Aretha Franklin (1942–2018) a fost o cântăreață americană care a devenit celebră ca una dintre cele mai mari vedete ale muzicii soul, R&B și gospel. Vocea sa unică și deprinderile pianistice i-au adus porecla „Queen of Soul”.
Compilația Absolutely Essential pe trei CD-uri surprinde perioada timpurie a creației lui Franklin, când stilul său caracteristic lua contur. Colecția include standarduri soul (Try a Little Tenderness, Today I Sing the Blues), piese jazz clasice (Over the Rainbow, Exactly Like You), înregistrări gospel (Precious Lord, There Is a Fountain Filled With Blood) și piese blues (Trouble in Mind). Ediția în digipack cu trei CD-uri oferă o imagine completă asupra unei artiste care combina acompaniamentul la pian cu un talent interpretativ excepțional.
Melodii
CD1
1-Won't Be Long
2-I Surrender Dear
3-Exactly Like You
4-Blue Holiday
5-It Ain't Necessarily So
6-Yield Not to Temptation
7-Love Is the Only Thing
8-I'm Sitting On Top of the World
9-I'm Wandering
10-There Is a Fountain Filled With Blood
11-(Blue) By Myself
12-That Lucky Old Sun
13-Are You Sure?
14-Look for the Silver Lining
15-Maybe I'm a Fool
16-The Day Is Past and Gone
CD2
1-Trouble in Mind
2-Rock-a-bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody
3-Just for a Thrill
4-I Apologise
5-Lover Come Back to Me
6-All Night Long
7-While the Blood Runs Warm
8-Sweet Lover
9-Ac-cent Tchu-ate the Positive
10-Don't Cry Baby
11-Right Now
12-Over the Rainbow
13-Without the One You Love
14-You Grow Closer
15-Precious Lord, Pt. 1
16-Precious Lord, Pt. 2
CD3
1-Try a Little Tenderness
2-Rough Lover
3-Today I Sing the Blues
4-It's So Heartbreakin'
5-God Bless the Child
6-He Will Wash You White As Snow
7-Hard Times (No One Knows Better Than I)
8-I Don't Know You Anymore
9-You Made Me Love You
10-Who Needs You?
11-I Told You So
12-Nobody Like You
D13-Operation Heartbreak
14-How Deep Is the Ocean?
15-Just for You
16-Never Grow Old
