Young, Gifted And Black＜Opaque Mustard Yellow Vinyl＞

アフリカ系アメリカ人が成し遂げた偉業を振り返り、歴史への貢献と与えた影響を称える"黒人歴史月間"の2月、RHINO RECORDSが音楽やカルチャーに影響を与えた数々のブラック・ミュージックの名盤をアナログで復刻! ニュー・ソウルの旗手ダニー・ハサウェイも参加した、70年代の訪れを祝うかのようなアレサの代表作がマスタード・イエローのアナログで登場!

アフリカ系アメリカ人が成し遂げた偉業を振り返り、歴史への貢献と与えた影響を称える"黒人歴史月間"。アメリカでは毎年2月に制定されているこの月間に、RHINO RECORDSも音楽やカルチャーに影響を与えた数々のブラック・ミュージックの名盤をアナログで復刻する。今回リリースされる名盤は8作品。いずれも時代を超え、聴き継がれているものばかり。ブラック・ミュージックの歴史を振り返る上でも重要なアルバムがここに揃った。

【ARETHA FRANKLIN / YOUNG, GIFTED AND BLACK】
ニュー・ソウルの旗手ダニー・ハサウェイも参加した、70年代の訪れを祝うかのようなアレサの代表作。 70年代に入っても"ソウルの女王"の栄冠はアレサのもとにあった。 軽やかに穏やかにミディアム・グルーヴに乗った〈デイ・ドリーミング〉(R&Bチャート1位)、70年代ファンキー・ソウルの金字塔〈ロック・ステディ〉(同2位)と、自作曲が2曲連続で大ヒット。当時アレサの才能が全開であったことがここからもわかる。ニーナ・シモン、オーティス・レディング、ビートルズなどのカバーもアレサならではの仕上がりだ。

オペーク・マスタード・イエロー・ヴァイナル 1枚組

It's nearly impossible to single out any of Aretha Franklin's early-'70s albums for Atlantic as being her best, particularly given the breadth of her output during this era. In terms of albums rather than singles, it's probably her strongest era, and if you count live albums like Amazing Grace, choosing a standout or a favorite record isn't any easier. Yet of this stunning era, Young, Gifted and Black certainly ranks highly among her studio efforts, with many arguing that it may be her greatest. And with songs like "Rock Steady," that may be a valid argument. But there's much more here than just a few highlights. If you really want to go song by song, you'd be hard-pressed to find any throwaways here -- this is quite honestly an album that merits play from beginning to end. You have upbeat songs like the aforementioned "Rock Steady" that will get you up out of your seat moving and grooving, yet then you also have a number of more introspective songs that slow down the tempo and are more likely to relax than rouse. And if that wide spectrum of moods isn't enough reason to celebrate this album, you get some unlikely songs like a take on "The Long and Winding Road." Plus, you also have to keep in mind that Franklin was in her prime here, not only in terms of voice but also in terms of confidence -- you can just feel her exuding her status as the best of the best. Furthermore, her ensemble of musicians competes with any that she had worked with on previous albums. So even if this isn't the greatest Aretha Franklin album of the early '70s, it's certainly a contender, the sort of album that you can't go wrong with. ~ Jason Birchmeier