It was the first album I ever bought. I was already a huge Beach Boys fan, but with no record player in the house I didn't have any single records of the boys. The Beach Boys had always had minor hits in Holland, but Sloop John B hit the big.

From my first self earned money I then bought my own record player, and Pet Sounds was the first album to be played on that record player. Speaking of first loves.......... Best buy I ever did. It still sounds as fresh as it did then. I still love God Only Knows with perhaps the best lyrics a song ever had. Besides that, the album has sounds you never heard before, and at times the sounds were so intense and difficult to get into. Amazing! A couple of years later I had to buy a new one because it was worn out.

I'm with Bicyclerider.

Sorry, Ossama Long, re-phrase: The song is not out of synch on the album. It’s just a fine rocker. I know you can change history in leaving out a few words, but that was not the intention.

The funny thing about CaTP-ST is that it still stands as a solid album, there’s nothing phoney about it. Mind you, it’s 27 years old and I don’t think it has aged a second. It’s also a 4 x 2 album, two songs from Brian, two from Ricky & Blondie, two from Dennis and two TM songs, but somehow it works. I quite like the separation into a rock-side and a softer side. That’s what you had back then when there weren’t CD’s, two sides on an LP you know.

I reckon “You need a mess of help to stand alone” as one of the best rockers of The Beach Boys (if not their best) and I’m glad I had the chance to witness it during a live concert in 1970. It sure is a great track to start an album. They should have played this song live more often. At first I had something against “Here she comes”, as not being a Beach Boys song, but when I listened to it on a good record player and heard all the parts in its right proportions and at a good volume, it was just as good as any Beach Boys song. “Marcella” is still a highlight during Brian’s concerts. The songs on side 2 by Dennis are just a proof of what we would have gotten if he was given permission to release his own album around 1970. I still don’t get fed up listening to “Cuddle Up”.

Why should I buy an album again when I bought them way back in the early sixties. Unless all the songs are in stereo...

As I recall, there's an up-tempo version of the song from that film. In fact, the song cries out for an rock version. I would love to hear that from Brian & His Band.

Although it's a nice story, it says nothing new. On the other hand, at the end of the story, there's a short piece by Kingsley Abbott with an interview with Alan Boyd. He not only talks about the beautiful things that are left in the vaults, but mentions also that "there's at least another album's worth of Dennis Wilson material, pre-Caribou, that should be heard...".

Need I say more. I know Christmas always comes once a year, but let's make it a great Christmas this year.

Recently I visited a friend of mine who showed me a copy of an English white label promo album of Holland. The song titles are written with a pen on both labels and even written down are Side 1 and Side 2 with the song titles. Nothing strange so far. Funny thing is, that side one is the album side we know as side two (and side 1 is the 2nd side). Thinking about that, to me it sounds quite natural that the album would start with The Trader (because of the ‘hi’ at the beginning) and that album was going to end with the trilogy, as a sort of best for last. Does anybody know if that was the initial sequencing of songs on the album and if so, why they changed the sides of that album?

I haven't quite liked this song for as long as I know the song (yes, it's that old), but this is a cover I can live with.

In hindsight I would say they never should have put SDT on the record. But at the time, it was a topic song and Jack Rieley wanted it a "modern" album. It was a hit single in Europe back then, so yes, they were right in putting SDT on the album. And it was the closer of side 1. We didn't have CD's in those times, so it didn't matter putting the track there. But when Surf's Up was released on CD it became a disturbing track. I wasn't too keen on Looking At Tomorrow either back then and I still find it a mediocre track. If we had known back then that WIBNTLA and 4thOJ were dropped in favor of those two.........
Still, some years ago I heard a rumour that they were going to release the album Surf's Up as a DVD-A, but with extra tracks like WIBNTLA. But nothing happened. As a matter of fact, I believe they prepared the project, only no release.

The first time I listened to it was some weeks after it was released. I’d read in the music papers that he’d worked on Smile, but that the whole project was abandoned. I played the record in the music shop and I was instantly knocked out. All those great sounds; was this we had missed with Smile? It became my Smile substitute back then and it is still one of the best albums from that era, IMO. People back then were wondering whether Van Dyke Parks was a brilliant musician and would become one of the important composers of the century, or a name no-one would remember in a couple of years.....
Some five years ago after one of his rare concerts I met him back stage and told him Song Cycle was my all-time favourite album, he smiled and wanted me to be his son. He’s a great musician and a person with his heart in the right place.

I received the CD this week and have listened to it once. But I think I will listen to it a couple of times more to get it all. I like the package a lot, it has a lot of information, it shows the words and above all....I think it's a vital part of The Beach Boys' history. You can listen to the whole of Be Still for the first time. Not earth shaking.

I know what you mean phirnis.  When I first listened to the live version of TLOS, I thought perhaps VDP should have done the narratives. But hearing the released version I'm glad he did not. It would be out of synch. Brian sounds perfect and the right man to do it. But a cameo appearance would have been nice...

When I first heard TLOS live I had my doubts about the whole project. When I heard the demos a lot of my doubts faded, but now I've heard the LP I think it's amazing. MOJO calls it a "near classic", so my hopes were high. And I am not disappointed, on the contrary, I believe it's an album with strong songs and Brian's voice is better than ever. I smiled a couple of times of some "jokes" in the music (when there's a "hum" sung, you'll hear humming). There is lots to listen to in the music itself. And very energetic. I sure hope Capitol/EMI will promote the album like it deserves.

I’m getting kinda used to this version, but it’s not my favourite Rhonda. When I first HMR on the radio in 1965 I was thrilled. A great up-tempo song, a great hook, a great chorus, great singing, and a wonderful and great short solo. But it worked. The song was alive and kicking, Rhonda was the girl you’d go for. Although I kind of understand Alan’s bluesy approach to the song, I love the harmonica, I feel the song doesn’t make waves. Somehow, it doesn’t belong here. Love the video though.

Maybe a visit to The Flame site will be helpfull: http://www.the-flames.com/

Yeah, and I even talked with Bruce after the rehearsals. There were even pictures made outside the venue with Bruce, but not with Blondie and Ricky. And no, I never saw Marcella on Dutch TV.

I'd say: Justice........at last!

Got mine today: it's in the shops in Holland. And what a beauty it is. Imagine Only With You on the Holland album. The album would have sold far better. And what about Tug Of Love. It's better than anything the Beach Boys did around those days. The songs sound so clear, you'll hear things you never heard before. And I thought Christmas comes only once a year.

I read somewhere he was on Holland too, so that must be Charles Lloyd on Beaks Of Eagles.

In the early 70-s a lot of jazz musicians entered the world of rock, hence jazzrock came alive. Charles Lloyd, he plays saxophone/flute, was such a musician. Lloyd's music was called a jazz-psychedelic cross over. In those days he was found regularly on stage at the Fillmore with bands like Quicksilver Messenger Service and The Grateful Dead. In the world of jazz he's recognized as one of jazz's great performers. His band even played the Fillmore West.
Before he formed his own band, he played with Cannonball Adderley (1964-65). He sort of quit playing in a band in 1969 and became a teacher of transcendental meditation. That's the link to the Beach Boys and especially Mike Love. Because of this friendship Charles Lloyd played on several tracks on Beach Boys albums. He also played with Mike Love in their band Celebration.
In 1972 there was another Charles Lloyd album, called Waves with the song TM which has Alan, Carl, Mike and Billy. Both albums are hard to find...

And yes, it's a disgrace we had to wait sooooo long for this. Imagine what beauties are in the Beach Boys vaults.

Yeah, I loved the album from day 1! I knew back then that SMiLE would have been something completely different, but that didn't matter. Wind Chimes was an instant favorite. And yes, I would love to have this album in full stereo. Imagine the vocals on the outro of Wind Chimes. They will drive you mad, as I once listened to a home-made simulated stereo version of the song.

Sorry, it's been confirmed it is a hoax.

Could it be the Mamy Says part of Vega-Tables was Brian's input? Then it was left off the song and a couple of months later Mike listens to this part, realizing he could make a real track out of it. The varied vocal parts may be his idea and adding "pooooof". If so, he gets a credit. That could be a reason we don't see his name on BWPS.