Al Green

One of the greatest singers ever to walk into a recording studio, Al Green is an enduring musical icon with no shortage of classic songs in his catalog. This album, released in 1971, contains some of his finest work; it drips with Southern soul and exquisite arrangements from top-notch producer Willie Mitchell. The title track and "Old Time Lovin'" are highlights

Al Green's first four albums are the beginning of the truly sublime rhythm-and-blues story of
the 1970s: It's a story about one of the most soulful voices in pop history - a rough yet
refined tenor -- combined with a mystically tight Memphis studio band. For generations of
inheritors (from Jodeci to U2) and lovers, Green, producer Willie Mitchell and the five-man
Hi Records house band set the benchmark for soul. "Al Green" means not only th... More >

Maybe it's just that I'm so tired of the title single, but this is disappointing. Al Green Gets Next to You shows real emotional range--like Marvin Gaye, Green comes on both passive and active. The popularity of his romantic disappointment, however, has induced him to narrow his persona. Item: The most impressive cut on the LP is "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?" Green's version is far superior to the Bee Gees' original, but the original is pure glop. Item: The album doesn't include one piece of real funk. Green is still the most intelligent male soul singer to emerge in years, and in the context of three or four more albums this one may sound fine. Right now, it's much too much of a good thing. (Grade - A-)