Why is Aretha Franklin’s Lady Soul on my best 1,000 albums ever list?
The Queen of Soul delivers some sweet impressions.
Some stats & info about Aretha Franklin – Lady Soul
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Soul, R&B, Southern Soul
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – #75
- All Music’s rating – 5 out of 5 stars
- When was Lady Soul released? 1968
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #777 out of 1,000
Aretha Franklin’s Lady Soul on Spotify
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.
What does Aretha Franklin’s Lady Soul mean to me? What does it make me feel? Why is it exciting or compelling?
Lady Soul is joyous, soulful, and most importantly swings with the best kind of late 1960s soul vibe, including incredible vocals (front from Aretha herself of course and backing from the Sweet Impressions) and a driving pulsing rhythm section that includes wild horns and great production.
“Come Back Baby” is the perfect example of this, and adds a little funky organ into the mix for good measure. This song brings the good, soulful vibes with authority and Aretha Franklin’s voice crushes it.
The two most recognizable songs on Lady Soul for those not immersed in the era or Aretha’s work will likely be “Chain of Fools” and “(You Make Me Fee Like) A Natural Woman.” I’m much more partial to the former than the latter for many of the reasons listed above, which is to take nothing away from the beautiful and sweet ballad.
You can almost imagine the blast of horns and vibrant energy that the orchestration on “Money Won’t Change You” brings you being on a James Brown record. But Aretha is obviously perfect for it as well and well up to the challenge. It’s my favorite son on the album just at the moment.