May 16-22, 2002

musicpicks

Al Green

by M.F. DiBella

R&B

Whatever you call him -- king of beg-and-plead, the forefather of smooth soul, the voice from your favorite MGD commercial -- Al Green is certified R&B royalty and survivor of a tumultuous career. The Arkansas native emerged in 1970 with his debut, Green is Blues. Undeterred by lukewarm reviews, Green crafted his patented lovers blues around Willie Mitchell's polished production on the 1971 follow-up, Al Green Gets Next to You (that's the one with "Tired of Being Alone"). The next year, Green went to number one with Let's Stay Together and returned with the seminal I'm Still in Love with You. While Green's streak was leveling off in the mid-'70s, the singer's life took a turn for the bizarre in 1976 when an enraged ex-girlfriend broke into his home and burned him with boiling grits. Green took this as an "act of God" and swore off "sinful music" (R&B) in favor of a strict gospel repertoire. Despite another brush with disaster in 1979 when he fell off a stage in Cincinnati, Green has more or less re-acknowledged his past endeavors in recent years and caters to fans of his gospel stylings and classic R&B alike. Al Green is for all souls, young and old, but if you only know him from "that cool track on the Pulp Fiction soundtrack," stay at home and play with your Limp Bizkit records.

An Evening With Al Green, with special guest Ann Nesby, Sat., May 18, 8 p.m., $42.50-$58.50, Tower Theatre, 69th and Ludlow sts., 215-568-3222.