New album info (as it rolls out...)

[coco1997]

The first three tracks are fantastic. However, the transition from "Think About the Days" to "TWGMTR" is pretty jarring.

"Isn't It Time" is instant classic Beach Boys. Do my ears deceive me, or is that a farty, "Love You"-sounding synth line I hear during the chorus? I really love how strongly each of the Boys' vocals come through at various times throughout this one, especially Brian's part at the very beginning and Mike's singing the chorus by himself later in the song. Al sparkles throughout the entire thing. And Jeff's "Let's raise our glass to kindness" line is just beautiful.

"Spring Vacation" is not nearly as bad as I feared it would be. Lyrics are really cheesy but the verse melody is incredibly catchy. This is probably the song hurt most by the album's production.

"The Private Life of Bill and Sue" is pleasant enough. I think people would probably really dislike this song if we were told that Mike had written it, though. Nonetheless, it's an interesting subject matter for Brian to tackle. I like the sax noodling and the little radio/TV chatter at the very end.

"Shelter" is really good, but the various parts of the song--the verse, pre-chorus and chorus--all seem kind of disjointed, like they all belong to different songs. Nevertheless, I'll echo others' sentiments in saying it's a real tragedy that Carl isn't alive today to belt out that absolutely gorgeous chorus. In a very strange way the song lies somewhere melodically in between "Thinkin' About You Baby" and "Lahaina Aloha".

I wish "Daybreak Over the Ocean" sounded more like the 1978 Mike Love solo version. It's pretty overproduced, but I do give them credit for retaining Christian Love's vocals, though, and I wish he had more of a presence on the entire record.

"Beaches in Mind" is forgettable but not really offensively bad. I get the feeling there were probably a few other songs in contention for the album that would've worked better here, but what are you gonna do. If the worst thing you can say about the weakest track on a 2012 Beach Boys album is that it's forgettable, then I won't complain.

I'm not sure what to make of "Strange World". I like the Spector-esque production but for the most part it feels pretty forgettable. It'll probably take a few more listens to reach a verdict on this. Definitely don't dislike it, though.

"From There to Back Again" is an absolute stunner. It's unbelievable how well Al's voice has held up over the years, and I don't think any of the other Boys would've sounded right singing lead on this one. There's a lot to digest about the song, but I think the simplest way to describe it right now is if "Winds of Change" grew a pair of balls and had been written by Brian Wilson.

"Pacific Coast Highway" is just great. Seeing as it's probably one of the various transitional pieces that link larger compositions in Brian's "My Life Suite", this leaves me *really* wanting to hear the rest of the suite on the next BB record.

"Summer's Gone" is not really at all what I expected it to be based on the early reviews and descriptions. Very somber and grim even for Brian. There are some great harmonies here (especially when Mike's voice comes through) and I'm really glad the raindrops/crashing waves at the end don't feel gimicky. I wonder what Bon Jovi's contributions to this song were...

[seltaeb1012002]

"Summer's Gone" is not really at all what I expected it to be based on the early reviews and descriptions. Very somber and grim even for Brian. There are some great harmonies here (especially when Mike's voice comes through) and I'm really glad the raindrops/crashing waves at the end don't feel gimicky. I wonder what Bon Jovi's contributions to this song were...

Good review, I agree with most of this. I think it's been established that Jon Bon Jovi wrote the lyrics for the 2nd verse.

[Runaways]

we made a thread for members' reviews!

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,13192.0.html

[Wirestone]

I wonder what Bon Jovi's contributions to this song were...

Well, according to Joe, he basically wrote all of it.

Brian had the title, the concept, and had demoed a single verse. Bon Jovi then expanded it into a full-length song. The tune is only a sequence of verses, though, so it's not like JBJ actually contributed much musically.

[coco1997]

we made a thread for members' reviews!

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,13192.0.html

Thanks! I didn't notice that thread until after I posted my review in this one. Sorry!

[bsten]

The last really good album the BB made was Holland.

Look:
There's no Carl Wilson!!
There's no Dennis Wilson!!

This album's as good as KTSA.

Now back to listening to Kayla Williams!!

/B

[bcdam]

This is going to sound crazy, but perhaps we should all just admit that there's no way that any of us could have a truly subjective reaction to this album until we get perspective on it. It's either not good enough based on our expectations or way better than we deserved...again, based on our expectations. It's the best album since Sunflower...or Holland...or LA...or KTSA...or it's worse than SIP.

Or we could argue about who produced what and how much auto-tune is used (if any. HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE BRIAN OF USING ANY!!!) until we get too tired to type.


That said...Spring Vacation has terrible lyrics.

[thatjacob]

I just found the last three songs of the album streaming online at a questionable site (hopefully amazon mp3 will have a sale or it'll be on spotify on the release date) but I have to say, those three tracks actually lived up to my expectations. I'm surprised.

[hypehat]

.....must be strong...

[jpinmyroom]

Isnt it time sounds like a love child of male ego and its gettin late. I LOVE IT!!! I feared the cheesy lyrics would ruin the album but having only listened to it all the way through a couple of times im already singing along to most of it.

Theres something to be said about that and the direct nature of the lyrics. They fit the songs very well.

I put this album on a par with LA album

[Andrew G. Doe]

Isnt it time sounds like a love child of male ego and its gettin late.

To this ear, more like "ME" & Crack At Your Love". Still ver' good.

[RadBooley]

I just found the last three songs of the album streaming online at a questionable site (hopefully amazon mp3 will have a sale or it'll be on spotify on the release date) but I have to say, those three tracks actually lived up to my expectations. I'm surprised.

I agree wholeheartedly. The pop songs on the first half of the album aren't awful but From There to Back Again to the end is fantastic.

[Autotune]

Alexis Petridis' Guardian review.
Sorry if posted already. 3 stars out of 5, for a guy so dismissive of their recent output, who repels 8 out of the 12 tracks, it ain't bad.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/may/31/beach-boys-thats-why-review

[Runaways]

Alexis Petridis' Guardian review.
Sorry if posted already. 3 stars out of 5, for a guy so dismissive of their recent output, who repels 8 out of the 12 tracks, it ain't bad.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/may/31/beach-boys-thats-why-review

yeah there's a thread for it.  He's a bit to dismissive and a paragraph on spring vacation is a bit much, but it's an ok review.

[phirnis]

First listen from beginning to end. Overall sound reminds me of Still Cruisin', with bits of Imagination, That Lucky Old Sun, M.I.U. Album and Pet Sounds The Musical thrown into the mix. At this moment, out of the much-celebrated last three songs, "Pacific Ocean Highway" is the one I like best. "Daybreak Over the Ocean" reminds me a bit of XTC's "Hold Me My Daddy" (off their Oranges and Lemons album). "Beaches in Mind" is definitely on the Shania Twain side of rawk. "Think About the Days" is simply gorgeous - whose voices do we hear at 0:44? Reminds me of Dennis' "Baby Blue" in a way.

Overall, I think I'm going to like this, easily their best one since BB85 (though I'm a huge fan of about half of the new songs on Still Cruisin'!). A bit slick even by their own standards, though.

[EgoHanger1966]

Got my (physical) copy today. Cruised around and listened to the first eight tracks. This is a GREAT driving album. Funnily enough, the weak spot for me was "Think About The Days". I think it's the placement, and the fact that it reminds me of Our Prayer, but Our Prayer is just so damn good that this pales in comparrison. Bill and Sue will take some getting used to, but parts of it are brilliant! The trio of TWGMTR/Isn't It Time/Spring Vacation is really cool - you feel really good listening to it.

[Runaways]

BLAAAH YOU GUYS SUUCK

[EgoHanger1966]

Summer's Gone might just be the saddest song ever written.

[Ron]

Yeah, when I was listening to "Summers Gone" driving home last night about 10p.m., I couldn't help but think about how sad it's going to be to not have the Beach Boys with us one day.  Sounds like Brian and Jon Bon Jovi were thinking about it too. 

[Mendota Heights]

Summer's Gone might just be the saddest song ever written.

No, it's probably this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK6TXMsvgQg

[Ron]

I gotta go with this one.  So sad you may slit your wrists.  DO NOT WATCH THIS VIDEO IF YOU'RE PRONE TO SLIT YOUR WRISTS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp5Rdb9ncfM

[keysarsoze001]

Yeah, when I was listening to "Summers Gone" driving home last night about 10p.m., I couldn't help but think about how sad it's going to be to not have the Beach Boys with us one day.  Sounds like Brian and Jon Bon Jovi were thinking about it too. 

At the end of "Pacific Coast Highway" I felt quite sad when they sang "good bye".

Overall, yeah, that middle of the record really sags. I might resequence on the old iPod going forward, but my oh my, those last three songs are stunners. So elegiac.

[EgoHanger1966]

I can't help but think the line "Drivin' down Pacific Coast out on Highway One, the setting sun/Goodbye" is a metaphor for death.

[pixletwin]

I can't help but think the line "Drivin' down Pacific Coast out on Highway One, the setting sun/Goodbye" is a euphemism for death.

I think you mean a metaphor.

[EgoHanger1966]

I can't help but think the line "Drivin' down Pacific Coast out on Highway One, the setting sun/Goodbye" is a euphemism for death.

I think you mean a metaphor.

Oops. Fixed. 

I screen grabbed this from one of the Youtube promos. Brian's reading lyrics from the control room. I wonder what they're from ("Strange World"?)