Al Green - Call Me (1973) [Remastered 2004 & 2009]

Call Me is the masterpiece from America's last great soul singer, a vulnerable, sensual, spiritual, and sexy album. Sent soaring by the bluesy accents of the Memphis Horns and held to Earth by the rock-solid, wide-open groove of drummer Al Jackson, the subject here is nothing less than Green's soul, a battle expressed beautifully in his otherworldly voice--crying and praying on the title track, despairing on his cover of "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," both bitter and resigned on his version of "Funny How Time Slips Away"--a voice as true as anything short of heaven. And on the closing "Jesus Is Waiting," we even get to hear that. --David Cantwell