I need two characteristics of a recording be present for me to consider spending big bucks on a new reissue---music that I don’t just like, but love, and the original recorded sound quality be sufficiently high to justify a superior remastering and pressing. Aretha’s Gold certainly fulfills both those criteria! Great songs, great singing, great production by Jerry Wexler, good engineering by Tom Dowd (there is a great documentary film about him, and a book) and the musicianship of the Muscle Shoals musicians, i.e. The Swampers. The original Atlantic Records pressing is nothing to write home about, so the new reissue is now at the top of my "Buy" list.