My impression of Aretha Franklin (by which I mean my thoughts about her, not an actual impression I do… though that would be cool) was always that she’s a washed-up has-been who is trotted on stage at the Grammys to lend weak backup vocals to some up-and-comer. I know, that’s a very harsh assessment, and I admit it’s a completely ignorant one.

That’s because for the longest time I had no concept of what Aretha Franklin meant, and accomplished, when she was at her peak. Sure, I had heard ‘Respect,’ but that was pretty much it.

Now I won’t claim to be an Aretha expert today, but I do have one of her albums… the one widely considered her best. It’s I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You and it’s one of those classic records (like Dusty in Memphis) that makes everything else seem almost irrelevant.

There’s something about these great 60s albums — the peerless songwriting, the go-for-broke production, the to-die-for vocals. And maybe on top of it all, it’s the feeling that they were written and recorded during such tumultuous times, socially and politically… they feel more immediate, more important than anything else.

At any rate, after hearing this album, I totally get why Aretha Franklin is as big a deal as she is, and I apologize for not showing her the R-E-S-P-E-C-T she deserves.