First Take
by Roberta Flack

First Take by Roberta Flack
Year: 1969
Overall rank: 4,024th   Overall chart history
Average Rating: 
77/100 (from 89 votes)
  Ratings distribution   Average rating history
Accolades:
Award Top albums of 1969 (84th)
Award Top albums of the 1960s (342nd)
Award Best albums of all time (4,024th)

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Roberta Flack - FIRST TAKE - 1969 Atlantic SD 8230 Presswell Repress Ships Free
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Roberta Flack First Take LP Vinyl Record SD-8230
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ROBERTA FLACK - First Take (1969) Record VG+ R68
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Roberta Flack bestography

First Take is ranked as the best album by Roberta Flack.

Roberta Flack album bestography « Higher ranked
-
This album (4,024th)
First Take
Lower ranked (16,120th) »
Killing Me Softly

(N.B. Bestographies include all albums by an artist (and their variations), but do not include albums ranked outside the top 100,000).

Upcoming concerts

Apr
04
Sat
Pity Party (Girls Club) w/Special Guest: Buddha Trixie
The Regent Theater, Los Angeles, United States. United States
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Apr
10
Fri
Fabulous Thunderbirds
District Live, Savannah, United States. United States
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Mar
28
Sat
Mindchatter: Giving Up On Words Tour
Scoot Inn, Austin, United States. United States
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First Take rankings

Rankings summary
Overall rank: 4,024th | 1960s rank: 342nd | 1969 rank: 84th
Filter Filter
Sort Sort by
YearSourceChartRankRank Score
2026 LiedzeitTop 52 Music Albums of 196917/523
2026byuzakGreatest Music Albums 100-2001/51 -
2026henrygreen0203Top 100 Music Albums of the 1960s69/1006
2026henrygreen0203Top 100 Greatest Music Albums93/1008
2026RiveraBest of Rest74/100 -
2026pinkfreud1981Best 100 albums ever. ( 1 per artist)97/100 -
2026jlsfourthTop 60 Music Albums of the 1960s3/6019
2026 TamthebamTop 100 Music Albums of the 1960s54/1009
2026jlsfourthTop 100 Greatest Music Albums17/10083
2026matterhornriderTop 80 Music Albums of 196950/802
2026 TamthebamTop 100 Music Albums of 196917/1004
2026JohnnyoAlbums of the year 1969 by Ultimate Record Collector28/100 -
2026jlsfourthTop 100 Albums of the 20th Century16/100 -
2026 AAL2014Top 98 Music Albums of 196945/983
2026Exist-en-cielTop 80 Music Albums of 196940/803
2026 DommeDamianTop 39 Music Albums of 196931/391
2025BorderFreeAndrewTop 100 Music Albums of 196946/1003
2025byuzakTop 43 Music Albums of 19693/435
2025lanadeleswiftTop 45 Music Albums of 196943/450
2025replacementlevelTop 50 Music Albums of 196936/502
Total Charts: Help The total number of charts that this album has appeared in. 99
Total Rank Score: Help The total rank score. 359
You can include this album in your own chart from the My Charts page!

First Take collection

First Take ratings

Average Rating: 
77/100 (from 89 votes)
  Ratings distribution Help Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.

Showing latest 5 ratings for this album. | Show all 89 ratings for this album.

Sort Sort by
RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
80/100
 
02/28/2026 21:54 DaveH68  Ratings distribution  1,36376/100
 
75/100
 
02/26/2026 16:04 Juneof44  Ratings distribution  2,58469/100
 
75/100
 
02/23/2026 09:02 cicadelic  Ratings distribution  12,18373/100
 
70/100
 
01/01/2026 03:15 Proto  Ratings distribution  4,11033/100
 
75/100
 
12/15/2025 23:48 Exist-en-ciel  Ratings distribution  7,85770/100

Rating metrics: Help Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)

This album is rated in the top 3% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 77.5/100, a mean average of 77.5/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 78.1/100. The standard deviation for this album is 12.2.

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First Take favourites

Showing all 11 members who have added this album as a favourite

First Take comments

Showing all 6 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Positive Sentiment First | Longest Comments First
(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)

From 02/11/2024 20:23 | #301932
Album Rating: 82.50
(660/8)

20.06.1969

Roberta Flack (USA): First Take

1.Compared To What. 86
2.Angelitos Negros. 85
3.Our Ages Or Our Hearts. 83
4.I Told Jesus. 84
5.Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye. 84
6.The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. 73
7.Tryin' Times. 87
8.Ballad Of The Sad Young Men. 78

In order:

Roberta Flack (FT) - Tryin' Times. 87
Roberta Flack (FT) - Compared To What. 86
Roberta Flack (FT) - Angelitos Negros. 85
Roberta Flack (FT) - Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye. 84
Roberta Flack (FT) - I Told Jesus. 84
Roberta Flack (FT) - Our Ages Or Our Hearts. 83
Roberta Flack (FT) - Ballad Of The Sad Young Men. 78
Roberta Flack (FT) - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. 73
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 03/01/2023 15:51 | #294608
A stunning album with a very profoundly influential late-night balladry style. A very thought-provoking and beautiful album from Roberta. The songs are long, but that is part of the charm.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
70/100
From 02/15/2021 03:22 | #266330
A number of slower songs with long run times. If it was all as groovy as Compared to What, this might be a top-tier album.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 03/20/2020 04:33 | #248890
A haunting debut album, just mostly Roberta & her piano singing songs she'd performed for the past 18 months at Mr Henry's in Washington DC. It does almost feel like a live album hence the title "First Take"the songs are long memorable affairs the standout being The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face which became a huge hit in 1972 after featuring in the Clint Eastwood film "Play Misty For Me". My personal favourites from this album are That's No Way To Say Goodbye, Ballad Of The Sad Young Men & Our Ages or Our Hearts.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 04/14/2017 16:26 | #189269
A perfect voice Mrs. Roberta Flack, "First Take" is her debut and best album. Ron Carter is on the bass. My favourite track is "Tryin' Times"
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 03/05/2016 21:20 | #161381
While not my favorite... this is a really high quality album. 1,4,5,6 are my favorites.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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Best Albums of 1969
1. Abbey Road by The Beatles
2. In The Court Of The Crimson King (An Observation By King Crimson) by King Crimson
3. Led Zeppelin II by Led Zeppelin
4. Let It Bleed by The Rolling Stones
5. Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin
6. The Velvet Underground by The Velvet Underground
7. Five Leaves Left by Nick Drake
8. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere by Neil Young & Crazy Horse
9. In A Silent Way by Miles Davis
10. Hot Rats by Frank Zappa
11. Tommy by The Who
12. The Band by The Band
13. Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
14. Arthur Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire by The Kinks
15. The Stooges by The Stooges
16. Crosby, Stills & Nash by Crosby, Stills & Nash
17. Green River by Creedence Clearwater Revival
18. Stand! by Sly & The Family Stone
19. Willy And The Poor Boys by Creedence Clearwater Revival
20. Karma by Pharoah Sanders
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