Customer Reviews

Live in Vegas

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Take the original Beach Boys from sometime in the 60s. Throw them in a time travelling delorean and bring them to the year 2000. Then put them on stage and record their show. I believe this is what it would sound like...maybe even better.

I'm not old enough to have been able to see the Beach Boys in concert in their prime. What has become of the name "Beach Boys" is a joke--a washed up lead singer (Mike Love) who can't hit the right notes live and forgets words and Bruce Johnston (joined the Boys in '65) who tags along maybe out of pity for Mike. It's just a touring, money making machine that continues to be sucessful because of the name to which this entity is attached.

Al Jardine, another original member, has valiantly put together his own band. It's unfortunate that he is not able to use the name "Beach Boys" in the title of his band, as they perform with the same energy that rivals the original Boys and their sound is wonderful. It's tough to compare this group with the original Beach Boys because modern recording is so different. This is definitely as close as one will get to hearing the Beach Boys as you remember them now. Al sings with his two sons, Matt (who toured with the BBs in the 80s singing Brian Wilson's high parts) and Adam (a heck of a singer in his own right). The blend of the 3 Jardines singing together comes very close to the often imitated never duplicated sound of the 3 Beach Boy Wilson brothers: Brian, Dennis and Carl. If you are a BB fan, a casual listener or just want some fun music...BUY THIS CD. You will not be disappointed. The setlist itself is great because it's a mix of well known BB hits and more obscure, also great songs. Bottom line: Al and his group are wonderful and amazing and the live versions of I Get Around and Fun Fun Fun are worth the price of the CD alone.

Out on a river or lake in a houseboat or other summer venue? I bought several "live" albums by the Beach Boys hoping to find an album that contained different versions of the original songs that, quite frankly, I find a bit too canned and tired for most party crowds today, but still was trying to capture all the fun and sing along atmosphere all ages can relate to. This is truly the best album to fit that bill. Play it with Marley, Buffet, (heck even Kid Rock) and you will get your friends asking where you got it! The harmonies come through like studio versions, the Wilson daughters and Jardine boys are on perfect pitch. Compare "Barara Ann" against any other version and the talent is superior. "Sufer Girl" is worth the price by itself. You can't go wrong adding this to your summer dance collection.

Mr. Jardine, I have been waiting a long time for this CD! It was worth the wait!

Al JArdine was an original member of The Beach Boys. He was the last of the five orignal members to release a solo album. Al was never one to hog the spolight, so in true Jardine fashion, even this is not really a solo CD. He's got Brian's girls, Wendy and Carnie, two thirds of Wilson Phillips as well as his own sons on hand to help him out. A real family affair.

You get the most vibrant and alive renditions of Beach Boy tunes available on this wonderful disk.

The Beach Boys were never a harmonious group. There whole history is frought with lawsuits and backbiting and break-ups and breakdowns. Al steps up to the plate and brings together a wonderfully tight-knit musical family bringing to life some of the best loved music of the 60's.

Al's voice has aged beautifully. His son's and the Wilson's bring alive the glorious vocal fireworks that was the essence of so many Brian Wilson masterpieces.

This CD truly represents the best of the Beach Boys. You don't have Mike Love's abraisive ham heavy stage patter and you don't have Brian Wilson's shakiness and unsteadiness. You get a very strong performance from the very understated and underused Alan Jardine.

This is the best.

This is a fabulous album which I discovered by searching various Beach Boys sites and ordered direct. Al Jardine and his family plus Brian Wilson's daughters Wendy and Carnie add to the range of voices. All the 'youngsters' were brought up with the original sounds so this is truly authentic. If you're a Beach Boys fan this is a "must have" album even if your collection is as big as mine!

Al Jardine rarely got noticed in The Beach Boys. Between Brian's troubles, Mike's obnoxiousness, Dennis' recklessness and Carl's valiant attempt to keep some musical integrity in the band after '75, Al was in the background. Not anymore. As all the other reviewers have noted, this is just a superb disc. Like seeing Brian at the Roxy, this disc is both joyous and sad because with the right backup musicians, the right song list (are you listening Mike Love?) and the right amount of enthusiasm, the Beach Boys could have been so much better live (I saw them about 7 different times).

From my perspective, the standout cuts are "Wild Honey"(I was never a big fan of this song until now--it just cooks!), "Darlin" and "Breakaway". "Catch A Wave" and "Surfer Girl" are also outstanding. Come to think of it, "Heroes and Villians" with all of its vocal wizardry is pretty spectacular as well. The Wilson girls and Matt's sons just nail the harmonies and the backup band with Ritchie Cannata, Ed Carter and Billy Hinsche are very good (although perhaps not quite as perfect as the WonderMints). Only song I would have left off is "Girl Don't Tell Me". It is just too identifiable with Carl for me to accept Matt Jardine singing it. Hey Al--how 'bout "Cotton Fields", "Then I Kissed Her" and "This Whole World", "All This Is That" and "You Still Believe In Me" next time? A must have for Beach Boys fans.

Since the death of Mr. Carl wilson the musical "soul" of the Beach boys. Americas all time greatest pop group has split into various fractions. The Mike Love Joke and Al Jardines family and friends. The Jardine's with Carnie and Wendy Wilson Brians' daughters perform an excellent set..returning the music to its original exuberance. The majority of the beach boys backing band are present led by Mr. Billy Hinsche ( long time beach boys keyboard player and LV on sail on sailor) and perform beautifully. The harmonies here are exquisite. Al's voice has aged well (yea! clean living) and the wilson girls are fantastic...Carnie on " Darlin'" is great and Wendy on "Don't worry baby" will make you swoon. Matt Jardine handles the majority of lead vocals and does it with the class of his father. I do not have enough good things to say about this great disc. A new favorite. Ladies (wilsons) and Gentlemen (jardines)Very Well done!!... and please come to new england soon!

I can not believe how fantastic this live album is. The vocals are incredible and the band perfect. I couln't quite figure at first why the sounds were so great until I realized it was the youthful approach to the Beach Boy music by "the family", Brian Wilson's daughters, and Al Jardine's sons. For the first time since the original Beach Boys umpteen years ago, the music sounded fresh. Solo's by Wendy an Carnie added new dimensions. While the decrepit Mike Love with his side kick Bruce tour churning out boring versions of the Beach Boy songs, (they should be shot for calling themselves the Beach Boys), here is what the songs should sound like, and the fun, and the excitement. I have never heard a more fantastic live version of "Good Vibrations". Brian Wilson should be proud.

Twenty five years a go I had a nightmare, the Beach Boys were on tour and the only original left in the band was Mike Love. Well it happened. If only I had a dream about Al Jardine Family and Friends, I would have known there was a bright future for Beach Boy music.

This is the best live CD I've heard in years and, more inportantly, the best Beach Boy recording in decades. Even though the only original Beach Boy here is Al Jardine it is a record full of Beach Boy music done by Al's sons and the Wilson sisters.

It is the most energetic sound of the Beach Boy music that I've ever heard and puts the sad 60 year old version of Beach Boy music put out by Mike Love to shame. What Mike fails to understand but what Al Jardine clearly does is that Beach Boy music is best done by the young or those closer to being young that Mike Love. When the Jardine sons and Wilsons sing they are actually excited to be singing these tunes and are not going through the motions. This makes Al Jardine's record outstanding because behind it is an energy about Beach Boy music.

Beach Boy music is not about a 60 plus year old man like Mike Love who has been divorced four times or more and who is balding running around singing about surfer girls. If nothing else, at that point in life it's hard to "get" the simple joy of the songs because so much of life has intruded.

The Beach Boy music done here on this record by the sons of Al Jardine and the Wilson sisters brings back an enthusiasm long forgotten by Mike Love and company.

This is a good CD. Buy it.

Being a beach boy fan from way back, this release by Al and his family and friends was a well recieved. As the title indicates, it's live and they sing and play thier hearts out. The harmonies were tight and enthusiasm contagious. I thought they did an especially fun job performing shut down. At the conclusion of the song one of the perfomers said wow, let's do that one again to which one of the wilson daughters chimed in oh yeah, oh yeah.

Al Jardine and his "family & friends" brings together his sons, Brian Wilson's daughters, and some great musicians to give us all the best "Beach Boys feeeling" there is today. Since the passing of the inimitable Carl Wilson, Al has carried the torch of the Beach Boy spirit. I love Brian's new band, but they have their own distinct sound. The vocals from Al and the others are about as true to the Beach Boys sound as you can get today.