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For much of the '90s, Aretha Franklin acted as if she couldn't even care about appealing to a younger audience. She rarely recorded, and when she did, it was usually slick adult contemporary material. That's what makes the fresh A Rose Is Still a Rose such a surprise. Although it certainly has its share of predictably glossy ballads fit for adult radio (usually produced by Narada Michael Walden or Michael Powell), the most notable element of the album is that Franklin collaborates with fresh talent, all of whom are either prominent rap figures or at least fluent in hip-hop. That's not to say that A Rose Is Still a Rose is a rap album -- it simply illustrates that the album sounds contemporary, which is the last thing most observers would have expected from Franklin in 1997. That in itself is heartening, but that doesn't necessarily mean everything works. Lauryn Hill's "A Rose Is Still a Rose" is a perfect match, lyrically and musically, but it only shows how shallow Puff Daddy's writing really is on "Never Leave You Again." Still, Dallas Austin's "I'll Dip," Jermaine Dupri's "Here We Go Again" and "Every Lil' Bit Hurts," and Daryl Simmons' "In the Morning" and "In Case You Forgot" all work, and Franklin's original "The Woman" is arguably her most soulful performance in years. These make the awkward moments forgivable because they find Franklin sounding vital, which is something that has not happened throughout the '90s.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Aretha Franklin, Performer - Johari Newton, Guitar - Lauryn Hill, Arranger - Lauryn Hill, Producer - Lauryn Hill, Background Vocal - Lauryn Hill, Composer - Lauryn Hill, Lyricist - Vada Nobles, Programmer - Vere Isaac, Bass - Warren Riker, Recording Engineer - Akua Dixon, Arranger - Indigo Quartet, Strings - James Polser, Piano - Commissioner Gordon, Recording Engineer - Commissioner Gordon, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1997 Arista Records LLC
Aretha Franklin, Vocal - Cory Rooney, Producer - C. Rooney, Composer - C. Rooney, Lyricist - Clive Davis, Executive Producer - Steven "Stevie J." Jordan, Programmer - Steve Allen, Recording Engineer - Sean "Puffy" Combs, Composer - Sean "Puffy" Combs, Lyricist - Sean "Puffy" Combs, Producer - Kelly Price, Background Vocal - Kelly Price, Composer - Kelly Price, Lyricist - Tony Maserati, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 Arista Records LLC
John Frye, 2nd Engineer - Shunda Howard, Background Vocal - Vickie McKisic, Background Vocal - Alex Lowe, 2nd Engineer - Vance Taylor, Piano - Darcy Aldridge, Background Vocal - Ronnie Garrett, Bass - Mike Wilson, 2nd Engineer - Thom Kidd, Recording Engineer - Daryl Simmons, Producer - Daryl Simmons, Drum Programmer - Kevin Lively, 2nd Engineer - Kevin Lively, Mixing Engineer - M. Gray, Composer - M. Gray, Lyricist - Aretha Franklin, Vocal - T. Gant, Composer - T. Gant, Lyricist - Clive Davis, Executive Producer - Ivy Skoff, Project Coordinator - Jon Gass, Mixing Engineer - B. Dickens, Composer - B. Dickens, Lyricist
(P) 1998 Arista Records LLC
Aretha Franklin, Performer - Davide Romani, Composer - Davide Romani, Lyricist - Trina Broussard, Background Vocal - Trina Broussard, Composer - Trina Broussard, Lyricist - Jermaine Dupri, Producer - Jermaine Dupri, Mixing Engineer - Jermaine Dupri, Composer - Jermaine Dupri, Lyricist - Phil Tan, Recording Engineer - Phil Tan, Mixing Engineer - Manuel Seal, Co-Producer - T. Lorenz, Composer - T. Lorenz, Lyricist - W. Garfield, Composer - W. Garfield, Lyricist - M. Malavasi, Composer - M. Malavasi, Lyricist
(P) 1997, 1998 Arista Records LLC
Clive Davis, Executive Producer - S. Cook, Composer - S. Cook, Lyricist - Aretha Franklin, Vocal - Jermaine Dupri, Producer - Jermaine Dupri, Mixing Engineer - Jermaine Dupri, Composer - Jermaine Dupri, Lyricist - Manuel Seal, Composer - Manuel Seal, Lyricist - Manuel Seal, Co-Producer - Phil Tan, Recording Engineer - Phil Tan, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1998 Arista Records LLC
Aretha Franklin, Performer - Tann, Background Vocal - Ronnie Garrett, Bass - Jon Gass, Mixing Engineer - Vance Taylor, Piano - Vickie McKisic, Background Vocal - Thom Kidd, Recording Engineer - Viola Eddins, Background Vocal - Daryl Simmons, Composer - Daryl Simmons, Lyricist - Daryl Simmons, Producer - Shunda Howard, Background Vocal
(P) 1998 Arista Records LLC
Clive Davis, Executive Producer - Leslie Braithwaite, Recording Engineer - Leslie Braithwaite, Mixing Engineer - Dallas Austin, Producer - Dallas Austin, Arranger - Dallas Austin, Composer - Dallas Austin, Lyricist - Debra Killings, Vocal - Aretha Franklin, Vocal - Carlton Lynn, 2nd Engineer - Colin Wolfe, Bass - Rich Cohan, 2nd Engineer
(P) 1998 Arista Records LLC
Janice Lee, Project Coordinator - Marc "Elvis" Reyburn, Recording Engineer - K.V. Fowler, 2nd Engineer - David "Frazerman" Frazer, Recording Engineer - David "Frazerman" Frazer, Mixing Engineer - J. Winston, Composer - J. Winston, Lyricist - Louis "Kingpin" Biancaniello, Producer - Louis "Kingpin" Biancaniello, Bass - Louis "Kingpin" Biancaniello, Drum Programmer - Louis "Kingpin" Biancaniello, Keyboards - Louis "Kingpin" Biancaniello, Programmer - Annie Stocking, Vocal - Shiloh Hobel, Project Coordinator - Claytoven Richardson, Vocal - Narada Michael Walden, Producer - Narada Michael Walden, Arranger - Tina Gibson, Vocal - Matt Rohr, Recording Engineer - Nikita Germaine, Vocal - Aretha Franklin, Vocal - Cherise Miller, Project Coordinator - Sandy Griffith, Vocal - David Foster, Composer - David Foster, Lyricist - Clive Davis, Executive Producer - G. Charley, Composer - G. Charley, Lyricist - Kevin Kulan Walden, Project Coordinator
(P) 1998 Arista Records LLC
Janice Lee, Project Coordinator - Marc "Elvis" Reyburn, Recording Engineer - K.V. Fowler, 2nd Engineer - N. West, Composer - N. West, Lyricist - David "Frazerman" Frazer, Recording Engineer - David "Frazerman" Frazer, Mixing Engineer - Skyler Jett, Background Vocal - Annie Stocking, Background Vocal - Shiloh Hobel, Project Coordinator - Jeanie Tracy, Background Vocal - Narada Michael Walden, Arranger - Narada Michael Walden, Producer - Tina Gibson, Background Vocal - Vernon "Ice" Black, Guitar - Aretha Franklin, Vocal - Cherise Miller, Project Coordinator - Sandy Griffith, Background Vocal - Fred Ross, Background Vocal - Erik "E Smooth" Hicks, Producer - Erik "E Smooth" Hicks, Keyboards - Erik "E Smooth" Hicks, Programmer - Clive Davis, Executive Producer - James Fischer, Producer - James Fischer, Keyboards - James Fischer, Programmer - Kevin Kulan Walden, Project Coordinator
(P) 1998 Arista Records LLC
Aretha Franklin, Vocal - Ester Ridgeway, Background Vocal - Graice Ridgeway, Background Vocal - Ron Otis, Drums - Clive Davis, Executive Producer - Gerard Smerak, Mixing Engineer - Gerard Smerak, Recording Engineer - M. Waters, Composer - M. Waters, Lyricist - Michael J. Powell, Mixing Engineer - Michael J. Powell, Recording Engineer - Michael J. Powell, Guitar - Michael J. Powell, Percussion - Michael J. Powell, Programmer - Vernon D. Fails, Piano - Al Turner, Bass - Clell Moore, Engineer - Gloria Ridgeway, Background Vocal - N. Wilson, Composer - N. Wilson, Lyricist - Paul D. Allen, Engineer - Paul D. Allen, Programmer
(P) 1998 Arista Records LLC
Teddy Franklin, Guitar - Aretha Franklin, Vocal - Aretha Franklin, Composer - Aretha Franklin, Lyricist - Aretha Franklin, Producer - Aretha Franklin, Mixing Engineer - Ester Ridgeway, Background Vocal - Graice Ridgeway, Background Vocal - Troy Rollins, Engineer - Ron Otis, Drums - Dwayne Jones, Engineer - Clive Davis, Executive Producer - Darryl Houston, Piano - Gerard Smerak, Recording Engineer - Gerard Smerak, Mixing Engineer - Michael J. Powell, Co-Producer - Michael J. Powell, Percussion - Michael J. Powell, Drums - Vernon D. Fails, Keyboards - Al Turner, Bass - Clell Moore, Engineer - Gloria Ridgeway, Background Vocal
(P) 1998 Arista Records LLC
Album review
For much of the '90s, Aretha Franklin acted as if she couldn't even care about appealing to a younger audience. She rarely recorded, and when she did, it was usually slick adult contemporary material. That's what makes the fresh A Rose Is Still a Rose such a surprise. Although it certainly has its share of predictably glossy ballads fit for adult radio (usually produced by Narada Michael Walden or Michael Powell), the most notable element of the album is that Franklin collaborates with fresh talent, all of whom are either prominent rap figures or at least fluent in hip-hop. That's not to say that A Rose Is Still a Rose is a rap album -- it simply illustrates that the album sounds contemporary, which is the last thing most observers would have expected from Franklin in 1997. That in itself is heartening, but that doesn't necessarily mean everything works. Lauryn Hill's "A Rose Is Still a Rose" is a perfect match, lyrically and musically, but it only shows how shallow Puff Daddy's writing really is on "Never Leave You Again." Still, Dallas Austin's "I'll Dip," Jermaine Dupri's "Here We Go Again" and "Every Lil' Bit Hurts," and Daryl Simmons' "In the Morning" and "In Case You Forgot" all work, and Franklin's original "The Woman" is arguably her most soulful performance in years. These make the awkward moments forgivable because they find Franklin sounding vital, which is something that has not happened throughout the '90s.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 11 track(s)
- Total length: 00:51:29
- Main artists: Aretha Franklin
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Arista
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B Soul
(P) 1998 Arista Records LLC
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