Keepin' The Summer Alive

[lance]

Earlier this year, I listened to the music I had year-by-year, song-by-song in alphabetical order, in my little black shiney chinesey thing(already stopped working) that I got for Christmas.

MIU stunk up 1978. I couldn't wait for those songs to end.

Whereas, much of Keeping the Summer Alive held up surprisingly well. Perhaps that's the way to listen to it. As a three minute interval between hipper music...from 1980.

[coco1997]

Does anyone know what songs were cut from the "KTSA" sessions that would've improved the album had they been kept on the final tracklist?

[Domino]

I think this is the last decent beach boys album. Brian wrote some songs again. Oh Darlin is a good track, Some Of Your Love is catchy, Goin on is better than anything he have done after this. But there is also junk like Sunshine, it's probably the worst song Brian wrote in the 70s. I find the old song When Girls Get Together irresistible. Carls song KTSA is a good rocker(not great) but the other song Livin' with a Heartache gets stucked in my head and it makes me wanna puke. I think the album closer Endless Harmony is very underrated, probably because Bruce wrote it. It's a beautiful peace and you know what?  It's the last sound of classic beach boys.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Does anyone know what songs were cut from the "KTSA" sessions that would've improved the album had they been kept on the final tracklist?

KTSA sessions ? Right here - http://www.btinternet.com/~bellagio/gigs79.html, and here - http://www.btinternet.com/~bellagio/gigs80.html.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Does anyone know what songs were cut from the "KTSA" sessions that would've improved the album had they been kept on the final tracklist?

Well, IMHO the version of "oh Darlin" with Brian on lead. His vocals may be "weaker" than Carl's at that point, but it seems to give the track more character.

[Alex]

I like the title track and When Girls Get Together...and nothing else from KTSA. I do like the LA version of Santa Ana Winds, but Al's spoken intro ruins the KTSA version.

[Mr. Cohen]

I'm here to proclaim my love for "Goin' On", too. Those harmonies get me every time. What a fulfilling sound. Imagine if the BBs circa '66 sang it? I like to imagine that the happy, nostalgic bridge is the song's protagonist flashing back to when he was with his loved one.

I also love the harmonies on "Some of Your Love" during the verses. It has the 'that great roller skating rink in the sky (to borrow a phrase from Lester Bangs)' sound that Brian had on Love You and parts of 15 Big Ones. It's a very repetitive song, but it's catchy and harmless.

"Oh Darlin'" could have used a better arrangement, as others said, but Brian does some great vocal arranging again, salvaging the production a bit. They should not have included that "God only knows..." background vocal at the end of the song, though. It makes the song seem like a bad museum exhibit.

I love "When Girls Get Together" (what an interesting/bizarre arrangement and vocal melody - it screams 'welcome to Brian's mad circus tent world of benign insanity') and "Santa Ana Winds". Al's spoken intro on the latter doesn't bother me at all, and, can you believe that Brian could play harmonica like that? He should have tried out for the Stones.

"Livin' With a Heartache" is a weird song. It sounds like the bridge, chorus and verse of the song were cut to shreds and randomly spliced together. I can't tell which is which for sure. It has a great bouncy, rollicking sound and I like it because of that. With some rearranging of the song's structure it could have been a latter day BBs classic. It reminds me of "Rainbows" off of Pacific Ocean Blue.

"School Day" is an acceptable cover. The boys execute it well, although it's a retread of a retread, a BBs Chuck Berry cover done in the style of 15 Big Ones "Rock and Roll Music". Strangely, it's the most rocking thing the BBs ever did together as a group after Love You, except for maybe "Shortenin' Bread".

"Sunshine" I could forget. It has a few redeeming elements melodically, but that electric guitar just sounds ugly and ruins whatever chance that song had.

"Endless Harmony". Cheesy, pure Velveeta, but I've always loved my mac 'n' cheese. This song isn't something I'd listen to repeatedly, but it's not so bad. In fact, it reminds me A LOT of the Paley sessions from the early 90s.

The title song is a catchy rocker but the production is terrible, absolutely terrible. It could have been a good song, but as it is on this album it's mediocre. It needed to rock and it just didn't know how.

I give the album a 3 out of 5, surprising even myself with that high of a rating. I must be in a really good mood.

[Curtis Leon]

I can't even sit though this record. Simply, I manage to sit though a few seconds of each track, before skipping the track. Bruce produces this horribly, absolutely horrible. Not even in the 80s sense, even. No, the Beach Boys don't hit the 80s until the next record. The only song I can even sit though is When Girls Get Together... And even that's a worthless pile of sh*t, with horribly trite lyrics. No wonder they shoved it into the vaults during the Sunflower sessions. As far as I'm concerned, they should've scrapped this whole album. Though, I do want to find a version of the aforementioned track with Mike Love's vocals wiped... If only I could hear Brian's original voice, it would probably save the song for me. Unfortunately, the vocals aren't separated, and all I can hear are faint glimpses of falsetto. Because I can't listen to it, I'm not going to rate it. Everything sucks. All of the songs. And they STILL aren't on rock bottom.

[drbeachboy]

I think "Goin' On" is a terrific track with pure Beach Boys vocals. You don't get much more Beach Boy than that track. Another song that is a "state of  Brian Wilson" commentary. It's the highlight track of the album.

[Dunderhead]

Alright, I'm going to listen to this all the way through right now for the first time.

Keepin' The Summer Alive - This song could, COULD, be okay and just okay, nothing more. However the production sounds idiotic and totally ruins it, the lyrics are just awful. The Beach Boys have always been about positive energy and good times to a certain degree, but the guys were over 30 years old when they did this, c'mon.

Oh Darlin' - This song is forgettable, it's just uninspired. The production is passable and there's nothing truly offensive but there isn't anything good about it either.

Some of Your Love - Jesus Lord, this sax solo. Mike shouldn't have been allowed to use his nasal, seriously. The mix doesn't sound too good, the harmonies are...eh. Not really a song I'd be tempted to listen to ever again.

Livin' with a Heartache - I actually don't mind this at all. It's got a kind of nice country feelin' and feels fairly well done overall. Carl gives a nice vocal and it really feels like a little actual effort went into this song, I really like it more as it goes on. Could have been better but overall passable.

School Days - ugh...this song didn't need to ever be done, the harmonies on this album feel...off and Bruce Johnston is not a particularly talented producer.

Goin' On - The vocals on this one work well enough, I don't know so much about the song. About 1:21 in and I'm pretty bored, it's just unoriginal. The Carl parts are nice enough, but again suffer from the mix. The "solo" is kinda lame...

Sunshine - This song sounds awful, truly AWFUL. It seems like every instrument on this is mixed into the pulsating bassline, like it's some alien parasite taking over everything. I hate this song, it's nauseating and I want it to stop! I will never listen to this under any circumstance again.

When Girls Get Together - I've never really got this song, it feels really different, like it just doesn't stick for some reason. The mix here also is much worse than the original one I've heard. It's a good outtake but I'm glad it wasn't on Sunflower, there was just no reason to release it here.

Santa Ana Winds - This is a real shame. Al's version of this is addictive, it's a genuine good song. It's sad that this little gem had to be ruined with new lyrics and terrible production. I'd give the '78 one a B and I'd give this one a C-

Endless Harmony - Alright the last song, thank god. It doesn't really sound like The Beach Boys at all, it sounds like some smooth jazz Chic Corea type thing. I don't hate this, but it's a mediocre song that tries too hard for its own good.

This record overall is a huge disappointment, there's just nothing good here. I would like to hear a different mix of this album, I think a lot of the songs could use a lot of room to breathe, even then though, the boys had just become unhip by now. They're hearts aren't in it, there's no love, no quirk, no charm, no passion. I enjoy the earlier mix of Santa Ana Winds, and I think Livin' With a Heartache is decent, but other than that this album stinks. I'd give this like, 3/10.

[sparkydog1725]

Been playing catch-up with a few BB CDs I missed somehow. Listening to this one for the first time. I was expecting something awful but I'll be playing this fairly regularly. It doesn't have that sterile 80s production and nothing on it is unbearable. The vocals and harmonies are not cocainey-ragged. Livin' With A Heartache and Santa Ana Winds are great songs. So there. 

[Don_Zabu]

That album cover is kind of an apt metaphor, if you think about it.



Here, much like how their music grew steadily more shallow and cliched over the years, The Beach Boys have trapped themselves in a glass prison, a prison of forced sunshine and happiness bottled up in an extremely claustrophobic space. Through the walls of this entrapment, they can see the world outside, darker and more complex and filled with endless possibilities stretching out in every direction, but they have no hope of tapping into that so long as they stay trapped in their bubble.

And all that little penguin can do is stand there and sigh.

[drbeachboy]

No, I think the fans forced them to overly embrace their past glories, which stifled their growth. Under that bubble is their stage persona, not the studio band who tried to stay relevant with albums like Surf's Up and Holland. Funny that their only Gold album was In Concert. From 15 Big Ones through Keepin' The Summer Alive, they tried just about every style they knew to find a winning combination that would appeal to the record buying public. Except for 15 Big Ones, they didn't have much success finding one. Just my 2 cents.

[hypehat]

That album cover is kind of an apt metaphor, if you think about it.



Here, much like how their music grew steadily more shallow and cliched over the years, The Beach Boys have trapped themselves in a glass prison, a prison of forced sunshine and happiness bottled up in an extremely claustrophobic space. Through the walls of this entrapment, they can see the world outside, darker and more complex and filled with endless possibilities stretching out in every direction, but they have no hope of tapping into that so long as they stay trapped in their bubble.

And all that little penguin can do is stand there and sigh.

I guess in all this, Van Dyke Parks is the penguin, the polar bears are the rest of us (slavish drooling) and the skimpily clad woman, with her highly collectible BB's towel, is bgas.

[Amazing Larry]

1. Keepin' The Summer Alive 8/10
2. Oh Darlin' 3.5/10
3. Some Of Your Love 7/10
4. Livin' With Heart Ache 4/10
5. School Day 5/10
6. Goin' On 9.5/10
7. Sunshine 4.5/10
8. When Girls Get Together 4/10
9. Santa Ana Winds 7/10
10. Endless Harmony 2.5/10

Album Rating: 5.5

[SMiLE Brian]

Words can't describe how bad this album was when I listened to it for the first time after I found the two-fer at the CD store a couple days ago. This is by far the worst album in the Beach Boys catalog because all six members worked on these songs unlike SIP.

[PhilSpectre]

I tend to listen to this as a cool EP, consisting of -

KTSA
Goin On
Santa Ana Winds
Endless Harmony (a guilty pleasure )

The rest imo is pretty much disposable really.

Great cover though.

[drbeachboy]

Words can't describe how bad this album was when I listened to it for the first time after I found the two-fer at the CD store a couple days ago. This is by far the worst album in the Beach Boys catalog because all six members worked on these songs unlike SIP.

I don't think Dennis was too involved in this release. He may only be on one or two tracks. On suspension, I think.

[SMiLE Brian]

Words can't describe how bad this album was when I listened to it for the first time after I found the two-fer at the CD store a couple days ago. This is by far the worst album in the Beach Boys catalog because all six members worked on these songs unlike SIP.

I don't think Dennis was too involved in this release. He may only be on one or two tracks. On suspension, I think.

I heard that too, lucky for him to be not too involved in this album.

[drbeachboy]

Words can't describe how bad this album was when I listened to it for the first time after I found the two-fer at the CD store a couple days ago. This is by far the worst album in the Beach Boys catalog because all six members worked on these songs unlike SIP.

I don't think Dennis was too involved in this release. He may only be on one or two tracks. On suspension, I think.

I heard that too, lucky for him to be not too involved in this album.

Or maybe not. A couple Dennis tunes (if he had any) may have saved this album. I like about 1/2 of the album at best, with Goin' On the only truly bright light.

[SMiLE Brian]

Words can't describe how bad this album was when I listened to it for the first time after I found the two-fer at the CD store a couple days ago. This is by far the worst album in the Beach Boys catalog because all six members worked on these songs unlike SIP.

I don't think Dennis was too involved in this release. He may only be on one or two tracks. On suspension, I think.

I heard that too, lucky for him to be not too involved in this album.

Or maybe not. A couple Dennis tunes (if he had any) may have saved this album. I like about 1/2 of the album at best, with Goin' On the only truly bright light.

Good point, maybe use songs from the Bambu sessions and some Brian songs in the vault. (sherry she needs me or adult/child songs)

[OGoldin]

I've listened to the two-fer of this and BB85 several times before, holding my nose, but tonight I enjoyed them both.  Not sure whether this is a good thing . . .

[Lowbacca]

Not sure whether this is a good thing . . .

For you no, it isn't.  Maybe you had an off day.

[EgoHanger1966]

There are a couple cuts I like on this record (and one of them is "Sunshine!), but the one I really dig is "When Girls Get Together". It sounds like a late 50s to early 60s Everly Brothers record.

[Lowbacca]

There are a couple cuts I like on this record (and one of them is "Sunshine!), but the one I really dig is "When Girls Get Together". It sounds like a late 50s to early 60s Everly Brothers record.

"When Girls Get Together" was written in the 60's.