THE BEACH BOYS - That's Why God Made The Radio SS member reviews

[Summertime Blooz]

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[Newguy562]

can comeone plz tell me what's so good about surf's up besides til i die and surf's up?

I like it all. Their last classic album in my book. Their next two departed too dramatically from what the Beach Boys  had been up to that point because of the personnel changes. Then they went on a 38 year Endless Summer bender trying to recapture the 60s, but failing to measure up artistically. I'm not in the 'Love You album is great' camp.

well do you like any songs from love you? because "the night is so young" is a masterpiece probably the best song they did post pet sounds..

[Runaways]

I'm going to check this album out once more and if it doesn't appeal to me then it's just not there for me :/

yeah no one can tell you what to like.

[Ron]

That's true, but with that said you do seem to have quite a voracious appetite for music you haven't heard before... so maybe you should sit with albums a little bit before you move onto the next one, and the next one, and the next one, and the next one. 

[Newguy562]

That's true, but with that said you do seem to have quite a voracious appetite for music you haven't heard before... so maybe you should sit with albums a little bit before you move onto the next one, and the next one, and the next one, and the next one. 

that's true..the first time i heard love you i was completely freaked out by that album but i found 3 songs from it..now it's 5 songs from it..it's like every time i go to an album i found something more that i like it. the bb's have that effect on me more than any other group/artist.

[MyGlove]

can comeone plz tell me what's so good about surf's up besides til i die and surf's up?

Ummm just the most majestic song they ever did "A Day in the Life of a Tree". Long Promised Road and hell I would even include Lookin' At Tomorrow as awesome songs... Replace a few duds with 4th of July and Fallin' in Love and you have a classic every bit as good as Pet Sounds.... imo of course.

Also... Feel Flows is sublime.

[Newguy562]

My cat loves the new album.

what a phenomenal cat (ray davies voice)

[Emdeeh]

Just finished listening to the new album for the first time, so this is only my first impression. I'm sorry folks, but the last part of the album leaves me feeling empty and unsatisfied. I kept wanting to play "Going Home" from TLOS at the end, so that it ends on an upbeat note instead of a downer. Maybe this feeling will change on further listens, but right now "Summer's Gone" is a negative album-ending experience for me.

Your mileage may vary and probably will!

[Ron]

Yeah, after I hear the end of the album, I have to go play Spring Vacation just to remind myself that none of them are dying and they're all in good health. 

[Newguy562]

Just finished listening to the new album for the first time, so this is only my first impression. I'm sorry folks, but the last part of the album leaves me feeling empty and unsatisfied. I kept wanting to play "Going Home" from TLOS at the end, so that it ends on an upbeat note instead of a downer. Maybe this feeling will change on further listens, but right now "Summer's Gone" is a negative album-ending experience for me.

Your mileage may vary and probably will!

Yes, as I said before Summer's Gone saddens me too, like there won't be another new songs from them.   Like TWGMTR is the last album by The BBs.  I strongly hope it's not.  

I think we all know and feel that this is the last album by the boys (sad to say but true)

[Catbirdman]

Two quick thoughts before I go to bed:

1. Craig's cat is gorgeous.

2. See, I don't find "Summer's Gone" to be a "downer" at all. Nick Drake's "Black-Eyed Dog" is what I would call a downer. Now there's a song that looks into the abyss. Shudder To Think's "Full Body Anchor" is another. Both stunners by the way. Wish I had written them. But "Summer's Gone?" In a song like that, I hear good old-fashioned wistfulness, and a heart-worn acceptance of what we all share - a march toward death, yes, but on the way there, it's a beautiful drive down the Pacific Coast Highway. To me it's actually uplifting, life-affirming even.

3. "Sad" NOT= "Despair." Not. Even. Close.

[Magic City Surfer]

I wish Christian or Justyn had played Carl on this album, instead of Jeffrey.

[Wirestone]

Jeff is singing Brian's old parts -- the falsetto range -- on most songs. Yeah, he takes a Carl-like line here and there. But the folks singing in Carl's actual range in the harmony stack are Brian and / or Al. Except for a handful of tunes in the 70s, Carl was not the group's falsetto singer.

[Outtasight!]

can comeone plz tell me what's so good about surf's up besides til i die and surf's up?

No I cannot tell you whats so good about it. I just listen and feel it. To point out the obvious, it's all amazing songs, beutifully played and sang with great production. My analysis ends there.

[GatherTheForest]

Long time lurker, first time posting! This board has always been the only place I can turn to for my Beach Boys obsession, since the only person I know who’s really into them is my dad. I figured this is as good a time to actually join as any, and here's my review fwiw. Hi everyone.

Think About the Days – Beautiful song, but it just seems out of place on the album – TWGMTR would’ve made a fine opener, and the transition between the two is a bit rough. It should’ve opened the ending suite instead. 8/10

TWGMTR – This one’s really growing on me, and feels the most like a classic Beach Boys song on the album. I still don’t care for the bridge though. 7.5/10

Isn’t It Time – I love this song. It reminds me a lot of Love You, in the best possible way. One of my favorites from the album. 9/10

Spring Vacation – I love the melody on the verses. Other than that, it’s about what I expected – boring, unimaginative and too much cheese. 4/10

The Private Life of Bill and Sue – I had high hopes for this song, both from the praise Brian gave it as one of his favorites and especially after I heard Brian wrote it about reality stars – seemed like such a perfectly quirky Brian concept to me. I was completely let down though, it sounds too much like Jimmy Buffett for my liking. 3/10

Shelter – I can see this one growing on me. I keep humming the chorus, but like others I just wish Carl could’ve sang it. 6/10

Daybreak Over the Ocean – Love the “bring back my baby” refrain, dislike almost everything else. 4/10

Beaches in Mind – Just terrible. 1/10

Strange World – Decent enough, but kinda boring and I feel like I’ve heard it before. 6/10
From There to Back Again – Easily the best track on the album, and infinitely better than anything I could’ve expected from it.  Sounds exactly like I want 21st century Beach Boys to sound, with a perfect balance of melancholy/joy, and oh God that second half. 10/10

Pacific Coast Highway – I love it, but I know that it’s incomplete – I see it as part of a larger whole, and I really hope we get to hear that whole sometime soon.  9/10

Summer’s Gone – The first couple times I heard this I just couldn’t get into it – it was too long and repetitive.  After more listens and some thought, though, it’s really growing on me and it’s a very fitting and heartbreaking end to the album. I especially love the strings around 3:30.   8.5/10

Overall, it’s easily the best album since Love You. Much better than I expected, and I can even recommend it to people! (With the exception of a couple of tracks)   7.5/10

[Runaways]

Shelter keeps creepin up my list.  Love it.  Trying to figure out what Brian is singing in the background.
"sunlight"
"moonlight"
"From the storm"
"you know I will"

[Ron]

I'm going to go all immersion therapy on Shelter and Beaches in Mind tonight.  The whole way home, I'm going to just play those songs until I find something in them I appreciate, lol.

[Peadar 'Big Dinner' O'Driscoll]

Summer's Gone -- I know literally *everyone* else on this board thinks this is Caroline No, Surf's Up and Wonderful combined and made better, but I really, really don't get it. To me this is about thirty seconds of rather dirge-like musical material repeated ad nauseam, with tedious, uninsightful lyrics. I can only presume I'm missing something and that in six months or so I'll say "OH!!! I GET it now!" and hit myself for being so stupid, but right now I can honestly not give this any better than 3/10.

Agree completely with this. Just dont get anything form it. Maybe its because I know JBJ is involved and so developed some kind of mental block about the song

[Ron]

You too should try immersion therapy.  Nothing but Bon Jovi for you for the next two weeks. 

[pixletwin]

There is actually a moment on Summer's Gone where I can here JBJ's influence pretty plainly. Something about the way the harmonies are stacked at 0:39 on "Gone away..." just really reminds me of JBJ.

[Ron]

I wish somebody would ask Bon Jovi about it, that would be interesting. 

[Magic City Surfer]

Jeff is singing Brian's old parts -- the falsetto range -- on most songs. Yeah, he takes a Carl-like line here and there. But the folks singing in Carl's actual range in the harmony stack are Brian and / or Al. Except for a handful of tunes in the 70s, Carl was not the group's falsetto singer.

Yes, I'm very much aware of all that. But Jeff's parts on Shelter and Beaches In Mind both seem best suited for Carl.  To my mind, he is tangibly missed on those two tracks.

[Wirestone]

Jeff is singing Brian's old parts -- the falsetto range -- on most songs. Yeah, he takes a Carl-like line here and there. But the folks singing in Carl's actual range in the harmony stack are Brian and / or Al. Except for a handful of tunes in the 70s, Carl was not the group's falsetto singer.

Yes, I'm very much aware of all that. But Jeff's parts on Shelter and Beaches In Mind both seem best suited for Carl.  To my mind, he is tangibly missed on those two tracks.

And I do agree. I wonder if they had Bruce or Al try them. Bruce could try the Shelter chorus and Al the Beaches part ...

[the professor]

Final grades from the Professor

Think About the Days 10

TWGMTR  10

Isn’t It Time   9

Spring Vacation 9

The Private Life of Bill and Sue –Once you get the irony--that bill and sue have no private life but are as vacuous as the fans that follow them, etc., and once you enjoy the playful application of Kokomo style bombast, this song fades from the mind, after never having reached the heart.

Shelter – I am starting to like Jeff as a kind, loving helper and stage presence, but while there is a BB standing--and there are 5--I can't see giving such a lead on an album to him; that chorus part a is very un-BB for this reason. 8.

Daybreak Over the Ocean – played it at Redondo today, on the beach--marvelous: 9.

Beaches in Mind: Dave's solo is a bit understated, but I love the opening and the hooks. 8.5

Strange World – sounds too much like the old song "it's a 5-oclock world".  started skipping this one after repeat play of the album. 7.5.

From There to Back Again, Pacific Coast Highway, Summer’s Gone: I take this as a whole, like Heroes and Villains/child is father of the man, etc: 10: heartbreaking, moving.

Those are my final grades after playing the album all day it its home, the Southbay, specifically at Redondo beach, sitting, with the surfers, sand, and the sea all around.

[Ron]

Hell yeah man.  Glad to hear it.