Al Green - Greatest Hits
by: Al Green
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Music : Al Green - Greatest Hits |
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Rating: - * The Essence of Al Green ... All the songs that made Al Green the celebrated artist we have all come to know and L-O-V-E! Rating:  - * Good CD not in great condition ... The music itself is great but the condition of the CD was not what was explained. There were scratches on the cd and the case was in pretty bad shape. When a product is advertised as "mint" or "almost new" you don't expect it to be in a worn out condition. Rating: - * Most Of His Greatest Hits With Hi Records ... Al Green, born on April 13, 1946 in Forrest City, Arkansas, began his long road to the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame (inducted in 1995) by singing gospel as part of the Greene Brothers before relocating to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1959, and landing with the Fargo label in 1960 at age 14. In 1964 he joined The Creations and remained with that group through to 1967, and from 1967 into 1968 became part of The Soul Mates with brother Robert and Lee Virgins. Late in 1967 he scored his first hit single for Hot Line Records when Back Up Train began its climb to # 5 R&B/# 41 Billboard Pop Hot 100 early in 1968 b/w Don't Leave Me, billed to Al Greene & The Soul Mate's (sic). He then went solo, at first cutting sides with Bell Records before settling in at Hi Records, where his initial hit there came in early 1970 with You Say It (# 28 R&B b/w Gotta Find A New World). In July 1970 he returned to the R&B charts with Right Now, Right Now, a # 23 b/w All Because (I'm A Foolish One). Unfortunately, none of these tracks are included here. Then, late in 1970, he had his first cross-over hit with Hi when I Can't Get Next To You finished at # 11 R&B and # 60 Hot 100 b/w Ride Sally Ride, only to be followed by the disappointing finish of Driving Wheel in spring 1971 which stalled at # 46 R&B/# 115 Hot 100 "bubble under" b/w True Love (neither included here). But that summer he really began to be noticed when Tired Of Being Alone peaked at # 7 R&B/# 11 Hot 100 b/w Get Back Baby, followed in December by his huge hit, Let's Stay Together which not only made it to # 1 on both the Hot 100 and R&B charts, but also dented the Adult Contemporary charts at # 36 b/w Tomorrow's Dream. In the spring of 1972, Look What You Done For Me made it to # 2 R&B/# 4 Hot 100 b/w La-La For You, and that summer he had his second # 1 R&B hit when I'm Still In Love With You reached that spot as well as # 3 Hot 100 and # 33 AC b/w Old Time Lovin'. On the heels of that, Bell released a side he had cut there in 1967, Guilty, and it finished at # 29 R&B/# 69 Hot 100 in October b/w Let Me Help You (neither is here). The following month the Hi release, You Ought To Be With Me, started its climb to # 1 R&B/# 3 Hot 100/# 28 AC b/w What Is This Feeling? In the first part of 1973 he had two straight # 2 R&B/# 10 Hot 100 hits for Hi with Call Me (Come Back Home) b/w What A Wonderful Thing Love Is, and Here I Am (Come And Take Me) b/w I'm Glad You're Mine. In that same early period, Bell again released a side cut there in 1967, Hot Wire, which stalled at # 71 Hot 100 b/w Don't Leave Me in February. Late that year had his fourth R&B # 1 with Livin' For You, which also reached # 19 Hot 100 b/w It Ain't No Fun To Me. 1974 produced two hits, Let's Get Married (# 3 R&B/# 32 Hot 100 in April/May b/w So Good To Be Here), and Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy), which finished at # 2 R&B/# 7 Hot 100/# 28 AC in November b/w School Days. He then kicked off 1975 with his fifth R&B # 1, L-O-V-E (Love) which also reached # 13 Hot 100 b/w I Wish You Were Here, and that summer had Oh Me, Oh My (Dreams In My Arms) finish at # 7 R&B/# 48 Hot 100 b/w Strong As Death (Sweet As Love) - neither included here). But his sixth # 1 R&B is here, Full Of Fire, which also made it to # 28 Hot 100 in December 1975 b/w Could I Be The One? This Right Stuff release of a 1972 Hi album with added bonus tracks then skips over his next three Hi hits (Let It Shine - # 16 R&B in June 1976 b/w There's No Way and Keep Me Cryin' - # 4 R&B/# 37 Hot 100 b/w There Is Love - both from 1976, and I Tried To Tell Myself - # 26 R&B/# 101 Hot 100 "bubble under" in early 1977), before providing the minor hit Love And Happiness (# 82 R&B/# 104 Hot 100 "bubble under" in August 1977 b/w Glory, Glory, and Belle (# 9 R&B/# 83 Hot 100 late in 1977 b/w Chariots Of Fire. Al would add three more hits with Hi in 1978/79 before disappearing from the charts to return to his gospel roots, returning in 1987 with A&M where he added four hits to 1990, one in 1991 with RCA Victor, and his last in late 1995 with MCA. The sound quality is excellent, and with the insert you get a discography of the contents, although there are no liner notes, just a few more shots of Al performing. Rating: - * Memphis Soul from the 70's ... what can you say, Al Green arguably had the biggest impact of any of the Memphis (or anywhere else) soul singers from the 1970's. His recordings on the Hi Label with the Hi Records house band (the "Hi Rhythm Section"-the Hodges Brothers and the Memphis Horns; Wayne Jackson and Al Love), and the genius of Memphis Soul Music Producer extroadinnaire Willie Mitchell redefined soul music at the time. All of Al's great songs are here, not one bad cut on this album. Still sounds fresh to-day. Rating:  - * Some oldies but goodies ... Although I was not pleased with all the songs on this recording, the ones I wanted was there. Brought back memories galore. I recommend it . |
Continuing a fortuitous tradition of capturing the Sondheim legacy on video recordings, this performance was filmed before a live audience in Los Angeles during the 1982 national tour. Almost 20 years later, Hearn returned to the role opposite Patti LuPone in an acclaimed concert production. But Sweeney Todd is an especially compelling experience in this 1982 version, complete with the clever staging tricks (e.g., the barber's chair) and as close to the original cast as we're likely to see. --David Horiuchi
