AL GREEN

Lay It Down

2008-06-07

The pride of Grand Rapids, Michigan, the Rev. Al Green releases his third disc on Blue Note as he continues with his resurrected (no pun intended) career as American's premier soul singer. What's new on this set is the replacement of longtime producer Willie Mitchell with the acclaimed Roots-men Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and James Poyser. Interestingly, Thompson and Poyser bring Green back to the '70s with more pin-point accuracy that Mitchell did on the latest two Blue Note discs -- and I'm not sure that's completely a good thing. This is wall-to-wall silky Al Green music, and as such it pleases the ear and heart, so out of the gate that's worth three out of four stars. But unlike the Mitchell-Green collaborations of earlier this millennium, no song stops you in your tracks. "Take Your Time" pairs him with Corrine Bailey Rae: cool. The two songs I found myself listening to the most are "Just For Me" and the closer "Standing N in the Rain." 06/08 MJVD B-Soul

Quick Links:

• Al Green's Web site
• Blue Note's Al Green page