Holland

[slothrop]

I like the spoken word bits in "California Saga" a lot, in fact I think they really add to the overall feel of Holland. That record wouldn't be the same without "The Beaks of Eagles".

Agreed. Mike always sounds so damn peaceful for how much people rag on him.

[Don_Zabu]

I like to pretend that "Only With You" is the last track. "Funky Pretty" is just way to weird for me to stomach.

Aside from that, though, Holland was definitely The Beach Boys's last true masterpiece (Love You being the last good album). I love the atmosphere, I love the singing, I love Blondie and Ricky's contributions, and I love how much it proves Mike and Al's wasted aptitude as songwriters and lyricists.

[LetHimRun]

This, along with CATP, has grown on me over the times I keep listening. I really like Leaving this Town and Steamboat. The rest are great, too. I gave it a 5, a notch above CATP.

[rab2591]

I love 'Holland'.

It is the perfect album to take camping. Sitting next to a fire listening to 'Steamboat' or 'Big Sur' is surreal. I skip 'Beaks of Eagles' because I cannot listen to that poem over and over again (though the chorus' are great).

The only song I don't enjoy that much is 'Funky Pretty' - it isn't a bad song, but just like 'TM' with 'Friends', it ruins the chill vibe of the entire record. Plus I can hardly understand the vocals.

It is a short but worthwhile album. It's far from my favorite BBs album but far from the worst.

[hypehat]

I got this on vinyl for £2 and i love it even more. although my copy didn't have the EP 

It's WAY too short though. A revised tracklisting could probably have 'Out In The Country' at the start, then as normal sticking 'Hard Times' after the Trader, and a finished Carry Me Home at the end....

I'll give it a 4. Really good, but could be much better.

[Don_Zabu]

When it comes to Mount Vernon and Fairway, the music is quite nice, but the story itself doesn't make a whole lot of sense, and it probably would've ended up better in the hands of another writer.

Actually, I wish Mike Love had written the fairy tale proper. If "Big Sur" is anything to go on, he obviously had some poetic beauty in him at that timeframe, so it would've at the very least been an interesting combination.