Album of the Day-April 24
Album of the Day-April 24
Aretha Franklin — Aretha Now
Aretha Franklin — Aretha Now
24 April 2020
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Now
1968
The decade-plus that Aretha Franklin spent recording for Atlantic Records is arguably her most prolific and successful and helped her achieve the status of Queen of Soul.
Aretha Now was her third release for Atlantic in just 18 months and was released six months after the career-making Lady Soul.
Once again Aretha Franklin was paired with producer Jerry Wexler and clocking in at just under 30 minutes, it continues their collaboration in brilliance.
Aretha Now opens with “Think” directly followed by “I Say A Little Prayer” is a one-two punch.
Those songs are career-making on their own but on one album? Incredible.
The album also includes a cover of Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me” and closes out the album with Ronnie Shannon’s “I Can’t See Myself Leaving You”.
Contributing to the brilliance on Aretha Now are Spooner Oldham and Roger Hawkins, members of The Swampers — the Muscle Shoals studio musicians who contributed to some of the greatest songs of that era — arguably any era.
The brevity and brilliance of this album speak to the energy and talent that was coursing through the industry then. At every level really, bands, singers, songwriters, producers, and even the music industry itself. This is the era, and label — Atlantic Records, that Rob Gordon famously laments in the film High Fidelity.
It clocked in at number two on his top five jobs he would’ve loved to had:
Number Two: Producer. Atlantic Records. 1964–1971. Get to meet Aretha, Wilson Pickett, Solomon Burke…
In 1968, often considered one of the most tumultuous years in American history:
EVENTS
The Tet Offensive — one of the largest military campaigns by the Viet Cong
MLK & RFK Assassinations — MLK in May and RFK in June
May 68 — seven weeks of civil unrest in France including protests, university occupations, and general strikes
Chicago Democratic Convention Riots — resulting in the infamous Chicago 8
These events coincided with art that would go on to define a generation and continues to influence others today:
FILMS
2001: A Space Odyssey
Rosemary’s Baby
Bullit
Night of the Living Dead
BOOKS
Eldridge Cleaver — Soul on Ice
Tom Wolffe — The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test
John Updike — Couples
Gore Vidal — Myra Breckinridge
ALBUMS
The Band’s — Music From Big Pink
Van Morrison — Astral Weeks
Sun Ra — Outer Spaceways Incorporated
The Jimi Hendrix Experience — Electric Ladyland
And of course, Aretha Now, the album that would help solidify Aretha Franklin’s status as the Queen of Soul.