The Beach Boys Love You

[Jason]

BURN!

[the captain]

[Bows to the left, bows to the right...and bows to the center audience, who cheers on our humble hero.]

Shoot, shouldn't have said "bows." We all saw what happened when Ian tried that word on this board.

[Jason]

Yeah, what a display of immaturity that was.

But yeah, we were talking about Love You. Y'know, the first new wave album!

[the captain]

Although I've got nothing against immaturity...obviously.

[artie]

It is MY opinion that "Love You" is more enjoyable than Sunflower or Smiley Smile. It is the first Brian Wilson solo project. An eccentric genious at work. The outtake from 1970 (Good Time) gives a glimpse into the past, and the rest is simply a treat. The melodies are lush and beautiful, though sparsely arranged. The Night Was So Young is one of the most gorgeous Wilson melodies, as as I Want To Pick You Up.

It's a fun album which is unencumbered by Mike Love, whose vocal on Airplane is one of his best.

Lastly, Peter Buck's liner notes on the two-fer were a disgrace and a disservice to the fans. Would have rather had Leaf write them.

5.

[HighOnLife]

I think they should get Sean Lennon to do all the liner notes on all the albums when they get remastered in 2011, for the 50th anniversary of the Beach Boys' first album.

'I listen to the Beach Boys' every morning! They make me soooo happy!'

[analogdemon]

This album is so strange.  It's strange musically, lyrically, and any other way you want to name.  I think anyone who has ever listened to this album can see why there is NO gray area with fans.  You either love it or you hate it.  You can put me in the "love it" category.  Frankly, if you think this album is too weird for your taste, I think you're just too normal.

Side 1 is definitely better than Side 2, but the album does hold together well as a whole.  I love that Moog just farting away and the harmonies are great.  A twisted, demented, hilarious masterpiece.  I give it a 4.

[monkee knutz]

OK. Honestly. From my heart, really.
I'd like to have someone here who feels up to the task, write up a review (while listening to this album, as I did) and support each track and give it's weaknesses & strengths. Someone who really thinks this release is the work of art that 95% of BB's fans believe it really is. Someone who has a personal attachment to it. I don't see it and I want some rationale. Who's game?
Ian? Luther? Jason? Donald?
Make it shine!

I might even reciprocate with a glowing review of KTSA!   

[I. Spaceman]

I'll do it, no problem.

[the captain]

I might do that, but not likely tonight--or at least not for a few hours. Strangely enough, I actually have something I need to get done first. Later, possibly. But it won't be a complete opposite, because I really don't love every track, or worship it (or any other album, for that matter). So it will likely be more just something along the lines of me saying the things I hear, and generally enjoy. Sometimes it's something technically awful but funny/silly; others, more musical things, like a progression here or there.

Anyway, we'll see.

[Jason]

Love You is an albatross in the Beach Boys' world. You either love it and get it, or you hate it and don't get it. There is no indifference with The Beach Boys Love You. This album cannot possibly be ignored by any Beach Boys enthusiast, no matter how small they may be. It's a precious insight into Brian Wilson the person rather than Brian Wilson the artist, albeit one filtered through to you, dear listeners, through synth-heavy arrangements and some of the worst vocals ever seen on a Beach Boys record.

Let Us Go On This Way - a rockin' opener to the album, Carl in fine vocal form. Mike supplies the lyrics to this ditty and we already don't know what to expect. The lyrics are admittedly dumb, but there's a charm to them that cannot be ignored.

Roller Skating Child - This is the point when the casual listener's eyebrows perk up. A fascinating insight into Brian's childlike behavior, as seen when he was 34 (the album was recorded in late 1976). Al and Mike sing lead on this one.

Mona - Dennis' vocal is horrible, the lyrics are horrible, but it's delivered so straight that you can't help but like it. One of the all-time best examples of Brian Wilson the person.

Johnny Carson - Like Andrew Doe says in his book, by this point most listeners have taken this off the turntable or CD player and left it to gather dust. A simple ode to the nighttime wizard, with some of Brian's simplest lyrics and some of the best vocals on the album, which isn't saying much.

Good Time - A Sunflower outtake, and Brian has his 1970 voice on it. Written with Al, this tune seems out of place with the rest of the album, but is a fine leftover.

Honkin' Down The Highway - Never since Sunflower have there been so many rockers on one side of a Beach Boys record. This simple track in which Brian plays all instruments, is simply arranged, lyrically dumb (the Beach Boys were honkin' down the real highway in far better times artistically), and absolutely irresistible. Al sings lead.

Ding Dang - The shelf life of this song is unavoidable. First recorded in 1969 during the 20/20 sessions as "Rollin' Up To Heaven", then recorded again in 1973 with new support from former Byrd Roger McGuinn, this is the third known time the track was recorded. It doesn't mean anything.

Solar System - One of the real highlights of this record and one of Brian's better vocals as well. The lyrics are, again, dumb, but the vocals and idea of the song are wonderful.

The Night Was So Young - Brian's back in ballad mode and Carl takes the lead on what is undoubtedly the highlight of the album. Brian contributes some of his finest lyrics and Carl plays the ringing guitar.

I'll Bet He's Nice - Dennis is back and gruff as usual on this rhythmic ballad. Brian's obviously singing about someone he loves who is looking at another man.

Let's Put Our Hearts Together - Brian and Marilyn duet on this dumb love song. The vocals from the former partners in life are admittedly raw, but there's a sincerity in this tune that is lacking in a lot of music.

I Wanna Pick You Up - Dennis is back yet again and not as gruff as usual. The lyrics are, admittedly, disturbing, if indeed the song is being sung to a child. But therein lies the song's charm.

Airplane - Mike takes the lead on this slice-of-life from Brian, with some of his best and simplest lyrics. A real sleeper highlight of this record.

Love Is A Woman - If you've made it this far, you obviously get the album. If not...it sucks being you. Brian takes the lead on this raw, passionate tune that isn't hampered by its deceptively dumb lyrics.

That's The Beach Boys Love You. It's synthy, the lyrics are mostly dumb, the vocals are horrible. What's not to love? I stand behind the 5 I voted this album.

[monkee knutz]

I've seen this before... last board?? Nice. Honest. You admit there's some clinkers. I respect that. Cool. Thanks Jason.
I wanna seen Ian & Luther's. Thanks boys! 

[Matinee Idyll]

I will say, that at this point of their career (after 15BO) I'd have entrusted all the songwriting duties to Dennis and Carl for an album... And I think, hypothetically, it would have been better than Love You.  I mean, POB is...

[I. Spaceman]

I disagree! POB goes side by side with LY. Unfortunately the 3rd brother did not provide us with his own masterpiece.

[Matinee Idyll]

No, but if he turned in just a couple of songs as good as "Feel Flows" or "Trader" to sit alongside Dennis' tunes, it'd be a hell of an album.

[I. Spaceman]

True dat, or even as good as Full Sail and Angel Come Home!
It's funny how slow and intense the rest of the band's heads were at in comparison to Brian's, on the surface.
The rest of the band are laboring over their heavy tunes from LA and POB and Brian is laying down Johnny Crson and Roller Skating Child!
Of course, then you realise that the issues Brian was dealing with in songs like Let's Put Our Hearts Together, I Wanna Pick You Up and The Night Was So Young were just as intense, just deceptively breezy and uncomplicated.
And in songs that weren't being released (It's Over Now, SInce I Dream Of It), he was plumbing the depths of adness.

[the captain]

Ah-ha, the heavy tones of what, to modern ears, can only be considered God-awful synths introduce Brian Lo—er, the Beach Boys Love You. And what the hell is going on, here? Didn’t this band release Holland, a pretentious but undeniably ambitious album, just a few years before? “God please let us go on this way” indeed.

“Roller Skatin’ Child” is joyful, exhuberant. Too many people fall into the Brian Wilson myth with this album, but when faced with the second song, what else can they do? A thirty-something, overweight, bearded man has given us a jubilant romp that celebrates the joys of how he and his girl (literally, girl) will “even do more when your momma’s not around.” It should be really, really sick. But, like the rest of Love You, somehow it’s a Get Out Of Jail card. Brian has free reign, so we can listen to “Roller Skatin’ Child,” to “Mona,” and all the others without shame. (You haven't lived until you've blasted this song--this album--in your car with the windows down while driving...preferably in a hip or tough neighborhood. Singing along. Loudly.)

Back to the point, Love You is a Get Out Of Jail card, just like the Beach Boys have always been. It just happens to be a different rendition of that same song (if you’ll forgive the reference). And it-“Mona,” that is—is a great song, one of the best on the album. An infectious melody circling those fifths, it’s one of his many examples of how Wilson could give a Spector production at the drop of a hat, although the lyrics are just oh-so-Brian.

“Johnny Carson” is also oh-so-Brian, but in a different way altogether. One of the joys of the song is imagining Mike Love’s reaction to being asked to sing the verses. Is it any better to sing “He sits behind his microphone / he speaks in such a manly tone” than “over and over, the crow cries, uncover the cornfield?” I mean, is it? As always, the mixture of simplicity and cleverness is apparent throughout the song, though. The keyboard parts through the verses, in particular, bouncing from part to part (and side to side in the stereo spectrum) are wonderful, as are the vocals in the refrain. And that outro…fantastic. Some things are just so f@cking stupid…

The ever-ready Beach Boys archives contributed “Good Time,” of course, but rightly so, and several years overdue. Somehow, despite the obviously less worn vocal cords, the song fits perfectly on the album, probably because of the interesting wood-block rhythm as it dances with other subtle, lovely, simple parts, all combined to make a whole that’s surprisingly difficult. And the fact is, after four songs of hoarse vocals, it’s nice to hear some of those sweet, pure high notes.

But “Honkin’ Down the Highway” brings us back, and we feel that same uncomfortable sensation as we did at the first track—the beat is insistent. Al’s voice is a good choice, just the little hiccup required to pull off a rocker. And the synth bass line is one of the best of the album. Somewhere along the line—probably at “I guess I’ve got a way with girls”—you realize that these lyrics are just beyond your usual Beach Boys triteness. But it doesn’t matter. Again, there is such energy…and such sincerity…and such craftsmanship. It just doesn’t matter.

“Ding Dang.” Ahahaha. Make fun all you want. But you can’t write anything better. Pick a part and sing along, and notice how you mess it up every time because the other parts confuse you. But before you get too confused at this Wilson/McGuinn song, you can move on to being confused by a Wilson composition. A VERY Wilson composition. “Solar System” is probably the most spare arrangement on the album, but it doesn’t much matter, or at least it doesn’t matter any more than that the vocals in the refrain are horribly out of tune. And Wilson rhyming “it” with “it,” for that matter. You wonder, was Brian serious? Was he kidding? Does it matter at all? It doesn’t. Get Out Of Jail card. Solar system brings us wisdom, goddamnit. And then we’ll have world peace. What a dilemma.

Of course, things get serious now. “The Night Was So Young” is more of a traditional Brian Wilson ballad in form and content, if not in orchestration and production. But imagine it (or, if you’ve the means, record it with standard instrumentation) and you’ll see how easily it fits into his classic work. It’s a beautiful, beautiful song—childish lyrics or not. Speaking of which, “I’ll Bet He’s Nice” is every bit the equal of its predecessor. The gurgling, burbling synths panned hard right and left are great. The background vocals are great. The (again, synth) bass part is great; the lead is great. The bridge, with Carl singing in his typically soulful manner, is great. So there are no drums. So the rhymes are, at best, forced into patterns your kids might have dreamed up. That doesn’t matter here because the song is really that good. It really is that good.

To me, the album ends here. Or at least it could have. “Let’s Put Our Hearts Together” has its moments, but for the most part is overly schmaltzy. And neither Marilyn Wilson nor the steel-drum sound is pleasant. “I Wanna Pick You Up” is better, even with Dennis barely singing at all, and an embarrassing group unison through the refrain, because of the nice progression hammered out by a beat-by-beat piano. The initial contribution of “Airplane” is to serve as a reminder that Mike Love was in the studio, which is a bit of a disappointment here. It is a sluggish song that does, at least, feature some group vocals and great organ and synth tones (as well as more of those primitive drum parts that saturate the album, sparse and elementary, but loaded with powerful echo). The final contribution of “Airplane,” though is a surprise reprise that’s probably better than the song proper.

“Love is a Woman,” is famous for being a track Brian, um, performed at the time. His hoarse voice struggles through the refrain before stepping aside for Mike Love’s rendition of some lyrics that Wilson should be pleased to have turned over to his cousin. Although, frankly, those he kept for himself are no better.

In the end, it’s a disappointing end to an album that started with energy, chordal inventiveness and production values generally unknown in music at the time. Love You is a ridiculous album, indefensible in its absolute childishness and sloppy performances. But, damnit, despite the obvious nods to old favorites and tried-and-true techniques, there’s something new here in the sound. And, far more important, there’s real life in the sound, energy and vitality that were nowhere to be found in the embarrassing 15 Big Ones or the bulk of what was to come after. So it has a Get Out Of Jail card. It goes free. Brian loves you.

[Emdeeh]

Why won't the poll let me vote? Is it because I tried to rate LY at "0"??

Well, anyway I'm firmly in the "hate it" camp. LY always sounds to me like the guys were slacking off with a contractual obligation album. I really tried to like this one -- I heard some of the songs done live ("Airplane") before I heard the recorded versions, and the recording was a huge letdown after hearing the live versions.

[monkee knutz]

LY always sounds to me like the guys were slacking off with a contractual obligation album. I really tried to like this one.

Yeah. I feel the same way. I feel it's got this 'let's get it over with' kind of attitude. My opinion's already known.
And I don't 'hate' it. Hate is a pretty strong word. I just don't think it's as good as everyone wants to believe that it is.
Peace brotha's & sista's. I don't be hatin'.

[liam]

Why won't the poll let me vote? Is it because I tried to rate LY at "0"??

Won't let me vote 5 either... 

An Error Has Occurred! Either that poll doesn't exist, the poll has been locked, or you tried to vote twice. 

Chuck?!!!

Anyway, IMHO LY is the second-best BB album of all time (after Pet Sounds, and not including the Smile stuff on GV).  It's just a lot of fun and manic energy (well, maybe apart from the first part of Airplane).

Guess I'm totally on the other side from Mr. Knutz, as I love it for the synths (especially the farty basslines), and the great barmy lyrics.
"It seems we have extra-sensory perception!  You can send me thoughts I'd have no objection"
"It's so cold I go brrr"
"And so she needs her falsies on"
"Take it one little inch at a time now... I guess I got a way with girls"
"If Mars had life on it, I might find my wife on it"
"I know it may sound funny but you're the kind of woman who'd make a very sweet wife"
"Pat, pat, pat, pat, pat her on her butt, butt, she's going to sleep be quiet"
"4,5,6, she fell for all my tricks"
This sort of thing should really give the listener the utter creeps, but instead it comes across as being totally honest and genuine.  I think this effect makes LY unique amongst my entire (large-ish) album collection.

And the production may be unconventional, rough & ready, but there are lots of cool and interesting touches (be it the cymbal crash in Johnny Carson, or the harmony vocals at the end of Love Is A Woman).

Only track I skip is Mona - too repetive and boring.  I'd possibly also ditch Good Time as it's obviously out of place (but it should have been released earlier).

Liam

[Mitchell]

I LOVE Love You. Everything about it. The sheer exuberance makes it work. I can't help but sing along with every song. In my iTunes, all of the songs on this album have been played at least 25 times in the last year, which is more than I can say for any other album I have. My least favourites are probably Mona and Ding Dang, but they're still fun and short enough that they don't really get in the way. I'd vote 5 if I could.

[Daniel S.]

I tried to vote & give the album a 4. But the voting is locked. I'll try again later.

Anyway, what I want to say is that what I love about the album is the sincerity and that album gives you an idea of how completely insane Brian is. The songs are good and have a lot of charm. This is an album you work your way up to. I'm glad I heard it after I burned through all the 60's material and I felt like I was in tune with Brian's development. Then I was grateful that he gave us an album like Love You.

[Chris D.]

Only track I skip is Mona - too repetive and boring.

It's essential and the placing is perfect.  After the pedophile poetry of "Rollerskating Child" it's the kind of relentless assualt needed -- musically it sounds like he's just banging the chick.  Plus, if he's singing about his attraction to a little girl on the previous song, it makes sense to put a song about an older woman right after it.  They're both the same thing, just for different age groups.

[I. Spaceman]

And one of the most emotional moments in BB history is "I KNOW you're gonna love Phil SPECTOR".  Another is Brian's cover of the Crystals' There's No Other on Party. Proof that Brian was one of the ultimate FANS of music, and was able to work himself into equal measures of childish glee and tearjerking emotion over his idol's work, making art out of his feelings about someone else's art..
I think that's pretty damn cool.

[Chris D.]

Done.  A clear 5.  Sums up pretty much everything good about Brian's talents.