Holland

[pixletwin]

Steamboat is also one of their best post-GV songs IMO.

[Jonas]

An extended cut of the tag of LEaving this Town would be wonderful

[Jay]

I think Holland is a really good album. The whole California saga is great from start to finish. Although I like the outtake version of "Big Sur" better. Mike "narrating" the Beaks Of Eagles section might be his shining moment. The (what I call) "lonely vacant desert" music underneath the poem works GREAT. I agree totally with donald. This album is about as far away from their surf image that they would ever get. This is also just about their post Brian creative "peak". The Trader is a great overlooked song. I think that Sail On Sailor would have been better with Carl singing lead. I LOVE the entire Mt. Vernon and Fairway EP. I think it should be considered a seperate album. The "main theme" is the most beautiful melody I've ever heard in my life.  Magic Transistor Radio is really good. It would have been better extended. Actually, all of the songs would have been better as full three minute songs. It would be great if Brian could re-work it with his band and play it on tour. It amazes me that something as elaborate and complex as the "Pied Piper, bow bow" part would be so short. I think that the whole Mt. Vernon and Fairway "narrative" is a "last gasp" in a way for Brian. But that deserves a discussion all on it's own.

[Mahalo]

If only they would've stayed in this direction.....I LOVE this album, Perfect 5.........Cal Saga has grown exponentially on me......especially Mike's contributions.......beautiful imagery..........................is this the same band that recorded Here Comes The Night disco version???

Holland rules...................

[8o8o]

If only they would've stayed in this direction.....I LOVE this album, Perfect 5.........Cal Saga has grown exponentially on me......especially Mike's contributions.......beautiful imagery..........................is this the same band that recorded Here Comes The Night disco version???

Holland rules...................

Indeed. It has such a unique sound. It's wonderful.

Did it all come down to the change of environment (the move to the Netherlands)? A breath of fresh air? New ideas? No pressure? Curious cows 'visiting' the 'studio'?

I know Carl certainly had a good time there (though he probably was the only one!).

[Smilin Ed H]

I'm not sure Hard Times was intended for Holland, but I think it was recorded before the final Sail on Sailor sessions.  And yes, this and the other 'outtakes' would've made this fantastic album even better.

[TimeToGetAlone]

Holland is a very consistent work without really a song I consider particularly weak (obviously I prefer some to others).  Side 2 is my favorite, as I love every minute of those 4 songs.  Sail On, Sailor is decent although I really don't consider it to be the best song of the era as I've often heard it called.  I hardly realize how much I enjoy the album as a whole because of how cohesive it is.

Sail On, Sailor - 4.5/5
Steamboat - 5/5
California Saga: Big Sur - 4/5
California Saga: The Beaks of Eagles - 4/5
California Saga: California - 5/5
The Trader - 5/5
Leaving This Town - 4.5/5
Only With You - 5/5
Funky Pretty - 5/5

That'll round to a 5.

[Jonas]

I can go with that!

[Alex]

Sail On Sailor-4/5
Steamboat-5/5
Big Sur-5/5
Beaks of Eagles-4/5
Sunny Californ-i-a-4/5
Trader-5/5
Leaving This Town-3/5
Only With You-5/5
Funky Pretty-4/5
Mt. Vernon and Fairway (A Fairy Tale)-5/5
We Got Love-4/5
Carry Me Home-5/5

Its a great listen. This is the album to use to convert Beach Boy haters!

[Dr. Byrds]

Before I start...I just want to ask...Why isn't 'the Trader' known as the greatest Beach Boys song of the seventies? That song absolutely blows me away. So full of soul and melody, such punchy instrumentation and ethereal harmonies. I love how they cut it into two separate 'suites', it gives it such a sweeping feel.  Its a gripping song, Carl's finest moment, IMO.

The rest of the album is also fantastic. The California Saga, for me, is wonderful in its entirety. I love the contrast in instrument use, Pedal Steel fleshed out with synthesizer bass lines! Its got such an Americana feel to it. Great stuff.

I love the stoned soul of Leaving this Town, a very loose feel for a BB song (well, sort of a BB song). Steamboat also has a cool, hazy vibe.

Now, I know I'll be ran out of town for saying this, but to my ears (and I record music myself), Holland is the best produced Beach Boys album. I much prefer the 'band' sound Carl goes for here instead of the symphonic thing Brian was all about. I just love the clarity and aforementioned 'punchiness' of the rhythm section on this record, that sounds like no BB record before or since. Blondie and Ricky really made these songs groove. Carl focuses the backing track mixes on the drums, bass and keyboards (pretty minimal for the BBs) and then just showers everything in vocals and harmonies.  You can definitely tell Carl (and Al) learned how to arrange vocal harmonies from watching Brian, especially if you listen to 'the Trader' or 'Californ-i-a'. The harmony vocals contrast the melody rhythmically, and are pushed back and loaded with reverb.

Just think this album doesn't get nearly as much love as it deserves. My favorite Beach Boys album. 5 stars.

[the captain]

Why isn't 'the Trader' known as the greatest Beach Boys song of the seventies? That song absolutely blows me away.

Because your personal taste isn't the world's consensus.

[TimeToGetAlone]

I love the Trader, but I'd still put something like, say, 'Til I Die or Forever ahead of it in terms of 70's BB songs go.

[Dr. Byrds]

Why isn't 'the Trader' known as the greatest Beach Boys song of the seventies? That song absolutely blows me away.

Because your personal taste isn't the world's consensus.

was merely stressing the point of how much I love the song

[Alex]

I absolutely love this album. The BBs strongest release of the 70s.
Sail on Sailor-rocking track, always gets me pumped up
Steamboat-backing track sounds about 20 years ahead of its time-totally psychedelic
California Saga:
Big Sur-one of the few good songs the Lovester ever wrote
Beaks of Eagles-Thought it was awkward when I first heard it, but its grown on me
Sunny Californ-i-a-a full Brian Wilson return to form, except that its actually an Al Jardine song
The Trader-excellent vocal by Carl and perhaps Jack Reiley's finest lyrical work
Leaving This Town-drags on a little bit but Blondie puts a lot of heart into his lead vocal
Only With You-excellent Dennis love song, only thing missing is Daryl Dragon's orchestration
Funky Pretty-this song is "pretty funky", Brian cites it as one of his favorites-love how the group keeps alternating lead vocalists

Mt. Vernon and Fairway (A Fairy Tale)-some call it weird, but I think its some of Brian's best work, he wasn't feeding off the past quite yet like he did on 15 Big Ones

songs that didn't make it:
We Got Love-kinda twangy, fits right in with the rest of the album
Hard Times-cool Ricky/Blondie rocker
Carry Me Home-anti-Vietnam war song written by Dennis, its a shame this didn't make the album, its by far the best song they recorded in Holland

[lance]

Nice album, in some way their most "seventies" album. I'll give it a five. The poem thing is cheesey, but the music behind it is great and somehow there's nothing that captures the time(as I remember it) better than that track. I just wish the poet had had a slightly better grasp on narrative tenses, but that's the pedant in me.

[Wrightfan]

I really had a tough time on deciding whether this was a 3 or a 4 in my eyes. I gave it a 3 but consider it a high 3 (like 3.5)

Best to worst:
Sail on, Sailor
California Saga (California)
The Trader
Steamboat
California Saga (Big Sur) (The 1970 version is so much better though. Give this an official release...please?)
California Saga (The Beaks of Eagles)
Leaving this Town
Funky Pretty
Only with You

[Don't Back Down]

I just got around to listening to this all the way through. What a great cut. Of course we have Sail On Sailor and Califorina Pt. 3 but we have the lovely "Steamboat" (a new personal fav. I think), Trader, Funky Pretty, and more. I give this one a 4 out of 5 easily. Does anyone think that the Wondermints lifted the melody from "Steamboat" for their song "Ride"? Maybe this has been mentioned before, not that it matters.. My ears caught that while listening to "Steamboat" just now. My only regret is not listening to this album sooner!

Although I did have to make my own "Holland" mix which replaces "The Trader", "Leaving This Town, and "Funky Pretty" with the "In Concert" versions which are killer. Plus, I added Denny's "Only With You" from the POB release just to see how it fit, and it fits pretty well.

[NightHider]

I'm not sure Hard Times was intended for Holland, but I think it was recorded before the final Sail on Sailor sessions.  And yes, this and the other 'outtakes' would've made this fantastic album even better.

Regarding Hard Times:

I'm assuming Ricky and/or Blondie wrote this but who played on the track in circulation?  Is that Carl on the background harmony and the background "'...easier to give" parts?  Is that Dennis or Dragon on keyboards?

Wondering if this is a BB track or is it maybe something off of the The Flame's unreleased follow-up album?

[MBE]

Andrew's site has this as a Beach Boys cut. Great song.

[Andrew G. Doe]

October 4th 1972, at Village Recorders in LA. So, technically, a Holland outtake.

[brianc]

All the stuff about this album being overrated, pretentious and forced... I can hardly believe it.

First of all, besides Beach Boys fans, who rates this album high? Who overrates it? I hardly ever hear anyone talk about it.

Second, without Brian leading the band, almost everything, sans the songs of Dennis Wilson, seems forced. They just didn't have a lot of songs in them. But this album holds together really well, in that it sounds languid and cohesive, like the brown hues of the LP sleeve.

Third, I'm not sure what is pretentious about the album. I listened to it all the to and from Big Sur a few years ago, and it really hit the spot. The Beach Boys were clearly inspired to make something as transcendent and big a Smile. In the same year that gave us Band on the Run, this album reminds me of my dad and his friend's having neck-beards, faded blue jeans, wearing mustard-colour tank tops as they barbeque some burgers and hot dogs on the grill... latter the pot will come out, everyone will run through the sprinklers and have deep conversations. Holland is like a beautiful artifact, and it couldn't be re-created by the band in a million years.

[the captain]

I just went back to see if I called it pretentious (something that, while I don't remember saying, sounds as though it could have been). Sure enough. My guess is that on that cold January night, two and a half years ago, I was drunk off my ass and ranting because of Moog solos and spoken word poetry breaks. And yeah, that still strikes me as pretentious. But then I'm an admitted fan of concise pop songs, so meandering solos and (to me) unnecessary repetition just pisses me off, striking me as an artist trying too hard to be "an Artist." There are exceptions to every rule, but not on this album. That said, I did and do like it a lot. Just not all of it.

[brianc]

All the stuff that made Holland not pop and concise is exactly what made it their closest thing to a prog-rock album. But it's not British, it's Southern California. The guitars, the Moogs, organs, extended solos and spoken word. That's kind of exactly what I like about it. I never mind it too much when an artist or band goes off the deep-end. I appreciate brevity and those concise masterpieces, but I also like the sprawling mess that tries so hard and comes up slightly clumsy. Like Tusk by Fleetwood Mac. This big old package, with all these short little tracks that all sound the same. But somehow it works for me. Holland is exactly the same. It keeps me in that mood for as long as I'm listening to it, and it's not timeless. It's totally of it's time and place, which is always what makes the best Beach Boys stuff. Surfin' U.S.A. couldn't have been made in any other era. It's brilliance is that it's a snapshop of the period.

[the captain]

All the stuff that made Holland not pop and concise is exactly what made it their closest thing to a prog-rock album.

I know. But to some of us, that's no compliment.

[lance]

Well said, brian c. No record I have ever heard captures the early seventies, as they actually were, better than this record.