The Smiley Smile Message Board

With whom should Al form a band and record an album?  We want Al on lead so at least one of the artists you choose should compliment his voice when signing harmony/duets, etc.  It could be a supergroup of indie artists, or whatever they are called today, or just one other guy.  I am suggesting indie artists because I would like to avoid uninspired choices such as Billy Joel or Chicago or Don Henley.  I would also prefer to avoid Animal Collective and such like as I don't think that would suit Al's voice, and certainly not my vision for it.  :)

I think he would fit best with a singer-songwriter type or an indie band.

Ideas?

EoL

Al's main shortcomings (no pun intended...) are a) songwriting and b) pace. He can write songs, but apparently not a whole lot of them. And he just takes forever to do anything.

My main choice--and apologies because this fits solidly in the "uninspired" category you mentioned--is Brian Wilson. Periodic bouts of writers' block aside, Wilson is still writing (or at least digging up) material--and we know he has a ton of yet-unreleased music that could be properly done. They work well together, they sound great together, and it isn't an awkward marriage of the old guy trying to work with the up-and-comer.

Others? Maybe Richard Barone, with whom he sang "If I Had A Hammer" not so long ago (and sounded great)? Maybe Okkervill River, whose bandleader Will Sheff is capable of some good songs; they also worked with Roky Erickson, so they've got some further-out experience with an oldster than Al! Maybe Robert Harrison of Cotton Mather/Future Clouds and Radar, though he's been awfully quiet in the past couple years. But his melodies are right up there with anyone's. What about a band like Dawes?

By the way, I would have said Kacey Musgraves but I mention her too much as it is. I don't want to seem creepy. But I just gave myself up by admitting it. Damnit. Foiled again.

I thought you were talented enough to record with her! :afro

Al just needs a producer to crack the whip and say "Okay, that one's finished. Next song?"

Let someone go through his vault, grab the stuff that sounds good and finish that stuff out, flesh it out with some new stuff if needed (bringing in some outside writers would be okay with me), and there you go.

An outside producer handling things more on the "A&R" side of things is what might help.

Or, just let someone go through the vaults and release the stuff as-is: Demos, works-in-progress, etc.

Dispense with more cover versions (or save those for an all-covers album). While not as exciting as *new* material, an album of Al solo with acoustic guitar and/or other light accompaniment would be nice.

Well, if it's acoustic guitars and sparse backing we want, I can't imagine anyone better than Willie Nelson. I don't know if their styles would blend, but it would be worth finding out.

I'd love to see a Brian Wilson/Al Jardine album!

He has said he wants to do a weavers/Kingston Trio type album.

Maybe he should get the Pogues!  >:D

I would love to see him work with singer/songwriter/producer Jason Lytle. He showed he works well as a back up singer in M Ward's song 'To Save Me'

I'd love this too.  NPP gave us a sampling of what this could sound like.  A lot of my favorite songs on the record had Al on them.  

Could be an interesting pairing.  Anyone able to connect the two of them?  :)

An Al album which would feature Brian, Mike, Bruce, David and Blondie would be ace!  8)

Swedish Frog.

 :-D :-D

Agreed!

Thanks, STE. Seems I am growing in popularity. :)

Wilco. Dr. Dog.

Cuz I like them

Hamel on Trial. Because I like him.

Al will sing boatsail!

The more I think about the folk / roots side of Al's music, the more I think there are a lot of modern bands that match that side. I don't necessarily mean true, authentic roots music (as if the Kingston Trio were some kind of authentic folk! They were dismissed even at the time by "true" folkies ... not that I am fond of that kind of elitist nonsense.). I mentioned Dawes earlier, who certainly have some kind of Americana SoCal vibe. But also Fleet Foxes (whom some here like a lot, though I'm not that big a fan), Mumford & Sons. I would have LOVED for him to be involved in The Basement Tapes project of Dylan lyrics a year or two ago, they really could have used his voice.

I'll say it again - Hamell on Trial aka Ed Hamell. One guy with an acoustic guitar. He's gotta be folk, right? Maybe he and Al could sing a few choruses of "Kumbaya" together.

Suggested album title: Al Jardine and Swedish Frog Sing Haiku Palindromes for Young and Old

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/beach-boys-al-jardine-on-fleet-foxes-theyre-awesome-20090701 (http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/beach-boys-al-jardine-on-fleet-foxes-theyre-awesome-20090701)

This just reminded me of this article from years ago. It's too bad they never ended up collaborating, they could've sounded great together. Maybe it could happen when Robin Pecknold finally comes back to civilization.

Probably an uninspired choice, but I'd like to see a Al/Matt Jardine collab.

With whom should Al record an album? NOBODY. That is...I want it to be a *true* solo album. No special guests.

And not only that, here's what I really would like to see him do for an album:

- First off, NO REMAKES. On A Postcard from California he used past Beach Boys stuff as a crutch. Was yet another version of "Help Me, Rhonda" necessary? Did he need to remake "California"?? Really, was another "Honkin' Down The Highway" necessary??

- No special guests. Again, too much of a crutch. Al shouldn't need to rely on Brian, Neil Young, Alec Baldwin, and whomever I'm missing. Let him stand out on his own.

- And finally, and most importantly: I'd love him to just completely geek out on folky stuff. I really want to hear him address his musical roots. The stuff he always loved. We haven't really had a chance to hear much of that.

- And a challenge I openly offer Mr. Jardine: do an album's worth of songs....without narration. All these narration tunes he did..."Santa Ana Wind"..."I Saw Santa Rockin' 'Round The Christmas Tree"..."The Beaks of Eagles"..."Lady Liberty"..."California Energy Blues"..."Tidepool Interlude"..."California Recall Blues"....heck, even "'Cassius' Love vs. 'Sonny' Wilson" has a Jardine voiceover!

  I second the Wilco idea.

I agree with not redoing Beach Boys songs.  But how about other peoples' songs?

Al is not the most prolific songwriter in the world, so he might need to throw in a few covers to fill out a solo LP. 

Was listening to Willie today and was thinking they have a quite similar quality to their voices.

http://youtu.be/ezN7ESsfb0k

Here is a typical production style of Jason Lytle and his voice which I think sounds like a late 60s Brian

How about John Fogerty?

Two guys who appreciate rootsy folk based rock. 

John can write the songs, Al can sing lead on a few. 

Both John and Al have sang versions of Cottonfields (both CCR and TBB covered it around the same time).  So, maybe as a bonus track, a duet of Cottonfields. 

Benny Andersson as sole producer and co-writer and Helen Sjöholm as singer.

Absolutely!

Burt Bacharach

Bloondie Chaplin!

Would a collaboration with the late John Stewart have produced anything interesting?

It would now.

 :lol

That would be interesting, a hint doubtful mind.

I didn't get this joke. & if I don't get it, it's boring by default.

Positively, I enjoyed reading this topic. Willie Nelson and Al bill would be very cool.

You're a pistol  :-D

As Stewart was a member of the Kingston Trio, I think there's every possibility that it would have.  Maybe John would have let Al play some banjo ;-)

Richard Barone  ^-^

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-ON2O4UTUI