#451: First Take

Revisiting Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2020)

Roberta Flack, 1969

Roberta Flack’s First Take, her debut from 1969, is a soulful, jazzy rock album that is incredible. She’s primarily known as an interpreter of other peoples’ songs, as she is a classically trained pianist and vocalist, and she elevates the songs here to a new understanding and appreciation. The highlights are “The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face” and an incredible cover of Leonard Cohen's “Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye.” The opener “Compared to What” is a funky assertion of purpose, and “Tryin’ Times” is an anthem worthy of Nina Simone.

“The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face” is an incredible song. Her restraint and powerful voice within that restraint is masterful, creating an emotional and vulnerable ballad. This is a great album by a great artist - she passed away in 2025 at age 88.