Aretha Franklin - Love Songs (2007)

If you were considering this interesting collection as a musical backdrop to an evening of romance, you'd be far better served by any number of slow-jam collections. While Franklin's vocal performances here include some of the best of her Atlantic recordings, the song choices lack conformity. The queen of soul recorded a slew of great ballads during her 12-year tenure with the label and fortunately some of those cuts are included: only Franklin aficionados may be familiar with standout album tracks like the wonderful "You and Me," the wistful "If You Don't Think," and the mellow "Crazy He Calls Me." But was it necessary to include "Baby I Love You," "A Natural Woman," and "Something He Can Feel" for the umpteenth time in a Franklin package? The musical flow isn't as smooth as one might like from a love-songs collection, but Aretha prevails regardless. -- David Nathan