Aretha Franklin's 1971 album
Live at Fillmore West was as seminal a soul breakthrough as
Albert King's visit had been for blues. It finally cemented her status beyond soul audiences as both a recording and live attraction, and it matched her with a phenomenal rhythm section in
King Curtis and
the Kingpens.
Franklin adroitly mixed pop, rock, and soul material throughout the three nights, including
Stephen Stills' "Love the One You're With," and
Bread's "Make It With You," and
the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby," as well as tried and true favorites "Respect," "Don't Play That Song," and "Spirit in the Dark," which brought
Ray Charles out of the audience for a spirited duet. There's more than enough here to make this absolutely essential. ~ Ron Wynn