The Beach Boys - Hawthorne, CA: Birthplace of a Musical Legacy

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Free Music Notes for Hawthorne, CA: Birthplace of a Musical Legacy

Free Music Review: THE MAGIC TRANSISTOR RADIO HAS BEEN DUSTED OFF
Hit: 5 Stars

What this statement is basically stating is the obvious. Sometimes you have to dig deep to find gold. Next, Linett asked if there was a moment that stood out to me in the collection. I told them that CD 2 and the great segue with Alan Jardine and Brian Wilson [track #14] talking about Dennis and what a great guy he was followed with the previously unreleased Dennis Wilson song "A Time to Live in Dreams" [track #15] and finally with [track #16] the backing track for "Be With Me." Poignant, moving and quite meaningful.

CD 1 begins with a montage of inspiring sounds, combining waves crashing on the shore, a single vocal snippet from "Can't Wait too Long," an announcer's voice introducing the Beach Boys to a live audience, the audience and very prominently placed "Good Vibrations" piece. This all segues right into Mike Love introducing "Surfin'." This collection tells a story. Just like Brian suggested with Pet Sounds to listen to his album in the dark I suggest you do the same thing here to really appreciate what this collection does. Hawthorne, CA - Birthplace of a Musical Legacy is the great musical connector to the band's catalog. There's nothing that's quite like this. It's an audible transport. Literally, it's a time machine of sound. Got a favorite album or song? Take it, play it after one segment and play it before the next track and it will work.

BUY THIS RELEASE This two CD collection is an almost perfectly honed set that talks to you. If you love the music of the Beach Boys then, Hawthorne, CA - Birthplace of a Musical Legacy is possibly the best thought-out project to find its way to release about any group. Mark Linett and Alan Boyd are a great team and they share a passion for the music. Combine Linett's pageant for fully realizing the brilliance of the music in his production techniques with Boyd's wealth of background and knowledge of the band and their history. Now add it to the fact that the two have worked together on the release of the group's documentary "Endless Harmony," the Pet Sounds Sessions box set Electronic Press Kit and you have gold. There's the gold in the barrel I referred to.... Okay, well, I should say treasure. Maybe, just maybe, the magic transistor radio is actually made of gold and it has yet to stop glowing. I mean - c'mon... It's the Boys. For a complete transcript of this review be sure to read the JUNE 2001 issue of Endless Summer Quarterly. To find out more go to: ESQUARTERLY.COM.

Hawthorne, CA: Birthplace of a Musical Legacy Poster

Skewed heavily--and rightfully--toward the band's first seven years, this chronology offers up charmingly rough early demos ("Surfin'," "Surfin' USA," "Little Deuce Coupe"), edited session highlights, backing tracks ("Fun, Fun, Fun," "Salt Lake City," "Good Vibrations," "Be with Me," "Sail On Sailor"), spectacular a cappella versions ("Kiss Me Baby," "Can't Wait Too Long," "Add Some"), alternate takes ("The Little Girl I Once Knew" with an a cappella break, "Time to Get Alone," "Break Away"), and some modern stereo remixes and edits that add revealing details ("Dance, Dance, Dance," "Heroes and Villains," "Vegetables," "Time to Get Alone"). The crucial latter contributions of Carl and Dennis Wilson and Al Jardine are also showcased on "Let the Wind Blow," "A Time to Live in Dreams," and "Cotton Fields," respectively. The dialog adds some minor perspective but, as always, it's music that carries the day. Hawthorne, CA is a must for collectors and a concise, insightful introduction to a true American musical institution. --Jerry McCulley

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