Aretha Franklin: Sings the Great Diva Classics review

One thing is for sure and that is I am a true old school R&B music fan. When I first got wind that Aretha Franklin was releasing a new album, my heart instantly began pounding really loud because she is no doubt one of my favorite classic R&B singers and hands down—she is the queen! To make one thing clear, Ms. Franklin didn’t release any new material for this album but instead she chose to remake some hits and recreate some of our favorite songs from some of our favorite divas. “Aretha Franklin Sings The Great Diva Classics” opens up with “At Last” which was originally sang by the late Etta James. We all know the original song as a slow paced song that has often been played at many wedding receptions, and traditional first dances between a husband and a wife but Ms. Franklin recreated this classic with a much faster tone than what were used to. All of my friends know that I am a huge Adele fan and her song “Rolling In The Deep” first captivated me by her voice, style and finesse and fortunately, Aretha Franklin feels the same way as she sings this song on her new album as well! Franklin’s rendition of “Rolling In The Deep” is reminiscent to Adele’s and there is great comparison to both songs but Aretha Franklin adds her own special touch to the track. Let’s not forget that Aretha Franklin is an original diva herself, so it was no surprise to hear her classic, “Respect” but instead, she remixed it a bit and added touches of “Every Woman” which was originally sung by Chaka Kahn. It’s no secret that Aretha Franklin and fellow musician Gladys Knight have one thing in common—they are from the same era of music. It was a treat to hear Ms. Franklin recreate one of Gladys Knight’s classic hit, “Midnight Train To Georgia.” It seems to be that Alicia Key’s hit “No One” is also a fan favorite of Aretha Franklin because she remade this hit as well, only this time she added a reggae feel to the track which makes you feel that you are on a beach in the middle of nowhere sipping on a Pina Colada. I found it really touching that Aretha Franklin chose to pay homage to her peers in the music industry regardless if they have gone on or is still making headlines in the music industry to date. With the holiday’s right around the corner, “Aretha Franklin Sings The Great Diva Classics” is a definite stocking stuffer as this album will not be out of date regardless if you play it non-stop for three weeks and put it back on the shelf and pick it back up in the summer.  This album was also released right on time for the award season as I am sure that Aretha Franklin will snag a few awards for paying tribute to her fellow divas. Rating: 9/10 -Samantha Pounds