The Belle Album (Expanded Edition)

Al Green was one of the main soul artists who could turn from singles to albums with equal intensity. While so much soul music derived its power from its compact structure — and Green’s hits are a perfect manifestation of this — Green knew how to expand on a basic groove and make it something equally hypnotic while consistently shifting the dynamics. He would never go for the full-on epic style of Isaac Hayes or Barry White — or their lulling rhythms, but he would find ways to use his voice for terrific effect. It often isn’t the words that matter but the way his voice skates over the flow. This self-produced collection, his first without Memphis producer Willie Mitchell and the Hi Records rhythm section, gives Green the full freedom to let loose. “Loving You” is apocalyptic for a love song, swelling into ecstasy. “Georgia Boy” spends seven minutes shifting its backbeat to catch Green’s vocal pyrotechnics. “I Feel Good” and “Chariots of Fire” step up towards late-‘70s funk. Plenty of fire here.