Aretha Franklin's complete Columbia recordings

[mikeweil]

Read about it on the down beat website - what do you think about the Columbia albums? Is this worth getting? AFAIK Ray Bryant and Kenny Burrell are among the sidemen.

Edited February 8, 2011 by mikeweil

[mikeweil]

AFAIK Ray Bryant and Kenny Burrell are among the sidemen.

Yes - details here

[John L]

Aretha's Columbia albums contain some sublime moments.

[jazzbo]

I think I finally have them all, but I welcome this box set. Great news!

[Harold_Z]

It seems to be almost conventional wisdon that Aretha's Columbia recordings are somehow inferior to the later Atlantic recordings. Not true. They are different...there are a lot more covers and a lot more standards but over the years they have stood up extremely well. Atlantic may have known how to get a hit record out of Aretha (and the time was right for the Memphis or Southern Soul sound of Atlantic) but the Columbia recordings are very enjoyable to jazz oriented fans. At this stage of the game I probable listen to the Columbias more often then the Atlantics. I'm wouldn't like to do without either body of work.

[GA Russell]

This all comes as a surprise to me. I had no idea she recorded so much for Columbia. And everything that I have read said that her Columbia recordings weren't any good. Live and learn.

[paul secor]

$140 listed on Amazon. I haven't heard a lot of her Columbia recordings, but is 12 CDs a bit over the top? It would seem that there would have to be a fair amount of fluff and filler in there. But perhaps I'm wrong about that.

[jlhoots]

Fluff & filler might be O.K.

$140 I'm not so sure.

[king ubu]

I have a 3CD compilation (Sunday Mornin' Classics) on Sony - think that will be enough... some good stuff, but even there, lots of "smart producer's ideas" and in general Aretha sounds somewhat... limited, boxed, lacking the space she'd get with Atlantic later on.

But that's just my impression and it might be wrong...

[GA Russell]

Here are eight Columbia albums:

Aretha Franklin - Original Album Classics (5 CDs) - $18.09

http://www.amazon.com/Original-Album-Classics-Aretha-Franklin/dp/B003ZBX83C/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1297127014&sr=1-3

Aretha Franklin - Original Album Classics (3 CDs) - $12.10

http://www.amazon.com/Original-Album-Classics-Aretha-Franklin/dp/B0030BCCAC/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1297127014&sr=1-1

[Harold_Z]

Here are eight Columbia albums:

Aretha Franklin - Original Album Classics (5 CDs) - $18.09

http://www.amazon.com/Original-Album-Classics-Aretha-Franklin/dp/B003ZBX83C/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1297127014&sr=1-3

Aretha Franklin - Original Album Classics (3 CDs) - $12.10

http://www.amazon.com/Original-Album-Classics-Aretha-Franklin/dp/B0030BCCAC/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1297127014&sr=1-1

GA - The first one listed isn't the pre-Atlantic Columbia stuff. It's post-Atlantic (I guess Aretha went to Arista IIRC). Seeing that Sony logo could certainly lead one to believe that it's Columbia material. The second listing IS Columbia material.

[GA Russell]

Thanks, Harold. Do you have an opinion of her Arista material?

[Harold_Z]

Thanks, Harold. Do you have an opinion of her Arista material?

I don't think as highly of the Arista material as I do of earlier Aretha. She remains a fantastic talent but I don't care for the arrangements, production, rhythm sections, etc as much. In all honesty I lost interest in almost all contemporary R&B around the time Aretha went to Arista. It all started to sound like an imitation of itself, but with less groove and freedom. The rhythm sections were tight but not spontaneous and in Aretha's case, she sounded to me like she was mailing it in. Maybe I just od'd on that type of thing and it was a case of me getting older and not digging the newer things, but in all honesty it seemed like most of my musician friends jumped ship a little before I did.

[J.A.W.]

Thanks, Harold. Do you have an opinion of her Arista material?

I don't think as highly of the Arista material as I do of earlier Aretha. She remains a fantastic talent but I don't care for the arrangements, production, rhythm sections, etc as much. In all honesty I lost interest in almost all contemporary R&B around the time Aretha went to Arista. It all started to sound like an imitation of itself, but with less groove and freedom. The rhythm sections were tight but not spontaneous and in Aretha's case, she sounded to me like she was mailing it in. Maybe I just od'd on that type of thing and it was a case of me getting older and not digging the newer things, but in all honesty it seemed like most of my musician friends jumped ship a little before I did.

I agree, there was an increasing uniformity and less and less individuality in the music. For me it began to go downhill in the 1970s.

[mjzee]

An article in tomorrow's WSJ:

The Search For Aretha's Sound - WSJ

[Stefan Wood]

Sparkle is a really nice album, underrated IMHO.

[jazzbo]

Yes, I like Sparkle as well.

I ordered the new set. Guess I'll have some Aretha cds to get rid of.

[SwingItTrev]

Is there an equivalent box set for her Atlantic recordings? I have barely any Aretha and don't know where to start.

[jazzbo]

No, not to my knowledge, though it's really just a matter of time.

That said, I think all the material is on cd and doesn't sound bad.

My desert island Aretha disc is "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You."

[GA Russell]

Is there an equivalent box set for her Atlantic recordings? I have barely any Aretha and don't know where to start.

SIT, Here are 5 CDs for $20.13 that might interest you. I don't know what it would cost you to have it shipped to Australia.

http://www.amazon.com/Original-Album-Aretha-Fillmore-Spirit/dp/B003097AAG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300071108&sr=1-1-catcorr

[jazzbo]

That's five solid albums!

[mikeweil]

Is there an equivalent box set for her Atlantic recordings? I have barely any Aretha and don't know where to start.

There was this 4 CD box, which is a nice overview, but far from complete - I didn't buy it, as there were too many of my favourites missing.

Edited March 14, 2011 by mikeweil

[Enterprise Server]

It seems to be almost conventional wisdon that Aretha's Columbia recordings are somehow inferior to the later Atlantic recordings. Not true. They are different...there are a lot more covers and a lot more standards but over the years they have stood up extremely well. Atlantic may have known how to get a hit record out of Aretha (and the time was right for the Memphis or Southern Soul sound of Atlantic) but the Columbia recordings are very enjoyable to jazz oriented fans.

This is very true. I have a number of the original Columbia records I bought from a used music store in San Diego many years ago. This specific store (they had one for records only) specialized in used records. And as I recall, the average price for the records (in good condition) was around $8-$12. Forget getting them now. But I was stunned to hear the many different styles she played. She did, jazz, soul, blues and standards. Most people know her from the Jerry Wexler Atlantic days but these early Columbia recordings are worth looking at.

[AllenLowe]

most interesting thing for me in the Columbia recordings was realizing that she had listened to Al Jolson - not just in choice of material, but even in her phrasing on some of the standards.

[jazzbo]

The box set was on sale today only for 80 bucks at www.popmarket.com I snagged a copy right before they "sold out". . . and then canceled my amazon order.

Edited March 21, 2011 by jazzbo