At Last!, Etta James, 1960, :29
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Near-universally acclaimed, this album showcases Etta James' singing talents; she's easily the equal of Aretha Franklin. Here she belts out raunchy blues (Willie Dixon's "I Just Want to Make Love to You"), croons pop standards and torch songs ("Stormy Weather," "All I Could Do Is Cry"), lets out an "Ungh!" like James Brown, and throughout growls, croons, and belts in equal measure. She lays her heart out on her sleeve on fearless songs about heartache and losing love, a soul singer in perfect control of her instrument. While music people know James' worth, she deserves to be as commonly venerated and ubiquitous as Aretha. Favorite tracks: "At Last," "My Dearest Darling," "Tough Mary."
