• Release date – 14th June, 1968
• Length – 29:14
• Rank in year – 7th
• Rateyourmusic score – 3.88/5.00
• Rateyourmusic rank in year – 12th
• Genre – Soul
• The song(s) you know – Think, I Say a Little Prayer
• The song you should know – I Can’t See Myself Leaving You
• Perfect setting – Mild sunday morning in the garden with a hot drink

Aretha Franklin was on an absolute roll going into this album. ‘I’ve Never Loved a Man the Way I Loved You’ (1967) is often considered her most essential work, and the album before this ‘Lady Soul’ (earlier in 1968) was a great work in its own right. But to me, ‘Aretha Now’ is her triumphant masterpiece. I think (pun intended) people get lost in the first two tracks of the album and forget about the rest of the greatness, and I must admit this makes sense. Her sole writing credit on the album, opener ‘Think’ is an absolute barnstormer, clocking in at just over 2 minutes, Aretha’s vocal attitude rivals her magnum opus ‘Respect’, and when she and the backing vocalists soar into the “freedommmm” section, it’s impossible not to sit forward and take notice. That’s all without mentioning the tremendous guitar licks providing texture in the song’s second half.

Then Aretha somehow manages to raise her game even further. The bossanova-esque rhythm and twinkling piano on ‘I Say a Little Prayer’ along with Aretha’s lighter vocal show a completely different side to her than the opener. Again though, the song bursts into a memorable and hooky chorus where the backing singers are really allowed to shine in the song’s arrangement, showing Aretha’s generosity as a performer. But she, as is true throughout the album, is the real star here, and particularly in the bridge her smooth, seductive voice demands the listener’s attention and investment. From this point onwards, the song slowly builds back into that absolutely roaring chorus, and Aretha lets herself belt out once or twice, without ever falling into being over the top. It’s comfortably the best song on a stacked album for me, and definitely one where the argument could be made that it is her best work.

That begs the question, how could an album possibly follow up two of Aretha’s most popular and acclaimed songs? Admittedly, ‘See Saw’ is less immediate than those first two songs, but it is heaps of fun all the same with that driving rhythm and those stabbing horns. Moreso even than the albums that came before, there is a level of chemistry between Aretha and the session musicians where every recording feels so intimate and the energy in the air is palpable. ‘The Night Time Is The Right Time’ comes next, covered by everyone from Ray Charles to Creedence Clearwater Revival. The song’s familiarity probably plays a part in it being the weakest song on the album, but it’s still strong. Aretha’s enthusiasm for the material is infectious, and as always, she absolutely inhabits every cover she does, not only making it uniquely her own but also retaining the original mood of the song. The song’s length is important to the album, letting the instrumentation breathe and allowing the musicians to stretch themselves a bit, because following this is a string of short and compact songs.

To end side 1 comes ‘You Send Me’, a track that starts with a beautiful soft piano intro, it’s simply as smooth as butter. Aretha again shows she was just as adept at the softer vocals with perhaps the most romantic song on the whole album. The bouncing bass gives the song a lot, propelling what could otherwise be an overly smooth ballad. Again the backing vocalists are utilised to perfection, particularly the high harmonies in the “you move me! woo, you send me” part, shivers down the spine every time. If anything, I wish it was longer, which is a weak criticism of a song, one of the highlights of the album for sure. ‘You’re a Sweet Sweet Man’ is even shorter, starting with just Aretha and the drums, this song is all about the swagger. Aretha commands the listener’s attention once again and before you know it, it’s transitioned into the upbeat bluesy ‘I Take What I Want’, which has a similar sentiment.

‘Hello Sunshine’ slows things down a bit and is another of my personal favourites on the album. Such a warm, welcoming atmosphere, and again proof that Aretha was a versatile performer in her prime. The album is so short and the variety of tempos and moods keeps things engaging despite similar sonic textures throughout. The final two songs are certainly up there with the best on the album too. ‘A Change’ might well be my favourite Aretha vocal on the album. There is so much charisma on show here, and every vocal flair feels so natural, and like it would change with every take. Another song where the biggest gripe I can find is that it’s too short, which says it all.

Closing track ‘I Can’t See Myself Leaving You’ has to be a top 5 Aretha song period for me. Her vocals again are perfect, and the song fits her range and personality so perfectly. Its place as a closer is spot-on too, sending the album out on the perfect note, that despite all these defiant feminist sentiments, placing this as the closer gives me the sense that Aretha feels trapped in love, making this a poignant way to go out. Sentiment aside, it’s just a beautiful song and arrangement, with the “I can’t see myself” outro and fadeout being the real highlight of the song. So memorable and probably my favourite deep cut on the album, a song everyone should hear at least once.

At just over 29 minutes, this will be one of the shortest albums on the list, but it sure makes up for it in packing 10 killer songs performed superbly into that time. There is a reason Aretha is often hailed as one of the all-time great singers, and while I wouldn’t quite put her on that pedestal, her prowess as a performer is almost unmatched. This is an album you can enjoy as an easy listen or as a thoughtful, poignant one, depending on how you approach it.