THE BEACH BOYS - That's Why God Made The Radio SS member reviews

[Ron]

If Brian and Mike sound like they're in the their twenties like everybody says, Al sounds like he's about 13.  I know I'm getting older but there's NO FUCKING WAY a 70 year old man ought to sound like that. 

[Justin]

And the best part it seems Al has no idea just how great he still is...he always seems genuinely touched or surprised when anyone comments to him how beautiful his voice still sounds. 

[Chris Brown]

If Brian and Mike sound like they're in the their twenties like everybody says, Al sounds like he's about 13.  I know I'm getting older but there's NO f*ckING WAY a 70 year old man ought to sound like that. 

Amen to that - it defies logic, really.  Very few singers can keep their voice intact that long - the list of casualties is endless - but amazingly, somehow, Al's tone is as clean and pure as it was in 1965.

[the professor]

As a snapshot, I kinda get what they were doing with this album. 

It opens with the introspective wordless chant "Think About The Days'and you immediately know something is up.  What's going on here?  It's dark, it's looming, it's mysterious and it's beautiful.  The opening chant is only validated later after we've listened to the entire album.   Picture this when you start the album with "Think About The Days"..think of a helicopter shot from high up in the sky and we're slowly zooming in on a convertible, with its top down and an older gentleman sitting at the wheel...it's Brian starting his drive down the Pacific Coast Highway.  This is the beginning of his (and our) journey down memory lane.  He wants to distract himself from his thoughts, though.  So what does he have on in the car during the ride?  Why, the radio of course!  BAM..track two..."That's Why God Made The Radio.'  An ode to the radio as Brian is driving.  He celebrates the radio and he smiles at the good times he's had with the radio being the center of his life.  So what follows?  Tracks 3 through 8 (Isn't It Time, Spring Vacation" "The Private Life of Bill and Sue"  "Shelter"  "Daybreak Over the Ocean"  "Beaches in Mind" ) are the songs Brian hears coming out of the radio.  Yes, they are Beach Boys songs coming through the airwaves as he's driving.  It's as if Brian'is listening to a new Beach Boys album inside a new Beach Boys album!  The songs are a callback to the fun, personal and lighthearted stuff we've always known from the Beach Boys.  Sort of no surprises but still familiar old/new tunes.  When those songs conclude, the radio is turned off and Brian finishes his ride with an introspective look at his own life.  We're now removed from the scene as a spectator, this is now Brian signing to us about himself and life as he knows it.  Thus begins "Strange World" ""From There to Back Again"   "Pacific Coast Highway"  a look inward much like Pet Sounds was (which is why these songs sound so much like Pet Sounds!) and then it ends with the painfully heartwrenching "Summer's Gone".  Brian's trip is over.  He's reached home.  And it's raining.  And it's time to get inside.

This is the album coming from the same guy who realized fifty years ago that he just wasn't made for these times.   And it sounds like in this album, he's finally coming to terms with that.

Justin, you think a lot like I think.  I didn't realize what you've posted, but I can definately see it.  Remember ultimately any art is up to the interpretation of the viewer.  If that's what you hear in it, then I'm sure Brian would be proud that it envoked something deeper than what it seems to be on the surface... I like your theory, I'm going to check it out on my way home tonight, I'll see if I hear what you're saying.

I already got there on "Spring Vacation", I think that's definately meant to be just a song being sung to an audience, not necessarily taken literally.  Seeing it as one of the songs playing on the radio while Brian cruises, I could see that. 

Yes, I agree with Justin too, and I am happy that several writers here are considering the album as a whole,dynamic, self-conscious work with precisely these meta-textual elements that Justin identifies.  Some insightful scholar wrote a 5 star review on Amazon in terms akin to those the professor has been employing.  I can forgive the plagiarism for the virtue of its wisdom. Many of the amazon reviews are excellent and worth flipping through.

[Newguy562]

seriously listening to FTTBA makes me almost shed a tear not because it's beautiful but because i can tell those who doubted the bb's(espeically bw) still had talent in them/him "ha ha ha told ya so now ! f*ck off" (tears of joy!)

[Les P]

This is a beautiful tune and track, and Al's "robot" vocals don't bother me as much as I would have thought.  Hearing this makes me wish they'd utilized him on a few more leads, but no matter.  He brings his "A" game here.

I agree. You listen to the whole album and you finally get to FTBA  and you think "Hello- where's that voice been all this time?" Funny that Al's one featured vocal is the highlight of the album.

I felt that way about the patented BW quarter-note piano chords that open FTTBA...I was kind of losing interest due to the "sameness" of the tracks, then those piano chords started up and my ears and heart perked up: "Now THAT's Brian Wilson!"  Then add in Al's superb vocal, and the last 2 tracks of the suite...  Who could have hoped???

[Sheriff John Stone]

They set out to make a real Beach Boys' album, not a Brian Wilson solo album with the Beach Boys' voices. I'd say they succeeded. A nice, cohesive - as Brian put it - mellow album. This has to be the most Brian has sung on a Beach Boys album since when, Love You, or maybe even Pet Sounds. After seeing and hearing Mike in TV appearances the last few years, I was worried about the strength of his voice. No need to worry. He came through, again, big time. Al got shortchanged a little bit on leads, but he got some key opportunities. Bruce is all over the place. Other than Sunflower, this is the most Bruce can be heard on a Beach Boys' album, even though he didn't have a single lead vocal.

I'm not crazy about the album title (alternative, IMO better choices were suggested on this board), but the album cover is quite appealing (although Krabklaw's versions were better). The album sounds great, not overly compressed. Some of the vocals could've been mixed a little more upfront, but, overall, I like the mix. The songs:

1) "Think About The Days" - The opening note sounds exactly like Carl. To me, this song echoes more "That Lucky Old Sun" (the opening snippet) or Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue". I don't get the "Our Prayer" vibe. I'm still undecided if I like it at the beginning or before "Strange World"

2) "That's Why God Made The Radio" - Good song. I wouldn't have placed it after "Think About The Days". A little too shouty for me; sounds better live. I have a soft spot for this song because we heard it early and it got us going; that was exciting time.

3) "Isn't It Time" - Very catchy song, full of hooks. Brian's a little rough at the beginning; should've been Mike's part. I like the lyrics; it kind of represents the mood of the album. I do think the song could rock just a little bit more.

4) "Spring Vacation" - I still think it's the best "fun" song on the album. Just the right beat. Mike Love and Brian Wilson sharing leads on a Beach Boys' song; you can't beat it. The lyrics don't really bother me. For once I think they use the retro lyrics effectively, unlike the Still Cruisin'/Summer In Paradise era. This song makes me feel good!

5) The Private Life Of Bill And Sue" - More amazing hooks, even though it's a reworked "South American". Joe wrote a great chorus. I love the "hum-body oddy" background vocals. They could've made that radio broadcast at the end louder; I can't make out what they're saying. If you sit and listen to this song two times in a row, you will be singing it the rest of the day.

6) "Shelter" - Another catchy song with a memorable chorus. Jeff is great on this one, but I wish Brian would've given that falsetto part/hook a chance. The lyrics are very adult Brian, but I can definitely hear this in the late 1964/early 1965 period.

7) "Daybreak Over The Ocean" - Mike at his "Kokomo" best. I like the feel of this song. "Daybreak" is a minute too long, but...if you hang in there, you're rewarded by that spectacular "Rock And Roll Lulabye" ending.  "Bring back, bring back my baby" - one of the highlights of the album. Adrian Baker, I salute you!

"Beaches In Mind" - This song could've been saved in two ways. First, place it second, right after "Think About The Days". And, next, pick up the beat a little and let David Marks break loose with a vintage guitar solo. This is "Wipe Out" with out the rap!

9) "Strange World" - Spector percussion, "You Still Believe In Me" bicycle bell...Brian's loving this song. I can hear this song being played on an FM radio station. Another very adult-sounding  Brian song; it's almost a solo-sounding song. I like the production on this one.

10) "From There To Back Again" - Al had to step up. He had to add some class that left with Carl's passing. And he does on this song. Al can be proud of this one. Echoes of old Pet Sounds. I don't know how they did - in 2012 at age 70 - but they did it.

11) "Pacific Coast Highway" - A little too much Jeff at the beginning. I waited a long, long time to hear this emotion from Brian Wilson, and here it is.

12. Summer's Gone" - Brian Wilson meets Pink Floyd. I don't who is responsible for this one - Brian, Joe, Bon Jovi - and I don't care. "Caroline, No", Wonderful", "Cry", "Lay Down Burden", "Midnight's Another Day", and "Wind Chimes" - all in one song. And who thought of that rain at the end? In some ways, this IS the perfect ending Beach Boys song. But, I just can't let go.

This is a very good Beach Boys' album. It's consistently good; no real wince factors or clunkers. The length is fine. I know what they were trying to do mood-wise, but I still think it could use a little more energy on the fun songs, maybe even a rock and roll song. Brian is the master at writing 'em, and Mike is the master at singing them. I am still not adverse to the addition of an Al song, just to add that energy, and another Al lead vocal. I really expected some cool guitar from David Marks; maybe the next album. It's still early, but I place it WITH MIU, L.A. Light Album, and Keeping The Summer Alive - for now. It's not as "fun" as MIU, but it's much deeper. It can't match Side A of L.A. Light Album (with Carl and Dennis, actually Al and Mike, too), but it blows Side B away. It doesn't have some of the high points of Keepin' The Summer Alive, but it might be consistently better.

I don't want to address the production in depth. That's for a separate thread. I think it's OK; could be better. It doesn't ruin the album for me. I don't think the vocals could be much better. Yes, I think Joe Thomas did an overall good job.

This is the album that should've followed Endless Summer/Spirit Of America. This is the album that should've been the Beach Boys 1985 album. This is the album that should've piggybacked on "Kokomo". Unfortunately, the stars just weren't aligned and it wasn't meant to be. I'm gonna enjoy this one on my computer, relaxing on the recliner. and driving in the car. I can't wait to hear what Brian and Mike have in store for us next.

[Ron]

What you said about how it should have followed Kokomo is interesting.  It really does seem like they've almost wasted the last 25 years.  Sad!  Oh well, sh*t happens, lets move forward, because they're back!

[Runaways]

on FTTBA i don't know why, but i LOVE when Al sings the "think about some things we used to do" line, and his voice drops lower in between "about" and "some".  just that little drop i love it. 

[Runaways]

now I see why probyn said it sounded like 80s beach boys.  he played on Beaches In Mind lol.  tough luck of the draw.

[Wirestone]

Also TPLOBAS. I'm sure he thought the record was going to be all Kokomo retreads.

[Justin]

Even members like Al and Bruce have mentioned that they hadn't heard the album in its entirety even as they were finishing it....can't imagine Probyn had access to the entire album to make a fair judgement.  He only spoke on what he knew.

[LetHimRun]

Okay, I finally got to listen to this thing after purchasing it at Target this morning. One thing first, the only song I had heard was TWGMTR as I obviously bought the single, but I abstained from every single little bit of sound or info that linked to any sounds off of this album and I'm glad I did. I am beside myself. I can't believe it is so good. I was only hoping that it'd be this good. I'm so happy for the Boys.

[Newguy562]

Okay, I finally got to listen to this thing after purchasing it at Target this morning. One thing first, the only song I had heard was TWGMTR as I obviously bought the single, but I abstained from every single little bit of sound or info that linked to any sounds off of this album and I'm glad I did. I am beside myself. I can't believe it is so good. I was only hoping that it'd be this good. I'm so happy for the Boys.

your favorite song so far?

[Runaways]

Even members like Al and Bruce have mentioned that they hadn't heard the album in its entirety even as they were finishing it....can't imagine Probyn had access to the entire album to make a fair judgement.  He only spoke on what he knew.

yeah that was my point.

[LetHimRun]

Okay, I finally got to listen to this thing after purchasing it at Target this morning. One thing first, the only song I had heard was TWGMTR as I obviously bought the single, but I abstained from every single little bit of sound or info that linked to any sounds off of this album and I'm glad I did. I am beside myself. I can't believe it is so good. I was only hoping that it'd be this good. I'm so happy for the Boys.

your favorite song so far?

Summer's Gone, I think. From There to Back Again (Al just blows it away), Spring Vacation, and Isn't It Time are all right there also. I'll have to sleep on it, digest it, and listen again.

[Newguy562]

isnt it time is absolutely horrible :/ idk what you guys see in it smh

[Newguy562]

My favorite moment on FTBBA is 2:02-2:23 it sounds so breezy and heavenly.

[lance]

Listening and loving. I actually really like the production. It has a slickness but it's the right kind of slickness. Even the songs taht others don't like I like, proving once again that I HAVE NO TASTE WHATSOEVER.  Maybe Private Life of Bill and Sue or whatever has been the low point, but it went down easy, for all that. Best since LA, I guess, which is arguably faint praise. It has more of an MIU vibe(probably because MIU was the Beach Boys with little Dennis and Carl) but has more oomph than that album. Songs are cool.

[lance]

Spring Vacation is weird genius. It really is dumb and brilliant at the same time. There is no reason why the most shallow song on the album feels like the deepest.

[Summertime Blooz]

Please indulge me my long-winded review as I've been listening and burning the midnight oil to write it:

It's the That's Why God Made The Radio TOP 12 Countdown:

12) Beaches In Mind- What good is a rock song that doesn't rock that much? Answer: not much good. I don't dislike the song but  the problem is that the thing is just too dang slow. I see it as the nominal rocker on the album as indicated by the squonky  Jeff Baxter guitar and heavy beat  (really hate that guitar sound on a BBs album  BTW) The thing is- it just don't ROCK enough. If they could have simply sped up the tempo a bit, it would have stood out from the other tracks much better and could have been a nice change-of-pace track. What they they have here is a bit of a white elephant- a rocker that simply doesn't rock. They should have gone balls out on this one like they would have done back in the day. Of all the songs, this one has the most unrealized potential.

11) The Private Life Of Bill And Sue- I suppose this was supposed to be the funny song on the album, but it doesn't express a clear viewpoint that would make it funny. The calypso flavor doesn't help it's cause, though I suspect it was supposed to also be humorous as it ties into the lyrics about an ill-fated trip to the islands. I think this would have fared a bit better if it had been sequenced just before Strange World to emphasize the theme of a modern pop culture that is often difficult to understand for people of a certain age. The word “strange”  is used repeatedly  to convey the feeling of detachment as it is in Strange World.

10) Daybreak Over The Ocean- I haven't read this anywhere, and maybe I'm just stating the obvious, but it seems like the inspiration for this song was My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean. Much in the same way that, with Sloop John B, the Beach Boys took an old folk song and brought it into the modern day as a pop song, it occurs to me that Daybreak is an attempt to do the same thing. Mike substitutes “Bonnie” with 'baby' as in "Bring back my baby" instead of "Bring back my Bonnie. "My Bonnie lies over the ocean, My Bonnie lies over the sea" is updated to "As day breaks over the ocean, Moonlight still on the sea". This concept helps me like the song much more, as I can see that Mike put a lot of thought and effort into it's creation. The lyrics feel very complete and are fleshed out nicely. I'm kind of digging this song now, right in the middle of the album, as it's a nice change-up from all the Brian lead vocal stuff, even though it brings Kokomo to mind. I think this song  best captures the Beach Boys’ identifiable sound. So- good job, Mike Love.

9) Strange World- This one doesn’t rate higher for me because it doesn’t have a strong melodic hook that would make me want to listen to it repeatedly. It revisits the theme of alienation that Brian presented so perfectly with I Just Wasn’t Made For Theses Times, although the subject of this song seems to be dealing with his feelings somewhat better. Interestingly this song is placed on the album similarly to where IJWMFTT was on Pet Sounds. It has a real nice sound and clean Spectoresque flourishes, but the song itself just doesn’t measure up to the production.

08) Think About The Days- Obviously this has a stunningly beautiful vocal arrangement, on that we can all agree. What it also has, unfortunately, is a rather corny instrumental tag that’s probably better suited to a Barry Manilow album than something by the Beach Boys. As an album opener, I feel like I’m waiting for the ACTUAL album to begin as I listen to it. It’s way too quiet and somber and makes a poor transition into the good time music that follows. It would have been so much better to have it precede the similarly moody From There To Back Again.

7) Shelter- Summertime? Slumbertime? I dunno- it’s Brian Wison. The second logical single, as I think this one wonderfully updates the classic Beach Boys mold to a glossy modern-day sheen. It pulls off the pretty neat trick of being a very bouncy tune that has a lovely melody. I am still trying to figure out some of the wonkier lyrics, e.g. “running for shade” from “the dark of night”, “Summertime” and something about a parade that I just can’t wrap my brain around. Jeff Foskett has a nice turn on the chorus, doing his best to add that Carl Wilson element to the whole project.

6) Pacific Coast Highway- This one reminds me of The Beatles ‘Long And Winding Road’, only this song is less fleshed out and feels too short and incomplete.  It truly fits into the idea of being a part of suite, with this part being a bridge between From There To Back Again and Summer’s Gone. What is here sounds great though. I do wonder if Brian Wilson considered how The Beatles chose  to close out their final album, Abbey Road, with the suite of songs Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End. Is that competitive fire to top The Beatles still burning somewhere in that mind? If that was his intention or inspiration, I believe he succeeded admirably in creating a fitting capstone to the Beach Boys’ story that can easily stand toe to toe with that classic Beatles finale.

5) Isn't It Time- AKA The Brian Wilson quirky track. How to put this delicately- the song doesn't make a real great first impression. Sure, some of us are used to Brian's 'old' voice, but frankly, I don't think it's really user friendly for the masses. The problem with this song  is that it begins with Brian just kind of naked with a ukelele strumming and some hand claps. Things do get better as the unique arrangement fills out and the other voices start coming in, and the whole thing clops along very  nicely to a sort of ‘Anniversary Waltz’ story about staying together and keeping young at heart. It’s quite touching , and one of several songs on the album that have their subjects looking to the past as a source of rejuvenation. The theme also comes up on Beaches In Mind, Shelter, and  From There To Back Again. Did I mention that I think this is a great Beach Boys track to add to the canon?

4) Spring Vacation-  This is the Beach Boys at their most unashamedly buoyant and melodic . I think there’s wonderful vocal moments on this tune from each of the Boys. I’ve seen it compared by some people to  a commercial jingles and sitcom theme in a negative context, thereby completely missing the plot. This is  the classic Beach Boys style in the raw- it’s purest form. It doesn’t succeed as art in spite of some silly lyrics, but rather those lyrics ARE the pop art Campbell soup can expression of a true American original doing what they do.

3) Summer's Gone- Simply put: chills. Could it be that the chills come from the tinkly frosty arrangement that sounds like snowflakes icily falling through space? Contradictarily Brian croons  on a sunset beach, as he stares out to sea, about Summer’s end, but secretly, about life’s end. Or could it be that my chills come from the gorgeous cascading waves of harmony that flood my ears? Could it be the combination of both of these things. Yup. That’s it- it’s the combination. What a way to end an album. Brian sing his heart out and sounds beautiful doing it. The comparisons to Caroline No are inevitable right down to the sound effects endings, but this song is no copycat.  What a strange cosmic jest that brought Jon Bon Jovi and Brian Wilson together to create this masterpiece.

2) From There To Back Again-  You listen to the whole album and you finally get to this  song  and you think "Hello- where's that voice been all this time?" Funny that Al's one featured vocal is the highlight of the album. I could have lived without the Brian insert as I think it fights the track from being more unified as a proper song instead of a suite unto itself. They could have still used that piece more conveniently elsewhere on the album (just before Summer’s Gone, anyone?), and it would have been just as effective. I love Mike’s “Ba-da-ba” vocals on the tag- hell, I love the whole tag and wish it were longer.

AND  NOW,COMING IN AT NUMBER ONE ON OUR TOP 12 COUNTDOWN, LADIES AND GERMS (long drum roll):

1) That's Why God Made The Radio- It’s the best song on very very good album by the Beach Boys. It wraps nostalgia for a bygone era with a hope for the future in a spiritual celebration of love and music, and, maybe more importantly, the love OF music. You will find your rejuvenation there as the album will repeatedly remind you. It should be the universal theme song of The Beach Boys for the new millennium. It’s good.

[Eric Aniversario]

My favorite moment on FTBBA is 2:02-2:23 it sounds so breezy and heavenly.

That's my favorite part of the whole album!  Whatever I'm doing, (unless I'm driving!), I stop what I'm doing, close my eyes and just soak it in.

[briwal]

Track for track....is this the best Beach Boy's ALBUM since...Sunflower?  There are some great individual songs over the last 40 or so years...but having Brian's near total involvement on a project with FULL production...Sunflower may have been the last album to do this...LA Light comes close...but that album had a damn DISCO song on it...plus Sumahama...ugh...

[Summertime Blooz]

Track for track....is this the best Beach Boy's ALBUM since...Sunflower?  There are some great individual songs over the last 40 or so years...but having Brian's near total involvement on a project with FULL production...Sunflower may have been the last album to do this...LA Light comes close...but that album had a damn DISCO song on it...plus Sumahama...ugh...

I'd say best since Surf's Up- that's a really solid album with a few outright masterpieces.

[briwal]

Track for track....is this the best Beach Boy's ALBUM since...Sunflower?  There are some great individual songs over the last 40 or so years...but having Brian's near total involvement on a project with FULL production...Sunflower may have been the last album to do this...LA Light comes close...but that album had a damn DISCO song on it...plus Sumahama...ugh...

I'd say best since Surf's Up- that's a really solid album with a few outright masterpieces.

You have a great point....and that was 40 years ago!  We are fortunate indeed to have this record!