The Beach Boys - Sunflower / Surf's Up
|
List Price: Our Price: $4.19 You Save: $7.75 (65%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $4.18 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Sunflower / Surf's Up
Free Music Review: Overlooked Beach Boys Classic
Hit: 5 Stars
In the early 70's prior to the greatest hits collection Endless Summer bringing them back to the top of the charts, the Beach Boys released several albums that are generally overlooked when discussing the band's music. These albums were released on the band's own Brother label and contain some of the most interesting music the band ever released. The first two of these releases, Sunflower & Surf's Up, are combined onto this disk. Surf's Up is a great record and worth buying by itself. While Sunflower isn't nearly as good, it does contain some fine music and is a nice bonus. It is worth a listen as it is the first Beach Boy release to contain significant writing contributions from band members other than Brian Wilson & Mike Love. The real suprise is Dennis Wilson. He shows that he was more than just a pretty face and his "Forever" is a beautiful song & the best on the album. Other stand out songs include "Cool, Cool Water", "Tears In The Morning" and "Add Some Music To Your Day". Surf's Up contains some music from that was to be included on their ill-fated magnum opus, Smile. The last three songs are the left overs and they are brilliant. "A Day In The Life Of A Tree" tells of the need for change told from the perspective of a tree in a park, "'Til I Die" is a haunting tale of fear and longing and the title track is a psychedilic collage of sounds and one the best songs Brian Wilson has ever written. Carl Wilson contributes the gorgeous "Long Promsied Road" and Bruce Johnston's "Disney Girls" is an ode to a simplier time. Admittably some the songs haven't aged well ("Student Demostration Time" & "Don't Go Near The Water" to name two), but the overall music is still great. If you think the Beach Boys only made music about cars, the beach and surfing, give this disk a try. It will well be worth your while.Free Music Review: their best album ever
Hit: 5 Stars
I always found, contentiously, that Bruce Johnston did my fave songs, in the beach boys. Here, he is more prominent than he ever was, or will be. He sings lead vocal on the beautiful 'tears in the morning', which has gorgeous melodies and piano chord sequences. He also sings on his co-write with Brian, 'deidree', a beautiful happy number. I am also convinced, although the liner notes don't say, that he is singing lead on the beautiful 'at my window'.
Dennis is the most prominent lead vocalist, contributing the melodic 'slip on through', where he acutally sounds more melodic and less gruff. Indeed, 'forever' is an exceptional ballad and deeply heartfelt, although his voice just isn't that fantastic. His other two contributions just feel out of place here, and should have been replaced with other songs that were ultimately rejected from the album. 'Got to know the woman' is funky, but goes nowhere, and 'it's about time', is just horrible.
Mike Love's vocal contributions are virtually non existent, he sings a nice vocal on 'all I wanna do', but that is it, apart from 'add some music to your day', which they all sing. Things have certainly changed from the days when he was the dominant singer.
Carl sings the beautiful 'our sweet love' another positive ballad and the Brian Wilson penned 'this whole world', which is also a winner.
'Cool cool water' is somewhat progressive in approach and sounds like a 'smile' track. Really like this ending to the album.
'Surfs up' is nowhere near as consistent, but I think to give the album less than five stars, just does not do sunflower justice. All the tracks are at least acceptable, with the strongest being 'disney girls', Bruce's best song ever, 'till I die' a heartfelt and beautiful Brian ballad, and 'Surf's up' a nice mutli part song. The only absolute rubbish is 'student demonstration time', dreadful.
Highly recommended to hear the Beach Boys at their ultimate best.
Free Music Review: The finest collection of their 70s output.
Hit: 5 Stars
Sunflower marks the point where the Beach Boys, as a group, really hit their stride. Unfortunately, by the time of Surf's Up, they had already lost some of their luster, probably due to the fact that Sunflower sold horribly, discouraging them. I don't understand the people who say that these two albums are subpar, however. The reason that fans and critics rave about these two albums is because there is a lot to rave about. From the opening track of "Slip On Through," with its interlocking backing vocals, steadily pounding backing track, and possibly Dennis Wilson's finest lead vocal, Sunflower is uniformly stellar. "This Whole World" ranks with "California Girls" and "Good Vibrations" as one of Brian Wilson's greatest productions. "Add Some Music" is just wonderfully nice. "Dierdre," "Forever," and "Our Sweet Love" are great songs that never dip into being mawkish or sappy. And closing out the album is "Cool, Cool Water," which is impressionistic, peaceful, and beautiful. Surf's Up starts off awkwardly with "Don't Go Near The Water." The production on this album is slightly hazy compared to Sunflower, although that's not to say there aren't some great, great songs on this album. The title track alone makes up for the duffers on this album. Throw in Brian's last qualified masterpiece, "Til I Die," and a few good Carl Wilson chestnuts like "Long Promised Road" and "Feel Flows," and you have a workmanlike album with some flaws("Student Demonstration Time" and "Take A Load Of Your Feet"--Ye Gods!) and some real corkers. The benefit of the CD format is that you can easily skip the weaker songs. With 22 tracks, there's a very high percentage of songs that you won't be skipping.Free Music Review: Pet Sounds' worthy successor...
Hit: 5 Stars
The Beach Boys' enormous output includes two truly outstanding albums - "Pet Sounds" (1966) and "Surf's Up" (1971) - both of which are worthy of inclusion in any list of the most sophisticated records ever made. Hardly surprising therefore, and totally justified, that the reviews for "Pet Sounds" consistently garner much praise and space. But do I live on a different planet ?... for not only was "Surf's Up" deleted for several years but its eventual remastered release justifies only double-billing with "Sunflower", an enjoyable but far less accomplished and relevant record.Okay, so it has its faults: "Student Demonstration Time" is an overly heavy R&B work-out that sits very uncomfortably with the wonderful, often wistful harmonies that underpin the rest of the album and, "A Day In The Life of a Tree" & "Take a Load off Your Feet" are now somewhat quaint & bizarre. But, the rest of its tracks lift it onto the same rarified plane as "Pet Sounds" - not just good, but containing in "Disney Girls", "Feel Flows", "'Til I Die" and "Surf's Up" four of the most brilliant and evocative vocal harmony songs produced by any group at any time.
And, given the increasingly fervent search to recreate the group's lost "masterwork" - "Smile" - the continuing lack of interest in this superb album becomes even more astonishing. "Smile" doesn't exist but "Surf's Up" does and truth is that, four years too late, it's as close as you'll ever get to what "Smile" should/would have been: not only does it contain two of the best tracks from Brian Wilson's infamously aborted follow-up projects to "Pet Sounds" but most of its other tracks deliberately follow the same studiously crafted approach and "cerebral" harmonic style that he was seeking.
A candidate for serious reassessment and, above all, a record that will give you many, many hours of listening enjoyment.
Free Music Review: The Beach Boys after the Good Vibrations
Hit: 5 Stars
Both "Sunflower" and "Surf's Up" represent the Beach Boys most people aren't familiar with. Brian Wilson was, at the time these albums were made (early 70s), pretty much out of the picture, and the Boys explored the Brian-less decade without the need to resort to songs about babes, the beach, and hot rods. "Sunflower" may actually be the best album the Beach Boys ever did. ("Pet Sounds" is the best album Brian Wilson ever did.) Each member is highlighted and the songs are edgy, sweet, melodic, and goofy - all at the same time. That is not to say that the songs only work as novelties. Real rock n' roll is here. The standout, of course, is Dennis Wilson singing "Forever", one of the most beautiful pop ballads ever. Carl Wilson takes over the lead singing duties on most songs and proves himself a more soulful singer than brother Brian. "Surf's Up" is almost always remembered (if it is remembered at all) for the two Brian Wilson songs: "Surf's Up" and "Til I Die." They're good, but the best song is Bruce Johnson's "Disney Girls, 1954." It's the sort of song you hear and never know you are listening to the Beach Boys. But - as the 70s proved - the Beach Boys were more than just a car and beach band in Pendleton shirts. They were a talented and adventurous band who could rock with the best of them. "Surf's Up" and "Sunflower" (conveniently placed on one disc)will introduce a lot of people to a band that will not only surprise them ("that doesn't sound anything like Surfin' USA"), but delight them as well. Two great albums, all in one place.