Today's topic is none other than (drum roll please)...Aretha Franklin. So where to start? My god, the woman...is just that, a WOAH MAN, right? I feel empowered just thinking about her! To begin, let's marvel at this statistic: the lady of mother fucking soul has won 19 Grammies and also holds the record for Best Female R&B Vocalist, with 11 to her name, bitch won consectively from 1968 to 1975, thank you Wikepedia! She was also the FIRST but not the last (damn straight!) woman to be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a breakthrough that occurred in 1987. In that way, she pretty much put her foot in the door (or more accurately, kicked that door in) for all women who fancied rocking and rolling. She pretty much rules, wouldn't you agree? Her lyrical masterminding is poignantly charged with vigorous depth and a splash of innocent passion. Her words cut like a razor, simple and straightfoward... sure, I admit they might border on love sick/struck, but what saves her from sounding desperate is her sheer honesty; she knows how to love, love, love a man but she understands that to do so means heartbreak, heartbreak, heartbreak. She is brutally honest and her emotions are not bogged down by fanciful hoo-ha, which nowadays, a lot of music amounts to. She says it like it is, and her music makes me feel like nothing else I have ever, ever, ever felt...EVER. What sets her apart is the way she FEELS music, I mean, obviously all of the greats feel that shit, but Aretha exudes it, it seeps from her pours, man. Her voice makes me shiver and then quiver...and then shiver again. Her vocal range is rumored to be about 4 octaves and she has belted A5 in chest voice before. Her ability to inject her performances with gut wrenching soul and sheer conviction is unmatchable. On top of her mastery of soul, she is also adept at jazz, rock, blues, pop, gospel, and even opera, yes she is a jack of all trades! AND, the state of Michigan has declared her voice to be a natural wonder (Really!). So wow, I am drained just thinking about her. Aretha, you really speak to me, I feel you all the way down into my toes! So as you can plainly see, I am forever blown away by her, what about you?
2 comments:
Most interesting....nicely worded...mostly. Love the philosopher primate and pic of Aretha. She was great when I was your age.
Greatness often is marked by the ability to change and innovate and adapt over time...and still be great.
Dylan has it...Sinatra did...Muhammid Ali and also Churchill... we can learn from the great ones...how to love and how to live...
hey kev! do you know what? you have that same quality! i mean really look at yourself and your accomplishments and your varied interests and career paths. you are one of them! you are one of the greats! and that is why i love and admire you so much.
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