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An Al Jardine Story

1. Sloop John B
2. At My Window
3. Cottonfields
4. Take a Load Off Your Feet
5. Lookin' At Tomorrow
6. Don't Go Near the Water
7. He Come Down
8. All This Is That
9. California
10. Come Go With Me
11. Kona Coast
12. Lady Lynda
13. Santa Ana Winds
14. School Day (Ring! Ring! Goes the Bell)
15. California Calling
16. Crack at Your Love
17. Waves of Love
18. Don't Fight The Sea
19. A Postcard From California
20. Sloop John B (A Pirate's Tale)

I'd give it a 7.5/10, personally. Some transcendent moments, but overall, too many "...eh" moments.

It practically screams '3 stars'!

There are nine at least good songs there. Seems about right...

Adding stuff like Susie Cincinnati, Pitter Patter, It's a Beautiful Day, And I Always Will would improve it. Al has recorded some nice songs over the years.

How come From There to Back Again is not on the list?

You left off Al's best lead vocal ever - "Peggy Sue" - in my opinion of course :police:

Because he didn't write/produce/suggest it presumably?

I can't believe I forgot "Susie Cincinnati"! Yeah, that would go on the album. "It's A Beautiful Day" should definitely be on there, too. I thought about "Pitter Patter", but I'm not sure how much Al really contributed.

Good listening for the first 9 tracks.

Strange mix.  I would dump School Day, Crack at Your Love, the second Sloop, California Calling, Kona Coast, Come Go With Me. I would add the acoustic California, Looking Down the Coast, Susie Cincinnati, his version of California Feelin', Tidepool Interlude and Help Me Rhonda

The acoustic version of California is a very good shout. I would hope that it might be included on Made in California.

Too long- here's my shot- sequenced for vinyl

The Further Adventures of Alan Charles Jardine:

Side 1
Cottonfields
Susie Cincinatti
Lookin at Tomorrow
Come go with Me
All This is That
At my Window

Side 2
Loop De Loop
It's a beautiful Day
Take a load off your feet
Don't go Near the Water
California
Lady Lynda

Dumped a lot of stuff...I think attention wanders when you start getting past 12 or 13 tracks. What do you guys reckon?

Al has had some damned fine moments- not least being responsible for two outright smashes here in the UK (and worldwide) in the form of Cottonfields and Lady Lynda

The Real Beach Boy??? Al?

No Loop de Loop?  I'm out!  >:D

Loop De Loop! Oh my God, I was really out of the "loop" with this one. Perhaps a 2 disc set is called for?

I think there should be at least three discs dedicated solely to Al on the box set.

Do I detect a slight hint of sarcasm there?  ;)

On a serious note, I will be interested to see whether any Al obscurities will make it onto the box set. Some of his stuff from the 1970s is unbooted I think and there are also songs from the 1990s that were rumoured to be under consideration for a solo album which didn't happen at the time.

No 'Help Me Rhonda'?? So he didn't write it? Well he didn't write Sloop John B either (and isn't there some evidence now that Brian had worked on the song long before Al ever even suggested they cover it?). An Al comp with no 'Rhonda' would be like a Carl comp with no 'God Only Knows'.

Anyway, my Al CD would be thus:

1. Al spoken intro (from Endless Harmony CD)
2. Help Me Rhonda
3. Then I Kissed Her
4. Cottonfields (Single Version)
5. Lookin' At Tomorrow
6. California

7. Susie Cincinatti
8. All This Is That
9. Honkin' Down The Highway
10. Come Go With Me
11. Lady Lynda
12. It's A Beautiful Day

There was a CD like that called Long Promised Road I think wasn't there. If I were to compile a CD featuring Al's writing or production songs it might be:

1, Wake the World
2, Cottonfields
3, Susie Cincinnati
4, Our Sweet Love
5, Don't go Near the Water
6, Looking at Tomorrow
7, All this is That
8, California Saga
9, Come Gow With Me
10, Pitter Patter
11, Lady Lynda
12, It's a Beautiful Day
13, Santa Ana Winds
14, Island Girl
15, California Saga (Stars and Stripes Version)
16, California Energy Blues
17, PT Cruiser (obviously it is a rip off but the vocals and production are excellent)
18, Don't Fight the Sea
19, Drivin'
20, And I Always Will

Al's story is that he changed the chord progression around a bit before presenting the song to Brian to hopefully make the song more interesting to Brian. Brian took Al's new chord progression, used it in his cover, and didn't give Al any credit for his hard work.

That's rich for the guy who swipes all his songs from the Kingston Trio.

5 out of 5: every compilation with At My Window, Sloop John B, Lady Lynda & Take A Load Off Your Feet deserves an A mark imo. That said, if I were you, I'd also add The Beaks of Eagles, Help Me, Rhonda/Ronda, Loop De Loop & Crocodile Rock. The latter is jolly entertaining song with excellent lead (read - leading) vocal from Al. Besides, I would switch the 1st 2 tracks - the 'fly away", Winnie-The-Pooh-influenced tag ---> the famous flute intro = mesmeric segue which works flawlessly.
Btw, it seems like you give 2 titles to your songlist, "The Real Beach Boy" being alternate, as I understood. Rather unusual.

Interesting tidbit. Where'd you read about it? Ask it because I've usually heard it Al gave an idea to Brian & Co. to cover this traditional - arrange it, record the vocs yada yada.

Wasn't there a version of "Sloop" recorded during the "Party!" sessions?

My Al comp (Omitting the covers):

Side A:
Loop De Loop
Lookin At Tomorrow
All This is That
California
Lady Lynda
Santa Anna Winds
Post Card From California

Side B:
Help Me Rhonda sessions