Al Green was my entry into what I now know as my love affair with all things soul. I grew up fortunate enough with a lot of good music around me. My mom loved Motown, my Dad loved Jazz and Country music and my sister was all R&B all of the time. It wasn't until the soudtrack of Pulp Fiction that I started paying attention to music. Pulp Fiction was really a two fold sensory overload. First, Tarantino's filmmaking/story telling was on a whole new level. Second, his use of music in that film was well played. The entire soundtrack was gold. Al Green, Dusty Springfield, Kool & The Gang --------> yes please. I played that soundtrack over and over again. On my way to school, in my room, wherever I could find a CD player. Yes, a CD player. It was 1994.
Since then, Al Green has been a daily drug. His music and lyrics reach down deep hitting my heart, soul.....all the way down to my tip toes. My favorite Al Green tune - Love & Happiness. That song is best played on the juke box of a dive bar late at night. The first beats with the guitar and tapping strike a chord in an empty, dark bar calling to whatever love- past, present or future, you may be holding onto. His lyrics talk about that kinda love that calls you at 2AM (you know the kind) and also the love that comes home early cause they've waited all day to hold you. That song by the Reverend will always be on my top 10 list.
Seeing Al Green in the flesh has been on my music bucket list for a while. My young co-worker was the one to spearhead the purchasing of tickets for the show and little did she know what she was getting into. When he hit the stage in a full tuxedo, spats and white gloves to boot, I knew this was going to be a sersious music event. Earlier in the day I had texted my young co-hort that I was going to dress up for the evening. I told her I had to dress up for the Reverend, it shows respect. Well, it was a fantastic surprise that he was dressed to the nine's for us, which reflected his respect for his fans.
I know that Al Green lived a pretty hard life early on and it showed during the gig. He's a really young man in the scheme of things (mid 60's), but during the show he was singing his ass off so hard that he would literally have to pause between songs and take some deep breaths and let us know that some of his classics kick his own ass. He also handed out long stemmed roses to his lady (which also included one dude) fans. It was totally old school and wonderful. He shined that classic big grin a million times and yelled out to the crowd how much he loved us. His band was tight and included his children who are his backup singers. During the entire show it just felt like one big Al Green hug. It was probably the best Al Green experience I could've had.
Al wasn't on stage for a long time, but long enough to give us the hits. At the end of the show it seemed all of us in the crowd rallied for an encore, but I think Al's steam ran out and the lights went up and that was that. There were definitely tears that were shed for Al a few times during his set which again, my poor younger co-hort didn't know what to do with, but hey, music makes me emotional and I guess so does Al Green. So, here's to a little Love and Happiness in all of our worlds and of course more Al Green.
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