The Belle Album

The Belle Album
Studio album by Al Green
Released	December 6, 1977
Recorded	1977
Genre	Soul
Length	39:38
Label	Hi Records
Producer	Al Green
Al Green chronology
Al Green's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 (1977) The Belle Album (1977) Truth N' Time (1978)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Blender	2006[2]
Blender	2007[3]
Robert Christgau	(A)[4]
Mojo	(favorable)[5]
Q	[5]
Rolling Stone	(favorable) 1978[6]
Rolling Stone	2004[7]
Spin	(favorable)[8]
Virgin Encyclopedia	[9]

The Belle Album is a studio album by soul musician Al Green. It is his first album recorded without longtime producer Willie Mitchell, owner of Green's former label, Hi Records. With Mitchell and his label Green also abandoned the famed Hi Rhythm Section, which had previously played a large part in defining Green's distinctive musical style. This also marks the first instance in which Green plays lead guitar on his records.

The Belle Album is one of the last in a string of secular recordings made by Green; he had recently converted to Christianity and had been ordained as a pastor, and thereafter he began creating gospel records exclusively.

Track listing

All songs written by Al Green, Fred Jordan and Reuben Fairfax, Jr.

Side one

1. "Belle" – 4:50
2. "Loving You" – 3:32
3. "Feels Like Summer" – 3:42
4. "Georgia Boy" – 7:01

Side two

1. "I Feel Good" – 5:20
2. "All N All" – 3:39
3. "Chariots of Fire" – 3:50
4. "Dream" – 7:33

Personnel

• Al Green – vocals, acoustic and electric guitar
• Reuben Fairfax, Jr. – bass guitar, bell lyre
• James Bass – electric guitar
• Margaret Foxworth, Linda Jones, Harvey Jones – background vocals
• Leon Thomas – clavinet, Fender Rhodes piano
• Johnny Brown – acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes piano
• Fred Jordan – Fender Rhodes piano, Roland String Ensemble, Polyphonic Orchestration, trumpet, flugelhorn
• John Toney – drums, Syndrum
• Rob Payne – Syndrum
• Ardis Hardin – drums
• Buddy Jarrett – alto sax
• Darryl Neely – trumpet, flugelhorn
• Ron Echols – tenor and baritone sax

References

1. Wynn, Ron (November 1, 2001). Review: The Belle Album. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2011-01-03.
2. Rosen, Jody (May 2, 2006). Review: The Belle Album. Blender. Retrieved on 2011-01-03.
3. Christgau, Robert (May 2007). Review: The Belle Album. Blender. Retrieved on 2011-01-03.
4. Christgau, Robert (January 30, 1978). "Consumer Guide: The Belle Album". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on 2011-01-03.
5. Product Notes – The Belle Album. Muze. Retrieved on 2011-01-03.
6. Marcus, Greil (February 23, 1978). Review: The Belle Album. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2011-01-03.
7. Hoard, Christian (November 2, 2004). "Review: The Belle Album". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide: 345–346.
8. Staff (April 1989). "The 25 Greatest Albums of All Time". Spin: 48.
9. Larkin, Colin (March 1, 2002). "Review: In a Silent Way". Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music: 141.

External links

• The Belle Album at AcclaimedMusic
• The Belle Album at Discogs