50 Years of Soul Power

Posted February 20, 2013 by J Matthew Cobb in Features

Aretha Franklin
Lady Soul
(Atlantic; 1968)

The Queen of Soul has a stunning collection of albums, particularly in her Atlantic years. But Lady Soul is the crème de la crème of Franklin in her finest hour. She turns “Chain of Fools” into a convincing bluesy lament, (“Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You’ve Been Gone” unveils just how strong a team Franklin was with her ex-husband and manager Ted White, who later divorced after the record. But it is her performance on the Carole King/Gerry Goffin and the ethereal ballad “Ain’t No Way” that puts Franklin in a league of her own. No other female soul singer has touched the kind of legacy that’s left on these records.