Even better than her 60's material!!

This is a great intro to Aretha's groundbreaking work in the 70's, which is not given as much press as her 60's masterpieces. On these recordings, she was backed up by the most soulful drummer ever, Bernard Purdie!! His grooves on these hits sound like a textbook of soul drumming. Just listen to his signature groove on "Rock Steady!" Bernard popularize that hi-hat hiss that is so common today. Additionally, his grooves on "Daydreaming," "Spanish Harlem" and "Brand New Me" groove like nothing else. It goes without saying that Aretha's singing and piano playing are exemplary, but with this particular band (which also included bassist extraordinaire Chuck Rainey), the results are in the stratosphere. Rhino does it once again. We should all write Rhino Records a letter and thank them for their existence, cuz they enrich our lives in many ways!!

Great Lady Soul in the Seventies

This compilation includes Aretha's hits of the early to mid 1970s. The variety of styles within the soul genre is impressive, from the exotic Spanish Harlem (a 1971 top 3 hit) with its powerful vocals and impressive Spanish guitar through the minimalist Rock Steady to the beautiful balladry of Bridge Over Troubled Water, still the definitive soul treatment of Simon & Garfunkel's classic.

My other favourites include the emotional Don't Play That Song and the brooding You're All I Need To Get By, a huge hit in 1971. The CD also contains extra tracks, of which the best is Aretha's great version of Elton John and Bernie Taupin's Border Song.

Some fans might disagree, preferring her late 1960s gems, but I have always loved Aretha's early 70s output. Nothing beats the exuberance of a song like Spanish Harlem or the restrained intensity of her version of Bridge Over Troubled Water. This is prime soul from Lady Soul's most interesting career phase.

It Provides A Spirit In The Dark

There seems to be many greatest hits compilations out there for Aretha Franklin. This CD focuses on the seventies hits. There are many great songs-Spanish Harlem, Don't Play That Song, Oh Me Oh My, Until You Come Back To Me, and Border Song. Strong gospel influences exist in addition to the baladeering and soulful stylings.

If you want to collect Aretha Franklin songs from all eras, pick this one up for sure. Whereas Aretha has put out good songs throughout her career, I find her sixties tunes stand the tallest. There are a few ho hum numbers on this collection. Nonetheless, this is certainly a worthwhile smattering of tunes.