Editorial Review:

Album Description:
Lay It Down with 11 tracks by Al Green. Friends laying it down with Al Green are Anthony Hamilton on the opening album title track and on 'You've Got the Love I Need'. Corinne Bailey Rae sings with Al on 'Take Your Time' and John Legend joins in on 'Stay With Me (By The Sea)'.

Amazon.co.uk:
Few performers have ever been so inimitable as the Reverend Al Green, so it's no surprise that the starry young collaborators who join him on the superb Lay It Down simply let the man sing in the way he knows best, and make their own contributions fit around his. Despite the presence of such luminaries as John Legend, Anthony Hamilton and Corinne Bailey Rae and the support of co-producers James Poyser and the Roots' Ahmir '?uestlove' Thompson, this is very much Green's show. But although the smart production attempts to update his classic sound, Lay It Down recognizes and preserves its enduring strengths. ?uestlove's brilliant drumming perfectly recaptures the languid snap the late Al Jackson Jr. brought to Green's legendary seventies hits, Larry Gold's string arrangements are measured and minimal while crack guitarist Chalmers 'Spanky' Alford, on one of his last sessions, demonstrates precisely how to balance rhythm and detail (The album is dedicated to his memory). Songs like the elegant title track, where Green out-emotes the decades-younger Hamilton, 'Take Your Time', a lovely deep soul duet with Bailey Rae, and the quietly propulsive closer 'Standing In The Rain' are naggingly timeless, though there really isn’t a weak track on this excellent record. Lay It Down is a gift from one generation to the man that inspired them.--Steve Jelbert









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Disc 1:

1. Lay It Down (feat. Anthony Hamilton)
2. Just For Me
3. You've Got the Love I Need (feat. Anthony Hamilton)
4. No One Like You
5. What More Do You Want From Me
6. Take Your Time (feat. Corinne Bailey Rae)
7. Too Much
8. Stay With Me (By the Sea) (feat. John Legend)
9. All I Need
10. I'm Wild About You
11. Standing In the Rain

Rating: - * al green lay it down ... if you are a fan this is essential the voice of an angel it seems either better or as i get older i appreciate a true classic soul voice buy this cd at any price Rating: - * Still in the Groove ... Enjoyed this CD so much. His collaberation with different artists such as Corinne Bailey Ray, is wonderful. His mentoring of young artists like this is heartwarming. Al comes across throughout the whole CD as a joyful spirit. May he record many more. Rating: - * The Great Comeback ... Al Green is back! If you are a true Green fan this cd will be a favorite. Buy this cd new, support brotha Al... You will not be dissapointed. This cd features 11 tracks, and all 11 tracks are classic... That's it and that's all.. Rating: - * Inspired and inspiring. ... For "Lay It Down", Green chose to work with The Roots' ?uestlove instead of longtime producer Willie Mitchell (who has worked with Green since 1970's "Green Is Blues") in an openly recognised bid to direct his classic soul sound towards the tastes of today's youth. But fear not - his collaborations with John Legend, Corrine Bailey Rae, and Anthony Hamilton do not dilute any of Green's majesty. In addition to these well-known collaborators, The Dap-Kings, currently known for their work with talented soul singer Sharon Jones, provide a wonderful backing for Green's impassioned singing These days, 62-year-old Al Green combines his gospel preaching with recording, writing and touring his secular music. Praise the Lord, soul's sweetest voice is on imperious form here, either on his own or alongside young bucks John Legend, Corinne Bailey Rae and Anthony Hamilton, the finest vocalist of the current soul crop. The album's title track kicks off 11 songs of rich sounding contemporary soul. Smooth strings interject in a call-and-response styled chorus and Green sweet-talks his way through the verses: "Really, I just love you for yourself - I don't want nobody, no, no, no, nobody else!" When you get through close to five minutes of preaching on the song, you're convinced that the king of soul is telling the truth. Yet this is no tribute album, no attempt to drag a 20th-century icon into the 21st century. Instead, the guests - especially The Roots, who provide most of the musical backdrop - let Green soar. And soar he does, be it on the sumptuous title track, the funky "What More Do You Want From Me?" and "Take Your Time", where Bailey Rae turns in the most sultry, slow-burning performance of her career. The horns start to play a more important role on "Just For Me", as they replace supporting lines with more ear-catching riffs. And although all the songs on "Lay It Down" flaunt a mid-tempo soul structure, there are interesting differences in the timbers present in the different tracks. A muscular rhythm section takes hold of "You've Got The Luv I Need" and "I'm Wild About U", while guitars dominate "No One Like You" and a piano features prominently in "Too Much". Much of the lyrical style here is simple and direct. It works perfectly for Green, as you can sense his emotions through his vocal intonations, which is, of course, a main pillar of classic soul music. Combined with ?uestlove's attentive production work and the variety provided from his collaborators, Green's latest work flourishes. Though it adds no innovation to the genre, "Lay It Down's tried-and-true approach should appease longtime soul fans. And hopefully the album will reveal Al Green's majesty to a whole new generation of fans in the way he intended through his collaborations with contemporary artists. Rating: - * Vintage and Amazing Al Green!! ... This album is outstanding because it is vintage Al Green in 2008. What a treat. I call it triple S--spiritual, soulful and sexy. The music, singing, appearances by guests such as Anthony Hamilton, Corinne Bailey Rae, and John Legend make the album even more special. This is truly one of a kind from a musical giant and legend and definitely should be added to one's collection. We are humbled.