• Blog

• All

Jan 31, 2022 By Austin Saalman

Memphis in the mid-20th century was something of a mecca for musical creativity, particularly upon the founding of influential record labels Hi and Stax in 1957, as well as the development of a distinctive “Memphis” sound in soul music, achieved through the perfection of a rich, intricate studio formula and commanding vocal performances. The city’s golden age saw the rise of major names, such as Otis Redding and James Carr, both of whom firmly embraced the burgeoning sound of their hometown, with the following decade witnessing further sonic innovation from local studios. Within a matter of time, many tracks recorded there found their way into the mainstream, exerting their own unique influences upon popular culture.

A principal architect of the Memphis sound in the ’70s, Rev. Al Green managed to tweak the formula, while remaining deeply indebted to what had come prior. Coupling his instantly recognizable voice with elements of warm Southern Gospel, bombastic brass, and sweeping orchestral splendor, his music emitted a fresh sense of all-American sensuality. While Green had been present on the scene for a number of years, it was his fourth album, with its immortal title track, that thrust him into the public eye and sent him to the top of the charts.

Released January 31, 1972, Let’s Stay Together became Green’s best-selling album, dwarfing the sales of the previous year’s Al Green Gets Next to You—which is also an entirely worthy work in its own right. The album’s release represented a new chapter in Green’s career, as it found him tinkering with a far more advanced style. Aside from its famed title track, which charted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and has since become Green’s signature tune, Let’s Stay Together boasts a wealth of top-notch soul songs.

Heartfelt numbers such as “Old Time Lovin ” and “I’ve Never Found a Girl (Who Loves Me Like You Do)” are two of Green’s finest, his voice earnest on the latter, as he refers to his sweetheart as “every poor boy’s dream” and “every rich man’s prayer.” The bluesy grit of “It Ain’t No Fun to Me” stands as a testament to the album’s diversity, while the rich horn section and Charles Hodges’ low, sultry organ on Bee Gees cover “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?” help to showcase Green’s knack for musical reinterpretation. Still, it is the baroque soul number “Judy” that, aside from the title track, nearly steals the album. This song does everything right, its driving strings matching the sleekness of Green’s voice as he sings, “Since I met Judy/Well it’s been a real hip thing I’m tellin’ you.” While the entirety of Let’s Stay Together functions as any listener’s dream soul recording, “Judy” is quite literally the perfect cut, both in length and composition. This may not be one of Green’s most recognizable hits, but it is absolutely an album high point.

Recorded at Memphis’s Royal Recording Studio, Let’s Stay Together is a quintessential exercise in the city’s game-changing style, universally accessible, but ultimately beholden to its roots. Today, Green’s 1972 masterwork sounds as smooth and physical as it did a half-century ago, its intimate composition and tight production value placing it comfortably among popular music’s all-time great recordings.

www.al-green.com

Support Under the Radar on Patreon.