I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You : Aretha Franklin, Respect, and the Making of a Soul Music Masterpiece

Rating:
Summary: I Need Aretha
Review: If there is anything that remains constant in my life, it is knowing that Aretha Franklin is a sister spirit and that her voice can help to calm me in the most torrential times. It seems that when I listen to Aretha she is speaking directly to me, telling me she knows what I am going through and that everything will turn out fine. Matt Dobkin revisits the recording of a 1967 album that shot Aretha Franklin to the highest level of stardom and changed the voice of soul music forever and changed my life forever.

I NEVER LOVED A MAN THE WAY I LOVE YOU is not just a biography. Instead, it is a detailed analysis of Aretha's rise to superstardom and the recording sessions during what some would argue is Aretha's finest hour. Dobkin interviewed many of the direct participants of the recording of I Never Loved a Man The Way I Love You to inject the history needed to make telling this story a success. However, he also included thoughts from the great poet Nikki Giovanni (her descriptions of both Aretha's presence and the tumultuous era in question were remarkable) and other contemporaries of the Queen of Soul for added context.

The album, I Never Loved a Man The Way I Love You, included such cuts as "Do Right Woman," "Save Me," "Dr. Feelgood," (one of my favorite Aretha songs) and the female anthem, "Respect," an Otis Redding song that Aretha covered and made her own. But, as Dobkin seems to relay, one of the most important aspects of this recording was that it was interracial; most of the musicians on the album were young white men from Muscle Shoals, Alabama or neighboring cities. Dobkin also notes that the musical process that was utilized on this album (Aretha at the piano, leading the show) would become her M.O. for making music from that day forward.

Aretha has numerous albums to her credit, ranging from a Dinah Washington tribute album, recorded during her stint at Columbia Records, to the Atlantic Records late-sixties masterpiece that is the focus of this book. Dobkin seemed to know what he was talking about when retelling the story of the album's birth, and he provided much needed groundwork to help the reader understand just how important that album was in 1967 and still is today. I Never Loved a Man The Way I Love You ushered in the reign of the Queen of Soul and widely introduced this timeless voice to the favorites list of music lovers worldwide. Dobkin gave Aretha her demanded Respect and took it a step further by praising her musical virtuosity.

Reviewed by CandaceK
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

Rating:
Summary: Very good book - Concentrates mostly on music!
Review: Just read this after finding it in the library. The book is mostly about the recording of Aretha Franklin's "I Never Loved A Man" single and album. I love hearing the details about recording and music. The author has interviewed several of the original musicians, Jerry Wexler and even Ted White (Franklin's ex-husband).

The book doesn't try to make anyone out to be totally bad. I was impressed by the author's take on Ted White, not totally making him out to be the evil guy everyone said he was. I'm not saying he was perfect, just human with flaws.

There is a chapter on the so-called trouble that went along with the session. Just about everyone has had their say on what happened almost 40 years ago. The author wisely collects several different accounts and doesn't try to definitively define what happened.

I wish more people would write books about the music, rather than deal with the tabloid details of an artist's life. I understand that a person's personal life is woven into their life as an artist and I believe that the author balanaces out both in discussing Aretha Franklin, her life and music.

I thought is was very interesting to read about Franklin's musical influences. If you have never listened to Dinah Washington, you should check her out and hear how she influenced Aretha Franklin.

For music fans, this is a good read. Let's have more books like this regarding Motown and other soul music!





Rating:
Summary: Missing the point and ultimately lifeless
Review: Yes, Aretha's I Never Loved a Man The Way I Love You was a milestone in soul music and a testimony to Jerry Wexler's genius as a producer and promotor. And yes, we all wanted to know exactly what happened in Muscle Shoals with the fiesty white trumpet player and Aretha (but can find out just as much by deduction from the Rhino CD liner notes). But this "book" is an really an extended New Yorker article with far too much focus on MLK's funeral and irrelevant context with Dinah Washington and Billie Hollday - just how many times do we need to know that wx-DJ Louise Bishop is now a member of the House of Representatives? Want to capture the excitement of the Wexler/Franklin sessions? Buy the DVD of Tom Dowd - it's cheaper and much more fun.