What Surf's Up should of been..

[lostbeachboy]

1. Don't Go Near The Water
2. Long Promised Road
3. Take A Load Off Your Feet
4. 4th of July
5. Student Demonstration Time
6. Feel Flows
7. Lookin' At Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)
8. Wouldn't It Be Nice To Live Again
9. 'Til I Die
10. Surf's Up


Wow. Just Wow.

[drbeachboy]

1. Don't Go Near The Water
2. Long Promised Road
3. Take A Load Off Your Feet
4. 4th of July
5. Student Demonstration Time
6. Feel Flows
7. Lookin' At Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)
8. Wouldn't It Be Nice To Live Again
9. 'Til I Die
10. Surf's Up


Wow. Just Wow.

That tracklist is exactly why there was no, Wow.

[Douchepool]

Could "of," would "of," should "of."

[Bud Shaver]

Could "of," would "of," should "of."

I am havefended by your post.

[The LEGENDARY OSD]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz  huh, wha  zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz  uh  zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Douchepool]

I am havefended by your post.

I guess you'll of to deal with it.

[sockittome]

1. Don't Go Near The Water
2. Long Promised Road
3. Take A Load Off Your Feet
4. 4th of July
5. Student Demonstration Time
6. Feel Flows
7. Lookin' At Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)
8. Wouldn't It Be Nice To Live Again
9. 'Til I Die
10. Surf's Up


Wow. Just Wow.

There.  That's better.  Short and sweet!

[Moon Dawg]

1. Don't Go Near The Water
2. Long Promised Road
3. Take A Load Off Your Feet
4. 4th of July
5. Student Demonstration Time
6. Feel Flows
7. Lookin' At Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)
8. Wouldn't It Be Nice To Live Again
9. 'Til I Die
10. Surf's Up


Wow. Just Wow.

 Come on. Do you really get a better SURF'S UP by ditching one of Brian's weirdest and greatest art songs and Bruce's greatest hit? I don't think so. Bonus tracks are always welcome but one does not improve the record by taking away. SURF'S UP is one of those rare albums that is undeniably great despite several flaws. Add "WIBNTLA" as a coda after "Surf's Up" and you've got a bona fide baroque pop masterpiece!

[sockittome]

1. Don't Go Near The Water
2. Long Promised Road
3. Take A Load Off Your Feet
4. 4th of July
5. Student Demonstration Time
6. Feel Flows
7. Lookin' At Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)
8. Wouldn't It Be Nice To Live Again
9. 'Til I Die
10. Surf's Up


Wow. Just Wow.

 Come on. Do you really get a better SURF'S UP by ditching one of Brian's weirdest art songs and Bruce's hit?

Yes, when it's a little less embarrassing.

[Lee Marshall]

Naw....More is more and less is less.  Trees and girls are good.

[Moon Dawg]

1. Don't Go Near The Water
2. Long Promised Road
3. Take A Load Off Your Feet
4. 4th of July
5. Student Demonstration Time
6. Feel Flows
7. Lookin' At Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)
8. Wouldn't It Be Nice To Live Again
9. 'Til I Die
10. Surf's Up


Wow. Just Wow.

 Come on. Do you really get a better SURF'S UP by ditching one of Brian's weirdest art songs and Bruce's hit?

Yes, when it's a little less embarrassing.

 Wow. Anyone who wants to remove "A Day in the Life of a Tree" and "Disney Girls" really isn't a SURF'S UP person. Both tunes integral to the album. (I could imagine you going after "Feet" and "SDT" of course.)

 SURF'S UP is the quintessential 70s Beach Boys album. Add "WIBNTLA" and you have one of the decade's finest records.

[Moon Dawg]

 Post deleted by Moon Dawg.

[Smilin Ed H]

Why not just go for the twelve tracks, kids?

Or push it to 14 like I did with Lady and Big Sur?

[Mike's Beard]

I'm one of the few people who think Brian was at his songwriting peak in the early 70s (quality wise, not quantity) and ADITLOAT was no exception. And Disney Girls was Bruce's finest moment.

[phirnis]

ADITLOAT is one of Brian's very best as far as I'm concerned. 4th of July, while pleasant, can't hold a candle to it.

It's unfortunate that Dennis pulled back his contributions but I think Surf's Up is pretty great the way it is.

[debonbon]

Am I the only one who finds Student Demonstration Time cringeworthy?

[Cabinessenceking]

Am I the only one who finds Student Demonstration Time cringeworthy?

It´s very dated, but still relevant for its age. Not a great tune in my book.


I count myself a fan of ADITLOAT; bleak, harkening, haunting, fragile, beautiful.

[BrianAlDaveFan]

I count myself a fan of ADITLOAT; bleak, harkening, haunting, fragile, beautiful.

Agreed. Well said!

[kookadams]

I'm one of the few people who think Brian was at his songwriting peak in the early 70s (quality wise, not quantity) and ADITLOAT was no exception. And Disney Girls was Bruce's finest moment.

hard to pick such a short time frame like that ,but wouldn't we all agree brian was consistent all throughout the 60s and then again in 76 and it pretty much ended in 77? I say he came into his own in 63, peaked in 66, went strong thru 69 and then was stagnant for most of the 70s til love you/adult child and when he came back as a solo artist in the late 80s landy was sorta pushing him. But as far as surfs up goes it was a good lp but not as much as sunflower, and it boggles my mind how well surfs up did but sunflower bombed in the US, I blame warners for not marketing it properly.

[Moon Dawg]

Am I the only one who finds Student Demonstration Time cringeworthy?

  You are not alone.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

The songs I normally remove are:

Take a Load Off Your Feet
Student Demo
Surf's Up (because it's on my SMiLE album)

I add:

Wouldn't It Be Nice (to Live Again)
Lady
Sound of Free
My Solution
Out in the Country
Carnival

[KDS]

I'll admit that the lyrics on SDT sound like they were made up as Mike sang. 

But, in all honesty, if you take away that godawful siren noise, and Mike sang into a microphone instead of a bull horn, it's a pretty good track.  I always wished they just did a straight cover of Riot in Cell Block B. 

[filledeplage]

I'll admit that the lyrics on SDT sound like they were made up as Mike sang. 

But, in all honesty, if you take away that godawful siren noise, and Mike sang into a microphone instead of a bull horn, it's a pretty good track.  I always wished they just did a straight cover of Riot in Cell Block B. 

First, Mike was "keeping it real" using a bullhorn, as campus police didn't use a mic, they used a bullhorn to disperse crowds, demonstrating.  The bullhorn replicated the sonoric intensity and fear that was the desired result of the police involvement.  One need only look at the demonstrations against law enforcement right now, as an analogy.

Second, it is highly doubtful Mike "made it up, as he went along..."

This song recognized what was going on at the time.  Having been in college at the time, and having witnessed that bullhorn, it added authenticity to the song.   Harsh, but appropriate.

[JK]

This is my ideal track listing for Surf's Up:

1. Don't Go Near The Water
2. Long Promised Road
3. Take A Load Off Your Feet
4. Disney Girls (1957)
5. Student Demonstration Time
6. Feel Flows
7. Lookin' At Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)
8. A Day In The Life Of A Tree
9. 'Til I Die
10. Surf's Up

[KDS]

I'll admit that the lyrics on SDT sound like they were made up as Mike sang. 

But, in all honesty, if you take away that godawful siren noise, and Mike sang into a microphone instead of a bull horn, it's a pretty good track.  I always wished they just did a straight cover of Riot in Cell Block B. 

First, Mike was "keeping it real" using a bullhorn, as campus police didn't use a mic, they used a bullhorn to disperse crowds, demonstrating.  The bullhorn replicated the sonoric intensity and fear that was the desired result of the police involvement.  One need only look at the demonstrations against law enforcement right now, as an analogy.

Second, it is highly doubtful Mike "made it up, as he went along..."

This song recognized what was going on at the time.  Having been in college at the time, and having witnessed that bullhorn, it added authenticity to the song.   Harsh, but appropriate.

I know the effect Mike was going for, but to me, the bullhorn and lyrics and just.......meh.   CSNY did a much better job with the same source material on "Ohio." 

How about we keep the bullhorn, but lose the sirens?  Or at least a better sounding siren effect?