Quote Originally Posted by DariusNYC
The title track is one of my favorite songs ever. I remember reading that they nailed that on the first take. Franklin arrived down at Muscle Shoals to record with musicians down there. The piano player didn't show up or was running late and so Aretha sat in on piano. After they did the take, the musicians we're so excited with what had transpired that they were jumping around and hugging each other. Greatest 60's soul track?

It's funny that "Respect" is now considered an empowerment song. It was written for a man to sing -- "give me some respect when I get home"; "your kisses are sweeter than honey / but guess what, so is my money" -- and Aretha just turned around the lyrics. But if you listen to them closely they don't quite make sense the way she sang them. That's OK, it's the definitive recording of the song and a classic. I don't mind how many times "Respect" has been played. It hasn't worn for me.

My other favorite song on the album is "Dr. Feelgood". It really conveys well a feeling of sexual obsession as part of a relationship. Unhealthy? Maybe:

Now I don't mind company
Because company's alright with me every once and a while
Yes it is.
I tell you I don't mind company
Because company's alright with me every once in a while, yeah.
But oh, when me and that man get to loving
I tell you girls I dig you, but I just don't have time
To sit and chit and sit and chit chat and smile.

(Of course, it's Aretha singing these lines that make them so great, not me putting them on a page.)

And, there's a great version of "A Change is Gonna Come" that's not quite as good as Sam Cooke's but can still bring a tear to the eye.

As far as the observations of the writer him- or herself on this album, as usual it's kind of trite. No comment on the influence, except it's a huge fave of mine and I see it as towering over most of the stuff from this period other than a hallowed few.
Interesting stuff Darius, I love background/inside info of that sort. Makes me want to buy the album.

BTW, I still have a very cool and interesting Rap comp you made for me years ago when I confessed ignorance about (and questioned the value of) the entire genre. An EXTREMELY belated Thanks!