Title: excellent and a half
Product review: I don't need to say what happens when two true heavyweights--not of soul but all music, join forces. Curtis Mayfield produced this Aretha Franklin album in the mid-1970s.With top line production, this does not have the southrern soul grit of Franklin's 60s soul recordings. The sound is logical--Mayfield was the king of smooth northern soul with the Impressions, and took this even further with his solo funk work.On Sparkle, the name of the game can be described by the title. Fantastic horns, beautiful female backup singers; Aretha's voice is buffered wonderfully by the environment Mayfield creates. This production has the polish of a Steely Dan album.Elegant, classy, refined: you have heard a lot of Aretha Franklin, but it's high time you hear her on Sparkle.
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