Al Green - Gets Next to You

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Music reviews of Gets Next to You

Music Review: I don't leave home without it .... !
Rating: 5 Stars

This is the album to get if:
a) you wish Al Green didn't get into the mushy love songs
b) you like the mushy stuff but want to hear the Reverend a bit more down-home

Something that stands out to me on my all-time favourite Al Green album is the re-invention of songs: 'I Can't Get Next You' is pretty far removed from the Temptations' original , 'Driving Wheel' isn't a Blues shuffle anymore, and did Jim Morrison have any idea of what could be done with 'Light My Fire'?

Regardless of whether each song is a cover, or one that Green wrote or co-wrote, each song is clearly his! Al Green plays around with the sounds of words and phrases, howls, whispers, preaches (and I still get chills when I hear that falsetto howl at the fade-out of 'I Can't Get Next to You'!!).

The Hi Records houseband are one of my all-time favourites, and they know just what to do here: simmer, sweat, have fun, provide that extra punch, or hold right back when needed.

Buy the 2003 release from The Right Stuff/Capitol: it's 24-bit digitally remastered (if that means anything to you), you get the original album plus 3 bonus tracks. Even if you own 'Listen to the Rarities', you're still one song short, as 'True Love' has not been released on CD before.

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