*** Originally released on the diminutive Serious Love label this album was picked up by Malaco Records subsidiary Waldoxy and re-released with a bonus track produced and co-written by Mr. Mel Waiters. The cut, a slick party dancer, called "Girlfriend" made a little noise regionally but the best tracks were written by Green himself. The slow, winding "Here Am I" is a winner, as is the loose, funky "Money & Power" in which Green says friends Waiters and Willie Clayton told him that if he "was serious about these blues" he needed to head down to Malaco (Records) and ask Tommy (Couch) for "some cheese please", aka, advance dough. Perhaps he did. There's some more upbeat soul cuts like "Old Fashioned Love", "Your Love is Precious" and "Sweet Patoo" and Green's smooth, clean voice is especially effective on these romantic numbers. It's refreshing to hear a good natured soul singer instead of yet another two-timin' "playa", "mack", what-have-you.

**1/2 Second disc from the P.G. Man is a Mel Waiters-inspired party soul album. "One Pay Check" is a catchy pop/soul dancer ""Getting My Love" a decent soul blues with guitar noodling and "Rock The Boat", a funny duet co-written by friend Willie Clayton, has a lot of potential but Green should mix up his phrasing over the course of the 9 songs- as he has a habit of interfering with the melody; something that is common with singers blessed with elastic chops. Though impressive it tends to make all the songs sound too similar.

*** This successful Southern Soul/pop/R & B disc starts off with three smashes in a row. "Girl U So Sexy" is a swinging, escalating groover with a perfectly restrained vocal and sharp horn jabs. Next comes the bottom-heavy "Still A Thrill", a phat, low ridin' 70s-styled jam with a freaky cool keyboard line. As soon as that fades out- in comes another smooth, bass-pushing dancer ," I Need Love", that's as tight as a champagne cork. At this point "Still A Thrill" is a contender for album of the year. Unfortunately, the disc dips from those lofty heights. That's not to say the rest are throwaways. The laid back stepper "After The Party", slow jam "Let's Grow Together", giddy dancer "Let's Go Dancin", and straight soul/blues "I'm Gonna Be Alright" are all decent, second tier cuts that just pale in comparison to first three gems. I can't help but think, this "coulda been a contenda". Still, this is the "P.G. Man" disc to buy first.

*** The PG Man just gets better with each release. His previous opus ("Still A Thrill") spawned three hit singles in the Southern Soul market and it's rather obvious "Southern Soul" aims to do the same. It, as do all his records, features big league production sound (yet with synths) courtesy of Bishop "Slick" Burrell (and co-producers Jeff Jones, Rue Davis, Allen Hunter and Green himself). His competition really should follow suit if the "Southern Soul" genre is going to survive. This isn't demo quality production values.

Green has a rich, friendly voice with wide appeal. He's Soulful in a restrained way on midtempo headbobbers like " I Need A Do Right Woman", "Got Me On Lockdown", "Door Knob" or uptempo dancers "I Can't Dance", "Tune Up" and of course creamy, smooth romantic slowies: "Let It Do What It Do", "You're The Best Thing". There's even more that Disco-vibe on "I Can't Trust You" & "Bit Off More Than I Can Chew". No duds to be found. Plus the "PG Man" doesn't need to work "blue". There's none of that promiscuity/cheating-promoting raunch common in the genre and the ladies still think Green is sexy. That doesn't mean he's G-rated. On the funky "Tune Up Man", which features great saxophone by Rick Rios, he says. "You'll heard of Jody. Some of themselves call themselves the 'clean up man'. Well I'm the PG Man and I'm a real tune it up man...if you got a love problem". Even mainstream radio can jump on these tracks. Who knows? Maybe one day Green will go gold.

***1/2 If you were to own only one "PG Man" disc this would be it. Not only does it have his new hit "Popcorn Man" (two versions) but near perfect track picking from his other three releases on his Across The Board label. From "Still A Thrill" you get the title track, "I Need Love", "Girl U So Sexy", "I'm Gonna Be Alright" & "Let's Go Dancing"; then from "Tears In My Heart" (re-titled "Party Tonite") comes "Party Tonite" & "Down To Earth Woman" (but inexplicably no Willie Clayton duet "Rock The Boat") and from his latest "Southern Soul"  we have "I Need A Do Right Woman", "Lockdown", "Door Knob" and "I'm Gonna Be Alright". It's not perfect as it's missing the duet with Clayton and contains nothing from PG Man's lone Waldoxy release "Here Am I" but if you don't own a Green CD pick this one up first.