Surf's Up

[Shady]

5...And im really digging STD

[ComicList]

"The legendary title opus is an utter failure even on its own woozy terms and there are several disasters from the guest lyricists--Van Dyke Parks's wacked-out meandering is no better than Jack Rieley's."

http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=3473

[Heywood Floyd]

Robert Christgau? Who's this clown?

[Luther]

Robert Christgau? Who's this clown?

A longtime, well-known, respected music critic for various publications over the years, including Esquire, Rolling Stone (I believe), Village Voice and various others, and with whom I happen to strongly disagree on that point.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

I gave this album a 4. But if you replace SDT with one of Denny's song's, it would be better then Sunflower IMO.

[Heywood Floyd]

I gave this album a 4. But if you replace SDT with one of Denny's song's, it would be better then Sunflower IMO.

Yeah, '4th of July' would of been better on the album than that piece of merda 'SDT'.

[shelter]

I think Lookin' At Tomorrow is one of the most underrated songs in the entire BB discography. I LOVE it.

[melissalynn]

I've got to say...I wouldn't be the huge BB fan that I am today without 'Surf's Up'. The first song I ever really heard by the Beach Boys was 'Til I Die'. I fell in love instantly. Oddly, I'd shunned all of their earlier surf/hot rod works...I had dismissed them as just a 'surf band' when I was a teenager. But after I heard 'Til I Die', I knew there was MUCH more to this band than just surf music, which was the only BB stuff I'd been exposed to until that point. 'Til I Die' is still my favorite BB song.

[pixletwin]

IMO SDT is terrible. It tries so hard to be an edgy 70's war track but I really hate who the message is "If you wanna go protest somesthing, Don't. You might get shot kid."

Lameness to the Nth degree. Replace ith with Dennis' 4th of July and you would have a "4". As it is, I have to give it a "3".

But man, I love "A Day In The Life Of A Tree". What a great piece and I wonder if Brian connected the lyrics to himself or it only seems that way in hindsight?

[mikeyj]

I, like many other people am not the biggest fan of Student Demonstration Time. But other than that the album is full of some really nice tracks with two all-time great songs at the end.

Don't Go Near The Water - starts the album of in a nice way, nothing spectacular but nice nonetheless.
Long Promised Road - in my opinion one of Carl's best songs. I really like this one. I've heard some people say they hate it but I quite like it. It has a real nice feel to it.
Take A Load of Your Feet - Ive always dug this song. Its a really humours song and yet very easy to listen to and enjoy
Disney Girls - not one I listen to too much but it is a nice song.
Student Demonstration Time - as I said Im not the biggest fan. It almost tries too hard for my liking.
Feel Flows - I dont know what I like better, this or Long Promised Road. Another really nice song from Carl.
Lookin At Tommorow - This for me is the most under-rated song on the album. I really like it. It has a real sort of eerie feel to it but I really enjoy it. Not one that I immediately took to I must admit but it has grown on me.
A Day In The Life of A Tree - a lot of people also under-rate this song. But Ive also seen a lot of people praise it (hence why I didnt say this one was the most under-rated on the album). But another really cool song. I actually referred to this song in my final high school exams.
Til I Die - A brilliant brilliant song. Enough good things cant be said about this song to be honest. A real classic. I love Brian's "Until I Die" after the third verse, sends shivers down my spine. Absoultely breathtaking. The instrumentation and singing conveys exactly what Brian was trying to convey. I really like the four minute version aswell. The intro to that is fantastic, it perfectly conveys the sense of someone feeling real lonely and sad. One of Brian's best masterpieces
Surf's Up - another masterpiece. Why where these last two songs placed at the end of the album? Anyway another fantastic song. I must admit I would've prefered Brian singing the first section instead of Carl. But Carl still does a fine job although he doesnt sing it the way Brian could. Brian sung it with all his heart and so much emotion because obviously it was one of his treasured SMiLE songs. Another brilliant song. I could never get tired of listening to this song.

[Jonas]

Til I Die - I really like the four minute version aswell. The intro to that is fantastic, it perfectly conveys the sense of someone feeling real lonely and sad. One of Brian's best masterpieces

If you're talking about the instrumental that was included in Endless Harmony, that's Stephen Desper's mix.

[mikeyj]

Til I Die - I really like the four minute version aswell. The intro to that is fantastic, it perfectly conveys the sense of someone feeling real lonely and sad. One of Brian's best masterpieces

If you're talking about the instrumental that was included in Endless Harmony, that's Stephen Desper's mix.

Yeh but isnt it just using the instruments in the mix that Brian recorded? So its still Brians music just mixed differently. And underneath it all it is brilliant. Sorry if Im wrong, which I probably am but thats what I always thought.

[Luther]

Yeh but isnt it just using the instruments in the mix that Brian recorded? So its still Brians music just mixed differently. And underneath it all it is brilliant. Sorry if Im wrong, which I probably am but thats what I always thought.

Yes, you are correct: the Desper mix loops existing material, mixed differently. I wouldn't say that's a "just," though, which minimizes it. Take a dozen or more separate tracks of music, EQ them, add effects, manage their levels and pan them across the stereo spectrum...it's a LOT harder than you might think. You can entirely change a song, as Desper did in that mix, basically doubling it in length and making it even more sparse and contemplative than the original.

[thomasogg]

'Student Demo Time' (absolute garbage) and 'Take a Load off Your Feet' are perhaps two of the worst songs in the entire BB catalogue, yet I would still give this flawed album 5 out of 5 simply because the rest of the material on the record ranks as some of the BEST music they ever produced. Carl's 2 songs are both masterpieces, while Disney Girls is by far Bruce's finest BB moment, his only genuinely great BB track. And of course all of the last 3 tracks by Brian are utterly great! The exclusion of Dennis' tracks is a travesty, and one which has never really had a coherent explanation given as to why his songs were excluded.. Did Al really need to have more writing credits on the record than any other member but Brian? If '..Feet' had been replaced by any one of 'Lady', '4th Of July' or 'Wouldn't It Be Nice..' the album would've been up their with Pet Sounds in terms of artistic merit! As it is, it remains a great album and very much a personal favourite! I thank you.

[mikeyj]

Yes, you are correct: the Desper mix loops existing material, mixed differently. I wouldn't say that's a "just," though, which minimizes it. Take a dozen or more separate tracks of music, EQ them, add effects, manage their levels and pan them across the stereo spectrum...it's a LOT harder than you might think. You can entirely change a song, as Desper did in that mix, basically doubling it in length and making it even more sparse and contemplative than the original.

Well since Im not a music buff (ie: ive never mixed anything or recorded anything really) I would have no idea. Im sure it is complex, my uncle owns a really big recording studio in Australia and I have watched him work and it is crazy how complex it looks (to me anyway).

'Student Demo Time' (absolute garbage) and 'Take a Load off Your Feet' are perhaps two of the worst songs in the entire BB catalogue, yet I would still give this flawed album 5 out of 5 simply because the rest of the material on the record ranks as some of the BEST music they ever produced. Carl's 2 songs are both masterpieces, while Disney Girls is by far Bruce's finest BB moment, his only genuinely great BB track. And of course all of the last 3 tracks by Brian are utterly great! The exclusion of Dennis' tracks is a travesty, and one which has never really had a coherent explanation given as to why his songs were excluded.. Did Al really need to have more writing credits on the record than any other member but Brian? If '..Feet' had been replaced by any one of 'Lady', '4th Of July' or 'Wouldn't It Be Nice..' the album would've been up their with Pet Sounds in terms of artistic merit! As it is, it remains a great album and very much a personal favourite! I thank you.

I like Take A Load Off Your Feet.. I mean its just a fun little track. There is a lot of BB songs that if you forget about the silly subject matter and dont take it too seriously then it can be quite enjoyable. Obviously nowhere near the class of say Surfs Up or whatever but still a harmless little fun tune in my opinion. I agree with you about Student Demonstration Time though. I mean what would you rather STD (a song that they didnt even REALLY write) or Lady or some other DW song... I think I know what 99.99% of people would say...

[Luther]

I like Take A Load Off Your Feet.. I mean its just a fun little track. There is a lot of BB songs that if you forget about the silly subject matter and dont take it too seriously then it can be quite enjoyable. Obviously nowhere near the class of say Surfs Up or whatever but still a harmless little fun tune in my opinion.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. It's a silly song--who cares? It also has a nice hook, it's singable and it's very well recorded, if slightly over-produced for my taste. An album of "serious" songs (which, in my opinion, are usually tedious when the Beach Boys do them--they aren't the most deep-thinking band, lyrically speaking) would get old. So why not be funny for a while, be silly for a while? It's a lightweight, but it's nice.

[thomasogg]

I agree that 'Student Demo..' is the real lowpoint on Surf's Up, but you gotta be realistic.. There's no way Mike'd ever allow his track not to be included, no matter how blatantly bad it was! Al on the other hand already had 3 songs on the album, so it really would've been more fair for the weakest of his three tracks ('..Feet') to be excluded to make way for one of Dennis's songs.  There's no real democracy in one member being entirely excluded really is there? But then, why didn't they just release a standard 12 track album?

[mikeyj]

I agree that 'Student Demo..' is the real lowpoint on Surf's Up, but you gotta be realistic.. There's no way Mike'd ever allow his track not to be included, no matter how blatantly bad it was! Al on the other hand already had 3 songs on the album, so it really would've been more fair for the weakest of his three tracks ('..Feet') to be excluded to make way for one of Dennis's songs.  There's no real democracy in one member being entirely excluded really is there? But then, why didn't they just release a standard 12 track album?

It had nothing to do with each member getting a chance on the album. Dennis's songs were taken off after an argument with Carl I believe

[thomasogg]

Oh for f... Yes, but it would've been nice though wouldn't it?

[noname]

I give this album a 4.....I like the "darker" feel on this album compared to other BB records...
Don't Go Near The Water is kinda cool, I dig the message

Long Promised Road....brilliant...can't get enough listens, nice transition from the first song

Take A Load.... has a really smooth melody, quirky in the good sense of the world

Disney Girls  Really the only Bruce song I can kind of tolerate...

SDT....well, uh, I get the impression Mike is trying TOO hard to be cool, but I like the message... musically I'm not crazy about it

Feel Flows....Love it, totally, 100% original, unique to the 'Boys

Looking At Tomorrow...Love it.....I can relate to the message of this one, I'm sure we all can..."You know I could be doing, so much more..."

A Day In The Life.......I LOVE IT....can't get enough listens.....beautiful sound painting of a tree...

Till I Die and Surfs Up....These songs suck....I wish I never heard them.....just kidding....words can do no justice to the beauty of these two


this album is not quite a 5, but definitely a 4.........IMO