"LET'S STAY TOGETHER" AL GREEN (1972)

A great title track is par for the course when it comes to great albums. If the title track doesn’t cut it, what does that say about the album itself? This month, the Mental Jukebox will be playing some of my favorite title tracks – inspired by @NicolaB_73’s music Twitter challenge, #TopTitleTracks.

Many of the greatest movies of all time often have great music attached to them. But great music from the opening credits to the end credits, well, that’s a rare commodity. Pulp Fiction carries the noteworthy distinction of being one of the great films as well as one of the great soundtracks of all time. You can’t pick just one song, every single one of them is exceptional. “Let’s Stay Together” is probably one of four marquee tracks on the album, along with “Jungle Boogie”, “Son of a Preacher Man” and “Bustin Surfboards”.

What makes the Al Green song so special? I think it’s this. There are few songs in the history of music that capture the essence of their era so well while also demonstrating a timeless staying power. “Let’s Stay Together” is one of them. It is unapologetically 70’s to the bone. Like a time capsule of the era. But this classic has also aged beautifully. Pulp Fiction proved it. The horn section beckons us in the intro, but from there it’s all Al. It’s a gift to the world. Without exaggeration, one of music’s greatest vocal performances with Green’s natural vocal range and falsetto maneuvers so naturally entwined.

“WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO IS ALRIGHT WITH ME.”

"LET'S STAY TOGETHER" AL GREEN (1972)

The decade in which I was born has given me a strange perspective on its music. I discovered pretty much all of the 70’s sounds – from prog rock to punk to disco – well after they came into the world. It wasn’t until the late 80’s that I discovered what I was missing. I would characterize the decade as one where budding genres leaped off their inspiration pads and came to fruition. For the month of February, Mental Jukebox will feature some of these gems with a different 70’s song each day. #28DaysOf70sSongs

Many of the greatest movies of all time often have great music attached to them. But great music from the opening credits to the end credits, well, that’s a rare commodity. Pulp Fiction carries the noteworthy distinction of being one of the great films as well as one of the great soundtracks of all time. You can’t pick just one song, every single one of them is exceptional. “Let’s Stay Together” is probably one of four marquee tracks on the album, along with “Jungle Boogie”, “Son of a Preacher Man” and “Bustin Surfboards”.

What makes the Al Green song so special? I think it’s this. There are few songs in the history of music that capture the essence of their era so well while also demonstrating a timeless staying power. “Let’s Stay Together” is one of them. It is unapologetically 70’s to the bone. Like a time capsule of the era. But this classic has also aged beautifully. Pulp Fiction proved it. The horn section beckons us in the intro, but from there it’s all Al. It’s a gift to the world. Without exaggeration, one of music’s greatest vocal performances with Green’s natural vocal range and falsetto maneuvers so naturally entwined.

“Whatever you want to do is alright with me.”

"LET'S STAY TOGETHER" AL GREEN (1972)

Exceptional soundtracks can make good movies great. They can also take on a life of their own, becoming a greater highlight than their respective films. In this series, I’m selecting some of my favorite soundtrack songs. While quite a few are well-known recordings, I’m also including a few that have flown under the radar over the years.

Pulp Fiction has the rare distinction of being one of the greatest films of all time as well as one of the greatest soundtracks of all time. You can’t pick just one song, but “Let’s Stay Together” is probably one of four marquee tracks on the album, along with “Jungle Boogie”, “Son of a Preacher Man” and “Bustin Surfboards”.

What makes the Al Green song so special? I think it’s this. There are few songs in the history of music that capture the essence of their era so well while also demonstrating a timeless staying power. “Let’s Stay Together” is one of them. It features one of music’s greatest vocal performances with Green’s natural vocal range and falsetto maneuvers so naturally entwined.

“Whatever you want to do is alright with me.”

"LET'S STAY TOGETHER" AL GREEN (1972)

My wife and I included this one on our wedding playlist. Why? “Let’s Stay Together” is still one of the simplest, most honest expressions in music. It’s one of the most well-written, well-sung, well-crafted and well-arranged songs ever recorded. And Green was only 25 years old when he came up with it. The plea to stay together still rings true—from wedding receptions to Quentin Tarantino movie soundtracks.

“Let's, let's stay together. Lovin' you whether, whether times are good or bad, happy or sad.”