AL GREEN: CLASSIC OR DUD?

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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)

one month passes...

the best al green album is the 'true love' compilation.

― veryloggedout, Monday, 31 December 2007 13:14 (eighteen years ago)

no, it isn't...The Belle Album is...wonderful way of dealing with born-again-ism ("it's you I want but Him that I need"...the holy trinity love triangle)..."Feels Like Summer" couldn't be a more appropriate song title, and "Dream", well, if I ever get hitched (ILM Poster In Unmarried SHOCKER!) that will be "our" song...(if I can sell it, which I'm sure I can)...

― henry s, Monday, 31 December 2007 16:29 (eighteen years ago)

I'm very fond of Livin' For You's "Beware."

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Monday, 31 December 2007 16:38 (eighteen years ago)

This is still the most retarded question ever asked on ILM.

― Pleasant Plains, Monday, 31 December 2007 16:43 (eighteen years ago)

HOOS otm

― forksclovetofu, Monday, 31 December 2007 16:45 (eighteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

the best al green album is the belle album

― strgn, Saturday, 19 January 2008 11:37 (eighteen years ago)

arguable

― The Brainwasher, Saturday, 19 January 2008 11:39 (eighteen years ago)

― strgn, Saturday, 19 January 2008 11:41 (eighteen years ago)

haha yes. but belle is at least top 3 rite

― strgn, Saturday, 19 January 2008 11:41 (eighteen years ago)

Rite. Classic album.

― Tom D., Saturday, 19 January 2008 11:43 (eighteen years ago)

georgia boy owns 99.9% of everything ever

― strgn, Saturday, 19 January 2008 11:45 (eighteen years ago)

Those who like the follow-up to The Belle Album should come vote on this thread: Best Version Of "I Say A Little Prayer"

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Saturday, 19 January 2008 14:37 (eighteen years ago)

four months pass...

On one listen, liking his new album quite a bit. Even the Corrine Bailey Rae duet.

― The Reverend, Tuesday, 27 May 2008 06:13 (eighteen years ago)

not heard it all yet but thought the songwriting on the tracks i have checked out werent quite as strong as the production/instrumentation. or maybe its just that his voice cant make them seem better than they are anymore.

― titchyschneiderMk2, Tuesday, 27 May 2008 10:06 (eighteen years ago)

We play it at on the stereo at my bookstore, and beneath the racket of customers, it's sounds pretty indistinguishable from Classic Al. There doesn't seem to be a real killer track, but it's very pleasant, and I think I appreciate "pleasant" a lot more these days than I used to.

― Chuck_Tatum, Tuesday, 27 May 2008 16:46 (eighteen years ago)

I will be purchasing this album as soon as humanly possible.

And yeah, this was the dumbest question ever asked on ILM. How can you ever question the good Reverend?

― B.L.A.M., Tuesday, 27 May 2008 17:23 (eighteen years ago)

the title track is gorgeous.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 27 May 2008 17:51 (eighteen years ago)

On Letterman tonight.

― Kerm, Friday, 6 June 2008 03:48 (eighteen years ago)

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