From time to time, we like to round up the all-important, all-summarizing last sentences of the biggest new-music reviews. Under consideration in this installment is the new full-length by Al Green, Lay It Down, which hits stores today:
• “The star turns spice up an 11-song collection that stand up pretty well without. Green does pretty well on his own, particularly on the neo-soul of ‘All I Need,’ with its cascading vocals, another tasteful string arrangement by Larry Gold and Adam Blackstone’s deep funk bass line. Green has made no secret of his intentions to spread his message of love to a younger generation with Lay It Down. Maybe it’ll work. Maybe it won’t. But one thing’s for sure–he lays it down in a way; the right way–that any generation should be able to appreciate.” [El Paso Times]
• “Other new-schoolers–John Legend on ‘Stay With Me (by the Sea)’ and Corinne Bailey Rae on the languorous throwback ‘Take Your Time’–also do an admirable job of lightly putting their stamp on songs, but have the wisdom to mostly stay out of Green’s way. With his fan club members backing him, Green’s growls and precious high notes on the steady groove of ‘Just for Me,’ the tortured love song ‘Too Much’ and the sumptuous title track recall the material of 1971’s Al Green Gets Next to You and 1972’s I’m Still in Love With You and find the soul great fully of fire and brimming with youthful energy.” [Washington Post]
• “Green’s effortless yet ever-astonishing vocal flexings are, again, wrapped around some fabulous co-written songs. The title track, ‘No One Like You,’ and the nimble ‘Just For Me’ are exquisitely seductive. On ‘What More Do You Want from Me,’ meanwhile, Green makes romantic desperation sound like a rather alluring condition. Now 62, Green has musical powers that still verge on the magical. Whatever the commercial outcome, we have a five-star Al Green album on our hands.” [The Telegraph]
I can’t stop listening to this record. I think it’s a damn good album.
I will dissent, somewhat, by reproducing here the last two sentences of my Jazziz writeup on this disc, which hasn’t streeted yet:
“Roots drummer Ahmir ‘?uestlove’ Thompson has co-produced Green’s latest album, with vocal guest appearances by Legend, Hamilton and Rae, and - surprise! - it sounds like a tempered, slightly tamed version of his classic ’70s sides. The band (guitar, keys, bass, drums, two horns) is tight, re-creating organ and drum sounds exactly, but the overrated Thompson’s grooves are frequently on the wrong side of the laid-back/lazy divide, and the occasional strings don’t help matters, either. Still, it’s impossible to entirely subdue Al Green - the vamping coda of ‘No One Like You’ is breathtaking - and throwing this disc on in the background will almost certainly get you some.”
I would agree with unperson 100%. (I blogged about this album a while back…here!
Furthermore, there’s not a single memorable song on the disc, even compared with the two previous Blue Note comeback albums. Plus, the guest shots are completely unnecessary.
It’s not terrible. Green is still wonderful to hear, but there’s nothing going on here that would make me want to put this album on rather than one of Green’s 70s albums.
My god, I can’t disagree with the dissenters more.
This album is infinitely listenable if you’re an Al Green fan at all, it’s not watered down or carbon-copyish — it’s full of grooves and hooks. You can’t tell me the intro to “What More Do You Want From Me” isn’t slick or that “Standing In The Rain” doesn’t have the groove of a Bobby Womack tune. I mean, it seems like I listened to an entirely different record from the people who are dissenting.
There’s a lot that makes this album, and a few of the songs on it, special and memorable. Al’s not the greatest lyricist on earth and he does occasionally hit on bad rhymes and cliches — but you know, he introduced those cliches in his songs long before they were considered cliche.
Now, I could do without the duets personally, but it has spontaneity to it which is sorely missing in other studio recordings that Rev. Green has released in recent years. The live takes and the vocal acrobatics are seasoned. The guitar work of the late Chalmers “Spanky” Alford is the real guest star on this record, and I find myself singing along to a number of these songs — “Just For Me” and “All I Need” are completely pure.
So I guess you can think what you want. I’m all about this record and I hope a lot of other people will be with me.
Didn’t say it wasn’t listenable. Just said there wasn’t anything here to justify recommending this album over even the two previous “comeback” albums. Both had songs I can still sing and I can’t remember anything from this new album even though I’ve heard it much more recently than “I Can’t Stop” or “Everything’s OK.”
Wow. The dissenting/assenting on this thread is passionate enough that I need to go buy this and hear it for myself….thanks for helping me spend my lunch money, guys!
@loudersoft:
“So I guess you can think what you want. I’m all about this record and I hope a lot of other people will be with me.”
There’s a lot being said in this here comment thread, but something tells me that this sentiment is the most genuine, and should be echoed throughout.