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- Date Released: December 1, 1977
- Genre: Hip-Hop/R&B
- Style: R&B, Soul
- Label: Hi Records / Fat Possum
The Reverend leaves earthy pursuits behind and sounds appropriately sublime doing so
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We Say...
Myriad real-life troubles shook Al Green and his soulful sound in the mid '70s. There was an incident involving a pot of boiling-hot grits poured on his back by an unhinged lover that sent the man's sensuous (and highly successful) pursuits into a spiritual tailspin. And the still-unsolved shooting death of his drummer Al Jackson permanently deracinated the grounding of Memphis soul/ funk. By 1977, Green had even cut his ties with producer Willie Mitchell and his telltale Hi Rhythm sound. So 1977's The Belle Album might give pause, knowing that the seduction, the infinite funk, and the graceful touch of Mitchell were all missing, replaced instead with songs about his 'other' love, God.
And yet, the album remains one of Green's highlights, the crafty singer self-producing himself and steadying the proceedings with his acoustic guitar comping to great results. The title track addresses his faith forthright amid a miasma of synthesized washes and again on the buoyant "All 'n' All." Meanwhile, the steady build of seven-minute long jam "Georgia Boy" is one of the man's finest grooves, as fine an example of backwoods country-disco to ever emerge from the wilds. -
They Say...
Al Green severed his ties with longtime producer Willie Mitchell in 1977, establishing his own backup band and seizing the production reins. But he hadn't yet made the final break with soul; this was the last secular work he would make for many years, and it was brilliant, even though it didn't come close to equaling his previous commercial heights. In retrospect, many just didn't understand where he was going, while others were turned off by the blurred lyrical focus of songs like "Belle." But "I Feel Good" had as much danceable energy and soulful fire as any Green up-tempo tune, and "Lovin' You" and "Dream" were sorely underrated compositions.
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| 01. |  |
Belle |
4:49 |
|
| 02. | |
Loving You |
3:34 |
|
| 03. | |
Feels Like Summer |
3:42 |
|
| 04. | |
Georgia Boy |
7:00 |
|
| 05. | |
I Feel Good |
5:19 |
|
| 06. | |
All 'N' All |
3:38 |
|
| 07. | |
Chariots of Fire |
3:49 |
|
| 08. | |
Dream |
7:28 |
|
08 Total Tracks, 39:19 Total Length
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Credits
- Al Green - Guitar (Acoustic) // Al Green - Arranger // Al Green - Composer // Al Green - Guitar (Electric) // Al Green - Vocals // Al Green - Producer // Al Green - Main Performer // Al Green - Vocal Arrangement // Al Green - Remixing // Linda Jones - Vocals // Linda Jones - Vocals (Background) // Leon Thomas - Clarinet // Leon Thomas - Keyboards // Leon Thomas - Vocals (Background) // Leon Thomas - Clavinet // Leon Thomas - Fender Rhodes // James Bass - Guitar // James Bass - Guitar (Electric) // James Bass - Electronic Sounds // Johnny Brolin - Keyboards // Johnny Brown - Piano // Johnny Brown - Fender Rhodes // Bill Cantrell - Engineer // Bill Cantrell - Remixing // Ron Echols - Saxophone // Ron Echols - Sax (Baritone) // Ron Echols - Sax (Tenor) // Reuben Fairfax, Jr. - Bass // Reuben Fairfax, Jr. - Arranger // Reuben Fairfax, Jr. - Guitar (Bass) // Reuben Fairfax, Jr. - Lyre // Reuben Fairfax, Jr. - Bells // Reuben Fairfax, Jr. - Associate Producer // Reuben Fairfax, Jr. - Bell Lynne // Margaret Foxworth - Vocals // Margaret Foxworth - Vocals (Background) // Margaret Foxworth - Vocal Arrangement // Ardis Hardin - Drums // Ardis Hardin - Drums (Snare) // Buddy Jarrett - Saxophone // Buddy Jarrett - Sax (Alto) // Buddy Jarrett - Horn Arrangements // Harvey Jones - Vocals // Harvey Jones - Vocals (Background) // Fred Jordan - Trumpet // Fred Jordan - Arranger // Fred Jordan - Flugelhorn // Fred Jordan - Engineer // Fred Jordan - Fender Rhodes // Fred Jordan - Orchestration // Fred Jordan - Associate Producer // Fred Jordan - Remixing // Fred Jordan - String Ensemble // Darryl Neely - Trumpet // Darryl Neely - Flugelhorn // Darryl Neely - Horn // Darryl Neely - Horn Arrangements // Robert Payne - Percussion // Alan Robinson - Liner Notes // John Toney - Synthesizer // John Toney - Drums // John Toney - Syndrum // Amy Linden - Liner Notes // Rob Payne - Synthesizer // Rob Payne - Syndrum // Johnny Brown - Piano // Johnny Brown - Fender Rhodes // Fred Jordan - Strings // Fred Jordan - Trumpet // Fred Jordan - Arranger // Fred Jordan - Flugelhorn // Fred Jordan - Keyboards // Fred Jordan - Engineer // Fred Jordan - ? // Fred Jordan - Fender Rhodes // Fred Jordan - Associate Producer // Fred Jordan - Remixing // Fred Jordan - String Ensemble
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