I don't know if you caught the pattern yet, but I'm really digging Al Green right now. So far I've done his greatest hits and "Call Me." This is the last album I have of his, which I recently downloaded. It's also his most recent release. I saw that one of his producers was ?uestlove from The Roots. Hmmm, I said. I'm intrigued. But this will be the last one since I really should move on to other artists. I think in the future, I'm gonna do whole weeks dedicated to certain artists (Best of Barenaked Ladies week...we'll see). But that's for the future to decide.
It must suck for established artists to create new fanbases. They either have to change their whole style up and hope to not alienate older fans or keep coming out with the same shit they have been doing and hope their fans aren't slowly dying of old age. But every once in a while, just the right mix happens.
Okay, I know it seems like I've been straddling Al Green the last couple of days, but I really can't say anything bad about this guy. I love the fact that he has embraced youthful producers like ?uestlove and James Poyser. I also love that he shows mad love to younger cats like John Legend, Anthony Thompson and Corrine Bailey Rae. But what I love most is that he stays true to himself. He's not trying to be Justin Timberlake or R. Kelly or Chris Brown. He can only be Al Green, and he does it with grace and style like no other.
Don't be like this guy.
Or this guy.
Now, like I said, what he does best in this song is make an album with that signature Al Green sound but without sounding stale. Once in a while, you can hear ?uestlove's influence in the hardness of the drums, that boom boom bap that makes you bob your head.
My whole take on Al Green: can't go wrong with a legend. Sometimes there's artists that dog the new school method of thinking, but when an older cat embraces the youth, it's like going to the playground when you were little with your pops and playing ball with you, telling you bout back in the day, and listening to you rattle off about all the different colors in the Crayola box. Yeah, sometimes young people can seem dumb, but how can you not love them. They're so full of energy, willing to take what you teach them and applying it to their own style. Remember, at one time you were that kid sticking crayons up your nose.
Dopest kid I know right now.
So next time younger person annoys the shit out of you, just laugh it off. Gotta remember that you can't make an omelet without breakin a few eggs. Hey, soon, you'll be breaking a few hips and other important bones too. Hahaha...
Nothing but love over here.
Peace, bruthas and sistas!
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