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Al Green - Greatest Gospel Hits Audio CD

A fair review of the Al Green "Greatest Gospel Hits" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Al Green reviews here, or go back to the Al Green tabs.

Al Green Band: Al Green
Title: Greatest Gospel Hits
Rating:
Release Date: 2000-03-28
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Lord Will Make a Way 2: God Blessed Our Love 3: Straighten Out Your Life 4: People Get Ready 5: Truth N' Time 6: Lean on Me 7: Higher Plane 8: Ocean Blue (I'll Rise Again) 9: I Close My Eyes and Smile 10: He Is the Light 11: Everything's Gonna Be Alright 12: Amazing Grace 13: Your Heart's in Good Hands 14: Chariots of Fire 15: All We Need Is a Little More Love 16: Where Love Rules 17: Spirit Might Come-On and On

His Higher Calling
For many there is a torment of choice between the enticing secular world and the calling of the church. When this man of God was called to the other side instead he answered to a higher calling that is Al Green. Al Green found his peace and talented gift by going his own way. Not like his brothers, like Sam Cooke, Little Richard and Marvin Gaye who traded gospel melodies for early pop success and visa versa. The sounds of these black artists found their voice between the roadhouse and the revival tent in the form of soul, R&B, blues and rock & roll. Their music had been fired in the furnace of the mother church. Green has in the process created music that jubilantly celebrates his faith and not sacrificing archetypes that made him one of the great innovators of modern music.


When growing up Green was influenced by a wide range of music, from the Beatles, Roy Orbison and Jackie Wilson. A fact that his God-fearing father thrown him out on the street, after catching him listening to a 45 of Wilson's "A Woman, A Lover, A Friend" in his room. It was a turning point for Green to launch his contemporary soul career. He was the front man for The Soul Mates then he went solo. Later he joined Memphis songwriter and musician Willie Mitchell. Their work would forge together a sound borrowed from his gospel roots. It was his link he kept through his secular recording career. His epic struggles with contradictions of gospel and pursuing his own ecstasies. His moment of truth hit in the summer of 1973, his Lord found Him. It took a while for his Born Again experience to be translated into his music. It was until a horrific incident at the hands of a crazed fan in 1974 that made him choose to follow God's calling. This decision caused the separation of his partnership with Mitchell. In a Memphis sanctuary, the Full Gospel Tabernacle he devoted himself to pastoring his flock that gathered every Sunday to hear the power and conviction of his preaching. The Rev. Green had bid farewell to the mainstream and turned his attention faithfully to gospel that earned him an extraordinary eight Grammy awards. The 17 tracks on this album represent the cream of the crop of Green's golden gospel age. Spanning his 80s career are these landmark releases: 'The Lord Will Make a Way' (1980), 'Higher Plane' (1981), 'Where Love Rules' (1981), and 'He Is The Light' (1985). The songs bear his testimony of the long years he spent deferring his gospel gifts in the name of secular success. It's possible to take the soul man out of the preacher, the other way isn't so easy. Green proves this with Bill Withers' classic, 'Lean on Me,' Curtis Mayfield's 'People Get Ready' and 'God Bless our Love' and Diane Warren's 'Your Heart's In Good Hands. ' For the fans, Al Green's 'Take Me To The River' with co-author Davin Seay holds to the promise that the singer and preacher has done a wonderous thing. Yes, it most certainly has.


Great Compilation
While there is some irony to Green recording gospel songs, the results cannot be disputed. This album compiles the best of Al Green's gospel recordings.
From People Get Ready to Amazing Grace, the standards are all here, as well as some gospel hits only gospel fans will recognize.
If you want a one stop shop for Green's gospel recordings, you won't go wrong with this compilation.


Another Gem From Al Green
the songs here still sound Great. What A VOice&A Legend. The Lord Will Make A Way is the cut. The Grooves Sound Great As His Powerful VOice.


Al Green Unstoppable
As Al spreads the message of the Lord he takes his singing to new levels. Even if he is singing gospel or soul or whatever Al Green knows how to soothe the soul with his amazing voice and rythms. This maybe one of his best albums ever.


A Good Place To Start
No one compares for pure soulful singing from the heart. If this is the only album you're going to buy of gospel songs by the great Al Green then fine. The choice of material is good considering it covers 25 years. The production, styles and arrangements reflect every trend over that time and that makes listening difficult. Almost every time Green went into the studio after 1977 it was with different musicians. For example, Willie Mitchell produced He Is The Light, and co-produced God Blessed Our Love, and brought in most of the band that played on earlier hits like Let's Stay Together. (It was when Al Green teamed up with Mitchell that his career first took off. ) Other arrangements replace the horn section and add synthesizer, strings, and even an orchestra, like Ocean Blue (I'll Rise Again), and I Close My Eyes And Smile. Personally, I love the horns. If you can, start with the sources of these songs, like He Is The Light, and The Lord Will Make A Way. Then get I Get Joy, Soul Survivor, and Your Heart's In Good Hands. An excellent gospel hits collection, though hard to find, is Al Green Sings The Gospel, on Motown.


You can see a complete list of all Al Green discography, or go back to the Al Green tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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