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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

Lay It Down
by Al Green


8.8

based on 22 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 10 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

Official Artist Site

Al Green's latest album includes guests John legend and Anthony Hamilton. It was also produced in part by Willie Mitchell and Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson.

LABEL:	Blue Note
RELEASE DATE:	27 May 2008
DISCS:	1 disc
GENRE(S):	R&B, Soul

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Delusions of Adequacy

Everything on Lay it Down is gorgeous, memorable and absolutely stunning.

Entertainment Weekly

One of popular music's great voices is being flattered by his surroundings in a way he hasn't in a long, long time.

MSN Consumer Guide (Robert Christgau)

True, Green spends more time supplicating than celebrating, and probably fabricated the whole scenario. But he knows his subject, and he doesn't need Jesus to lay it down.

PopMatters

Familiar yet fresh, Lay It Down presents Satin Soul at its finest.

Los Angeles Times

Featuring some of the Reverend's finest work in years, Green's latest is proof positive that as important as it is to show up, you still need to know how to lay it down.

The Phoenix

Singing gets no more graceful than Green’s hot buttered tenor, which he plies here with every micron of grace and soul he can muster. Add the Dap-King Horns (able backers of Sharon Jones and Amy Winehouse) and this is more than a soul album. It’s an album with soul.

Prefix Magazine

Playing up his role as elder statesman, Green gets away with delivering the familiar back-in-the-day sermon because listeners expect it from an icon of the past. However, by infusing such consistent gentleness throughout the entire record, he pulls off the unthinkable in the early 21st century--a momentary respite.

Mojo

From the gentle fire of the first, and title track, this is Green in the role of Love Man and in very fine form. [July 2008, p.100]

musicOMH.com

Though it adds no innovation to the genre, Lay It Down's tried-and-true approach should appease longtime soul fans

All Music Guide

There is no better place to spend 45 minutes than in Lay It Down's dreamy, sensual, gritty, and tender sound world.

Billboard

Green's voice remains lithe magic, and he's brought in such contemporary all-stars as Anthony Hamilton (on the album's two best tracks, "You've Got the Love I Need" and the slinky title song), John Legend and Corinne Bailey Rae for help.

Blender

Beyond Green’s wriggly, giggly, purring-to-screaming magnificence (as well as two smoking support vocals by young acolyte Anthony Hamilton), this is an album of intricate groove.

Spin

Lay It Down (with tasty guest spots from John Legend, Anthony Hamilton, and Corinne Bailey Rae) makes it clear that Green's devotion to the primacy of his music's groove has only deepened with age.

Village Voice

Now 62, the mighty reverend may not be able to make you spontaneously combust like yesteryear, but damn if he can't still get you in the mood with his third batch of love songs for Blue Note.

Vibe

Lay It Down is almost indistinguishable from green's past hits. Then again, maybe that was the point. [May 2008, p.74]

Observer Music Monthly

Stunning in places ('I'm Wild About You'), pedestrian in others, the song remains the same, which is achievement enough at Al's age.

The Onion (A.V. Club)

Because Lay It Down recalls the sound of Green's best so well, it also demands comparison with his best songs, a benchmark the album never really approaches. But by any other standard, Lay It Down is a worthy addition to one of soul's most distinguished discographies.

Rolling Stone

The supporting cast replicates the vintage stylings a touch too meticulously, and Green's singing lacks the turbulence that animated his old masterpieces. But it's hard to find fault with songs like the electrifying title track.

Pitchfork

Yes, it's a pleasure to hear Green articulate romantic satisfaction, and good for him if he's satisfied. But the grain and pull of his voice is all about longing for both flesh and spirit, and it doesn't quite fit here.

NOW Magazine

Although Lay It Down is initially appealing because it has the superficial sound of Green’s classic Hi material, you soon discover that Green has nothing terribly deep to offer lyrically, and his vocals are locked on cruise control throughout.

Uncut

The atmosphere is organic and engaging, the only problem being that amid the fug of good vibes, no one remembered to write a killer song. [July 2008, p.94]

Q Magazine

It takes ?uestlove from The Roots to reproduce the kind of smooth, mellow-aged soul that made Green's name. [July 2008, p.102]

The average user rating for this album is 8.8 (out of 10) based on 10 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Doug D. gave it a9:
This is a great album. This is a true R&B / Soul album. I someone would have told me that this was all unreleased tracks from the 70's I would have to believe them because this is a throwback to that era of R&B. Just great music all around. This is definitely one of my top 5 of '08.

Mycroft W. gave it a9:
His best since his comeback, that voice is still very much up to his 70s standards and who better than ?uestlove and James Poyser to update the Hi-records sound.

m Dunn gave it a10:
This is an amazing album that blows away all the current soul pretenders. Almost as good as his 70s masterpieces.

Felipe P. gave it a10:
Fantastic! He is amazing!

C G. gave it a10:
Al Green definitely layed it down on this cd. I without a doubt love it! Who says it's impossible to make a comeback after years away from the business. He has once again proven himself with this one.

Steve O gave it an8:
This stuff is pure soul. African American culture should be listening to THIS and not 50 Cent.

Aaron B. gave it an8:
If you love Sharon Jones "100 Days 100 Nights" you'll like this. Aside from "No One Like You" and "I'm Wild About You" nothing jumps out. But it is wonderful background sound and it's amazing how good he sounds.

Lay It Down by Al Green

Lay It Down
by Al Green