Postcard From California - First listen impressions

[Awesoman]

Hey, did hell freeze over or did Al Jardine finally put his solo album out?  I'm listening to it as I write this.  Here's some impressions:

"A Postcard From California" - After hearing the sample of this song for the last few years on his website, I was ready to hate this song.  It's actually not bad.  Sounds like a Jimmy Buffet tune.  But it doesn't need to be five minutes.  You pretty much get the gist of it in two.

"California Feelin'" - Al goes Neil Sedaka with this piano-driven version.  I always found this to be a pretty average tune, and it is about as good as the version Brian Wilson recorded a few years ago.  

"Looking Down The Coast" - I'm surprised Brian Wilson didn't give Al Jardine a song-writing credit with "Walkin' The Line".  

"Don't Fight The Sea" - This was an instant favorite when the EP leaked out a few months ago.  Very nice to hear a new Carl Wilson vocal.  The mix differs slightly from the EP version, but it's negligible.  

"Tide Pool Interlude" - If you're going to be pretentious, you might as well have Alec Baldwin narrating on the track.

"Campfire Scene" / "A California Saga" - This version actually differs somewhat from the EP version; you can actually hear Neil Young and David Crosby a little more clearly in the chorus.  Nice crowd-pleaser.  

"Help Me Rhonda" - A lot of people don't care for this version, but I don't mind it too much.  Nice to have Steve Miller and Flea on it.  

"San Simeon" - Pleasant little tune; a bit of a grower.  Nice to hear the America (the band, not the country)!

"Drivin'" - I always thought this was one of the stronger samples featured on Al's website.  Pretty solid track.  Features both Brian Wilson and America.  Even features references to America's songs.  I'm wondering if the "BP" line was a late addition to this song.  

"Honkin' Down The Highway" - Except for some lame sound effects, it doesn't differ to much with the original Love You version.  What's up with the ending?

"And I Always Will" - Al tries to close the album tastefully with this ballad.  Problem is his "gee whiz" voice isn't really designed for ballads.  It's uneven, but decent though.  

And there you have it.  I don't think anyone was expecting anything grand from this album, but it's worth checking out if you crave some Beach Boys material.  The guest artists don't really get too much in the way as some had feared.  Would have liked to have heard the stripped down version of "California Dreamin'".  So Al, what decade can we expect your NEXT album??  :-)



 

[Foster's Freeze]

I think you mean California FEELING.

[Awesoman]

I think you mean California FEELING.

Ah!  You are correct.  Guess I am missing the new version of "California Dreamin'" more than I had thought.  :-) 

[Foster's Freeze]

 

[Wrightfan]

A Postcard from California-Too long imo and a bit too repetitive which is OK in some songs but not here. Is it me or do the first few verses remind you of Sloop John B?

California Feelin'-This version is A bit schmaltzy for me. Like the background vocals though. A bit too short. Feels like a link track despite it being 2 minutes.

Looking Down the Coast-Like this song. Much better arrangement then the boot version that's floating around. Lyrics are a bit cheesy in my opinion though.

Don't Fight the Sea-Catchy song and maybe my favorite from the album. Great backing vocals.

Tide Pool Interlude-Pretty tune...until Alec Baldwin starts speaking. Why?

Campfire Scene-Nice link track that's pretty much the intro from California Saga.

A California Saga-Why repeat the intro again? Seems a bit redundant. Other then that, not a bad remake although the BV's are not the same without the Beach Boys.

Help Me Rhonda-...My god. What the hell is this?  Awful cover. It sounds like some old guys got together to record a song 

San Simeon-Really dig this one. Beautiful song.

Drivin'-Kind of a cheesy nostalgic song that's catchy.

Honkin' Down the Highway-Not bad. I still love the cheesy synths from the "Love You" version. What the hell was with the ending lol?

And I Always Will-Meh. A bit cheesy and overproduced.

Overall, I'm a bit disappointed with this album. There are some nice moments but in the end, I wouldn't pay $9.99 for it again.

[Andrew G. Doe]

A Postcard from California-Too long imo and a bit too repetitive which is OK in some songs but not here. Is it me or do the first few verses remind you of Sloop John B?

Try singing "Rhinestone Cowboy" to the verse melody. 

[Menace Wilson]

I've only heard the snippets I found online, but...I think I like it so far! 

[Jason]

Well, it's only been 12 years since Al mentioned a solo album for the first time and now we have it. The guest appearances on the album are tasteful, not meant to sell the record. This isn't Brian having all of the random guests on GIOMH to cover up a shitty product.

For what it is, a solo album by That Other Beach Boy, it's worth the praise. The sequencing is a little haphazard at times but there isn't much to argue with as far as the songs are concerned. Sure, the title track is virtually Rhinestone Cowboy 2.0, most of the songs we've heard in some form or another before, and the BP reference in Drivin' will be dated soon, but that's hardly a complaint.

The remakes are tasteful and don't sound like copies for the most part. California Feelin' works very well with the piano arrangement. Compared to the 1977 American Spring version, the 1978 Beach Boys version, and the 2002 Brian version, it's currently the best of the ones I've HEARD so far (still holding out hope for the 1974 version). Looking Down The Coast works better with the more organic arrangement on here as opposed to the morass of keyboards on the Beach Boys version, although I think this one would have been even cooler if Brian sang the first verse like he did on the Beach Boys version. California Saga: California, of course, can't hold a candle to the classic version on Holland, but it's still a good song, and the vocals are among the best on the album. Al could very easily have used his acoustic version of the song he recorded in '96 during the Stars and Stripes sessions; it might actually have worked better with the mood of the whole album. Help Me Rhonda, with the Joker guitar riff quote, put a smile on my face. I don't even try to compare it to the original. This one works fine as a country-blues. Honkin' Down The Highway is just ok; it sounds virtually the same as the Love You version.

As for the "new songs", the title track is enjoyable. It does sound a lot like Jimmy Buffett and has a nice countrified sound. Tide Pool Interlude...hmmmm. Like The Beaks of Eagles before it, the music is great, but the narration is a stumbling block. San Simeon is very laid back and somehow manages to sound like a lot of Beach Boys songs rolled into one melody, but it still works. The slow burner of the album. Drivin', as the "car song", is a huge improvement over Al's last car song, PT Cruiser. The groove is great, and Brian sounds excellent. America also sound great on this one. And I Always Will, like someone had mentioned earlier, slightly stumbles due to Al's "gee whiz" vocals, but is a beautiful song even if it's heavily on the MOR side. This one was done sometime during the '85 album sessions; I don't know how much, if any, of those sessions were used in the final track. If this was finished while the Boys were still around, Carl could have knocked this one out of the park. Don't Fight The Sea is great. There's your reunion, right there. Granted, the vocals come from more sources than we can imagine, but it works either way.

Assuming we still use Chuck's 0-5 rating system here, I'd give this one a 4. I had modest expectations for this one, and was pleasantly surprised.

[Foster's Freeze]

And I Always Will, like someone had mentioned earlier, slightly stumbles due to Al's "gee whiz" vocals, but is a beautiful song even if it's heavily on the MOR side. This one was done sometime during the '85 album sessions; I don't know how much, if any, of those sessions were used in the final track. If this was finished while the Boys were still around, Carl could have knocked this one out of the park.

Based on the liner notes, my guess is that everything (including Al's vocals) were cut new for the track.

[Andrew G. Doe]

And I Always Will, like someone had mentioned earlier, slightly stumbles due to Al's "gee whiz" vocals, but is a beautiful song even if it's heavily on the MOR side. This one was done sometime during the '85 album sessions; I don't know how much, if any, of those sessions were used in the final track.

To judge from the credits, none at all.

[Foster's Freeze]

I found the title track interesting.

Not knowing anything about Al's family, many of the lyrics are autobiographical with regards to Al's family moving to San Francisco and then later to Los Angeles due to his father's job.

[adamghost]

"I'm wondering if the "BP" line was a late addition to this song.  "

If there is one, it was a late addition because it's not on the version that Al sent us to learn the song for the show in '08.  For that matter, he'd added the America song reference lyrics during the time we were working up the tune, causing some consternation in rehearsal as we had learned the old version.

At the Roxy show Al went on at some length about how the song was inspired by his family's move...i think that all may be on youtube.

[Andrew G. Doe]

"I'm wondering if the "BP" line was a late addition to this song.  "

If there is one, it was a late addition because it's not on the version that Al sent us to learn the song for the show in '08.  For that matter, he'd added the America song reference lyrics during the time we were working up the tune, causing some consternation in rehearsal as we had learned the old version.

At the Roxy show Al went on at some length about how the song was inspired by his family's move...i think that all may be on youtube.

I think the BP reference could be coincidental - maybe the original intent was to complain about the price of gas.

[runnersdialzero]

My initial impression is that I wish I had money for this.

[PongHit]

My initial impression is that I wish I had money for this.

Huh? No one pays for music anymore!

[Foster's Freeze]

I think the BP reference could be coincidental - maybe the original intent was to complain about the price of gas.

That's what I thought too.

[Rob Dean]

Well we have all the heard the snips before BUT Hands up (along with with me) who has cried their balls off listening to Carl's voice on 'Don't fight the Sea' ?

[adamghost]

Is the BP thing at the very end?  On the version I have (from Oct. '08), it's Texaco...

[Aegir]

It's really funny how much Looking Down the Coast sounds like Walkin' the Line.

[TdHabib]

My initial impressions: "Postcard from California" the song is quality and a good production. "Don't Fight the Sea" is infectious and very well sung. "California Feelin'" is a great in the vocals department, but I'd prefer a slightly faster version or a bigger production. Kinda drags a bit. Very soulful though and I like that. "Drivin'" is cool, lightweight but cool. "California Saga" is decent and I love Neil's vocal. Will report more later...

[TdHabib]

Is the BP thing at the very end?  On the version I have (from Oct. '08), it's Texaco...

FWIW

Sorry Carrie… Of course David.

Yes, "Glow Crescent Glow," but it's a completely new recording of the song. I'm not sure why Mike changed the title. I think he sounds great.

Also note: The ESQ CD version of "Dravin'" says, "TEXACO, you're killin' me man."  Al aptly updated to say, "BP, you're killin' me man" on his album version. Thus an alternate/rare version is born.

[Awesoman]

"I'm wondering if the "BP" line was a late addition to this song.  "

If there is one, it was a late addition because it's not on the version that Al sent us to learn the song for the show in '08.  For that matter, he'd added the America song reference lyrics during the time we were working up the tune, causing some consternation in rehearsal as we had learned the old version.

At the Roxy show Al went on at some length about how the song was inspired by his family's move...i think that all may be on youtube.

I think the BP reference could be coincidental - maybe the original intent was to complain about the price of gas.

Just got the ESQ Summer CD.  "Drivin'" is featured on there.  On this version Al refers to Texaco instead of BP.  Pretty sure now it wasn't coincidental.  

[The Shift]

"I'm wondering if the "BP" line was a late addition to this song.  "

If there is one, it was a late addition because it's not on the version that Al sent us to learn the song for the show in '08.  For that matter, he'd added the America song reference lyrics during the time we were working up the tune, causing some consternation in rehearsal as we had learned the old version.

At the Roxy show Al went on at some length about how the song was inspired by his family's move...i think that all may be on youtube.

I think the BP reference could be coincidental - maybe the original intent was to complain about the price of gas.

Just got the ESQ Summer CD.  "Drivin'" is featured on there.  On this version Al refers to Texaco instead of BP.  Pretty sure now it wasn't coincidental. 

Blimey... on my version it says Exxon!

[Andrew G. Doe]

"I'm wondering if the "BP" line was a late addition to this song.  "

If there is one, it was a late addition because it's not on the version that Al sent us to learn the song for the show in '08.  For that matter, he'd added the America song reference lyrics during the time we were working up the tune, causing some consternation in rehearsal as we had learned the old version.

At the Roxy show Al went on at some length about how the song was inspired by his family's move...i think that all may be on youtube.

I think the BP reference could be coincidental - maybe the original intent was to complain about the price of gas.

Just got the ESQ Summer CD.  "Drivin'" is featured on there.  On this version Al refers to Texaco instead of BP.  Pretty sure now it wasn't coincidental. 

Blimey... on my version it says Exxon!

I'm waiting on the National Benzole version. 

[ESQ Editor]

"Drivin'" is intended as a dialogue on the price of gas, etc. Al has always been a folk music/ecologically-minded/environmentalist… Nothing new there. When I was assembling the ESQ CD I thought he should have changed it to BP because of the mess the U.S. has on its hands with this oil spill. I'm glad he updated it. Ten years from now, when they're still trying to clean it up, this song will be a commentary on life in 2010.

I hate to keep pointing to ESQ, but there'll be a great interview with him in the next edition.