Aretha vs. Fleetwood Mac
 

Wow, these journalists will bend over backwards and perform a variety of other contortionist feats just to slap FM in the face:

This is an excerpt from a Guardian Unlimited article on Aretha Franklin:

http://music.guardian.co.uk/vinylwor...216118,00.html

Franklin is an example of the "overnight sensation" who had actually been around for years, toiling in obscurity, before finally hitting the big time. In this she resembles contemporaries such as David Bowie, who tried out various styles before making his mark, and the Bee Gees, who had already had two careers - as innocuous child pop stars in Australia and as arty Beatles clones in America - before winning the fickle public's heart with their sassy disco manifestation. The arc of Franklin's career also bears some resemblance to the path taken by George Benson, who set aside a career as an honoured but little-known jazz guitarist to become a trailblazing vocalist in the remunerative, if vile, smooth-jazz genre, and Fleetwood Mac, who started out as the best white blues band ever before deciding to become Fleetwood Mac. Unlike them, Aretha never made a fortune by being bland.

Ooooooh! I've got one! :rolleyes:

"Unlike the SS-Einsatzgruppen units that slaughtered two million Jews is Eastern Europe before the death camps were constructed, Fleetwood Mac had a tendency to take prisoners when it came to creating their signature sound."

Haha...that person's not a fan! hahaha...oh well, its like that whole article was written just to punch up George Benson (who is great) and hate on the Mac. I find their final statement a little incorrect. Aretha is pretty bland, or has been so for about 20 years. George Benson and Fleetwood Mac, have not. Elitist.

Yes, Aretha's style definitely changed from what it was with Respect, Chain of Fools, Running Out of Fools, etc. After she had more mainstream success dueting with Whitney Houston, singing Freeway of Love and Whose Zooming Who, she veered away from the soulful sound and turned out an assortment of pop froth albums. They weren't bad, but they weren't something that any other singer could not have done. They weren't distinctive and they definitely did not put "bland" songs like Don't Stop and Little Lies to shame.

Michele

Clearly a typo that got through the editor. Should have read:

Unlike them, Aretha never made a fortune by being a band.

That said, these days she's big enough to be a band!

I don't question Aretha's place in music history. As my mother had several of her albums, I have been familiar with her music since I was 5 or 6 and I bought her myself in the eighties. Her longevity by itself should win her accolades. I just think it's rather incongruous to blast FM in a review of Franklin -- even if you're British and really miss the Blues-era band.

Michele