There are two problems with trying to write about and opine about singers.
One is that it is impossible for words to adequately describe a great singer. You might as well attempt to explain a sunset, knowing that the English language is inadequate for capturing the majesty involved in such a heavenly creation.
The other problem is that singing is inherently subjective; I might be touched and moved by a particular voice that does not resonate as deeply with you. We could argue about it, but it would be hard to say either of us is “wrong” about a matter of opinion. For example, I might believe that Aretha Franklin is the finest singer in the history of recorded sound, the human manifestation of a choir of angels whose voice slips the surly bonds of earth and connects the listener’s soul with something that transcends our humanity, and you might disagree.
You would be wrong.
And so I was compelled to go see “Amazing Grace,” a documentary detailing the 1972 recording of Franklin’s best-selling gospel album of the same name. Filmed over two nights at a tiny church in Los Angeles — with an audience of parishioners, a band, famed singer the Rev. James Cleveland, and a traditional Baptist choir — the film essentially is an 87-minute Aretha Franklin gospel concert.
That provides a unique opportunity to view extraordinary art in a pure form.
For one thing, the film immediately becomes the ultimate document of the ultimate singer, nothing more than Aretha wrenching her gift from the depths of her soul. For another, it provides an opportunity to see an artist in an unfamiliar setting, singing the hymns of her youth devoid of the familiarity of the radio hits and devoid of studio production techniques.
