gospel album
Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
by
Al Green
Albert Leornes Greene (born April 13, 1946), better known as Al Green, is an American singer, songwriter, pastor and record producer best known for recording a series of soul hit singles in the early 1970s, including " Take Me to the River", ...
, released in 1983.
The album peaked at No. 4 on the ''Billboard'' Top Gospel Albums chart. Green won the
Grammy
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
for "Best Soul Gospel Performance, Male".
Critical reception
''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' listed ''I'll Rise Again'' among the ten best albums of 1983.
Track listing
#"It Don't Take Much" (Emmett Wilson, Hodges Wilson) - 3:23
#"Jesus Is Coming (Back Again)" ( Arthur Baker) - 4:59
#"
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms
''Leaning on the Everlasting Arms'' is a hymn published in 1887 with music by Anthony J. Showalter and lyrics by Showalter and Elisha Hoffman.
Showalter said that he received letters from two of his former pupils saying that their wives had die ...
" - 2:38
#"I Close My Eyes and Smile" (Johnny Brown, Emmett Wilson) - 3:23
#"Ocean Blue (I'll Rise Again)" (
Teenie Hodges
Mabon Lewis "Teenie" Hodges (November 16, 1945 – June 22, 2014) was an American musician known for his work as a rhythm and lead guitarist and songwriter on many of Al Green's soul hits, and those of other artists such as Ann Peebles and Syl J ...
, Emmett Wilson) - 4:13
#"Look at the Things That God Made" (Arthur Baker) - 3:50
#"I Just Can't Make It By Myself" (
Clara Ward
Clara Mae Ward (April 21, 1924 – January 16, 1973) was an American gospel singer who achieved great artistic and commercial success during the 1940s and 1950s, as leader of The Famous Ward Singers. A gifted singer and arranger, Ward adopted ...
) - 4:25
#"I Know It Was the Blood" (Michael Baker) - 5:15
#"Straighten Out Your Life" (Jr. Lee) - 5:00
Personnel
* Al Green – lead vocals, backing vocals, string arrangements
* Jesse Butler – keyboards
*
Jerry Peters
Jerry Peters is an American songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, conductor and arranger. He is best known for writing the hit songs "Love Or Let Me Be Lonely" and "Going In Circles" by The Friends of Distinction.
Career
Peters w ...
Mabon Hodges
Mabon Lewis "Teenie" Hodges (November 16, 1945 – June 22, 2014) was an American musician known for his work as a rhythm and lead guitarist and songwriter on many of Al Green's soul hits, and those of other artists such as Ann Peebles and Syl J ...
– guitars
* Larry Lee – guitars
* Steve Cobb – bass
* Ray Griffin – bass
* Steve Potts – drums
*
Memphis Symphony Orchestra The Memphis Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Memphis, Tennessee. The orchestra's primary performing venue is the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts.
Prior to the formation of the orchestra, classical orchestras had existed ...
– strings
* William C. Brown III – backing vocals
* Debra Carter – backing vocals
* Linda Jones – backing vocals
Production
* Producer – Al Green
* Engineer and Remix – William C. Brown III
* Mastered by Larry Nix at Ardent Mastering Lab 1 (Memphis, TN).
* Art Direction – Dennis Hill
* Photography – Alan Messer