AL GREEN: CLASSIC OR DUD?

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OV Wright. A nickel and a nail. and Anne Peebles 99 Pounds or Tear your playhouse down.

― gaz (gaz), Monday, 7 April 2003 02:10 (twenty-three years ago)

Not a surprise for anyone who knows me but I pick Ann Peebles' "I Can't Stand the Rain" as not only the best pop single of all time but also really the only single that actually out-Memphises and out-souls "Let's Stay Together" and/or "Still in Love With You"

Kind of a surprise: I'm reviewing the reissues of those first Al Green albums on Hi, and Green Is Blue actually stacks up pretty well. Bonus track of him singing "I Want to Hold Your Hand" is OMG killa fire-honoring cover of all time

― Neudonym, Monday, 7 April 2003 04:11 (twenty-three years ago)

Al Green's unlikely covers are amazing

― James Blount (James Blount), Monday, 7 April 2003 04:30 (twenty-three years ago)

Beyond classic. Quintessential is more like it. Don't forget "Gets Next to You" either. An essential album that precedes the Trinity.

Ann Peebles'"Trouble, Heartaches, and Sadness" is another Hi-Records gem that Al Green lovahs should search from her great album, "Straight From the Heart."

― Cub, Monday, 7 April 2003 04:46 (twenty-three years ago)

Instead of putting out needless best-of after needless best-of (the original Greatest Hits from '75 is perfect, and the albums are basically all worth owning, HINT TOM) The Right Stuff really ought to just do a covers comp. What a thing of wonder that would be....

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 7 April 2003 12:03 (twenty-three years ago)

are the new reissues that much of an improvement soundwise (a la the Stones reissues which are) I should rebuy them?

― James Blount (James Blount), Monday, 7 April 2003 13:37 (twenty-three years ago)

...possibly the stupidest question ever posed in the history of mankind

― Dadaismus, Monday, 7 April 2003 13:58 (twenty-three years ago)

JB: The reissues are okay, soundwise, but I wouldn't say the transfer is Oh My God Amazing You Can Hear The Spittle! or anything. But they've all got bonus tracks, and maybe if more of us buy these Hi/Right Stuff will reissue everything. Right now it's just the first four...I don't know when/if they're getting to the rest of it.

But them bonus tracks is special. Green Is Blues includes not only "I Want to Hold Your Hand" but also two originals and a cover of Chuck Berry's "Memphis, Tennessee"; Gets Next to You has a nice long version of "Ride Sally Ride" and a couple more.

― Neudonym, Monday, 7 April 2003 14:02 (twenty-three years ago)

"Listen," a collection of rarities (earlier released on LP as "Love Ritual") is great. The remixed "bwana" version of "Love Ritual" is crazed Memphis/Afrobeat at its best. Willie Mitchell did a lot of great stuff--the Hi Records box contains much to enjoy. Bowlegs Miller doing "What Do You Mean" is probably my favorite non-Green Hi record, a truly insane song that my girlfriend notes I put on every single mix tape I made for a while, like Green I am an evangelist.

Mitchell's Royal Recording studio is still there in S. Memphis. Last time I visited the Big "S" Grill made a very good barbecue sandwich, good jukebox, and there's always Josie's Tamales near there if you need tamales, not to mention Blue Suede Shoe Shine...

― Jess Hill (jesshill), Monday, 7 April 2003 14:06 (twenty-three years ago)

I saw Al Green a couple of years ago in a big soft seat theatre and when he started "L-O-V-E", I somehow managed to leap to my feet in overexcitement and then instinctively tried to sit right back down in embarassment but my seat had automatically folded back up under me so I fell on my ass and as I got to my feet redfaced and I looked around me redfaced, everyone was just smiling happily at me like "I KNOW! I KNOW!" It was one of the nicest moments I've ever had seeing live music.

also, as others have mentioned here, there's a wealth of great stuff by other Hi artists like Ann Peebles, O.V. Wright, Otis Clay & Syl Johnson if you want more of that sound - what a band! Al Jackson and the Grimes bros, Willie Mitchell production... oh, oh, and Jess Hill is otm about the "Love Ritual" collection - "Up Above My Head is my favourite Al track maybe... sorry, it's just so fucking good... I'm about to fall off my chair again.

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 7 April 2003 14:16 (twenty-three years ago)

Otis Clay's "If I Could Reach Out (And Help Somebody)" is my favorite record in that late 60s/early 70s help-your-neighbor soul subgenre. Actually that's selling it short because that subgenre contained a lot of dross. It's a beautiful song and has the power to redeem the cliche referenced in the title. Another great Hi singer was George Jackson who sang one sang whose melody sounds suspiciously like the Clay tune just mentioned: "Aretha, Sing One for Me."

Like Stax/Volt etc., Hi's output was so prolific that a lot of horn and string charts, melodies, lyrical ideas, etc. got recycled. I have absolutely no problem with that whatever. It's actually a good way to determine what a given singer brings to the table.

I actually really like the later Hi stuff, from the late '70s, which both is slightly hampered by and benefits from a certain slackness, or quietude. Examples would be Ann Peebles's If This Is Heaven, Syl Johnson's Total Explosion, Al Green's Have a Good Time, etc.

O.V. Wright is sort of a force of nature; his Hi stuff sounds more like his pre-Hi stuff than you'd expect. He doesn't go "uptown" as much as other Hi artists of the period. "That's the Way I Feel About 'Cha" is a great balance though.

Crosspost w/Fritz!

― Amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 7 April 2003 14:21 (twenty-three years ago)

otis clay's "turning over the ground" deserves special mention too... and I meant "hodges bros." not "grimes bros.", I think. I need a valium thinking about this stuff.

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 7 April 2003 14:39 (twenty-three years ago)

also the cover art of the fantastic "Al Green Is Love" is hilarious, because the front cover is all nice and you look at it and think, "oh, Al Green Is Love" and then flip over to the back cover, where he's all sweaty and screwed up looking and you think , "Ugh, Al Green Is Stoned!"

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 7 April 2003 14:42 (twenty-three years ago)

haha!

― James Blount (James Blount), Monday, 7 April 2003 14:43 (twenty-three years ago)

but anyway if anyone wants to argue about Al Green, the question is surely "Is any of the post-secular/post-Hi stuff any good?"

I don't really know, not having ventured into it... though the oft-maligned "The Belle Album" - the transitional one - is quite good.

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 7 April 2003 14:45 (twenty-three years ago)

also, anyone ever been here?
http://www.algreen.com/propic6.jpg

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 7 April 2003 14:52 (twenty-three years ago)

YES I HAVE BEEN! The fulfillment of all my Brit white-boy fantasies!

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 7 April 2003 14:54 (twenty-three years ago)

RFI, S&D: Al Green's gospel recordings (though hardly anyone responded)

― Amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 7 April 2003 14:55 (twenty-three years ago)

Absolute classic. By the way, for those, like me, who are collecting the albums as they reissue them with bonus tracks, I emailed the label and they said that Call Me should be reissued by the end of the year, so I'm assuming that there's going to be another set of reissues coming soon.

― Jonathan, Monday, 7 April 2003 15:24 (twenty-three years ago)

"Belle Album" as far as I can tell has never been maligned. I have the orig. old Hi LP of it--I feel safe in asserting that it's Green's greatest album. "Call Me" is great too.

I was re-reading some Xgau reviews the other day and came across something he said about Green and the rhythm-section thing happening on those classic Hi records. Xgau says something about the "thick 3rd-beat" emphasis of the drumming and as far as I can tell that's a classic howler--Xgau can't count. He's hearing the second beat as the third beat for some reason--he's counting the eighth notes as quarter notes.

― Jess Hill (jesshill), Monday, 7 April 2003 15:39 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, I was gonna say, is Belle Album really "oft-maligned?" In any case, it's great. Really great, often overlooked Al Green tracks: "That's the Way It Is," "Let It Shine," "Home Again," "Country Boy," "Feels Like Summer," "To Sir With Love."

― Burr (Burr), Monday, 7 April 2003 17:41 (twenty-three years ago)

as far as I can tell that's not a howler at all--since the songs are in 4/4 time why wouldn't he count them that way? I always have.

search Hi Rhythm's On the Loose, reissued a couple years ago w/some photo instead of whatever the original cover art was. they're not kidding--it's really loose, like about-to-fall-apart loose, and extremely charming for it

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 7 April 2003 17:42 (twenty-three years ago)

It's a howler because he's counting the second beat as the third. If you count the eighth notes as quarter notes then "one-and-two" gets misheard as "one-two-three." So Xgau thinks the drummer is accenting on the third beat when it's really the second. That's a howler.

― Jess Hill (jesshill), Monday, 7 April 2003 19:24 (twenty-three years ago)

In fairness to Xgau, I think the term "howler" should be reserved for really egregious and obvious errors. As far as I'm concerned this is just a simple mistake; one that I would never have picked up on.

I love Al Green btw.

― Sean (Sean), Monday, 7 April 2003 19:50 (twenty-three years ago)

Wow, this turned from a no-brainer to an all-hearter, or something...

― Pete Scholtes, Tuesday, 8 April 2003 06:37 (twenty-three years ago)

anyone asks me what the definition of sensual soul is i say Al Green is, love.

― gaz (gaz), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 09:11 (twenty-three years ago)

It's all a bit schmaltzy though, isn't it?
Not to mention the fact that they all just blend together.
Exceptions: "Here I Am Baby," and "Now That I've Found You."

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 10:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah--but not being able to comprehend the basic rhythm of an artist for whom you later write liner notes seems pretty fucking egregious to me.

Ace Al Green track, the one I love above all: "Love is Real." The way he says "Say something..."

― Jess Hill (jesshill), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 13:03 (twenty-three years ago)

only Jess Hill knows anything about music shockah

― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 13:20 (twenty-three years ago)

He noticed a beatical oddity, that'll do won't it? This isn't an exam! Huge classic. Finding the two Lp 'Greatest Hits' for $2 may be my greatest ever record bargain, a lot of it is just too simply (in emotional terms) perfect to say much about. I like it, I think you should hear it if you haven't.

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 13:26 (twenty-three years ago)

what? you have to ask if al greens classic? dumb thread

― bobo t, Tuesday, 8 April 2003 13:33 (twenty-three years ago)

only Jess Hill knows anything about music shockah

-- M Matos

Man, all I said was that I can count. Maybe that's a shockah where you come from.

― Jess Hill (jesshill), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 15:15 (twenty-three years ago)

Arithmetic is sorta taboo in Minneapolis (motherfucker's loves thems some algebra though)

― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 15:17 (twenty-three years ago)

It used to make me cry whenever he came on Ally McBeal.

I will leave that sentance as it stands for Dan's pleasure, but you know what I mean.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 19:10 (twenty-three years ago)

Everyone loves and reveres Al Green, which pleases me. I go along with Clay, Wright, Peebles and maybe George Jackson and Syl Johnson as other Hi greats too. Don Bryant should get a mention too, and their girl group Quiet Elegance were terrific. I also like Norm West, Willie Walker, Philip Mitchell and others. And the musicians! Obviously Al Jackson is a god among musicians, but Howard Grimes only lacked the beauty of AJ's touch on the drums, Charles Hodges is my favourite organist ever, Leroy is a magnificent guitarist (listen to the start of Al's Love And Happiness), and Teenie a wonderful bassist - the three Hodges brothers. It's maybe the greatest house band the world has ever known. I think of Willie Mitchell as my favourite producer, but with these musicians and singers, how could he go wrong?

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 11 April 2003 19:34 (twenty-three years ago)

I have the -- or is it a? -- greatest hits comp and it's indeed v. pleasant. Which may be damning with faint praise for everyone else here, I dunno...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 11 April 2003 19:53 (twenty-three years ago)

(grumbles)

― Amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 11 April 2003 19:56 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh, someone said they want an album of Al Green's covers: it's called Cover Me Green, unfortunately. Don't know how available it is.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 11 April 2003 20:03 (twenty-three years ago)

I've seen the Hi rhythm section several times, once behind Ann Peebles, once backing (disastrously) Alex Chilton...they're great. Grimes is really as good as Al Jackson, he's basically his successor. Teenie Hodges is a beautiful guitarist--Willie Mitchell has been quoted as saying that Al Green was in many ways really an extension of Teenie. "Teenie's Dream" which is on the Hi box set that came out in '95 is probably my favorite instrumental ever.

The thing that is interesting is the obvious connection between what Mitchell did and what Gamble and Huff did in Philly...and both scene's obvious role in the beginnings of disco music.

― Jess Hill (jesshill), Friday, 11 April 2003 20:32 (twenty-three years ago)

Grimes was groomed to be Jackson's rhythmic duplicate, according to that book Sweet Soul Music. He is too, but he doesn't quite have the delicate and subtle touch Jackson did. It's true that in any other context, he sounds a fucking great drummer - he'd still be in my all-time top ten.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 11 April 2003 20:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Did anybody hear that, uh "comeback" cd that Syl Johnson released about a decade ago on Delmark, Back in the Game? A friend of mine produced it; he got Hi Rhythm to do the backing. I thought it was really enjoyable, but you definitely miss that Mitchell drum sound.

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Friday, 11 April 2003 20:57 (twenty-three years ago)

Was grimes on drums? Because I don't find anything lacking in Al Green's later Hi LPs, all of which feature Grimes.

Jackson's drum sound on Stax records sounds quite a bit different than his sound on Hi records (at least in their respective golden ages). Hmm.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 11 April 2003 21:02 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, it's Grimes with the three Hodges brothers (and Fred Hodges on organ on two tracks - I didn't know there was a Fred Hodges!)

By "Mitchell drum sound" I meant the signature production style, not Grimes' playing, which is not in question.

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Friday, 11 April 2003 21:11 (twenty-three years ago)

three weeks pass...

I am scandalized by the fact that I own nothing by Al Green. It's taken me forever to realize which songs I like are ones that he did, and then I have somehow forgotten about him over off and on. I promise that within a few months I will at least buy the greatest hits collection.

― Rockist Scientist, Thursday, 8 May 2003 01:37 (twenty-three years ago)

well, stick with the albums and don't buy the white boxed Al Green Anthology set, it's lazy, an embarrassment. I was indirectly responsible for the live stuff from the SOUL! TV show getting on that collection--some of the most amazing live performances ever by Green, and if you have seen his '73 Midnight Special show (Al as coked out sexed up rock star; in the middle of nowhere does a bit of J.J. Cale's 'After Midnight' (!)) or his Soul Train appearances, you know that's no small boast--and only two of the SOUL! performances were picked, one of them being the absolute dud "Judy." The rest of the live stuff mostly from the Mugge film is really lackluster (as is the film excepting the little bits of Green playing solo acoustic) and things like "That's The Way It Is" are also missing. I won't even comment on the usual ineptitude from Christgau.

Al Green obviously still has it when he cares to put out, it's a sin no one can extract a decent album from him.

Two killer Hi cuts: 'I Don't Know Why" OV Wright
"I Still Love You," Ann Peebles

Al Jackson, RIP

― rumplestiltskin, Thursday, 8 May 2003 04:48 (twenty-three years ago)

five months pass...

I just got Call Me and I'm going bananas. For me the appeal of the 70s stuff I've heard is like 45% production, 35% Green's voice, 20% songs. The sound of those records, the drums, organ squelches, etc, fascinates me. I think of all the chillout/downtempo producers today & how in love they are with "atmosphere" & they never come close to that sound.

― Mark (MarkR), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 02:31 (twenty-two years ago)

ooo listen to those snares...

― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 16:15 (twenty-two years ago)

five months pass...

My contributions to this conversation:

a new Al Green Q&A:
http://www.citypages.com/databank/25/1216/article11995.asp

interview outtakes on gay marriage:
http://babelogue.citypages.com:8080/pscholtes/2004/03/19

some other links for y'all:
The Al Green Ticket Debate
Al Green & Willie together again... should i get my hopes up?
http://www.memphisflyer.com/MFSearch/full_results.asp?xt_from=1&aID=5116
http://www.algreenmusic.com/

― Pete Scholtes, Thursday, 25 March 2004 02:28 (twenty-two years ago)

BELLE BELLE BEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
all christ lo fi soul rules

― SexyDancer, Thursday, 25 March 2004 03:40 (twenty-two years ago)

This was perhaps the stupidest question ever asked ILE.

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 25 March 2004 06:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 264 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

He was well known as a big Al Green fan.

― Monthly Python (Tom D.), Saturday, 26 August 2023 11:47 (two years ago)

there is something problematic with the verses being in a higher register than the chorus. maybe it's something a non-singer can pull off better than a singer.

― Thus Sang Freud, Saturday, 26 August 2023 11:58 (two years ago)

the "You're going to reap just what you sow" outro has a very different vibe coming from the Rev. Green

― Brad C., Saturday, 26 August 2023 17:42 (two years ago)

Al has always been Christian obviously, but I love this one from his “Christian” albums

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo-rWMAfbNs

― bbq, Saturday, 26 August 2023 23:02 (two years ago)

one year passes...

Have had “Chariots of Fire” from the Belle album on repeat today. Such a jam

― that's not my post, Friday, 4 October 2024 03:14 (one year ago)

This is my current jam. My god those drums.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7zclKteJs0

― TO BE A JAZZ SINGER YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SCAT (Jazzbo), Friday, 4 October 2024 12:30 (one year ago)

As they got further along their production partnership, Green and Willie Mitchell started loosening their grooves. I love this one from the same album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm6330OuGF0

― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 4 October 2024 15:27 (one year ago)

One of those threads that just should not be bumped.

― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 4 October 2024 15:32 (one year ago)

his music's too good to not bump the thread every once in a while ... he's "only" 78 years old

― that's not my post, Friday, 4 October 2024 18:56 (one year ago)

One of those threads that just should not be bumped.

It's this and the Shirley Collins thread!

― I would prefer not to. (Chinaski), Friday, 4 October 2024 22:30 (one year ago)

don't tell me ilx has started to be like those weirdos on twitter who jump to the conclusion that an older celeb has died every time their name trends, it's so obnoxious

― some dude, Friday, 4 October 2024 22:38 (one year ago)

Whenever I hear certain artists on the radio multiple times in one day, especially deep cuts, I assume the worst.

― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 4 October 2024 22:40 (one year ago)

It's this and the Shirley Collins thread!

Robert Wyatt.

― pisspoor bung probe prog (Tom D.), Friday, 4 October 2024 23:16 (one year ago)

don't tell me ilx has started to be like those weirdos on twitter who jump to the conclusion that an older celeb has died every time their name trends, it's so obnoxious

yeah in many cases you're hoping the celeb has died + all the cunts that have tweeted about "oh please don't let 1970s paedo be dead" have also died

― Yuwen Hu's army (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 5 October 2024 00:26 (one year ago)

Whenever I hear certain artists on the radio multiple times in one day, especially deep cuts, I assume the worst.

This happened with David Bowie. Popped into Trader Joe's heard non-stop Bowie songs and thought "remember when supermarkets were known to play the most antiseptic elevator music?" (tbf it was Trader Joe's, not a Safeway) Then I got a text saying "I didn't know Bowie was sick." Ugh....

― birdistheword, Saturday, 5 October 2024 03:04 (one year ago)

three months pass...

Al Green and Morgan Freeman ring in the New Year

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/19mDfrkqUA/?mibextid=wwXIfr

― birdistheword, Monday, 6 January 2025 02:11 (one year ago)

Saw that . Al in Clarksdale , Ms still sounding good .

― curmudgeon, Monday, 6 January 2025 18:20 (one year ago)

fuck, how have I never heard Love Ritual?!? (the album, not the original track)

― sleeve, Monday, 6 January 2025 18:27 (one year ago)

one year passes...

Late career cover choices continue to be on point

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKSf3rrOoFs

― Lavator Shemmelpennick, Tuesday, 20 January 2026 22:15 (four months ago)

oh wow

― budo jeru, Tuesday, 20 January 2026 22:30 (four months ago)

put ~~jelly on your shoulder~~ hot grits in your bathtub

― budo jeru, Tuesday, 20 January 2026 22:31 (four months ago)

oh my god

― map, Tuesday, 20 January 2026 22:38 (four months ago)

A shame Lou isn't alive to hear this, he loved Al Green.

― Wearing red lipstick and maintaining a neutral expression (Tom D.), Tuesday, 20 January 2026 22:54 (four months ago)

put jelly on your shoulder hot grits in your bathtub

― budo jeru, Tuesday, January 20, 2026

lololol

― The Luda of Suburbia (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 20 January 2026 23:48 (four months ago)

Having not listened to the Velvet Underground in more than 30 years, I had forgotten that the doo-wop style spoken interlude (the best part) is on the original record, not something Al Green came up with for his version.

― Instead of create and send out, it pull back and consume (unperson), Tuesday, 20 January 2026 23:51 (four months ago)

We gonna get a full album soon?

― Heez, Wednesday, 21 January 2026 00:10 (four months ago)

This is on a 4-song covers EP with To Love Somebody and 2 previously released - Perfect Day & Everybody Hurts. So it seems more like he’s just taking them as they come without a plan for a full LP but I have no particular knowledge

― Lavator Shemmelpennick, Wednesday, 21 January 2026 03:09 (four months ago)

btw if you haven’t listened to Everybody Hurts, it’s imo absolutely transcendent, a singer/song matchup made in heaven. I eventually came around to the REM original but it took me years not to hear it as almost embarrassingly melodramatic. Reverend Al has no such barrier to overcome.

― Lavator Shemmelpennick, Wednesday, 21 January 2026 03:11 (four months ago)

thx! my favorite part of the vu cover is the last bit where his voice is a little higher - he's definitely still got it.

― map, Wednesday, 21 January 2026 03:20 (four months ago)

That cover of Everybody Hurts is fantastic

― that's not my post, Thursday, 29 January 2026 05:56 (four months ago)

two months pass...

Happy 80th birthday, Al!

― Wry & Slobby (Portsmouth Bubblejet), Monday, 13 April 2026 08:34 (one month ago)

The man still knows how to sing. I want a new album!

― TO BE A JAZZ SINGER YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SCAT (Jazzbo), Monday, 13 April 2026 13:35 (one month ago)

Wow, not sure how it's possible I've slept on "Full of Fire" so long. It's really fucking good. Closing track "Let It Shine" is a stunner

― Cattedrale metropolitana di Santa Maria de Episcopio, Sunday, 19 April 2026 03:52 (one month ago)

He just released a new (EP) album!

https://algreen.bandcamp.com/album/to-love-somebody-ep

― Come On, (Eazy), Sunday, 19 April 2026 04:04 (one month ago)

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