Lay It Down with 11 tracks by Al Green. Friends laying it down with Al Green are Anthony Hamilton on the opening album title track and on 'You've Got the Love I Need'. Corinne Bailey Rae sings with Al on 'Take Your Time' and John Legend joins in on 'Stay With Me (By The Sea)'.
Few performers have ever been so inimitable as the Reverend Al Green, so it's no surprise that the starry young collaborators who join him on the superb Lay It Down simply let the man sing in the way he knows best, and make their own contributions fit around his. Despite the presence of such luminaries as John Legend, Anthony Hamilton and Corinne Bailey Rae and the support of co-producers James Poyser and the Roots' Ahmir '?uestlove' Thompson, this is very much Green's show. But although the smart production attempts to update his classic sound, Lay It Down recognizes and preserves its enduring strengths. ?uestlove's brilliant drumming perfectly recaptures the languid snap the late Al Jackson Jr. brought to Green's legendary seventies hits, Larry Gold's string arrangements are measured and minimal while crack guitarist Chalmers 'Spanky' Alford, on one of his last sessions, demonstrates precisely how to balance rhythm and detail (The album is dedicated to his memory). Songs like the elegant title track, where Green out-emotes the decades-younger Hamilton, "Take Your Time", a lovely deep soul duet with Bailey Rae, and the quietly propulsive closer "Standing In The Rain" are naggingly timeless, though there really isn't a weak track on this excellent record. Lay It Down is a gift from one generation to the man that inspired them.--Steve Jelbert
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
No one like Al green:
After 6 months:
No one like you - 5 stars, would be happy to hear several times in one day.
Two much, stay w me, all i need - not good enough for my ipod
all others - happy to hear in rotation on my ipod.
Good to hear new music from Al.
Bravo Mr Green, excellent album:
I can almost hear the discussions that went on between James Poyser, ?uestlove and Al Green before the first song was recorded. The debates about whether they should attempt to update Al's sound or go really retro. I'm sure we've all debated what Marvin Gaye would sound like if he was still alive? I think Al Green gives an interesting perspective on that question. If his latest CD is anything to go by, then I think the answer would be `exactly the way he did when he was alive and thank God for that'more info
He's still the one:
I purchased this CD for the song with Corinne Bailey Rae, but I got so much more. Al Green had songs with Anthony Hamilton and John Legend as well. I don't think I would call this classic Al Green,(though some of the beats reminded me of some of his former songs),but I believe Mr. Green has put his signature on today's music. I absolutely love this CD-I play it almost every day. Of course, most of the songs are love songs, with the kind of words women want to hear. This is a "sittin' on the back porch, in... more info
Al Green brings 70s soul back effortlessly!:
Al Green is a singer extraordinaire and, though I was not living when he was in his heyday, I'm glad he released "Lay it Down", because it sounds a lot like his classics such as "Love and Happiness" and "Let's Stay Together." "Lay it Down" has that classic 1970s feel; I can't believe he pulled this off so effectively. I say this because he sounds exactly how he did in the 60s and 70s! It's simply a wonderful listening experience, namely for the older crowd. It's hard to believe this album was released in... more info
Tracks:
Lay It Down (feat. Anthony Hamilton)
Just For Me
You've Got the Love I Need (feat. Anthony Hamilton)
