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Aretha Franklin - Sings The Great Diva Classics (Album Thread)


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Old 29-09-2014, 13:50
little-monster
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The Queen of Soul is back and for this digitally released album, she is doing an album of all diva's hits past and present. The album will include covers of Rolling in the deep, At Last, Nothing compares 2 U, No One, Midnight train to georgia and I Will Survive which incorporates some of Destiny's child Survivor song.

http://www.billboard.com/articles/co...ics-due-oct-21
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Old 29-09-2014, 15:37
scrilla
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I think Billboard means Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman."
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Old 29-09-2014, 16:06
mgvsmith
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Terry Wogan played Aretha's version of 'Rolling in the Deep' at the weekend.

I thought it was good but didn't add much to the Adele version.
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Old 29-09-2014, 22:19
That_Guy
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Good God, that version of RITD is truly awful..
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Old 30-09-2014, 07:20
unique
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so nothing compares 2 u isn't just content with being murdered again but it's a sinead o connor song. forget about the original artist that released it or who wrote it

what a way to end a career. one of the greatest singers of all time, ending up releasing a pile of crap
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Old 30-09-2014, 07:40
vaslav37
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so nothing compares 2 u isn't just content with being murdered again but it's a sinead o connor song. forget about the original artist that released it or who wrote it

what a way to end a career. one of the greatest singers of all time, ending up releasing a pile of crap
Crap? I don't think so.
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Old 30-09-2014, 07:51
mgvsmith
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Crap? I don't think so.
I agree, I don"t know about the rest of the album but there's not much wrong with Aretha's RITD. I like the 'Ain't No Mountain' refrain.
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Old 30-09-2014, 08:13
vaslav37
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I agree, I don"t know about the rest of the album but there's not much wrong with Aretha's RITD. I like the 'Ain't No Mountain' refrain.
This could be a hit single for Aretha.
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Old 30-09-2014, 11:02
Diceroll_81
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The cover of RITD isn't too bad, but I'm hoping she takes more risks with the arrangements for the other songs in the album. Back in her 'vintage period' Aretha could COMPLETELY transform a song - her version of BB King's 'The Thrill Is Gone' is a masterpiece.
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Old 30-09-2014, 13:30
unique
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Crap? I don't think so.
have you heard the full album? i'll reserve full judgement until I've heard it, but this is one of the worlds greatest ever signers doing the type of thing expected from westlife or some x factor reject. it sounds like a cash in related to more financial worries than a desire to make a decent album

everything I've heard about this album so far makes me want to avoid listening to it
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Old 30-09-2014, 13:35
davor
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I listened to the song this morning. Great voice, it's Aretha after all. I didn't like the arrangement at all. Bit too dancey for my taste. I haven't heard the whole album though.
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Old 30-09-2014, 15:06
mialicious
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She's still got the voice but this is lazy, she must owe sony one last album. I’d much rather a compilation of these singers covering Aretha’s songs instead.
Cant stand Clive davis as well, why is his name mentioned all over that article citing him as a 'collaborator' ..the man is pure scum.
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Old 30-09-2014, 17:49
vaslav37
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have you heard the full album? i'll reserve full judgement until I've heard it, but this is one of the worlds greatest ever signers doing the type of thing expected from westlife or some x factor reject. it sounds like a cash in related to more financial worries than a desire to make a decent album

everything I've heard about this album so far makes me want to avoid listening to it
I have only heard Rolling In The Deep and I like it.
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Old 30-09-2014, 22:19
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What? Are people liking this? It's auto tuned to death..and..what? I'm lost for words!
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Old 30-09-2014, 22:50
mgvsmith
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What? Are people liking this? It's auto tuned to death..and..what? I'm lost for words!
Ummm, do people not trust what they hear any more?

Here's a 'live' version maybe that's auto tuned as well?

Aretha live on Letterman
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Old 30-09-2014, 23:55
Wuthering
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I love Aretha, I love her cover versions. She's Queen in my opinion!
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Old 01-10-2014, 18:20
scrilla
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I'll probably try to get a listen to this at some point. I think she's quite guilty of oversinging at times and 'Rolling in the Deep' is an example of it. Could do without the token incorporation of "Ain't No Montain High Enough" too.

The news that Aretha is releasing an album of covers is not exciting to me despite owning numerous albums by her. Obviously it's to try to make amends for her last album which failed to sell much at all and Clive Davis is not someone whose opinion I would take heed of. He's obviously changed his tune somewhat towards Aretha. Unless someone already has her Columbia and Atlantic work and the first few Arista albums, I see little point in picking up an album of very safe and obvious cover versions for the sake of completism. These songs have been done well already and I doubt there will be anything here that will be essential listening.

She loves that 'Queen of Soul' tag. Quite a strop she had after Beyoncé Knowles name-checked Tina Turner and of course she's fallen out with almost every other female singer who had the potential to upstage her.

I wonder how many people that buy into the 'Queen of Soul' thing have checked an album by either by the late and talented Carolyn or Erma?
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Old 01-10-2014, 21:40
Diceroll_81
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Ummm, do people not trust what they hear any more?

Here's a 'live' version maybe that's auto tuned as well?

Aretha live on Letterman
I actually quite like the live version, but Cissy Houston is HILARIOUS standing in the background with a face like a slapped arse while the other background singers do all the work
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Old 01-10-2014, 22:11
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She loves that 'Queen of Soul' tag. Quite a strop she had after Beyoncé Knowles name-checked Tina Turner and of course she's fallen out with almost every other female singer who had the potential to upstage her.
Well Natalie Cole was called the new Queen of Soul back in 1976 and by all accounts Aretha's still salty about that.
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Old 01-10-2014, 22:50
vaslav37
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It's radio friendly and should give Aretha a hit single.
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Old 01-10-2014, 23:15
mgvsmith
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I'll probably try to get a listen to this at some point. I think she's quite guilty of oversinging at times and 'Rolling in the Deep' is an example of it. Could do without the token incorporation of "Ain't No Montain High Enough" too.

The news that Aretha is releasing an album of covers is not exciting to me despite owning numerous albums by her. Obviously it's to try to make amends for her last album which failed to sell much at all and Clive Davis is not someone whose opinion I would take heed of. He's obviously changed his tune somewhat towards Aretha. Unless someone already has her Columbia and Atlantic work and the first few Arista albums, I see little point in picking up an album of very safe and obvious cover versions for the sake of completism. These songs have been done well already and I doubt there will be anything here that will be essential listening.

She loves that 'Queen of Soul' tag. Quite a strop she had after Beyoncé Knowles name-checked Tina Turner and of course she's fallen out with almost every other female singer who had the potential to upstage her.

I wonder how many people that buy into the 'Queen of Soul' thing have checked an album by either by the late and talented Carolyn or Erma?
Oversinging to me means so much embellishment that you no longer recognise the song, but that is simply not the case with this version of RITD. Also, what's 'token' about 'Ain't no Mountain'? It integrates quite well melodically. It also says something about how good a song RITD is. And it's a variation on the Adele version. Did people want a straight copy or something?

Rather than worry about the completeness of my record collection I would think it great if this meant Aretha actually reached a new, younger audience and introduced them to one of the truly great soul singers of our times. And it might even lead then to listen to Irma Thomas or Etta James and the other great soul, jazz singers.
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Old 02-10-2014, 00:49
scrilla
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Oversinging to me means so much embellishment that you no longer recognise the song, but that is simply not the case with this version of RITD.
That's fine. We have different views on that.

Also, what's 'token' about 'Ain't no Mountain'?
Absolutely nothing. That's my point. I'm a keen fan of Ashford and Simpson and don't feel the song deserves that sort of treatment at all.

It integrates quite well melodically. It also says something about how good a song RITD is. And it's a variation on the Adele version. Did people want a straight copy or something?
I found it to be a fairly straight copy with a quite unexciting arrangement.

Rather than worry about the completeness of my record collection
I wasn't. I was suggesting that there are probably much better albums to buy if someone doesn't have much by Aretha and I'm basing that on having heard the Adele cover and read the very safe song selection.

I would think it great if this meant Aretha actually reached a new, younger audience and introduced them to one of the truly great soul singers of our times. And it might even lead then to listen to Irma Thomas or Etta James and the other great soul, jazz singers.
She one of the great soul singers of yesteryear. Really of the 60's, 70's and maybe early 80's. The great female soul singers of recent times are people like Lalah Hathaway, Ledisi, Carleen Anderson, Hil St Soul, Yahzarah, Adriana Evans, Sandra St. Victor.

I agree that it would be good if more young people got turned onto soul music, which is currently very underground. Of course, we all check out You Tube and the majority of artists and styles can be found there quite easily. If you find something lots of similar recommendations come up.
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Old 02-10-2014, 01:01
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It's radio friendly and should give Aretha a hit single.
What planet are you on?
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Old 16-10-2014, 18:01
little-monster
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Listening to the leak

I do not like the production on At last at all. The first 60 seconds is pretty much the same as the original but then song becomes something very different and takes away how brilliant the lyrics are. I am all for doing things differently but it does not work at all

Her vocals on rolling in the deep are absolutley shocking. Like really shocking. I thought studio versions were meant to allow artists to sound better then they really are. This clearly doesn't.

Her vocals become even more shocking on I will survive.

She pretty much screeches her way through People

No one is done in a slight jamaican bob marley type way. She fails miserably to reach the high hotes.

During I'm every woman, she sounds lifeless and as if someone had a gun to her head during recording. She then incoporates her iconic hit RESPECT into the song where screams like a banshee butchering her own song.

I will happily label this as not only one of the worst albums of this year, but one of the worst vocal albums of all time.
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Old 17-10-2014, 22:30
daz100
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She sounds like kermit. It's so bad it's good!
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