Al Green vs. Chris Stapleton | Head 2 Head 🗣️

In the 51^st edition of Head 🗣️ 2 Head 🗣️ (2022), Al Green and Chris Stapleton contend for the best rendition of “I’m A Ram.” 

Welcome to Head 2 Head! On Head 🗣️ 2 Head 🗣️, we pit at least two musicians singing the same song together, comparing their performances.  Then, after much deliberation, we deliver a verdict of which performance was the best, or at least, subjectively, which performance moved us more.  In the 51^st edition of head 🗣️2 head 🗣️ (2022), 🎙 Al Green and 🎙 Chris Stapleton contend for the best rendition of 🎵 “I’m A Ram”. So, without further ado, let the Head 2 Head commence!

1. Al Green, “I’m a Ram”

💿 Gets Next to You • 🏷 Hi Records • 📅 1971

“‘Cause I’m a ram, yes I am / And I know just what to do / Think I’ll drive on / And try to get next to you…” 💿 Gets Next to You is one of the great soul albums of the 1970s.  Gets Next to You marks the third studio album by soul and later, gospel icon, 🎙 Al Green.  The best-known Green hit from Can’t Get Next to You is 🎵 “Tired of Being Alone”.  That said, 🎵 “I’m a Ram”, a deeper cut in the Green collection, is a gem in its own right.

“I’m a Ram” may not be considered among the greatest of Al Green’s greatest hits, but it’s an infectious, must-hear soul joint.  The groove is incredibly funky, the riffs are utterly sweet, the horns sublime, and Al – well – he’s beastly.  There’s a certain cool that only Green could generate and generate it he does indeed.  He sings incredibly expressive, impressing with his distinct, nuanced pipes.  The question is, is Green really singing about an animal – and a ram of all things? Well, yes and no.  Green seems to embody the aggressiveness of the animal as well as being forceful like a battering ram.  And, yes, of course, he mentions the fact that “I’m a ram out in the bush /And he needs to be free.” Woo! Why? To get close to her, of course, which makes sense in the context of the album!

“Hey baby

‘Cause I’m a ram

Bet your life, I do

‘Cause I’m a ram now

And I wanna get next to you

Oh, baby.”

Would it be far-fetched to say that Green was a bit, um, horny 🫢? Those ram horns and all, I mean!

Appears in 🔻:

• Al Green, “I’m a Ram”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 78 (2022)
• 15 Must-Hear, Throwback Vibez, Vol. 5

2. Chris Stapleton, “I’m A Ram”

🎵 “I’m A Ram” • 🏷 Sound / UMG Recordings, Inc. • 📅 2022

🎙 Chris Stapleton is one of the true bright spots in country music, with his talents transcending beyond the musical genre.  That is why it is totally NOT far-fetched that Stapleton covered the 🎙 Al Green classic, 🎵 “I’m A Ram”, from his 1971 masterpiece, 💿 Gets Next To You.  Stapleton has the skill set to deliver the goods on “I’m A Ram.” His voice, first and foremost, is incredibly expressive and nuanced – filled with grit and soul 💪.  That is a big reason why the original by Green is so awesome – soul, soul, SOUL!

Stapleton and his co-producer, 🎛 Dave Cobb, masterfully recreate the simple yet potent, rhythmic backdrop. It is not a copycat mind you, but successfully keeps the essence of the original alive and well.  Stapleton, naturally, gives this a bit more of a countrified rock flavor, and it sure is delish. If 🎵 “I’m A Ram” were not already a hit by someone else, you could argue Chris Stapleton delivered a spirited original.  His interpretation of this Al Green classic is authentic – you can tell he put his all into it, as he does with his originals.

Appears in 🔻:

• Chris Stapleton, “I’m A Ram”: Covers No. 4 (2022)

The Verdict 👨🏿‍⚖️ 

🎙 Al Green or 🎙 Chris Stapleton? That is a heavyweight battle! Stapleton deserves ample credit for a sensational cover of “I’m A Ram” – he does a bang-up job.  That said, “I’m A Ram” will ALWAYS belong to Al Green, period.  Stapleton would likely agree.

Al Green vs. Chris Stapleton: Head 2 Head 🗣️ No. 51 (2022) [📷: andresilva5, Antoni Shkraba via Pexels, Brent Faulkner, Hi Records,The Musical Hype, Nick Wang on Unsplash, Pexels, Pixabay, talha khalil, Valentin Tikhonov]