In 2003, The Reverend Al Green returned to the secular music world after a nearly 25 year hiatus with I Can't Stop, an amazing return to form that brought Willie Mitchell and company from the Hi Records years back to the forefront of Green's recordings. I Can't Stop was an amazing achievement for Green, and definitely one of the best albums of that year. It's follow up, Everything's OK, tries for that same greatness once again, but unfortunately for Green and the rest of the crew, lightning didn't strike twice.

Have you ever checked out the artwork on a CD you've purchased, and just from looking at it known for a fact that you were in for a bumpy ride? I hate to come out so strongly in favor of judging a book by it's cover, in fact I could have lived with the amateurish look on the front of Everything's OK, but sweet Jesus, if you ever get the chance, take a look at what's on the back. I kid you not, Green is striking that ridiculous John Travolta pose from Saturday Night Fever. Good Lord, how could things have gone so wrong in just two years? I hadn't even peeled-off the plastic on this one and already I felt embarrassed for the man? Let's just say that this is only the beginning of the embarrassment.

The listening embarrassment one finds repeatedly on Everything's OK, first hit me with the second track, the traditional staple "You Are So Beautiful." If you're anything like me, the first thought that comes to mind is "do we really need another cover of this tune?" Didn't Joe Cocker just about do this song justice for everyone? Sadly, this version is worse than you could imagine for one simple reason: Green flubs the lyrics on one of the choruses - the line comes out "You are so beautiful to nobody but me." Now, could you imagine singing this song to your main squeeze, and then you utter the words "oh baby, you ain't beautiful to nobody . . . except for maybe me!" I'd say the "nookie store" would immediately close-up for the night and maybe even remain locked-up indefinitely - pending the purchase of a brand new "diamond key." The fact that a producer didn't catch this colossal gaffe is another tangent I might go off on, were it not for my long-standing respect for the good Reverend..

As great as Green sounds vocally on Everything's OK, (especially on the tear the roof off this sucker "Perfect To Me") it still feels like he's going through the motions, or is just bored with the material here. I'm sure it's tough to maintain his interest when Mitchell leaves him out to dry on tracks like "Build Me Up" that have a canned samba beat programmed feel. Normally, Mitchell's arrangements are the saving grace of an Al Green record, but throughout Everything's OK, Mitchell consistently drops the ball.

The blame for the sluggish pace of the band on "I Can Make Music" and "Magic Road" lies solely on Mitchell, he is the arranger for all the music after all. And where's that great Hi period organ? None of it is to be found here. The last two tracks, "Another Day" and "All The Time" are excellent, but by then it's far too little, a little too late - once your interest has waned this far away, no amount of old time religion is going to resurrect it. I wish I could say that everything's OK with this new Al Green record, but unfortunately, I'll just have to recommend listeners pick up I Can't Stop if they haven't already. Everything's just peachy on that Green Giant.