The Beach Boys - Sunflower / Surf's Up
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Free Music Notes for Sunflower / Surf's Up
Free Music Review: The Beach Boys carry their strange genius into the 1970s.
Hit: 5 Stars
You wouldn't think the Beach Boys had just been through (and would continue) a lengthy period of commercial failure from listening to 'Sunflower', an album so single-mindedly adventurous in its multi-layered vocal effects, its production experimentation and its playing with song structure, you're tempted to call it arrogant. True, the album regresses from the genuine weirdness of the band's great late-60s period - the production has that 70s soft rock, warm sunny evening glow; the rich melodies, sound effects and idiosyncratic instrumentation are all welcoming and accessible, compared to the fraught juxtapositions of, say, 'Smile' or '20/20', where aural collapse reflected Brian Wilson's desire to both adequately express his own emotional traumas, and to challenge the listener. here, an inventive mini-symphony like 'Cool cool water' soothes the listerner; Bruce Johnson's 'Deirdre' is a bouyant love song, his 'Tears in the Morning' an expansive tragedy of Euro break-up, with an eerie, ghostly coda. Even songs most reminiscent of their creative heyday, such as hushed ballads 'Forever' and 'Our Sweet Love', are, as the sleeve writer notes, shorn of that era's tensions. the group's interest in ecological issues comes to the fore in these two albums, but the treatment is far from the inert pieties of Sting - Al Jardine's birg-song 'At My Window' is bright with the rapt wonder of nature: you can actually hear, in the song's movement, the eye, the mind, the viewer's smypathy expanding. 'Sunflower', along with 'Pet Sounds', is the Beach Boys' masterpiece.
Brian Wilson is marginalised in the follow-up album, 'Surf's Up', and it shows. this is a dark album, its title emphasising the souring of the Beach Boys' earlier dreams in violent, uncertain times, where the Wordsworthian child-vision evoked in the title track is no longer possible in a decaying, polluted, corrupt America that has lost its innocence: it reflects political turmoil with a directness unparalelled in the band's work ('Student Demonstration time' is Mike Love's provocative post-'68 rewriting of Lieber and Stoller's 'Riot on Cell Block 9'). Political sentiments find their way in less dogmatic fashion in Carl's hippie epics such as 'Long Promised roads' and 'Feel flows'.
the songs and arrangements are as imaginative, demanding and ambitious as ever, but (with the exception of Johnson's gorgeous, nostalgic, spectral 'Disney girls', with its refrain 'Reality is not for me and it makes me laugh/Fantasy world and Disney girls, I'm coming back') they seem to lack a certain something. That something is Brian, whose three songs are among the best he ever wrote, and turn the album into a classic - the potentially embarrassing 'A Day in the life of a tree' is especially sublime, the dying words of a plant stifled by a self-destructing world, laid to rest by the most remarkable vocal requiem.
Free Music Review: A mind-blowing two-fer on one CD
Hit: 5 Stars
I would easily pay $30 each for these albums individually on CD. Thanks to the Beach Boys "two-fer" series (one of the great ideas in record label history), you can get them both on one CD for half that price.
It was on 1969's "20/20" that the other Beach Boys began to step out of Brian Wilson's huge shadow. But "Sunflower" and "Surf's Up" showed just how much talent really was present in the greatest musical act of all time. On "Sunflower," Dennis Wilson contributes the breathtaking "Slip on Through" and the heartbreaking "Forever," as well as two lesser, but still enjoyable tracks, "Got to Know the Woman" and "It's About Time." On "Surf's Up," Carl Wilson comes up with his first true solo compositions, and they're both classics of early 70s rock -- "Long Promised Road" and "Feel Flows." Bruce Johnston chips in two perfect pop confections, "Deirdre" and "Disney Girls 1957." Even Al Jardine gets in the act with the generally overlooked gems "At My Window," "Don't Go Near the Water," "Take a Load off Your Feet," and "Looking at Tomorrow."
Brian Wilson is the looming presence over these brilliant albums. It is generally believed he was uninvolved with the production of "Surf's Up" -- except for his own two contributions, "A Day in the Life of a Tree" and "'Til I Die." "'Til I Die" is heartrending, stunning -- an extroardinary, autobiographical song. "Tree," to my ear (not all agree), is almost equally brilliant (though I would rather Brian had sung the lead himself instead of giving it to the band's then-manager Jack Rieley, who was not a real singer). Reportedly, the closing track, "Surf's Up," was completed by the Beach Boys from Brian's unfinished SMiLE tapes, but somehow it works, and to my way of thinking this version of the song is one of the ten greatest cuts ever recorded by anyone.
Brian appears to have been more involved in "Sunflower." The album has his stamp as a sort of "executive producer" (though some would dispute that). He contributed several incredible tracks, particularly "This Whole World" (the a capella ending is breathtaking) and "Cool Cool Water," which is unlike any other song I've ever heard, and marvelous in every way. Brian also chipped in the lovely, atmospheric "All I Wanna Do," the tender "Our Sweet Love," and the anthemic "Add Some Music to Your Day."
These are two five-star albums that show a side to the Beach Boys most casual fans would never even dream of. I cannot explain why they were not popular in their own time (at least in the US; they did better overseas). Shockingly, "Sunflower" only spent four weeks on the US album chart; its commercial failure was reportedly a devastating emotional blow to Brian in particular. Now, however, with hindsight, these albums are recognized (at least by those who know them) as among the very best the 1970s produced.
Free Music Review: Everyone should consider this disc for their desert island
Hit: 5 Stars
These two albums are part of pop music's best keep secret, namely the late 6os and early 70s era of the Beach Boys. This was the era when Brian Wilson was still writing and recording some of his best songs, but just at lower profile than the headline years of Pet Sounds and Smile, while other members of the band, especially Dennis, were also showing their skills.Sunflower is the highlight of the era, an inspired moment of band harmony, where all six members played an important role. Brian is a spectral presence, seemingly making sure that music is brilliant but allowing other band members to take central stage. "This Whole World" is two minutes of musical splendour that transcends all categories and rules and leaves the listener breathless. "Forever" is Dennis Wilson's finest, the #1 wedding hit that never was. The album rocks mostly, has some gentler moments and lots of the trademark harmonies. The closing "Cool Cool Water" , partially recorded 3 years before, sounds way ahead of it's time. A beautiful, joyful, harmonic album that needs to get it's due 30 years on.
"Surf Up" is more uneven, but as the editorial comments indicate, contains two of the best Beach Boys moments of that era, and quite honestly, two of the greatest songs ever. Brian was in retreat at this stage, and "Til' I Die" is his parting shot, the summing of human experience in about 3 minutes and 50 words. "Surf's Up" is a Smile relic, the seeming theme of decline and rebirth even more true looking at Brian now. "Disney Girls" is another understated classic from Bruce Johnston.
Some of the editorial comments re unreleased albums and "Landlocked" are a bit misleading. Sunflower is mostly the best work from a number of recording sessions which were for albums aborted before release, but none of these was called "Landlocked." After "Sunflower" was released, a number of the unused songs from these sessions plus some newer songs were compiled on a work tape, but this was not meant for release. One of these newer songs was "Til I Die." However this work tape has often been released on bootlegs named "Landlocked." "Landlocked" was in fact the working title for "Surf's Up" but the latter titles was used when the title track was included. The eventual "Surf's Up" included newer songs, songs from the work tape and the title track resurrected from "Smile." Thus "Til I Die" was recorded after "Sunflower." Confusing I know but worth clarifying.
Free Music Review: Two Group Masterpieces Released On One Canvas
Hit: 5 Stars
"Sunflower" and "Surf's Up" contain some of the most compact, symphonic music the Beach Boys (and, logically, Brian Wilson) made in the 35 years since "Pet Sounds" became their grandest artistic statement. "Sunflower," released originally on Warner Brothers Records 30 years ago, harmonies ebb and flow seamlessly, intricately across mini-song suites like the thrilling "This Whole World," Bruce Johnston's sweet stroll-rhythm "Deidre," and the epic "Cool, Cool Water." (Both LPs chart the equipment used in the recording, and are reprinted here.) Dennis Wilson contributes as he rarely would again on the chugging "Got To Know The Woman" and the ballad "Forever" (which Brian praises as one of the set's best tracks.) All six members take lead vocals on "Add Some Music To Your Day," a song about where, when, and how music, like the Beach Boys' harmonies themselves, is as natural as breathing.
Carl Wilson takes lead production chores on 1971's "Surf's Up," contributing the throbbing "Feel Flows" and the introspective rocker "Long Promised Road." Brian's gorgeously sung "Surf's Up" (like "Cool, Cool Water" once part of the legendary "Smile" project) gains strength and context from the added "Child Is Father To The Man" vocal tag at the end. His "'Til I Die" is a somber, justly celebrated tone poem while Johnston's "Disney Girls" (later covered by soft-rockers from Art Garfunkel to the Captain & Tennille) warmly evokes the innocent spirit of the late 50s even in its intro. The LP has weak moments ("A Day In The Life Of A Tree," Mike Love's put-on "Student Demonstration Time") but this 2-for-1 LP contains some of the Beach Boys' most emotionally moving post-Pet Sounds music.
Capitol's re-issue may have been better patterned after their outstanding, now-deleted, reissues of the Beach Boys' 60s catalogue. No extra tracks, session notes, or Brian Wilson essay here; just Timothy White's quotes from his "The Nearest Faraway Place" biography combined with a recent Wilson interview. (Beach Boys' biographer David Leaf should have been asked to contribute to this project). Nonetheless, "Sunflower/Surf's Up" is an essential, economical way to buy two of the Beach Boys' most melodic, progressive albums. The group would spend the rest of its active touring and recording life skipping past this music on its way back to the 1960s.
Free Music Review: It didn't end after Pet Sounds! Fantastic...
Hit: 5 Stars
A good friend of mine bought this for me, and man am I thankful!; the entire Sunflower album is incredible...you see, I'm one of those fans who,while having loved the Beach Boys forever, didn't know much about their '70's output very well (Sail On Sailor, from Holland, was all I really loved of their '70's output...until now). Slip On Through, Add Some Music To Your Day, Tears In The Morning, Forever, All I Wanna Do, Cool,Cool Water...these are faultless in their beauty; Got To Know the Woman is a fine rocker; there's not a single bad song on Sunflower, and their harmonies are, as always, heavenly, with arrangements-- hey, it's Brian Wilson! The HELL with Phil Spector, Brian Wilson made music for healing purposes, and this is as good proof as any of it. Incredibly soothing and healing music.
Surf's Up? Not as strong an album overall (the re-write of the Coasters' Riot In Cell Block # 9, Student Demonstration Time, is by far the album's worst moment, no matter how well-intentioned the lyrics were, it doesn't cut it as a song)...but the last 5 songs on here, which having never owned the vinyl of it, I can assume is side B, is superb, with the sublime Feel Flows, Lookin' At Tommorow, and A Day In the Life Of a Tree, all fantastic, but then comes 'Til I Die...no words can do this song justice, but lemme give it a try...past the days when being able to write something like Fun, Fun, Fun, or the agoraphobic's dream In My Room, Brian Wilson wrote his adult masterpiece of heartbreak, with the most beautiful arrangement and harmonies, it's so BEAUTIFUL and PERFECT that it makes it impossible to truly articulate it; you simply need to hear it; it's a MASTERPIECE; yes, I used that term before, but it cannot be overstated here. In fact, I have probably listened to it a good 3 DOZEN times in the past 2 days! Worth the price of admission itself, and besides that, you've got Sunflower, which is different from their earlier records (they really had something to prove after their commercial failures over the previous few years) and still contains the same unmistakable elements that any Beach Boys fan will immediately recognize as comfortably familiar. Forget about a '70's "best-of", if you are thinking about getting one, get THIS first! I still can't believe that the other Beach Boys didn't want 'Til I Die on the album,and that Brian had to fight to get it on here! But that's Mike Love for ya! Get this!