In the last 40 years, Reverend Al Green has gone through a number of spiritual changes and incarnations. His voice is instantly recognizable, a hallmark that has come to represent what people associate with classic R&B and soul music. I couldn’t give you a number, but I’d be willing to bet that a whole lot of you babies out there were conceived to the strain of love songs like “Let’s Stay Together”, “Still In Love With You, “Call Me”, “Take Me To The River” and so many more. The house that Al Green and Willie “Pops” Mitchell built at Royal Studios in Memphis, the Hi Records sound if you will, has remained an untouched legacy that seemed to speak of an era gone by.

Come to find out that Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson and James Poyser had “a run at Al Green” (to use ?uest’s own words) over the last two years at Electric Ladyland in NYC. Fans of soul music might be tempted to overlook a new recording by Al Green because, well, they’re just convinced that his best years are behind him as a performer. With the arrival of Lay It Down next week on Blue Note, the death knoll of the Hi Records sound is silenced entirely and, with it, a new generation has the opportunity to experience the genius that is Reverend Al Green.

The meticulous craftsmanship with which this album was designed, from the way in which it was engineered, recorded and mastered to the choice of musicians, leaves the listener wondering, “Did they make this record in 1973 and keep it in the vault for 35 years?” The roots rhythm and blues mixed with touches of gospel are an extension of Willie Mitchell and Al Green’s dream rather than a carbon copy of his past works. James and ?uest got it all in there: Al Green’s rich multi-dimensional vocals are all here, complete with pitch-perfect falsettos.

It’s a welcome resurrection of Al Green and Willie Mitchell’s Hi Records sound, full of lush backing vocal arrangements, congas mixed with tiny drums, the pure soul dynamite of the Dap Tone Horns, Poyser turning it out on the Hammond B-3 and the unparalleled guitar work of the late Chalmers “Spanky” Alford. The 12 songs on Lay It Down don’t come across as a cheap attempt at imitating a sound; it has the feel of an old friend who you’re glad to see again, slipping on your favorite pair of shoes, enjoying a big plate of your favorite fried chicken and biscuits or, maybe, like falling in love for the first time. There is no caricature or sad figurine of an aging star in this album. It is as if the 24-year-old Al Green has come back to tell us, “I haven’t gone anywhere, baby. I’m still here.”

In an effort, I suppose, to bring the “process” up to date, guest appearances from wonderful vocalists like Anthony Hamilton, John Legend and Corinne Bailey Rae are smattered throughout the record. On one of the songs we’re previewing, “Take Your Time”, Corinne’s sexy alto duet adds a respectable, if occasionally pitchy, flavor to the great Reverend’s unwavering falsetto. However, these guest appearances serve as more of a distraction rather than an addition. While not unpleasant, the guest appearances actually magnify the series of legendary performances on this record which belong to Rev. Green himself.

And no star shines brighter than Reverend Al Green himself, after all. His inspired songwriting and performances on this album offer inarguable proof that through his incarnations and changes, Al Green has never lost connection to the very style that he originated. Lay It Down is well poised to be my number one album of 2008, a shining example that the house Hi Records built lives on. Run, don’t walk, to get your hands on this.

Al Green – Just For Me
Al Green – Take Your Time (Feat. Corinne Bailey Rae)

You can purchase Al Green’s Lay It Down by clicking here.

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