By Darryl Morden
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) -
Memo to Beyonce and her
father: Yes, Tina Turner is one of the greats, but Aretha
Franklin
A full house of loyal subjects agreed during the first of
two nights Thursday at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, giving
her all the R-E-S-P-E-C-T she deserves. (Four days earlier at
the Grammy Awards across the road, Beyonce had introduced
Turner as the "queen," sparking a rebuke from "Queen of Soul"
Franklin, and a counter-attack from Beyonce's father/manager,
Mathew Knowles.)
The Valentine's Day show was a lovefest between the legend
and fans, with plenty of standing ovations, cheers and shouts
for the all-time favorite numbers. Franklin wore a pink gown
and matching wrap for the occasion, leading off with a jubilant
version of Jackie Wilson's "Higher and Higher" followed by an
appropriate "My Funny Valentine," given a torch-to-R&B bluster
treatment.
With five backing vocalists and a large orchestra that
included a horn section, the arrangements at times were too
busy and, yes, over the top, as on "A House Is Not a Home." The
performance also was somewhat old-fashioned; the star was led
out as the band vamped on jazz and R&B, and she later went
offstage while the band played on its own again, then returned.
Of course, her signature song, the Otis Redding-penned
"Respect," brought the crowd ranging from seniors down to
college-age kids to its feet, as did a final gospel climax that
included a white-robed choir.
Some songs were MIA: Surprisingly, no "(You Make Me Feel
Like) A Natural Woman" or the 1980s hits "Jump to It" and
"Freeway of Love." But during numbers like "Ain't No Way,"
dating back to her 1968 "Lady Soul" album, she showed that
she's indeed still the Queen, and while the kingdom is no
longer the same, she's not quite ready to step down from that
throne yet.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
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