Friday, February 29, 2008

Classic Album Revisited

Al Green's standout album I'm Still In Love With You was recorded in 1972 in Memphis, Tennessee. Al and producer Willie Mitchell along with guitarist Teenie Hodges and drummer Al Jackson, a member of Booker T & The MG's began recording in the spring and summer of '72. I'm Still In Love With You is the perfect combination of gospel, funk and straight up gut bucket Memphis soul. The title song described as "a sweet sentimental song of pure surrender" by Al in his autobiography, reached # 1 on the R&B charts. "Look What You Done For Me" was #4 on the Pop charts and a # 2 hit on the R&B charts. Ironically, the hit song "Love And Happiness" was released as a single in 1977, five years after its recording. Al's voice flows so smoothly over the guitar riffs in "Simply Beautiful", which was sampled on the Mary J. Blige song "PMS", a track from her No More Drama album. Al Green covers the country classic "For The Good Times" and turns it into a slow burning, soul churning classic, evidence of his interpretive genius. I'm Still In Love With You has stood the test of time, VIBE magazine listed it as one of its 51 Essential Albums and called it the album on which Al Green became AL GREEN.

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