Keepin' The Summer Alive

[Lonely Summer]

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.

I don't hear any Evs influence at all - possibly because it's one of the few songs I actively dislike.

[musicismylife101]

Not heard in its entirety but heard most of it. Production is okay although I have to say, sorry Bruce but you failed  Songs I like are Santa Ana Winds, Goin' On, Oh, Darlin', and Endless Harmony. Lackluster album though. Maybe I'll listen to it in its entirety one day and give it a final rating.

[Banana]

I have given this LP a new appraisal!  After years I've pretty much dismissing it...I decided to give it a couple of decent spins.  It's not horrible.  You have to consider it in the context of when it was released.  It was not the follow-up to "Pet Sounds" or even "Holland" for that matter.  The group was a bit of a mess by this point...but they managed to pull something out of nothing.

1) Keepin' the Summer Alive is a pretty solid rocker.  It's a great lead-off track.  Carl's lead is great.  I love the bass vocal line.  I really think this is one of the better songs they did during this period. 

2) Oh Darlin' is not a good song.  Way too insipid.  I guess I like the gruffer version with Brian on lead vocals...but even that couldn't have saved it from just being boring and sappy.  The chorus is pure gunk...and a total momentum killer after the relatively good lead track.

3) Some Of Your Love is another pretty decent song.  The sax riff in the beginning is interesting.  Some nice harmonies...though Mike's voice sounds really processed.  Not a lot of substance, here, but it's a fun listen.

4) Livin' With a Heartache is a song I completely hate.  All I'll say is that it sounds like a Kenny Rogers/Alabama outtake.  Shame on you, Carl!

5) School Day is a pretty non-essential track…but Al does his best to breathe some life into it.  At least it sounds like they were having fun. 

6) Goin’ On is a Beach Boys’ classic.  Nothing more needs to be said.

7) Sunshine is a song I rank with Some Of Your Love.  Filler…but pleasant filler.

When Girls Get Together is such an odd track for this LP…I mean my goodness…how old was it by this point?  It does not fit the overall sound of the rest of the LP because it was recorded nearly ten years earlier.  This track should have been rejected again and left off of the LP.

9) Santa Ana Winds is a track I have a soft spot for.  I like Al’s folksy eco-songs.  This one is a-okay with me.

10) Endless Harmony is okay.  The soaring harmonies at the very end save it from just being Bruce Johnston syrupy goo. 

If you give it a chance there are decent songs on this LP.  Don’t toss the whole thing in the trash.  The Beach Boys from this period are a tough listen.  The diamonds aren’t readily evident…and it takes some effort and some painful listening to dig through the rubbish to find them…but they are there!

[Cabinessenceking]

KTSA (Track) is mixed terrible, with some crappy lyrics (icecream weather lol). there is no driving guitar, so a potentially good song flounders.
I dont care for muchof this album but there are very few half decent tracks even. I actually like WGGT but it's out of place and this mix is worse than the 1969-70 mix.
Endless harmony could've been decent too but they botched it with the horrendous ending. With this album the Beach Boys truly died as a music force. 1

[punkinhead]

The 2nd side of this album is such a mixed bag of goodies. I really do enjoy When Girls Get Together, I really dig the track and the percussion is great.
Santa Ana Winds is really underrated, I think just because of the spoken intro. Does the original have different lyrics? I remember hearing Al sing: "On my porch, thinkin' about the torch, I've been carrying for you so long..." or is that in the KTSA cut?
I also think Endless Harmony is underrated! good ending but it doesn't go with the rest of the album. Maybe the production of 10 Years of Harmony would fit better.
So Dennis is only on EH on KTSA, is it just his drums that are on it? or is he on it vocally. Maybe it's just Endless Harmony the documentary that makes me like the song a lot...when I hear it, makes me think of the beginning shots of the band on the documentary. Was Endless Harmony ever played live? I feel like this whole album has been played live, in bits and pieces, I'm sure When Girls get together hasn't been played, but I feel like the rest has...maybe if you include that video footage of Oh Darling being played to an audience, I wasn't sure if that's part of the KTSA doc or a concert. I know other "gems" from the album were played for that too. I really enjoy Goin On and Some of Your Love live, the keyboard solos instead of the sax are better IMO...unless the Lovester is on sax, then that's a different story!

[EgoHanger1966]

The 2nd side of this album is such a mixed bag of goodies. I really do enjoy When Girls Get Together, I really dig the track and the percussion is great.
Santa Ana Winds is really underrated, I think just because of the spoken intro. Does the original have different lyrics? I remember hearing Al sing: "On my porch, thinkin' about the torch, I've been carrying for you so long..." or is that in the KTSA cut?
I also think Endless Harmony is underrated! good ending but it doesn't go with the rest of the album. Maybe the production of 10 Years of Harmony would fit better.
So Dennis is only on EH on KTSA, is it just his drums that are on it? or is he on it vocally. Maybe it's just Endless Harmony the documentary that makes me like the song a lot...when I hear it, makes me think of the beginning shots of the band on the documentary. Was Endless Harmony ever played live? I feel like this whole album has been played live, in bits and pieces, I'm sure When Girls get together hasn't been played, but I feel like the rest has...maybe if you include that video footage of Oh Darling being played to an audience, I wasn't sure if that's part of the KTSA doc or a concert. I know other "gems" from the album were played for that too. I really enjoy Goin On and Some of Your Love live, the keyboard solos instead of the sax are better IMO...unless the Lovester is on sax, then that's a different story!

-The only thing that bothers me with When Girls Get Together is the kick drum ovedubs. Most of them are seriously out of time. The version on "Landlocked" doesn't have them - I like that version a lot better.

-The "torch" Al lyrics are from an earlier version of Santa Ana Winds. There was a version recorded during the LA sessions that Bruce apparently didn't like/didn't want included on the album.

-I like Endless Harmony, too.

[punkinhead]

The 2nd side of this album is such a mixed bag of goodies. I really do enjoy When Girls Get Together, I really dig the track and the percussion is great.
Santa Ana Winds is really underrated, I think just because of the spoken intro. Does the original have different lyrics? I remember hearing Al sing: "On my porch, thinkin' about the torch, I've been carrying for you so long..." or is that in the KTSA cut?
I also think Endless Harmony is underrated! good ending but it doesn't go with the rest of the album. Maybe the production of 10 Years of Harmony would fit better.
So Dennis is only on EH on KTSA, is it just his drums that are on it? or is he on it vocally. Maybe it's just Endless Harmony the documentary that makes me like the song a lot...when I hear it, makes me think of the beginning shots of the band on the documentary. Was Endless Harmony ever played live? I feel like this whole album has been played live, in bits and pieces, I'm sure When Girls get together hasn't been played, but I feel like the rest has...maybe if you include that video footage of Oh Darling being played to an audience, I wasn't sure if that's part of the KTSA doc or a concert. I know other "gems" from the album were played for that too. I really enjoy Goin On and Some of Your Love live, the keyboard solos instead of the sax are better IMO...unless the Lovester is on sax, then that's a different story!

-The only thing that bothers me with When Girls Get Together is the kick drum ovedubs. Most of them are seriously out of time. The version on "Landlocked" doesn't have them - I like that version a lot better.

-The "torch" Al lyrics are from an earlier version of Santa Ana Winds. There was a version recorded during the LA sessions that Bruce apparently didn't like/didn't want included on the album.

-I like Endless Harmony, too.

Apparently Bruce liked the re-recorded version. I turned up the volume towards the end and I could heard kind of a gruff BW vocal in the background singing "oooohhh."

What's a shame is when you look at the credits and B. Wilson is ALL OVER the place with writing credits but his voice is only in a tiny bit of places and I couldn't tell you where they're at unless I re-listened to the album louder. wish I had it on vinyl to give it a listen, that may help.

[punkinhead]

The 2nd side of this album is such a mixed bag of goodies. I really do enjoy When Girls Get Together, I really dig the track and the percussion is great.
Santa Ana Winds is really underrated, I think just because of the spoken intro. Does the original have different lyrics? I remember hearing Al sing: "On my porch, thinkin' about the torch, I've been carrying for you so long..." or is that in the KTSA cut?
I also think Endless Harmony is underrated! good ending but it doesn't go with the rest of the album. Maybe the production of 10 Years of Harmony would fit better.
So Dennis is only on EH on KTSA, is it just his drums that are on it? or is he on it vocally. Maybe it's just Endless Harmony the documentary that makes me like the song a lot...when I hear it, makes me think of the beginning shots of the band on the documentary. Was Endless Harmony ever played live? I feel like this whole album has been played live, in bits and pieces, I'm sure When Girls get together hasn't been played, but I feel like the rest has...maybe if you include that video footage of Oh Darling being played to an audience, I wasn't sure if that's part of the KTSA doc or a concert. I know other "gems" from the album were played for that too. I really enjoy Goin On and Some of Your Love live, the keyboard solos instead of the sax are better IMO...unless the Lovester is on sax, then that's a different story!

-The only thing that bothers me with When Girls Get Together is the kick drum ovedubs. Most of them are seriously out of time. The version on "Landlocked" doesn't have them - I like that version a lot better.

I agree the drums are out of time during parts of it. Is that what was overdubbed for the KTSA album? I thought all they did was change the mix where Brian's vocals are lower in volume (unfortunately)

[musicismylife101]

Not heard in its entirety but heard most of it. Production is okay although I have to say, sorry Bruce but you failed  Songs I like are Santa Ana Winds, Goin' On, Oh, Darlin', and Endless Harmony. Lackluster album though. Maybe I'll listen to it in its entirety one day and give it a final rating.

Heard the whole thing. Not much to say but "meh"

[Summer_Days]

I like 'Goin' On', 'Oh Darlin'' and 'Livin' With A Heartache'. The title track and 'Endless Harmony' are almost halfway decent. 'Santa Ana Winds' is an alright song, but an awful recording. Everything else belongs in the trash, along with the cover art.

[shakcohen]

I'm a fan of KTSA and I'm not ashamed to admit it! The title track is a good solid rocker -- should've been a single -- and "Goin' On' and "Santa Ana Winds" are classics. All imho, of course.

I still remember when the Beach Boys appeared on the *Fridays* TV show to promote KTSA. It was one of their best showings (imho). Carl rocked out on the title track, with the guys singing punchy harmonies behind him, for their first number. The second part was the best by far. They started with "Good Vibes" and segued into "Goin' On." Carl was truly on fire for GO, and the whole group came alive in those delicious harmonies.

Yes I am fond of this album too! There probably aren't any BB albums that I dislike or refuse to have in my collection. Plenty of nice music here!

[punkinhead]

I like 'Goin' On', 'Oh Darlin'' and 'Livin' With A Heartache'. The title track and 'Endless Harmony' are almost halfway decent. 'Santa Ana Winds' is an alright song, but an awful recording. Everything else belongs in the trash, along with the cover art.

I get, I mean got the vibe everyone hates this cover. I actually quite like it. No cover art with the guys playing had been used for years, with the exception of Live in London (the 76 release). I like seeing Brian on that grand piano, references his use of the piano during that era...it's a shame Dennis is playing drums on the cover and not on the album itself.

[EgoHanger1966]

KTSA is one of my fave BB album covers.

[JaredLekites]

I've kind of 'rediscovered' "Keeping The Summer Alive" after realizing that the new Brian Wilson: Songwriter 1969-1982 documentary overlooks it entirely. I was quite surprised when there was no mention of "Goin' On" which I think of as the high point of the low point of The Beach Boys career. But then again, they also failed to mention the disco-fied remake of "Here Comes The Night" on "L.A Light Album" (perhaps to afford the subject of their documentary a little bit of dignity... then again perhaps not).

Examining the KTSA album, I'd rate it about the same as I would "L.A." which would be about a 3.5-4 out of 10 (a '2' on this 1-5 scale). I think if you take the really good songs off of L.A and combine them with the really good songs off of KTSA, you'd have yourself quite a groovy Beach Boys album with strong contributions from each of the members of the group.

Then you can take the leftovers from each and bury them in the backyard next to your expired pet hamster.  

[Banana]

Yes, it is by no means as awful as many fans and critics would lead you to believe.  That said, it's pretty spotty.  I think it suffers from lack of Brian and lack of Dennis.  Overall, it's a relatively FUN recording.  KTSA is a pretty solid lead-of track.  It's like most of their post-Love You material: Some good stuff, some bad stuff, some absolute gems and some real "cringe worthy" moments.  You have to be willing to wade through the muck to find the diamonds...because there are really good songs if you're willing to make the effort to find them!

[Disney Boy (1985)]

L.A. Light Album is light years ahead of KTSA in terms of quality. There's nothing on KTSA that even comes close to Good Timin' or the under-rated, beautiful Baby Blue. Yes, the disco Here Comes The Night is very bad indeed, but the overall quality elsewhere on L.A. is far higher than that on KTSA.

[Banana]

I agree.  LA has a more cohesive sound and it is a downright decent listen nearly all the way through.  KTSA has a few high...but also a lot of lows.  The title track is a good, driving rocker.  I've always loved the backing vox on that one.  Goin' On is a bit of a lost classic...but too much of the LP is either mindless filler or just plain bad.  It's the sound of a band going down the drain.  That said...I think they bounced back with BB85 which I've always felt to be very underappreciated.

[Disney Boy (1985)]

I agree.  LA has a more cohesive sound and it is a downright decent listen nearly all the way through.  KTSA has a few high...but also a lot of lows.  The title track is a good, driving rocker.  I've always loved the backing vox on that one.  Goin' On is a bit of a lost classic...but too much of the LP is either mindless filler or just plain bad.  It's the sound of a band going down the drain.  That said...I think they bounced back with BB85 which I've always felt to be very underappreciated.

Well i don't think Goin' On is a lost classic (if i were to single out a KTSA track which doesn't recieve the recognition it deserves i'd opt for Livin' With A Heartache), however i agree with pretty much everything else you've said there - in particular that BB85 is underappreciated.

[SgtTimBob]

I've never listened to this. Reading this thread makes me too scared to even give it a try lol.

Everything I've read about it make it seem doomed to fail. The circumstances under which recording began, stalled, and was restarted with Bruce calling the shots does not seem like a recipe for success.

Don't think I can muster the courage to hear it.

[Amanda Hart]

I've never listened to this. Reading this thread makes me too scared to even give it a try lol.

Everything I've read about it make it seem doomed to fail. The circumstances under which recording began, stalled, and was restarted with Bruce calling the shots does not seem like a recipe for success.

Don't think I can muster the courage to hear it.

C'mon and give it a try. It's not all that bad. Don't get me wrong, there are some horrendous songs on this album, but there is some prime guilty pleasure material here that's fun and catchy in an "embarrass your spouse with your goofy dancing" kind of way.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

What is wrong with the sound on this album?! It's most noticeable on Oh Darlin' (especially on the backups) and Endless Harmony, but there's this annoying effect on the vocals and much of the instrumentation, and it's annoying. I can't think of the proper name of it right now, but it's horrible and kills much of the album for me.

[Alan Smith]

I've never listened to this. Reading this thread makes me too scared to even give it a try lol.

Everything I've read about it make it seem doomed to fail. The circumstances under which recording began, stalled, and was restarted with Bruce calling the shots does not seem like a recipe for success.

Don't think I can muster the courage to hear it.

Man-up, buy it, play it and conquer your fear.

It's not, err, the best, but not the worst with some good offerings - especially one from Al.

Buy a vinyl copy, then you can have a half time break if things get overwhelming. As a bonus you'll then have a large format copy of one of their finest album covers.

Do it today

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

That quote got messed up a bit, Alan. Not sure what you were trying to post!

[Alan Smith]

That quote got messed up a bit, Alan. Not sure what you were trying to post!

Yeah, what a veritable disaster - it was meant to be an appreciation for Amanda's "goofy spouse dancing" descriptor; now deleted as it wasn't worth fixin'.  Thanks for the heads-up, Billy - A

[Amanda Hart]

Yeah, what a veritable disaster - it was meant to be an appreciation for Amanda's "goofy spouse dancing" descriptor; now deleted as it wasn't worth fixin'.  Thanks for the heads-up, Billy - A

I gotcha, appreciation appreciated.

Seriously though, put Sunshine on and try not to sing and dance. That nerdy white person reggae cries out for some nerdy white person soca dancing.