Album #11: The Carl Wilson Band - Live at My Father's Place 1981

     Heres a great oddity for Beach Boys fans! In the early 80s, Carl Wilson, the youngest Wilson brother, lead guitarist, and very active member after SMiLE, started a small solo career! He had 2 albums, and this concert was recorded the year of the debut self-titled album. There is another recording floating around of The Carl Wilson Band from this year at the bottom line, and one or two more, and while this one is shorter, they all seem to have similar sound quality.

    The venue My Father's Place was in Roslyn in Long Island, New York. Richie Havens opened it's first ever concert, and it held performances by Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Madonna, Black Flag, and more! It closed in 1987 but in 2018 they opened up a new version close by.

    Almost every song is from his debut record, besides a few notable exceptions. The opening Too Early To Tell ended up on the second record, and Long Promised Road is off the Beach Boy's album Surf's Up. He would close all his solo sets with a cover of the soul song I Thank You by Sam & Dave. Of the 8 songs off his debut record, he plays every track besides Seems So Long Ago, the closer.

    The top photo on the cover has Carl on the left, and him in the middle of the entire band, next to his "backup" vocalist Myrna Smith. She duets him, so I think she deserves more credit than backup! She also cowrote the entire debut record, while working as a teacher in New Jersey. Before Carl, she backed up singers like Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin as part of The Sweet Inspirations. 

    If you haven't heard his solo career I think this is as good as an intro to it as his studio work. 

1. Too Early To Tell

2. Bright Lights

3. What You Gonna Do About Me

4. Long Promised Road

5. Hurry Love

6. The Grammy

7. Heaven

8. Hold Me

9. The Right Lane

10. I Thank You

Download link: Google Drive