Man, when Al Green sings, how do you not feel it?

Even when the arrangements aren't the greatest, Al Green makes it work. The patience in his singing, on things like "I Can't Get Next To You" and "Unchained Melody" makes these slower-than-the-hit versions groove.

And when the tunes are closer to the level of this great, great singer--on "Tired of Being Alone," "L-O-V-E (Love)" and "Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy)," Green made downright gorgeous records.

There are a couple question marks here. Why the long sloppy intro, and less-than-hi-fi recording, on "Have A Good Time"? And why did nobody clean up "I Want To Hold Your Hand"? These are two good songs, from what sound like two good sessions, presented in second rate fashion.

The good stuff here far out weighs the bad.