MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: ARETHA FRANKLIN - THE ATLANTIC SINGLES COLLECTION 1967 - 1970

This collection was in production before Franklin's death, so no, it's not the quick cash-in. While the Queen of Soul gave us a lifetime of musical highlights, this is undeniably her peak, a string of superior 45's that never wavered in excellence. Not only that, the B-sides were often as good, and occasionally better. Smartly, this two-CD set includes both A and B-sides from the 17 singles recorded in these years.

It starts with her debut for Atlantic Records, when the company sent her to Muscle Shoals Studio in Alabama to record with the famed Swampers rhythm section. While the sessions were cut short due to some weird drama involving her then-husband, the results were spectacular, the Southern-flavoured I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You) and Do Right Woman - Do Right Man. After spending the '60's struggling with repertoire and style on Columbia Records, now Franklin had the freedom to stretch and let loose. She returned to New York for more recording, but the Swampers were flown in at great expense to continue the magic.

What followed was a complete conquering of soul music. In truth, she wasn't just the Queen, she was the King too. With her amazing skills as an arranger, and her ability to use the excitement of Gospel in her performances, as well as jazz underpinnings, Franklin set fire to the genre. She took Otis Redding's Respect, a song where he was begging for it, and turned it into an anthem where she was demanding it. Goffin and King's A Natural Woman (You Make Me Feel Like) was a statement of ownership, letting the world know she was in charge of her own emotions and sexuality. Her own song, Think, expressed freedom from the tired roles placed on African-American, and all, women. And her Spirit In The Dark saw her leaning back towards the church, which was always her backbone.

Given the constant flow of 45's and albums a new hit every two or three months, Franklin turned to covers for much of her material. She was unafraid of tackling recent hits by others, and often outdid the original. Her version of Bacharach/David's I Say A Little Prayer, already a tremendous but gentle song by Dionne Warwick, became another powerhouse for her, a classic that even overshadowed the A-side, the excellent The House That Jack Built. Her Beatles covers were not quite as superior, although it was pretty impossible to better Eleanor Rigby and Let It Be, but she certainly held her own. The Weight wasn't quite right for her, but hey, it's got Duane Allman playing lead so it's still pretty darn great.

Franklin had more hits through the start of the '70's, and this doesn't tell the whole story, but for two CD's it's about as excellent as possible. By the mid-'70's, even Aretha fell victim to the advent of funk and then disco, before The Blues Brothers movie, of all things, brought her back and expanded classic soul's reach into the white record-loving fan base. The fact that her passing was treated with such sincere respect is a testament to the fire found in these three years of music.