The Beach Boys - Sunflower / Surf's Up
|
List Price: Our Price: $4.17 You Save: $7.77 (65%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days 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: Dennis Becomes A Leader
Hit: 5 Stars
This album is simply amazing and I truly see it as the Beach Boys' best combined effort. Under its original Landlocked name, the Capitol staff didn't see the substance. Dennis Wilson already had an archive of amazing and ambitious songs, and he was about 90 percent complete with 90 percent of them. Given this, Dennis' songs were loaded onto the record with a Beach Boys manicure, and he runs with the album. Also, this is before (yes before) Dennis' real troubles and Brian wasn't too far out at this time. Both Wilson's had input, and this is the last snapshot of the successful, cooperative Beach Boys. Carl and Dennis really advanced in the studio, and if you enjoy the Dennis Wilson songs here (Slip on through, Got to know the Woman, Its About Time, and Forever), then Dennis Wilson's solo LP released in 1977 should be a real treat. He was an amazing man, and the unsung hero of the group. It's clear with this album.Free Music Review: A great 2-for-1
Hit: 5 Stars
"Sunflower" and "Surf's Up" were the first two Beach Boys albums I ever bought, because I loved "Cottonfields", which was the first track on the vinyl version of "Sunflower" and "Tears In The Morning" was a great song. "Surf's Up" was, I think the follow-up, so I had to buy it, didn't I?There are two sides of the group on these albums - the harmonies that we know and love ("Add Some Music To Your Day" and "Til I Die", amongst others) and the harder-edged, more rockier side which are demonstrated on "It's About Time" and "Student Demonstration Time".
It adds up to an excellent double album and shows there was more depth to the band than just their surfer sound.
The pairing of "Sunflower" with "Surf's Up", possibly my favourite of all their albums (yes, even better than "Pet Sounds") will be too good to miss for those who, unlike me, do not have these albums separately; so maybe I should give this a 10 star rating.
Free Music Review: Beach Boy's Prime post pop post 60's work.
Hit: 5 Stars
Single bar reviewer (understandably) might be rating on Hit singleability. but the Beach Boys ventured into Art/Pop Rock with these two albums. When a band goes in that direction, the desired result is an album that's very contextual; meant to be listened all at once to be best enjoyed. Sunflower especialy will just enthrall you after focused repeated listenings! The group was becoming more democratic, other members writting songs 'like' the kinds of songs Brian was writting. Dennis's songs are fantastic especially "Forever", good as any ballad from Pet Sounds. Surfs up not as strong, but what's good on it (and Sunflower) are some of the very best and most artfully written, produced and performed songs the group ever did. "Till I die" is amazing and better sounding than Brian's post Beach Boys versions (ie. live at Roxy) "Long Promised Road" best Carl Song ever!
Rock history is here.
Free Music Review: Drool, drool
Hit: 5 Stars
The best $ I've ever spent on a record, ever. Sunflower was a revelation, nary a naff moment from the excellent Dennis rockers 'Slip on through' and 'It's about time' to the gentle mantra of Brian's 'Cool cool water' replete with seminal moog noodling (yum). Entire bands careers are rendered pointless, and not just High Llamas. A huge swath of XTC is made obsolete by the turnaround into the chorus of 'Our sweet love' alone. And although 'Surfs up' has limp contributions from Al and Mike (the song about Al's feet is hilarious) it also has the sublime godhead of song, 'Feel flows', cementing Carls genius, priceless Brianisms 'Til I die' and the title song with great, goofy Van Dyke Park lyrics. No Dennis though but Carl does his share of rocking on 'Long promised road', great vocals abounding and a timeless song, a bunch of them.Free Music Review: The best Beach Boys CD you'll ever buy?
Hit: 5 Stars
Well, possibly, if you think of PET SOUNDS as being a Brian Wilson album (which I do, really), this is certainly the group as a collective working at the peak of their powers. SUNFLOWER is all honey-soul pop whereas SURF'S UP goes a little more esoteric and progressive. You'll return again and again to masterpieces like "This Whole World" (the greatest BW song that wasn't a hit); "Forever" (Dennis Wilson was hitting his stride as a songwriter by now); "Feel Flows" (Carl Wilson virtually a one-man Beach Boys on this); "Til I Die" (the second greatest BW song that wasn't a hit) and the rescued-from-the-vaults "Surf's Up" itself. A true pair of classics on one remastered CD - you'd be insane to let this one pass you by.