Long out of print or unavailable except in dodgy releases, this important document of soul queen Aretha Franklin's earliest gospel recordings clearly shows where she got all her chops: in church. The recording quality isn't the best fidelity even in this official release, but the tunes show the young singer truly wrapped inside a devotional ecstasy. The infamous "Precious Lord" single is included in its entirety, as are several recordings made with her father, the great preacher Reverend C.L. Franklin. "You Grow Closer" is a fairly essential recording for fans of gospel soul everywhere. But for Aretha acolytes, the disc is a must; Franklin's pipes open up with full-bore intensity on "Precious Lord," in anticipation of greatness to come. It's difficult to believe she was just a teenager when she sang these hymns. --Mike McGonigal