As Western culture worked itself into a complicated cultural froth, the early Seventies reflected those complexities in its hit parade with music that was evocative, entertaining and, for better or worse, unavoidable. Which is to say that the tunes on this list constitute much of the DNA of anyone alive at the time. Radio still mattered more than TV, and our seemingly endless culture wars were only beginning.
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Al Green is one of the world's greatest soul singers, emerging in the s with a truly stunning voice. Now known as The Reverend Al Green, he has released 29 albums over the decades, and we always love playing his soulful tunes. This soul classic was first recorded in , but p roblems occurred with the first tape, and so it was postponed. It was later altered and perfected the second time. Released in , it was one of Al's first big hits around the world.
I Can’t Get Next to You (1971)
Culture Trip stands with Black Lives Matter. Coming out in the beginning of his lengthy career, this song still stands as one of the most musically and lyrically engaging Green has ever penned. That person must have been something extraordinary! The second that vocal hook blasts into the gentle stride of his backing band, you know this song embodies longing in a way that few songs could. Contrary to his desperate rasp, this time around Green sounds more postured in his reminiscence. The musical end follows the same formula well, but the experimentation Green utilizes for the vocals is something so fascinating that he practically makes the song all his own. After all of his laments on heartbreak and longing, Al Green flips the script on this tune and offers himself as support for a loved one venturing off into the unknown, and at the same time offers one of his most complicated, yet engaging vocal hooks of his career. Only the greatest can make such dark emotions sounds so beautiful.
He later returned to secular music. Green was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in He was referred to on the museum's site as being "one of the most gifted purveyors of soul music".
