Al Green. Well they certainly don’t make them like him anymore do they? The best we’ve got is Tom Jones. And that dubious dancing at Glastonbury made me feel pretty damn nauseous. Green Is Blues was one of Al Green’s earliest album, and it’s being reissued to commemorate if being a whopping 40 years since it came out first time round. And like a fine wine, or cheese, or indeed soul singer, it’s aged beautifully.Mainly featuring covers ”“ from The Beatles to Gershwin, it combines sultry soul, hip-popping funk, and laid-back pop. You’d be hard pressed to tell these weren’t actually his songs though, the way Al Green can slide into a song and make it his own is unrivalled. And that voice - you can just tell he’s smiling when he’s singing, and it’s a damn cheeky grin.In a world of pretentious indie boys, Green Is Blues is a ridiculously refreshing album. Opener ‘One Woman’ is like slipping into a warm bath, from the flutters of flutes to the angelic backing chorus, to that hugely hypnotic, compelling voice that’s impossible to say no to.The laid-back feel of ‘My Girl’ is punctuated with stabbing brass to occasionally shake it out of its meandering course. In fact the brass across the whole of Green Is Blues takes a leading role. Present on almost every track, it compliments Green’s voice perfectly, filling the gaps and adding a strong instrumental layer on what are otherwise predominantly vocal led tracks. Green Is Blues has an amazing universality about it ”“ it’s music for wherever and whenever. It’s perfect for the wee small hours, or first thing in the morning, hot summer evenings or cold winters nights, and seems to fit the mood no matter what it is, from the sultry ‘Summertime’ to the funk bonanza of ‘Get Back’.Oh, and one final thing - it’s damn good bedroom music. Al Green’s voice can remove clothing from a 3 mile radius. Fact. 90%Al Green 40 Official Site