I Stand Alone (Al Kooper album)

I Stand Alone is the 1969 debut album of American singer-songwriter Al Kooper, issued on Columbia Records. It was recorded after his collaboration with Michael Bloomfield and Stephen Stills on the 1968 album Super Session.

I Stand Alone
Studio album by
Al Kooper
ReleasedFebruary 1969
Recorded1968
GenreRock
Length41:24
LabelColumbia
ProducerAl Kooper
Al Kooper chronology
Super Session
(1968)		 I Stand Alone
(1969)		 You Never Know Who Your Friends Are
(1969)
Singles from I Stand Alone
  1. "Soft Landing on the Moon"
    Released: February, 1969
    B-side of "You Never Know Who Your Friends Are"
  2. "Hey, Western Union Man"
    Released: March 18, 1969
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[2]

Background

After ten years of session playing, collaborations and playing in other bands, Kooper released his first solo album in February, 1969. It is an eclectic mix of country, soul, blues, and rock with a dose of psychedelia mixed throughout. It is a continuation of Super Session in its mix of disparate covers from the likes of Bill Monroe, Harry Nilsson and Traffic, and with originals running the gamut of feelings.

Unlike the Super Session album, however, the spotlight is on Kooper alone and Kooper's alternate utilization of orchestras and professional Nashville studio musicians; the tracks are far more focused, all within two and five minutes. "Camille" is lifted from "Overture to Le Domino Noire" by French composer Daniel Auber.

Most tracks are bridged with sound effects taken from albums issued by Elektra Records. The Overture begins with a collage of sound effects also taken from those albums. While it seems distracting now, it is a product of the era that it was recorded in.[1][3] The album was on the Billboard 200 charts for 13 weeks, peaking at #54 on March 15, 1969.[4]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Al Kooper; except where indicated

  1. "Overture" – 4:39
  2. "I Stand Alone" – 3:37
  3. "Camille" (Kooper, Tony Powers) – 2:54
  4. "One" (Harry Nilsson) – 2:53
  5. "Coloured Rain" (Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood) – 3:01
  6. "Soft Landing on the Moon" – 3:58
  7. "I Can Love a Woman" – 3:28
  8. "Blue Moon of Kentucky" (Bill Monroe) – 2:14
  9. "Toe Hold" (Isaac Hayes, David Porter) – 3:53
  10. "Right Now for You" – 2:33
  11. "Hey, Western Union Man" (Jerry Butler, Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff) – 3:43
  12. "Song and Dance for the Unborn, Frightened Child" – 4:31

Personnel

Musicians

Technical

References
  1. Eder, B. "I Stand Alone - Al Kooper | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  2. Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
  3. "Al Kooper - I Stand Alone review - Vinyl History". Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  4. "Billboard 200 chart - March 15, 1969". Retrieved May 15, 2017. Mistakenly attributed to Champagne.
  5. http://www.discogs.com/Al-Kooper-I-Stand-Alone/release/2533295
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