Al Green : 'Most Sampled'
Released: Out Now!!!
Label: Demon Digital
An artist as high calibre as Al Green puts many artists around today to shame; he has a natural talent that has surpassed decades and one that still manages to thrill and inspire even today. This compilation however does something different from the standard ‘best of’ albums you expect to find in shops around Valentines day every year. Instead ‘Most Sampled’ not surprisingly is a album full of his tracks that have found portions of themselves in other more contemporary songs, of course the beauty is that if you don’t actually know the track, you may well recognise a saxophone solo that comes in or a rhythm or the backing vocals, which instantly make you feel like you have heard the song a 1000 times.
‘Most Sampled’ not only offers a fantastic introduction to the music of Al as its takes tracks from all stages of the singers back catalogue, it’s also ideal for people that want to look deeper into what he is all about. And from listening to this album alone it’s obvious there is more to him then ‘Move on up’ and ‘Let’s stay together’.
His laid back version of much-covered track ‘Light my fire’ (a version that makes Will Young’s version sound like a complete waste of time) is an absolute dream, laid-back and chilled, it’s a song that makes you feel like your floating off into a dream world. The inspiring thing about his vocal abilities and one of the reasons that he is revered as such a soul legend is that even when he talks through songs his voice is so full of sincerity that you can’t help but complete fall head over heels for his voice.
Green’s songs were absolutely made for a night in with the one you love and every song on the 18-track album is pure soul genius.
Al Green however does have his fare share of heart-breakers a fine example being ‘I’m so lonesome I could cry’, a song filled with sadness, again something effortlessly transferred across to the listener. As with many Al Green songs though, until you listen in closely they sound like songs of admiration and love, a deeper listen does however real a much deeper side, surely this must be the obvious sign of a highly talented songwriter/composer.
This reviewer could whittle on further about the artist’s talent, however it would be easier to say every track is a hit and there is very little at all to fault.
If you like your music genuine, un-contrived and completely from the soul you could do far worse then get yourself a copy of ‘Most sampled’, then compare it with contemporary soul and ask yourself for the main part what’s gone wrong.
Words: Kevin Angel
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