Billboard – At this point, if you’re Al Green, messing around with your formula isn’t so much unlikely as it is pure madness; it’d be like AC/DC deciding to add bassoons. Even the highly touted input of the Roots’ ?uestlove (producing with James Poyser, both in place of Green’s longtime go-to Willie Mitchell) results more in decoration than innovation. It’s not the new-blood-fueled revelation some might have hoped for, but who cares. Green’s voice remains lithe magic, and he’s brought in such contemporary all-stars as Anthony Hamilton (on the album’s two best tracks, “You’ve Got the Love I Need” and the slinky title song), John Legend and Corinne Bailey Rae for help. ?uestlove’s drums get a little boost in the mix, and Poyser’s B3 lightly brushes each song’s cheeks. But when it comes to Green, what more needs to be said? The reverend preaches on.
Review: Al Green, “Lay It Down”
May 27, 2008 by jvrabel7
Posted in Billboard, Music, Reviews, mp3 | Tagged ?uestlove, al green, anthony hamilton, corinne bailey ray, james poyser, john legend, lay it down | No Comments Yet
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