So I Got Keepin' The Summer Alive Today

[Shady]

Along with The Beach Boys 85 in tower today but I can't comment on that as of yet.

But Keepin' The Summer Alive why does it get such a bad rap, It's a truly great album. I've been holding of getting it for 2 years now because of the reviews I read..

Every song is great apart from School Days (Why Al), and Santa Ana winds is a bit weak, but the Harmony's are good. I'm mady in love with Livin' With A Heartache, how have I gone without this song for so long.

To me this why the Beach Boys are the best band ever, even at their worst, when everything was terrible, they still made really good pop music.

Has anybodies thoughts on this album changed, or am I totally alone 

[Black Tiger]

I like Some of Your Love, Goin' On, and the alternate version of Oh Darlin' with Brian singing lead (on Get the Boot). Santa Ana Winds is the best song, but they put the worst version of it on the album (naturally). Cool cover. Beyond that...

[shelter]

I agree, KTSA really isn't that bad. It hasn't got any major highlights and of course it's not one of their better albums, but it's OK. Way, way better than BB85 in my opinion...

[Rocker]

and the alternate version of Oh Darlin' with Brian singing lead (on Get the Boot).

That could've been such a great and beautiful song but the production, arrangement and the bad singing of the released version just ruin it for me. I agree, the alt. is better

[phirnis]

It's not among my favorites for sure. I have however started appreciating all of their records in one way or another as they're all part of the story and each of them is totally unique. So while I wouldn't want to play any single song from KTSA to a friend in order to convince them of the BB's outstanding qualities, there's quite a few things to enjoy for the connaisseur even on this one. Still, I prefer some of their other "worst records" over KTSA, most notably the M.I.U. Album, which has really grown on me (in a way).

[Awesoman]

I like the title track (with Joe Walsh on guitar!) and "Goin' On" the most; with the rest of the tracks ranging from decent to lousy.  Despite the lousy production of the 1985 album, I tend to enjoy that one; mostly due to the Carl Wilson tracks.

[Jonas]

I actually dig KTSA a lot! Prefer it over MIU and LA (which I guess isnt saying much...)

[Beach Boy]

Oh, I love this album so much. It's the only Beach Boys album where I really like all songs. It's true, the live versions of KTSA and School Days are way better though. The boys never played something harder live than that. Livin' With A Heartache is a treasure, so is Goin' On, my favourite track on that record. The melody is beautiful and the harmonies are awesome. Some Of Your Love and Sunshine aren't that interesting but fun to sing along with. Oh Darlin' has some beautiful lyrics that let me forget the a little bit boring sounding Carl lead. When Girls Get Together is another interesting piece, but seems a little bit out of place. Santa Ana Winds is cool and Endless Harmony the perfect closing. I love the Ten Years Harmony version too. Cover is cool, I love penguins. =)  The only thing I kinda dislike on that album is Dennis' absence. I love every Beach Boys album, even BB85, SC and SIP. But I can understand when people don't like it, but why KTSA? The last classic Beach Boys album for me.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I think the liner notes for the 2fer are pretty good. 

[punkinhead]

This is one of the last best BB albums. It's unfortunate that Dennis isn't featured...Sunshine is my favorite cut

[John]

I like it too. Not too much, but I like Some Of your Love, School Days, Goin' On and Santa Winds enough that the whole album gets a pass. After a Mike/Al album and a Carl/Denny album, it's nice that this one is a little more integrated.

[KokoMoses]

Along with The Beach Boys 85 in tower today but I can't comment on that as of yet.

But Keepin' The Summer Alive why does it get such a bad rap, It's a truly great album. I've been holding of getting it for 2 years now because of the reviews I read..

Every song is great apart from School Days (Why Al), and Santa Ana winds is a bit weak, but the Harmony's are good. I'm mady in love with Livin' With A Heartache, how have I gone without this song for so long.

To me this why the Beach Boys are the best band ever, even at their worst, when everything was terrible, they still made really good pop music.

I agree completely! I've been a Beach Boys obsessive since the 80's and I hadn't heard this album until just a few months ago! It's a fantastic album made during a rough time for the band, and I suspect this rough time and all the stories associated have a lot to do with it's reputation, rather than the music contained within. Sure, it's not Smile or Pet Sounds, or Pacific Ocean Blue (but what is?) but if all the Beach Boys were was Smile and Pet Sounds, I'd hardly be the fan I am.

[MBE]

I wouldn't say it's a good album, I don't think they did an entire good album after Holland,  but it's the last real Beach Boys album to me. It's the last time they did somthing that felt like they were doing their own thing instead of trying to fit in with whatever else was going on. Maybe it's because Brian and Mike were writing together, maybe it's that Carl's songs are solid, I don't know but it feels like the Beach Boys. Dennis would have made this a lot better.

[punkinhead]

Though I'm not a fan of reusing old melodies from other songs, Some of Your Love does rock!

BTW, I have two different backing tracks to Goin On, one sounds like the usual, but the other is a little more faster...was that Brian's first version? and then Bruce slowed it down?

[Jason]

I absolutely loathe this LP. This is the sound of a band that didn't care. I don't even think Carl could muster up the nerve to give 10%, let alone his usual 100%. And you know when Dennis boycotts the sessions, it's bad.

[adamghost]

Someone made the comment elsewhere that the production sounds thin and overly compressed, especially compared with L.A. (which I personally really like).  I think this is spot-on.

Songs I like:
KTSA
Santa Ana Winds
Goin' On
last half of Endless Harmony

Songs I don't mind:
Some Of Your Love
School Days
Still Crazy After All These Years -- er, the first half of Endless Harmony

Songs that I either dislike or just bore me, and why:
Oh Darlin' - lays there and dies
Sunshine - dum, dum, dum dee dum dee DUMB, never changes, no dynamics.
When Girls Get Together - sounds like someone lurching around the deck, seasick
Livin' With a Heartache -- It's not offensive, the production is just really dull.

[c-man]

I love Sunshine.  Really cool faux-reggae, with Brian singing nice falsetto lines.  The title track is a great BB rocker, IMO.  School Days also rocks.  Goin' On is impressive, Oh Darlin' and Livin' With A Heartache are nice.  But the overall feeling I had when I first listened to it back in March of 1980 was one of a letdown.  It just seemed kind of "plastic", and I had to "make" myself like it.  The last three tracks are so slow, it was hard not to nod off by the end.  And I felt the lyrics on Some Of Your Love were cringe-worthy, despite a boppin' track. 

[Jason]

I believe someone on here or another board mentioned that KTSA was the last album that "sounded like the Beach Boys". Funny, I never thought the Beach Boys were so lifeless or cold on record. The Beach Boys Love You sounds more like them than this LP. The Beach Boys at their best were never lifeless, never cold, and certainly not dull, which they are all three of on KTSA.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I love Sunshine.  Really cool faux-reggae, with Brian singing nice falsetto lines.  The title track is a great BB rocker, IMO.  School Days also rocks.  Goin' On is impressive, Oh Darlin' and Livin' With A Heartache are nice.  But the overall feeling I had when I first listened to it back in March of 1980 was one of a letdown.  It just seemed kind of "plastic", and I had to "make" myself like it.  The last three tracks are so slow, it was hard not to nod off by the end.  And I felt the lyrics on Some Of Your Love were cringe-worthy, despite a boppin' track. 

I agree with your assessment. But one of my biggest problems with KTSA was the length. Just ten songs; I felt a little cheated. Two songs from Dennis would've gone along way, quantity-wise and quality-wise. The Beach Boys just couldn't put it all together in the mid/late 70's. All of their albums during that period were could've/should've/would've. No Dennis and little Carl on MIU. Then a lot of Dennis and Carl on L.A. but hardly any Brian. Then Brian returns for KTSA and Dennis is gone again....

[Dutchie]

i think as taken from 1976 its their best album.
list:
1 KTSA
2 MIU
3 15 big ones
4 LA
5 love you

I bet you can give another line up as others also have. Everybody has his favorites.
Production wise i think it sounds very clean and natural. Not to much overdubbs. Also great vocals from Carl Wilson.

[Jon Stebbins]

To me KTSA is boring, predictable, the production reminds me of those processed cheese slices that come in individual plastic. No magic, no mojo, absolutely no sign of growth. L.A. was hit and miss but it was clearly better than the MIU disaster. Love You and POB stand out as the BB's boldest statements of the late seventies.

[Smilin Ed H]

God no.  LA's and 15 BO are way better, even if they are only half good.

[Aegir]

I like all their stuff. *shrug*

[lance]

I can listen to it without barfing. I like some of the songs a lot, some of them less so, but there are only one or two that I think are really bad.

Problem, as noted, IMO is the production. There just seems to spark or imagination to it. It is flat, and the arrangements are, well, not that interesting. Some decent songs are ruined by the production. Some songs are good enough to rise above it.

Weirdly it does sort of capture a cheap early eighties wanna-be glossy dive bar feel for me, as does Huey Lewis and the News.

[phirnis]

In a way it's weird that Bruce Johnston would allow a Beach Boys album to sound like this, given his favorite record of theirs is Sunflower. Though his very own music had always been saccharine and somewhat corny, he really should have known better when it came to the actual sound and production of the group's music.