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Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky)

Aretha Franklin - Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky) Audio CD

A fair review of the Aretha Franklin "Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky)" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Aretha Franklin reviews here, or go back to the Aretha Franklin tabs.

Band: Aretha Franklin
Title: Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky)
Rating:

Release Date: 1994-12-01
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky) 2: Somewhere 3: So Swell When You're Well 4: Angel 5: Sister from Texas 6: Mister Spain 7: That's the Way I Feel About Cha 8: Moody's Mood 9: Just Right Tonight 10: Master of Eyes (The Deepness of Your Eyes)

Not "Do I...?" but "How Much...?"
Whether I will like it is not the question, but rather, how good is it? How does it compare to her others? What is she doing and saying this time? Well, one listen to this CD tells me why the general public did not dig it in 1973. I admire Aretha Franklin's work so much that listening to an unfamiliar album of hers is always an adventure for me. From the beginning it is obvious that this represents an expansion beyond normal pop and soul structure musically, and it has lyrics that are somewhat abstract and subtle, saying or implying more than the average tune about getting together and breaking up. Some of the tracks are pretty complex.

The title cut starts out hip, funky, jazzy, with prominent piano, then morphs into a slow dreamlike section with smooth strings, and then it's back to funky. Aretha's voice is in excellent form, and the back-up singers are also good, as always. "So Swell When You're Well" and "Sister From Texas" continue in a similar vein - funked-up soul, like that found on "Aretha Now". "Mister Spain" is obviously an ode to a very sexy dude. The vocal starts out low-key, sultry, seductive and drawn out for full effect; but, after a laid-back jazzy interlude, Aretha goes all out with emotional, sometimes playful, expression. "Moody's Mood" alternates between rapid-fire scatting and standard soul, back and forth. I like the track, but one like this is enough for me. For her too, I guess, because she ends the song by declaring, "I'm thru. " The hit of the album, "Angel", was always gorgeous to me, and it fits in with the other tracks with its full-bodied sound, including harmonious strings and dramatic horns. "Just Right Tonight" is good, serious old-style blues musically. The vocal sneaks in with some soft humming and wailing but builds into a strong gospel piece. It also contains some sly spoken comments that only Aretha could get away with. The bonus track, "Master of Eyes", retains the prevailing jazzy feel of the CD and the effect of growth beyond regular pop and soul.

Two tracks don't work so well for me. "Somewhere", in my opinion, is not right for Aretha's voice and style. Even though the instrumental arrangement is beautiful in places, I've heard other versions that I prefer to Aretha's. "That's the Way I Feel About Cha" isn't really bad, but I find it dull in comparison to other better tracks. It just doesn't go anywhere, and the ending is too repetitious.

But, so what? On the whole, this is another Aretha Franklin album, and that in itself is reason for rejoicing. The good outweighs the bad, by far.

Arethat's Underrated "Weird" Album
I'm not saying there's not a filler in sight - four songs run over six minutes, and I can't imagine listening to three of them ("Somewhere", "Mr. Aretha's experimental disc is surprisingly good. Spain", "That's the Way I Feel About Ya") ever again unless I was forced to, while "Moody's Mood" showcases extremely complex but excruciating overdubbed vocals. Thankfully, the rest is far better - the title track switches from schmaltz to funk, with great results; "Angel" is one of her greatest ballads ever, along with the Grammy-winning "Master of Eyes (the Deepness of Your Eyes)", while "So Swell When You're Well" and "Sister from Texas" are breathtaking soul shouters. But perhaps the biggest surprise comes on the extended instrumental introduction to the wonderful eight minutes of "Just Right Tonight", with some of her dirtiest lyrics ever. Certainly not the place to start - all the experimentation might blow you away. But try to find it if you're already impressed with her, and don't let the awful cover art scare you off. .

PEOPLE JUST WASNT READY FOR IT!!!!
and yes, with the exception of the title track. I bought this cd becauase of the title track. this is very different from Aretha's earlier work. and somewhat uneven as far as the jazz cutts and the R&B. But never the less, i think that this was a very great experimental album. PEOPLE JUST WASNT READY FOR IT!!!!!.

Aretha Does Her Own Thing With Quincy
She'd just come off of a spectacular run of albums streching back as far as 1967 and had several handfulls of hits. Aretha could'nt be any hotter then she was in the beginning of 1973. This time out she teamed up with Quincy Jones for 'Hey Now Hey (The Other Side Of The Sky',a recording that dabbles in some of the abstract progressive jazz-soul that people like Nina Simone were doing at the time. The musical selection is quite diverse;the only song on here that would go down as one of her classics is the soul ballad "Angel",but Aretha had already done almost too many of those anyway. Quincy's production often gives way to jazz-funk such as the sprawling title track,"Sister From Texas" and "That's How I Feel About 'Cha"-all before she suddenly swings into a full on jazz mode on "Moody's Mood",once again transforming the song as only she could. Even though it's a wonderful album 'Hey Now Hey' may not be to everyone's taste;it's really short of hits and the songs spin in and out of dissonence many many times. But those willing to join Aretha on this ride will be rewarded.

Kind of odd, uneven, but still great overall
Three tracks stand out for their brilliance: Somewhere, Moody's Mood, and Just Right Tonight (with the late great Billy Preston on piano) are wonderful arrangements by Quincy Jones of three jazz standards, and Aretha sets the roof on fire with her passionate interpretations. Aretha's oddest album but also one of her best. Angel is perhaps the most successful pop soul piece on the album. The rest of the album is basically just mediocre filler. But those three jazz pieces and that one soul song are outstanding and make this album well worth getting. I just wish everything else on it could have matched the greatness of those four tracks.

You can see a complete list of all Aretha Franklin discography, or go back to the Aretha Franklin tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.