"Love songs" collections have become de rigueur around Valentine's Day, and
EMI
catalog imprint
The Right Stuff
's
Al Green
compilation puts a
soul
twist on the genre. The conceit, as usual, is that most
pop
singers spend most of their time singing about love anyway, and that's certainly the case with
Green
(that is, when he's not singing about God). The only categories of material that would seem to be off-limits are tracks that are a bit too up-tempo (the idea here is to feature
ballads
that will contribute to that romantic Valentine's Day mood) or that express romantic frustration. Thus,
hits like
"Can't Get Next to You"
and
"Tired of Being Alone"
are out. But most of his output fits the concept, and the selection is heavily weighted toward his early-'70s hitmaking days. Technically, the collection stretches from 1967's
"Guilty"
to 2002's
Ann Nesby
hit
"Put It on Paper,"
which featured
. But 12 of the 17 tracks date from
's 1972-1973 heyday, and ten of the 16
chart entries he scored between 1971 and 1975 are included. Hence, the album functions as a de facto hits collection as well. Beyond the hits, there are interesting, stretched-out interpretations of
Kris Kristofferson
"For the Good Times"
the Bee Gees
'
"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart."
Despite his religious commitment,
has always been an accomplished loverman, and this album provides 17 convincing arguments why. [
Fat Possum
's 2013 reissue added a bonus track.] ~ William Ruhlmann