Hey Now Hey: The Other Side of the Sky

Product Description
A re-issue of her 1973 album long deleted in the States. Hey Now Hey finds the Queen of Soul taking her untouchably powerful set of pipes somewhat left field of the straight-ahead Atlantic groove formula of the late '60s. This is not to suggest that the record is neither soulful nor funky. On the contrary, it is both. But, from the ambiguous, trippy cover art to the lush, Quincy Jones string arrangements within, it is clear that Hey Now Hey is also not the usual collection of Franklin singles. Working closely with Jones, and taking cues from the extended, elaborate, and visionary works of other soul music contemporaries-especially Isaac Hayes, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye, Franklin fuses elements of blues, jazz, and church music, winding the album together with superior production and an almost psychedelic orchestral finesse. Included among the originals are fresh readings of Bobby Womack's 'That's The Way I Feel About You' and 'Somewhere' from West Side Story. In all, Hey Now Hey is a unique and noteworthy addition to the Franklin catalog. Warner. 2005.

Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky),Aretha Franklin,Wea International,Deep Soul,Pop,R&B,R&B/Soul,Soul,Soul/R & B,Soul/Reggae/Rhythm & Blues,Southern Soul

Average customer rating:

Aretha Does Her Own Thing With Quincy
Kind of odd, uneven, but still great overall
A Good Album, not great, Good.
Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of Aretha!)
Aretha's Tour de Force

Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky)
Aretha Franklin
Manufacturer: Wea International
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | R&B | Styles | Music

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Let Me in Your Life
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Soul '69

ASIN: B0000033G0
Release Date: 1994-12-01

Tracks:

Hey Now Hey (The Other Side Of The Sky)
Somewhere
So Swell When You're Well
Angel
Sister From Texas
Mister Spain
That's The Way I Feel About Cha
Moody's Mood
Just Right Tonight
Master Of Eyes (The Deepness Of Your Eyes)

Album Description

A re-issue of her 1973 album long deleted in the States. Hey Now Hey finds the Queen of Soul taking her untouchably powerful set of pipes somewhat left field of the straight-ahead Atlantic groove formula of the late '60s. This is not to suggest that the record is neither soulful nor funky. On the contrary, it is both. But, from the ambiguous, trippy cover art to the lush, Quincy Jones string arrangements within, it is clear that Hey Now Hey is also not the usual collection of Franklin singles. Working closely with Jones, and taking cues from the extended, elaborate, and visionary works of other soul music contemporaries-especially Isaac Hayes, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye, Franklin fuses elements of blues, jazz, and church music, winding the album together with superior production and an almost psychedelic orchestral finesse. Included among the originals are fresh readings of Bobby Womack's 'That's The Way I Feel About You' and 'Somewhere' from West Side Story. In all, Hey Now Hey is a unique and noteworthy addition to the Franklin catalog. Warner. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

Aretha Does Her Own Thing With Quincy.......2007-07-07

Aretha could'nt be any hotter then she was in the beginning of 1973. She'd just come off of a spectacular run of albums streching back as far as 1967 and had several handfulls of hits. 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.......2006-06-21

Aretha's oddest album but also one of her best. 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. 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.

A Good Album, not great, Good........2005-01-12

Ok, I get it, Aretha was expanding her artistic persona. This album is good, not great, good. It made theatrical sense that Aretha (only Soul musics greatest female singer) and Quincy Jones(one of Musics genius')be teamed up.The problem was Aretha's down home gospel driven vocals combined with the experimental Jazz that quincy was adding to the equasion, came off as odd to many people.In comparison to albums like "I never loved a man" and "Spirit in the dark" one almost asks, is this the same artist? The album's success could have gone either way, wildly successful or a complete flop, sadly the album took to the ladder.The songs were not overly catchy or could even be considered R&B of the time. The major exception, the whole reason to buy this album comes from the 7+ minute song "Just right tonight". I heard this song and said "wow" this song is so amazing it will send shivers through your entire body. I truly feel this is Aretha's most INTENSE,SOULFUL and by far her BEST recording ever! The albums shows off some of Arethas amazing vocal prowess. The song Angel is beautiful and awe inspiring, while "Moody's mood" leaves your head spinning, with the thousand lyrics a minute way in which it is sung.
A good, not great, but good album.
One last note. Master of Eyes is also included on the album. The first time it was ever available on the album. THe song was not included on the origional vinyl release.

Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of Aretha!).......2004-12-27

I am sooOOOoooo glad to be reading positive reviews of this album, especially since it is one of the most difficult Aretha Franklin albums to aquire. And I agree, it is also Aretha's finest, most introspective work to date. When it was first released, I did not understand why it didn't top the charts, as I did not understand the commercial whoring of the industry yet. All I knew is that I had discovered soul, and was enveloped by it's messenger. Buy this album, and hear what true artistic nirvana is.

Aretha's Tour de Force.......2004-08-19

In my humble opinion, this lp stands as Aretha's singular greatest acheivement, the moment when she advanced light years from what was at the time the reliable hit machine she, Jerry Wexler and Arif Mardin had evolved into. No female before her had created a song cycle as esoteric as this one. She seems to be speaking directly to her demons in a way I don't think her audience was willing to comprehend. Very similar in many respects to Marvin Gaye's "Here My Dear" though not as literal.
That the project was deemed a failure, almost assures it's place as a cult favorite among Aretha fans. Listening to the album in it's entirety, I think that Aretha was purging herself of the some of the pressures surrounding her at the time. There is a joy inside the melancholy of her singing. I don't know, it just feels cathartic at the end.
QJ's production doesn't overwhelm as it tended to with his later projects. Aretha gets lots of room to just sing.
And we're all the richer for it.
She'd return to a career making coda with "Let Me In Your Life" but this lp shows us her willingness to push the limits of r&b/pop/jazz and broadway to their extremes.