"Adult Child" - the worst BB album ever?

[joe_blow]

The Japanese Millenium Edition sounds ok. Nice cover with 1976 Brian in his robe on the beach.

[Compost]

They actually considered releasing this piece of crap?! 

You have strayed far off the path of righteousness my son.  I will pray for you.

[Alex]

I love every single track on Adult/Child except Hey Little Tomboy and On Broadway. How can anyone not crack up hysterically when they hear "a cigarette butt when you throw it in the water goes pffft" or "doughy lumps, stomach pumps, enemas too"?

[Andrew G. Doe]

It's fair to discuss, comment on and critique the material that we know. And if that material was intended to be an album, then it's fair to critique it as an album. Plus--and I KNOW someone will correct me if I'm wrong, here--this isn't just a collection of session tapes, for example. Unless I'm mistaken, this was assembled and turned in to the label, and unreleased because it was rejected. There is a world of difference between this and, say, "Soulful Old Man Sunshine" (until its eventual assembly and release long after the fact) or other such tunes.

Mixed, mastered, banded and delivered to the record company.

[MBE]

While I think songs like Sea Cruise are better then On Broadway, and Lazy Lizzie better then Lines, Adult Child works for me in a way Love You doesn't. Perhaps because as weird as many tracks are. the singing is a bit better. There are two groundbreaking songs on it. Still I Dream Of It and It's Over Now. Like The Night Was So Long and I'll Bet He's Nice on Love You they work as the kind of emotionally naked tracks that shows Brian at his best. The two highlights on Adult Child are even better because the arrangements are tasteful and break new ground.

Life is for the Living: A fun track with a great melody, Brian never wrote music like this before or since. The lyrics make this work as a pure comedy track. The vocals are crazy but fit the piece.

Hey Little Tomboy: It is a cute (if slight song). I think the talking bits are hysterical.

Deep Purple: Brian's could have sang far better a mere two years earlier, but he does sing it with passion. Another great production

H.E.L.P.: Dates from 1970 and quality wise that automatically gives it a boost. Terrific vocals, and genuine humor. Nothing earth shaking but it's well put together and truly better then Take A Load Off Your Feet.

It's Over Now: Wonderful song, Marilyn and Carl both do a nice job. Her voice is so much better on this then it was on Let's Put Our Hearts Together. One of the Beach Boys best of their post Holland era.

Everybody Wants To Live: Musically this is pretty modern for the time, the lyrics are again quite funny. Could Adult Child been the real Brian humor album. I like the deep harmony on the chorus. The vocals are notably better then Love You's.

Shortenin' Bread: Brian (and Mike) loved this song. This isn't really a great take off it, as to me it's just too juvenile. Again three years earlier the vocals may have been good enough to save it. Would like to hear the Spring version (I know this is the music from it, but the original vocals have to be better then this.

Lines: Kind of dull, nothing to really make it stand out. I like the cocaine joke made on the liners of the Brother vinyl boot. Something like "Not the kind of lines you may think". It is very Brian to write a song about everyday life he just didn't make it interesting.

On Broadway: Terrible, Al sounds awful. I think Sea Cruise, Shake Rattle and Roll, or  Come Go With Me would have been way better.

Games Two Can Play: One of my favorite Brian songs. Just sums up the casual excellence of his late sixties work. The vocals, the wry lyrics, the melody, they are all perfect in their simplicity. Just good music period.

It's Trying to Say : Not something I would list in my top 100 Beach Boys songs, but Dennis does sing it with warmth. The melody is quite nice, and it's just harmless fun.

Still I Dream of It: One of the best Beach Boys songs of any era. Brian sings this very well, and it's hard to understand why he didn't always let his new voice work for him. In other words this is the perfect pitch and key for someone with a limited range and had voiced all his late 70's work like this I would think much better of it. The lyrics are great and so real.

All in all Adult Child was my favorite post Holland group project. While it's not a great cohesive whole, there are tracks that show Brian on top form.  

[smile-holland]

I'm about halfway through my journey to collect every recorded Beach Boys album, and I downloaded "Adult Child"...

GOOD... LORD.

They actually considered releasing this piece of crap?!  We get a song about how we shouldn't "sit on our ass smoking grass"; we get the Beach Boys apparently planning gang-rape on a 'little tomboy' and insisting she shave her legs; we get a song that discusses stomach pumps and enemas; and we are informed that a cigarette butt, upon hitting water, goes "psssht".

I understand that Brian was deeply into his mental illness by this point, but he's not the only one to blame - the other Beach Boys are on there too.  Kind of shocking that they would happily sing about a naked fat guy, yet they had severe reservations about "Smile."

The ultimate low-point in the Beach Boys catalog, in my opinion.  Hell with "Summer In Paradise" - this is the bottom of the barrel!

I think "CRAP" is a bit over-exaggerated. Adult Child needs more than one listen. It had to grow on me, that's for sure. Certainly not everything is up to par, but as a whole it can be enjoyable. Don't listen too often too it. Same goes for Love You for example. Typical "you love it or hate it" kinda albums.

I remember (can't quote right now) reading in Andrew Doe's Complete Guide To The Music Of The Beach Boys that he described Johnny Carson as "you'd either be shouting "MORE, MORE!", or you'd thrown the disc out of the window, it's that kind of song on that kind of album"... And I think Lazenby had that same experience when listening to the "dirty version" of Hey Little Tomboy for the first time.

[James Hughes-Clarke]

We get a song about how we shouldn't "sit on our ass smoking grass"; we get the Beach Boys apparently planning gang-rape on a 'little tomboy' and insisting she shave her legs; we get a song that discusses stomach pumps and enemas; and we are informed that a cigarette butt, upon hitting water, goes "psssht".

That's everything I look for in an album.

[matt-zeus]

I like Adult Child but can't really get on with the older stuff- HIOIW, G2CP in that context, I know it was delivered to the record company that way but I know them first and foremost from the GV box so think of them as Sunflower/surfs up outtakes.
The new non-orchestral stuff is good but even rawer than Love you, I think they could have easily bolstered it up with other stuff from this era like Marilyn Rovell, Lazy Lizzie, My Diane, That Special feeling, Sherry she needs me etc.

[Dancing Bear]

How about a 1978 Beach Boys album to make EVERYONE unhappy? 

Almost Summer (Brian Wilson - Al Jardine - Mike Love)
Everybody Wants To Live (Brian Wilson)
Schoolgirl (Dennis Wilson - Gregg Jakobson)
Hey Little Tomboy (Brian Wilson)
It's Over Now (Brian Wilson)
Sad, Sad Summer (Mike Love)

She's Got Rhythm (Brian Wilson - Mike Love - Ron Altbach)
It's Trying To Say (Brian Wilson)
Match Point of Our Love (Brian Wilson - Mike Love)
Still I Dream Of It (Brian Wilson)
Pitter Patter (Brian Wilson - Mike Love- Al Jardine)
My Diane (Brian Wilson)

[SG7]

I like Adult/Child. It is not one of those albums you can play all the time, but when you do it is an interesting experience. I feel the same way about Sweet Insanity.

I actually think the NASCAR album is the worst. Bad timing and only available in gas stations? It is an album very low on the totem pole for me.

[TdHabib]

I'm late to this, but I think Adult/Child is far from bad. In fact, it makes a ncie contrast with Love You if you give it a chance. There's only "Tomboy" for the silliness, there's more than an ounce of truth in "Life is for the Living" is "Everybody Wants to Live Just Once" always seemed like an anthem to me, even though it had silly origins. Most of it is serious, beautiful material. "It's Over Now" and "Still I Dream of It" are two of Brian's best from any era, "Everybody" is very strong and emotional, "Life" is pure fun and "Deep Purple" has a nice arrangement (even if Brian's singing isn't his best, it's still fits the tune). Some of it may be weird, some of it may be poorly sung, but you really have to give it a chance because I love it now even though my first reaction wasn't as hot. It definitely should've seen release.

And, by the way, I've always thought "Tomboy" was always intended as a hoot, and is nothing particularly shocking. Songs with more shocking lines have been written by people with no signs of mental illness (at least on the surface) and no-one has batted an eye. "Tomboy" is just pure fun and I enjoy it.

[smile-holland]

How about a 1978 Beach Boys album to make EVERYONE unhappy? 

Almost Summer (Brian Wilson - Al Jardine - Mike Love)
Everybody Wants To Live (Brian Wilson)
Schoolgirl (Dennis Wilson - Gregg Jakobson)
Hey Little Tomboy (Brian Wilson)
It's Over Now (Brian Wilson)
Sad, Sad Summer (Mike Love)

She's Got Rhythm (Brian Wilson - Mike Love - Ron Altbach)
It's Trying To Say (Brian Wilson)
Match Point of Our Love (Brian Wilson - Mike Love)
Still I Dream Of It (Brian Wilson)
Pitter Patter (Brian Wilson - Mike Love- Al Jardine)
My Diane (Brian Wilson)

Schoolgirl followed by Hey Little Tomboy .... now THAT'S risque....

[DonnyL]

i love the record so much i have a copy on vinyl

[buddhahat]

I just downloaded a cool boot with the Love You demos, and some from Adult Child on it like Till I dream of It and It's Over Now. You realise that Brian was really knocking out killer tunes at this point, but they're killer because they are SO melancholy, unbearably, beautifully melancholy. I've been listening to the Cocaine sessions as well and the same could be said of those. You wouldn't wish that kind of turmoil and misery on him now, but man you do miss those achingly beautiful tunes. I like about half of TLOS but I don't think Brian is any where near the songwriting abilities he had even in the late 70s.

[Amanda Hart]

And, by the way, I've always thought "Tomboy" was always intended as a hoot, and is nothing particularly shocking. Songs with more shocking lines have been written by people with no signs of mental illness (at least on the surface) and no-one has batted an eye. "Tomboy" is just pure fun and I enjoy it.

I totally agree about Tomboy.  Lazy Lizzy though, that's a whole nother story.  That song gives me the creeps.

[wiggbuggie]

adult child is an ok album has some good stuff like Life is for the living and tomboy no were near as good as love you and I prefer the MIU and summer in paradise albums

[grillo]

I prefer the MIU and summer in paradise albums

Dear lord, please tell me you are kidding!

[TheLazenby]

I downloaded Summer In Paradise once and thought it was absolutely painful (IT'S A LOVE THING!), but having just bought "MIU" on vinyl recently, I have to say that I honestly enjoyed it.

"Belles Of Paris" was painful, but "Peggy Sue" had me dancing around the room.

[Alex]

I downloaded Summer In Paradise once and thought it was absolutely painful (IT'S A LOVE THING!), but having just bought "MIU" on vinyl recently, I have to say that I honestly enjoyed it.

"Belles Of Paris" was painful, but "Peggy Sue" had me dancing around the room.

"She's Got Rhythm" is 100% awesomeness!

[The Heartical Don]

Am I right in concluding that opinions are, erm, divided on this?