Aretha Franklin was a true music icon whose impact on soul music changed the genre for good. Active through seven decades, Franklin’s music was always able to overcome her turbulent personal life and her story was recently told in Liesl Tommy’s 2021 biopic ‘Respect’ starring Jennifer Hudson. Regardless of what was going on behind-the-scenes, Franklin possessed the kind of voice that made people stand up and listen, and she was a true force-of-nature in the pursuit of her goals. Almost four years on from her death, Music on Vinyl has released a limited edition 180g red vinyl repressing of Franklin’s debut album ‘Aretha with the Ray Bryant Combo’.
‘Aretha’ was recorded between August 1960 and January 1961 when Franklin was only 18 years old, and released in 1961. By the time the record was released, Franklin had already had two hits on the US R&B chart with ‘Today I Sing The Blues’ and “Won’t Be Long”, giving fans a taste of what was to come from the powerhouse vocalist. Even at 18, Franklin’s voice was mature beyond its years and it’s evident she paved the way for the likes of Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé, setting the gold standard for a what a ‘diva’ looked and sounded like.
The album opens with “Won’t Be Long”, a song that has regained popularity thanks to its use in Netflix’s hit series ‘The Umbrella Academy’, and it’s the perfect showcase of Franklin at her finest. The energy she projects as riffs over the Ray Bryant Combo’s instrumentation is truly jaw-dropping. She makes singing sound effortless with an innate ability to wring emotion out from every single word. Whether she’s holding big notes or letting her soaring vibrato wow you, there’s no denying that listening to Franklin is a truly captivating experience.
Picking favourite moments on the record is impossible because all 12 songs are perfection. Franklin’s version of ‘Over the Rainbow’ brings out the song’s soul and stays away from the saccharine interpretation the song has endured over the years, while ‘Sweet Lover’ is an envelope pushing bluesy soul song of the kind that wasn’t common at the time. Franklin is at her most seductive on ‘All Night Long’, a sultry piano-led number that allows her voice to soar up the scales and back again.
The punchy ‘Who Needs You?’ finds Franklin taking a man to task for not making an effort with her and on ‘Are You Sure’, Franklin moves from a hushed vocal on the opening verse to powerful commanding one as the song builds. ‘Maybe I’m a Fool’ is a song I keep coming back to. It’s the perfect marriage of soul and jazzy instrumentation, with plenty of Franklin’s trademark ‘mmmhhhmmms’ placed throughout. Closing track ‘Today I Sing The Blues’ is the perfect way to end the record and it’s, as you’d expect, a vocal masterclass from the undisputed Queen of Soul.
Music on Vinyl’s repressing of ‘Aretha with the Ray Bryant Combo’ is a must-have for any fan of soul music. It’s a timely reminder of the strong impact Franklin made with her debut album and it’s a vocal masterclass. To think this album was only the beginning for her is absolutely mind-blowing as it’s as close to perfection as you can get. If you’ve never heard Franklin’s debut or you’ve not listened to it in a while, make sure you pick up a copy of this crystal clear jaw-dropping edition before it sells out.
Track list: Side One – 1. Won’t Be Long 2. Over the Rainbow 3. Love is the Only Thing 4. Sweet Lover 5. All Night Long 6. Who Needs You? Side Two – 1. Right Now 2. Are You Sure 3. Maybe I’m a Fool 4. It Ain’t Necessarily So 5. By Myself 6. Today I Sing The Blues Release date: 18th February 2022 Record label: Music on Vinyl Buy ‘Aretha with the Ray Bryant Combo’ now
[rwp-reviewer-rating-stars id=”0″]
