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2CDs, Albums 5 to 8 + 1 bonus track - MORE ESSENTIAL LISTENING - dynamite soul with Al at his peak.CALL ME, LIVIN' FOR YOU, EXPLORES YOUR MIND & IS LOVE
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Starting with "Call Me" this set tracks Al Green in the middle phase of his Hi career. As a huge fan of the man I collected all these on Vinyl (and still have them), and for me he represents everything that was good about Soul in the late 60's and early 70's.
By this stage, he had established something of a blueprint for an Al Green album - the loping relaxed rythym section and the metronome beat, courtesy of the Hodges Brothers and producer Willie Mitchell.
"Call Me" is a Soul album, but shows a very clear link to Country music, not surprising since both have their roots in the South. Al is on fine self pitying form on "So Lonesome..." and "Funny How Time Slips Away" . There are a couple of hits here, but no showstopping cover, something that had been a feature of previous albums
"Livin' for You" has such a cover - Al Greens version of "Unchained Melody" is a masterpiece, with drums, strings and guitar used sparingly to point up the double tracked vocal. In truth the rest of the album struggles to live up to this, but there a couple of worthwhile tracks, like "Free at Last" (rare social comment from Al here) and the title track.
"Explores Your Mind " finds him back on top form. There is "Take Me To The River", and the single "Sha La La" and the quality is much more even. Tracks like "Hangin'On and Hooked On You" stand comparison with his best.
"Al Green is Love" continues the rich vein. Once again, every track deserves attention and there is more variety than you might expect, from Funk on "Love Ritual" via a semi blues "Rhymes" to a the more standard Al on "Oh Me Oh My" - this vies with "Still In Love With You" as my favourite Al Green album.
Incidentally , ending the set is the ballad "Strong as Death" which featured as a "B" side to "Oh Me Oh My" and did not feature on the original album - worth the admission price on it's own, this is a piece of Green at his most quirky, but somehow it works brilliantly.
At the price this set is an essential purchase for anyone interested in exploring the Soul music of the era.
By this stage, he had established something of a blueprint for an Al Green album - the loping relaxed rythym section and the metronome beat, courtesy of the Hodges Brothers and producer Willie Mitchell.
"Call Me" is a Soul album, but shows a very clear link to Country music, not surprising since both have their roots in the South. Al is on fine self pitying form on "So Lonesome..." and "Funny How Time Slips Away" . There are a couple of hits here, but no showstopping cover, something that had been a feature of previous albums
"Livin' for You" has such a cover - Al Greens version of "Unchained Melody" is a masterpiece, with drums, strings and guitar used sparingly to point up the double tracked vocal. In truth the rest of the album struggles to live up to this, but there a couple of worthwhile tracks, like "Free at Last" (rare social comment from Al here) and the title track.
"Explores Your Mind " finds him back on top form. There is "Take Me To The River", and the single "Sha La La" and the quality is much more even. Tracks like "Hangin'On and Hooked On You" stand comparison with his best.
"Al Green is Love" continues the rich vein. Once again, every track deserves attention and there is more variety than you might expect, from Funk on "Love Ritual" via a semi blues "Rhymes" to a the more standard Al on "Oh Me Oh My" - this vies with "Still In Love With You" as my favourite Al Green album.
Incidentally , ending the set is the ballad "Strong as Death" which featured as a "B" side to "Oh Me Oh My" and did not feature on the original album - worth the admission price on it's own, this is a piece of Green at his most quirky, but somehow it works brilliantly.
At the price this set is an essential purchase for anyone interested in exploring the Soul music of the era.
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The 3rd set in this series contains the final 4 albums Al recorded for Hi records. This takes the listener to the point where he became the Reverend Al Green and renounced secular music. On all 4 albums there are hints of this on several songs, although none are full on Gospel, the lyrics are usually ambiguous.
On "Full Of Fire" the usual Al Green elements are well in evidence, and there are a couple of uptempo delights in "Let It Shine", which is almost funk, and the title track. The rest of the album features several slow love songs, but my personal favourite is "Thats the Way It Is", which hits a a loping hypnotic groove.
"Have a Good Time" is probably my least favourite Al Green album, largely because of the production - gone is the spare and pared down sound which allowed Al to weave in and out of the tune, and although he is still on fine vocal form, there are to many tracks where he is way back in the mix, drowned in syrupy backing vocals and strings - "Smile..." is simply awful, as an example. Paradoxically, when he does revisit that sound, he comes up with an absolute classic - "Nothing Takes the lace Of You" is vintage Al Green and superb.
Happily, everyone seems to have got the message, because "Belle" gets back to a more basic sound, and it has several stand out tracks as a result. You have the Funk of "Chariots Of Fire" and "I Feel Good" (not the JB song), with the shuffling "Loving You", which bursts into life on the chorus. Slower pace is found on the title track and the closer "Dream", which harks back to those ballad covers that featured on his albums earlier in the decade. Incidentally, most of the tracks have a religious lyric.
When we get to "Truth and Time", things are leaning even more towards the Gospel, e.g. King of All. The vocal performance is still typical Al Green for the most part, as on the title track and there is Funk on "Wait Here" and "Happy"(someone had obviously been listening to the Isleys and Stevie Wonder), but this is not an altogether convincing album.
Taken as a whole and for completeness this is worth your time and money, but buy it for a few stand out tracks rather than to immerse yourself in the man's talent - buy volumes 1 and 2 for that
On "Full Of Fire" the usual Al Green elements are well in evidence, and there are a couple of uptempo delights in "Let It Shine", which is almost funk, and the title track. The rest of the album features several slow love songs, but my personal favourite is "Thats the Way It Is", which hits a a loping hypnotic groove.
"Have a Good Time" is probably my least favourite Al Green album, largely because of the production - gone is the spare and pared down sound which allowed Al to weave in and out of the tune, and although he is still on fine vocal form, there are to many tracks where he is way back in the mix, drowned in syrupy backing vocals and strings - "Smile..." is simply awful, as an example. Paradoxically, when he does revisit that sound, he comes up with an absolute classic - "Nothing Takes the lace Of You" is vintage Al Green and superb.
Happily, everyone seems to have got the message, because "Belle" gets back to a more basic sound, and it has several stand out tracks as a result. You have the Funk of "Chariots Of Fire" and "I Feel Good" (not the JB song), with the shuffling "Loving You", which bursts into life on the chorus. Slower pace is found on the title track and the closer "Dream", which harks back to those ballad covers that featured on his albums earlier in the decade. Incidentally, most of the tracks have a religious lyric.
When we get to "Truth and Time", things are leaning even more towards the Gospel, e.g. King of All. The vocal performance is still typical Al Green for the most part, as on the title track and there is Funk on "Wait Here" and "Happy"(someone had obviously been listening to the Isleys and Stevie Wonder), but this is not an altogether convincing album.
Taken as a whole and for completeness this is worth your time and money, but buy it for a few stand out tracks rather than to immerse yourself in the man's talent - buy volumes 1 and 2 for that
Format:Audio CD
Got vols 1 & 2. Only had a best of before. Its great getting all Als early work on 4 cds. He is SOO good, if you like the man and his music, or 60s/70s soul thoroughly recommend this. Ive also bought some of his later works, from the 80s and 90s and that is also well worth listening to. Someone once said Al Green was made by God to put a smile on your face and this music sure does that. God bless ya Al.
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