Similarities to another famous Green
What I am about to say is technically blasphemy, but it has to be said: Cee Lo Green is the modern Al Green. Despite the shared surname, they are not actually related, but Cee Lo seems to share Al’s innate ability to connect, musically, with the human soul and he too seems to have the whole force of the ’70s behind him.
And do not let the release date confuse you-“The Lady Killer” was definitely released in the ’70s.
Some lyrics, especially those on “F**k You” and “Bodies” may be too edgy for my generation.
The intro/outro combination may include some incredibly strange rock choices, but the album would have done incredibly well on the 1972 charts (probably better than it did on the modern charts actually, “F**k You” was released as a single and peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart).
Production methods, Cee Lo’s vocal style, the background singers and the musical performances; all of these things invoke everything that was so incredible about classic R&B and Soul.
These things are all the more exciting and welcome because they have been conspicuously absent from the modern music scene for many years, with a reliance on technology and popular conventions overtaking classical musical sense.
It takes a brave artist to release such an album in an era where quality is not valued as highly as image and mystique.
As the title indicates “The Lady Killer” is almost wholly composed of tracks about women. Hating them, loving them, missing them, having sex with them.
Cee Lo expounds on all of these topics, then proceeds to sing about his direct attitude toward love in general and its outward appearances.
That track “Old Fashioned”, is just that, and an instant classic. At one point, Cee Lo inquires “are we in love, right here and now?”
and the music drops, then rises again in a fluttering crescendo.
This is something that used to be incredibly common in soul music, but other than in some types of rap, I have not heard the beat drop in a more vocalist driven style since Barry White was releasing new albums.
There is no reason not to buy Cee Lo Green’s The Lady Killer if you can spare the money. This is feel-good, loving music that has been missing from the business for a long while, and it should be encouraged.
Adam Mohebbi can be reached at 581-7944 or denverge@gmail.com.
