Al Green was the first great soul singer of the 70s and arguably the last great Southern soul singer. With his seductive singles for Hi Records in the early 70s, Green bridged the gap between deep soul and smooth Philadelphia soul. He incorporated elements of gospel, interjecting his performances with wild moans and wails, but his records were stylish, boasting immaculate productions that rolled along with a tight beat, sexy backing vocals and lush strings. The distinctive Hi Records sound that the vocalist and producer Willie Mitchell developed made Al Green the most popular and influential soul singer of the early 70s, influencing not only his contemporaries, but also veterans like Marvin Gaye. Green was at the peak of his popularity when he suddenly decided to join the ministry in the mid 70s. At first, he continued to record secular material, but by the 80s he was concentrating soley on gospel. During the late 80s and 90s he occasionally returned to R&B but he remained primarily a religious performer for the rest of his career. Nevertheless, Green's classic early 70s recordings retained their power and influences throughout the decades, setting the standard for smooth soul.
O**Y
Essence of Green
Although there are a lot of decent Al Green compilations around, this 'Greatest Hits' sets distils the essence of Al, the last of the true great Southern Soul singers. In conjunction with producer Willie Mitchell, and his magnificent crew of musicians from the Royal Studios in Memphis, Al's music was all about refinement. Al wasn't a demonstrative, declamatory singer like Otis Redding; Al was more subtle, and I think his music is all the more effective as a result. Tracks such as '(Here I Am) Come and Take Me', and 'Love and Happiness', both written with guitarist Mabon 'Teenie' Hodges are deeply soulful but trenchantly funky, whereas the unabashedly romantic 'Let's Stay Together' and 'Tired of Being Alone' show how multi-faceted his talent could be. Sure, there's no 'Take Me To The River' or 'I Stand Accused' on here, but every single one of these ten tracks is pure gold.
J**E
gifted
it's Al Green! how can it be anything but great
O**E
Great compilation album
Great collection and the white record is nice as well
J**Y
Great introduction to Al Green
This vinyl is so well priced and an excellent introduction to Al Green. Easy listening and high quality music.
C**E
Love it.
What can I say about Al Green that's not already been said. I love this c.d, brings back many memories. Great price, excellent postage and packing. Came well within the estimated time. Would recommend to anyone thinking of buying it.
M**D
Excellent
Dear Vinnies thank you for my fab Al Green CD. Arrived in good time and great songs. Deb
D**E
Beautiful my
Gift for granddaughter
C**E
Brilliant
Brilliant, but wouldn’t expect anything less. Delivered on time.
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