I Can't Stop

by

Al Green

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Al Green is my second all time favorite singer (behind only Merle Haggard). In the mid to late 70's, I wore out every one of his albums. Al has one of the greatest (and most unique) voices I've ever heard. Most of my original Al LP's are worn from constant use, and I replaced most of them on CD. I had heard nothing about this CD until the day it was released. I read a couple of reviews, and ran out and bought it. Al has done a lot of excellent music since he turned to recording gospel, and I own every album (except "Love is Reality", which I had but traded in. He got too far away from his sound on that one). Whereas a couple of other CD's flirted with a return to soul, this one goes all the way. The familiar sound is back, and Al's voice is (amazingly) almost completely intact. No one will be disappointed with the singing here. Furthermore, the musicianship is excellent, with many of the "Hi team" in place. The songs are uniformly good, and several tracks stand out ("Rainin' in my heart", "My problem is you", "Not tonight", "Too many"). There are no songs here in the class of Al's absolute best, but excellent Al Green is better than anyone else (certainly compared to todays excuse for R&B!). Even though there is a retro element to this CD, it does not sound dated to me. I can certainly distinguish the sound from the 70's Al. It is a little fuller in sound. I have been hoping (as, I'm sure, many of you have) to hear another Al Green soul album. I am grateful that Al and Willie (and the musicians) got back together to give us this wonderful disc. Please don't be foolish enough to listen and complain that there is no "take me to the river", or "love and happiness". Is there any great artist from the 60's or 70's (or even before that) that has equaled their best work this late in their careers? Many have come close (Merle, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and some others have put out excellent music in recent years), but I consider it an incredible event when one of the few remaining greats releases top rate music for us to enjoy. I haven't heard a singer of this caliber since, and I'm afraid we may never hear one again. If you like Al Green, buy this disc. You will not be disappointed (and you probably will be thrilled!). If you are not an Al Green fan, I can't help you!

This is not only a reunion of Green and his arranger--quite a few of the original session players and singers are on hand, too. And let's face it--30 years have had an effect on Al Green's voice. It doesn't have quite the same velvet quality as before, but it's astonishing how much range and dexterity Green's voice has retained, particularly in the upper register. Similarly, his background singers sound a little grittier, not as silky smooth as before. What's a little disappointing to me are the songwriting and arrangements. Gone are the subtlety and gently insinuating quality of hits like "Let's Stay Together." The new songs and arrangements have a more aggressive, in-your-face quality, much more in sync with the new millenium's R&B. Sigh. On the other hand, there is more variety to the songs and arrangements than on Al Green's old albums. Actually, maybe it was wise to avoid slavish adherence to the old style. Why mess with perfection? Green's voice, as it stands, is better suited to the new material. Besides, why shouldn't musicians try new things? I guess it's too much to expect the pure magic of the synchronicity between Green, the arranger, background singers, material, and session musicians 30 years later. But hey, it beats the hell out of most R&B these days and it's pretty decent by any standard. Listen to the samples. If you like what you hear, go ahead and buy. Chances are won't be disappointed. Update 3/24/2005: After listening to I Can't Stop a few times, I feel a bit churlish giving it only three stars. On reflection, I'd give it four stars. Really, this cd is better than it has any right to be. Excellent work by all concerned, it's a pleasure in every way and only suffers in comparison to Green's immortal 70s work, which isn't a fair comparison at all.