What does it sound like?:
Aretha Franklin’s voice is one of the seven wonders of the musical world. It is ripe with rich hues of complex colour. Her phrasing is startlingly dynamic and articulate. Her melisma is fluid but each note is as clear as a single drop of rain. Most of all, her belting range is incredibly elastic and powerful yet she retains a strong resonance through all its frequencies. It is this that gives her the Aretha Franklin signature sound. She hovers and swoops with the grace and agility of a Falcon Soprano.
There is one thing being a fabulous singer and another being an amazing artist. Aretha brought a maturity to popular music. Her songs tackle complex, adult themes. Her performances, at her peak, are potent in provoking an emotional reaction. The ten albums she released on Atlantic between 1967 & 1972 define a genre, Soul Music. She is, literally, without peer.
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra have a long history of performing rock songs, such as by The Beatles, Queen, Deep Purple and Pink Floyd. This time, they have taken the original vocal tracks from fourteen of Aretha’s best known performances during her imperial period and have added the their lush strings to the backing tracks. There are some who cry foul. Those records are holy texts that should not be tampered with. Even if it were alright to change things, the Orchestra simply suffocate them with mountains of sugar.
However, A Brand New Me is a very pleasant listen. The essential ingredient at the core of these songs is Aretha herself. Aretha’s voice gleams in this setting, confirming her status as an icon. The backing arrangements are professional and sensitive to the original spirit. They do, after all, have Aretha’s blessing. All that Soul is still there in the voice.
The good thing is that this release does put Aretha back in the limelight where she belongs. We will hear her voice on the radio, in shops and cafés again. It has a chance of reaching some people who have never previously heard of her. It also refreshes her catalogue. There are many people who will actually enjoy these *versions* as much as any other, Mrs Lion senior for one. It will probably put a few bob in her purse (Aretha’s not Mrs Lion’s).
There are few artists whose voice is distinctive and robust enough to tolerate this sort of treatment. There is no other female voice to start with other than Aretha’s. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra pay their tribute.
Those original albums are still available, if you prefer, and an entirely new album of duets is scheduled for the new year.
What does it all *mean*?
One to consider as a Christmas stocking filler for a beloved family member. The cover is awful, though. It looks like her throat has been ripped open. Make sure you wrap your gift well.
Goes well with…
A nice glass of sherry.
Release Date:
Might suit people who like…
The other Royal Philharmonic Orchestra releases: Elvis Presley If I Can Dream and The Wonder Of You and Roy Orbison A Love So Beautiful. It’s doubtful Afterworders will bite.
Respect
Can you do the Nick Knowles album next, please?
Who’s he?
I’m already working on your last request. 😘
Wonderful! What was it again?
Terence Trent D’Arby’s latest (or whatever his name is). Basically, it’s like Prince during his Symbol phase. It’s overlong (a triple), full of dross (& replication in this case) but has moments of absolute genius. If only he would accept some quality control, he could have a magnificent single album on his hands.
However, bear in mind, I haven’t given it six listens yet.
Excellent. Perhaps you could simmer it down to a one disc playlist as part of the review. I know you enjoy that kind of thing.
I am shocked with this review Tigger. Cynical money making of the first order that has nothing to do with the original intent of the artists involved. Desperate cash grab. Buy the originals instead.
By all means go for the original albums. That would be my personal preference. However, Aretha, herself, is a participant in this cash grab. The Orchestra has her blessing.
Note I said “artists”. She may be low on funds. Who knows?
The families/estates of the others were willing partners too.
Well, they need cash too I guess
I doubt she’s low on funds. She might be hoping to generate some new royalties for her family, for after she’s gone. The copyright on her peak period material is getting close to expiry in some territories.
Maybe she’s just hankering for some media attention.
Having listened to that “Respect” clip above, it brings nothing of value to the original, in my opinion.
Probably using this as lead in to her retirement L.P.
The YouTube clips sound awful
It’s Aretha for people who don’t like soul music.
Can I just say that the first paragraph got me rather aroused? Perhaps the author might want to consider a career writing erotic fiction.
Eee love, that’s a crackin melisma!
Why, thank you, Didley. That could be very lucrative.
*books specialist creative writing course*
Welcome to the class!
Hands where I can see them please. Oh yes. Now… ahem.
Lesson 1.
Learn these words, they will serve you well:
heaving
globes
thrust
quivering
spatula
*enthusiatically takes notes*
I can’t wait for my next Nights In.
I am looking forward to the RPO lifting the vocal tracks from other classics.
Hurricane Smith, Tom Waits, Beefheart, all the grates.
Spatula? Get Lord Fondleroy! Wooden Spoon were always good enough for us..
I don’t know who Roy is but I have no intention of fondling him.
Apols to @tiggerlion , but I hope he realises that every time I write a bit of nonsense under one if his beautifully written reviews, it goes straight back to the top of Recently Updated.
Don’t fret, Moose. Your interjections are always welcome.
Just listened to the songs up on Spotify. Inoffensive enough, I suppose, but the strings on Natural Woman – which already has strings – seem unnecessary embellishment while on the funkier Respect they don’t work at all.
In terms of introducing civvies to her music, you’d have to say the choice of songs for the album is unadventurous. You mention Reefa’s singing chops (and you should hear her play pi-a-ner! – and you do, her tinkling doesn’t seem to have been f**ked with) but she’s also written a few – would have thought Call Me or Daydreaming might have suited this project
and exhibited her as more than a primo interpreter of songs..
All excellent points. However, you have to recognise that they are aiming for the lowest common demoninator.
My lawyer suggests I say “no comment”
You should consult your lawyer more often. 😀
Begs question – have any of these sort of things added anything? Think Beatles LOVE album is one of the few I’ve bought and only one I ever play.
Love, for some reason, I despised on first listen but I regularly dig it out these days.
I suppose the difference with Love is that nothing that isn’t created by The Beatles has been added, just rearranged
Love is fuckin boss. A dream soundscape of fab fragments. Play it loud to someone who isn’t quite sure about the Beatles… watch them start to grin like idiots. Job done.
Was pondering this album and others like it today while listening to the terrific Trio Da Kali/Kronos Quartet record. I can immerse myself in this music without apprehension or qualification because it’s all new to me so I’m free to experience the thrilling juxtaposition of sounds and ideas at face value. Now – with the obvious difference that the TDK/KQ is a collaborative project of contemporaries – might it be possible that those not so intimate with every note of the originals would be similarly free to “get their kicks” from no more and no less than what they heard coming from the speakers..?
Absolutely. We, at The Afterword, all love Aretha’s voice in those original settings. This album is aimed at a different audience. A very large one judging by the sales of the Elvis albums.
It’s posts like this that make my threads worthwhile. The Trio Da Kali Kronos Quartet was on my maybe list. Now it’s just been purchased. Thank you.
You’ve got your listening mojo back? Glad to hear it, Tigger.
Yes. Yes I have, thank you. A pause to listen to the birds did the trick. Still not put on the new St. Vincent, though. Might do that now….
Just try not to look at the garish bottom. Too much.
It clicked eventually with me. The music I mean. I’m sure you were worried about that.
How many attempts did it take?
More than six… terrifyingly.
Hmmm….
Quick! Call the medic! Tigger’s leaking again.
Bring puncture repair kit and bicycle pump, STAT!
Wait, false alarm. Someone just left him on vibrate again.
Mmmmmm….
Re: the Trio Da Kali/Kronos Quartet record.
Yes, I’ve got that, and what a marvellous listen it is. The Kronos’s strings meld so beautifully with the Malians’ sound, and Hawa Diabaté’s voice reminds me of the great Nahawa Doumbia.
Also, top marks to Nick Gold and the good people at World Circuit for putting out a vinyl version of the album at a (more or less) reasonable price – something that many other labels could learn from.
I was sceptical, being a hardline purist with my African music and bit weary of KQ’s endless collaborations, but I was very pleasantly surprised.