Released three years after
Aretha Franklin
's 2018 death -- and timed so its appearance coincides with the unveiling of Respect, a biopic featuring
Jennifer Hudson
as
Franklin
--
Aretha
is the first-ever attempt to chronicle the Queen of Soul's entire career in one box set. Indeed,
unfolds a little bit like a musical biography, taking a full 15 tracks before we get to "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You," the 1967 single that kicked off her golden era on
Atlantic
. Prior to that, the set works through
Columbia
sides, a period where she was finding her footing, adding a couple of live tracks and demos for good measure. There are rarities all through the set, ranging from live performances to outtakes to demos, all of them functioning as appealing and worthy bait for collectors who already have
's essentials. What really makes this box set attractive is how the rarities are integrated into a narrative where
has to work to achieve the grace of her
period, makes a sprightly and stylish comeback in the 1980s with "Jump to It" and "Freeway of Love," then settles into a gilded groove where she rests on her laurels but can still deliver great performances. Not every hit from every era is here, but ultimately that doesn't matter:
captures the arc of her career in a way no other album ever has. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine