My poem-review about “Amazing Grace:”
**clears throat**
“Ain’t Nothing Like…”
Ain’t nothing like…congregational sweat flailing that’ll make you wanna fry some chicken and grab some diabetically, unnaturally sweetened tea.
Ain’t nothing like… the graininess of film from back in the day. You know with that little hair on the side that keeps flickering. It’s annoying, but you respeck the authenticity.
Ain’t nothing like… a documentary that only uses archival footage and allows the product speak for itself. I mean nothing against 21st-century effects, but not using new-aged effects to digitally restore a piece of history whenever possible is preferable.
Ain’t nothing like… a well-‘sheen’-ed Afro. It glows. ✨ It glitters. ✨ It glistens. ✨
Ain’t nothing like… a black Baptist church. On this planet, okay. ‘Retha sang the titular song at the climax of this film and it did something special.
The song was introduced by Rev. Cleveland and he prefaced it with a brief statement about the history of black people in the US over the last two decades. Mind you, this was recorded in January 1972 in Watts, Los Angeles—think the boycotts, the March on Washington, the Voting Rights Act, the assassination of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Medgar Evers. Think the Watts riots of the 1960s specifically. Like…*takes a deep breath*…when Rev. Cleveland stopped in the middle of the performance because he was so overwhelmed and overcome with great emotion, and couple that with Aretha SANGING DOWN one of the most recognized hymns ever! It was incredible and made me perk up in my chair. That’s emotion you cannot fake. I felt like I was in the room. You just soak up that energy and think about where WE are today.
By the time this was recorded, Queen had 11 consecutive #1 songs. She was a GOD in the music world, and rather than recording a live album in a studio, she went to church in Watts in Los Angeles, a community rehabilitating from the riots.
Imagine the room. Imagine the feeling–the spirit in those pews.
This film made me feel at home. It made me feel like Charles City County, New Kent County, Toano, Virginia-home. Deep-fried, artery clogged, Sunday dinner-type home, ya know. I thought about the days when my little sister and I would sing together every morning during summer church camp to start the day. It brought back so many good feelings, especially since I haven’t practiced organized religion in a really long time. This was a film to help me emote, it sent chills down my spine, and I’m thankful for it…
Ain’t no one like… QUEEN👑Aretha Franklin.
…and we’ll NEVER have another like her. Rest in Power, Queen ‘Retha.