#427: Al Green, ‘Call Me’
HI, 1973
I celebrated Valentine’s Day by delivering flowers for a floral company. My friend and I drove around Denver with our hazard lights on, stopping in the middle of busy one-way streets to figure out which addresses belonged to which buildings.
My friend’s job was to hold the spilling vase of substantial and pointy floral arrangements and then jump out of the car to deliver the heavy bundle. I was the getaway driver, constantly circling the block.
Truthfully, it was more stressful than it was romantic. Truthfully, I couldn’t get my temperature right and I was cold/hot the whole morning and we all know that I hate that. Truthfully, it wore me out.
But also, it was sweet knowing that people still buy each other flowers on Valentine’s Day.
After our final delivery, we ate pancakes at Pete’s Kitchen off Colfax. As I paid my bill, I noticed a framed picture of Drew Barrymore hugging who I assume is the original owner – possibly Pete? It was nice to look up and have her smiling down on me.
When I dropped my friend off, I turned this album on and thought about Drew and those pancakes.
I stopped at a red light and watched a guy walk across the street holding too many red heart balloons, looking truly stressed. I licked my thumb making sure I got all the syrup off my hand and leaving no residue on my steering wheel.
This is the second Al Green album to show up on this list. Instead of getting into his life again (you can read that here), I want to talk specifically about this album.
This album is the tender yearning of love lost and love found – both bleeding with undertones of desperation and joy.
Love is very complicated because there is no straight shot to it. It requires trust, vulnerability, and a willingness to apologize. It requires sacrificing sleep sometimes and supporting someone even if you don’t understand them perfectly. It requires two or more people. That’s what makes it hard. You don’t always have control. That’s what this album is - the submission to the deeply chaotic nature of loving someone.
Top songs: Call Me (Come Back Home), I’m so Lonesome I Could Cry, Here I Am (Come and Take Me), You Ought To Be With Me