AL GREEN: CLASSIC OR DUD?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Not all messages are displayed: show all messages (364 of them)

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)

The albums "Living for You" by Al Green and "I Can't Stand the Rain" by Anne Peebles are two of the only albums I've ever come across without a bad second on them. They are so perfect that they are better than the "Best ofs" because with the latter you pine for the ones that aren't on there.

This is exquisite shagging music, too, I must say. It doesn't matter which girl you bring home, from whatever walk of life and music, she'll always accept Al or Anne, in my limited experience.

― Baravelli. (Jake Proudlock), Thursday, 25 March 2004 13:05 (twenty-two years ago)

five months pass...

...

― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 01:03 (twenty-one years ago)

He is wihout equal, really.

― adam. (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 01:11 (twenty-one years ago)

without.

Even the b-sides/rarities are gems. I love the "Flipside To Al Green" collection so much.

― adam. (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 01:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Is this thread title a joke? It's like, "Breathing: C/D?" WTF?

― Rock Hardy (Rock Hardy), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 01:17 (twenty-one years ago)

i think there are limits to how much he can tell me abt al green, but that christgau piece is a beautiful piece of writing, probably his best.

― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 01:19 (twenty-one years ago)

As a younger adam., listening to Simply Beautiful gave me the biggest musical epiphany I will probably ever have. When that percussion comes in just for the last few seconds...wow.

― adam. (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 01:21 (twenty-one years ago)

seven months pass...

'Have You Been Making Out OK?' is the only song I can ever remember having soundtracked one of my dreams- it was beautiful.

Could Al Green be the much sought-after answer to the question of the artist EVERYONE agrees is amazing? Let's face it, anyone who doesn't has got serious issues.

And fuck me if the album 'I Can't Stand the Rain' (Ann Peebles) isn't a contender for best soul long-player of all time.

― baboon2004 (baboon2004), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Anyone see him on the Daily Show a few weeks ago? Dude's batshit crazy.

― darin (darin), Thursday, 21 April 2005 21:02 (twenty-one years ago)

he humped the couch!

― charleston charge (chaki), Thursday, 21 April 2005 22:36 (twenty-one years ago)

the one time I saw him, at Mud Isle in Memphis, he came on, did like twenty seconds of about a hundred songs, threw a lot of roses around, and went "ahhh" a lot. And it was great. He occasionally bore down and actually really sang one, and that was great too.

I like all his stuff but I always go back to the "Listen" comp. I love "Love Is Real" and "Mimi" and "I Think It's for the Feeling."

I also saw the Hi Rhythm Section a couple times while I lived in Memphis. Howard Grimes was incredible. He plays like Al Jackson but it's a little looser, maybe, and if anything even straighter. Teenie Hodges is one of my favorite guitarists, ever, in any style.

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Thursday, 21 April 2005 23:02 (twenty-one years ago)

one month passes...

yeah really, worst question ever.

― Gear! (can Jung shill it, Mu?) (Gear!), Sunday, 5 June 2005 07:31 (twenty-one years ago)

I love Al to pieces, distraction, etc. I saw the Daily Show interview, except I mostly just stared at the floor, and listened through it...it was too sad. He's still a classic though, there's nothing that could undermine a voice like that.

― VegemiteGrrl (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 5 June 2005 08:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Let us not forget his way with a guitar.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Sunday, 5 June 2005 14:21 (twenty-one years ago)

al green is the ramones of soul, bitches. all his songs sound damn near the same but are perhaps more brilliant because of this. can i copyright this analogy? ha

― titchyschneider (titchyschneider), Sunday, 5 June 2005 19:14 (twenty-one years ago)

I was going to go to Al's church back when he was actively preaching when I was visiting my sister in Memphis with my then girlfriend, but she didn't want to go because she didn't know who he was.
She's not my girlfriend anymore. I still regret not going.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Monday, 6 June 2005 03:06 (twenty-one years ago)

two years pass...

i love al to death but i dont think he has any great albums... the true love compilation is really amazing though, not a bad track on there.

― titchyschneiderMk2, Sunday, 18 November 2007 14:14 (eighteen years ago)

"Al Green Explores Your Mind" is great. Reminds me of the summer I pwned Virtua Tennis on the Dreamcast.

― caek, Sunday, 18 November 2007 14:19 (eighteen years ago)

classic in my eyes

― Bo Jackson Overdrive, Sunday, 18 November 2007 14:21 (eighteen years ago)

i love al to death but i dont think he has any great albums

You're missing out, man!

Al Green Gets Next To You is fire! Let's Stay Together is yoga flame! But I don't think it gets better than I'm Still in Love With You.

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Sunday, 18 November 2007 14:50 (eighteen years ago)

hmm.

i actually harbour evil suspicions about people that dont like al green. if you dont love him, fine, but if you dont like him? something sinister is at work.

― titchyschneiderMk2, Sunday, 18 November 2007 15:01 (eighteen years ago)

If you actively dislike Al Green, then I can never respect anything you have to say about anything.

― caek, Sunday, 18 November 2007 15:05 (eighteen years ago)

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

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)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.