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

[phirnis]

The Private Life of Bill and Sue sounds like South America from the Imagination album.

I like PCH and Summer's Gone but they sound more like BW solo tracks than Beach Boys songs.

I don't know, to me "Bill and Sue" seems much closer to "Busy Doin' Nothin'" than to "South American".

[hypehat]

The only two songs I've been regularly skipping over are 'Beaches in Mind' and 'Strange World' - I'm hoping the latter song will grow on me, but it's just not working so far. Everything else on this album is incredible.

Gotta say I agree. Something about "Strange World" ... it's as if I've heard it before, though I can't place it yet (and not just the melody that it shares with Beaches In Mind).

Yeah, it's a really familiar chord sequence. I do love it, though. The little stabs of strings in the choruses get me.

[BiNNS]

Been listening to the new album pretty much non-stop for the past week. I got to say, i love it.
Bill And Sue probably does the least for me while Beaches In Mind has surprisingly grown on me the most. Truth be told, I'm not as in love with Pacific Coast Highway as others seem to be. Still a lovely little song though.
Am i the only one who hears some Ben Folds elements in Strange World and parts of From There To Back Again?
I can safely say i'd put this album in my top 15 favourite BB's albums list.

[Smilin Ed H]

"The Private Life of Bill and Sue sounds like South America from the Imagination album."

Ohhh, it's not that bad.

[punkinhead]

Where did this discussion of 'life suite' come about? I've read about it in a few different posts concerning the new album. I will warn you, I'm not the most up to date Smiler.

[Zach95]

Where did this discussion of 'life suite' come about? I've read about it in a few different posts concerning the new album. I will warn you, I'm not the most up to date Smiler.

Here's a fantastic interview with Joe Thomas that details the Life Suite and other info: http://andrewromano.tumblr.com/joethomasbeachboys

Here's another article that details the Life Suite: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/may/24/the-beach-boys-are-making-radio-waves/#ixzz1vqB8WEQt

[punkinhead]

Where did this discussion of 'life suite' come about? I've read about it in a few different posts concerning the new album. I will warn you, I'm not the most up to date Smiler.

Here's a fantastic interview with Joe Thomas that details the Life Suite and other info: http://andrewromano.tumblr.com/joethomasbeachboys

Here's another article that details the Life Suite: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/may/24/the-beach-boys-are-making-radio-waves/#ixzz1vqB8WEQt

thanks! I appreciate!

[Micha]

"The Private Life of Bill and Sue sounds like South America from the Imagination album."

Ohhh, it's not that bad.

Right. It's much worse. (cringes)

[myonlysunshine]

I've had the album for a bit now..

Think About the Days - Wonderful opener. Of course everyone is going to think "Our Prayer" when comparing it to other Beach Boys tracks. Amazing that Brian could come up with this on the spot at his age. I wonder what it would have sounded like with Brian's younger, 60s voice. 7/10

That's Why God Made the Radio - I still think that this is the best track on the album, despite the songs in the Life Suite being more popular. It's poppy, catchy, rich in harmony, and Brian sounds great on it. 9/10.

Isn't It Time - One of the catchiest tunes on the new album. The first time I heard this, I couldn't get it out of my head. Jeff, Brian and Bruce all sound magnificent on this. 8/10

Spring Vacation - Great tune. Bad lyrics, but again, it is catchy. Not the best tune on the album, but also not the worst. 4/10

The Private Life of Bill and Sue - Definitely the quirkiest Brian Wilson tune on the album IMO. I like the melody, the lyrics, but not the instrumentation. 5/10

Shelter - Again, quirky Brian Wilson lyrics. I know Joe Thomas probably wrote most of the lyrics on this album, but these definitely seem Brian-influenced. Interesting song. 6/10

Daybreak over the Ocean - Sounds like a cross between Bluebirds Over the Mountain and Kokomo. I like Mike's lead on this one the most. 6.5/10

Beaches in Mind - The worst song on the album IMO. I don't think I'll ever get into this one. I skip this song every time. 1/10

Strange World - This one might grow on me some more. As of right now I'll give it a 7/10

From There to Back Again - Great vocals by Al. I don't know if I'd rate this as high by calling it a Pet Sounds outtake so to speak, but it sure sounds good. I like the introspective lyrics. I wish the vocal processing (or autotune or whatever you want to call it) wasn't so prominent in this track. 8.5/10

Pacific Coast Highway - 8/10

Summer's Gone - Reminds me of Caroline No in terms of pacing, rhythm and mood. Great vocals by Brian. 9/10

Overall, I'd give this album a 7/10. Neither their best nor their worst work, but it holds up well as a cohesive listening experience all together.

[Paul J B]

Overall a 7/10 for me too. I've listened 4 times and there is nothing that "sucks' on it as compared to almost any Beach Boys album after Holland. The biggest plus for me is the suite as it is for others. If the whole album had that feel it really might have been on par with Pet Sounds. The biggest problem I have is that it seems like a meshing together of a few different types of records as opposed to one album. A little too "all over the place".

I don't get why so many people hate Bill and Sue. Yes it is very similar to SA from Imagination but a lot better. Brian sounds like he is having fun on it and the 'BOYS' sound great. I'ts very catchy and kind of funny. Like it or not Bill and Sue has a much more "commercial" sound to it than any other track on the album, especially where the casual fan is concerned. Like Kokomo, people who know nothing about the Beach Boys could crank that up at a party and think it's great, and this time at least Brian is on it.

Also, I agree with others that since the tour has exceeded expectations and the album charted at number 3 which is insane, that the greed in me is now clamoring for the "rock album". I picked up the new Bangles album that came out last fall and I was blown away at how good my favorite female harmony singers still sound. It proved that years can go by and a band can come back with something excellent. It was co-produced by Matthew Sweet and it got me thinking of the possibility of Sweet co-producing the "rock album" with Brain and the boys. Don't know if anyone has every thought about that before but my gut tells me it would work and end up sounding great.

[Paulos]

Okay, having heard the albums many times now I feel I can finally review it:

Think About the Days - A lovely way to open the album, it's almost like this track is intended to show that the Boy's have still got it and can still sing. 8/10

That's Why God Made the Radio - A great song and their best single in a very long time, great lead from Brian with nice moments from Mike, Al and Bruce, wish this had been given more marketing and released as a physical single. 8.5/10

Isn't It Time - This one took a few listens to get into but now it has wedged itself firmly in my brain and won't let go, the sparseness of the instrumentation really fits the feel of this song, great leads again from Brian, Al and Mike. Has to be a shoe-in for the second single. 8/10

Spring Vacation - I remember well the furore that surrounded this when that clip of Mike and Brian singing off-key was released and yes the lyrics are pretty bad but goshdarn what a tune! So upbeat and fun I just cant dislike it, in fact I like it quite a lot! 7/10

The Private Life of Bill and Sue - Still struggling with this song, has grown on me a bit especially the chorus which contains great backing vocals but otherwise it's just kind of 'meh' for me. 5.5/10

Shelter - Yet another grower, seemed a bit disjointed on the few first listens but seems to get better and make more sense with each listen. Love the 'dit dit dooo' backing vocals before the chorus which Bruce does with such enthusiasm on the footage of the Boys recording the backing vocals. 7.5/10

Daybreak over the Ocean - It's too long. It rips off Bluebirds Over The Mountain which I've never liked. The lyrics aren't very good. I keep expecting Mike to sing Kokomo over some parts...and yet it's strangely compelling, Mike's lead is nice and understated and Christians parts sound like Carl, which is a good thing. 6.5/10

Beaches in Mind - Honestly don't get the hatred for this one, love the a capella intro and the use of talk box. I concede that it is a bit cheesy but it's still far better than anything on Summer In Paradise. 6/10

Strange World - Brian knocks this out of the park vocally, love the castanets and the bicycle bell which of course is a nod to You Still Believe In Me. A hugely enjoyable track all round. 7.5/10

From There to Back Again - Al is given his chance to shine and man does he ever, a beautiful track, with great backing vocals and melody. Also the little synth flourishes are a joy and who would've thought Brian had something as good as this up his sleeve. 9/10

Pacific Coast Highway - Goddammit, this is so very beautiful. The 'my life I'm better off alone, my life I'm better on my own' lyrics just kill me. 9/10

Summer's Gone - Just superb, the repeating piano theme is so haunting and Brian's delivery is just full of love, the ending is spine tingling - I can picture myself standing on the beach in the rain in love with the world when I hear this. Mr Bongiovi, I salute you! 9.5/10


A solid 7.5/10 for me, easily the best Beach Boys album since Love You for me, I wasn't expecting much but the Boys have given us a hugely enjoyable album which will continue to give me listening pleasure for many years to come.

[Ziggy Stardust]

Listening to the album for the first time in a while after going back listening to various albums i love, and holy cow is Summer's Gone amazing.. the whole is nice overall, but man, that song.. this is just, wow, the whole arrangement and all.. (well of course FTTBA and POH are as good)

[Sav-Man]

Think About the Days--beautiful way to start the album. Puts me in mind of things like "Our Prayer" and Brian's "One For the Boys." The BBs always sound great when they harmonize with "wordless" vocals ("do-do-do-do," etc).

TWGMTR--The BBs have always been good at making songs that are about the simple power of music to heal and make the day a better one ("Add Some Music to Your Day," "That Same Song"),and this one is no exception. I especially like the way the vocals on the chorus are arranged. I'm glad they picked this for the first single. The production could have been a little more imaginative, but it doesn't hurt the song overall.

Isn't it Time--One of my favorites! What I like about this one is that the vocals are arranged in such a way that the guys go back and forth on the lines (Brian starts, the group sings a line together, Al sings a line, Mike sings a line, etc). It's retro without being obvious about it, and I can't get the chorus out of my head (which is a good thing). Great, catchy song.

Spring Vacation--didn't like this one at first, but it's grown on me. I like the fact that in the first verse, Mike doesn't try to pretend like he and the BBs are still teenagers--note that he sings "we used to get around/get up and hit up all the hot spots in town," but now they're just, as he sings earlier in the verse "doing our best/no need to hurry," even as they're "cruisin' the town, diggin' the scene." One of the big problems w/ many post-1978 BB tunes was that you had 40/50-ish men (well, okay, mostly Mike) singing about how they're "still surfin'", etc., and I'd be thinking, "oh baloney, Mike! You are not!" This song, though, harkens back to some of the BBs older "fun in the sun" songs, but it's set up in a way that's lyrically appropriate for the BBs' age. They still like to have fun, but they've grown up, too. At least that's the way I interpret it!  

The Private Life of Bill & Sue--I sort of wish that Brian and Joe Thomas would have lyrically torn into the Reality TV genre w/ more meanness--then again, I hate Reality TV, so I'm probably biased!   And of course, Brian is just not a mean guy, so I imagine shredding the Reality genre to pieces just wouldn't be his style. Still, the lines "no one knows just why we care" and "wasting time on a sunny day" are on the money for me, and "maybe we're just looking for a change" is as good of an explanation as to why many Americans love Reality TV so much. The best thing about this song for me is the chorus, especially the way Mike, Al, Bruce, and Jeff F. chant "dum-ba-da-da-dum, aye-de-aye-de-yay" while Brian is singing! The energy on the chorus is enough to sell this as a good (if not great) song, which is slight-but-quirky in the style of some of Brian's work on The Beach Boys Love You.

Shelter--this is a nice song to just chill with and relax. Brian has always been good at writing songs that make the listener feel comforted or protected in a way, in addition to being loved (like "Love & Mercy") and this one is no exception. It reminds me a bit of Brian's work during the BW88 period (especially "Let it Shine"). This would be a good song to learn and sing to a loved one (spouse, significant other, etc). The lines "Summertime, take a few calls, make a little love, thank God for shelter" are particularly catchy to me. 

Daybreak Over the Ocean--This was another grower, but now I like it. To me, this is the "tropical getaway" song that "Kokomo" should have been (but wasn't, due to its' cheesy '80's production and its' Kenny G-like saxaphone solo). I like the mixture of the BBs vocals w/ Mike's offspring's vocals (Hayleigh and Christian) and Adrian Baker as well. Mike manages to sound intimate without coming off as creepy (the way he did on "Summer of Love"), and the production is to-the-point and not overblown. A nice romantic song.

Beaches in Mind--none of these songs suck, but this one is my least favorite. The basic idea of the song is good, but the pace of the song is too slow--the tempo should be more upbeat, and the guitar solo, while great, could have been longer. Still, a lot of BB fans who are into the sun/surf BB songs seem to like it, and it's over before it gets boring, so that's good. I don't skip this song when it comes on, but it just doesn't...zing.

Strange World--this one reminds me somewhat of some of the songs from Brian's TLOS album. The guys observe the activity on the beach and while confused about the "strange world" that they're in, they're glad that they have each other. I actually play this as an "appetizer" before the suite comes on--while different in tempo and production from the suite songs, to me, it serves as a nice lead-in.

From There To Back Again--Al finally gets a lead, and he sounds as great as ever! I continue to be impressed w/ the overall maturity that the lyrics show--the BBs have grown up but have done so without sounding like old farts, which is not an easy trick to pull off! Beautiful lyrics, nice production, and I especially like the musical tag at the end (with the whistling sounds, etc).

Pacific Coast Highway--short and to the point, this puts me in mind of some of the songs on the Friends album. The beauty of this song is that the lyrics can be interpreted in many different ways. Is Brian singing about death? Is he singing about quitting one thing in life and moving on to a new chapter in life? It's a song that seems simple, but is actually quite deep and open to interpretation.

Summer's Gone--Just...wow. This one reminds me of songs like "Caroline, No" and Brian's solo "Cry." Another lyrically deep song, about living life, realizing that we're getting older, but dealing with it the best we can. Many critics and fans are saying that this and the other suite songs are as good as anything from the 1960's, and I believe it. Wonderful way to end the album--let's hope it doesn't turn out to be the last song we hear from the BBs.!

Overall, this is the best album the BBs have done since Love You. I think the key was letting Brian (and Joe Thomas, Paul Mertens and whoever else helped musically) to be in charge in terms of writing the music and arranging the vocals like he did back in the 1960s. To me, this gives the album a more cohesive feel overall than most of the BB albums from 1978 to 1992 had. While there were good songs on all the BBs albums from 1978 to 1992, there was also a "too many cooks" feeling to all of them in that there would be songs that would seem out of place or so outrageously bad that you wondered what the guys were thinking!  Anyway, this is definitely a must-hear for BB fans who didn't think the guys would ever be able to pull off a decent-to-great album!  

[Disney Boy (1985)]

Blimey, I know the new album's pretty good and we're all massively relieved it wasn't dreadful but Mojo Magazine have gone a bit overboard in their review. They say it's 'certainly on a par with Today!'. I'm sorry but no.

[Bean Bag]

Blimey, I know the new album's pretty good and we're all massively relieved it wasn't dreadful but Mojo Magazine have gone a bit overboard in their review. They say it's 'certainly on a par with Today!'. I'm sorry but no.

Today!:  they're never going to capture that again.  But in terms of relativity, it's close to achieving all it could, which Today! did achieve in its day.  What ever the respective "bars" would have been for these two albums, they both raised said bar for what many were expecting.

[LetHimRun]

Blimey, I know the new album's pretty good and we're all massively relieved it wasn't dreadful but Mojo Magazine have gone a bit overboard in their review. They say it's 'certainly on a par with Today!'. I'm sorry but no.

Haha, yeah, I don't think so either. Not even close. I really like TWGMTR, but really, Today? That is their second best record for me.

[lance]

If it recalls anything to me, it's not so much Today! but more Summer Days, only the last four songs or so being together reminds me of today. Really, though , it is it's own animal.

[EgoHanger1966]

Blimey, I know the new album's pretty good and we're all massively relieved it wasn't dreadful but Mojo Magazine have gone a bit overboard in their review. They say it's 'certainly on a par with Today!'. I'm sorry but no.

Haha, yeah, I don't think so either. Not even close. I really like TWGMTR, but really, Today? That is their second best record for me.

I can kinda see it. The fun tracks are loaded in the front of both albums, and they end with the melancholic reflective songs.
The fun tracks are much better on Today! no doubt....

[LetHimRun]

Blimey, I know the new album's pretty good and we're all massively relieved it wasn't dreadful but Mojo Magazine have gone a bit overboard in their review. They say it's 'certainly on a par with Today!'. I'm sorry but no.

Haha, yeah, I don't think so either. Not even close. I really like TWGMTR, but really, Today? That is their second best record for me.

I can kinda see it. The fun tracks are loaded in the front of both albums, and they end with the melancholic reflective songs.
The fun tracks are much better on Today! no doubt....

I agree if you go by the way the types of songs were sequenced.

[the professor]

Think About the Days--beautiful way to start the album. Puts me in mind of things like "Our Prayer" and Brian's "One For the Boys." The BBs always sound great when they harmonize with "wordless" vocals ("do-do-do-do," etc).

TWGMTR--The BBs have always been good at making songs that are about the simple power of music to heal and make the day a better one ("Add Some Music to Your Day," "That Same Song"),and this one is no exception. I especially like the way the vocals on the chorus are arranged. I'm glad they picked this for the first single. The production could have been a little more imaginative, but it doesn't hurt the song overall.

Isn't it Time--One of my favorites! What I like about this one is that the vocals are arranged in such a way that the guys go back and forth on the lines (Brian starts, the group sings a line together, Al sings a line, Mike sings a line, etc). It's retro without being obvious about it, and I can't get the chorus out of my head (which is a good thing). Great, catchy song.

Spring Vacation--didn't like this one at first, but it's grown on me. I like the fact that in the first verse, Mike doesn't try to pretend like he and the BBs are still teenagers--note that he sings "we used to get around/get up and hit up all the hot spots in town," but now they're just, as he sings earlier in the verse "doing our best/no need to hurry," even as they're "cruisin' the town, diggin' the scene." One of the big problems w/ many post-1978 BB tunes was that you had 40/50-ish men (well, okay, mostly Mike) singing about how they're "still surfin'", etc., and I'd be thinking, "oh baloney, Mike! You are not!" This song, though, harkens back to some of the BBs older "fun in the sun" songs, but it's set up in a way that's lyrically appropriate for the BBs' age. They still like to have fun, but they've grown up, too. At least that's the way I interpret it!  

The Private Life of Bill & Sue--I sort of wish that Brian and Joe Thomas would have lyrically torn into the Reality TV genre w/ more meanness--then again, I hate Reality TV, so I'm probably biased!   And of course, Brian is just not a mean guy, so I imagine shredding the Reality genre to pieces just wouldn't be his style. Still, the lines "no one knows just why we care" and "wasting time on a sunny day" are on the money for me, and "maybe we're just looking for a change" is as good of an explanation as to why many Americans love Reality TV so much. The best thing about this song for me is the chorus, especially the way Mike, Al, Bruce, and Jeff F. chant "dum-ba-da-da-dum, aye-de-aye-de-yay" while Brian is singing! The energy on the chorus is enough to sell this as a good (if not great) song, which is slight-but-quirky in the style of some of Brian's work on The Beach Boys Love You.

Shelter--this is a nice song to just chill with and relax. Brian has always been good at writing songs that make the listener feel comforted or protected in a way, in addition to being loved (like "Love & Mercy") and this one is no exception. It reminds me a bit of Brian's work during the BW88 period (especially "Let it Shine"). This would be a good song to learn and sing to a loved one (spouse, significant other, etc). The lines "Summertime, take a few calls, make a little love, thank God for shelter" are particularly catchy to me. 

Daybreak Over the Ocean--This was another grower, but now I like it. To me, this is the "tropical getaway" song that "Kokomo" should have been (but wasn't, due to its' cheesy '80's production and its' Kenny G-like saxaphone solo). I like the mixture of the BBs vocals w/ Mike's offspring's vocals (Hayleigh and Christian) and Adrian Baker as well. Mike manages to sound intimate without coming off as creepy (the way he did on "Summer of Love"), and the production is to-the-point and not overblown. A nice romantic song.

Beaches in Mind--none of these songs suck, but this one is my least favorite. The basic idea of the song is good, but the pace of the song is too slow--the tempo should be more upbeat, and the guitar solo, while great, could have been longer. Still, a lot of BB fans who are into the sun/surf BB songs seem to like it, and it's over before it gets boring, so that's good. I don't skip this song when it comes on, but it just doesn't...zing.

Strange World--this one reminds me somewhat of some of the songs from Brian's TLOS album. The guys observe the activity on the beach and while confused about the "strange world" that they're in, they're glad that they have each other. I actually play this as an "appetizer" before the suite comes on--while different in tempo and production from the suite songs, to me, it serves as a nice lead-in.

From There To Back Again--Al finally gets a lead, and he sounds as great as ever! I continue to be impressed w/ the overall maturity that the lyrics show--the BBs have grown up but have done so without sounding like old farts, which is not an easy trick to pull off! Beautiful lyrics, nice production, and I especially like the musical tag at the end (with the whistling sounds, etc).

Pacific Coast Highway--short and to the point, this puts me in mind of some of the songs on the Friends album. The beauty of this song is that the lyrics can be interpreted in many different ways. Is Brian singing about death? Is he singing about quitting one thing in life and moving on to a new chapter in life? It's a song that seems simple, but is actually quite deep and open to interpretation.

Summer's Gone--Just...wow. This one reminds me of songs like "Caroline, No" and Brian's solo "Cry." Another lyrically deep song, about living life, realizing that we're getting older, but dealing with it the best we can. Many critics and fans are saying that this and the other suite songs are as good as anything from the 1960's, and I believe it. Wonderful way to end the album--let's hope it doesn't turn out to be the last song we hear from the BBs.!

Overall, this is the best album the BBs have done since Love You. I think the key was letting Brian (and Joe Thomas, Paul Mertens and whoever else helped musically) to be in charge in terms of writing the music and arranging the vocals like he did back in the 1960s. To me, this gives the album a more cohesive feel overall than most of the BB albums from 1978 to 1992 had. While there were good songs on all the BBs albums from 1978 to 1992, there was also a "too many cooks" feeling to all of them in that there would be songs that would seem out of place or so outrageously bad that you wondered what the guys were thinking!  Anyway, this is definitely a must-hear for BB fans who didn't think the guys would ever be able to pull off a decent-to-great album!  

SavMan is right on, and I was going to pen my "most recent analysis" but now have no need to. I am in complete accord on each observation.  I would only add (in a way only loosely related to his excellent post) that I know a friend who played Daybreak for his girlfriend in Hawaii, overlooking the sea, and she loved it, so, certainly, some of these songs have a personal and emotional function in the lives of the listeners. We here tend to analyze the albums as scholars reading a novel, as if private, somewhat dispassionate analysis of the technical aspects, choices, production craft, etc. were the sum total of the work. THAT is not why God made the radio; it's, as I hear, "for fallin' in love."

What am I waiting for next?  News of work on a new album, with all the boys writing and singing and with Al, Bruce, Dave and maybe even Brian playing instruments and with some new Love/Wilson songs in which Mike shows his poetic side, as in Kiss Me baby."

We have done the retrospective in both its Lovian and Wilsonian forms; now it's time to embrace our new relevance and polished craft for fans old and new.