The Coolness of 'Holland'

[hypehat]

Any track which samples a steam engine gets my vote for sheer radness, but I love the lolloping rhythm of the track - that and Blondies slide break, so damn cool.

Funky Pretty always seemed a bit, idk, aimless? Compositionally,  I guess. I love the burbling synths, but the song sounds like the product of a dude smoking incredibly strong weed for three weeks except for the crucial distinction that it sounds boring. But I do love me some Holland.

Hype! I'm surprised you find Funky Pretty boring! I can kinda see where you're coming from, but I've always seen it as kind of a cosmic masterpiece - one of the few Brian Wilson songs that seems bigger than the song itself, if that makes sense. To each his own though

Man now I really want to make that transition that u describe but I'm jamming the Stevie Wonder on the vinyl - now THOSE are cosmic moog masterpieces!

[Lonelysea30]

What an album.. I mean totally different but brilliant. Trader, steamboat, sail on sailor, brians weird tracks? I mean goddam what a different out of the box album.  I listen to it through and  I'm glad there are others who appreciate

[Jon Stebbins]

I think Holland is probably the most listenable Beach Boys LP from beginning to end. Not the best or even in the top 5, but it has a consistency throughout, the quality level never sags. Its a mature and competent statement. For once the quality control was splendid.

[Please delete my account]

Any track which samples a steam engine gets my vote for sheer radness, but I love the lolloping rhythm of the track - that and Blondies slide break, so damn cool.

Funky Pretty always seemed a bit, idk, aimless? Compositionally,  I guess. I love the burbling synths, but the song sounds like the product of a dude smoking incredibly strong weed for three weeks except for the crucial distinction that it sounds boring. But I do love me some Holland.

Hype! I'm surprised you find Funky Pretty boring! I can kinda see where you're coming from, but I've always seen it as kind of a cosmic masterpiece - one of the few Brian Wilson songs that seems bigger than the song itself, if that makes sense. To each his own though

Man now I really want to make that transition that u describe but I'm jamming the Stevie Wonder on the vinyl - now THOSE are cosmic moog masterpieces!

Do you think maybe a problem with "Funky Pretty" is that it has "Funky" in the title, which leads people to expect it to be something it's not? I don't like funk much, so I love "Funky Pretty" because it's not very funky, not in spite of that fact. It's just great melodies and stirring vocals all the way through.

[Sound of Free]

How did the hipster burn his mouth?

He ate pizza BEFORE it was cool.

[TMinthePM]

Definitely a primo-stoner album of the early 70s. We would alternate between Beach Boys and Stevie Wonder for hours. As someone mentioned above, Holland and CATP are basically the same album. I always felt that Funky Pretty, great tune that it is, was not quite right as a closing cut. ( I always think of Laurel, my own Funky Pretty with her long brown hair, when I hear it). So I mixed Holland and CATP with Cuddle Up as the closer.

[phirnis]

They should've closed the album with Mt. Vernon and Fairway. It's really unfortunate the fairy tale was included as a separate 7" record. Not a cool move by Carl or whoever had the final say here. I like the way that Mt. Vernon seems to sabotage the serious nature of what's on the actual album. Mind you, I love Holland from start to finish, wonderful album, and still I think it benefits from the quirky humor that's added with Mt. Vernon (and, to a lesser extent, Funky Pretty).

[MBE]

Holland is great but it took me longer than say Sunflower to get into. I just wish Brian and Dennis sang a bit more on it since their voices were still clear.

[Micha]

I think Holland is probably the most listenable Beach Boys LP from beginning to end. Not the best or even in the top 5, but it has a consistency throughout, the quality level never sags. Its a mature and competent statement. For once the quality control was splendid.

Hmmm... ummmm... never mind.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

I think Holland is probably the most listenable Beach Boys LP from beginning to end. Not the best or even in the top 5, but it has a consistency throughout, the quality level never sags. Its a mature and competent statement. For once the quality control was splendid.

+1 ..... I only disagree in that, to me it's at the absolute top of the Beach Boy heap

[Shady]

I think Holland is probably the most listenable Beach Boys LP from beginning to end. Not the best or even in the top 5, but it has a consistency throughout, the quality level never sags. Its a mature and competent statement. For once the quality control was splendid.

Come on. The Beach Boys had a pretty good record of releasing filler-less albums pre-Holland

[Dudd]

Holland's alright, though I honestly think I prefer Mt. Vernon and Fairway 

[Nicko1234]

They should've closed the album with Mt. Vernon and Fairway. It's really unfortunate the fairy tale was included as a separate 7" record. Not a cool move by Carl or whoever had the final say here. I like the way that Mt. Vernon seems to sabotage the serious nature of what's on the actual album. Mind you, I love Holland from start to finish, wonderful album, and still I think it benefits from the quirky humor that's added with Mt. Vernon (and, to a lesser extent, Funky Pretty).

I think that was a great move by Carl. The fairytale would have completely unbalanced the album but including it as a 7" allowed people to hear it without it really affecting the reputation of the record.

I think Holland is rightly revered as one of the band's best albums. I remember one of the BBC documentaries from a few years ago lavishing praise on this album in particular and rightly so.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Holland's alright, though I honestly think I prefer Mt. Vernon and Fairway 

But isn't Mount Vernon & Faifrway a part of Holland?

I dunno. I think it is. Kinda like how the "Something's Extra" 7inch that came with Songs In The Key Of Life is still a part of that album.

[oldsurferdude]

In the "Holland Improvement" department, while residing in the stratosphere of all BB albums, I was often left wondering (and a bit cheated) as to what those tidbits of sonic beauty on Mt. Vernon may have sounded had they been fully realized by Brian or Carl or both. If they were meant to be only fragments, then so be it, but they were pure genius in every respect. Are there tapes in the vault? Were they from other or future projects? Brilliant music.

[drbeachboy]

In the "Holland Improvement" department, while residing in the stratosphere of all BB albums, I was often left wondering (and a bit cheated) as to what those tidbits of sonic beauty on Mt. Vernon may have sounded had they been fully realized by Brian or Carl or both. If they were meant to be only fragments, then so be it, but they were pure genius in every respect. Are there tapes in the vault? Were they from other or future projects? Brilliant music.

You are absolutely right, even as " Fairy Tale Music" on the GV Box Set the music is just stunning.

[Dudd]

In the "Holland Improvement" department, while residing in the stratosphere of all BB albums, I was often left wondering (and a bit cheated) as to what those tidbits of sonic beauty on Mt. Vernon may have sounded had they been fully realized by Brian or Carl or both. If they were meant to be only fragments, then so be it, but they were pure genius in every respect. Are there tapes in the vault? Were they from other or future projects? Brilliant music.

Oh hecks yeah. Some of the little tidbits on there are great. I wish the whole thing had been longer.

[RangeRoverA1]

In the "Holland Improvement" department, while residing in the stratosphere of all BB albums, I was often left wondering (and a bit cheated) as to what those tidbits of sonic beauty on Mt. Vernon may have sounded had they been fully realized by Brian or Carl or both. If they were meant to be only fragments, then so be it, but they were pure genius in every respect. Are there tapes in the vault? Were they from other or future projects? Brilliant music.

Old Surfer, I knew that you can be better than just state over & over negativity about Mike & Bruce (mostly the former). So, very well said! Go on in this direction.

[MarcellaHasDirtyFeet]

In the "Holland Improvement" department, while residing in the stratosphere of all BB albums, I was often left wondering (and a bit cheated) as to what those tidbits of sonic beauty on Mt. Vernon may have sounded had they been fully realized by Brian or Carl or both. If they were meant to be only fragments, then so be it, but they were pure genius in every respect. Are there tapes in the vault? Were they from other or future projects? Brilliant music.

Oh hecks yeah. Some of the little tidbits on there are great. I wish the whole thing had been longer.

All of this times infinity

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

In the "Holland Improvement" department, while residing in the stratosphere of all BB albums, I was often left wondering (and a bit cheated) as to what those tidbits of sonic beauty on Mt. Vernon may have sounded had they been fully realized by Brian or Carl or both. If they were meant to be only fragments, then so be it, but they were pure genius in every respect. Are there tapes in the vault? Were they from other or future projects? Brilliant music.

Oh hecks yeah. Some of the little tidbits on there are great. I wish the whole thing had been longer.

All of this times infinity

No one here think the Mount Vernon 7inch is a piece of sheer perfection as-is?

[oldsurferdude]

In the "Holland Improvement" department, while residing in the stratosphere of all BB albums, I was often left wondering (and a bit cheated) as to what those tidbits of sonic beauty on Mt. Vernon may have sounded had they been fully realized by Brian or Carl or both. If they were meant to be only fragments, then so be it, but they were pure genius in every respect. Are there tapes in the vault? Were they from other or future projects? Brilliant music.

Oh hecks yeah. Some of the little tidbits on there are great. I wish the whole thing had been longer.

All of this times infinity

No one here think the Mount Vernon 7inch is a piece of sheer perfection as-is?

Although a bit silly, the narrative could be a statement from Brian about the dismal state of radio playlists at the time. The music, while brillianr, is a major tease indeed.

[Jim V.]

In the "Holland Improvement" department, while residing in the stratosphere of all BB albums, I was often left wondering (and a bit cheated) as to what those tidbits of sonic beauty on Mt. Vernon may have sounded had they been fully realized by Brian or Carl or both. If they were meant to be only fragments, then so be it, but they were pure genius in every respect. Are there tapes in the vault? Were they from other or future projects? Brilliant music.

Oh hecks yeah. Some of the little tidbits on there are great. I wish the whole thing had been longer.

All of this times infinity

No one here think the Mount Vernon 7inch is a piece of sheer perfection as-is?

Although a bit silly, the narrative could be a statement from Brian about the dismal state of radio playlists at the time. The music, while brillianr, is a major tease indeed.

Agreed. My "go to" for the "Mount Vernon and Fairway" material is "Fairy Tale Music" from the '93 box set. You're left with the music and the singing and none of the narration.

[Quzi]

I had a dream where the song fragments were padded out, there was a Beach Boys version of "Sweet Mountain" and a completed version of "Can't Wait too Long" with the whole 1973 synth aesthetic was the album's lead single. It was bitchin' and had me dreaming of alternate timelines for the whole day.