The good news is that Aretha Franklin, who just turned 69, is recording, and that her magnificent instrument, though thinning a bit, retains plenty of its power and agility. She's calling her own shots here, as executive producer, head of her own label and, on numerous tracks, producer and/or songwriter. There are magic moments: the vocal fireworks capping a cover of B.B. King's "Sweet Sixteen," and the playful Seventies-style soul-jazz jammy "U Can't See Me." But unmemorable songs and overcooked arrangements suggest too many opportunities squandered. Here's hoping the Roots, T Bone Burnett and Rick Rubin all submit producer applications for Her Majesty's next outing.

The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Aretha Franklin

“V.T.T.L.O.T.F.D.G.F.”

Quite a few musicians have utilized initials for song titles -- Michael Jackson's "P.Y.T.," Abba's "S.O.S.," Donald Fagen's "I.G.Y.," etc. But the more curiously initialed tune has to be "V.T.T.L.O.T.F.D.G.F.," short for "Voyage to the Land of the Freeze-Dried Godzilla Farts." Fishbone's original guitarist, Kendall Jones, explained to Rolling Stone, "When Norwood [Fisher] wrote it, he introduced it to the band saying, 'Man, I've been hearing about all these Nazi right-wing groups on the news saying the Holocaust was staged. So what if America said it never dropped two atom bombs on Japan, that it was actually Godzilla popping a couple off?' Only Norwood would come up with something that out." The same year "V.T.T.L.O.T.F.D.G.F." was released, the film Godzilla 1985 appeared in North America.