AL GREEN: CLASSIC OR DUD?

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/

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

classic in my eyes

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.

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.

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

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

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)...

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

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

HOOS otm

the best al green album is the belle album

arguable

no

haha yes. but belle is at least top 3 rite

Rite. Classic album.

georgia boy owns 99.9% of everything ever

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

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

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.

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.

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?

the title track is gorgeous.

On Letterman tonight.

i'm offended someone even asked this question.

Can anyone copypasta that story about Al Green and the hot grits that his girlfriend threw at him?

show last night here was amazing.

"Belle Album" as far as I can tell has never been maligned

Hard to believe I know, but it is maligned in the sleevenotes to "The Legendary Hi Albums, Volume 3" which, of course, includes... "The Belle Album"! The guy who wrote the sleevenotes, who is obv. an Al Green fan, says that "The Belle Album" was a big disappointment when it was released + goes on to criticise the musicianship and esp. use of the string synth. Rather incredibly he seems to consider "Truth n' Time" and "Have a Good Time" as better albums!

Yeah, you hate to call deafness on other writers, but . . .

A really filp and facile thing to say would to be that "The Belle Album" is, in some ways, Al Green's "There's a Riot Goin' On"... so, being a flip and facile guy, I'm going to say that "The Belle Album" is, in some ways, Al Green's "There's a Riot Goin' On".

This past week on The Best of Soul Train, they reran the ep from '74 when the Rev opened and closed the show playing live with his road band
Killer.