I Stand Alone

It’s almost shocking how overlooked Al Kooper’s solo career is. This is the musician/songwriter who formed Blood, Sweat & Tears and played on or produced countless culture-shifting albums and songs (that’s his organ on Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone”). But Kooper’s musical smartness put him at odds with the basic rules of public consumption; his own music wasn’t easily classified. For example, the title tune to this 1968 debut is a study in how to mix multiple genres into a cohesive whole. (It blends soul and rock and jazz and pop.) “Camille” is a similar mashup but with a soaring, showtune-like overture. By the album’s finale—“Song and Dance for the Unborn, Frightened Child”—you’ll feel as though you’ve taken a literate, highly entertaining tour of 20th-century musical styles. That’s what makes this a genius rock ’n’ roll album. And they’re not all his tunes. He covers bluegrass great Bill Monroe’s “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” Harry Nilsson’s “One” (this version bests all others), Isaac Hayes’ R&B workout “Toe Hold,” and Jerry Butler’s Philly soul stomp “Hey, Western Union Man.”

Listening to I Stand Alone for the first time is a lot like first hearing the Sgt. Pepper album, except that this album challenges and rewards the listener in ways that the Beatles' psychedelic classic never tried to or could have.