Al Green Albums (31)
What The Critics Say
The big question that greets listeners encountering Al Green's third Blue Note album, Lay It Down, is: what happens when you put that amazing soul-drenched voice in the hands of hip-hop producers Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson of the Roots and James Poyser, and add a slew of superstar guests? Answer: a killer Al Green soul album. Thompson and Poyser weren't interested in straying far from the classic sound Green and producer Willie Mitchell created at Hi Records in the 1970s, but they did want to place it in a more contemporary -- albeit analog -- setting. Green cut his previous offerings for the label -- 2003's I Can't Stop and 2005's Everything's OK -- with Mitchell, and the results were good, not great, albums because Green's sound was simply re-created nostalgically. Even though Thompson and Poyser have been very creative here with their nuanced percussive, textural, and dynamic touches, Lay It Down is more of a classic-sounding Green record than either of its predecessors. The producers are at the core of a studio band (on drums and various analog keyboards, respectively) that also includes Mighty Clouds of Joy guitarist Chalmers "Spanky" Alford (in whose memory the album is dedicated), bassist Adam Blackstone (Jill Scott), and the Dap-Kings Horns. There are some beautifully arranged strings by Larry Gold in places as well. Lay It Down is a slow-burning, solid groover of a soul record; its dynamics and textures shift subtly and purposely to keep Green's voice at the center of its sound. The opening title track hosts one of two spots by Anthony Hamilton. Green and Hamilton are all silky and sweet on the refrain, but Green's delivery on the verses moves toward his grittier side. The strings offer a deeply emotional resonance without going over the top. Poyser's B-3 accents Blackstone's bassline and Thompson keeps time on the bass drum and hi-hat alone. Alford's guitar fills come from the well of the Delta blues. It's a deeply moving exercise in restraint as force. Hamilton also duets with Green on the funkier "You've Got the Love I Need." It's one of two overtly sensual tunes on the set, with horns moving out of the intro and into a striking transcendent verse. The bass and drum groove is infectious, the horn section punches it up, and Alford's jazzy guitar solo puts it over the top. "Take Your Time" is a duet with Corinne Bailey Rae. The melody and arrangement walk the tightrope between classic soul and late doo wop balladry. The rhythm section and horns dress the lines in a slow, low, humid groove, while Poyser's keys and Alford's fingerpicked electric wrap themselves around each verse as the strings pillow the singers' voices softly and silkily. John Legend duets with Green on "Stay with Me (By the Sea)." Its "la-la-la" vocal intro sets the pace for a swaying, tender, babymaker ballad. Thompson's backbeat creates a mellow, understated, steamy funk groove. The near cooing, seductive pleas from the singers rise to meet the bubbling bassline and horns. Star power aside (all of it welcome and worthy), Green still sounds best when he's on his own. The open-throated midtempo ballad "No One Like You," with gorgeous backing vocals by Jaguar Wright and Mercedes Martinez, and the closer, an Otis Redding-esque uptempo burner called "Standing in the Rain," are cases in point. If there is a flaw on the set, it's that individual tracks don't assert themselves immediately. Green, Poyser, and Thompson were going for immediacy and feel: nine of the album's 11 cuts had basic tracks done in their first session. They achieved their goal and then some. The album feels of such an atmospheric piece and is so present that it initially comes off as a whole. That said, there is no better place to spend 45 minutes than in Lay It Down's dreamy, sensual, gritty, and tender sound world. Al Green's continued vitality and creativity are gifts to us all. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Al Green's second record for Blue Note reunites the same cast of characters who made his comeback disc, 2003's I Can't Stop, such a success. Willie Mitchell is behind the boards, the cream of old-school Hi musicians is here, and Green hasn't lost a step vocally. In fact, it sounds like he has gained a step somehow; his crazed screams, hollered interjections, and whoops of joy seem more assured and his falsetto is clear and strong. The songs are here, too, with a good mix of uptempo movers (the rollicking "Build Me Up," the high-energy title track, and "Nobody But You") and sweet, string-laden ballads ("Perfect to Me," "Real Love," and "All the Time"). Green sounds on fire most of the time, really letting loose on "Everything's OK," testifying on "Be My Baby," and ripping it up like a kid everywhere else. Mitchell's production is wonderfully organic but also very lush, as there is a higher reliance on strings, background singers, and percussion to fatten up the sound this time out. This is often a sign that the singer is losing it somehow, but there is no cover-up being perpetrated here -- they are just shooting for the richest, lushest sound possible. And getting it, too. Such is the magic that Mitchell and Green conjure that they can rescue duff tracks like the terminally mawkish "You Are So Beautiful" with some unconsciously soulful vocals and subtle production, just like they did in the '70s. Speaking of the '70s, this record marks a step away from the Hi nostalgia of I Can't Stop. There are fewer obvious backward nods in the sound (hardly any of that Hi organ!) and in the songwriting; instead, the duo seem focused on creating a modern soul record with none of the trappings of earlier recordings, and they succeed dramatically. Consider I Can't Stop the rehab assignment in Triple A, while Everything's OK is the home run Green fans have been dreaming about. It may not replace Let's Stay Together or I'm Still in Love With You, but you could play it back to back with either of them and not hear much difference other than time. Too bad about the amateurish cover art, though -- it is the one thing about the record that pales in comparison to Al Green's best. ~ Tim Sendra, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Thomas Wolfe may have said you can't go home again, but he was wrong. People go home again all the time. Usually when they do they find that it just isn't the same. When musicians attempt to go back home, it usually turns out to be a pale imitation at best and a disaster at worst. On his 2003 album, I Can't Stop, Al Green attempts to go back home. The album was recorded at the Hi studios with old cohort Willie Mitchell behind the boards and helping write the songs, with members of the Hi session crew providing the music (right down to the same female backup singers). I Can't Stop is certainly no disaster; it is a well-made, funky, fun record that proves two things -- the Hi sound lives and Al Green still has it ("it" being all the things that made him so great in the '70s, things like charisma, style, and that amazing voice). He whoops and hollers his way through I Can't Stop like a man committed, fully alive, and excited by the chance to get old-school funky. That joy translates to the listener; it is hard to stop smiling and bopping along as the album plays. When Green lets loose with his trademark falsetto burst, it's like the last 30 years never happened. As for the sound of the record, it is awesome to hear the Hi sound as played by the real-deal guys who built it in the first place. Expecting the record to sound exactly like a Hi record from the early '70s is unrealistic and the recording process reflects the technology of the age with a clean, well-separated sound. The drums are far too loud and processed, with the cymbals too high in the mix. Still, the combination of Green's voice and the replica Hi sound will raise goosebumps, but not throughout the whole record as some of the songs are kind of weak ("Play to Win" is a standard modern blues shuffle and "My Problem Is You" is a pretty corny Vegas-styled big-band ballad). When the songs are strong, like the thrilling album opener "I Can't Stop," the funky "You," the hard-rocking "I've Been Thinkin' Bout You," the almost perfect "Million to One," and the weepy ballad "Not Tonight" (which comes complete with classic Hi organ swoops), this record is as good as could be hoped for. Green has brought it all back home with style, class, and -- most of all -- total commitment. For that Willie Mitchell deserves a world of credit. He and Green make a perfect team; listeners can only hope they stay together. ~ Tim Sendra, All Music Guide
'Feels Like Christmas'
Release Date 8/28/2001
Tracks 10
Label Capitol
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Feels Like Christmas features legendary soul singer Al Green performing ten holiday classics. It's a fairly predictable run-through: "Jingle Bells," "Silent Night," "Winter Wonderland," "White Christmas," "Christmas Song," and so on. Nonetheless, even if most of these songs are a little played-out, Green gives them new life with his charisma. He also offers a song of his own, the album-closing "Glory, Glory." Overall, if you like Green's singing, you'll surely enjoy Feels Like Christmas, even if it is a little skimpy on its offering. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
'Your Heart's in Good Hands'
Release Date 11/7/1995
Tracks 10
Label MCA
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Al Green Is Love'
Release Date 9/6/1994
Tracks 10
Label The Right Stuff
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
In a short time, Al Green became a premier singer in R&B and pop. With songs like "Look What You've Done for Me" and "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)," among many others, Green and producer Willie Mitchell refined the sounds of each genre. As Al Green Explores Your Mind was the peak of Green's insouciance, Al Green Is Love finds a starker reality -- the majority of the tracks here are ruminative but not always coherent. The first track, the propulsive "L-O-V-E (Love)," would be even more believable if Green didn't sound so ambivalent. Other up-tempo tracks, "I Gotta Be More" and "Rhymes," are edgy and dark, with great riffs from guitarist Mabon Hodges. The heart of Al Green Is Love is the ballads, though Green's not very happy, and those looking for heartwarming thoughts on romance won't find it here. "The Love Sermon" and, even better, "I Didn't Know" are spare, dirge-like songs that give Green great opportunities to turn in raw and emotional performances. "I Wish You Were Here" and "Could I Be the One" have producer Willie Mitchell offering suitably bleak arrangements to go with Green's airy vocals. The best track here, "There Is Love," strikes a balance between the customary production grace and the album's pervading sorrow. Al Green Is Love might be too depressing for some, but his fans will find Green's truthfulness appealing and some of the songs among his best. ~ Jason Elias, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This is the regular release follow-up to 1982's Precious Lord. That effort had Green doing a pretty much straight-faced religious effort. Despite a few gorgeous notes and some heartfelt standards, it may have been too staid and Nashville for his fans. This presents Green putting more R&B and his own free sprit into the mix. Whereas on efforts ranging from Full of Fire to Truth N' Time he seemed to reign himself in, by the first notes of 1980's Lord Will Make a Way, Green was back to using all of his confidence and charm. This effort also reflects that thinking. The first track, the suitably quirky and proficient "It Don't Take Much," has Green's religious message taking a backseat to his melismatic flourishes. It's a compromise most Green fans can live with. Green's charisma throughout seems to be oblique to the pretty strong religious content that's here. But often when Green is attempting to hit listeners over the head with it, the results are just so-so. "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" and "I Just Can't Make It By Myself" are for the traditionalists, but his flagging attention span sinks them both. That's certainly not true of one particular track. This album's transcendent moment belongs to "Ocean Blue (I'll Rise Again)." Mixing in sounds of crashing waves, and a methodical, steady arrangement, Green's conviction and winsome qualities come in loud and clear. Recorded at Green's own American Music Studio, I'll Rise Again is a warm and skilled effort that can stand with some of Green's best work. ~ Jason Elias, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Al Green finally recorded a holiday album in 1983, years after his popularity had waned until he was left with only a cult following. Even though he was no longer having hits, Green was still an astonishing vocalist, and he breathes life into these fairly predictable (and utterly too-slick) pop-soul arrangements of such familiar tunes as "Jingle Bells," "I'll Be Home for Christmas," "Silent Night," "O Holy Night," "Winter Wonderland," "The Christmas Song" and "White Christmas." His joyous, vibrant vocals energize the otherwise formulaic music and help make Christmas Album a fine holiday record. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The '80s found Al Green again connecting to pop and R&B audiences with his brand of charming and sometimes erotic gospel. After signing with the independent A&M in 1985, Green seemed to grow a little tired of straight-ahead gospel fare and satisfied his yen for pop by way of covers or songs with ambiguous meanings. I Get Joy follows the trend. The ballad "You're Everything to Me" could either be about God or a woman, but he does a nice high-pitched vocal on it. The resigned yet fatalistic "The End Is Near" finds Green snatching the music from the Jackson 5's "I'll Be There." The title track is a rousing old-time gospel tune with churning organs juxtaposed by synthesizers; of course, it also has Green doing some great riffs and growling, "I feel good today." The hit from the album, the new jack swing remix of "As Long as We're Together," was done by Al B. Sure. Unfortunately, the track has too much hardware and the original Truth N' Time-style version of the song was infinitely better. The gorgeous "Blessed" does a better job with the synths; Green sings about everything from an indifferent landlord and returned money to sweating out employment woes, making you believe every syllable. "Tryin' to Get You" would have worked alright if it wasn't for the melody, uncomfortably close to the Eagles' "Take It to Limit." I Get Joy isn't a great Green effort, but with some of his vocals it often comes close. ~ Jason Elias, All Music Guide
