Al Green Explores Your Mind

Al Green Explores Your Mind is the eighth album by soul singer Al Green. Unlike previous Al Green albums, this album featured only one major hit, the U.S. #7 hit "Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy)", but did contain the original version of "Take Me to the River", a song which went to #26 on the Billboard chart when covered by Talking Heads in 1978. In 2004, the song "Take Me to the River" was ranked number 117 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.

Al Green Explores Your Mind
Studio album by Al Green
Released	October 1974
Recorded	1974
Genre	Soul
Length	30:26
Label	Hi
Producer	Willie Mitchell
Al Green chronology
Livin' for You (1973) Al Green Explores Your Mind (1974) Al Green's Greatest Hits (1975)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Christgau's Record Guide	B+[2]
Rolling Stone	[3]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[4]
Tom Hull	A–[5]

The album was his fifth consecutive album to claim #1 on the Soul Albums chart, and peaked at #15 on the Pop Albums chart.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Al Green; except where indicated

Side one

1. "Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy)" – 3:01
2. "Take Me to the River" (Green, Mabon "Teenie" Hodges) – 3:45
3. "God Blessed Our Love" (Green, Willie Mitchell, Earl Randle) – 3:57
4. "The City" (Green, Charles Hodges) – 3:25
5. "One Nite Stand" – 2:26

Side two

1. "I'm Hooked on You" (Green, Mitchell) – 3:22
2. "Stay with Me Forever" (Green, Anne Sanders) – 3:15
3. "Hangin' On" (Green, Michael Allen) – 4:21
4. "School Days" – 3:14

Personnel

• Al Green – vocals
• Teenie Hodges – guitar
• Leroy Hodges – bass guitar
• Charles Hodges – Hammond organ, piano
• Howard Grimes – drums, congas
• Archie Turner, Michael Allen – piano
• Charles Chalmers, Donna Rhodes, Sandra Rhodes – backing vocals
• Andrew Love, Ed Logan – tenor saxophone
• James Mitchell – baritone saxophone
• Wayne Jackson – trumpet
• Jack Hale – trombone

Covers

"Take Me To The River" has been covered by several other performers including Talking Heads (on 1978's More Songs About Buildings and Food), Ron Fleeger & The Stranger, Al's label mate Syl Johnson, Levon Helm, Annie Lennox, Toni Childs, Max on the Rox, Dave Matthews Band, Grateful Dead, Bryan Ferry, Delbert McClinton, Maná, The Commitments, Foghat, Gov't Mule, Phish and Eva Cassidy.

See also

• List of number-one R&B albums of 1975 (U.S.)

References

1. Al Green Explores Your Mind at AllMusic
2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: G". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 24, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
3. "Al Green Explores Your Mind - Rolling Stone". rollingstone.com. Retrieved 2017-07-07.
4. Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
5. Hull, Tom (May 2005). "Recycled Goods (19)". A Consumer Guide to the Trailing Edge. Tom Hull. Retrieved June 20, 2020.