During the halcyon years when Al Green was notching one gold record after another, reviewers began to wonder aloud how much more mileage the singer and his producer, Willie Mitchell, could get out of their "formula." Now the hits are coming less frequently, but the formula, if that's what it is, is intact. It seems that Green and Mitchell are capable of going on and on in the same vein. Their music may not spark that exhilarating flash of discovery anymore, and it may not make the Top Ten, but it's never dispirited or routine.

The sound isn't so much a formula as a fixed set of procedures and a familiar cast of characters. The band that gave Green's first hits their Memphis punch has survived without any personnel changes, Mitchell continues to arrange and engineer the recordings himself, and Green is still a unique stylist who can make recycled material sound stunningly fresh.

Despite its promising title, Full of Fire is mainstream Green, without the occasional departures of his last few albums. Most of the songs move along in a medium-tempo groove; the chord changes give the singer a chance to show off his feeling for unusual note choices; and at least two or three tracks are lively enough to stand out.

“Youth Knows No Pain”

“Like on 'Youth Knows No Pain' — we are the ones that should demonstrate, because we can take it,” Likke Li said. “We can pierce ourselves, take Ecstasy, dance all night and still go to work at our McDonald's jobs.” Despite the hedonistic sentiment in the song, the Swedish singer also admitted in hindsight her youth had repercussions. “I remember when I was 18-19 and feeling that I know it all,” Li said. “I always feel that I know it all. But that song is about realizing you don’t, and reflecting, ‘Boy, if I only knew what would follow.’”