Songs that show off Aretha Frankin's vocal prowess better than "Respect"

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Because I feel there are a lot.

― David Allen (David Allen), Sunday, 9 May 2004 04:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Rock Steady!

― Paul in Santa Cruz (Paul in Santa Cruz), Sunday, 9 May 2004 04:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Nessun Dorma

― Phil Dokes (sunny), Sunday, 9 May 2004 05:30 (twenty-one years ago)

i think she is often too concerned--even in her glory days, actually especially in her early atlantic period 67-68--with showing off her vocal prowess, so she "oversouls" it. she sometimes applies the same uninflected enthusiasm to songs of completely different emotional registers, and that bugs me. some of the records i like most by her are those where she is almost self-effacing by her standards, like "my song" or "angel". that's one reason i like the slightly later period stuff even better, because she seems more in command of her vocal technique, that is to say not as intent on showing it off every few bars.

― amateur!st (amateurist), Sunday, 9 May 2004 05:43 (twenty-one years ago)

The house that jack built

― Nellie (nellskies), Sunday, 9 May 2004 06:09 (twenty-one years ago)

"I Say A Little Prayer" or most anything from the Young Gifted & Black LP. Her early 80s albums w/ Luther Vandross producing display some awesome vocal prowess too -- Aretha breathes fire into some pretty slick machine-tooled love songs.
"Vocal prowess" = lame rock-crit cliche. I mean, could you imagine speaking this word in conversation? "Uh, Aretha proffers some impressive vocal prowess on her sophomore Atlantic outing..."

― lovebug starski, Sunday, 9 May 2004 11:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Phil, I just want to shake you right now.

"Think" is pretty great, though. Also, even though the song is really dippy and wrong, she sings "Who's Zoomin' Who?" really, really well.

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Sunday, 9 May 2004 12:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Me-Shake-Why??? I think her singing that one, under the conditions that she did and pulling it off so well...amazingly well. If that ain't showing vocal prowess i don't know what it is.

See also Do Right Woman-Do Right Man...

― Phil Dokes (sunny), Sunday, 9 May 2004 12:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Because you said "Nessun Dorma"! I am shuddering even as I type. (I am deeply conservative about singing classical music.)

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Sunday, 9 May 2004 12:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Allright, since you're coming from it that way i understand. I don't think it would particularly hold up well at all amongst the greats of course! But then, i don't think they could at the last minute do something as soulful as Respect/Rock Steady/etc.. but that's just me.

― Phil Dokes (sunny), Sunday, 9 May 2004 13:43 (twenty-one years ago)

"Giving Him Something He Can Feel" off the Sparkle soundtrack is tremendous.

― J (Jay), Sunday, 9 May 2004 14:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Can I just say that I've never found her voice to be all that great? In fact, I find it rather cloying.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 9 May 2004 14:15 (twenty-one years ago)

her "bridge over troubled water" is very understated.

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 9 May 2004 15:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Interesting...to me it always came off as quite natural.

― djdee2005, Sunday, 9 May 2004 15:18 (twenty-one years ago)

"Ain't No Way"

― Beta (abeta), Sunday, 9 May 2004 15:22 (twenty-one years ago)

"Spirit in the Dark" is amazing, in my opinion the finest thing Aretha ever did. She's inconsistent and I don't always enjoy listening to her, but I'd say something like "Pullin'" off "Spirit" is a great example of really singing, and with restraint. Plus, incredible backing vocals. Not much of a fan of her covers of well-known songs--her "Son of a Preacher Man" is so unsubtle compared to Dusty's, and I just despise "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" sung by anyone--and not a fan of her '80s material either. But her first Atlantic LP and "Spirit" are just fine with me.

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Monday, 10 May 2004 02:56 (twenty-one years ago)

chain of fools

― mullygrubber (gaz), Monday, 10 May 2004 02:58 (twenty-one years ago)

"Call Me"

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Monday, 10 May 2004 03:39 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm pro most of those mentioned so far - esp. Think/I Say A Little Prayer/Rocksteady - but i also really really love Are You Sure? off The First Twelve Sides it's amazing - bongo-ago-go assertive gospel pop greatness. Though i'm not sure whether she demonstrates vocal prowess, though she does sing and pronounce words and stuff... prowess is interesting in this contexts; where singing meets swordfighting?

― james porter (james porter), Monday, 10 May 2004 06:26 (twenty-one years ago)

"Ain't No Way" is her greatest performance evah. maybe the most underrated is "It Hurts Like Hell" on the Waiting to Exhale s/t, which, no shit, made me cry like a friggin' baby the first time I heard it.

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 10 May 2004 06:34 (twenty-one years ago)

oh, and "Don't Play That Song"!

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 10 May 2004 06:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Matos W.K. beat me to it: for me, it has to be "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)".

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Monday, 10 May 2004 08:40 (twenty-one years ago)

"Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" for non-flashy vocal power.

― Rick Massimo (Rick Massimo), Monday, 10 May 2004 12:47 (twenty-one years ago)

I've gotta go with her treatment of "Oh Me Oh My (I'm a Fool for You Baby)."

She also hit some notes that always give me the chills on "Eleanor Rigby," "Master of Eyes," and "You're All I Need to Get By."

― Joseph McCombs, Monday, 10 May 2004 13:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Niki Hoeky, Lee Cross, Mockingbird. If no one mentioned Save Me, that too.

― Canada Briggs (Canada Briggs), Monday, 10 May 2004 13:57 (twenty-one years ago)

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