Reviewing Every Album

[KDS]

LBNL,

Welcome aboard.  I like seeing new young fans like you and the Cincinnati Kid on board here.   

I'm glad to see that people born in the 1990s are discovering the music of The Beach Boys. 

Thank you! I suppose my more or less self-introduction to them would be considered an outlier among people of approximately my age, as I think most kids get the appreciation from hearing oldies stations played by their parents or grandparents. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, and having a base familiarity with their sound from occasional radio appearances was crucial to my later fandom, but when this generation becomes old, how will the oldies still be broadcast? It's an interesting dilemma. There's another chunk of people that are introduced to groups such as The Beatles and The Beach Boys through publications such as Rolling Stone Magazine and Pitchfork. I don't put much stock in those types of commercial music criticism organizations, but if they're able to turn on younger people to quality music, then I suppose they're doing some good. I know a solid group of my peers are at least familiar with The Beach Boys in a peripheral sense, but there aren't very many that I've met who've listened to an entire non-greatest hits album through in its entirety (or really listen to many albums at all in their entirety). Pet Sounds is the most common listen if any, which is cool, and I always try to direct them to other solid albums such as Sunflower, Today!, and Smile if I get the chance. I actually turned one of my friends on to The Beach Boys by playing Love You in the car while he was riding in it. You never know who could end up being a fan of the band, and if more people were exposed to a larger portion of their catalog, I think places such as this would be a lot more populated.

I turned my wife into a pretty big Beach Boys fan when we were courting. 

I hope you get a chance to see Brian's band or Mike's band, or better yet, both.  Seeing the C50 band is really what got me to delve into the catalog. 

[Lean Back Now Listen]

LBNL,

Welcome aboard.  I like seeing new young fans like you and the Cincinnati Kid on board here.   

I'm glad to see that people born in the 1990s are discovering the music of The Beach Boys. 

Thank you! I suppose my more or less self-introduction to them would be considered an outlier among people of approximately my age, as I think most kids get the appreciation from hearing oldies stations played by their parents or grandparents. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, and having a base familiarity with their sound from occasional radio appearances was crucial to my later fandom, but when this generation becomes old, how will the oldies still be broadcast? It's an interesting dilemma. There's another chunk of people that are introduced to groups such as The Beatles and The Beach Boys through publications such as Rolling Stone Magazine and Pitchfork. I don't put much stock in those types of commercial music criticism organizations, but if they're able to turn on younger people to quality music, then I suppose they're doing some good. I know a solid group of my peers are at least familiar with The Beach Boys in a peripheral sense, but there aren't very many that I've met who've listened to an entire non-greatest hits album through in its entirety (or really listen to many albums at all in their entirety). Pet Sounds is the most common listen if any, which is cool, and I always try to direct them to other solid albums such as Sunflower, Today!, and Smile if I get the chance. I actually turned one of my friends on to The Beach Boys by playing Love You in the car while he was riding in it. You never know who could end up being a fan of the band, and if more people were exposed to a larger portion of their catalog, I think places such as this would be a lot more populated.

I turned my wife into a pretty big Beach Boys fan when we were courting. 

I hope you get a chance to see Brian's band or Mike's band, or better yet, both.  Seeing the C50 band is really what got me to delve into the catalog. 

I hope for a similar outcome with a girlfriend/wife down the line!

After browsing the setlists from the Mike and Bruce tour thread, and having printed out the date months ago and stuck it on my wall, I think I'll be buying tickets to see Mike and Bruce on August 21st. I already have my ticket for Brian's September 30th performance, so I suppose I'll be seeing both bands this year! I really enjoyed the C50 performance that I saw, and it'd be cool to see them reunited again, but I suppose with both bands touring, it leaves more opportunity to hear the music performed live by original members (and fantastic backing bands). What an interesting time to be a Beach Boys fan!

[KDS]

Sounds like a good plan, seeing both bands.  That way, you get a really nice variety of different songs, and will get to see at least five Beach Boys (maybe six since David Marks sometimes plays with Mike & Bruce in the summer).

[Lean Back Now Listen]

Sounds like a good plan, seeing both bands.  That way, you get a really nice variety of different songs, and will get to see at least five Beach Boys (maybe six since David Marks sometimes plays with Mike & Bruce in the summer).

That's what I'm thinking! I haven't seem Mike and Bruce in four years compared to seeing Brian and Al last November, so that'll be an especially welcome show. It would be sweet if Dave joined them! Of course, I can't wait to see Pet Sounds performed either! This'll also be my first time seeing Blondie live, and from all accounts, he does a fantastic job.

[KDS]

Sounds like a good plan, seeing both bands.  That way, you get a really nice variety of different songs, and will get to see at least five Beach Boys (maybe six since David Marks sometimes plays with Mike & Bruce in the summer).

That's what I'm thinking! I haven't seem Mike and Bruce in four years compared to seeing Brian and Al last November, so that'll be an especially welcome show. It would be sweet if Dave joined them! Of course, I can't wait to see Pet Sounds performed either! This'll also be my first time seeing Blondie live, and from all accounts, he does a fantastic job.

Blondie wasn't with Brian and Al last when you saw them?  That's too bad, he knocked it out of the park both times I saw them on the NPP Tour.

[Lonely Summer]

Lean Back Now Listen, I appreciate how much time and thought you have put into these reviews. There was a time, decades ago, when I could soak up everything a song had to offer on 2 or 3 listens. Now I am older, and as I said, so easily distracted. But my music collection was a lot smaller 20 years ago, too. I like to keep up on some new music, but it seems to take so long for any of it to sink it now. And I don't want to neglect the old stuff, either. Before I started going through the Beach Boys albums last week, I had been on an Everly Brothers binge. Some of those albums I have listened to dozens of times; others, only a couple times since I bought them. I don't have a long commute - if I did, I think that would be a good time to listen to music. I had a long drive for a job interview a couple months ago, and listened to several Squeeze albums on the way there and back.

I see, I see. I can somewhat understand your situation (minus the length of time of musical appreciation, of course). I already have an amassing pile of LPs I've bought that I still need to listen to, going back to my Japan trip last year (I found a lot of harder-to-find American albums, if you can believe it) and beyond. I too like finding new, current music to listen to and new artists to support, but it really only seems to come in spurts when I have a lot of time (Thanksgiving and Christmas vacations, for example). I usually just find my way back to the 60s and 70s to artists that have been proven worth the investment (although they don't always gel with me, they're generally a safer bet). I bought The Everly Brothers' first two albums a few months ago, and I should give them another listen sometime. I still have 50s jazz albums, Black Keys albums, and Japanese progressive albums to listen to. As my collection gets larger, it seems like I have less time to listen to the albums I buy! To think of the lack of time I'll have in two decades, holy cow. I feel for you! Music is a demanding, yet ultimately rewarding, passion.

It's cool that you're going through The Beach Boys' albums too! I hope you find sufficient time to squeeze them all in. As for the band Squeeze, I haven't heard of them before, although their first album cover is something else! I'll have to listen to them. I like some of those other new wave bands like Talking Heads, Blondie, and DEVO, although I may be talking apples and oranges. Those extended trip opportunities are always a treat, in my book; excellent listening opportunities.

You're goin' places, LBNL, I can guarantee that 

Haha, thanks! I may have to go bed, if anywhere; I didn't realize posting replies was such a process! Fulfilling, though, and an excellent chance to correspond to fellow fans.

I had a nice visit with Smiley Smile and Wild Honey tonight. Those albums can always put me in a good mood.

Totally! Tracks like "Little Pad," "With Me Tonight," and "Aren't You Glad" have a special kind of happiness and relaxation about them. They were still making great music during that time period, that's for sure. I love the good-natured humor and sparseness of Smiley Smile and the perpetually smiling and soulful qualities of Wild Honey. I think they're kind of strange albums, but definitely not in a bad way. There's something to appreciate and settle into in every song, warranting frequent listens for me (and they're both under half an hour, which makes that easy).

EDIT: I forgot to ask; do you have any opinion of the "Lei'd in Hawaii" concerts of August 25th and 26th, 1967, or the "rehearsal" tracks that circulate with them?

I had very low expectations for the late 60's albums when I started buying them in the 80's, because of writers like David Leaf. They wrote about them like everything was a disappointment after Pet Sounds. I don't hear them that way at all. I like the stripped down sound. I still think David Leaf's Beach Boys book is one of the best, but he really wasn't interested in anyone except Brian. He took that bias into his comments about the albums. Okay, tonight it's going to be Friends and 20/20.
I haven't heard much of the Hawaii stuff. Won't surprise me if we get a proper release for that stuff in the near future.

[Please delete my account]

You know, thinking about it, The Beach Boys may have had more Top 20 hits in Britian with Al leads than any other vocalist of the band. Is this true?

I think they had more with Carl. If you accept them to be equal co-lead vocalists on "Break Away".

Carl: God Only Knows, Good Vibrations, Darlin', I Can Hear Music, Break Away (and Good Vibrations reissue if that counts.)
Al: Then I Kissed Her, Break Away, Cotton Fields, Lady Lynda.

[Lean Back Now Listen]

I had very low expectations for the late 60's albums when I started buying them in the 80's, because of writers like David Leaf. They wrote about them like everything was a disappointment after Pet Sounds. I don't hear them that way at all. I like the stripped down sound. I still think David Leaf's Beach Boys book is one of the best, but he really wasn't interested in anyone except Brian. He took that bias into his comments about the albums. Okay, tonight it's going to be Friends and 20/20.
I haven't heard much of the Hawaii stuff. Won't surprise me if we get a proper release for that stuff in the near future.

I didn't realize that his book pushed that opinion as well (I haven't read it, but I plan to at some point). I was aware of his liner notes for Smiley Smile, though, which wasn't the coolest of moves to make. I thankfully got into Friends - Surf's Up before even Pet Sounds, but I was turned off of their 72 stuff and beyond due to the review sites such as Allmusic, Metacritic, et cetera. It took me longer than it should have to truly appreciate their later work such as 15 Big Ones. And songs that I originally enjoyed on Sounds of Summer, such as "Getcha Back," I was told to enjoy less because they came out of a certain era. It was really easy for at least me to fall victim to stereotyping certain albums, eras, or decades as objectively worse than others. All Beach Boys albums have merit to some degree, and I'm glad I cast aside that way of thinking, because I like the band that much for it. I can respect fans' opinions of things, but I feel they would enjoy the discography that much more if they set aside their prejudice and listened with a new perspective. I'm glad you were able to take in the late 60s albums and enjoy them despite popular criticisms. I hope you find Friends and 20/20 to be quite enjoyable as well.
Ah, okay. I think that whole project is a cool re-visitation of the early songs with a Smiley Smile spin (with some new numbers thrown in, too). I would buy a release of that stuff in supreme quality such as featured on MiC, even if were to be a digital-only release! Of course, I would prefer a super-cool deluxe set mixed with a multiple-disc Smiley Smile and Wild Honey a capella, instrumental, and bonus track package, and maybe a lei thrown in for good measure, but whatever is fine.

You know, thinking about it, The Beach Boys may have had more Top 20 hits in Britian with Al leads than any other vocalist of the band. Is this true?

I think they had more with Carl. If you accept them to be equal co-lead vocalists on "Break Away".

Carl: God Only Knows, Good Vibrations, Darlin', I Can Hear Music, Break Away (and Good Vibrations reissue if that counts.)
Al: Then I Kissed Her, Break Away, Cotton Fields, Lady Lynda.

Thank you for that! I probably should have done the research myself when I was typing it out, but I guess I left stuff like that in for others' fun (or realistically, my own laziness). That stack of hits seems like such a contrast to the US's perception of "The Beach Boys sound," which is usually Mike or Brian. Al and Carl have excellent leads, and I'm glad at least the British record buying populace appreciated them. Then again, Carl had some quality leads make it big over here too, so maybe I'm largely speaking for Al. Anyway, it's an interesting breakdown, and I wonder what some of the other countries that aren't listed on Wikipedia's charts on the discography page had as hits (Japan, Brazil, etc).

[Lonely Summer]

Smiley Smile acapella would be amazing! And as I get older, I pay less and less attention to critics. There are even a few songs on Summer in Paradise I like. It's not totally without merit, even if the production is awful and the songs are weak - it does have Carl and Al singing on them.

[Lean Back Now Listen]

Smiley Smile acapella would be amazing! And as I get older, I pay less and less attention to critics. There are even a few songs on Summer in Paradise I like. It's not totally without merit, even if the production is awful and the songs are weak - it does have Carl and Al singing on them.

I think so too! The singing on the album is just as amazing as Warmth of the Sun, In My Room, Our Prayer, etc in its own style. The humming on "Little Pad," for example, or the entirety of "With Me Tonight." They were able to do a stereo release of the album, so I'd think acapella wouldn't be too out of the question. The Unsurpassed Masters sessions for Smiley Smile have a wealth of sweet alternate takes too, and one can imagine there's more in the vaults than that stuff that we haven't heard yet (or maybe not, who knows).

Yeah, some of my favorite albums are rated poorly by critics. Pitchfork rated Wild Honey a 3.5/10, and cited "How She Boogalooed It" as one of the only redeeming songs! I don't think it's a bad song, but what a crazy claim to make, particularly when dismissing the rest of the album. As for Summer In Paradise, I haven't listened to that one in a few years. I do enjoy listening to "Summer of Love," regardless of the sheer quantity of cheese, self reference, and sleaze it's covered in. I frequently mimic Mike's "YEEAAAUH," and it's just kind of a catchy song anyway. There were a few other songs I remember enjoying; I look forward to hearing the album again in a few days. The more Carl and Al vocals (and Bruce, and Mike when he's not a pastiche of himself) the better.

[You Kane, You Commanded, You Conquered]

Yeah, some of my favorite albums are rated poorly by critics. Pitchfork rated Wild Honey a 3.5/10, and cited "How She Boogalooed It" as one of the only redeeming songs!

f*** Pitchfork

Also, in response to your opening post, good to see another fan of SMiLE Wind Chimes! One of Brian's finest compositions for sure!

[Lonely Summer]

Smiley Smile acapella would be amazing! And as I get older, I pay less and less attention to critics. There are even a few songs on Summer in Paradise I like. It's not totally without merit, even if the production is awful and the songs are weak - it does have Carl and Al singing on them.

I think so too! The singing on the album is just as amazing as Warmth of the Sun, In My Room, Our Prayer, etc in its own style. The humming on "Little Pad," for example, or the entirety of "With Me Tonight." They were able to do a stereo release of the album, so I'd think acapella wouldn't be too out of the question. The Unsurpassed Masters sessions for Smiley Smile have a wealth of sweet alternate takes too, and one can imagine there's more in the vaults than that stuff that we haven't heard yet (or maybe not, who knows).

Yeah, some of my favorite albums are rated poorly by critics. Pitchfork rated Wild Honey a 3.5/10, and cited "How She Boogalooed It" as one of the only redeeming songs! I don't think it's a bad song, but what a crazy claim to make, particularly when dismissing the rest of the album. As for Summer In Paradise, I haven't listened to that one in a few years. I do enjoy listening to "Summer of Love," regardless of the sheer quantity of cheese, self reference, and sleaze it's covered in. I frequently mimic Mike's "YEEAAAUH," and it's just kind of a catchy song anyway. There were a few other songs I remember enjoying; I look forward to hearing the album again in a few days. The more Carl and Al vocals (and Bruce, and Mike when he's not a pastiche of himself) the better.

"Boogalooed" is easily my least favorite track on Wild Honey; "Aren't You Glad" is one I could listen to endlessly. And who ever sang wordless lyrics better than the Beach Boys? "Little Pad", "With Me Tonight", "Country Air", "Our Prayer". Sam Phillips once said "music is the closest thing to heaven on earth", and that's what those songs sound like to my ears.

[Lean Back Now Listen]

Yeah, some of my favorite albums are rated poorly by critics. Pitchfork rated Wild Honey a 3.5/10, and cited "How She Boogalooed It" as one of the only redeeming songs!

f*** Pitchfork

Also, in response to your opening post, good to see another fan of SMiLE Wind Chimes! One of Brian's finest compositions for sure!

Haha, that's a good summation!

The whole song is just so amazing! The Carl verse section's percussion strikes such a mood with the unique vibes/marimba/xylophone beat and all of the subtle accompanying flourishes. The way the track strains when he tries not too look at his wind chimes is done so well. And BAM, the tag hits with such an immense force. I've never had a song give me an emotion besides happiness, sadness, or excitement (or occasionally make me laugh or appreciate its beauty). Wind Chimes pulls it off easily and repeatedly, though. The screaming clarinet (which I originally thought was a voice in the mix, but became much more apparent when I listened to the backing track) and the slightly dissonant vocals of the tag purvey anxiousness to my ears.
I've mulled over the message Brian was trying to relay to the listener with that song for awhile; I believe some people on the board have said it was about avoiding thinking about life's mortality (listening to the sounds of the wind chimes without actually looking at the chimes themselves). Or perhaps it's a general statement on the difficulties of furthering an understanding of something or someone beyond a surface level. Even if he was simply making an ode to the lovely sound of the wind chime, it's still a fantastically-executed track!

"Boogalooed" is easily my least favorite track on Wild Honey; "Aren't You Glad" is one I could listen to endlessly. And who ever sang wordless lyrics better than the Beach Boys? "Little Pad", "With Me Tonight", "Country Air", "Our Prayer". Sam Phillips once said "music is the closest thing to heaven on earth", and that's what those songs sound like to my ears.

Mine too, although I still like the groove it has, the organ solo, and that cool handclap sound they crafted for it (with every fourth clap sounding different to the preceding three). It's a funny little song. It doesn't quite match the quality of the rest of the songs on the album, though. "Aren't You Glad," on the other hand, whoa nelly. THAT'S a track. It's very lo-fidelity, yet has some nice understated horns. Everyone singing on the song does a fantastic job, and the piano/buzzing-organ combo sounds great. And, par for the course of the album, the bass is great too. And as I stated in my review, the drums do a fantastic job of backing up the friendliness of the lyrics (however much sense that makes). What a great song!
The Beach Boys made wordless vocals into their own language, whether with their countless doo-wop expressions or the "aaaa"s, "oooooooo"s, and "mmmmmmm"s of the songs you mentioned (and many, many more). I can't imagine anyone but The Beach Boys pulling off most of those sounds. Sam Phillips hit the nail on the head with that statement.

I just ended up throwing on Wild Honey again because of this; what an album!! I love it.

[sockittome]

Wild Honey is an incredible album!  You've got some serious modern (for the times) instrumentation with organ, keys, guitar, percussion, etc. and some great soulful vocals.  However, with the lofi mono production and mix, I feel the Beach Boys missed an opportunity to be taken seriously and climb back on top after that Smiley Smile debacle.   

[Cool Cool Water]

Fair play on reviewing all the albums---quite an achievement to say the least! 

[Lean Back Now Listen]

Wild Honey is an incredible album!  You've got some serious modern (for the times) instrumentation with organ, keys, guitar, percussion, etc. and some great soulful vocals.  However, with the lofi mono production and mix, I feel the Beach Boys missed an opportunity to be taken seriously and climb back on top after that Smiley Smile debacle.   

I can see where you're coming from with that. There are so many odd sounds going on in the not-so-distant background, such as the weird buzzing in "Country Air." Then again, Pet Sounds had its fair share of background noise/talking, although it was a whole different thing compared to Wild Honey.

Fair play on reviewing all the albums---quite an achievement to say the least! 

Hey, thanks! I finally arrived in Japan, so I'll be posting the reviews for the remaining albums that I crafted while on the plane.

[Lean Back Now Listen]

Here's round two of the album reviews. I made these on a flight from Chicago to Shanghai (which was then followed by a 15-hour layover and a flight to Tokyo), and while I was going strong for the duration of these reviews, I sadly became too groggy to review any solo albums, so those will come later. However, I had a lot of fun exploring the latter half of The Beach Boys' career. It was much better listening than I originally anticipated, and I've came away with a heightened appreciation for many songs.

L.A. (Light Album)

I have not yet heard this album all the way through. I bought it on vinyl back in 2014, but for one reason or another, I just never got around to listening to it. With 12+ hours at my disposal, though, now is the time!! I’ve liked what I’ve heard from it thus far, so hopefully that holds up!
Good Timin’ – I’ve known this song for many years due to its inclusion on Sounds of Summer. It’s a very sugary song, but I think it’s catchy and sung well. There are a lot of “oooh”s and “aaaahs” on this one. I think I works! The falsetto hook is probably my favorite part of the song.
Lady Lynda – I got into this song after reading the thread created on it a few months ago. This song is fantastic! I think it’s Al’s finest moment as a song crafter. I don’t care if it partially relies on Bach (which is a cool incorporation in my book), it’s still a fantastic tune. The sounds coalesce together wonderfully, from the harpsichords to the gently strummed guitar to the heavenly backing vocals to the strings to the bells and everything else. Al’s lead is fantastic. The beat is super, super catchy in a disco-ish way. This should’ve been a hit in America too! Listen to that acapella section!
Full Sail – The first song I’m hearing for the first time (or, if I’ve heard it long ago on YouTube, I’ve forgotten). The song is kind of quiet for listening on an airplane. The strings are nice, as are the vocals (backing and otherwise). I really, really like the bell-ish synthesizer in the left channel. Not a bad song; it just kind of drifts along (like the name implies?).
Angel Come Home – I’ve heard this one many a time from MiC; I love it! It’s an extension of Pacific Ocean Blue with Beach Boys involvement. Dennis’s vocal is great and passionate, and the ambiance of the track is lends itself to the lyrical concepts. I like the backing vocals too (the particular intonation of their voices when they sing “ANGEL”…“COME HOME” is strangely catchy). And the “comacomacoma”s, too. Great stuff. A totally solid track!
Love Surrounds Me – I’ve never heard this before. Dennis really gave this album some solid tracks! The squelching synths are a highlight for me, of course. They sort of remind me of Wish You Were Here (by Pink Floyd). Anyway, it’s a quiet song, so I can’t hear the details as much as I’d want to currently. From everything that I can hear, though, the song is really good! The groove is just right, and I haven’t heard a vocal that I didn’t like. The slide guitar is a really interesting inclusion.
Sumahama – Interesting, since I’m currently en route to Japan (this being my third trip over there). As an aside, I haven’t seen much Japanese music from really any decade mentioned here. It’s too bad, since there’s a lot of quality stuff out there. Anyway, hearing Mike’s voice after so much of everyone else was a little jarring. It’s not bad, though; I like the various sounds of the backing track, the backing vocals, and Mike’s lead. Another aside: “Beach” in Japanese is “sunahama,” not “sumahama” as far as I know. A mistranslation, or more likely an alternate pronunciation or something. Mike doesn’t do that bad of a job with the Japanese pronunciation compared to the average American! I commend Mike for the cultural exploration, and I’d say this track is better than “Belles of Paris” (maybe just my own language bias, but I like the backing track better too).
Here Comes the Night – I tried listening to this once a few years ago only knowing what I had read here and the Wikipedia page, and I shut it off after a few minutes. Too much negative prejudice going in, I suppose. Never a good thing, in my book. Listening to it now, it has a lot of really cool sounds. It honestly sounds like the stuff Yellow Magic Orchestra was putting out around the same time (their 1979 album Solid State Survivor in particular). I wonder if Bruce or any of the other Beach Boys knew of their existence? But yeah, I think this is a pretty cool track. If they had released it a couple years earlier, in the height of disco popularity, I think it would’ve done a lot better. I think it grooves pretty well. I personally think the original 1967 track grooved a lot harder, but this one is a synth oddity all its own. And what about that monkey screeching around 6:30?!? Crazy!! I have the 7” single, but I can’t remember if I’ve heard that (I got it for “Baby Blue”). To think The Beach Boys released a ten minute song on one of their albums (not counting the three different parts of “Califronia Saga”) is crazy! …Anyway, this is a cool track. It’s glimpsing into a universe where The Beach Boys ventured into new-wave-styled electronics beyond Love You and almost into techno rather than becoming a nostalgia act. I mean for real, why do people rip on this track?? It’s sweet!!!
Baby Blue – Such a lovely song. I’ve been listening to this since I got the Good Vibrations boxset a couple of years ago. It’s an absolute classic. I’ve put it on many of my CD-listening-in-the-car compilations. I love the Carl and Dennis combination. Every sound works in this track’s favor. I don’t quite understand the complaints about Bruce’s production; it may be slick, but I don’t think that detracts from the songs at all. Much like “Angel Come Home,” the ambiance of the instrumentation really sets the scene for the lyrics. The barren, lonely, longing feelings of the singer come across well. You can see how Dennis took the “Cuddle Up” emotional wave and progressed it into the late 70s with songs like this. He was a master in his own way.
Goin’ South – Another song I have not yet heard. Like “Full Sail,” it’s very laid-back. I don’t think laid-back means “boring;” this track does what it does well. The vocals are nice, and the instruments are done well. I’ll admit the song isn’t the most engaging thing in the world, and I personally have a difficult time with saxophones sometimes, but it’s not a bad song.
Shortenin’ Bread – What a really strange way to end the album! I definitely prefer the Adult/Child version by a country mile, but this one cooks in its own way. The syncopation of Dennis’s vocal wasn’t present in the other version, and I usually overlay that onto the original when I listen to it. If this was their way of interjecting some Brian onto the album, wouldn’t it have been funny if they had put “Drip Drop” on instead? It’s an equally jarring transition of energy/vibe, and it would’ve been funnier. But whatever; “Shortenin’ Bread” is sweet.
Well, I really enjoyed this album! I can see why certain fans rate it so highly. It has a slower overall feeling to it, but I don’t think it’s “boring” as some people claim it to be. The group nature of it is pretty nice too. I will definitely be listening to this when I’m not around the noise pollution of an airplane. It was a solid addition to their catalog, Brian participation or not. Should they have given up the opportunity to work on Pink Floyd’s The Wall for this? Heck no!! Is this still good anyway? Yes.

Keepin’ the Summer Alive

I’ve heard this before (although I only bought it within a year ago), and I wasn’t too impressed. I enjoyed some songs, but others seemed lame. I’ll see if/how a dedicated listen changes that.
Keepin’ the Summer Alive – For starters, I like this song. Sure, they reused the bass vocal of “Louie Louie” of all songs, but that “BAW BAW BAW” backing vocal is pretty cool. All of the vocals are done well, I think. The melody isn’t too bad, and the song keeps its rhythm going pretty well throughout. It’s interesting that Carl co-wrote this song, though; usually his songs had more substance. I guess it’s a summer concept record or whatever, and I certainly don’t mind the summer topic, but one can tell it’s a regression from their mid-period stuff (again, that doesn’t mean the song is any less quality).
Oh Darlin’ – I’ve listened to the Brian-sung version of this a lot. I really like the song! The instrument additions to this version are interesting. I like the accordion/horn/harmonica/rubber ducky or whatever; I think it really adds to the groove of the song. I like the rawness of Brian’s vocal more than Carl’s sweetness, but that doesn’t mean he sang it poorly. It’s a really good song, I think. This version definitely sounds much more finished, especially with the extra few verses filling in the gaps. I really love the way they say “da-ha-ha-harlin” and “fa-ha-ha-haund you;” it’s probably my favorite part of the song.
Some of Your Love – Holy recycling of riffs! I can’t keep track of all their own songs they’re ripping off! The “Kiss Me Baby” throwback goes over the line of cheesiness, but if it weren’t for that, I’d say this song was very enjoyable on its own merits. It has that nice low saxophone rhythm to it with plenty of great backing vocals. But come on, did they really need to reuse so much?
Livin’ With A Heartache – Not a bad song! That up-down-up-down piano is cool, and Carl’s vocal is really nice. The backing vocals are good. The guitar sounds are cool too. I suppose there’s nothing mind-blowing to say about this song, but I enjoy it enough. It is kind of long at four minutes, though.
School Days – I have Ten Years of Harmony and have listened to it a couple of times, but I don’t remember the differences between the single version of this song and the album version. It’s not bad, and I can always appreciate an Al vocal. The backing vocals are excellent and very diverse in sound (within the doo-wop  confines, I think). Again, not too bad!
Goin’ On – I like this song! I’ve been listening to it since the Good Vibrations boxset. The vocals are on par with many of their other greatest hits (and Brian finally makes a return!!!!!), and the melody is really great. The instrumentation and modulation, particularly in the fade, really works too. It’s just a solid track; definitely one of their best in the 80s.
Sunshine – Out of all the songs on this album, I have the least experience with this one. The horn section and percussion remind me of mambo. It’s not bad, and I like the perpetual backing vocals. Is Brian doing the falsetto in at least some of the parts? It kind of sounds like it. I guess I don’t have too much to say on it, but it’s really not bad.
When Girls Get Together – I wonder why they pulled this one out of the vaults out of everything they had… I like the song, for sure, and I have since I heard it on the various “Landlocked” boots. I like that Hawaiian-style guitar in the middle. The track has an interesting overall sound to it, and the concept of the song is kind of funny (especially for a band called “The Beach Boys”).
Santa Ana Winds – I like the version that appears with “Lookin’ Down the Coast” (I think on the California Feelin’ bootleg??). This version isn’t bad, and the spoken word intro isn’t the worst. I like the sound of the song, and I love Al’s voice. Mike totally slipped off the nasality deep end, though. He didn’t have to do that; his voice was still fine. Why? Was it the perceived expectations of the fans? It wasn’t necessary, whatever the case. It’s okay, though; I think the song is really good anyway. It has a nice harmonica, too.
Endless Harmony – This seemed like a short album. Maybe it was just the smaller tracklist and the lack of a 10+ minute disco single in the middle. I like the instrumental intro; it has a magical, childlike feeling to it. Once Bruce starts up, though, I think the song falls apart in a cheese crumble. It’s “Do You Remember?” all over again, but without even the groove of that song. Was the 1972 version this cheesy? And goodness gracious, when the “We sang ‘God bless America’” bit kicks in, you realize how much they’ve given up on lyrical integrity. Remember Carl objecting to the draft? The song “4th of July?” “The Trader?” Goodness, what a turnaround. At least the harmonies are nice in that section.
The last song kind of leads a poor taste in my mouth, but as a whole, the album isn’t as bad as many make it out to be. Obviously it’s a regression to their pre-Today! lyrical content, and the creativity/innovation is largely gone as well, but there are still some solid songs on here. I would still have to say that this is their lowest point up to 1980, though. Dennis was missed and will continue to be missed.

[Lean Back Now Listen]

Still Cruisin’

The other album I haven’t heard all the way through. I already know the old songs, “Kokomo,” and “Wipe Out,” but I don’t recall having heard anything else. We’ll see how it goes!
Still Cruisin’ – Mike’s vocal in the beginning was fine! He didn’t have to ruin it… Not that he ruined the song; it still sounds good. Carl and Al sound good, and I dig Mike’s “come on let’s cruise” backing vocal. I like the guitar sound they have too. Not too bad of a song, honestly.
Somewhere Near Japan – Some cool synthesizer noises, very much in that stereotypical Japanese vein (but they still sounds good). I need to read up on the history of this song again; was Mike aware of the drug innuendo of this song? If so, why did he let it slip by? Whatever. Carl, once again, sounds pretty darn good. Mike isn’t overdoing it too much, really. I think the song sounds good. The vocal modulations are interesting, and the guitar is quality. I love 12 string guitar. Al comes in hot with yet another good vocal. Wouldn’t it be something if Al delivered a *bad* vocal?
Island Girl – Another tropical-sounding song ala “Sunshine.” It’s okay. At least their vocals are good. Mike’s vocal sounds good! That steel drum solo sounds really interesting, and much unlike a lot of other steel drum I’ve heard for some reason. Now that the song is growing towards a close, it’s sort of grown on me. The vocal hooks are strong, and there’s a lot to dig into.
In My Car – This is not the song “Let’s Go To Heaven In My Car.” It’s has that “wall of Brians” element to his solo material, but with other Beach Boys sometimes singing! I like it a lot. The overly-heavy guitar is cheesy in a “Metal Beach” sort of way. Al’s lead almost dipped into the “Kona Coast” melody for a second there. This song has a lot of odd and interesting sounds in it, which I really respect about Brian’s first solo album. The lyrical content maybe isn’t the best, but I can appreciate it more than the rest of this album thus far. I guess I’m just partial to solo Brian, and this sounds like that.
Kokomo – This was the first Beach Boys song I ever bought along with “California Girls!” As such, it has a special place in my heart. I remember having a Muppet Babies VHS tape as a kid, and Kermit sang this on the beach. I still think of that when listening to this occasionally. Disregarding all of that, though, this song has a really great sound to it, and it’s really catchy. Carl’s part is fantastic! The whole song is a celebration of catchiness, and it deserved the success it got. Did other songs they made in the 60s and 70s deserve it more? Sure, but you should be glad The Beach Boys got another chance at the charts! I love this song, and I don’t care that so many people within the fanbase dislike it. It’s great stuff! “Give me a tropical contact eye…”
Wipe Out -- ……This song is funny. There sure is a lot of Brian on this track! I’m definitely not a fan of rap to any significant degree, but I like the humor of some of the 80s stuff (sure, that may not be what rap was originally intended for [talking about pertinent issues in discrimination and economic hardships, etc], but I’d rather hear fun stuff like this than mindless stuff pertaining to gloating about the excesses of wealthy and/or violent living). The Fat Boys are definitely funny. The backing vocals are good. The beatboxing part at the end is pretty cool too. Not a bad song.
Make It Big --  The drum sound was made big! I definitely didn’t expect Mike’s “why dontcha” bass part from “Wontcha Come Out Tonight” to make an appearance. The song isn’t too bad, but I guess I liked the other songs on the album more.
I’ve heard the last three songs plenty of times, and they’re great. Wouldn’t It Be Nice sounds weird and really muddy. I can hardly hear some of the background instruments.
This album wasn’t too bad, although the contrast between the first three fourths and the last fourth is crazy. I understand that Mike was trying to craft a movie song concept album, but I think they could’ve put some other 80s songs on there such as “California Dreamin’” and “Rock and Roll to the Rescue” to round it out. As it is, none of the songs offended.

Summer in Paradise

I’ve heard this through a few times, and I’ve listened to other songs individually more times. I have the USA version. Here goes:
Hot Fun in the Summertime – This isn’t so bad. The “baum baum baum baum diditt” backing vocals are nice, and I love Mike’s low bass “YEEEUH” stuff from this era. Mike’s voice isn’t so self-referential on this, either! Carl had developed a soulful quality to his natural singing voice at this point in the game. The modulation on the vocals is weird. This song wasn’t bad.
Surfin’ – Hmmm… an interesting choice for a cover. The instrumentation is comical for a song this simplistic. The singing is kind of melodramatic in parts, if that makes sense. Carl sounds good, but it’s just too much of a joke to be taken seriously. It’s also too long.
Summer of Love – “YEEEAAUH!!” I love this song. It’s hilarious! Every lyric is a laugh. The song is legitimately catchy too, but if people are drawn to the childish, borderline creepy lyrics of Love You, they should give this song another chance. It has a lot to offer. “GURLZ R ALWAYZ REDDY” It’s a love thing, everyone. The effects used in this song, record scratch and all, enhance the humor tenfold. I LOVE this song. I can’t believe I haven’t put it on a compilation yet.
Island Fever – I like the guitar. Honestly, I like this song in general. It sounds good. Mike’s slowly indoctrinating me into his nasally ways, and I don’t mind his voice in this song so much. This album is so obviously electronically produced, but I really don’t have much negative to say about that fact. There are some cool sounds on this song, and the vocals aren’t bad. I actually like this song a lot more than most of the songs on Still Cruisin’!
Still Surfin’ – Hm……. Maybe I spoke too soon for this album? Well, actually, the backing track is pretty cool… But ugh, these references… The schmaltz… Should I like what’s going on here? I like that shift to double-time (or whatever) sometimes. I dunno, I guess I like this song… Who’s doing that “Getcha Back” falsetto part in the background?
Slow Summer Dancin’ – Okay, drums, we know you’re there. Tone it down a bit, please. …Woah, hey Bruce! Long time no listen! And hey, Al’s here too! This song is inoffensive, and I like the “over and over again; one summer night” part. It’s nothing too special, but not bad. I like the ending bit.
Strange Things Happen – The backing track sounds interesting. This song isn’t too bad, to be honest. As of right now, this album isn’t turning out to be “litter-ull-lee the wurst album 3v3r!!!” like many fans say. The lead vocal trading is pretty cool here. The drumming is crazy-artificial, but they didn’t have a permanent drummer as part of the main lineup anymore, so I can permit that in my mind. There are some crazy effects going on in these songs if you listen carefully.
Remember “Walking in the Sand” – Haha, this song is crazy. “REE-MEM-BUH.” The icicle synthesizers in the background are cool. Imagine *yourself* walking in the sand, and Mike’s booming modulated voice appears echoing all around you. What would you do? Carl sings well. The organ part that shows up a couple of times is totally out of left field. This album is strange.
Lahaina Aloha – There goes that guitar, being all 1990s near-the-ocean-sounding. The accordion adds to that feeling too. I had to chuckle at the homogeneity of the drums; they sound so similar between the songs! Carl sings great again. How does he do it!? Mike sings well, too. Tit for tat, I think he sings better on this album than any since LA. Carl’s part in the chorus is catchy. A good song. A really good song!
Under the Boardwalk – Man, this album has its own brand of humor. The beginning is so primitive music programming technology, and then here come the best harmony singers of all time. They sing well here, for sure. Ha! That handclap. Classic. I like when they sing “under the boooardwalk” together. Another song that isn’t bad. I think this album had Mike’s best bass vocal work, honestly.
Summer In Paradise – Well, I like the live version on MiC (and I think the UK version of the album?) a lot better. This version isn’t bad, though. Once again, I love the 12 string guitar. How could McGuinn be so not busy as to join The Beach Boys for the recording of this album? Crazy. If they were to have toned down the references a bit, I think the lyrics would’ve been pretty respectable. The hook on the chorus is pretty good. I wish Bruce sang lead here like the live version, though. Sigh… Maybe I’ll have to acquire the UK version sometime and give that a listen.
Forever – Ugh. Sitar, heavy guitar, John Stamos? Ugh. At least Carl still sounds good in his part. But come on. Maybe it can be taken as a joke. “Surfin’” is kind of a joke anyway. Yeah, okay. A joke song. Ha! What a clever ironic twist on the trend of remaking old songs with new people. Good one! …Honestly, it’s not the worst, but they didn’t need to put it on the album. It was just unnecessary.
Returning to “Summer of Love” so as to not spoil my opinion of the album too much, I didn’t mind this at all. I think it’s and interesting and frequently funny album. Definitely not the worst thing ever released (which is impossible to gauge anyway). I think, decades from now, when the people who were around for The Beach Boys’ actual history are all gone, this and other later albums will have a better chance of being looked upon favorably. I feel a lot of people view these albums in the context of ruining their legacy at the times of their releases, or being regressions compared to the albums around them. Taken as their own things, I haven’t found any album to be “bad.” Some I like more than others, nut they all have their enjoyable moments for sure.

That’s Why God Made the Radio

I haven’t listened to this very much. I remember enjoying a few songs, and of course I’ve listened to the title track and “Isn’t It Time” many times, but we’ll see how a fresh listen goes.\
Think About the Days – An interesting beginning to the album; very melancholy. Not bad. Kind of going for an “Our Prayer” approach, I suppose, but trying to capture the mood of growing old.
That’s Why God Made the Radio – Catchy. Once agin, there’s some “Kiss Me Baby” derivation going on with the chorus. Not “Some of Your Love” level, though, and I like the song. Jeff Foskett doesn’t sound like Brian, but I don’t mind too much. It’s interesting to hear The Beach Boys’ blend in 2012. They’re old! Al obviously sounds the best, but you can still pick out Mike and Brian. And Bruce is in there too, right?
Isn’t It Time – This is listed as “Isn’t It Me” on my Walkman for some reason. Hehe. Mike’s bass background vocal sounds kind of weird, sort of Rugrats-esque. Al sounds immaculate! It’s a catchy song with intriguing percussive elements. Jeff Foskett sure is prominent in the vocals. This song is so interesting.
Spring Vacation – “Good vibration!” …….Whatever, it’s not the worst song. The chorus’s melody, not the lyrics, is kind of lame to me. It just seems too generic to me. “Harmony boys are what we believe in.” The “hallelu-hu-hu-huoou-yuh” part is cool, and David plays some guitar, but I think the melody just isn’t up to snuff.
The Private Life of Bill and Sue – The lyrical concept is interesting and kind of funny. Once again, though, the chorus sounds generic. The “ba-dee-ah-dee-ah-dee-ah” backing vocals are cool, but I’ve heard that tempo and everything before. Not from The Beach Boys, I guess, but still. The song isn’t too bad, as the vocal performances are good. I like the barry sax too. Hmm, maybe the chorus is alright. It’s done well. Yeah, I guess the song isn’t that bad.
Shelter – I wish they would’ve used Matt Jardine. Jeff doesn’t do an inherently bad job; he isn’t a bad singer, but he just doesn’t really blend. Anyway, David’s guitar sounds pretty good. The song isn’t bad, I guess. Not mind-blowing.
Daybreak Over the Ocean – That intro was great! The percussion in Mike’s solo part is really strange; I like it! It sounds like they put a sample of a kid licking an ice cream cone in there. Innovative! Honestly, I like this song a heckuvalot more than the past few. The harmonies are great, and there are actual cool things going on in it! Mike does a good job singing the song too, I think. It’s a great song! It builds up well, has a variety of sounds, and contains excellent vocals.
Beaches in Mind – Hmm… You know, I was skeptical, but once again, there are some really interesting sounds going on in the background. The harmonies are good again, too. What in the world was that rattling harmonica sound at around one minute in? Crazy stuff! This and the previous song have been my favorites thus far, which is funny, since they’re probably the most “regressive.” There it is again, just before the two-minute mark! That weird sound, this time in the middle channel. Is it heavily modulated guitar? Whatever it is, cool!
Strange World – I’m not a fan of the particular piano style. Too Billy Joel-ish or whatever for me. The drum and “bum-bum” combo is pretty cool, though. Something about this song makes it seem like it belongs in a movie soundtrack, maybe to a Dreamworks movie. Is it the strings? The piano? The song isn’t bad. I don’t really like the pedal steel in this context. The song would work in a movie, I think.
From There to Back Again – Ooh, some woodwinds! And of course, Algonquin Q. Jardine! This is a pretty song. And some strings show up! Not bad, not bad. Goodbye Al, I appreciated your vocal. The transition to the tag sure is interesting. Not bad!
Pacific Coast Highway – Good stuff! The beginning bombast kind of reminded me of “Pacific Ocean Blue.” And shoot, it’s already over!
Summer’s Gone – This is pretty good too. I can appreciate the “looking back at the career / getting old / sunset” stuff going on with this album, and there are interesting sounds going on in this song anyway. It’s pretty, and done well. If this ends up being the end of The Beach Boys’ studio album discography, they could’ve done worse than this song.
Man, where was Bruce? I missed him. The album wasn’t bad, though. I think a lot of it would’ve been better if it hadn’t been produced by Joe Thomas, honestly. My least favorite songs on the album I think were Brian-centric ones. They just weren’t as interesting sound-wise, and didn’t have stellar, on-par Beach Boys harmonies. Maybe not, because the last three tracks were great, and the two singles were good too. And the first track. It wasn’t a bad album, it just had a

[Zargo]

Man, where was Bruce? I missed him.

He's very high in the mix on parts of "Spring Vacation," I enjoy hearing him singing "wish that it could go on forever - long as we can, all stay together," but yes, no real lead.
Enjoyed your positive reviews again, like you I tend to enjoy just about everything to varying degrees.
I have been singing "Some of you love" and "kiss me baby" in my head just now though and I can't really see a similarity. I can certainly hear KMB in
"That's why God made the radio" however, which I had not noticed previously.

[You Kane, You Commanded, You Conquered]

Brian mastered the Wall Of Sound, you've mastered the Wall Of Text  . I kid, great read!

[Lonely Summer]

Going through all the albums again, I realized there's very few places where I can hear Bruce's voice in the harmony stack. The tags of "California Girls" and "God Only Knows", "Bluebirds Over the Mountain" (his voice doing the "baby" at the end), "Add Some Music to Your Day" (his solo), ...well, that's all I can think of, other than the songs he sings lead on. He really was the phantom Beach Boy.

[Lean Back Now Listen]

Man, where was Bruce? I missed him.

He's very high in the mix on parts of "Spring Vacation," I enjoy hearing him singing "wish that it could go on forever - long as we can, all stay together," but yes, no real lead.
Enjoyed your positive reviews again, like you I tend to enjoy just about everything to varying degrees.
I have been singing "Some of you love" and "kiss me baby" in my head just now though and I can't really see a similarity. I can certainly hear KMB in
"That's why God made the radio" however, which I had not noticed previously.

Oh, I didn't notice him on there! I'll have to take another listen with that in mind.

Thank you! It's just more fulfilling to like this stuff than not, I feel. Why hate certain aspects of the music just to hate it? As for "Some of Your Love," I was just referring to the fact that Carl actually sings the lyric "Kiss Me Baby" at one point. The melodies of the song remind me more of "It's A Beautiful Day," "Wontcha Come Out Tonight," and "Be True to Your School."

[Lean Back Now Listen]

Brian mastered the Wall Of Sound, you've mastered the Wall Of Text  . I kid, great read!

Haha, yeah! It's certainly quite a handful of text. Thanks!

Going through all the albums again, I realized there's very few places where I can hear Bruce's voice in the harmony stack. The tags of "California Girls" and "God Only Knows", "Bluebirds Over the Mountain" (his voice doing the "baby" at the end), "Add Some Music to Your Day" (his solo), ...well, that's all I can think of, other than the songs he sings lead on. He really was the phantom Beach Boy.

Yeah, I get you. In addition to the songs you mentioned, I can hear him on the tag of "I'll Bet He's Nice," the super-high part of the "columnated ruins domino" part of "Surf's Up" (I think?), and some of the ultra-high parts of the countless "Heroes and Villains" sections (I remember "Mission Pak" being pointed out as Bruce at his highest). There are a couple I'm more than likely forgetting, but even with those songs added to the list, that's a really short list! I suppose the concerts were where it was at for him in the stack, at least up until 1972.

[Lonely Summer]

Brian mastered the Wall Of Sound, you've mastered the Wall Of Text  . I kid, great read!

Haha, yeah! It's certainly quite a handful of text. Thanks!

Going through all the albums again, I realized there's very few places where I can hear Bruce's voice in the harmony stack. The tags of "California Girls" and "God Only Knows", "Bluebirds Over the Mountain" (his voice doing the "baby" at the end), "Add Some Music to Your Day" (his solo), ...well, that's all I can think of, other than the songs he sings lead on. He really was the phantom Beach Boy.

Yeah, I get you. In addition to the songs you mentioned, I can hear him on the tag of "I'll Bet He's Nice," the super-high part of the "columnated ruins domino" part of "Surf's Up" (I think?), and some of the ultra-high parts of the countless "Heroes and Villains" sections (I remember "Mission Pak" being pointed out as Bruce at his highest). There are a couple I'm more than likely forgetting, but even with those songs added to the list, that's a really short list! I suppose the concerts were where it was at for him in the stack, at least up until 1972.

I forgot "Surf's Up". He had a great voice, but I suppose his place in the stack was usually Brian's place.

[drbeachboy]

Bruce is also very prominent on the Smile version of Wonderful too. His voice is a perfect compliment to the song, imho.