Customer Reviews

I Stand Alone

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one very unique album which I was fortunate to be exposed to by an older sister who knew more about artists and music than your average Joe on the street. This is not an album with technical finesse, but more of an experiment with sound; It is comparable to an early picasso, or other artists looking for a sound or image no one has reached for as yet. If no one ever reached for it, then the new boundaries of creativity would never be found.

If I were more closely associated with Al Kooper when he produced this album, I would understand what he was trying to do, and why he created it. From a listeners point of view, and my experience in music over the past 50 years, I see an artist playing with his medium; specifically, the use of stereo sound, and an array of sound effects blending one song with another.

But most important, is the quality of song writing from this true pioneer of rock and roll. One song after another shows his true genius. "I can love a woman," "Toe Hold," "Blue Moon of Kentucky," "One," "Camile," and "Western Union Man" all show a style quite different from his contemporaries. It is ironic that he probably did not think much of this album, but in producing it, created something totally unique and relatively successful from an artistic point of view. Al Kooper is one artist few listeners recognize, but like other innovators, he is well respected by his peers for his influence and creativity in music. Where would music be without such innovators?

I first bought this album at ShopRight around 1970. About a 15 years ago I found another copy that was in somewhat better condition then the first by then beat-up copy. Last year, after a careful washing and a high pressure blow dry I converted the second copy to a .wav file and cleaned up the pops and ticks with Pyro. When it comes to the top of my stack of digitized vinyl there is no hesitation to pick it again. I will never get tired of this record. It's not amazing, or over-whelming, or soul stirring. What makes it great is that it's mostly just plain fun to listen to.

I remember reading somewhere that Al Kooper doesn't particularly like this album -- something about it being too diffuse, or trying to do too much.
Well, this is precisely why I DO like it. There is so much going on here, and granted, not all of it works ("Soft Landing on the Moon" doesn't do it for me), but I am amazed at the breadth of musical styles that Mr. Kooper handles on this album, and the quality of the arrangements, especially the horns and backup vocals. All of this and good melodies too!
It is great finally to have it on CD.

Hmmm...only one review of this album, and One is the lonliest number that you'll ever do...so now there's two.

Forgotten is the appropiate word for this, Al Kooper's first solo album. But it is certainly NOT appropriate that it's a forgotten album. It ranks as a milestone of 1968-69, and actually of milestone of the 60s, period. IMO, it isn't quite as strong as Child Is Father To The Man, either in terms of composition or production, but it's close. The sound collages that pervade the album are either nuisances or profound artistic touches, depending on your point of view. Personally I find some of them the former and some the latter.

As usual, Kooper is a master interperator of outside material, offering great versions of One (Harry Nilsson), Coloured Rain (Traffic),Toe Hold (Stax;Porter and Hayes) and Western Union Man (Jerry Butler; Gamble and Huff). Again, IMO, he stumbles with Blue Moon Of Kentucky. Don't get me wrong, it's an inspired choice, but Kooper missteps on the production. Evidently he's trying to do his interpretation of the Sun echo, but he gets carried away, and the song is drenched past the point of saturation.

Kooper also comes up with some great originals: the 6/8 ride of I Stand Alone, the gentle lilt of I Can Love A Woman, the hazy psychedelics of Right Now For You and the Beatlesque Song And Dance For The Unborn, Frightened Child. And while Camille is not quite at the same level compositionally, it does offer a superb arrangement and production. However, Al again takes one serious misstep with Soft Landing On The Moon. I know this was 1968, but this is merely 4 minutes of padding. Period.

Up until recently, I've been confined to enjoying an old LP version of this album. I just received this Japanese import, and I'm listening to it as I write this. Though the sound doesn't compare to my recent 24 bit remaster of New York City (You're A Woman), it's nice to hear it without the clicks and pops.

If think you you've "heard it all" and haven't listened to Al Kooper, you're fooling yourself.

I first became acquainted with this album in May of 1985. I came home one Saturday night from a work day, and found a bunch of record albums in the trash pile in front of my apartment. This was one of them. It's Kooper's first solo album after quitting Blood, Sweat, and Tears, and just before the now legendary Bloomfield, Kooper and Stills Super Sessions. One thing is realized here when it comes to writing lyrics Kooper is lacking, but as far as writing the music he's crafted. Mind you some of this is eccentric dribble with the sensual foreplay laughter at the beginning of "Overture", and then going into the title cut afterwards where I prove my point this is Kooper's weak spot as the lyrics are forgettable, and the music is drab, but don't yank it off yet because it gets better as the next song dabbles with the classical side of Kooper with the song "Camille." The highlights would come after a decent cover of the Nillson song "One" where Kooper would actually release this shortly after Steve Winwood recorded it for the Mr. Fantasy album with Traffic, and that's "Coloured Rain", and I say hands down Kooper's was 1,000 times better. "Soft Landing On The Moon" is by far the ultimate organ instrumental it spanks "The Happy Organ" royally, and finally "I Can Love A Woman" is a beautiful love song which sounds like it could've been released in 1971, or 1972, but it was released in 1968. The version of "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" is a hand-clapping rocker here, and finally the last highlight of this album is "Right Now For You." It was a interesting piece of music, and if I can get this on cd at a reasonable price I'd snatch it up in a heartbeat again.

I got this album in 1968 and it was one that you always loved to listen to but never bragged to your friends about. How to describe it? Beautiful melody, classical influences and lots of brass, which at the time was a bit non rock n roll ( with apologies to both BS&T and Chicago). But an album that you always found yourself humming. Kooper recognized beautiful melody and knew how to rock.
I just played this album after many years and it still creates the same emotions. It's a bit similar to Randy Newman in that the songs are infectious and the more you hear them the more they stay in your mind.

I agree with the previous reviewers who applauded the diversity of the album. It is not boring. He is creative and compared to the many self indulgent records of the time which were trying to appeal to the acid crowd, he pulls it off pretty well. Okay, Soft Landing On The Moon is a bit monotonous but at least it's only 4 some minutes long not 10 like most from that period.

5 stars might be a little generous but it's better than "I like it". Enjoy it.

There is only one other album in the same class as this one that I know of: Child is Father to the Man, the first Blood, Sweat & Tears album and the only one featuring Al on keyboards and vocals. After 40 years of listening, this music stays fresh. Put the two together; there's nothing else quite like them.

A novice's attempt to detect Al Kooper's background roles on the Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" or many of Bob Dylan's hits, including "Like a Rolling Stone," may not be simple. Even a newcomer's attempt to recognize Kooper with Mike Bloomfield on "Season of the Witch" can be a task. But there's no problem discerning his work on the iconic "I Stand Alone." Once hearing the string of melodies and the lead voice of Kooper, the listener will be compelled to latch onto "Child Is Father to Man," the first album for Blood, Sweat and Tears, a group Kooper founded. Irresistible rock 'n roll.

This was Al Kooper's first post- Blood Sweat and Tears release, his first Solo album. I read some review somwhere comparing it to Sgt. Pepper, and saying this is superior. That's a stretch if ever there was one. The reference is because he did the Pepper like production with sound effects and really mating the production with the writing (didn't everyone do that back in 67/68, it seemed like it was the law in pop music then). I still love this album. He intentionaly makes music that's not like BS&T. The better tracks have more of a soul, R&B feel than BS&T. They were a band, and this is very much a solo work. Still great horns on a lot of songs. There's a few week tracks where he's shooting for the avant garde. In the first and last track there are times when a woman is screaming at the top of her lungs for no apparent reason. The shame is if you took that out those songs are good. I bet Al would change that today. That said, the rest of the album is very, very good. This is what Kooper is about. I loved this back in the day, and still do. I understand he's not crazy about it. Enjoy it's uniqueness.