Aretha Franklin "Live At Fillmore West" 1971

Rhino Handmade issued the Aretha Franklin / King Curtis Live at Fillmore West box collection in 2005 as a limited edition via their Internet-only site. This double disc collects the original Franklin album, presents it in gloriously remastered sound, and adds a bonus disc of alternate takes and unused songs from the four-night stand……The original LP was a double, and for good reason. Franklin used King Curtis' band, the Kingpins, for these dates -- after being persuaded by producer Jerry Wexler -- in lieu of her regular road band. It was a solid call on Wexler's part. The music here sparkles and crackles with the energy of a top-flight rhythm section -- Cornell Dupree on guitar, Bernard Purdie on drums, and Jerry Jemmott on bass, with Billy Preston on organ, Curtis on saxophone, and the Memphis Horns. The backing vocals were provided by Franklin's own crew, the Sweethearts of Soul (Brenda Bryant, Margaret Branch, and Pat Smith). Whew! Franklin also plays a Fender Rhodes on four cuts, including "Eleanor Rigby," "Spirit in the Dark," "Don't Play That Song," and "Dr. Feelgood." In addition, there is a guest duet vocal by Ray Charles on "Spirit in the Dark." Beginning with "Respect" (a house-burning tear-up read), Franklin then digs deep into her pop song bag of tricks for "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and Stephen Stills' "Love the One You're With," and also redeems Bread's saccharine "Make It with You" -- all of them in the first set! The second set contains the originals "Spirit in the Dark," including a long reprise with Charles, and "Dr. Feelgood." The album-ending "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)," written by Ashford & Simpson, is a scorched-earth soul ballad that unites the entire crowd. The bonus material is just as righteous, with unused cuts such as "Call Me," "Mixed-Up Girl," "Share Your Love with Me," and "You're All I Need to Get By." The disc is filled out with alternate takes of nine album cuts that easily could have been included on the released version. In sum, it makes for the most dramatic and deeply satisfying of Aretha Franklin's live recordings, and is a historical document that every soul fan should own -- especially as a new and much improved package with great liner notes by David Nathan. (Thom Jurek, Allmusic)trax disc 1:

01 Respect 02 Love The One You're With 03 Bridge Over Troubled Water 04 Eleanor Rigby 05 Make It With You 06 Don't Play That Song 07 Dr. Feelgood 08 Spirit In The Dark 09 Spirit In The Dark [Reprise] (with Ray Charles) 10 Reach Out And Touch (Somebody's Hand)

trax disc 2:

01 Respect 02 Call Me 03 Mixed-Up Girl 04 Love The One You're With 05 Bridge Over Troubled Water 06 Share Your Love With Me 07 Eleanor Rigby 08 Make It With You 09 You_re All I Need To Get By 10 Don_t Play That Song 11 Dr. Feelgood 12 Spirit In The Dark 13 Spirit In The Dark (Reprise)

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