Welcome to Aretha of the 80s
4
By Mr. Grant
This early '80 release finds Aretha is very good voice. Personally I don't care for every song...and I do think that they are wrong about "What A Fool Believes" - I find it a very upbeat alternative to the Doobie Brothers version - but if you remember, theirs was filled with syths and very techno like in its sound. Aretha added a touch of urban bump to the mix - some saturday night at the joint, playin cards outside, barbequing, and having a cigarette hanging from your lips whose ash will fall any second kind of sound to the mix - typical Aretha - and can you blame her for that. This made for good vinyl/cassette/8-track for 1980. Keep this release in the perspective of when it was released. Aretha has always made music of the era...we in turned have deemed it to be classic due in large part as to how you feel when the song is played. This one is no different...got a slight disco feel, a touch of electric, lots of 80s R&B. The girl is competing with plenty of new acts on the scene, so she gotta get with it, compete or fail. I think teaming her with Clive (Davis) was a sound decision, just as Clive took Dionne Warwick under his wing - he brought these powerhouses of the 1960s and modernized them for 1980 audiences. I applaud his efforts and this is a product of said relationship. Kudos is deservant!