Thursday, November 4, 2010

THE QUEEN


Is there a greater voice in soul music? Is there a greater voice, period? And it's embarassing really, so many of us take her music for granted, because there are so many songs, and hardly a stinker among them. I had reason to pause today when I heard that the Queen is ill. She was released from a hospital a few days ago, from an undisclosed illness, and told not to perform for six months. Now, I'm not one to get all new-agey on you, but if you believe in positive vibes (or prayer for that matter), now would be a good time to put them in the out box.

When I think of Aretha Franklin's music, I always go to "Rock Steady." That hasn't always been the case. But, one night when I was DJing, roughly twenty years ago (yikes!), a friend of a friend requested it. She was a poet, who loved baseball and playing pool, and was sort of tomboy-ish. Not really in the crowd that I hung with, but the sort of person who is so innately cool, they don't even play the game. Needless to say, I trusted her song selection, and when I played it at a volume much louder than I was used to at home, it was about eighty times more powerful. The place went nuts. But that's how Aretha Franklin's music is. Even the most jaded hipsters will cop to the Queen.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Aretha Franklin - Rock Steady mp3 at Rollo and Grady
Aretha Franklin 96 Tears mp3 at Plain or Pan
Aretha Franklin - Chain of Fools mp3 at Paranormal Outreach (really)
Aretha Franklin - People Get Ready mp3 at I Pick My Nose (really)
Aretha Franklin (with Duane Allman) the Weight mp3 at Hell Hound On My Trail
Aretha Franklin - You Keep Me Hangin' On mp3 at Single Serving
Aretha Franklin - Respect video at YouTube
Aretha Franklin at Wikipedia
Aretha Franklin Cancels All Show For Six Months at ABC News

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