Al Green - Livin' For You (1999)

Starting in 1971 with Al Green Gets Next to You, Al Green albums became necessities. Livin' for You is Green's sixth album, and the fourth to be certified gold. (Its predecessor, the classic Call Me, was still on the charts when this was released.) Each of Green's albums with Willie Mitchell are singular, with their own distinct style, and Livin' for You is no exception. It takes a more relaxed approach and offers some of his best ballads; the title track is Green at his most engaging, even when he sang potentially mood-interrupting lines like "I'm tired of your bright ideas about leaving me." "Home Again" and "So Good to Be Here" are romantic if not hypnotic, offering subtle drumming, economical keyboards, and gentle vocals. The biggest track here, the proficient and smooth "Let's Get Married," has Green being a little wishy-washy as he sings, "I didn't mean to say all the things I said/The way I felt in my heart it came out that way." Although the originals here rank with his best, Green also did good cover work too. The often useless "Unchained Melody" shows up and benefits from Green's methodical delivery. In many ways, Livin' for You is the perfect, intimate album for his fans.