al Green

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.

Al Green - The Immortal Soul of Al Green (2003) [4D BoxSet] {Hi Records}
XLD rip | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 1.59 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 674 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 597 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2003 Hi Records / The Right Stuff | 72435-90551-2-1
Soul / Pop Soul / Contemporary Gospel / R&B

Al Green fans will be aware that The Immortal Soul of Al Green actually marks the second time that a four-CD box set of Green's recordings has been assembled, following by seven years its predecessor, Anthology. That being the case, the obvious question is, why do listeners need another Al Green box set? The answer lies in the two conflicting approaches most often employed in box sets. Basically, two different audiences buy box sets: first, those who are looking for a single, omnibus collection of an artist's recordings that is more comprehensive that a "greatest-hits" album; and second, collectors who already have all the hits and are looking for rarities and unreleased material.

"Lay It Down" is the 29th studio album by American recording artist Al Green, released May 27, 2008, on Blue Note Records. The album was produced by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson of The Roots and James Poyser. Four tracks feature guest artists, two with Anthony Hamilton, and one each with John Legend and Corinne Bailey Rae. "Lay It Down" is Green's first Top 10 Album since 1973, and, according to Metacritic, has received widespread acclaim from critics. "Stay With Me (By the Sea)" won Al Green and John Legend a Grammy award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group given in 2009.

Trust In God (1984). Released in 1984, Trust in God finds Green distracted throughout. Around the same time of this, a brilliant documentary, The Gospel According to Al Green, was being worked on. The film's subtext of Green shunning yet still loving R&B worked its way into the studio, too. This is gospel all right, but often of the perfunctory, barely awake variant. As pure gospel was causing Green's mind to wander, he attempted to solve the problem by covering early-'70s pop songs. Joe South's "Don't It Make You Wanta Go Home" gets a great and involved vocal from Green. The best song, the Jean Terrell-era Supremes "Up the Ladder to the Roof," turns into a prime Al Green song, with its sly drums and all of Green's attention…