This came out in 2004 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Sex. Love. Salvation. Soul. You can’t sum up Al Green much more succinctly than that.
And you’d be hard-pressed to find a box set that sums up the influential Southern soul singer’s early career any better than The Immortal Soul of Al Green. Presented in chronological order, this four-disc set begins with his first single and follows him to the end of his fruitful collaboration with producer Willie Mitchell. Along the way, of course, you get all their supple lover-man hits: Let’s Stay Together, I Can’t Get Next to You, Let’s Get Married, How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, Love and Happiness, Take Me to the River, L-O-V-E and more. Combine this with the 1997 rarities box Anthology and you’ve got the whole heavenly story of Rev. Al.
DISCS: Four.
TRACKS: 75.
YEARS COVERED: 1967 – 1978.
NEW STUFF: Just a couple of rarities, including a 15-minute version of Beware.
EYE CANDY: The discs come in a book-style set (which is designed to look like an old, distressed tome) and there are 52 pages of liner notes, pictures and recording info.
DAMAGE: $75.
NOTE: I couldn’t find this box set online, so here’s The Hi Records Singles Collection, which features a lot of the same songs.
