604 Al Green - I’m Still in Love With You (1972)

 604 Al Green - I’m Still in Love With You (1972)

Studio Album - Soul


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About the Act:

Al Green is an American Soul singer, who started his career in 1955 and is still going. That's an impressive career length. 

His personal life looks a bit like a roller-coaster at times. In the late 70s, after some bad incidents, he turned to Gospel and became a Pastor. Later, he came back to secular music. He has sold a large number of soul records, with a style that is reminiscent of early Motown soul.

About the Album:

This was Al's fifth studio album and it sold pretty well.

My History with this Album:

None

Review:

So this is the third Al Green album in this list, and my reactions to the first two were quite different. The first one, I loved, apparently, I gave it 8/10. The second, which was not long ago, I gave 6/10 and I took great exception to the drum production, which was tinny.

I have listen to this once, on my laptop speakers, and although I thought the production was better than the one I gave 6/10, I still thought it was tinny. I'm listening again as I write, and I have popped headphones on. It's doing better on headphones.

The drums are still quite tinny, in that the produced sound is quite lacking in depth, and quite compressed also, both in tonal range and dynamic range. This reflects the whole sound of the album which is quite light. The predominant sounds are bass and drums (the bass was inaudible on the laptop speakers, it's doing better on the headphones), organ, Brass, strings, backing vocals, Al's vocals and light electric guitar. It's all very laid back and somewhat compressed in range.

I suppose I should talk about the music - it's soul, of an almost Motown type, but with less energy. This is kind of lounge music, the sort of thing you can imagine Inspector Clouseau putting on the record player in a Pink Panther Movie when he is trying to seduce a woman. It sounds like big moustaches, afro hair and corduroy flares. Al's singing is of a particular sound, where he lightly floats around any kind of tune, like a gospel soloist. He doesn't scream and shout, he whispers almost, huskily.

I think the significant thing that is different for this album from the last one that I reviewed, is that this feels less clinical and more alive. It's still somewhat overdone with the strings and production, as if it is trying to win an award for the easiest listening possible. There is some heart still coming through despite this. 

There's a cover of Pretty Woman, which I don't think works particularly well. It sounds too forced trying to shoehorn the Al Green style on it. I don't know any of the other songs.  

I'm tempted to score this slap bang in the middle between the 6 and the 7, but I feel like giving it a little more than that.

7.1/10


Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/7hI0QCwcx9GB8MZK24IfTT

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJHhuu0vGMO2ebf6kOIR0-nOgjC6brX9k

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_Still_in_Love_with_You_(Al_Green_album)



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