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 Something Stinks Nov 23, 2009
Something stinks and it is this CD. How bad can it be? Well the dog ran out of the room and did NOT come back. He was smart, for this CD is a rough one to listen to. When my houseplants limped over in pain, I knew I had better take off this CD and put it for sale on Amazon.
A big voice needs a big arrangement Nov 18, 2009
The accompanying orchestra arrangements sound like they were done on the cheap. "Ave Maria" was not a good track for her personally.
You can get away with a voice that is less than perfect if you produce it with more of a wet sound (David Bowie has been doing this for years). Production was dry and revealing.
I say give her a do-over. Use a classic Shure or RCA mike, and stand back a bit. Get good arrangements. Vary the instrumentation and recording space. Dump any synthesized sound. Avoid anything cloying. Sing like a warm hearted soul on a cold street corner. Actually record tracks in December, then release the CD the next year.
 Long Live The Queen! Nov 09, 2009
This woman is phenomenal! After all these years, she still manages to be fresh and surprising in both subtle and obvious ways. I love her rendition of Silent Night. True, it is my all-time favorite carol and there is but one Aretha Franklin, so I did not expect to be disappointed. And I wasn't because ReRe makes this song go down like a warm glass of brandy on a cold winter night. It's like your favorite blanket freshly washed and still warm and fragrant from the dryer. Maybe it's me but it seemed a personal statement for her, and the gorgeous piano work didn't hurt. Ave Maria left me wishing for what could've been! That said, I personally would like to see her tackle more European classical music as she seems to enjoy it. Imagine a whole album of Aretha's arias, that would be awesome!!
This is a great xmas album for grown folks, and I like that a lot. It's an asset to any Aretha collection or xmas collection. No phony sugary gloss. Great track selection although I do think Donny Hathaway's This Christmas should be put to bed now: everybody and his mother have done that song! If I hear one more version I'll scream.
 Aretha with real conviction Feb 17, 2009
I have followed Aretha's career for over 40 years - I have to say that the quality of her albums since the Duets album of the late 1980's have been patchy - with the occasional strong track. Her last really strong album was for me - One Faith, One Lord One Baptism. That album had her singing with passion and conviction.
Now for the great news - this album has that same sparkle of real passion and total conviction. It's a gospel album - with a Christmas theme with an emphasis on the family too. Don't let the thought of a Christmas Album put you off purchasing since you could listen to this album whenever you need spiritual uplifting.
The whole album has a divine production with Aretha also accompanying herself on piano. Too many of her previous albums have had a super slick production which almost made Aretha's presence secondary. On this album it's that divine voice we hear and all the better for it. One of the previous reviewers complained that her voice was not a patch on her early Atlantic material. Surprise surprise - hey it's mellowed like fine wine. The nearest comparison would to compare Nina Simone's voice from the 1960s and her final album "A Single Woman". Fine wine again.
The greatest merit of this album is that the production is sympathetic, pared down as appropriate and places Aretha's voice in the forefront. For any listener I defy you not to feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up as she testifies!
For any who are uncertain - take the plunge - you will be rewarded with one of the finest albums in her large catalogue.
Well done Miss Franklin.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
This Christmad CD by Aretha Franklin Jan 31, 2009
It was okay, but was not inspried by the songs. I have heard her sing much better.
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