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Post by Kapitan on May 15, 2019 0:00:03 GMT
Having mentioned my affection for Al's songs and vocals from the late 60s and early 70s elsewhere, it got me thinking: what might an Al Jardine-fronted group / solo effort looked like in that era?
Obviously he wasn't a prolific writer, but he had a pretty decent batch of co-writes: five on Friends; three on Sunflower; three on Surf's Up; and of course the unreleased/later-released tunes like Loop de Loop, Susie Cincinnati, Good Time, etc.
Clearly his voice was (and even is, all things considered) an unquestionably good lead voice.
He was interested in and dedicated to production, if a bit obsessive and slow.
Could Al Jardine have been a frontman in, say, 1969 onwards?
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Post by Kapitan on May 15, 2019 0:15:34 GMT
I realized I probably ought to have put forth some kind of hypothesis.
I think Al could have done some really cool things (assuming he had someone kicking him in the ass to finish and release music), probably along the lines of those acts of that era who weren't afraid to be performers first, not just songwriters. I can easily imagine him doing an album of 2 Beatles songs, 2 Dylan songs, a few traditionals, and a few of his own. And I'd guess his production style would have gone right in line with what he was involved in during that era, naturally. I do wonder whether he has a gift for vocal arrangements that even approaches those in which he participated with Brian. My guess is no, but that instead he'd have the far more traditional harmonies. No shame in that.
Would he have been popular? I dunno. Pretty square. But I bet my parents would have liked him.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on May 15, 2019 1:59:22 GMT
Yes, Al could've made a go at it with a side solo career while still in the Beach Boys. He obviously had the voice, and when you look at the songs he wrote/co-wrote, they all had some merit. His musical tastes were probably eclectic enough to choose some decent covers, though he probably would've stayed somewhere in the folk music realm. If he was into other groups or other types of music, he never let on.
All of that being said, I couldn't really see Al "going for it" until after Carl's death and the turmoil in 1998. This is pure speculation, but I don't know if Al had the ambition, the motivation, or maybe even the confidence to be a solo performer. I don't know if Al was totally happy serving a background role for most of his Beach Boys' career, but he never balked publicly about it. He always seemed content to contribute his song or two per album, and take his half dozen leads in concert. He seemed pretty comfortable in his skin as the Gentleman Farmer, family man, nice guy, Mr. Clean Al Jardine. And I mean that with all due respect.
Now, back to 1998. Then, Al WAS ready to step out with his Al Jardine's Family & Friends (or whatever that group was called), and it appeared that he assembled a pretty good band. It was time. Was he scared off by Mike Love's lawsuit? Did that sour him on a solo career, having that responsibility, and send him back to his Big Sur farm? I don't know if Al would've wanted to or actually could've continued on with a 30+ song setlist like The Beach Boys and/or Brian Wilson , but I could've seen him - and still do - as a viable opening act or a headliner for a concert featuring multiple acts. In the end, it worked out well for Al by joining Brian Wilson's band. Al's back in a supporting role with little pressure and the opportunity to do some good work.
However, when Brian retires, Al might consider finally having a solo career. He has been doing those sporadic shows with his small group including his son, Matt. I went through Al's catalogue of lead vocals, songs he wrote or co-wrote, and some other BB goodies, and I came up with a potential setlist that I would love to hear. He could turn it into a 45 minute to an hour set, depending on how much bantering he does with the audience:
01 Come Go With Me 02 California Saga: California 03 Santa Ana Winds 04 Lady Lynda (Lady Liberty) 05 Then I Kissed Her 06 God Only Knows 07 Sloop John B 08 Wake The World 09 Be Here In The Morning 10 Cottonfields 11 Take A Load Off Your Feet 12 Lookin' At Tomorrow 13 Susie Cincinnati 14 Help Me Rhonda
15 Fun, Fun, Fun
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Post by Kapitan on May 15, 2019 12:04:04 GMT
Yes, I should’ve clarified I didn’t mean to suggest Al had any inclination to go solo, especially that early on. Just imagining what it might’ve looked like if he had.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on May 15, 2019 12:26:35 GMT
Yes, I should’ve clarified I didn’t mean to suggest Al had any inclination to go solo, especially that early on. Just imagining what it might’ve looked like if he had. Again, I think he had the talent, and I guess he could've come up with something appealing, especially for Beach Boys' fans. But let's be honest, he was easily the least popular of the five original Beach Boys, and any album would've been considered a cult favorite. The Beach Boys weren't exactly setting the album charts on fire at that time. Al's album probably would've been a Spring-like release; under the radar. Somehow, again like Spring, I think they would've found a way to link Brian Wilson to it, with maybe a new co-write with Brian.
But, for the fun of it, make a comp of Al's BB material around that time (the late 1960's/early 1970's) and include the bootlegs/unreleased material ("Loop De Loop"?) and his Party material. That would be a fun listen!
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Post by kds on May 15, 2019 12:29:23 GMT
I think if Al went solo in the late 60s / early 70s, he'd either have become a niche artist, and played small venues or he'd have had to partner up with another prominent music to raise his profile.
Even though he's a Beach Boy, the BB's popularity at the time was on the decline, and unless your name was Brian Wilson, your name probably doesn't have that cache.
This is probably one of the reasons Al was the last member of the group to release a solo album (and got a lot of help from his friends on it).
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Post by Kapitan on May 15, 2019 12:40:09 GMT
or he'd have had to partner up with another prominent music to raise his profile. That could’ve been interesting. And certainly there were plenty of people doing that sort of thing. (Like the CSN&Y guys)
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on May 15, 2019 12:45:11 GMT
or he'd have had to partner up with another prominent music to raise his profile. That could’ve been interesting. And certainly there were plenty of people doing that sort of thing. (Like the CSN&Y guys)
Probably not popular or "well known" enough like you're inferring, but just a thought:
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Post by kds on May 15, 2019 13:06:11 GMT
or he'd have had to partner up with another prominent music to raise his profile. That could’ve been interesting. And certainly there were plenty of people doing that sort of thing. (Like the CSN&Y guys) I think that would've been Al's best bet, especially since, as you said, he's not a very prolific songwriter.
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Post by Kapitan on May 15, 2019 13:17:42 GMT
Considering it was an era in which more performers were interpreters of songs, it could’ve been cool. Guys like Joe Cocker certainly had a good time of that.
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Post by kds on May 15, 2019 13:53:09 GMT
Considering it was an era in which more performers were interpreters of songs, it could’ve been cool. Guys like Joe Cocker certainly had a good time of that. I actually wouldn't mind Al doing that now. Whether its more leads on a future BW release, or some sort of solo effort, we could use more Al Jardine vocals before it's too late.
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Post by Kapitan on May 15, 2019 13:57:24 GMT
Definitely. I remember being so delighted when I first heard this:
I’d love for Al to choose a dozen or so tunes, collaborate on arrangements, let someone else produce so it doesn’t take 40 years, and just release something.
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Post by kds on May 15, 2019 14:47:36 GMT
Definitely. I remember being so delighted when I first heard this: I’d love for Al to choose a dozen or so tunes, collaborate on arrangements, let someone else produce so it doesn’t take 40 years, and just release something. I'd be in favor of that. I would actually be far more excited about an Al covers project far more than a Brian Wilson one.
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Post by Kapitan on May 15, 2019 14:57:33 GMT
Absolutely. Brian isn’t a good singer anymore. It’s his songs and arrangements that might be interesting nowadays. But Al, though he’s not immune to aging, still could do a great job vocally. Especially in a studio setting.
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Post by kds on May 15, 2019 15:53:56 GMT
Absolutely. Brian isn’t a good singer anymore. It’s his songs and arrangements that might be interesting nowadays. But Al, though he’s not immune to aging, still could do a great job vocally. Especially in a studio setting. Exactly.
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