Very Best of Al Green [Import]

Al Green | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 1, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Music Club Records
• ASIN: B00005QD0B
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #143 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #1 in Music > Indie Music > R&B > Soul
  • #1 in Music > Indie Music > R&B > Classic R&B
  • #1 in Music > R&B > Soul > Memphis Soul

Track Listings

1. Let's Stay Together

2. Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy)

3. L-O-V-E (Love)

4. Tired of Being Alone

5. Call Me (Come Back Home)

6. Simply Beautiful

7. I'm Still in Love With You

8. Here I Am (Come and Take Me)

9. Look What You Done for Me

10. Take Me to the River

11. How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?

12. You Ought to Be With Me

13. Let's Get Married

14. Full of Fire

15. Livin' for You

16. Keep Me Cryin'

17. I Say a Little Prayer

18. Unchained Melody

Editorial Reviews

UK compilation for the most popular & influential soul singer of the early '70s. 18 tracks, virtually all his Billboard Top 40 hits minus three. Highlights include 'Tired Of Being Alone', 'Let's Stay Together', 'Look What You Done For Me', 'I'm Still In Love With You', 'You Ought To Be With Me', 'Call Me (Come Back Home)', 'Here I Am (Come And Take Me)', 'Sha La La (Make Me Happy)', 'L-O-V-E (Love)', 'Full Of Fire' & 'Keep Me Cryin''.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Memories, December 12, 2009

By 

John M. Ayotte "Oldman Florida" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Very Best of Al Green (Audio CD)

This is an outstanding CD and really brings back alot of memories. Al Green is truly one of the best singers out there and I really enjoyed listening to his music, good songs and good sound makes this CD worth buying.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Provides His Primary Hi Records Hit Singles, January 11, 2012

By 

AvidOldiesCollector (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Very Best of Al Green (Audio CD)

On his way to being inducted into the R&R Hall Of Fame (1995), Albert Green (born April 13, 1946 in Forrest City, Arkansas), and known professionally as simply Al Green, contributed some 25 albums to the music scene for a variety of labels (Hot Line, Bell, Hi. Myrrh, A&M, Arrival, Word/Epic, RCA, MCA) singing everything from Gospel to Blues to Soul to Pop/R&R and even Country. Along the way he also racked up 32 R&B hit singles, 22 of which crossed over to the more lucrative Billboard Pop Hot 100 (and its Bubble Under section) and Adult Contemporary (AC) listings.

Like many of his contemporaries, he started out singing gospel, in his case as part of the Greene Brothers before relocating to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1959 where he landed with the Fargo label in 1960 at the tender age of 14. In 1964 he joined The Creations and remained with that group through to 1967, and from 1967 into 1968 became part of The Soul Mates with brother Robert and Lee Virgins. It was while billed as Al Greene & The Soul Mate's (sic) that he scored his first hit single when Back Up Train hit # 5 R&B/# 41 Hot 100 early in 1968 b/w Don't Leave Me on Hot Line 15000. That would be their only hit there, and unfortunately it's not included.

Also omitted are his first four hits registered for his new label, Hi Records in 1970/71, under the production of Willie Mitchell (who would perform the same duties right through to 1977): You Say It (# 28 R&B in February 1970 - Hi 2171); Right Now, Right Now (# 23 R&B in July 2970 - Hi 2177); I Can't Get Next To You (# 11 R&B/# 60 Pop Hot 100 in Nov/Dec 1970 - Hi 2182; and Driving Wheel (# 46 R&B/# 115 Hot 100 Bubble Under in March 1971 - Hi 2188).

This volume picks up his hits from the 2nd one in 1971 and, to early 1975, gives you 11 of his next 13 hits: Tired Of Being Alone - # 7 R&B/# 11 Hot 100 July/August - Hi 2194; Let's Stay Together, his greatest hit which not only made it to # 1 Hot 100/R&B, but also dented the AC charts at # 36 December 1971/January 1972 - Hi 2202; Look What You Done For Me - # 2 R&B/# 4 Hot 100 April 1972 - Hi 2211; I'm Still In Love With You - # 1 R&B/# 3 Hot 100/# 33 AC August 1972 - Hi 2216; You Ought To Be With Me - # 1 R&B/# 3 Hot 100/# 28 AC December 1972 - Hi 2227; Call Me (Come Back Home) - # 2 R&B/# 10 Hot 100 March 1973 - Hi 2235; Here I Am (Come And Take Me) - # 2 R&B/# 10 Hot 100 July 1973 - Hi 2247); Livin' For You - # 1 R&B/# 19 Hot 100 December 1973 - Hi 2257; Let's Get Married - # 3 R&B/# 7 Hot 100 April 1974 - Hi 2262; Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy) - # 2 R&B/# 7 Hot 100/# 28 AC November 1974 - Hi 2274; and L-O-V-E (Love) - # 1 R&B/# 13 Hot 100 March/April 1975 - Hi 2282.

The only ones missing from that string are Guilty and Hot Wire, which he actually had recorded at Bell back in 1968. The first finished at # 29 R&B/# 69 Hot 100 in October 1972 on Bell 45-258, and the second # 71 Hot 100 in January 1973 on Bell 45,305 in attempts by that label to cash in on his success. Thy also skip over the July 1975 # 7 R&B/# 48 Hot 100 Oh Me, Oh My (Dreams In My Arms) on Hi 2288, give us the Nov/Dec 1975 # 1 R&B/# 28 Hot 100 Full Of Fire on Hi 2300, skip over the May 1976 # 16 R&B Let It shine (Hi 2306), and finish the hits presented with the November 1976 # 4 R&B/# 37 Hot 100 Keep Me Cryin' (Hi 2319).

Tracks 6, 10, 11, 17 and 18 are from his many LPs. No B-sides to any of the hit singles presented in this volume are included. From 1977 to 1995, Al would register 11 more hits - 5 for Hi, 3 for A&M, and 1 each for RCA and MCA - four of which would cross over to the lower regions of the Pop Hot 100 or its Bubble Under adjunct. In 1988, in a duet with Annie Lennox, and from the Bill Murray film Scrooged, he would be part of a # 2 AC/# 9 Hot 100 hit with Put A Little Love In Your Heart for A&M.

The sound quality is excellent and in the insert are background notes written by Geoff Brown.

5.0 out of 5 stars An R&B Legend Al Green, December 8, 2011

By 

Huey J Williams - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Very Best of Al Green (Audio CD)

The Very Best of Al Green,a master piece, every song beautifully crafted, should be a part of ever ones music collection.