New Al Jardine Song Samples

[SurfRiderHawaii]

http://www.aljardine.com/photo.html

My review:

Love the new website design! Awesome!!!!!!!

Songs:

1) Postcard from California - different lyrics than we heard before.  Now the similarity to Rhinestone Cowboy makes sense - Glen Campbell is on the track.  Would expect the writer of RC, John Hartford, be listed as co-writer (Al's no dummy and certainly the Love/Wilson songwriting lawsuit caught his attention)

2) Lookin Down the Coast - I love this song and am soooo happy a version is getting officially released.

3) Honkin Down the Highway - I can never get enough of HDTH.  Brian's on it.

4) Drivin - Great song!!!!  A duet between Brian and Al.  They sound great! (gosh, maybe a new BB album would sound cool)

5) And I Always Will - Not grabbing me (yet).  A reminder that Al is no Brian Wilson but that's no surprise.

[Dancing Bear]

1) Postcard from California - can ANYBODY listen to this one and not keep thinking RC... RC... RC... RC... Bad move and ammunition for lazy critics.

2) Lookin Down the Coast - The '78 version wasn't that hot and this one seems to have been well done. Good one.

3) Honkin Down the Highway - Why bother?

4) Drivin - Nice one.

5) And I Always Will - It seems to be a nice song, let's wait for the full track.

[Aegir]

They're okay. I'm sure I'll buy the CD and obsessively listen to it and after 100 listens I'll think every song is genius, just like with every other BB-related album.

[tpesky]

I like And I Always Will alot. I know it says for Mary Ann, but it sounds to me like Al reminiscing about the good old days with the Beach Boys and saying he'll always be a Beach Boy

[Beach Boy]

I like all of it. Drivin' rocks.    Hokin Down is nice but a cover of a Beach Boys song seems kinda odd.

[shelter]

Of all the unreleased Beach Boys songs I've head, Lookin' Down The Coast is my favorite, so I'm really glad it's finally being released. I do like the original better though.

[Roger Ryan]

I find it slightly distressing that of the five samples, two are remakes from late 70s tracks (albeit "...Coast" was not officially released) and two are based on melodies from other 60s songwriters. I think it's great Al is putting out a solo album, but I was hoping he would have something a little fresher to offer. By the way, the Moody Blues' track that "Drivin'" is inspired by was actually entitled "Forever Afternoon (Tuesday?)" but I guess that is just so much "Teenage Wasteland" water under the bridge!

[Dancing Bear]

Now that you said it, I relistened and indeed, it's the same riff as in "Tuesday Afternoon". But the rest is quite different.

[phirnis]

That music's just a bit too harmless for my personal taste. That said, BW sounds totally relaxed on Drivin', which is quite a treat. Very nice performance.

[Shane]

"Honkin'" is great, but I keep wanting to hear Dennis' distinctive growl on the "honk honk honkin' down the highway" background parts!

[Andrew G. Doe]

3) Honkin Down the Highway - Why bother?

Apparently because Alan is convinced the song was never released. 

[Shady]

Sounds pretty damn good, No need for the 'Honkin' cover though, it's perfect as it is

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

3) Honkin Down the Highway - Why bother?

Apparently because Alan is convinced the song was never released. 

Hee hee.

I'm really glad Al decided to do this.

[shelter]

I find it slightly distressing that of the five samples, two are remakes from late 70s tracks (albeit "...Coast" was not officially released)

That is strange... The guy's been a professional musician for most of his life, had just two new original compositions released since Still Cruisin' came out 19 years ago... You'd think he should have more than enough new material...

[The Shift]

Afraid most of the songs sound insipid to me and lack the punch and spark of the originals.  They're just nice, nothing more.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

I find it slightly distressing that of the five samples, two are remakes from late 70s tracks (albeit "...Coast" was not officially released)

That is strange... The guy's been a professional musician for most of his life, had just two new original compositions released since Still Cruisin' came out 19 years ago... You'd think he should have more than enough new material...

Al isn't really a "classic songwriter".  Clearly, he likes re-imagining existing material a lot.  That seems to be his forte.  And there's nothing wring with that, some of the worlds most beloved compositions are variations on existing themes.

I think that He and Carl were so used to other people doing the songwriting that that part of their brain maybe wasn't exercised as much...so when it came time to write their own stuff, they weren't able to churn out songs.  Plus, Carl and Al were so good at adding little bits to other people's songs.

This should be looked at as a record of Al the performer.  Listen to his voice, which is still pretty good.

[SG7]

Drivin' doesn't sound too bad. I'll make a full blown judgement when the album comes out.

[carl r]

I think these songs are OK, but somehow seem slightly contrived, and a little bit forced. I'd be interested to hear more but like many people I would have expected a bit more of a spark given the collaborators.

Anyway I hope all these new albums release a creative competition, this might give Brian a good reason to get Youth as the producer of That Lucky Old Sun.

[Jonas]

ok maybe im crazy, but is that flea??

[mikeyj]

ok maybe im crazy, but is that flea??

Sorry, but what are you referring to?

[Emdeeh]

Yes, that's Flea.





 

[punkinhead]

about Honkin Down the Highway's inclusion...perhaps Al felt he never got it right, just by his mistakes and laughing at the end....maybe he thought his version was inferior to Billy Hinshe?

[SurfRiderHawaii]

 aljardine.com 'articles'  (http://www.aljardine.com/articles.html) lists these songs titles (not the final track order):

One article says a song features Carl Wilson on b/r vocals

1. “Help Me, Rhonda” - duet with Steve Miller

2. "California Feeling" (yes, the Brian/Steve song)

3. "Don't Fight the Sea"

4. "The Tide pool Interlude"

5. "California Saga" - Neil Young sings a verse

6. "A Postcard from California" is a duet with Glen Campbell  b/r vocals by "America"

7. "California Dreaming"

8. "Crumple Car"

9. "Honkin' Down the Highway"

10. “Au Revoir"

11. "And I Always Will"

12. "Drivin" - duet with Brian Wilson + David Marks on a Guitar Solo

13. "Lookin Down the Coast"

Sounds like a short album to me.  Since Al is going retro in part, he might as well put on his new version of 'Sloop John B" as a bonus track.

Please pardon any screw-ups as I was gleaming from eight articles

[Rocker]

One article says a song features Carl Wilson on b/r vocals

If that's true it really almost would feel like some kind of Beach Boys album. Only Mike and Bruce are missing.
I always hoped that tracks that have Carl on recorded vocals would've been held back for a, hopefully, possible Beach Boys-reunion album. Maybe there still are some tracks that Carl recorded

[The Shift]

aljardine.com 'articles'  (http://www.aljardine.com/articles.html) lists these songs titles (not the final track order):
One article says a song features Carl Wilson on b/r vocals
1. “Help Me, Rhonda” - duet with Steve Miller
2. "California Feeling" (yes, the Brian/Steve song)
3. "Don't Fight the Sea"
4. "The Tide pool Interlude"
5. "California Saga" - Neil Young sings a verse
6. "A Postcard from California" is a duet with Glen Campbell  b/r vocals by "America"
7. "California Dreaming"
8. "Crumple Car"
9. "Honkin' Down the Highway"
10. “Au Revoir"
11. "And I Always Will"
12. "Drivin" - duet with Brian Wilson + David Marks on a Guitar Solo
13. "Lookin Down the Coast"
Sounds like a short album to me.  Since Al is going retro in part, he might as well put on his new version of 'Sloop John B" as a bonus track.
Please pardon any screw-ups as I was gleaming from eight articles

Many thanks for that listing,


I count six cover versions - seven if he does include Sloop as a bonus which I don't think he will as  it'd affect book sales   -  maybe more as I simply don't recognise the other song titles, other than Postcard (which sounds like a cross between Sloop & Hotel California) and the others that are on his site as samplers.

I will be buying the album, and hoping the final mix sounds meatier than what's on Al's site at the moment, but I wish there was more original stuff on there. I can't help but feel that the covers won't stand up when compared to the originals.  Unlike some folks, I'm sold on the CA Saga trilogy on Holland - it's one of the initial things that inspired me to fly to CA from the UK  to see the Sierra Nevada and Yosemite, Big Sur, and the West - and doubt it can be bettered.

There's a thought -  if he's covered the entire trilogy, at least that'll boost the album's length somewhat.

PS: Given the California theme, and the fact that there're so many covers, couldn't he have added Hotel California, California Calling and California Girls, as well as California Roll and Southern California from TLOS?