To The Sea Jack Johnson and Friends

• 1You And Your Heart03:13
• 2To The Sea03:30
• 3No Good With Faces03:31
• 4At Or With Me03:58
• 5When I Look Up00:58
• 6From The Clouds03:06
• 7My Little Girl02:21
• 8Turn Your Love03:12
• 9The Upsetter03:49
• 10Red Wine, Mistakes, Mythology04:03
• 11Pictures Of People Taking Pictures03:20
• 12Anything But The Truth02:54
• 13Only The Ocean03:40
• Total Runtime41:35

Info for To The Sea

To the Sea, the fifth studio album from surfer/songwriter Jack Johnson, features 13 new tracks, all of which are destined to become the official summer 2010 soundtrack for collegiate volleyball games, post-graduation car wash fundraisers, and spontaneous beach blanket siestas everywhere.

„Nice guys finish… first, in the case of Jack Johnson. The surfer, filmmaker and middle-of-the-road acoustic songwriter has never pushed any creative envelopes with his pleasantly forgettable fare, yet his last two albums were UK number ones. Neither Sleep Through the Static (2008) nor In Between Dreams (2005) received much in the way of praise from the music press, but Johnson is in the same mould as Katie Melua: a musician whose fortunes appear impervious to negative reviews, rendering opinions expressed in pieces such as this absolutely irrelevant.

Indeed, such is the armour plating surrounding Johnson’s material that one wonders, while one writes, what the point is of even penning a review that won’t influence a potential buyer’s decision. The conclusion: to be objective, to relay the globally significant background of To the Sea and what’s to follow. That the album follows in the sonic footsteps of what’s come before should go without saying (whoops), and that it’s as challenging as committing a felony in a Grand Theft Auto video game (not very) is another needless statement of abject obviousness. But what’s not apparent from these songs is just how brilliant a man their maker is.

Not musically, you understand. Jack Johnson realises his strengths, limited as they are, and plays to them. Should he ever stretch himself as a musician the results could be fascinating – think The Beach Boys before Pet Sounds, and what they felt capable of afterwards – but right now he’s operating in a comfort zone that should guarantee continued commercial success. But here’s where the brilliant bit comes in: he doesn’t need the money. All profits from touring this record, all around the world, are to go to charities supporting the environment and the arts. He will strive to offset all carbon emissions. He even recorded this in two solar-powered studios. The music might be lightweight, but Johnson is a man on a serious mission, and should be applauded accordingly.

Johnson’s behaviour, his philanthropy and awareness-raising activities in the name of saving this world, should stir other globally known and financially stable artists into doing similar. Pretty though these songs occasionally are – even the harshest critic must concede that My Little Girl and Anything But the Truth are lovely – they’re of secondary importance to their creator’s enthusiasm in other, more important areas. It’s enough to have one forgiving the prevalent listlessness of the man’s catalogue, almost.“ (Mike Diver, BBC Review)

Jack Johnson, vocals, guitar, ukulele, Mellotron, percussion
Zach Gill, melodica, piano, Wurlitzer organ, percussion, background vocals
Adam Topol, glockenspiel, drums, percussion, background vocals
Merlo Podlewski, percussion, background vocals

Recorded at the Solar Powered Plastic Plant, Los Angeles, CA, and The Mango Tree, Hawaii
Engineered by Robert Carranza
Mastered by Bernie Grundman
Produced by Jack Johnson and Robert Carranza

Digitally remastered

Jack Johnson
blissful acoustics and surf-rock vocals have captivated an audience beyond the beaches of southern California. Johnson has been a staple on the summer tour scene since releasing his debut album in 2001 and this year is no different. Jack Johnson tour dates are currently scheduled internationally in support of his most recent album, To The Sea.

Johnson hails from the Big Island of Hawaii and was a professional surfer by his teens. His brief surfing career included a Quicksilver sponsorship and an invitation to the Pipeline Master's that ended with 150 stitches and a few missing teeth. With his surf career on hold, Johnson enrolled at the University of California - Santa Barbara where he graduated with a degree in film. He met his soulmate and future wife while at college and she serves as the inspiration to many of his songs.

After befriending recording artist G. Love, Johnson headed to the studio and the two created the track "Rodeo Clowns" for G. Love's album Philadelphonic. Johnson also put his film degree to good use and co-directed the surf documentary Thicker Than Water in 2000. He then recorded a demo that made its way to producer, J. P. Plunier, who produced his debut album Brushfire Fairytales in 2001. The album was a platinum success and it featured his signature song "Flake". Jack Johnson's concert schedule included a national tour and a sold-out show at the Hollywood Bowl.

Johnson was quick to return with a follow-up, On and On, in 2003 which was recorded at his studio, The Mango Tree, in Hawaii. The album continued along with his acoustic-rock ready anthems and was another platinum hit. Johnson spent the rest of the decade recording and touring. He released In Between Dreams in 2005 which became his first #1 album on the Billboard 200 followed by Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the Film Curious George which also hit #1. Johnson's next album Sleep Through the Static reenlisted JP Plunier as producer and was recorded at a studio that used 100% solar energy. The album was released in 2008 and became his third #1 platinum album. Jack Johnson's concert schedule included a worldwide, and whirlwind tour, that played throughout the year. Live versions of his most popular songs were captured at certain Jack Johnson concert dates and were compiled for his first live album En Concert in 2009.

This album contains no booklet.