Dick Claeys writes of Aretha Franklin's planned album o' arias:

>Perhaps it is a sign that the apocalypse is, indeed, upon us...

No doubt the record will send opera aficionados scrambling for cottonballs
or icepicks to shove into their ears.  I probably won't buy the record,
either.  But I watched Ms. Franklin's performance of "Nessun Dorma" on the
Grammys a couple of years ago, and although you could hear her strain here
and there, by God, it was a moving thing to behold.  Very passionate,
soulful.

In short, her venture into opera very well may be worthy of our
r-e-s-p-e-c-t.

Regards,
Bob Chen
Los Angeles, CA