2008 Al Kooper I Stand Alone/You Never Know Who Your Friends Are

2008 I Stand Alone/You Never Know Who Your Friends Are
Al Kooper
Louie Shelton - Guitar

Al Kooper is destined to be remembered mostly as an ace session player and bandmember (of the Blues Project and Blood, Sweat & Tears), not as a solo artist, despite the numerous albums he issued under his own name. But though this two-CD set covers only his earliest solo work, it could be argued that it's the best compilation of recordings he made on his own, though certainly not one that represents the scope of his career, whether done alone or with others. This Australian anthology presents both of his first two albums, 1968's I Stand Alone and 1969's You Never Know Who Your Friends Are, in their entirety, as well as five tracks from his third album (1970's Easy Does It) and a couple he contributed to the 1970 soundtrack The Landlord.