The Smiley Smile Message Board

Discuss, review and rate  Caroline Now! The Songs of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys, released Aug 8, 2000.

(http://www.smileysmile.net/images/albums/carolinenow.jpg)

A nice collection. I bought this when it came out, and it opened up my ears to a lot of the seventies material - which surfaced on cd at about the same time. Highlights for me are Stevie Jackson's Good Time, Kim Fowley's Almost Summer, the first released version of Rainbow Eyes, Alex Chilton's I Want To Pick You Up, and The Free Design's Endless Harmony - a horrible song completely redeemed by this stunning version. All in all, a 4.

this is a great collection of rare stuff....Stevie is great...Go Away Boy, reminds me of something Lennon would submit for the Beatles...Busy Doin nothin sounds wierd but great...not a big fan of the singer who took on Almost Summer, it sounds drunkly slurred, it's kinda annoying...Big Sur, Good Timin' sounds great...Honkin Down the Highway sounds sounds like the country way i always heard it as.

This has been released on double white vinyl  - http://www.marina.com/marinanews.html   . finest beach boys tribute imo . 5 all the way

'Rainbow Eyes' is so much better then Brians version.

Great collection. I wish there would be a volume 2. Only thing I totally dislike is Kim Fowley's introduction to "Almost summer".
But it's very cool to see how these songs even sound good in other musical styles. It even makes me like some of that electric-stuff.
I could live without the french-version of "Girl don't tell me" though.
Anyway it's the best tribute I have heard yet. 5 stars.

I also like the artwork. The pics of the Beach Boys are fantastic and don't try to create that surf-image.

Just joined this board and like the work that AOI has put in in putting all these album threads up. I'd suggest you don't frop them due to old age.
New joiners like me will appreciate them.
Anyway...I have always liked Caroline Now - a chilled way to listen to BW's music. One of the best tribute albums in my view.

5 out of 5, definitely! A big round of applause should go to David Scott (= The Pearlfishers) and Duglas T. Stewart fpr producing most of the tracks. Chip taylor and Evie Sands are just great. Outstanding: Pet Sounds by Germany's top movie composer of the sixties, Peter Thomas,  done all by himself in his place of retirement St. Tropez - the guy must be in his mid-seventies now.

Having been on a recent odyssey through many of the BW/ Beach Boys tribute albums, IMO this is definitely one of the very best, if not the best, due to the generally strong versions/ performances, good song choices (from classics to obscurities) and the willingness to do something different with the material. An overall very pleasant listening experience.

Recommended  8)

Awesomeness! I love the Roy Orbison-ized Honkin' Down the Highway and French Girl Don't Tell Me. The only track I don't really care for is Lines...A wimpy Scottish dude singing the "She's gonna tell him" part just doesn't seem to work once you're used to Carl's aggressive take on it.

Yeah! I mean... look at her!  :happydance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzGvpYx5HoY