Product Description

After two albums loaded with cover songs and draped in the deep influence of Otis Redding and Sam Cooke, Al Green used LET'S STAY TOGETHER to introduce his own style to the world.Green wrote or co-wrote seven of the nine songs on LET'S STAY TOGETHER, including the title track, his only No. 1 pop single. Love and relationships provided a universal theme forthis sweet soul music. The lightly surging groove of "Let'sStay Together" carries a plea for reconciliation; the delicate ballad "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" (a Bee Gees cover) addresses the aftermath of a breakup.
Throughout LET'S STAY TOGETHER, the Hi Records house band fits exquisitely with Green's heavenly tenor, whether it be Charles Hodges's inspirational organ fills on "La-La For You" or brother Teenie Hodges' understated guitar riffs on "It Ain't No Fun To Me". Throw in a brassy horn section and lush string arrangements, and you have a perfectly balanced slice of soul. Some consider Al Green to be the greatest soul singer who ever lived. LET'S STAY TOGETHER, a purely joyful listen from beginning to end, makes a very good case.

Track Listing

1. Let's Stay Together
2. I've Never Found A Girl
3. So You're Leaving
4. It Ain't No Fun To Me
5. Talk To Me
6. Old Time Lovin
7. Judy
8. What Is This Feeling
9. Tomorrow's Dream
10. How Can You Mend A Broken Heart
11. La La For You

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #172674 in Music
• Released on: 1998-11-09
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
The Memphis Sound took its greatest steps toward 1970s smoothness with Al Green. Let's Stay Together is a showcase of the combination of grit and honey that made the singer one of the decade's foremost artist-hit-makers. In addition to the classic title single--a pop and R&B No. 1 in 1972--the album offers prime early examples of other Green trademarks: an unexpected cover (the Bee Gees' "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart") and the outright eccentricity of "So You're Leaving", which answers gossips with the assurance that if "they'll lie on Jesus, can't you see they'll lie on you and me." --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews

Superb 70's Soul
As the 70's dawned, much was changing in R&B and Soul. Amongst other things, the 3 minute single formula which suited radio plays was being challenged as artists focused on producing albums and both of the dominant Black music labels (Motown and Stax) had experienced upheaval.

Into this world dropped "Lets Stay Together", with it's Southern Soul roots well in evidence, but with signposts to Al Green's later status as a Soul superstar. Al Green had found his feet as another Sam Cooke or Otis Redding, but once he had hit his stride with this album, there was no looking back for him, or for Hi records, which would become a Memphis powerhouse.

Al was responsible for writing or co-writing 7 of the 9 tracks, including the title track, which was a monster R&B and Pop hit on both sides of the Atlantic, and if you haven't heard it, where have you been? As for the other tracks, the spare production style that became the Willie Mitchell/Hi Records/Al Green trademark pretty much started here. That provided a perfect backdrop for Al Green's unique style, which was never better demonstrated than on the album's prime track "How can You Mend A Broken Heart".

There's a general mid tempo/ballad feel to the album, although several tracks shift gears, most notably on "Leaving Me" which starts softly and ends up a driving Funk track. "Never Found a Girl", the only other cover, could almost be a Motown track, while "Old Time Lovin'" is a laid back gem.

"Let's Stay Together" would be followed by a series of great albums, and many hit singles, but as it was the breakthrough album it is an essential album for all Soul fans.

Essential for your soul
Lets Stay Together was Al Green's third of nine albums for the Hi label, but it was the landmark where his eventual long time producer, Willie Mitchell, persuaded him to adopt the sound that would make him a star. This "sound" is best illustrated on the title track - surely one of the greatest love songs ever written. A regrettful Al pleads with heartfelt sincerity for an unnamed love to come back to him, displaying a previously unheard tenderness in his voice. Similar themes crop up in "Judy", but here he seems far more content and in control. Al's other great talent was to take songs by other artists and produce so much more. His cover versions here include "I've Never Found a Girl" by Eddie Floyd, and also his greatest acheivement - his take on "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?" by The Bee Gees. Again, Willie Mtchell's influence is evident, with Al exercising all his restraint in expressing his pain, but inexorably leading to an explosion of feeling after six gorgeous minutes, finding emotion in the song that I'm sure the Gibb brothers were unaware existed. With songs as great as these, the future of Al Green was assured. A must have chapter in the story of soul music, and a great introduction to a soul legend. This is what soul music should be.