Operation S.i.n

To say that Aretha Franklin was one of the greatest American artists of all time is an understatement. Her multi-octave voice moved millions around the world during an unrivaled career that spanned six decades and garnered the singer-songwriter every achievement and honor imaginable. Her reign as the Queen of Soul will play out across four discs on a new boxed set from Rhino that is the first to span her entire career, including songs from every label she recorded with.

The first installment of the Hard to Find 45's series is, like all of them, a smorgasbord of Top 40 hits, some of them indeed very hard to find on CD or even hear on the radio. Some of them are really not that hard to find on CD, though this disc (like every one in this series) takes pains to present original 45 RPM single versions, often in stereo. This volume concentrates on the first five years or so of rock & roll's popularity, and though rather pop-oriented, it does cover a good amount of variety within that scope.