• Excellent sound throughout for this original Atlantic Green and Blue label LP with both sides earning a solid Double Plus (A++) or BETTER
• Practically UNHEARD of vinyl for an original stereo pressing - I don't recall finding any early pressing that played this quietly
• These original pressings give Aretha's voice a Tubey Magical, relaxed quality that's simply not to be found on the reissues, as good as those may be in other ways
• 4 1/2 stars: "... this still caught Aretha Franklin at the peak of her early form. Think, I Say a Little Prayer, See Saw, and I Can’t See Myself Leaving You were all big hits."

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• This superb copy of Aretha's 1968 release boasts solid Double Plus (A++) sound or BETTER throughout
• Both sides are rich, full-bodied and Tubey Magical with lots of natural ambience - Aretha's vocals sound excellent with lots of presence, breath and texture
• You'd need either a lot of copies, a lot of luck, or both, to come up with a pressing that sounds this good and plays this quietly
• 5 stars: "... 1968's Lady Soul proved Aretha Franklin, the pop sensation, was no fluke... an inspired blend of covers and originals from the best songwriters in soul and pop music... "/li>

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• A STUNNING copy of Aretha's 1973 release, with Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) sound or close to it from start to finish
• Rich, smooth, sweet, full of ambience, dead on correct tonality, and wonderfully breathy vocals - everything that we listen for in a great record is here
• An album of deep introspective soul produced by none other than Quincy Jones!
• "... notable are a poignant cover of Bernstein's 'Somewhere,' and a sparkling 'Moody's Mood,' and the beautiful Carolyn Franklin composition 'Angel.'"

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• An excellent sounding copy with solid Double Plus (A++) sound from the first note to the last
• Forget whatever dead-as-a-doornail Heavy Vinyl record they're making these days - if you want to hear the Tubey Magic, size and energy of this wonderful album, a vintage pressing like this one is the way to go
• Aretha's records for Columbia feature a more pop-oriented sound than her later works. This is a great record for those interested in checking out the early roots of one of the greatest singers of all time!
• "She gives new songs like 'I Wonder' (for which Aretha wrote the words), 'If Ever I Would Leave You' and 'I Wanna Be Around' distinctive, unforgettable interpretations, the kind that set standards for time and singers to come." - All Music

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• Aretha's wonderful 1969 release finally makes its Hot Stamper debut with outstanding Double Plus (A++) sound or BETTER from start to finish
• This 360 Stereo pressing offers lively and tonally correct sound, with Franklin's soulful vocals well reproduced and especially Tubey Magical, as would be expected from a Columbia recording from 1964
• Clean pressings of this title are hard to come by - this one is about as quiet as any we played in our shootout
• Mark Bego, in Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul, called it "the most consistently paced album of her later Columbia years."

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• Superb Double Plus (A++) sound with pretty darn quiet vinyl bring Aretha's underrated Soul Album from '69 to life on this early Atlantic pressing
• Forget whatever dead-as-a-doornail Heavy Vinyl record they're making these days - if you want to hear the Tubey Magic, size and energy of this wonderful record, a vintage pressing like this one is the only way to go
• Tough to find quiet - Aretha made a lot of amazingly good records in the '60s and they got played good and hard
• "One of her most overlooked '60s albums, on which she presented some of her jazziest material. Her vocals are consistently passionate and first-rate, as is the musicianship; players include the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, and respected jazzmen Kenny Burrell, Ron Carter, et al."

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• On this 1965 release you'll find Aretha singing a group of standards (with tasteful support from the likes of Kenny Burrell on guitar and Teddy Harris on piano), all with excellent Double Plus (A++) sound
• This superb Columbia 360 label pressing - not really "live," probably more like live-in-the-studio - offers lovely breathy vocals and huge amounts of studio space
• Aretha's records for Columbia feature a more popular-oriented repertoire than her later works - this is a great record for those interested in checking out the early roots of one of the greatest singers of all time

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• Stunning Triple Plus (A+++) sound or close to it on both sides of this wonderful copy of Aretha's underrated Soul Album from '69
• Balanced, musical and full throughout - this pressing is a big step up from practically every other copy we played
• Forget whatever dead-as-a-doornail Heavy Vinyl record they're making these days - if you want to hear the Tubey Magic, size and energy of this wonderful record, a vintage pressing like this one is the only way to go
• 4 1/2 stars: "One of her most overlooked '60s albums, on which she presented some of her jazziest material. Her vocals are consistently passionate and first-rate, as is the musicianship; players include the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, and respected jazzmen Kenny Burrell, Ron Carter, et al."

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• This outstanding pressing of Aretha's '73 release boasts solid Double Plus (A++) sound from first note to last
• Bigger, richer and clearer than much of what we played - intimate, breathy vocals are key to the better copies such as this one
• An album of deep introspective soul produced by none other than Quincy Jones!
• "... notable are a poignant cover of Bernstein's 'Somewhere,' and a sparkling 'Moody's Mood,' and the beautiful Carolyn Franklin composition 'Angel.'"

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On the better copies Aretha's vocals are as dynamic as any you will ever hear, and unlike all the records she did with Tom Dowd, her voice never breaks up on this record. If you have big speakers that can play at loud levels, with the right volume level you can really get Aretha to belt it out like nothing you have ever heard.

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