Elsewhere, you can find connections to Green's hits of his golden era. "No One Like You" ends with a gospel coda evocative of "Love And Happiness". "Just For Me" has a rhythm guitar motif similar to that in "Tired Of Being Alone". "Stay With Me (By The Sea)" has got that same hi-hat shuffle found on "Still In Love With Me". "What More Do You Want From Me" is practically the sequel to "Look What You Done For Me".
You get the idea. These eleven Green originals - ten of which he co-wrote with the producers - recreate the feel of his vintage sound without rehashing anything.
And about those guest soul crooners. True, Green brought in some of the better-known heirs to his throne to share lead vocals including John Legend, Corinne Bailey Rae and Anthony Hamilton. But Green's presence looms so large that no guest makes as much an impact as the real legend. Rae does take a nice turn on the ballad "Take Your Time", however, which suits her vocal style just as well as Green's.
Here's the bottom line: if you found I Can't Stop Stop and Everything's OK to be wanting and have been waiting for the secular Al Green to return, Lay It Down is a great place to embrace his music again. Green continues to inspire newer generations of great soul singers, but he's still greater than any of his disciples. With this latest release, his hold on the throne remains firm.
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