My Greatest 100 (or so) Albums...

Let's Stay Together (Hi, 1972) Al Green. As I mentioned in my last Otis Redding comment, Al Green also belongs to that strata of genius singer/songwriters who had at least one period of incredible productivity. There are a few other things that connect Al and Otis. They both made their records in Memphis, and notably both built their best records on the dynamic drumming of Mr. Al Jackson. I would assume that Stax musicians other than Jackson played on some of Al's tracks, but I'd have to see breakdowns to know which ones. I don't think Steve Cropper ever did. Al's sound was a little more sophisticated than Redding't but it still remained raw. Like Otis, his voice could go between rough and raw in a single phrase. He sings in a higher register than Otis, but his voice is still very powerful. Okay, here are the tracks on this one:

"Let's Stay Together" (Green, Jackson, Mitchell) – 3:18
"La-La for You" (Green, Mitchell) – 3:31
"So You're Leaving" (Green) – 2:57
"What Is This Feeling?" (Green) – 3:42
"Old Time Lovin'" (Green) – 3:19
"I've Never Found a Girl (Who Loves Me Like You Do)" (Floyd, Isbell, Jones) – 3:41
"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?" (Gibb, Gibb) – 6:22
"Judy" (Green) – 3:47
"It Ain't No Fun to Me" (Green) – 3:23

You know the big hit, but everything here should be heard. His version of How Can You Mend a Broken Heart? proves just how great the Bee Gee's writing could be. Check it out!