Favorites of 2008....Number 9
"Lay It Down..."
So it didn't take long for me to realize that I had waaay more than 10 favorite albums that I was attempting to write about.
So unless I use some new fangled math....something has got to give.
Some may or may not know that Al Green is my favorite male sainger (yes...sainger) of all time. No need to go into his list of hits. His credentials are undeniable. As is seen here by this year BET Awards where he was given the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award.
A few years back Al, after a long absence from secular/mainstream music (minus a few comebacks here and there), signed on to the legendary label Blue Note Records and in 2003 Al Green was back. He released I Can't Stop and in 2005 Everything's OK
While both were met with excitement and appreciation, most concluded that "something" was missing. One of these individuals was Questlove, famed drummer of The Roots. He was worked on projects by everyone from D'Angelo, Common, Erykah Badu. Blue Note gave him the green light and Quest rounded up the team, included fellow Soulquarian James Poyser, Mighty Clouds of Joy guitarist Chalmers "Spanky" Alford (who passed shortly before the album was released, the Dap-Kings Horns and famed Larry Gold on strings
Questlove's mission...to create an album with the classic Al Green 70's sound, that works in a modern music setting. And the results were impressive, to say the least. The musical arrangements are lush. Al glides effortlessly over the tracks and doesn't sound like a 62 year old man or anything close to it. A few of the lyrics are lacking at time, but rumor has it that Al basically freestyled most of the album. They started playing and he started singing. Which I find amazing.
Appearances from Anthony Hamilton, John Legend, and Corrine Bailey Rae don't seem forced or out of place like can often be the case when musical legends team up with new schoolers (*ahem* Charlie Wilson and R. Kelly).
Anthony Hamiltion's appearance on "You Got The Love I Need" provides the high point of the album as Al and Anthony, both masters at the gritty southern sound...do some Grade-A romancing with some nasty bass guitar work as the driving force.
"Lay It Down....Let It Go...Fall In Love"
Al Green - "You Got The Love I Need" feat Anthony Hamilton
Al Green - "Stay With Me" feat John Legend
Labels: Al Green, Anthony Hamilton, BET, Corinne Bailey Rae, John Legend, Lay It Down, Questlove, rine Bailey Rae
posted by Geezie @ 4:42 PM
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