Didn't I Blow Your Mind....

Before I begin, let me just send out my best wishes and love to Aretha Franklin who is in recovery today after going in for surgery in Detroit yesterday. We all pray she will make a full recovery soon.

Following on from my last blog, I have found so many more gems from the Queen. Her albums from the 1970s have some of the best tracks I have ever heard from this era. Until recently, I had only ever heard the good old classics like "Respect", "I Say a Little Prayer" and "Natural Woman" and some of her more popular gospel tracks. Thanks to the Internet and a free afternoon a few months ago, I have discovered some of the most spectacular soul music I have ever heard...and for me, the real power of Aretha Franklin!! These tracks stir something deep within me that is magical...

My quest for more Aretha brought me to her 1971 album "Young, Gifted and Black" (love that title, by the way!). And this is another belting masterpiece!! Some even say it is her best album.

This album demonstrates the full power of Aretha's vocal range and has those unmistakable gospel tones that "move your soul". Highlights for me from this album have to be "Rock Steady", "Young, Gifted Black" and "Border Song (Holy Moses)".

What really I surprised me on this album was a song that I used adore when I was younger...only I didn't realize it was originally done by Aretha. Which song you might ask? Well, the title of my blog should give it away!

"Didn't I (Blow your Mind This Time)" was one of my favorite songs by the one and only New Kids On The Block (NKOTB).  Today found a version of this song by Aretha from this 1971 album that blows the NKOTB version out of the water (though Joey's voice on this cover is so cute!). Aretha's version is so powerful and is charged with so much passion and soul that NKOTB could never have achieved. This is now my favorite song on this album by a long shot :)

"Didn't I do it, baby?!"

Enough said!

Ode to Aretha Franklin - Rare and Unreleased Queen of Soul

One of my all time favorite artists is Aretha Franklin. She truly is the Queen of Soul. Recently, I came across an album of hers titled Rare & Unreleased Recordings From the Gold Reign of the Queen of Soul. This album was released in 2007 and it BLEW me away! It is Aretha at her best! It is a collection of unreleased tracks and some outtakes from some of her well known songs.

On this album you will find some classic remakes - my favourite has to be "My Cup Runneth Over" which was originally done by Ed Ames (Aretha recreated a rather dull song into something phenomenal) along with other classics we know like "At Last" originally done by the legend Etta James and "My Way" by the crooner Frank Sinatra. This album has been my find of the week. "Heavenly Father"....I have no words to describe this song....the voice, the words, the memories.....

So, if you want to add something classic and very special to your music collection, get this album for yourself. Switch off the lights, turn up the volume and feel the magic that only the Queen can deliver. This is what soul music is all about. Pure and from the heart.

The video below is another one of my Aretha faves...enjoy!!

Internet, Dating, Shopping...?

A friend of mine asked me the other day how the “man shopping” was going. “Man shopping?” I asked slightly confused by her question. “Yes, you know - internet dating" she said with a grin. “What?" I responded a bit too quickly. "You can't compare internet dating to shopping?!”. “Of course you can, honey”, she replied, laughing at my rather snappy response, “Internet dating is like shopping online. You go online to look for something you want - when you find what you are looking for, you examine all the attributes, check out the pictures of the item so you are sure of what you are about to buy (you need to visualise how good that "puppy" is going to look on you!) and if you like it, you buy it! If not, you just move on to the next item...like a pair of shoes”.

This really made me think – is internet dating really like shopping online? If so, should I be using my shopping skills when looking for a date online? I am a pretty good internet shopper – spotting bargains and good deals is my forte....so why am I finding this internet dating thing so difficult? What is going on? Am I simply not applying myself and using my talents to the best of my abilities? But then again, can the two really be compared?

The most obvious difference between the two is that unlike retail transactions where you have one buyer and one seller, with internet dating, both parties are looking to buy and sell simultaneously which makes things so much more complicated!! Imagine eBay but with a “swap” function - so I might like your shoes, but you might not be too keen on my pink leather catsuit and so no matter how much I might like you shoes, if you don’t like the catsuit, there is no deal. This transaction will only work if we both want what the other has...

The other obvious difference, is that with internet dating, you are usually not dealing with inanimate objects that are “ what it says on the box”. As we all know, people are so much more complex and interesting than a pair of shoes. So if the shoes look red and have a rose design on the side in the picture, then that is what you get (no guarantee on the quality though!). With dating websites, this is not always a given. A well written profile and cute photo does not make a perfect date, esp if the photo is about 10 years old and taken in favourable light and the profile is a very good piece of fictional writing.

So my question is how similar is internet dating to shopping? Maybe it works if you are looking for a quick fix, a bit of fun for the weekend, like the £30 heels I bought online that looked "hot" the day I bought them and then proceeded to disintergrate into nothing in the weeks that followed.

But maybe my friend wasn't so off the mark...maybe dating can be like shopping especially if you see it as an important and high valued transaction. If I was looking for a pair of Manolo Blahniks or something of that high value range, you can be damn sure that I would take my time to plan the purchase of them. I would find out as much as I can about them, try them on in store, plan for their purchase, storage and maintenance and probably tell all my friends about my prospective purchase (almost like courting). And once I was sure and ready, then I would put the transaction in motion with a guarantee that my expectations and reality were in check.

And so maybe there is way to use my shopping skills to get the right man but like anything else in life, it takes time, energy and patience to find what you want. A simple click and "chat" funtion doesn't guarantee anything and can result in a lot of unwanted “merchandise” and disappointment all round?

Keys to the Element of Freedom

For years now, I have been a dedicated Alicia Keys fan - as far as I am concerned, she is the true embodiment of an artist who inspires and delights many with her classical and modern style of music and writing. Her book of poetry, "Tears for Water", is a beautiful insight into the mind of Alicia and is an amazing piece of writing which highlights her literary gifts which I hadn't appreciated fully until I read this book.

So when her fourth studio album, "The Element of Freedom", was released in early 2010, I couldn't wait to hear the next installment from this accomplished songwriter and musician. But after quickly listening to a few tracks, I felt a state of confusion setting in. I wasn't feeling that instant love for the tracks that usually happens with Alicia....I just wasn’t feeling “it” and I was confused!

The first song I heard was "Doesn't Mean A Thing", which had a catchy piano melody throughout but I thought it sounded raspy and and a little bit whiny to be honest. Then the track with Jay-Z, "Empire State of Mind" hit the airwaves and after hearing it almost every hour on the hour on all local radio stations, I developed an instant dislike for the song and I wrote this album off completely. Brokenhearted, I mourned the absence of Miss Keys latest production from my music collection.

And then one day, I heard “Empire State of Mind (Part II) – Broken Down”...the original track that was then remixed by Jay- Z....and I listened to it – really listened. And in an instant, the eerie melody and Alicia's vocals transported me across the seas in my mind to the streets of New York and I was in a cab with her, driving through the city in the early hours of the morning..... on our way the Brooklyn Bridge. The song made me believe in New York, and I wanted to be there, to be made “brand new”... on the streets of New York. My "eyes" were finally opened and I realized that I had been too quick in my judgement of Miss Keys.

I immediately located the rest of the album online and listen to the whole album again, with a fresh "palate" and at the end, I got that feeling you get when you discover something really special. Like a true artist, she wasn't blatant or obvious with her genius. There isn’t that obvious commercial hook in her songs, just a concept that is planted in your consciousness that grows organically. "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" is a song of a lost love and pain and you definitely feel the pain and loss. She crafted this album to reflect something different and more mature. It feels real and personal with a strong undercurrent of the joys and pains we experience with love in adulthood which she translates in the second track “Love Is Blind”.

It is the next chapter in the Alicia Keys story and it gives the listener something richer and more refined. Her voice has changed but it actually suits the songs and the musical arrangements. “Wait Til You See My Smile" is a beautiful song with a strong drum beat which partners well with the inspirational message of the song. “That’s How Strong My Love Is” has a simple melody that reminds me of the feeling you get when you watch gentle rain falling outside while cuddled up under warm blanket at home. “Love is My Disease” is one of my favorites and it begins with a powerful reggae/rock tone and her rugged vocal tone and emotion carries the song really well and delivers a powerful punch.

The whole album just works well and is a great addition to any music collection – it is different and fresh and I think I understand the “Element of Freedom” a little better now. To me, this woman is amazing and is inspires me endlessly - a songwriter, composer, poet, humanitarian all rolled into one. Her beauty shines from within! All I can say now is well done Miss Keys for stepping up again and giving us something phenomenal. I look forward to your next offering....