Crawdaddy's review of Love You

[The Shift]

http://crawdaddy.wolfgangsvault.com/Article.aspx?id=7992

It's in the Crate Digger column but given its tone it might as well be renamed the Barrel Scraper column!

[Fun Is In]

some real cynical humor in there

[Bicyclerider]

I thought it was hilarious, and most of it hits the mark, but . . . the album still rocks!  The last true Brian Wilson written and produced Beach Boys album, and it's great despite all of it's obvious faults.  An acquired taste, perhaps, but one of Brian's finest hours.  Better than any solo album by Brian (except arguably BWPS).

[Sheriff John Stone]

May be the best review of any Beach Boys' album I've ever read....

[Shady]

Review is great, comments are better.

[kookadams]

Yeah that review is nothing but sarcasm. Love You is a great album, and it has a lotta rocking songs.  And it was way better than any of that disco horseshit that came out at that time. I just wish the Beach Boys would've made a punk rock record!

[Magic Transistor Radio]

I totally agree with this review in that the album is not hip. I don't think that Brian was attempting to be hip anymore. Holland was 'hip', and I really dig it, but honestly there is something more likeable about Love You. I have always compared Love You with Friends in that they are very Child like and brilliant.

Marylin was 16, and Brian was 22 and it was consensual (is that so creepy). I think he wrote this in the context of a hairy 300 llb, 34 year old man making it seem worse that he married a 16 year old girl.

[1-1-wonderful]

I am confused...

I was expecting this to be a legacy article from Crawdaddy

What is the context of this article?

Do they feature current reviews of Fleetwood Mac's Rumours or ABBA's Dancing Queen (both also from 1977)

I'm no great fan of this album, but why such a great expense of electrons exerted in this way? I miss the purpose of this.

[phirnis]

What's so downright "frightening" about songs like I Wanna Pick You Up, which I happen to find very touching (does that make me a pervert? I really need to know)? I wouldn't even care if Marilyn was only 15 when they married. It's none of my business and their marriage (at least in my book) does not count as a heavy case of child abuse.

That said, I agree that Hey Little Tomboy is probably quite a strange song and I can see why people might find it offensive. I don't. I just think Brian Wilson is capable of writing better songs than that particular one. The quality of songwriting and production is more of a concern to me, to be perfectly honest...

[brianc]

'70s Brian Wilson didn't blink an eye when it came to writing material that might frighten.

[TdHabib]

Classic review! It also makes a great point: Brian Wilson productions intrigue you. The first time I heard The Beach Boys Love You three songs stuck: "Let Us Go On This Way," "Solar System" and "The Night Was So Young."

And that was it. I actually remember during a particular song thinking "I should never have spent $20 on this!" But something in me wanted to hear it again. The next time "Johnny Carson" and "Good Time" stuck. A little while later "Honkin'" and then "I'll Bet He's Nice." Pretty soon I had fallen under The Beach Boys Love You's spell. Even though it was a tad creepy to hear certain things, I unconditionally loved it.

[buddhahat]

I love the comment about ice cream and cocaine. Love You definitely sounds like the product of a mind fried on an excess of coke and junk food - it has an over-stimulated vibe to it which I love.