Al Green - Lay It Down

What’s exactly happened to real, honest R&B records in the past few decades? Where have all the sultry crooners been hiding their collective heads? Have they been so beaten down and bludgeoned by those average-voiced, yet attractive-and-marketable singers and groups that have come to populate radio stations and television? Are they scared away by the ubiquity of the pseudo-hard hip-hop and rap acts that have sold away the actual soul of hip-hop for a Bentley or three? Is there anyone that might be able to stand up tall for truth, justice, and great American soul music?

And just when you least expect it, an answer comes onto the horizon in the historic voice of Reverend Al Green, seeking to shine a light upon a dismal sonic landscape. Flanked by a host of the best-and-brightest collaborators in what’s left of authentic R&B and hip-hop, the Reverend has released Lay It Down, an album that will certainly serve as a wake-up call to all of those soul singers who’ve been relegated to finding work as back-up singers for the past 20 years. Take a gander through who’s singing and playing alongside Reverend Green and see if you’re not amazed: the album itself was produced by Green, Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson (drummer for The Roots), and keyboardist James Poyser (producer for Erykah Badu and Common); The Dap-Kings Horns, fresh off their work with Sharon Jones & Amy Winehouse, provide the classic Motown feel; and Anthony Hamilton, Corrine Bailey Rae, and John Legend provide their golden voices to several tracks on an already power-packed record.

Yet, for all of the tendencies for this project to become more of a “super group” or “dream team,” it is still the lyrics, heart, and pipes of Al Green that carry the day. Though the interplay between him and his youthful participants is artfully balanced, this is truly his album. Lay It Down has surges of uptempo power intermixed with powerful slow jams, erasing any gap in time that might exist between Al’s old Hi Records releases and today. And while there are virtually no average tracks on the record, the standout cuts here - “You’ve Got the Love I Need,” “What More Do You Want From Me,” and “Standing in the Rain” - could easily be included in any classic R&B/Soul compilation. Proving that he has yet to lose any musical steps and is in fact still far ahead of the curve, Al Green (along with his insanely talented friends) has created a record that’s neither a mere comeback nor a quaint historical artifact: Lay It Down is an outstanding piece of work from a musical giant.