Let's Stay Together

Sometimes, 35 minutes of gospel twinged soul is exactly what you need to be listening to. Opens with Let's Stay Together, never tops it, but very few have in the 50 odd years since. That sentence feels a bit harsh on How Do You Mend A Broken Heart, but you have a proper 11/10 track as the opener. I'd have hidden it halfway through the album to make sure the rest gets used! Shout out to the band as well - the guitar never does what you're expecting it to do. Brilliant stuff. As a side note, if I saw an album by somebody looking that cool on the front cover, I'd still give it a listen today.

His voice is so soulful and emotive. I'm digging it. Shame that he's a piece of shit wife-beater. Let's stay together or else I'll beat the piss out of you.

Oh yah... Such a lovely record from the Rev

Fucking loved it.

Soulful, listenable. Only one famous song.

Soul isn't generally my genre but there's something about Al Green's effortless energy that is just wonderful. I'm not sure what else to say. The man is an incredible performer and the musicianship was top-notch. Really enjoyable.

Big fan of the sounds of this album, only thing I'm not 100% on board with is the lyrics because it seems to mostly be about being/longing to be in a relationship. But I'm not gonna be too harsh on it. Every song on this sounds distinct while simultaneously having a nice flow throughout the entire project. Definitely gonna add it to my Discogs wantlist. Added every single song to my playlist. The highest of quality

19th July 2021 Listened in the shower then on the living room speaker while getting ready for work in the morning. So relaxing, super chilled and so nice to listen to on a day like this. Absolute diamond.

Great way to start off this challenge. Love it energy he brings to the tracks. Everyone of them commands your attention. How can you mend a broken heart.... :'(

Great for chill background music, but only the title track stood out as a memorable song.

This album is smooth, funky, groovy, soulful. Enjoyable from start to finish. Highlights: Let's Stay Together, What Is This Feeling, I've Never Found A Girl, How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.

Saved Prior: Let's Stay Together Saved: 9. Old Time Lovin' 8. How Can You Mend a Broken Heart 7. It Ain't No Fun to Me 6. What Is This Feeling 5. Judy 4. La-La for You 3. I've Never Found a Girl 2. So You're Leaving 1. Let's Stay Together Overall Notes: So so good. Groove is immaculate. LOVED this.

Fuck yes

I feel cool just listening to this. Pretty frickin' fantastic start to finish.

This one didn't escape background music level for me - there are some interesting melodies and Green's voice is generally pleasing in delivery, just not any solid hooks I found to grab onto here.

Kicks off with it's best track but nothing to dislike with the groove and vocal of classic Al Green

The Good: Finally someone is covering a Tina Turner song! The Bad: Realizing it’s a Bee Gees cover… The Ugly: spousal aggression… I always hate it when people get political in their commentary regarding artists… however, I watched a documentary yesterday which dealt with the death of two women related to a singer, who “got away with it” so to speak… So, Mr Green, you might have a great voice, and this album might be shits, but I am going to drop you 2* just for being an ass… 2*

Wasn't my jam. Wasn't particularly bad either, just wasn't feeling this.

no stars for abusers and rapists

god finally real music..... but ngl i like the tina turner cover of let's stay together more LMFAO BLAME EOMMA FOR THAT!! either way this album made me HAPPY

It’s so beautiful. It’s so nice to listen to good soul, and Al Green pours his into this album

Smooth from start to finish. Laid back and chilled out, but still puts you in a happy mood.

Solid gold, and although the title track is very popular, the rest of the album is packed full of lesser known tracks which, to me, encapsulate al's early edge much better than some of his more popular work. Long time fav

LOVED it. Did not expect that whatsoever

great album for moving furniture with the wife

Fucking banger

soul is always a winner for me :)

Touching soul that invokes a smile.

Will be returning to this one for sure. Title track, How Can You Mend A Broken Heart (fantastic Bee Gees cover!) and Judy were highlights for me.

Al Green is one of the great soul voices of the 70’s, and Let’s Stay Together is great song. But I hadn’t heard anything else from this album. But I really enjoyed it. There’s a lot of Otis Redding vibe, though Green’s voice is unique. All it all it works, really well. Solid 4/5

This was a good, relaxed listen. Let's stay together (pulp fiction) and how can you mend a broken heart stood out. Went back and relistened to last track too.

Overall rating: 3.5/5. A simple and soulful listening experience. Good for background listening, with a few gems. Let’s Stay Together - 5/5 La-La for You - 4/5 So You're Leaving - 3/5 What Is This Feeling - 4/5 Old Time Lovin’ - 3/5 I've Never Found a Girl - 3.5/5 How Can You Mend a Broken Heart - 5/5 Judy - 2/5 It Ain’t No Fun to Me - 3/5

Other than the title song, it’s good but not great.

there's about eight al green albums on this list and i think they're all the same but at least they're nice with it

Wonderful gem of an album. Soulful as they come. A nice listen.

Rhythms totally his own, soulfulness as intelligent as it comes. He's touched by god and passing it along to you. Savour the moment. (A little too long on the slow tempos to compete with his best work.)

Title track is a banger but the rest don't hold up

Have you ever heard an album you know is good, like well made with good singing and clearly important in its genre, but it just doesn't do anything for you? Unfortunately, I'm a pophead who is actively listening to these albums, and in doing so this album just bored me. It's good, don't get me wrong, but I'm not rating by quality I'm rating by personal taste, y'know? Anyway, 2.

32/1001 Highly-regarded artist and a highly-regarded album, but this is a first-time listen for me (I'm familiar with the title track, obviously), and even after a couple of run-throughs it doesn't really do much for me. Not that there's anything bad here, per se, it's just not my kind of soul music - too much mid to slow tempo material. The production is solid but pretty uninspiring, and, for my money, the first two tracks are the strongest here, from a melodic point of view - from thereon in it becomes a bit formulaic. And there's not really much more I can say; I expected something to match Motown's finest records of the era, but this falls fairly flat in comparison. Not as special a collection of songs as some would have you believe, in my opinion.

Self-titled song was pretty good. Notes other than that, it's a pretty standard soul album with some jazz elements. It's not bad but every song sounds about the same and it drones on.

Let's stay together was an all time classic. Shame he's a domestic abuser, and in 2025 the song now reads back as someone asking their victim to come back for more. Rest of the album doesn't quite meet the standards of the opener, but then few ever did.

It was short, and made pleasant enough background music, but there was a certain je ne sais quoi that stopped me from really enjoying it. Maybe it was the knowledge that Al Green was an abusive piece of shit who beat his pregnant wife to the point where she required stitches because she denied his demands for sex. Let's Stay Together indeed. Fuck you.

Classic opening song but should have ditched it halfway through the album because the rest of these songs probably aren't getting much play. The album is smooth and soulful but nothing I'd write home about. I like his groove but not the one he left on his wife's face.

well, i wanted to like this album but this guy has multiple allegations of domestic abuse against him so yikes. there's so much good music out there in the world that 1001 albums really shouldn't continue platforming people like this... favorites: let's stay together, how can you mend a broken heart

terrible

A

That deep, slow, rolling, loping, strutting groove is just impeccable, he can just sing all over it. It's basically an album with nearly all the songs in the same sweet spot. Only "How Can you Mend a Broken Heart" breaks it up by getting even slower. The title track overshadows the others, but there's no weak tracks here. Gotta be included on a historical list. Gotta be.

Have always loved this record ever since I heard it. His soulful voice and classic RnB sound is amazing. Easy 5.

lesgooo we chillen Gewoon heerlijk

My first time with a complete Al Green album. Shame on me! What an incredible voice and aura. Outstanding band as well. Starts with a banger. Ends with my new favourite song. Total sonic pleasure

Sweet, sweet soul.

pretty hard to argue anything less than 5 stars

How Can You Mend A Broken Heart shouldve been the biggest song on here

I mean, come on. A classic. So many hits.

Beleza

Reverend Al! There's something to be said for a straightforwardly written song about love and heartbreak, sung by a vocal maestro who can play his voice hitting all the notes. That's this soul music masterpiece. His cover of the Bee Gees' "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" is how you cover someone else's song and make it your own.

Awesome

Fantastic classic R&B album

Great

Grooves atemporais, voz magnífica e arranjos fantásticos. Álbum viciante, um LP muito gratificante. Aquele verniz bem polido, aquele banco de couro super confortável, Let’s Stay Together, bolo de cenoura com cobertura de chocolate, só aquelas coisas que atiçam todos nossos sentidos. Alta vontade de amar, de se mover, de viver. Disco cheio de vida. Brilhante! Ternura infinita. Não consigo pensar em um ponto minimamente negativo para mencionar. Perfeito. 5/5

Yessss romcom vibes to the max

Some of the best soul music ever. Al Green’s voice can make anything good

First Soul album from this list, can’t wait for many more! My only critic is that the album cover is shite sorry Al. 5 star anyway

5 de 5 Esta obra se consolidó como una pieza fundamental para el soul, con sus himnos atemporales sobre el amor y la reconciliación, cantados con una voz delicada y romántica, Al Green proyectó su carrera y logró un amplio reconocimiento, convirtiéndolo en un gran exponente de la balada soul.

Short but unreproachable album of love

The best

Exceptional - always loved this album. 1. Let’s Stay Together 2. So You’r Leaving 3. How Can You Mend A Broken Heart

This was a very soul filled album. I loved it from start to finish and added every song to my 'liked' songs to categorize into playlists later. He has a voice like BUTTAH.

Smooth voice good music Still today people should listen to Al Green

I've heard "Let's Stay Together" a million times and it still just absolutely warms my heart. I could live in this sound forever.

Easy 5!

"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" is such a standout. fuck

This album was gorgeous and emotional and I wish more people were like Al Green. Fav Song: How can you Mend a Broken Heart

Great album start to finish. Favorite songs: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, Judy, Let's Stay Together

That shit was whimsical.

This is where the Hi Records system properly announces itself, but it still feels human. Not yet the sealed perfection of the later records - there’s a bit of air in it, a bit of give - and that turns out to be part of the appeal. The title track is the obvious centre of gravity. Not much left to say about it except that the restraint sets the tone for everything that follows. Green never needs to push. The band never needs to decorate. It just sits at exactly the right emotional temperature and stays there. What becomes clear quite quickly is that the album isn’t interested in peaks. It’s about maintaining a condition. Groove over development, tone over display. The chords are rich but never announced - extended, softened, absorbed into the texture. You feel them rather than notice them. The rhythm guitar is a big part of that. Not strumming, more stitching - little muted fragments living in the gaps, keeping everything moving without ever drawing attention to itself. Take it out and the whole thing would quietly collapse. Green’s voice operates on the same principle. Minimal attack, gliding into phrases, often into falsetto without any sense of a join. It’s the opposite of belting. Presence without force. When he does get “muscular”, it’s by his own standards - a slight increase in weight or grain rather than any obvious push. “So You’re Leaving” is a good example of how the arrangement splits the emotional load. The horns carry the urgency, flirting with overstatement but stopping short. Green stays composed, which makes the underlying tension feel more real. It’s someone holding themselves together rather than falling apart. “I’ve Never Found a Girl” is almost absurdly understated at the start. He arrives mid-thought, barely disturbing the groove. It feels less like a performance and more like you’ve tuned into something already happening. “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” shifts register entirely. Less a song, more a sermon. The arrangement thins, time stretches, and the question just sits there. Heartbreak as testimony rather than drama. The organ work here is exceptional - swell pedal constantly shaping the dynamics, Leslie speed changes judged rather than showy. Nothing is static, but nothing calls attention to itself. “Old Time Lovin’” leans harder into the gospel side. More communal feel, more rhythmic insistence, but still under control. The band suggests lift without ever fully committing to it. Across the record there’s a pattern with the endings. You expect the fade, and it doesn’t come. Or it comes late, only once the repetition has done its job. The groove is allowed to sit, to become a state rather than a section. The fade feels like permission rather than structure. “Judy” works as a restatement of the method. Same components, fully aligned. No attempt to conclude anything, just a quiet confirmation that the system holds. “Ain’t No Fun to Me” closes things out in a slightly deeper register. Same approach, but with more weight under it. It could have gone swampier, grittier, but it stays within the Hi discipline. Restraint carrying heat and heft rather than absence. What the album gets right is proportion. Nothing overreaches, nothing is missing, and nothing is there for show. It doesn’t try to impress you. It just keeps being correct. And that turns out to be harder to achieve than anything more obviously ambitious.

Bien soul, cob comme j'aime (smoth soul), sa voix est telelment douce à écouter, les mélodies sont romantiques et belles. Album trop court, j'aime bien les effets de sons dans le casque (gauche / droite). Gros tournant gospel dans sa carrière, il devient pasteur suite au suicide de sa copine qui l'a ebouillanté avant de se donner la mort.

Love it 5/5

An all time favorite!!!

Perfect R&B album in my opinion.

What an album. I cant describe the ways i love this. Is so calming and soulful. The brass is beautiful and the singing is perfect. The songs are brilliant with the 2 singles are bona fide classics and the rest holds the standard

Oooh this was a vibe! And what a voice. Smooth 5 ⭐️

I love it, it's perfect for any occasion, this music genre is just good for the soul.

I didn’t grow up listening to Al Green. I may have heard a few of his songs in passing during my formative years, but my first vivid memory of him—specifically “Let’s Stay Together”—came much later, when it was featured in Pulp Fiction. That moment stuck with me. I can still picture it clearly: Green’s smooth, soulful voice drifting over a flawless R&B groove while Marsellus Wallace calmly instructs Butch, “In the fifth, your ass goes down.” The contrast between the warmth of the music and the tension of the scene is unforgettable—and it was my true introduction to Al Green. There’s not much more to say about this incredible album beyond how it feels. It wraps around you like an inviting R&B blanket, the kind that keeps you warm on a cold autumn morning. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is sink into its cool, effortless vibe and let it carry you wherever it wants to go. Let go. Relax. Al Green’s at the wheel—and he knows exactly where he’s going (which was apparently to his lady's place to beat her ass with a tree branch).

Lovely, elegant, soul music. A great album.

Love it

So smooth

Másters piece

Previously known. Fantastic.

super fire, perfect vibes

Un classique, gros banger

Crisp, soulful goodness

Clásico de Al Green, no me cansaré nunca de escucharlo

Awesome! Great album! R &B with soul, funk and jazz … amazing! Al Green is one of the greatest!

Classic soul. Al Greens voice is a national treasure.

i knew i loved al green but sitting and listening to this, wow, it was just phenomenal

Já começou muito bem. É muito louco como o destino me coloca pra ouvir esse álbum que eu achei que não conhecia, mas na verdade tem uma música que já ouvi por causa do meu pai. " How Can You Mend a Broken Heart"

Echt lekker, funky, soulful, origineel

Amazing vocals, pleasant music to chill

What a classic soul album. Easy to listen to, it is a perfect soundtrack to making breakfast on a Sunday morning or background music while a group of friends sit outside around the fire on a summer evening.