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I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You is the tenth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin. The record was released on March 10, 1967, by Atlantic Records.
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You is Aretha's first album with Atlantic Records. This title track was recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.[6][7] After Franklin's husband Ted White started an altercation, producer Jerry Wexler decided to continue recording the LP in New York. [8]
In 1967, Rolling Stone chided the album for "the lack of versatility on the part of the sidemen. The drums weren't hard enough, the guitar was weak, and the production lacked polish."[14] In 2002, though, they placed the album at No. 1 on their "Women in Rock: 50 Essential Albums" list. In 2003, the album was ranked No. 83 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Music Critic Robert Christgau, gave the album an A, stating "Not all of the tracks sound inspired" but also stating that it was the best album she had made by that point.[15]Q included the album in their list of the "100 Greatest Albums Ever".[16]Q also gave the album 4 stars and said "[the album] came out in May 1967 and was number 2 in America within weeks ... now it stands untainted by time. She seemed so much a force of nature it's strange to recall that this was actually her tenth album ..."[17]
In the obituary for Aretha Franklin, Rolling Stone made this comment about I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You: "It puts the emphasis not just on the great songs, or the amazing music, but on the person speaking them, her world, her story and whatever journey she’s on in life. It rings out like revealed truth happening in real time, a declaration of independence".[18]
