Search - Aretha Franklin :: Aretha

I DID NOT PAY 50.00 FOR THIS CD!! OUTRAGEOUS

Winslow | 05/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I think after 1979's album, LaDiva, a disco album that put Aretha at her lowest point, Aretha (1980) is a complete winner. I really digged several songs on this album such as School Days and the incredible remake of The Doobie Brothers What a Fool Believes. The ballad, Together Again, really is the masterpiece of this record. You can hear Cissy Houston singing in the background. Overall this album was really good..excellent I will add.



I will NOT pay 50 or 70 bucks for this cd. I paid much much less for this cd and I am damn proud of it too! One more thing: to the reviewer ahead of me that stated Who's Zooming Who was better than this album obviously must be smoking something cause I have Who's Zooming Who on CD and I have heard that album many times and it is good however, when you compare WZW to this album, Aretha (1980) it is a masterpiece. School Days makes this album worthwhile. Trust me."

Nice Comeback for Lady Soul

Music Lover | Annapolis, MD | 11/10/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"After leaving Atlantic Records with her career in serious trouble, Ms. Franklin hooked up with Arista & came up with a solid label debut. The wonderful ballad "United Together" has a nice retro feel to it. She does a good update of "Can't Turn You Loose" & also sails nicely through the Doobie Bros. "What A Fool Believes".



All the tracks are at least decent, though there are some less than stellar moments. Her composition, "School Days" is a fun, uptempo number but goes slightly over the top.



Ms. Franklin restrains her vocals nicely. Though I love her Lady Soul style/pull out the stops classics like "Respect" etc., I feel as though her jazzy/pop side (especially from her Columbia recordings)has been overlooked & underappreciated.



Seeing the high prices going for this CD, I feel almost guilty for picking up a copy for under $10 at my local used CD store. In all fairness, this album isn't worth the big bucks that sellers are demanding, but keep an eye out for it at Used CD Stores, Yard Sales or Good Will stores. If you pay $10-12 for it, it is worth it!"

Aretha's Arista debut, with absolutely incredible vocals

Peace Brotha | Ohio, United States | 12/25/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yes, ARETHA 1980 is somewhat of a hodgepodge of styles ... but the Queen never sounded betta. Although her singing is always without peer no matter what era the recording is from, her voice had a certain billowy quality to it on this particular album that makes it worth owning. All of the dips, swoops, and squalls that you would expect from the Queen are here, and in fine form.



There are many gems with outstanding production values to be found here. Not only the hits "Come To Me," "Can't Turn You Loose," and "United Together," but the entire album is simply CHOICE.



The songs that are lesser-known: "Together Again," "Take Me With You," and "Whatever It Is" just to name a few are real eye-openers for music lovers that weren't aware that Aretha's art is about so much more than acrobatics. Her subtle interpretations of these songs and others make this a textbook for younger singers today to listen to, and realize that dramatics are fine -- but they have their place.



Add ARETHA 1980 to your collection today; you will not be disappointed, trust me."