Day 19: Al Green's Greatest Hits (1975) by Al Green

So I been in an Al Green mood the last two days. I been bumping him before I go to sleep, while at work, driving, etc., etc. But how can I not be? How can you deny the man above?

In reality, this is partly due to the fact that I listen to an album based on the order that I have it in my Itunes. At the same time, once I start playin his albums, I can't stop. This guy is just too good. And to listen to a Greatest Hits album by this guy? Ho...ly...shenanigans.

On the real, I feel it's hard to listen to a greatest hits collection. It's always some aging band, on the downslope of their career, now amassing their singles to resell them to us. The singles, for the most part, were the only "good" songs on their respective albums. Sometimes they add a new song, but it's never as good as the originals. It's all marketing.

Maybe I'm being a little harsh. Not all bands that release a greatest hits collection are bad, nor are the songs the only good songs on their original albums. But every once in a while, we get gems like this:

Or:

(On a side note: if you play guitar, play the notes in the chorus of "Higher." Now change the lyrics to "Hero" by The Foo Fighters.)

Now, I hope I get no flack for posting N'Sync. "Hey, V, I understand hating on Creed, but N'Sync?" I don't want to alienate my female readers, all three of you. I'm just saying that this group came out with, what, three albums? I'm still waiting for the next N'Sync album. But a greatest hits album after a few years of existence? Psh! Get JT to call the rest of the guys, bust out another album, and then we'll see.

Anyhow, I don't think there's that problem with Al Green's Greatest Hits. It's hard to hate on this album because each of those songs have been played incessantly in the last 35 years and, let's be honest, they're pretty classic. Now I'm a pretty big hater, and had I been alive in 1975, I probably would have been hating. But I'm here now, and I gotta say, I'll probably be bumping this for a while. As a matter of fact, "Love and Happiness" will be the next song I'll learn to play.

Speaking of hating, it kinda reminds me of this:

"Haters Through Time" would have been more appropriate, but I like this one better. Anyhow, no matter what era I would have lived in, I would have been That Guy. Always hating, bemoaning all the new shit coming out, I-remember-when-I-was-your-age and the such.

But when you think about it, I'm 24, and I'm starting to sound like those old people that hate young people. Hell, most of the people I know do that.

The reality of the fact is that no matter what age you're from, for every sick "classic" album that existed, there's 10 shitty albums that came with it. I'm sure they did this back in Beethoven's time.

"Yo, that last Beethoven album was sick, but his new shit is whaaaack!"

Hahaha...I'm just saying. Everyone thinks their generation is the best, when it comes to music or otherwise. Let's appreciate each other, old school, new school, or no school.

Anyhow, that's it for today, boys and girls. Catch ya tomorrow when I do Alicia Keys' "As I Am."

Peace bruthas and sistas!