“You” Aretha Franklin (1975)- Anyone familiar with this album?

I’ve been delving into Aretha’s deep catalogue of music recently. So much great music from the Queen of Soul in the 60s and early 70s. However I’ve noticed that she went through a brief dry spell starting in the mid 1970s. Quite a few poorly received records from 1975-1979. This trend ended when a successful cameo in the Blues Brothers movie (1980) brought her back.

Aretha’s first notable failure was a 1975 album entitled “You.” This record is not on any of streaming service lists like Spotify. Never seen the album in record stores either. Any Aretha Franklin fans who’ve heard the album would like to give thoughts or comments? Also thoughts about her other subsequent albums of the late 70s? Thanks!

 

I haven't heard it but I've always been a bit curious about it after reading this puzzled Christgau review:

 

There's a needledrop on YouTube so I listened to a few songs. First impression, not bad although her singing tends to overpower the songs. Backing musicians are on the smooth jazz/fusion side.

 

I used to see clean copies of her late 70s albums in the now-defunct PDQ Records in Tucson, AZ. I never bought them because I had read that they were all stinkeroos.

As a matter of fact, the reason you don't see them on the streaming sites or available for sale is because Aretha Franklin bought the rights to the albums so she could bury them, so they'd never see the light of day again. Not only did they not live up to Aretha's standards, they were made at a very bad time in her life when she was drinking heavily and was divorcing her abusive husband actor Glyn Turman. They were also the last albums she recorded for Atlantic Records. The only one that seems to have escaped the purge was "Almighty Fire" from 1977. and even that one is very unfocused.

Now that Aretha is no longer with us, I wonder what the plan is.

 

I have it and enjoy it. Not essencial but listenable. Don't pay big bucks.

 

My thoughts exactly. On the plus side, You does have "Mr D.J." (a very fine single!), and I like its cover art (perfect for this springtime of year):

 

You could happily live your life without ever hearing those late Atlantic era albums. They're mostly pretty poor.

Before she passed, she was apparently looking for someone to pay to put them out. They didn't sell back then. They won't sell now. Put them in a box set with a bow and an essay about how underrated they are you still won't be able to move many units. Because they aren't very good.

They're not hideous. But who chooses to listen to "not hideous"?

 

I really like this LP and would love them to release it on CD, along with all her other 'lost' mid-late 70s LPs.

 

You is mostly remembered only for being her last Wexler produced set. I spun it recently and it’s solid due to Aretha’s performances but lacks killer cuts. Had she cut the other Marvin Yancey tracks he submitted to her besides the title cut things might have been very different. His future wife Natalie Cole cut them, had huge hits, and stole her annual Best R&B female vocalist Grammy with them.

Aretha didn’t want this and her other 74-79 albums buried she just wanted money for them. Franklin owned them as part of her resigning with Atlantic in 73. She cut a deal with Universal to reissue them several years before her death then decided they didn’t pay her enough so they never came out. Judging from the liberal use of cuts from this period on her recent box set, I assume the family will get these albums back out there in streaming form at least in the next few years.