My Dinner With Al-REDUX!

So I’m sitting here in Al Kooper’s room at the Mondrian listening to his Top Fifty.

You see first we went to the Rainbow, to say hi to Tony, to eat some mediocre food (Miguel wasn’t there.) And when the music got TOO loud, when I couldn’t tolerate Ozzy’s greatest hits one more minute, we got into my Saab, and then drove here to the hotel.

Al’s been playing me some AMAZING shit. Like live versions of "Toehold", his take on "Sign On The Window" and "New Morning" with HORNS! Hell, Al PRODUCED that album.

Anyway, I’m going through Al’s playlists, and I hit his Top Fifty for 2006, and we start listening. Al’s partial to Field Music’s "If Only The Moon Were Up", the changes of which reached me, but then I clicked on Sonya Kitchell’s "Can’t Get You Out Of My Mind". WOW! Anybody who thinks they’re not making good music anymore…

But what really got me off, what got me stealing the Powerbook from Al, was when he clicked on Who Made Who’s "Out The Door". Al billed it as Jim Morrison come back to life, and GODDAMMIT he was RIGHT!

Go to their MySpace page. They don’t have this track, but you’ll get the idea WhoMadeWho.

So the man who discovered Lynyrd Skynyrd, and produced the legendary Tubes debut, HAS STILL GOT IT!

I was gonna wait until I got home to write this up, ’til tomorrow, but it just wasn’t POSSIBLE! Hell, who knows what time I’m gonna get to bed, Al’s an INSOMNIAC!!

So go to Top Fifty Tracks and start listening. Every Tuesday Al cruises EVERY track at iTunes, looking for gems, and he can FIND THEM! So you don’t HAVE TO!

(Meanwhile, Al just took his mandolin from its case and is PLAYING ALONG! He thinks he and Ray Manzarek could overdub and take this track even FURTHER out there!)

By: bob | 2006/12/06 | The Music | Trackback | Comments [RSS 2.0]

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Joe Reagoso

Comment by Joe Reagoso | 2006/12/08 at 20:20:53

For a lot of your astute readers, some may not know all of the incredible music that Mr. Al Kooper himself was either responsible for, wrote, performed, recorded, etc. As Al knows, I have been an avid collector of his music since age my elementary days….no kidding…here is a short list for you to check out:

Friday Music’s Top Ten of Al Kooper ( no particular order, just as I think of them)

1-Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire – The Blues Project /Live From Town Hall l.p….. One of Al’s first supergroups ( later splintered off to B, S & T, Seatrain, etc.) heavy vocal and incredible keyboard work…try and find this track…Hey Verve…..put this album out again. Or license it to me….

2-My Days Are Numbered-Blood Sweat & Tears/Child Is A Father To A Man…Yes, this is Al’s first and only album with his band B,S & T….If you never heard this, or anything on this album….you are missing a piece of the sixties that was second to none. Check out the horn section, check out Al, check out the background vocals…Steve Katz’s bass. This is some seriously thought out music. Unforgettable stuff indeed!

3-Fool That I Am- Libby Titus/Libby Titus l.p. ( today Donald Fagen’s wife) She had a very short career at CBS, but her album from 1977 was a bitch! Major friends like Paul Simon played on this track. A little more jazz approach, than the pop staff probably I think CBS botched this up. Al’s masterful tune, is an unforgettable one, if you can find the damn record. I played the shit out of the vinyl, and broke my cassette….luckily, found a recent Sony Japanese pressing. It figures it takes an appreciative and astute overseas audience to find this one out. Find this album now, pour your favorite glass of wine and groove to this tune…nothing like it.

4-This Diamond Ring- Gary Lewis & The Playboys- Probably one of the first 45’s I got as a four year old. Played the shit out of it….Oh, Al wrote this.. He was probably about 17 at the time. #1 record….great act. Leon Russell produced most of their hits….this is a Snuff Garret production. You can find this anywhere….

5- Just One Minute More- Mike Finnigan/Black & White l.p. At the height of Silk Degrees and other quasi-rock/r & b/ dance music, out comes this unsung hero of popular song Mike Finnigan. Probably one of the finest singers/keyboardists ever. You know the voice, plenty of hits associated with….( C,S, & N, Dave Mason, Jimi Hendrix, Maria Muldaur, etc.) Anyway, Al wrote this fine track for yet another 1978 release on Columbia. But this tune was also released as a 45 too. They believed in the track, radio didn’t. Mike sings his head off on this, and I wish you folks could find it somewhere…..Al would probably agree that Mike Finnigan is the bomb!

6-Like A Rolling Stone- Bob Dylan- Highway 61 Revisited l.p. I should have probably listed this as number one, but then it was already voted that by more important thinkers than myself. A soundtrack of our life recording. Al was a heavy duty guitar player, piano player, and all of sudden, he stepped up and learned to play the Hammond B-3, on a moment’s notice! For Mr. Zimmerman. Al never looked back, and his chords and playing will go down in history forever as a rock and roll culture classic.

7-First Time Around-Al Kooper/ You Never Know Who Your Friends Are l.p. 1969 was a pivotal time in the United States, you could tell by the campus riot that is shown on the full double gate cover of this wonderful album. A very R & B influenced album, but this track rocks a bit. The guitar playing is very cool, and Al is singing very well. I was nine when I nabbed this album from a friend at school for 50 cents…..I still have it…and a japanese cd release. Find it.

8-Odyessy & Oracle- The Zombies …When Al was on CBS, he pleaded with the U.S. division to release this incredible English import album from The Zombies. It not only had " The Time Of The Season" , but it was a Pet Sounds for the prog-rockers. " Beechwood Park" " Maybe After He’s Gone"…."Care of Cell 44" …one after another. You can still find this on cd. No home should be without it….Oh, the Zombies broke up before the album got released on Date Records here, and several fake bands were out there touring when the single broke open wide….Thanks to Mr. Kooper.

9-I Can’t Quit Her- The Arbors A great 45 from a fairly corny A/C act from the mid sixties. But for some reason, they pull this off. Basically, a medley of this Al Kooper composed B,S&T tune with the Moody’s Nights In White Satin.

10- Feelin’ Groovy- Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfield/ The Live Adventures Of …..l.p. Al had so many supergroups, this was a major one. Played the shit out of this album too. Double set. Carlos Santana guests on a couple of tracks….1968 is the magical year. The Filmore East and West were the most legendary concert halls around and both of these gentlemen played some of the finest blues oriented rock of their time. This Paul Simon track sounds nothing like the S & G hit, no way…Al lays a heavy keyboard, trippy vocal, and Mike’s guitar is , well, Mike Bloomfied. You can find this on c.d. If you dig jam bands, this is your deal.

Thanks for letting me elaborate.

Al, thanks for four decades of incredible music.

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Joe Reagoso

Comment by Joe Reagoso | 2006/12/08 at 20:20:53

For a lot of your astute readers, some may not know all of the incredible music that Mr. Al Kooper himself was either responsible for, wrote, performed, recorded, etc. As Al knows, I have been an avid collector of his music since age my elementary days….no kidding…here is a short list for you to check out:

Friday Music’s Top Ten of Al Kooper ( no particular order, just as I think of them)

1-Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire – The Blues Project /Live From Town Hall l.p….. One of Al’s first supergroups ( later splintered off to B, S & T, Seatrain, etc.) heavy vocal and incredible keyboard work…try and find this track…Hey Verve…..put this album out again. Or license it to me….

2-My Days Are Numbered-Blood Sweat & Tears/Child Is A Father To A Man…Yes, this is Al’s first and only album with his band B,S & T….If you never heard this, or anything on this album….you are missing a piece of the sixties that was second to none. Check out the horn section, check out Al, check out the background vocals…Steve Katz’s bass. This is some seriously thought out music. Unforgettable stuff indeed!

3-Fool That I Am- Libby Titus/Libby Titus l.p. ( today Donald Fagen’s wife) She had a very short career at CBS, but her album from 1977 was a bitch! Major friends like Paul Simon played on this track. A little more jazz approach, than the pop staff probably I think CBS botched this up. Al’s masterful tune, is an unforgettable one, if you can find the damn record. I played the shit out of the vinyl, and broke my cassette….luckily, found a recent Sony Japanese pressing. It figures it takes an appreciative and astute overseas audience to find this one out. Find this album now, pour your favorite glass of wine and groove to this tune…nothing like it.

4-This Diamond Ring- Gary Lewis & The Playboys- Probably one of the first 45’s I got as a four year old. Played the shit out of it….Oh, Al wrote this.. He was probably about 17 at the time. #1 record….great act. Leon Russell produced most of their hits….this is a Snuff Garret production. You can find this anywhere….

5- Just One Minute More- Mike Finnigan/Black & White l.p. At the height of Silk Degrees and other quasi-rock/r & b/ dance music, out comes this unsung hero of popular song Mike Finnigan. Probably one of the finest singers/keyboardists ever. You know the voice, plenty of hits associated with….( C,S, & N, Dave Mason, Jimi Hendrix, Maria Muldaur, etc.) Anyway, Al wrote this fine track for yet another 1978 release on Columbia. But this tune was also released as a 45 too. They believed in the track, radio didn’t. Mike sings his head off on this, and I wish you folks could find it somewhere…..Al would probably agree that Mike Finnigan is the bomb!

6-Like A Rolling Stone- Bob Dylan- Highway 61 Revisited l.p. I should have probably listed this as number one, but then it was already voted that by more important thinkers than myself. A soundtrack of our life recording. Al was a heavy duty guitar player, piano player, and all of sudden, he stepped up and learned to play the Hammond B-3, on a moment’s notice! For Mr. Zimmerman. Al never looked back, and his chords and playing will go down in history forever as a rock and roll culture classic.

7-First Time Around-Al Kooper/ You Never Know Who Your Friends Are l.p. 1969 was a pivotal time in the United States, you could tell by the campus riot that is shown on the full double gate cover of this wonderful album. A very R & B influenced album, but this track rocks a bit. The guitar playing is very cool, and Al is singing very well. I was nine when I nabbed this album from a friend at school for 50 cents…..I still have it…and a japanese cd release. Find it.

8-Odyessy & Oracle- The Zombies …When Al was on CBS, he pleaded with the U.S. division to release this incredible English import album from The Zombies. It not only had " The Time Of The Season" , but it was a Pet Sounds for the prog-rockers. " Beechwood Park" " Maybe After He’s Gone"…."Care of Cell 44" …one after another. You can still find this on cd. No home should be without it….Oh, the Zombies broke up before the album got released on Date Records here, and several fake bands were out there touring when the single broke open wide….Thanks to Mr. Kooper.

9-I Can’t Quit Her- The Arbors A great 45 from a fairly corny A/C act from the mid sixties. But for some reason, they pull this off. Basically, a medley of this Al Kooper composed B,S&T tune with the Moody’s Nights In White Satin.

10- Feelin’ Groovy- Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfield/ The Live Adventures Of …..l.p. Al had so many supergroups, this was a major one. Played the shit out of this album too. Double set. Carlos Santana guests on a couple of tracks….1968 is the magical year. The Filmore East and West were the most legendary concert halls around and both of these gentlemen played some of the finest blues oriented rock of their time. This Paul Simon track sounds nothing like the S & G hit, no way…Al lays a heavy keyboard, trippy vocal, and Mike’s guitar is , well, Mike Bloomfied. You can find this on c.d. If you dig jam bands, this is your deal.

Thanks for letting me elaborate.

Al, thanks for four decades of incredible music.