::ALBUM REVIEW::

Many critics didn't think it was possible; for the reigning Queen of Soul, also known as Lady Soul, to return to her gospel roots while sitting on top of her charts as a rhythm & blues inspiration. But Aretha Franklin, daughter of the renowned Reverend C.L. Franklin, during the height of her imminent popularity decided to make the trip down memory lane. And the rest was history.

In 1972, the double LP project, "Amazing Grace", debuted on Billboard's Top 10 and became one of the best selling gospel albums of all time. It also introduced to new audiences the emotional, energetic and soulful sounds of gospel music, featuring the beefy, intense vocals of Aretha Franklin singing the songs of the church. What also made the collection so phenomenal was the inclusion of Rev. James Cleveland along with his Southern California Community Choir. This inclusion drove the album into both secular and religious communities with great fanfare. It was the best of both worlds. But make no mistake about it: the star of this show is Aretha. And she delivers probably her finest singing ever on each cut.

Opening the first disc is the moving Inez Andrews' "Mary, Don't You Weep". The song receives a soulful arrangement and riveting choral touches from the choir. Franklin pours out bundles of delight towards the end with her powerhouse belting. "Precious Lord, Take My Hand/You've Got A Friend" is a moving combination of the Carol King pop/inspirational standard "You've Got A Friend" and Thomas A. Dorsey's classic "Precious Lord". The blend is brilliantly done and even features a driving vamp full of spunk containing repetitive loops and phrases with Franklin delivering spirited adlibs. Songs like "Old Landmark" and "How I Got Over" continues the fires of down-home traditional gospel, but receive increases of momentum and vibrancy with Cleveland's rhythm enhancements. "Old Landmark", in particular, visits the sounds of the Sanctified church with its seasoned handclapping and tambourine action. "How I Got Over" breathes life into the Clara Ward composition with a new background track from the choir. Unforgettable moments on this cut include Aretha's "ooawww" belts, the call-and-response portion with the choir delivering their "oh yes" parts and the special bluesy-gospel vamp exclusively created for this arrangement. "What A Friend We Have In Jesus" is also one of the disc's highlights; proving to stand the test of time with its fervent rhythm build-up and moving musicianship capturing the heart of the popular hymn.

The second disc, not as powerful as the first, does feature a few major contributions. It opens up with a moving and lengthy duet with Rev. Cleveland on "Precious Memories". "Climbing Higher Mountains" captures the jubilant sounds of the Baptist traditions to its purest degree. You can almost see through the music the rocking movements of the choir on this midtempo gem. "Wholy Holy", written by Marvin Gaye, is executed beautifully with a nice piano opening, subtle choral harmonies and romantic harp injections. Amazingly, Aretha's arrangement, compared to Gaye's version, sounds like an entire different song. No wonder this track, though it didn't receive serious marketing from Atlantic at the time, became a hit single for Lady Soul. To hear this track, it's like hearing an heavenly presentation of God's highest ranked angels during a gorgeous afternoon sunset.

There is a rewarding re-release on the shelves, by Rhino, featuring an artistic portrait of the famed recording sessions of "Amazing Grace". Featuring detailed information in the linear notes, a gracious church service flow of the cuts, bonus tracks and clearer mastering and production, "Amazing Grace: The Complete Recordings" is truly a wonderful collectors' item for those who want more from the Queen of Soul. There are plenty of album fillers located here including more introductions, narrations, instrumental preludes (the organ rendition of George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" is most notable), so for those that are seeking more, this is the way to go. But the 1972 project, especially with the remarkable guidance from Jerry Wexler and Arif Mardin, is by far the heartiest gospel collection from this era of music and is still hailed as being one of the greatest gospel projects of all time. Enough said.