Search - Al Green :: Call Me

(4.5 stars) Slightly monotonous but still first-rate

finulanu | Here, there, and everywhere | 07/24/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Another great album, though it might not be able to match its predecessor. The songs are all good and fine - the hit title track, another one of Al's smooth orchestrated soul songs; the mildly funky "Stand Up," the wonderful "Have You Been Making Out O.K.?," which has Al's voice in top form, the slightly menacing sexual energy of "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)," and "You Oughta Be with Me," which has one of Al's best melodies and a fine performance from guitarist Mabon Hodges; there are some interesting string arrangements in places ("Your Love is Like the Morning Sun"), and I even like the two country covers ("Funny How Time Slips Away," "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry") because they don't sound a thing like country songs - instead, they're done in Al's typical style. That is, slow, yearning soul. He even makes the closing sermon "Jesus is Waiting" work. I don't have a problem at all with the individual songs on this album. Here, I have two issues. One, the repetitiveness. Basically, if you don't like Al's signature sound, you won't like this album. Because every song sounds exactly the same, and it's all Al doing what he does best. From the soul fan's perspective, that's probably a good thing, but if you're not a soul fan (or an Al Green fan, for that matter), this probably won't convert you. You'll probably just be bored. For another, something about Green's vocals here doesn't quite work for me. He's still at his peak as a singer, but I miss all the weird vocal inflections that he added to previous albums. He does a bit of it on "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)" and "You Oughta Be With Me," but on a whole there's not as much as there used to be. Yeah, that's a small thing to complain about, but hey. It's still a great album, after all."

A Timeless Classic

David Stone | Vineland, N.J. | 10/16/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A truly instant classic it just mellows you out, and everysong has a meaning, and takes you into another space and time. This album is a gift from God."