Aretha Franklin

Fifteen years after Amazing Grace, her groundbreaking gospel record, Aretha Franklin returned to the church yet again, and though the results couldn't top the wall-to-wall power and spirit found on her first, the double-album One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, it's still a worthy document of what the church meant to her. The roster of invited guests was enough to get gospel fans excited, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Jasper Williams, and Rev. C.L. Franklin (her brother, who delivered the invocation), plus Mavis Staples, Joe Ligon (from the Mighty Clouds of Joy), and her sisters, Carol and Erma Franklin. Slotted next to sanctified standards like "Surely God Is Able" and "The Lord's Prayer" were several great selections from the pop repertoire, including a scorching version of "Higher Ground." Staples stops by for an ebullient run through the latter-day standard "Oh Happy Day," and the performance closes with a touching finale, "Packing Up, Getting Ready to Go," featuring Staples and Ligon, plus Carol and Erma. [The 2003 upgrade by BMG Heritage boasted remastered sound, new liner notes, and many photos, plus four unreleased bonus tracks.] ~ John Bush, All Music Guide