Let's Stay Together (Al Green album)

1972 studio album by Al Green From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Let's Stay Together is the fourth studio album by soul singer Al Green. Released on January 31, 1972, as the follow-up to his moderate success, Al Green Gets Next to You, it was recorded at Royal Recording Studio in Memphis, Tennessee. A commercial success, it peaked at number eight on the pop albums chart and became the first of six consecutive Green albums to peak at number one on the soul album chart, where it held the position for ten straight weeks.

ReleasedJanuary 31, 1972 (1972-01-31)
StudioRoyal Recording, Memphis, Tennessee
GenreSoul
Length33:53
Quick facts Studio album by Al Green, Released ...
Let's Stay Together
Studio album by
Al Green
ReleasedJanuary 31, 1972 (1972-01-31)
StudioRoyal Recording, Memphis, Tennessee
GenreSoul
Length33:53
LabelHi (SH-32070)
ProducerWillie Mitchell
Al Green chronology
Al Green Gets Next to You
(1971)		 Let's Stay Together
(1972)		 I'm Still in Love With You
(1972)
Singles from Let's Stay Together
  1. "Let's Stay Together"
    Released: December 1971
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Let's Stay Together is best-known for its title track, "Let's Stay Together", which became Green's signature song and his only number-one pop hit single. The third Green album produced by Willie Mitchell, Let's Stay Together marked the beginning of Green's classic period of critically acclaimed albums.

Critical reaction

More information Review scores, Source ...
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStarStar[1]
BlenderStarStarStar[2]
Christgau's Record GuideA−[3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular MusicStarStarStarStarStar[4]
Pitchfork Media8.7/10[5]
Rolling StoneStarStarStarStarStar[6]
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The album's appeal was widespread among critics; Rolling Stone noted, "Green's voice is something to marvel at. He can croon, shout, scat, rise to the smoothest falsetto, and throw in the funkiest growls ... Let's Stay Together is, like its predecessor, an indispensable treat."[7]

In 1999, Q wrote that the album "shows him as the authentic voice of love's pain and purity on such wonders as 'How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?'"[8] and that "[H]is cover of the Bee Gees' [song] took the soul ballad to new levels of artistry and refinement."[9]

List rankings

  • Included in Q's "Best Soul Albums of All Time"[8]
  • Ranked No. 335 in the Virgin All-Time top 1000 album list[10]
  • Ranked No. 608 in the Guinness top 1000 album poll (1994) and No. 25 in the Top 50 Soul Albums list[11]

Track listing

All songs written by Al Green, except where noted

Side one

  1. "Let's Stay Together" (Green, Al Jackson, Jr., Willie Mitchell) – 3:18
  2. "La-La for You" (Green, Mitchell) – 3:31
  3. "So You're Leaving" – 2:57
  4. "What Is This Feeling" – 3:42
  5. "Old Time Lovin'" – 3:19

Side two

  1. "I've Never Found a Girl (Who Loves Me Like You Do)" (Eddie Floyd, Alvertis Isbell, Booker T. Jones) – 3:41
  2. "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" (Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb) – 6:22
  3. "Judy" – 3:47
  4. "It Ain't No Fun to Me" – 3:23

Reissue tracks

Bonus tracks on 2003 reissue

  • "Eli's Game" – 4:55
  • "Listen to Me" (Traditional) – 2:30

Personnel

Rhythm section (the Hi Rhythm Section)

Horn section

Vocals

Additional personnel

See also

References

Bibliography

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