Customer Reviews

Call Me

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Al Green's classic soul now newly remastered (no extra tracks) on his masterpiece "Call Me," sometimes known as "Come Back Home." His voice is sinuous, like a watersnake, and creeps up and through every obstacle like beautiful roses gilding a trellis. It breaks like the surf and it rolls on like a glacier, it can do anything he wants it to do. And he chalks up this gift to God.

Mournful, secular tunes like the heartbreaking "Ain't It Funny How Time Slips Away" meld here with the desperation that finally turns to bliss in "Jesus Is Waiting," so the contradictions of the gospel/R & B blend he pioneers all get resolved during the course of one LP. Some of the tracks are slightly extended past their natural stopping point, a 70s device pioneered by Isaac Hayes and others in the Stax/Volt stable, but if you like extended trills and groans and gasps ad infinitum, you'll scream when Al Green wants you to because he is the man!

If you want the definition of not just soul, but sweet soul music, look no further than Al Green. I can't even pick a favorite amongst the Hi Records recordings done with Willie Mitchell. If I was pressed to choose, I'd say Still In Love With You, Call Me, and Livin' For You. They actually sound like a continuation of one beautiful yet funky vibe.

This album could be my favorite, though. "Call Me" is a wonderful, kind of haunting song. But I think Your Love Is Like the Morning Sun personifies everything early 70s Al Green is about. It's like gospel, but without references to God; just love (unlike his later recordings, or the inspirational "Jesus is Waiting", on this album). It's simply mesmerizing. It gets inside you. And I love how the song ends with him creating verses based on previous titles ("I'm tired of being alone/I'm still in love with you/Let's stay together").

If you like Marvin Gaye, the Staples Singers, or perhaps Curtis Mayfield, buy this album. Sweet soul is not Lionel Richie or Ashford and Simpson or Peaches and Herb or Anita Baker or any of that crossover stuff. It's right here.

It's Hi Records. It's Willie Mitchell. It's Al Green. Thank you, sir, for years of listening pleasure.

Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, they were all residing in my cd collection when I bought this Al Green-cd on a trip to New York, a few years ago. I expected lots from it, but not that it would stand as my favourite soul-album as for today. Otis is grittier, Aretha creates more db's, marvin made superior records, but for me, they cannot make an impact such as Al Green. Nine beautiful arranged songs, dealing with such quintessential topics such as love, religion and sexuality. Nine achingly delicious chants by the true master of soft soul. I still can't believe my own exaltation when I play "Jesus is waiting" or "Here I am", or "Call Me" again. It's slick, smooth, cheesy, corny, mucky, call it what you want, but in the meantime it's also one of the most passionately felt records I ever heard: Green LIVES his songs. You want your heart broken? Let Al do it, and you'll be thankful.

Al Green doesn't just sing a song, he inhabits it. He can be pleading like in the title track or in the brilliant "You Ought To Be With Me" or forceful as in "Here I Am" & "Stand Up". Being from the south, he wasn't just influenced by gospel, but country music as well. His interpretations of the country standards "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and "Funny How Time Slips Away" are soulful and show his incredible range. The creme-de-la-creme of the album is the closing track "Jesus Is Waiting". Mr. Green is an ordained minister and part of what makes his music so interesting is his devotion to both God & sex. "Jesus Is Waiting" is a dirge that is sung with all the sexual urgency of any of his great love songs and is just an amazing song. You can't go wrong with any of Al Green's early to mid 70's albums, but if you had to choose one, Call Me should be your first choice.

Al Green was the first great soul singer in the 70's. Plenty of releases until today; yet he failed to release a better album than this, with another one called "I am still in love with you". These 2 albums stand apart from all the rest of his work.
This album definitely sets the standard of what we call today Smooth Soul.
If you are new to Al Green's work, this album next to "I am still in love with you", are the ones. You will not regret it.

This was perhaps Al Green's best album. Every song had hooks that would catch the most jaded of music listeners. I would rank this as one of the top 10 soul albums of all time. Al Green was in peak form here, before the infamous hot grits incident. A little bit of gospel, whole lotta soul and a bit of sweet gravy poured over the whole batch. Very tasty!

If there is anything in this genre out there better than this I would like to know what it is --- Simply amazing the emotion and feeling in Al's voice --Thank God he's back !

al green is just as soothing as james taylor but just as soulful as otis redding on this one...'call me' contains the 'classics' as well as 'b' sides such as 'having you been making out okay' and 'jesus is waiting'...i really recommend this beautiful...comforting cd to everyone...no nasty 'lick you up and down' stuff here...yes...the 70's did have the raunchy soul songs like today...'call me' is full of sweet,tender love songs and whether you are with someone or not these ballads are very enjoyable...the songs and al green's interpretations of the two country classics 'i'm so lonesome'and 'funny how time slips away' are not whiny and pleading...just breathtakingly beautiful...you feel so sorry for al green but he gets his true feelings across in this value priced gem...i cannot believe i paid so little for such great music...

My second favorite Al green album. (I'm still in love with you is my fav) Arguably one of the Reverends best albums Call me is just another in a long line of the Al Green and Willie Mitchel Hi recordings that are timeless. Al's singing is once again in top form, as always. His high pitched heavenly falsetto is marvelous as always. But I also can't forget Willie Mitchell's work behind the scenes. The rolling keyboard sound which is a staple of his sound is present. Listening to that sound lets me know that you're listening to an Al green song. :) The collaboration of both of these two geniuses helps make this album one of my favorites. Well worth it's price. Stand out cuts, Call me, Stand Up, Your Love Is Like The Morning Sun, Here I am, You ought to be with me. Jesus is waiting

This album really took awhile to grow on me - perhaps it's because it is so quiet and subtle among today's musical overkill. Al seems like he's whispering most of the songs, and you can hear every inhale, every clicking of his teeth. "Come and Take Me" is immediately catchy, but "Funny How Time Slips Away" digs deeper on each listen. This album rewards patience greatly. No dishonest emotion is evident!