See also: Al Jardine Would Much Rather Be a Beach Boy Than Go It Alone Al Jardine played standup bass on the very first Beach Boys single, "Surfin'," and since then he's been an integral part of the band's sonic makeup, playing guitar and navigating complexities not often associated with The Beach Boys: environmental concerns ("Don't Go Near the Water," written with Mike Love), transcendence ("All This Is That"), and spoken word prose (Jardine read Robinson Jeffers's poem "The Breaks of Eagles" as part of the band's stunning "California Saga" from Holland).
Though he left the touring version of the 'Boys in the '90s, Jardine settled a lawsuit with Mike Love and is onboard for a brand new record, That's Why God Made the Radio, with all surviving original members, Bruce Johnston, Mike Love, David Marks, and Brian Wilson (Wilson brothers Dennis and Carl passed away in 1983 and 1998, respectively) and has embarked on a tour in support of the band's 50th anniversary.
