Rare + Well Done: The Greatest & Most Obscure Recordings [Original recording remastered]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Al Kooper's soulful stew of blues, gospel, rock, and jazz is as American as baseball--and every bit as ironic, allegorical, surprising, and downright fun. Though best known as a sideman (that's his trademark organ riff on Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone"), songwriter (Gary Lewis's "This Diamond Ring"), band founder (the Blues Project, Blood, Sweat & Tears), and producer (everyone from B.B. King to Joe Ely to Lynyrd Skynyrd), this revealing double-disc anthology explores Kooper's rich and diverse career as a performer. Rare offers up demos, outtakes, and other rarities that wind from his first '60s single through three decades and a madly eclectic array of projects that include a down-tempo revisitation of Ann Peebles's "I Can't Stand the Rain," XTC's "Making Plans for Nigel" done as a 1900's English music-hall number (and rejected for a tribute album as too obtuse!), a glorious, pioneering horn-band take on "Hey Jude," a soundtrack outtake from the Crime Story TV series, and a couple of decades' worth of songs rife with his always unpredictable blues and pop instincts. Well Done collects better-known solo tracks and recordings from Blood, Sweat & Tears, the bestselling Super Session ("Albert's Shuffle"), and the Blues Project. Veteran journalist Jaan Uhelszki's notes manage the not-inconsiderable feat of both concisely chronicling and underscoring the import of Kooper's largely unsung legacy. This is a multidisc anthology that not only lives up to the medium's usually unfulfilled potential, but may just leave you craving more. --Jerry McCulley

Rare + Well Done: The Greatest & Most Obscure Recordings, Music, Al Kooper, Blues Music, Blues-Rock, Folk-Rock, Pop, Psychedelic, Rock, Rock & Roll, Rock/Pop
Rare + Well Done: The Greatest & Most Obscure Recordings
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Go ahead, you won't regreat it
  • A true rock & roll legend!
  • Why is Al Kooper not in the R & R Hall of Fame?
  • "Well Done" cooks, but "Rare" gave me salmonella.
  • Super Kooper
 Rare + Well Done: The Greatest & Most Obscure Recordings
Al Kooper
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Blues | Styles | Music
Blues RockBlues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
Folk RockFolk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
Psychedelic RockPsychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Black Coffee
  2. Super Session
  3. Live Adventures Of Michael Bloomfield & Al Kooper
  4. Rekooperation
  5. Fillmore East: The Lost Concert Tapes 12/13/68

ASIN: B00005OAK9
Release Date: 2001-09-18

Tracks:

  1. I Can't Quit Her (Home Demo)
  2. Somethin' Goin' On (Demo)
  3. Autumn Song
  4. I Can't Stand The Rain
  5. Baby Please Don't Go (Live)
  6. I Let Love Slip Through My Fingers
  7. The Earthquake Of Your Love
  8. Bulgarya
  9. Nuthin' I Wouldn't Do (For A Woman Like You)
  10. New York's My Home (Razz-A-Ma-Tazz) aka The Street Song (Single Version)
  11. Making Plans For Nigel
  12. I Believe To My Soul
  13. Went To See The Gypsy
  14. Rachmaninoff's Birthday
  15. Hey Jude (Rehearsal Tape)
  16. Living In My Own Religion
  17. The Big Chase
  18. They Just Don't Make 'Em Like That Anymore
  19. A Drive Through The Old Neighborhood

Tracks:

  1. I Can't Keep From Cryin' Sometimes (Live)
  2. I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know
  3. This Diamond Ring
  4. Albert's Shuffle
  5. Bury My Body
  6. Season Of The Witch
  7. New York City (You're A Woman)
  8. I Can't Quit Her (Live)
  9. I Stand Alone
  10. Flute Thing
  11. You Never Know Who Your Friends Are
  12. I Got A Woman
  13. Brand New Day
  14. The Landlord: Love Theme

Amazon.com

Al Kooper's soulful stew of blues, gospel, rock, and jazz is as American as baseball--and every bit as ironic, allegorical, surprising, and downright fun. Though best known as a sideman (that's his trademark organ riff on Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone"), songwriter (Gary Lewis's "This Diamond Ring"), band founder (the Blues Project, Blood, Sweat & Tears), and producer (everyone from B.B. King to Joe Ely to Lynyrd Skynyrd), this revealing double-disc anthology explores Kooper's rich and diverse career as a performer. Rare offers up demos, outtakes, and other rarities that wind from his first '60s single through three decades and a madly eclectic array of projects that include a down-tempo revisitation of Ann Peebles's "I Can't Stand the Rain," XTC's "Making Plans for Nigel" done as a 1900's English music-hall number (and rejected for a tribute album as too obtuse!), a glorious, pioneering horn-band take on "Hey Jude," a soundtrack outtake from the Crime Story TV series, and a couple of decades' worth of songs rife with his always unpredictable blues and pop instincts. Well Done collects better-known solo tracks and recordings from Blood, Sweat & Tears, the bestselling Super Session ("Albert's Shuffle"), and the Blues Project. Veteran journalist Jaan Uhelszki's notes manage the not-inconsiderable feat of both concisely chronicling and underscoring the import of Kooper's largely unsung legacy. This is a multidisc anthology that not only lives up to the medium's usually unfulfilled potential, but may just leave you craving more. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Go ahead, you won't regreat it.......2007-04-18

I really held off buying this CD. I love Al Kooper, but I already had most of the stuff on the Well Done CD, and this is pretty pricey. But, I really wanted the unreleased stuff, so what are you going to do? I bit, and I'm glad I did. The unreleased stuff is so much fun. If you're like me, when you really embrace an artist, digging up rarities is like an anthropologist digging up artifacts...wonderful hidden gems in the rough.

Actually, some of these gems are actually very polished, they just didn't see release for one reason or another. There are many stand-outs, and I particularly love Making Plans for Nigel. In Al's unique way, he really uncovers the hidden potential and beauty of the song...made me rush to my long unplayed XTC albums. I really loved XTC, but Al does this song better. Also, I never really thought anyone could improve on BS&T's version of I Can't Quit Her, much less the original artist himself. But I'll be darned if I don't need a crowbar to get this one out of my brain, synthetic drums and all! I guess that's my only criticism (however slight). Many of these songs were done by Al alone in his basement, which is really cool, except that Al does not play an actual drum kit, so we get electronic drums, and I'm a purist, particularly when it comes to percussion. But the material and arrangements are so great that I can overlook it (though I still have to wince every once in a while.

But hey, you got to absolutely love Rachmoninov's Birthday and what he does with (to?) Hey Jude.

The Well Done portion speaks for itself. If you are new to Al Kooper and want just the "best of", you'd honestly be better of with Al's Big Deal. It's got most of what's here in really good sound (for 1989). But if you are feeling adventurous, I say go for it. Listen to the Well Done CD a couple of times, fall in love with (you know you will), and then go ahead and put the Rare CD in and discover Al Kooper's true Naked Songs.

5 out of 5 stars A true rock & roll legend!.......2004-09-12

33 songs on two discs, the first rare stuff and the second of course are his well known songs. Kooper does it all...blues - gospel - rock - jazz. The cover you heard of Season Of The Witch was something he did with Stephen Stills. There is a bizarre version of XTC's Making Plans For Nigel and a jazzy version of Hey Jude. A true rock & roll legend!

5 out of 5 stars Why is Al Kooper not in the R & R Hall of Fame?.......2003-06-18

This is a totally dazzling collection of music from a man who is probably the most under-rated and least recognized musical geniuses working in popular music today. Not only that, he also works in blues and is a great player as well. He's up there with Brian Wislon and Lennon & McCartney, only no one knows it.

I nominate Al Kooper to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!

3 out of 5 stars "Well Done" cooks, but "Rare" gave me salmonella........2002-08-13

I give 5 stars to "Well Done" but 1 to "Rare". Don't get me wrong, I love Al Kooper. I just read his book "Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards" and could not put it down. This guy has done just about everything there is to do in the music business, and he has done it well. Plus he's one funny geezer.

He played on a number of classic Dylan albums including "Highway 61 Revisited" and "Blonde on Blonde". He even practically produced "New Morning" but wasn't given credit for it. He formed "Blood Sweat and Tears" but quit/was fired before they got cheesey. I love how he talks about that group... (paraphrasing) "if they can live with 'Lucretia MacEvil', God bless 'em".

He discovered Lynyrd Skynyrd and produced their first 3 albums. He claims that Ed King's guitar solo on "Sweet Home Alabama" is in the wrong key, but I disagree. I think 'G' is the right key! D/C/G = 5/4/1. Isn't that right, Professor Al?

Anyway, Kooper has been on numerous songs you know - including the Stones "Can't Always Get What You Want" and he's produced some of the greats: The Tubes, Nils Lofgren, B.B. King, Ricky Nelson, and many more I can't remember.

"Well Done" rocks convincingly. It makes a bid for Al Kooper as genius. The players he worked with in the '60s and '70's were all first rate: Mike Bloomfield, Shuggie Otis, Stephen Stills...

What bothers me most about "Rare" is the new stuff. I wanted to like it so bad - especially after reading his book and how he has been persecuted lately by record companies and fans alike, but I just couldn't help feeling like he's lost his magic touch. Some of the older rarities are fun - I really liked the big band jazz feel of "Hey Jude" - you will hardly recognize the tune, but it swings!

Anyway, one thumb up for "Well Done" and one down for "Rare", but overall it is worth the price of admission just to get a feel for Mr. Kooper's whole career. Go ahead, just be aware of what you're getting.

5 out of 5 stars Super Kooper.......2002-06-02

In response to the previous reviewer's question, this CD contains the full 11 minute version of "Season Of The Witch". This compilation lives up to its name. It has a generous amount of Al's rare and well known music. The info booklet is informative and entertaining as well. Hopefully, this CD will help more people realize Al's great contribution to rock music.
Rare + Well Done: The Greatest & Most Obscure Recordings
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Rare + Well Done: The Greatest & Most Obscure Recordings
    Al Kooper
    Manufacturer: Sony/Columbia
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    Blues RockBlues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
    Folk RockFolk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
    Psychedelic RockPsychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. Child Is Father to the Man

    ASIN: B00005R6I2
    Release Date: 2001-12-05

    Tracks:

    1. I Can't Keep From Cryin' Sometimes (Live)
    2. I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know
    3. This Diamond Ring
    4. Albert's Shuffle
    5. Bury My Body
    6. Season Of The Witch
    7. New York City (You're A Woman)
    8. I Can't Quit Her (Live)
    9. I Stand Alone
    10. Flute Thing
    11. You Never Know Who Your Friends Are
    12. I Got A Woman
    13. Brand New Day
    14. Jolie

    Album Details

    Japanese Version featuring an Alternate Bonus Track Exclusive to Japan: 'jolly'.

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