The Beach Boys - Sunflower / Surf's Up
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Free Music Notes for Sunflower / Surf's Up
Free Music Review: unconventional brilliance
Hit: 5 Stars
Being a Beach Boys fan is sort of like being hooked on a drug no one has heard of, or being a member of a really esoteric religion... people just kind of look at you strangely and shake their heads. They (literally) don't understand. They see a nostalgia act, or worse, and they hear only a slightly childish musical syle, obscuring the emotion and musical sophistication that lie beneath the surface.I kind of felt that way myself once. The thing is, once you get the groove of what this band is doing, and start to be able to recognize individual voices, and recurrant musical figures... something very strange happens. EVERYTHING they sing starts to sound good! I cannot explain it... even seemingly inane musical ideas like "Cool Cool Water", or utter nonsense like "Take a Load Off Your Feet, Pete" start to have significance.
Perhaps part of appreciating the music lies in gaining some knowledge of the folklore surrounding the group, the various personalities and tribulationss that contributed to the music. It is amazing that they had the courage to release these thoroughly un-hip and guileless records in the face of all the really "cool" and "profound" pop culture that surrounded them in the late sixties and early seventies.
This is a great disc, but it isn't an ideal place to begin. You should get _Pet Sounds_, _Today!/Summer Days_, and _Friends/20-20_ before this. And you may not see what I'm talking about immediately (honestly, I almost puked the first time I heard the song "Friends"). But there is something truly unique in their later music, and it is well worth taking the time to appreciate.
Free Music Review: Underrated Bliss!
Hit: 5 Stars
After reading so much about these underrated classics for so many years,when they finally got reissued I grabbed the first copy I could find.After days of repeated listenings I have to report . . .the Beach Boys did not die in 1967 as some critics might have you believe.Indeed they took their axing from Capitol as a sign to double their efforts to produce a classic album. SUNFLOWER is indeed an underrated '70s classic.Both Bruce Johnson and Dennis Wilson reach fulll bloom;with the ballads TEARS IN THE MORNING and FOREVER,respectively.The two group tracks ADD SOME MUSIC TO YOUR DAY and COOL,COOL WATER bring back aching memories of PET SOUNDS.Brian Wilson is present on the latter and THIS WHOLE WORLD.Overall,SUNFLOWER is a upbeat, hopeful release that was loved by critics and stomped on by the record buying public.Thus,a slighter darker tone emerges on SURF'S UP.This album has very little input from Brian:The awful DAY IN THE LIFE OF A TREE(sung by their then manager Jack Reily),the heart wrenching 'TIL I DIE,and the SMILE era reconstruction of SURF'S UP.Carl contributes LONG PROMISED ROAD and FREE FLOWS.Bruce givs the standard DISNEY GIRLS.SURF'S UP shows the Beach Boys tackling weighty issues:conservation (A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A TREE,DON'T GO NEAR THE WATER),alienation(LONG PROMISED ROAD,'TIL I DIE)and protest(STUDENT DEMONSTRATION TIME).To those who womder what the Beach Boys were like after the sixties;SUNFLOWER/SURF'S UP is the disc to play them.They weren't just an "oldies" band.Free Music Review: from gorgeous production to hilarious lyricism. .
Hit: 5 Stars
Well, I just obtained these long-awaited reissues in their full glory (this one and the "In Concert" CD), and I must say "Sunflower" is a real treat, as is "Surf's Up" (which I had heard before on very-poor-quality-vinyl). . Sunflower is basically a consistently gorgeous pop album, puncuated by the occasional unexpected diversion (Bruce's showtune-ish "Tears in the Morning" many criticize, but I found it a highlight despite his goofy voice). . "This Whole World" is perhaps the last stellar composition by Brian (although the whole of the yet-to-be-reissued "Love You" comes close), the dreamy/haziness of "All I Wanna Do" must be heard. .various standout tracks by Dennis, and generally, all the production on "Sunflower" is crystaline. . "Surf's Up" is rather schizophrenic but never fails to be at least interesting, Al screaming about "ecological aftermath" on the first track, and the bizarre piano chords and goofy synths. . HILARIOUS! As is "Take a Load of Your Feet"(Pete), "Student Demonstration Time" is absurd and dated, but at least rocks (kind of) and has a nice vocal effect. .more (not quite as good) schmaltz from Bruce in "Disney Girls" beauty is to be found in the guise of "Long Promised Road," "Till I Die," and the SMiLE outtake "Surf's Up." A Must have. . .Free Music Review: Two Albums that can stand with the classic PET SOUNDS
Hit: 5 Stars
First off, i don't care what anyone says. These two albums are among the best Beach Boys work. My favorite between the two is Sunflower. The Best tracks on that album are This Whole World, Add Some Music, Deidre, Forever, and Cool Cool Water. The lyrics on This Whole World are incredible, the singing is exquisite, and the backround vocals are clever. Add Some Music is a clasic B. Wilson/M. Love collaboration with help from Joe Knott. The guitar playing is excellent and the strings are great. Deidre, by Bruce and Brian, is among the best songs the group ever did. I love the way they used the flute, and the vocals are superb. Forever is a great song by the late Dennis Wison. The production could have been better, but the lyrics were superb as was the singing. Although a simple tune, Cool Cool Water was a beautiful song. A favorite of mine, the vocals are classic and the production was superb. Surf's Up is a great record to listen to. The Best tracks are the title track, Til I Die, and Don't Go Near the Water. Surf's Up is as beautiful as it is abstract. Carl's and Brian's vocal are too beautiful. Til I die is another great track with the group's lead vocal followed by Brian's. Mike and Al's Don't Go Near The Water is a classic song. The lyrics and singing is great. Buy this record. It's worth every penny.Free Music Review: Available At Last!
Hit: 5 Stars
I'd like to thank Amazon.com for finally getting these 2 undeservedlyobscure albums out into the public. The 1970's had just started here,
and with a new decade came a new decade and even a new era for the
Beach Boys.
Sunflower focuses on the entire group's talents is one
of the most unified Beach Boys efforts ever. One of Brian's best
songs of the 1970's is included with "This Whole World" full
of several chord changes (I'm sure it would be difficult to perform in
concert), Dennis contributes one of his best songs ever- the romantic
"Forever", Mike pens the catchy "Add Some Music to Your
Day" which features some great lyrics, and Carl sweetly croons
"Cool, Cool Water" to close the album.
Surf's Up (1971) is
more experimental but with the exception of the title cut and
"Till I Die", there are less contributions from Brian. Carl
provides the positive sounding "Long Promised Road", Bruce
Johnston provides his sentimental "Disney Girls", and of
course, there are Brian's surrealistic "Surf's Up" and his
melancholy and humbling "Till I Die".
Save up your money
for this one!