Stars And Stripes, Vol. 1

I was prepared to be a bit underwhelmed by this album not being terribly knowledgeable about the depth of Country music artists doing pop songs however, apart from one small gripe, I am very pleased with it. I was drawn to the album having heard the fabulous rendition of Caroline No by Timothy B Schmit on the radio and decided to seek it out. The choice of tracks covered here are perhaps not always the most obvious from The Beach Boys canon and so that keeps it interesting and fresh. Each lead artist most certainly puts their own individual stamp on the track and I like that. There is absolutely no point in just doing a clone and the arrangements here are terrific and of course we have the added bonus of having the most glorious harmonies by the "backing" vocalists. Which leads me nicely to my one small gripe. Production wise this has Brian Wilson all over it and the rest of the vocals, done by all the Beach Boys including Al's son Matt Jardine, have almost never sounded better, and in the cases of Caroline No and The Warmth Of The Sun sung by Willie Nelson absolutely perfect, but this should not be advertised as a Beach Boys album. The guys provide the bedrock upon which all the lead artists perform these songs in their own way but they are NOT the main focus of attention. A good shout out to the folks playing the songs. Brian has succeeded in capturing a nice live feel with the band musicians driven along by Eddie Bayers drums. Much has been talked about a possible second volume of Stars And Stripes for which, I understand only one track was ever done, with Tammy Wynette brilliantly covering In My Room. I sought it out and boy what a cracker it is. Just why volume 2 never materialised is no doubt due to all the well documented in-fighting within the band however quite why that track has not been added here is beyond me. Come on Sheridan Square Records get the rights and do the listeners a favour and include that song on new pressings. So for me not a Beach Boys album as such but a very worthy addition to my music collection.

If you're a fan of The Beach Boys then be sure you don't miss this! The Boys (including Brian) are on great form and clearly enjoyed backing the featured artists, who all put in great performances. Willie Nelson's take on The Warmth Of The Sun will just blow you away! Timothy B Schmitsinging Caroline No is something really special, almost as great as Brian Wilson's original.

Had already bought the DVD, which I love. Treated myself to the CD and play it all the time. Always been a Beach Boys fan and quite like some Country and Western, this is a perfect example of how the two can combine successfully, a must have for fans of either. Such a shame the second volume was never finished.

Yes this as a lot of the great beach Boys music, standing out a mile lorrie morgan dueting Bye Bye Baby Great loved it .

I watched the video in the early hours of the morning and searched to see if there was a CD of the music. This album has revived the Beech Boys music but with an kick to bring it up to date. A very enjoyable film and an excellent album to listen too.

Does what it says on the tin, very good. Does what it says on the tin, very good. Does what it says on the tin, very good.

A great tribute to the invited performers and The Beach Boys.

My husband has been a fan of the Beach Boys forever and to have a country twist is icing on the cake