Al GreenCritiques

B (Good).

Green abandons his signature style for a commercial sound. It doesn't suit him. There's some great singing, but it's an album that fades into the background.

(Nov. 2023)½

The soul singer's eighth album (Hi Records, 1974).

A (Great).

"Take Me to the River" is the only great song on this album, but (1) it's one of the greatest songs of all time, and (2) even singing mediocre songs, Green in his prime is still Very Good at worst.

(Jan. 2023)½

1 I'm Still In Love With You 3:12
2 I'm Glad You're Mine 2:54
3 Love And Happiness 5:00
4 What A Wonderful Thing Love Is 3:37
5 Simply Beautiful 4:08
6 Oh, Pretty Woman 3:22
7 For The Good Times 6:27
8 Look What You Done For Me 3:04
0 One Of These Good Old Days 3:15

1 Al Green– Call Me (Come Back Home) 3:04
2 Dobie Gray– Drift Away 3:56
3 Johnny Nash– Stir It Up 3:03
4 Steely Dan– Do It Again 4:12
5 Three Dog Night– Shambala 3:24
6 Paul Simon– Kodachrome 3:33
7 Jim Croce– Bad, Bad Leroy Brown 2:59
8 Billy Preston– Will It Go Round In Circles 3:44
9 The Pointer Sisters*– Yes We Can Can 4:16
10 Gladys Knight And The Pips– Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye) 4:22
11 Marvin Gaye– Trouble Man 3:50
12 War– The World Is A Ghetto 4:04
13 Steely Dan– Reeling In The Years 4:32
14 The Doobie Brothers– China Grove 3:15
15 James Taylor (2)– Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight 2:35
16 The Edgar Winter Group– Free Ride 3:06
17 Jethro Tull– Living In The Past 3:20
18 The Moody Blues– I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band) 4:16
19 The Spinners*– One Of A Kind (Love Affair) 3:19
20 Timmy Thomas– Why Can't We Live Together 3:53

Green's most highly acclaimed album.

5/4 (One of my favorites).

Listening to this makes me so happy. I don't know how I managed to go 36 years without ever hearing an Al Green album; I had no idea what I was missing.

TRACKS SONG TITLES RATINGS

01 Tired of Being Alone 4
02 I Can't Get Next to You 4
03 What Am I Going to Do with Myself? 4
04 Love and Happiness 3
05 Look What You've Done for Me 4
06 Here I Am (Come and Take Me) 3
07 It Ain't No Fun for Me 3
08 How Can You Mend a Broken Heart? 5
09 Take Me to the River 5
10 Let's Stay Together 5
11 Are You Lonely for Me Baby 3
12 Let's Get Married 3
13 One Woman 3
14 Call Me (Come Back Home) 3
15 Old Time Lovin' 3
16 Funny How Time Slips Away 4½

INFORMATION-This album contains the following tracks:
1 Let's Stay Together (Al Green / Al Jackson, Jr. / Willie Mitchell), 3:18
2 La-La for You (Al Green / Willie Mitchell), 3:31
3 So You're Leaving (Al Green), 2:57
4 What Is This Feeling? (Al Green), 3:42
5 Old Time Lovin' (Al Green), 3:19
6 I've Never Found a Girl (Who Loves Me Like You Do) (Eddie Floyd / Alvertis Isbell / Booker T. Jones), 3:41
7 How Can You Mend a Broken Heart? (Barry Gibb / Robin Gibb), 6:22
8 Judy (Al Green), 3:47
9 It Ain't No Fun to Me (Al Green), 3:23

INFORMATION: This album includes the following tracks:
1 I'm Still in Love with You (Al Green / Al Jackson, Jr. / Willie Mitchell), 3:12
2 I'm Glad You're Mine (Al Green), 2:57
3 Love and Happiness song review (Al Green / Mabon "Teenie" Hodges), 5:07
4 What a Wonderful Thing Love Is (Al Green), 3:40
5 Simply Beautiful (Al Green), 4:11
6 Oh, Pretty Woman (William Dees / Roy Orbison), 3:23
7 For the Good Times (Kris Kristofferson), 6:27
8 Look What You Done for Me (Al Green / George Jackson / Willie Mitchell), 3:05
9 One of These Good Old Days (Al Green), 3:24