretha digging deep into her rich musical heritage and the R&B flavourings of ‘Rock Steady’ wouldn’t be out of place on a Blaxploitation flick (think Shaft), but more often than not this album takes a more thoughtful route, and no more so than on the Nina Simone/Weldon Irvine title-track. Perhaps best known from Bob & Marcia’s lively reading, yet without their histrionics, Aretha delivers a measured version that mines its lyrical depths and the result is far more meaningful than any version I’ve ever heard.
The Beatles are visited once again, this time it’s for ‘The Long And Winding Road’ and it’s one of those rare occasions where the Fab Four are beaten at their own game (as Siouxie And The Banshees did with ‘Dear Prudence’). Aretha takes this most quintessentially English song and imprints her own personality on it, which is the only way a cover should be handled, it doesn’t always work, but when it does (as here), the results are spectacular. While Young, Gifted And Black is not a concept album per se, it does work as such and makes it one of Aretha’s most satisfying listens.
Disc Four: Hey Now Hey (The Other Side Of The Sky) (1973)
It’s often the case that a live album marks the end of an era, it can act like a full-stop in an artists discography, and just prior to Hey Now Hey (The Other Side Of The Sky) came Aretha’s multimillion-selling live-set, the full-on gospel-themed, Amazing Grace. So, for her next studio outing Aretha took a left turn for what promised to be a straight jazz album, Hey Now Hey. That vision was watered down slightly by co-producer Quincy Jones, yet the abstract cover (think Bitches Brew and Time Out) was all jazz and it did indeed confuse many of her fans. Confusing is an apt word for this record as it pings around like a pinball between funk (‘So Swell When You’re Well’) and R&B (‘Angel’) and sometimes both at the same time (such as on the majestic title-track). Yet, this record works best when it does go straight jazz (a hard call considering the ethereal beauty of ‘Angel’) and the experimentation found on ‘Moody’s Mood’ and ‘Just Right Tonight’ offers us a tantalising glimpse of what might have been, had the album’s conception been more singular.
It’s easy to hear why Hey Now Hey (The Other Side Of The Sky) flummoxed many of her fans, it lacks the cohesiveness of previous records and its eclecticism can be a turn off for those who like their music to sit in neat boxes. A transitional record that’s nevertheless one of her more quirky (and by extension) intriguing releases.
Disc Five: Let Me In Your Life (1974)
After the experimental nature of Hey Now Hey, 1974 found Aretha back on “familiar” ground with the distinctly R&B flavoured Let Me In Your Life. The exploratory nature of her previous album has been expunged for a more straight forward modus operandi; the elongated songs have been replaced by eleven tracks, of which any could be a hit single (and, indeed, three were), and aside from the odd tinkling of piano, the jazz flourishes have been exiled too. On the flip side, this parred-back approach, devoid of all the bells and whistles, places the vocals centre stage, and when the voice is this good, that’s exactly where it should be. Like a malt liquor that’s been brewed in barrels previously containing rum, Aretha’s voice has aged exceptionally well and on cuts such as ‘Every Natural Thing’ and ‘With Pen In Hand’ it flows like a luxurious river of silk. Of the five original albums contained in this box, Let Me In Your Life is the most accessible and a great place for the curious to start.
On the whole this record found Aretha reinventing herself and embracing the future with open arms and paving the way for the success she would have in the 1980’s. However, one point of regression was the lack of self-penned songs, only two cuts are credited to Aretha, yet the public obviously concurred because Let Me In Your Life turned out to be one of Aretha’s best-selling Atlantic Records albums.
Disc Six: Pledging My Love: Session Tracks
I’m usually a bit cautious when it comes to bonus discs, the record company vaults have largely been depleted, and that we have yet to hear is probably best left that way. However, Pledging My Love: Session Tracks is the kind of compilation that bucks the trend. Such was the quality of Aretha’s recorded output that there’s no scraping of the barrel here, and the eleven cuts compiled become a classic album in their own right. Subsequently, we get the B-should-have been-an-A side ‘Pledging My Love/The Clock’, the stand alone single ‘Master Of Eyes (The Deepness Of Your Eyes)’, a track from the Hey Now Hey era, along with some alternate takes and good quality demo recordings all leave you basking in the genius that was Aretha Franklin.
These five albums, plus assorted bonus tracks, were produced during a prolific period, and paint not only a picture of those turbulent times, but speak of all our times.
- A Portrait Of A Queen: 1970-1974 is released via BMG Records on 1st December 2023 (available here).
- Official Website
Vinyl Track List:
Disc One: This Girls In Love With You (1970)
Side One: 
- Son Of A Preacher Man
- Share Your Love With Me
- Dark End Of The Street
- Let It Be
- Eleanor Rigby
Side Two:
- This Girl’s In Love With You
- It Ain’t Fair
- The Weight
- Call Me
- Sit Down And Cry
Disc Two: Spirit In The Dark (1970)
Side One:
- Don’t Play That Song
- The Thrill Is Gone (From Yesterday’s Kiss)
- Pullin’
- You And Me
- Honest I Do
- Spirit In The Dark
Side Two:
- When The Battle Is Over
- One Way Ticket
- Try Matty’s
- That’s All I Want From You
- Oh No Not My Baby
- Why I Sing The Blues
Disc Three: Young, Gifted And Black (1972)
Side One:
- Oh Me Oh My (I’m A Fool For You Baby)
- Day Dreaming
- Rock Steady
- Young, Gifted And Black
- All The King’s Horses
- A Brand New Me
Side Two:
- April Fools
- I’ve Been Loving You To Long
- First Snow In Kokomo
- The Long And Winding Road
- Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)
- Border Song (Holy Moses)
Disc Four: Hey Now Hey (The Other Side Of The Sky) (1973)
Side One:
- Hey Now Hey (The Other Side Of The Sky)
- Somewhere
- So Swell When You’re Well
- Angel
- Sister From Texas
Side Two:
- Mister Spain
- That’s The Way I Feel About Cha
- Moody’s Mood
- Just Right Tonight
Disc Five: Let Me In Your Life (1974)
Side One:
- Let Me In Your Life
- Every Natural Thing
- Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing
- I’m In Love
- Until You Come Back Home To Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)
- The Masquerade Is Over
Side Two:
- With Pen In Hand
- Oh Baby
- Eight Days On The Road
- If You Don’t Think
- A Song For You
Disc Six: Pledging My Love: Session Tracks
Side One:
- Pledging My Love/The Clock
- You’re Taking Up Another Man’s Place
- Are You Leaving Me (Demo)
- You’re All I Need To Get By (Take 2)
- Spanish Harlem (Alternate Mix)
Side Two:
- Lean On Me
- Sweetest Smile And The Funkiest Style
- Do You Know
- At Last
- Master Of Eyes (The Deepness of Your Eyes)
- Til It’s Over (Demo)
