Anyone Like Al Green's Music?

[marv2]

I certainly did. To me, he ranks right up there with all of the great Pop,R&B, Rock and Soul artists, but still he sometimes seems to go under recognized. My earliest memories of hearing Al Greene [[as his name was spelled at the time) was during Christmas 1967 when his song "Back Up Train" was THE number one song on WKLR "Kooler Radio" in Toledo,Ohio:

[marv2]

Sorry for adding this one twice, but audio here is much better than the clip above. This song seemed like it was number one locally forever at the time [[well at least to kid like me, hehehehehe) Memories of Christmas '67!

[soulster]

I like Al, but there was a wearisome sameness to a lot of his music, and that was the fault of his producer Willie Mitchell. I recall Al in 1973 discussing this. He complained to Mitchell that all his songs sound the same, so he got "Here I Am [[Come And Take Me)"! LOL

[jobeterob]

Love Al Green; especially this song. He is also a good friend of Diana Ross.

[soulster]

This thread perfectly illustrates why some of us complain about the posting of YouTube videos without much discussion. And, the videos are so big, they obscure the actual posts.

I rest my case.

[marv2]

Love Al Green; especially this song. He is also a good friend of Diana Ross.

and Mary Wilson. He's been in the audiences at her shows.......

[marv2]

So now if you guys don't mind, could you get back to discussing Al Green's music? I
Loved the "Call Me" album from early 1973. I think Al's peak years where he really hit his stride were from 1972-75. It was during that period where it seemed he could do no wrong recording wise.

[marv2]

Here is Al Green's singles discography:

1967 "Back Up Train" [[credited as Al Greene & the Soul Mate's) 41 5 — — — Back Up Train
1968 "Don't Hurt Me No More" [[credited as Al Greene) 127 — — — —
1970 "You Say It" — 28 — — — Al Green Gets Next to You
"Right Now, Right Now" — 23 — — —
"I Can't Get Next to You" 60 11 — — —
1971 "Driving Wheel" 115 46 — — —
"Tired of Being Alone" 11 7 — 4 Gold
"Let's Stay Together" 1 1 36 7 Gold Let's Stay Together
1972 "Look What You Done for Me" 4 2 — 44 Gold I'm Still in Love with You
"I'm Still in Love with You" 3 1 33 35 Gold
"Guilty" 69 29 — — — Back Up Train
"You Ought to Be with Me" 3 1 28 — Gold Call Me
1973 "Hot Wire" 71 — — — — Back Up Train
"Call Me [[Come Back Home)" 10 2 — — Gold Call Me
"Here I Am [[Come and Take Me)" 10 2 — — Gold
"Livin' for You" 19 1 — — — Livin' for You
1974 "Let's Get Married" 32 3 — — —
"Sha-La-La [[Make Me Happy)" 7 2 28 20 Gold Al Green Explores Your Mind
1975 "L-O-V-E [[Love)" 13 1 — 24 — Al Green Is Love
"Oh Me, Oh My [[Dreams in My Arms)" 48 7 — — —
"Full of Fire" 28 1 — — — Full of Fire
1976 "Let It Shine" — 16 — — —
"Keep Me Cryin'" 37 4 — — — Have a Good Time
1977 "I Tried to Tell Myself" 101 26 — — —
"Love and Happiness" 104 92 — — — I'm Still in Love with You
"Belle" 83 9 — — — The Belle Album
1978 "I Feel Good" 103 36 — — —
1979 "To Sir, with Love" [[A-side) — 71 — — — Truth N' Time
"Wait Here" [[B-side) — 58 — — —
1987 "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" — 22 — — — Soul Survivor
1988 "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" [[with Annie Lennox) 9 — 2 28 — Scrooged
1989 "As Long as We're Together" — 15 — — — I Get Joy
"The Message Is Love" [[with Arthur Baker) — 84 — 38 — Merge
1991 "Leave the Guns at Home" [[with Arthur Baker) — 69 — — — Give in to the Rhythm
1993 "Love Is a Beautiful Thing" — — — 56 — Don't Look Back
1995 "Your Heart's in Good Hands" — 47 — — — Your Heart's in Good Hands
2002 "Put It on Paper" [[with Ann Nesby) — 44 — — — Put It on Paper
2003 "Love Iz" [[with Erick Sermon) — 80 — — — React
2004 "I Can't Stop" — 97 — — — I Can't Stop
2008 "Stay with Me [[By the Sea)" [[with John Legend)

[jobeterob]

I'll drop the videos Soul; they seem to be bothering a significant number of people. For me they all pop up instantly, so it makes no difference.

I am one of the people this doesn't want to overly aggravate too many people on here; I know there is Facebook and other forums that are larger; I enjoy this one the most and there are a number of people who have bailed that I miss already.

[soulster]

I'll drop the videos Soul; they seem to be bothering a significant number of people. For me they all pop up instantly, so it makes no difference.

They pop up instantly for me too. But, look how much real estate they take up compared to the regular posts. That's my beef. They distract and obscure the regular posts, and we have examples of people who only post the vids without any real discussion. For me, it has nothing to do with the connection speed.

Since this is a forum about soul music, I think most of us already are familiar with Al Green's music, and have it in our collections, and don't really need a video to show us. I could understand the vids if Green was some obscure artist or something.

[splanky]

I love the mess outta Al Green's music and have since I was a teenager but though I do have a lot of his stuff I don't have
ALL of it. In fact I'd bet are a ton of people who do not have or haven't even heard everything their favorite singers have
ever recorded. I'm talking about not just in real life but on this forum too. Anyway, I know Al and Willie had a falling out in the past but they re-united and Al has said Willie knew best how to record him and I tend to agree with that. I also disagree
with this all of his music sounding the same notion. Call Me sounds nothing like Jesus Is Waiting sounds nothing like Tired Of
Being Alone sounds nothing like I Can't Get Next To You sounds nothing like that b side sleeper I used to turn parties out with, Guilty. Please...What a lot of people don't know is that Willie Mitchell hated Back Up Train and told Al that himself when
he started to record him. Told him it was a piece of sh*t trying to be a song. I love Willie but I loved and still love Back Up
Train. And, as I said before, the links don't bother me at all, personally. I mean if I wanted to introduce to someone who may
have never heard a particular Al Green track immediately without refering them to a record store or purchase site, what better way? Seriously...Besides I like the way Al and Corrine sound together and I don't have to own this to listen to it
right now...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qki1Xr7swTY

[soulster]

That "sameness" lies in the rhythm section and the drum patterns, not the melody.

[tom_moulton]

I never Liked His Music. I LOVED IT!

[tsull1]

Agree with Marv on the "Call Me" album, it's his high point, I think. I also agree that so much of it sounds the same, same horn patterns, similar lyrics to everything. Hey, it's great stuff, but he needed to mix it up a bit more.

To Al's credit, his recent albums are very good and he stretches himself more musically.

[luke]

LOVE AL--Lets Stay Together is one the all time GREATS-perhaps the perfect pop record. He probably lost some fame leaving secular music for awhile.

[zebop]

Al Green's my favorite singer. I don't think he's music sound s"the same" or there's a sameness. For the most part I can tell who's drumming [[most of the time) the string arrangements and subtle stylistic differences pretty much announced themselves. For me, Livin For You has a different energy than anything on Call Me and so on...

As for his secular work, I do think the "formula" got a little stale around the time of Al Green is Love and Full of Fire. The string arrangements weren't that great especially on the former, and Green started to sound a little bored. The death of Al Jackson Jr and its impact can't be underestimated, he had a hand in quite a few of those hit singles.

[marv2]

"Sha La La La" sounded nothing like "Let's Get Married Today" to me as an example. So I couldn't honestly say that all of his records sounded a like.

[mark speck]

LOVE Al!!!

Best,

Mark

[chidrummer]

Love and Happiness...

One of the best soul songs ever [[IMHO).

I remember attending a PUSH meeting with my parents back in the early '70's and Mr. Green showed up to give a speech. Of course the crowd begged him to do some singing. Al broke out into a couple of his hits, accapella. It was a terrific moment.

[soulster]

"Sha La La La" sounded nothing like "Let's Get Married Today" to me as an example. So I couldn't honestly say that all of his records sounded a like.

Well, by 1973, that did change. I was referring manly to his 1971-1973 output.

[nysister]

I actually like the song "Belle" especially the line where he sings, "It's You That I Want But It's HIM That I Need."

Take me to the Water, Wash Me Down! Yessir!!!

[uptight]

Love me some Al Green, too. I don't mind videos here. I realize they don't slow down the loading of a thread, as they're just links. We have the option of scrolling down a bit to continue reading.

He is underrated as a musician. And I had the pleasure of watching him perform at NBC a couple of years ago.

[nosey]

I'm rockin him in my car right now. My faves are L-O-V-E and I like the duet, Put It On Paper with Ann Nesby.

[marv2]

Two of my big favorites by Al or Rev. Al Green are:

"Everything's Going to be Alright" from 1987. He used his sublime style with great effectiveness to deliver that soulful sermonette! I mean it hardly ever gets much better than that!


"Put A Little Love In Your Heart" from 1988. [[duet with Annie Lennox from "Scrooged") has become "traditional" holiday music listening at my house and with my family. Al has something special. The same something Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Marvin Gaye had. His music just becomes timeless. He is that good!

[arrr&bee]

Al green is only an american music legend,a soulman personified!!!

[GeeTee(HPK)]

Is fat meat greasy ? LOL ! But of course, I like Al Green's music !
The 45s,albums,CDs and the 4 CD box set anthology of the Hi recordings.


"Simply beautiful ! "

[marv2]

Al green is only an american music legend,a soulman personified!!!

Let's not forget he is also a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. The dude is just BAD! There was this amazing clip of Al from around 2000 ,2001 performing at the Apollo on Youtube[[it is long gone now) but let me tell you, he had that place on fire! He come off the stage and went all the way deep into audience. Women were crying and just like in the old days a few of them handed him roses. There were people trying to come out of the balcony. I was even amazed at the power he had over that audience. I loved it and something in me made me feel proud for some reason I cannot explain. Maybe it's because I picked Al Green a long time ago, along with many other now legends to be a winner!

[nomis]

..I thought "Love is A beautiful Thing' that came out in what? 93? that was a great single...

[MichaelSherry59]

To me Al Green's heyday was from 1971-1974, he was at his peak during that period, I wasn't a fan of his music after 74...

[arr&bee]

I love al green's music,one of the great soulmen of music!!

[MichaelSherry59]

So now if you guys don't mind, could you get back to discussing Al Green's music? I
Loved the "Call Me" album from early 1973. I think Al's peak years where he really hit his stride were from 1972-75. It was during that period where it seemed he could do no wrong recording wise.

He was way past his peak by 1975, 1971-1973 is what is considered his peak