Lay It Down (Al Green album)

Lay It Down
Studio album by Al Green
Released	May 27, 2008
Genre	Soul
Length	44:35
Label	Blue Note ^48449
Producer	Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, James Poyser
Al Green chronology
Everything's OK (2005) Lay It Down (2008)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	(A-)[2]
Entertainment Weekly	(A-)[3]
Los Angeles Times	[4]
The New York Times	(favorable)[5]
Pitchfork Media	(6.8/10)[6]
Rolling Stone	[7]
Spin	(8/10)[8]
The Times	[9]
The Village Voice	(favorable)[10]

Lay It Down is a studio album by American recording artist Al Green, released May 27, 2008, on Blue Note Records.^[11] The album was produced by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson of The Roots and James Poyser. Four tracks feature guest artists, two with Anthony Hamilton, and one each with John Legend and Corinne Bailey Rae.^[1] Lay It Down is Green's first Top 10 Album since 1973, and, according to Metacritic, has received widespread acclaim from critics. "Stay With Me (By the Sea)" won Al Green and John Legend a Grammy award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group given in 2009.^[12]

Critical reception

Lay It Down has received much critical acclaim by media outlets such as Blender, Entertainment Weekly, and Allmusic, to name a few. The album was applauded for bringing in younger producers and giving Green a more youthful sound. Allmusic commented: "What happens when you put that amazing soul-drenched voice in the hands of hip-hop producers ?uestlove and James Poyser, and add a slew of superstar guests? Answer: a killer Al Green soul album".^[1]

Blender remarked that Green had "created a natural-sounding album with occasional horns and strings, taking cues directly from [his] best old records".^[13] It has also scored a rating of 81/100 from Metacritic, based on 22 critical reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".^[14] "Lay It Down" was number 15 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008.^[15]

Track listing

1. "Lay It Down" (featuring Anthony Hamilton)
2. "Just for Me"
3. "You've Got the Love I Need" (featuring Anthony Hamilton)
4. "No One Like You"
5. "What More Do You Want from Me"
6. "Take Your Time" (featuring Corinne Bailey Rae)
7. "Too Much"
8. "Stay With Me (By the Sea)" (featuring John Legend)
9. "All I Need"
10. "I'm Wild About You"
11. "Standing in the Rain"
12. "Wanna Say" (Bonus track)

Charts

Chart (2008)	Peak position	Sales	Certification
Billboard 200	9

References

1. Jurek, Thom (March 27, 2008). Lay It Down - Al Green | AllMusic: Review. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2011-04-10.
2. Christgau, Robert (July 2008). Inside Music: Consumer Guide. MSN Music. Archived from the original on 2011-04-10.
3. Willman, Chris (March 30, 2008). Lay It Down | Music | EW.com. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on 2011-04-10.
4. Weiss, Jeff (May 27, 2008). A talent confused by his ambitions - Page 2 - Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2011-04-10.
5. Chinen, Nate (May 25, 2008). Music - With New Collaborators, Al Green Pays Tribute to Al Green - NYTimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2011-04-10.
6. Wolk, Douglas (May 29, 2008). Pitchfork: Album Reviews: Al Green: Lay It Down. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved on 2011-04-10.
7. Rosen, Jody (May 29, 2008). Lay It Down by Al Green | Rolling Stone Music | Music Reviews. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2011-04-10.
8. Wood, Mikael (June 2008). Al Green, 'Lay It Down' (Blue Note) | SPIN.com. Spin. Retrieved on 2011-04-10.
9. Hodgkinson, Will (May 23, 2008). Al Green: Lay It Down review | CD reviews | Music - Times Online. The Times. Retrieved on 2011-04-10.
10. Rogers, Matt (May 27, 2008). Al Green's Lay It Down - Page 1 - Music - New York - Village Voice. The Village Voice. Retrieved on 2011-04-10.
11. Amazon.com: Lay It Down: Al Green: Music
13. Review of Lay It Down by Blender magazine
14. Lay It Down on Metacritic
15. "The 100 Best Songs of 2008". Rolling Stone (December 25, 2008). Retrieved 2008-12-25

External links

• Official website
• Lay It Down at Discogs
• Lay It Down at Metacritic
• Al Green: A Classic Gets Modern at NPR