Description
Soul Survivor is an album by the American soul singer and songwriter Al Green, released by A&M Records in 1987. The album was recorded and mixed by Al Green, Paul Zaleski and Errol Thomas at Al Green Music Studio and Ardent Studio in Memphis, Tennessee; with Zaleski and Thomas producing for Al Green Music. “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” and “Soul Survivor” were produced by Eban Kelly and Jimi Randolph and “You’ve Got A Friend” was produced by Deborah McDuffie, with the latter track featuring Billy Preston on Hammond B-3 organ.
A certain amount of industry buzz circulated regarding Al Green’s new album, much of it rumoring that it was Green’s first “secular” album in years. This, of course, was meant to be good news to the music business. This, of course, is ridiculous.
‘Soul Survivor’ is not only Good News; it’s also good music. It differs from his last album, ‘He Is the Light‘, in that Paul Zaleski, who last worked with Green on 1984’s ‘Trust in God‘, co-produced this time. The result is amore modern R&B approach here, particularly evident on «Everything’s Gonna Be Alright» and the title tune, both of which have hit potential. The laid-back brand of Memphis soul which Green made famous shows up on «Jesus Will Fix It», the only cut here representative of the muted backbeat approach of his early, Willie Mitchell-produced material.
Other delights on ‘Soul Survivor’ include Green’s reworkings of the inspirational tunes «He Ain’t Heavy (He’s My Brother)» and «You’ve Got a Friend» which easily becomes gospel by association. The latter is a duet with Billy Preston, who also plays a Classic Hammond organ part straight out of Sunday mornin’ go to meetin’. Like Green, Preston has an innate joy that always seems to infuse his vocals, and it’s great to hear him again.
With a new Grammy on his mantel for last year’s «Going Away», Al Green continues to show himself to be a soul survivor who is carrying on a rich tradition of understated soul and true gospel music. [Thom Granger, CCM, May 1987]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/soul-survivor/1443528068)
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” – 4:21
A2. “Jesus Will Fix It” – 3:22
A3. “You Know And I Know” – 3:58
A4. “Yield Not To Temptation” – 3:33
A5. “So Real To Me” – 0:50
A6. “Introduction – Soul Survivor” – 0:28
Side Two
B1. “Soul Survivor” – 4:40
B2. “You’ve Got A Friend” – 5:35
B3. “He Ain’t Heavy” – 4:00
B4. “23rd Psalm” – 3:46
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette, 12-inch vinyl LP, and CD by A&M Records.
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