Al Green’s sexy vocals and the rich, lush arrangements of his early brand of soul/R&B, especially those featured on this 1975 Greatest Hits compilation, are the perfect pairing for this recipe. You can almost hear this decadent bowl of risotto sing, “Here I am, come and take me.”
I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how great Al Green is. His awesomeness is pretty universally renowned. Nonetheless, I wouldn’t be surprised if many readers still don’t own an Al Green album. With an artist with this much history, it can be hard to figure out where to start. So, if you are looking for another classic to add to your iPod, this Greatest Hits collection is a great place to start as it features many of Green’s greatest hits: “Tired of Being Alone,” “Call Me (Come Back Home),” “I’m Still in Love With You,” “Here I Am (Come and Take Me),” “Love and Happiness,” “Lets Stay Together”–imagine those are just the first 6 tracks. The smoldering “I’m Still in Love With You” is the potentially the most sweetly sensual song ever written. The smooth and sexy “Here I Am (Come and Take Me)” simmers just on the verge of boiling over from start to finish. Featuring a backing organ, call and response vocals, and a slow building groove, “Love and Happiness” demonstrates the influence of gospel music on Green’s music as he testifies to the power of love. Over thirty years later, this stuff is still rightfully hot. I can almost guarantee you’ll be tossing Al Green on the next mixtape/playlist you give to your someone special.
If you don’t own this album, buy it today: you’ll play it until you wear down the grooves on your record or melt the hard drive on your iPod. If you need to be convinced, head over to The World In a Paper Cut to download Al Green – Love and Happiness.
~ Matthew
