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Editorial Review:
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 recognises 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
More good work from Al Green An improvement over "I Can't Stop" and "Everything's OK". Excellent collaborations. Still not quite as good as his work in the 1970s (is Al Green the top male soul singer ever ?). Recommended to old and new fans.
The Reverend Green returns & delivers a Grammy winning album! Known for classic soul songs soul music such as `I'm So Tired Of Being Alone' and `Let's Stay Together' amongst many, Al Green returns in 2008 with a new album, Lay It Down. 11 songs that sound they were released in 1972, yet have a 2008 sound. Also featured on this CD is Corrine Bailey Rae, Anthony Hamilton, John Legend and the impressive horn section, the Daptones, members of Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. The opening track the ballad `Lay It Down' with Anthony Hamilton has all the standard Al... more info
Al Green Is Love Again (Lay It Down) "Al Green Is Love" was one of his classic excellent albums released around 1975. However I think he has done it again, this time with "Lay It Down". Isn't it funny how the great artist never loose their touch. In the case of Al its that lovely falsetto voice which seems to work so well with many soulful love songs. Just listen to "Lets Stay Together", "I'm Still In Love With You" and so on. On Lay It Down the music is fresh yet there are signs of the 70's sound which made him popular. What has been... more info
Very similar to the singer's classic 70's releases As has been mentioned by others, "Lay it Down" is Al Green's latest effort to replicate the sound that kept him a mainstay on radio during the early 70's. Each of the eleven tracks, including his collaborations with the likes of Anthony Hamilton (on two tracks), Corinne Bailey Rae, and John Legend, features Green at his most soulful, backed by musicians/arrangers that truly know how to support such a legendary talent. The album's highlight is actually one of the duets: the one with Rae, entitled "Take... more info
