Al Green - Greatest Gospel Hits (2000)

Al Green's father once kicked him out of his earliest gospel group, after catching him listening to Jackie Wilson. He need not have worried about Al abandoning his spiritual roots, as this new collection proves. The quivering, whispering falsetto--itself a soul standard--sounds true to form. Most of the cuts come from the reverend's more recent output, in which the digital, '80s sound is prominent. There are a few of the Willie Mitchell/Hi-era productions that sound musically closer to the soul master's most significant singles. From the tight, uptempo funk of "Chariots of Fire" to the transcendental version of "Amazing Grace," Green proves he can still bring the house down quicker than Lot's wife looking back on Gomorrah. Though some of the majesty is lost in the production, Al Green still finds a way to make gospel sound... sexy. --Marc Calhoun