In the days following her death on Aug. 16 from pancreatic cancer, Aretha Franklin was alternately eulogized as the “Queen of Soul” and upbraided as a self-absorbed diva. (Her funeral occurs today in Detroit.) 

The praise vastly outweighed the excoriation and focused on her indomitable voice, her string of iconic late-’60s hits, and her longevity. (Her final album of original material, Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics, came out in 2014, 58 years after the recording of her first, Songs of Faith.)  

Since the appearance of the last issue’s review addressing new recordings of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, at least two more have been released. And the one by the harpsichordist Wolfgang Rübsam (Naxos Classics) surpasses even those by Diego Ares and Yoshiko Ieki (see “There-and-back-again journeys,” Sept. 1).

Arthur Buck

Arthur Buck

The Arthur is Joseph, the seldom boring singer-songwriter-visual-artist. The Buck is Peter, the guitarist without whom R.E.M. might never have taken the underground overground. And if this collaboration isn’t the strongest musical statement that either has ever made, neither is it anywhere close to their weakest. As the programmed drums seem to emerge from the acoustic-electric-guitar mesh, the lyrics seem to emerge from the hooks. They also resonate on more than one level even when they’re calling for another American revolution.

Almost one year into its existence, the #MeToo movement’s leaders are still working to turn outcry into action. They hit a potential setback this week when Italian actress and filmmaker Asia Argento, one of the first public faces of the movement, faced accusations that she sexually assaulted a 17-year-old boy in 2013.

From 1967 to 1972, Aretha Franklin was on fire. She had released her first album, a gospel collection, in 1956 at age 14 and gained popularity as a jazz and blues singer. But it wasn’t until she moved to Atlantic records in ’67 and recorded Otis Redding’s “Respect” that her career burst into full flame, fanned by the winds of the feminist and civil rights movements.

Gene Clark Sings for You

Gene Clark

The first eight songs come from 1967 demos that the talented but self-sabotaging ex-Byrd circulated in hopes of landing a solo record deal. The last six come from demos that he gave to the one-hit-wonder folk-rock group the Rose Garden. “Down on the Pier” is to Dylan’s “4th Time Around” what “4th Time Around” is to the Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood.” McGuinn, Crosby, and Hillman could do a lot worse than to record valedictory versions of all 14. They should start with “Doctor Doctor.”

The “Queen of Soul,” Aretha Franklin, died Thursday from pancreatic cancer. She was 76.