“I’m Still in Love With You” by Al Green
Records for Lovers Week rolls on with one of soul music's most seductive personalities.
Programming note: I got married this past weekend (!), and, as a result, I'm taking a step back from content creation until next Monday. I thought I'd keep this week's slate of album recommendations mood-appropriate by celebrating romance in all its musical forms. I'm calling it "Records for Lovers Week" because I'm cheesy like that.
Multiple genres, some hidden gems, maybe a classic or two—hope you enjoy it!
Hello! 😊👋
Welcome to a new edition of the Daily Music Picks newsletter!
Today’s music pick showcases Reverand Green at the height of his powers, an enduring gold standard of sweet, sophisticated soul.
Genre: Soul, R&B
Label: Hi
Release Date: October 23, 1972
Vibe: 💞
Al Green’s most famous single, “Let’s Stay Together,” is a bit of a misnomer. His silky smooth delivery masks a paranoid bit of songwriting, one where he’s desperately trying to convince his love not to leave him. The rest of that album follows suit. “Please don’t break up with me” is the main message. For all its success, that’s partly what makes his follow-up, I’m Still in Love With You, so special. He swaps out the insecurities for confidence and the “don’t leave” vibes for an “I love you so much you won’t want to” sentiment. It elevates the entire listening experience and, reading between the lines, enhances the gentle, soulful production that surrounds him.
The LP’s first side reads like a truncated greatest hits compilation, and for good reason. The opener, “I’m Still in Love With You,” is as sad as it gets and still hits all the right romantic buttons. Ditto for “Love and Happiness,” an exceptional gospel-tinged ballad where Green waxes poetic about the power to do right and wrong in life. The momentum carries over to a pair of somewhat odd covers (Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman” and Kris Kristofferson’s “For the Good Times”) that, on their faces, maybe shouldn’t work, but Green’s commitment to the bit and next-level vocal delivery helps him pull it off.
Clocking in at a touch over a half-hour, there’s no wasted space on Still in Love, delivering one sterling track after another. It’s a record that’s equally at home on a lazy Sunday afternoon spent cuddling up to your boo or as a mood-setter amid roses and candlelight.
👉 Don’t forget to click the album image to stream the album on your favorite platform 👈