Saw her last night at Radio City Music Hall and she was utterly forgettable:
1.Opened with "Respect" and we thought, OK, this is going to be great.
2.Played ONE other recognizable song - Chain of Fools.
3. Was on stage for maybe 50 minutes.
4. Had 35 freakin people on stage - including 5 back-up singers.
5. Is so obscenely obese that may account for her not being able to do the uptempo hits.
6. Makes you almost want to contrast with the Stones doing a lot of war-horses. (And I complain a lot about that.) Maybe we should be thankful.

Do NOT go to see Aretha. Save your money and buy her greatest hits CD.

What did you expect? You only have to take one look at her to know she's in no condition to deliver a great performance.

What's the matter with Lady of Soul? She's even younger than Dylan...

2 1 2 0

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Come On
What's the matter with Lady Soul? She's even younger than Dylan...

Dylan doesn't weigh 350 lbs.

Good points. She may be pushing 400. HUGEEEEEEEEE

Did she wear the famous hat, at least?

She wore a hat for a short time but not the famous one

I saw her in Memphis a couple years ago, and although they had some sound problems, I thought she put on a great performance.

Could argue with the extended version of 'Freeway of Love" as the closer...but other than that was a great show. She even played some piano.

you got real lucky

I love Aretha.















Dr. Feelgood (Stockholm 1968):

She WAS great at one time. No more.

Lets just rememeber Aretha at her best, the glorious Atlantic days.

If Aretha had a concert in my area, I would definitely go to it. She's the greatest singer of them all. Just to see her:

Hate to hear that Aretha's not worth the cost of a ticket anymore. She's one of the few remaining legends that I haven't seen that I was still wanting to catch. Folowing is the true story of the closest I got to seeing her and also the closest I've ever been to "the twilight zone".

I live in eastern Tennessee in the USA. A few years ago, my wife and I bought tickets to see Aretha at Harrah's Cherokee Casino in Cherokee, North Carolina. We took a half day off from work, got a hotel room, arranged to be at work late the next day, and had the trip all planned.

Even with the rain that was falling we were able to have a relaxing drive through the Smoky Mountain National Park while listening to Aretha CDs the entire way.

Coming out of the park into town is like going from wilderness to civilazation and we felt good to be back in the land of working cell phones. We drove through town and really got excited as we could start to see the casino. Then the marquee near the street gave us the news...



Aretha Franklin


Canceled Due To Illness


Tonight's Special Guest


Tony Orlando


While I'm sure that Tony Orlando is a pro and had a professional group with him that night, I can't begin to describe what my wife and I felt. I still get a "twitch" when I think back on that night. Something about trying to go from "Think", "Respect" & "Chain of Fools" to "Knock Three Times" did not compute in my brain. (There's that "twitch" again - apologies to all of the Tony Orlando fans)

Peace
DJA

I love Aretha too and have great memories of her in performance. For me, she will always be the Queen of Soul. But as I came to feel about Sinatra in his last shows, I want to remember such great talent at its best.

Thanks for the videos!

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mickscarey
Saw her last night at Radio City Music Hall and she was utterly forgettable:
3. Was on stage for maybe 50 minutes.

A show with 50 minutes duration as headliner is not so much! Was there a good support-act? I've never seen Aretha Franklin live in concert, but she's on my "Must-Have-Seen-In-Concert-List". I hope I can see her one day. It will be absolute okay for me to sit at her show on the cheapest seat in the middle of the last row!

Love this....but what is she wearing....................







Happy to be here....Happy to be anywhere.....

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mickscarey
She wore a hat for a short time but not the famous one

Actually, now that I think of it, the Smithsonian may already be in possession of the famous one, believe it or not.

I love the famous one too:

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Ringo
I love the famous one too:

Thanks for posting.

Y'know...this clip is from only 9 months ago -- and she was in good voice. So I am laying my bets that she will get her shit together and be back. She tough, as they say.

Seeing the Inauguration clip made me teary, in a good way.

I was there, in the mob, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of other Americans, of every size, shape, age, race, gender, together in the freezing cold, but warmed by the calm closeness of everybody and the flawless January sun. As Avetha launched into My Country 'Tis of Thee, black women were linking arms, tears streaming down their faces, singing along -- it was their Aretha singing for our president -- like the shirt being sold on the streets that day proclaiming with straightforward pride: My President Is A Black Man. (Others too found this all unbelievably meaningful of course, like everyone there & people around the globe, but it did was especially special to black Americans).

The other time I saw Aretha was also in DC, at a bizarre event at Union Station, in 2000. XM radio hadn't been launched yet -- this was an event to attract venture capital to get XM going, which is located in DC. A friend knew the promoter so we went. XM closed down most of that gorgeous palatial restored train station just for us -- and purchased Aretha for the night. She brought down the fricking HOUSE! Sang her ass off, told stories, made jokes, gave good-natured shit to people in the audience. And because it was a private party people (like our mayor, city council, members of Congress and Clinton's white house), were going wild dancing hooting screaming standing on chairs, pillars, dancing everywhere (tho many of the ultra rich were too uptight to dance). So I'll remember her as representing at Inauguration, as well as her having a blast of a time entertaining us at the big crazy party!

Too many ciggies.............

Saw George Jones on TV the other night, and that is just as depressing.

Like one of my other favorite acts...downhill since '72. Sad when our Legends don't give it up at the right time.....

Get "Amazing Grace" by Aretha (1972 release)

along with "Greatest Hits" from the Atlantic days, all you really need.

Aretha Franklin recording for Columbia Records - New York 1961 - Photo Don Hunstein



ROCKMAN

mickscarey, this is a ROLLING STONES messageboard!!! Go post your concert reviews on the Aretha Franklin messageboard.

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Too many ciggies.............

Saw George Jones on TV the other night, and that is just as depressing.

Like one of my other favorite acts...downhill since '72. Sad when our Legends don't give it up at the right time.....

Yeah, um, Rolling Stones anyone?

50 minute peformance.? Doing the math and breaking it all down, it comes to 10 lbs. of body weight per one minute performed. I do not like those numbers.

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bernardanderson
mickscarey, this is a ROLLING STONES messageboard!!! Go post your concert reviews on the Aretha Franklin messageboard.

LOL