The best part of SIP

[punkinhead]

Is on Forever, that accordian part at 1:58 playin Brian's vocal part from the original...wasn't that Van Dyke Parks?  Is his accordian parts heard anywhere else on the album?

[Sheriff John Stone]

Same song, different part, actually right after your favorite part. It's when Carl comes in with his incredibly emotional singing.

Despite Brian, Carl, and Al not contributing any songs to Summer In Paradise, it's still one of Carl's best albums - vocally.

[Christian]

Is his accordian parts heard anywhere else on the album?

Yes, he´s also on "Lahina Aloha".

[Dr. Tim]

I thought the best part was...







...the lead-out groove on side 2. 

[Jason]

I thought the best part was...







...the lead-out groove on side 2. 

That is, provided, you could get past the lead-out groove on side 1, which is the far worse side.

[MBE]

It sounded a bit better on vinyl as far as sterility goes but a bad performance is a bad performance.

[tpesky]

I thought the best part was...

...the lead-out groove on side 2. 

Damn stole my joke!

[Shane]

I just bought this album two days ago, and I just finished sitting through it for the very first time.  Yes, the production is awful.  However, the songwriting on the new tunes is decent, and the arrangements of the cover songs isn't bad either.  I think this album might have been regarded a lot more highly if they had just used real instruments on it.

The song Summer In Paradise, however, quite possibly the worst lyrics ever written.  This even tops "Smart Girls".



Way back when well our master plan
Was havin' fun fun fun as America's band
Well we came out rockin' with Rhonda and Barbara Ann
Singin' of surf and sand
Now when we look back over all the fun we had
If our lifestyle's over now it sure is sad
We gotta get back to livin' without a care
Give me sunshine water and an ozone layer
Paradise is a state of mind
Where Mother Nature nurtures and man is kind
We need a change now wouldn't it be nice
If we could bring back summer
Get us back our summer
Summer in paradise
(Paradise)
Summer in paradise (paradise)
They chop down the forests
And in their haste leave a trail of destruction
And toxic waste is leavin' no one safe
In their home or their habitat
Can't let it go like that
Too much consumption and too much greed
When you consider all the people
That are livin' in need
Interdependence in this world is a natural fact
And we're all under attack
It's the eve of destruction or so they say
But mankind doesn't have to go that way
If we all get together we can make things right
And we can bring back summer
Get us back our summer
Summer in paradise
(Paradise)
Summer in paradise (paradise)
Summer in paradise (paradise)
Summer in paradise
Surfers recycle now don't you know
Like evryone from California to Kokomo
We're gonna keep on rockin'
And raisin' world consciousness
We gotta fix this mess
Looked in the future and what I saw
Was a world in harmony with natural law
There's trouble now but it will be alright if we can
Bring back summer
Get us back our summer
Summer in paradise
(Paradise)
Summer in paradise (paradise)
Summer in paradise (paradise)
Summer in paradise (paradise)
Summer in paradise
(Paradise)
Summer in paradise (paradise)
Summer in paradise
(Paradise)
Summer in paradise (paradise)
Summer in paradise
(Paradise)
Summer in paradise (paradise)
Summer in paradise

[Eric Aniversario]

I'll second the thought on Carl's part on Forever.  But I've always been partial to Carl's part on Hot Fun In The Summertime too.  Mike's bow-bow-bow-diddip is cool too.

[Eric Aniversario]

Despite the title track's admittedly cheesy lyrics, I still love the song.

[adamghost]

Dr. Tim took the words out of my mouth too.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

It's not just the production that bothers me   but the engineering. My god, everything sounds so *plastic*.

I love Strange Things Happen, though, esp. the guitar sound for the solo.

[Awesoman]

What is the best part of Summer In Paradise??

You don't have to listen to it!!!

[mikeyj]

it's still one of Carl's best albums - vocally.

Sheriff, you say that about almost every album, can't we just say that Carl was always at his best?

[MBE]

I like Carl's voice best from 66-73. 1980 was pretty damn good though live.

[Sheriff John Stone]

it's still one of Carl's best albums - vocally.

Sheriff, you say that about almost every album, can't we just say that Carl was always at his best?

I know...I miss him, though ...

MBE, while I really enjoy Carl's work from 1966-73 (it's hard to believe how FEW lead vocals he had before that time), I feel that he actually matured as a vocalist. I hear an increased power of his voice; in addition to the ballads he was able to really belt out the rockers, too. Due to some of the shaky material on the later albums, I feel he carried L.A. (Light Album), Keepin' The Summer Alive, and The Beach Boys (1985). It's almost like the group knew it too, and said, "hey, take the ball and run with it." Just think what those later albums would've sounded like without Carl....

EDIT: I also wanted to mention Carl's solo albums around that period. Yeah, the material wasn't too great on those either, but, despite that, his vocal work on those albums is tremendous. That must've been frustrating for Carl, because those solo albums did not do his talent justice, although I kinda liked Youngblood.

[mikeyj]

I know...I miss him, though ...

Same here Sheriff, same here...

[smile-holland]

The song Summer In Paradise, however, quite possibly the worst lyrics ever written.  This even tops "Smart Girls".

No, can't be, that would be Summer Of Love

If you're a girl appreciates her recreation, Why don't you let me take you on a "Love" vacation

 

[phirnis]

Best part: the whole of "Lahaina Aloha"

[Sheriff John Stone]

Best part: the whole of "Lahaina Aloha"

Oh, yes, love that song; my favorite on the album, actually. Mike and Carl had developed a nice little give and take (a la "Kokomo"), much like Mike and Brian did on the early hits. 

[PongHit]

Way back when well our master plan
Was havin' fun fun fun as America's band
Well we came out rockin' with Rhonda and Barbara Ann
Singin' of surf and sand
Now when we look back over all the fun we had
If our lifestyle's over now it sure is sad
We gotta get back to livin' without a care
Give me sunshine water and an ozone layer ...

   Mike wrote those lyrics I guess?  UGH.  It's like a parody song, to illustrate how lame they became in later years.  Stuff like this makes it embarrassing to be a fan.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I don't care for some of the lyrics either, but I think "Summer In Paradise" is a decent song. It reminds me of "Keepin' The Summer Alive", which ironically, or maybe not ironically, many fans seem to like.

[TimeToGetAlone]

I'd also say Lahaina Aloha.  I don't despise the album, even though songs like Summer of Love and the new version of Surfin' are incredibly poor.  Most of the other have redeeming qualities somewhere.

[The infamous Baldwin Organ]

I think the album as whole is better than it's frequently described as, even though it's not great.

Lahaina Aloha would be a great addition to one of the next summer-hits-compilations. Great tune.

[Jason]

Summer in Paradise is nowhere near as bad as its reputation. I stand by the 3/5 I gave it in the review section on the board. It ranks higher than MIU and KTSA on my personal list, with KTSA the absolute nadir.