The Beach Boys’ “The Beach Boys” (1985) – The Weekend Review

By Chris Moore:

RATING:  4.5 / 5 stars

Never before has such an excellent album been so universally scorned.

From the reviewers on down to the liner notes of the CD itself, every writer who has taken pen to paper in the name of The Beach Boys — perhaps better known to fans as “1985” — has had much in the way of criticism and, at times, outright derision for what ended up being their last full-length studio album of predominantly original material.

Take it as another subtle disapproval when only one track from this year was included on the Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of the Beach Boys box set.

One track out of well over one hundred tracks.

The truth is that The Beach Boys sounds a bit dated, clearly a product of the eighties and the decade long flirtation with digital and synthesized sounds.  Andrew Doe, writer of both the liner notes for the album and Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys: The Complete Guide to their Music, claims that the decision to experiment with this technology “removed any sense of immediacy from the proceedings.”

He also has negative commentary to share for just about every track that I like.

As Doe is one of the few writers to take the time — or, certainly, to be paid — to review these tracks, it may be useful to revisit his sentiments.  In his mind, the Mike Love/Terry Melcher-penned “Getcha Back,” one of the true gems of this period, “has a curiously unfinished feel about it.”  Bruce Johnston’s heartfelt performance on “She Believes in Love Again” is “(unusually) less than silky smooth.”  Brian Wilson’s admittedly simple but — as the Laptop Sessions have proven — beautiful song “I’m So Lonely” is simply “in no way objectionable.” “Passing Friend,” the stronger of the two covers here, is described as “a second-string Culture Club discard [that] really isn’t appropriate, nor up to par.”  (Whereas the other cover, “I Do Love You,” is “good,” even if it’s “not the Beach Boys.”)

To be fair, “Where I Belong” gets the attention it deserves, although Doe overstates it a bit as “the undoubted album highlight.”  The other track that he endorses is “California Calling,” a perfectly enjoyable track that is nostalgic of classic early Beach Boys.  Predictably, Doe again overstates, writing “why this wasn’t a single is an eternal mystery.”

Herein lies the rub: that frustrating ever-present perception of the classic early Beach Boys sound.

The Beach Boys' "The Beach Boys" (1985)

The Beach Boys' "The Beach Boys" (1985)

For nearly two decades by this point, the Beach Boys had been suffering from commercial and critical expectations.  Anyone could understand why Smiley Smile fell disappointingly flat, but strong later releases — like the placid but endearing Friends and the masterpiece Sunflower — stalled in the triple digits on the charts.

Is it a coincidence that an album on which the Beach Boys experiment with new technology and stretch out beyond some of their more typical arrangements is so widely disdained?

I think not.

Consider for even a moment the runaway success of their subsequent album (more like an EP) Still Cruisin’ based on the merits of the crowd-pleasing “Kokomo” and in spite of the downright embarrassing “Wipe Out.”

When this band sings within the ranges of their image (i.e. anything related to summer, the beach, waves, sun, etc.), they are met with far more success than when they stretch out beyond the expected.

As for me, I can see beyond the eighties textures.  I don’t feel the compulsive need to value this music primarily in comparison to the other albums in the Beach Boys catalog; even if I did, it would hold up as one of the pillars, particularly post-Holland.  And I applaud the Beach Boys for rebounding from a tumultuous series of years that saw Carl temporarily quitting the band, Brian falling under the influence of Dr. Landy, and Dennis passing away, due to drowning.

Despite all the tension and tragedy, The Beach Boys is the combined effort of five adults still able to perform with positive energy, adding the element of uplift to nearly every track.  This album is host to what have become lost Beach Boys tracks, including excellent little numbers like “It’s Gettin’ Late,” the catchy “Crack at Your Love,” and the electric, rockin’ “Maybe I Don’t Know.”  And, as much as I like Keepin’ the Summer Alive (1980) for a spin or maybe two, this is the album I put on repeat for days at a time to kick off or to recharge my summer spirit each year.

Few may agree with me, but that’s okay.  The Beach Boys truly is the under-appreciated pinnacle of the Beach Boys final full decade as a band.  Not since Holland had they produced such a strong album, and they would sadly never match it again.

At this point, I’ve written all that can be communicated, and I’ll have to agree to disagree with the masses, tolerating “Kokomo” and loving The Beach Boys (1985).

“Passing Friend” (Beach Boys/Culture Club Cover)

For Beach Boys / Culture Club chords & lyrics, CLICK HERE!

By Chris Moore:

The general public’s response to my video tonight will most likely be:

“Culture Club?  Finally!”

Since I’ve been focusing so heavily on more recent music, I decided tonight to go back to one of the best bands of all time, the Beach Boys!  (You might be thinking: “Wait, I thought he said ‘Culture Club,’ and you’d be right.  Be patient; all will become clear soon…)  For the past week, I’ve been listening back and forth to newer and older music.  In the car, it’s been newer — Wilco and Marcy Playground — and in the house, it’s been older — Beach Boys and George Harrison.  (I’m trying to iron out my George Harrison essentials playlist; I made the first selection of tracks months ago, but the recent release of the Let it Roll CD has inspired me to finally make the next set of cuts necessary to carve out the compilation.)

For tonight’s session, I’ve chosen to cover “Passing Friend,” a track from the Beach Boys’ self-titled release back in 1985.  This song was penned by George O’Dowd — better known as Boy George — and Roy Hay of Culture Club.  (So, I suppose, this technically isn’t a Culture Club song, but it’s as close as we’re going to come on this blog at least for now!)  “Passing Friend” is generally considered to be a disposable track on what is often considered a disposable album in the Beach Boys catalog.

Nonsense!

Okay, so maybe “Passing Friend” is somewhat disposable.  But let’s be very clear here that The Beach Boys (1985) is one of my favorite albums of all time.  I think that I’m one of only two people who would give it that distinction, but it really is an enjoyable, versatile, all-around great album.  “Passing Friend” isn’t one of the strongest songs on the album by any means, but it’s still a solid track.  I was surprised by how easy and fun it was to learn, play, and record an acoustic cover of the over-produced studio version.

The story behind the song is based on members of the then-popular band Culture Club — singer Boy George and guitarist/keyboardist Roy Hay — writing a track for the Beach Boys to record.  It seems that the Beach Boys were experimenting with new ways to regain some semblance of relevance in a musical climate that was drastically different from their 1960’s hey day.  At the time, Culture Club had taken a break after touring England.  Hay was involved in a new band (This Way Up) and Boy George was making the rounds on the club scene.  Although they came together to write this song, Culture Club was destined to disband the following year due to tensions within the band and Boy George’s addiction to drugs.

Thus, we have “Passing Friend,” a deep track if I’ve ever heard one!  I hope you enjoy this stripped down version.  Maybe it will even encourage you to give The Beach Boys (1985) either a shot or a second chance…

To address old business, I had promised in last week’s cover song music video post that I would bring you a double header this week.  Well, today was a tremendously busy day, so I decided to hold off, as I need just a little more time to focus and figure out the chords for the second of the two songs.  I won’t give them away just yet, but suffice it to say that I’m presenting an all-new band to the blog.  They are big time one hit wonders — probably for good reason — and I’ll be recording a video of their hit single, as well as the single from their most recent album.  More on that next Monday…

But this is certainly NOT the last time you’ll be hearing from me this week.  You can look forward to a very special post — one that is very near and dear to me — coming on Wednesday and then another post on either Saturday or Sunday.

I realize this is all very vague, but believe me: these posts promise to be well worth your time clicking back to the best acoustic cover song blog in the universe!  (And we’re modest, too…)  Just think: you’ve got Jim Fusco Tuesday tomorrow (maybe more Beach Boys cover songs?), then I’ll be back on Wednesday, Jeff Copperthite’s “Thumpin’ Thursday,” and at least one more post this weekend.  Don’t miss any of the musical fun!

See you next session!  (Or, in this case, sooner…)

Brian Wilson – CONCERT REVIEW!- 7/16/2008 at the Warner Theatre in Torrington, CT

By Chris Moore:

For the set list, click HERE!

A quick Google search of Brian Wilson these days will yield first and foremost the release date and information about his upcoming album That Lucky Old Sun, which will hit stores on September 2. This is exciting news, extending a decade of increased productivity on the former Beach Boy’s part. In 1998, he released an excellent if somewhat overlooked album titled Imagination; this yielded the adult contemporary hit “Your Imagination.” Six years later, he released not only an album of new recordings, Gettin’ In Over My Head (which was received similarly to Imagination), but also released an album called SMiLE. Since 1966, this album has been considered perhaps the most anticipated new rock music album that was never released. Wilson managed to overcome the demons that once haunted him during the initial recording sessions in the mid-sixties and released this US #13 and UK #7 charting album! Now, word that he is releasing new material could not be more exciting than for the fans who have waited with bated breath to see if Wilson’s period of productivity, both in the recording studio and on the stage, would continue.

You may be wondering what all this wonderful background information has to do with the concert that Brian Wilson and his band performed at the Warner Theatre in Torrington, CT on Thursday, July 16, 2008.

The key connection here is what follows lower on the first page of Google results, namely a blog article titled “Brian Wilson refunding Hammerstein Ballroom ticket money…” According to the article, fans complained that the show was only 75 minutes long and performed by a smaller band than Wilson is typically known for. Reading this for the first time the afternoon before I was to attend this concert, I suddenly wondered if disappointment lay ahead. After all, a quick glance at the posts on BrianWilson.com’s message board suggested that there was a significant amount of tension surrounding the recent concerts. When the time came to leave for the concert, I did what any self-respecting Wilson fan would do; I gathered a collection of Beach Boys and Brian Wilson solo albums, got in my car, and kept my expectations somewhere between medium and low.

It should at least be explained briefly here that this show probably did have a lot to live up to. After all, I have seen Brian many times in my brief six years as a loyal and interested fan of his work. The most memorable and incredible concert I attended was, without hesitation, a SMiLE show in New York City. Not only did I go with my friend and fellow Laptop Sessions acoustic cover songs music video blog founder Jim Fusco, but he had enlisted me to help him film his honors’ college thesis project. Due to his legwork, we were graced by the presence of a handful of Brian Wilson’s touring band members right in our very hotel room! After recording enough footage, we enjoyed the rest of the stay in New York for what it was — an opportunity to meet, in a casual environment, such Beach Boys figures as writer David Leaf and band members Probyn Gregory and Taylor Mills. This was probably the most memorable music experience of my entire life; it certainly was up to that point!

So, this being said, the concert at Warner Theatre on July 16th had a lot to live up to. Still, I came to terms with the fact that this was billed as a “Greatest Hits” show, meaning I wasn’t expecting rarities or even tracks off the new album. (I’m not sure what the aforementioned show at the Hammerstein Ballroom was billed as…) I had read elsewhere that Darian Sahanaja, a major contributor to the sound and structure of the band, was unable to attend this tour, as well as Taylor Mills. Two other regular members had recently left the band. I wondered what it would all sound like, and whether or not it would be worth my $50.

It most certainly was. Even with the aforementioned absences, the band was spot-on and sounded remarkably clear and crisp, most likely owing to the acoustics of the small venue. Although the show only lasted for 90 minutes (which was brief compared to some previous shows I have seen), he played 28 songs spread out over a main set and two encores. The set list was somewhat predictable, but then, isn’t that the nature of a greatest hits show?

What struck me was the energy in the room. Applause broke out the moment background vocals were sung during “In My Room.” Within the first few notes of “Do You Wanna Dance?,” every single person with a floor seat was on his or her feet and shaking around. Finally, and perhaps most unusual for this concert veteran, was the fact that not a soul went for the door until the final song of the second encore was over and the lights had fully come up. This was exciting, as I am often frustrated to find that people would rather get out of the parking garage before the traffic builds than stay and watch the band perform their final song or two.

What I couldn’t understand to any degree was why the couple in their early thirties sitting in front of me got up during “Do You Wanna Dance?” and never came back. What did they expect to hear? As far as greatest hits concerts go, this was just about the best you could ever ask for — well-known songs, lively performers, and faithful arrangements.

Perhaps the best aspect of the concert was Brian’s talkative nature. I wondered if he was considering the bad press he had recently received or if he was simply in a good mood. Regardless, he engaged the band and the audience throughout the show. He began with a brief statement before the show, something like, “It’s great to be in Torrington.” He explained the origins of songs — “I wrote this one when I was 19 in my car” — and later asked the band, then the crowd, to make the noise a coyote makes.

Before the final song of the main set, he asked, “You didn’t come here for bad vibes, did you?” No! the crowd responds. “Did you come here for medium vibes?” No! “Good vibes?” YES!!

I think the set list speaks for itself; these are the quintessential Beach Boys songs, mostly tracks that he wrote in the 1960s and 1970s that still have importance to us today. We still love to hear them, and the band did an excellent job (as they always do!) of performing them. The two curve balls of the night were the tracks from the upcoming release That Lucky Old Sun, “Goin’ Home” and “Southern California.” The former sounded great; it was catchy and employed powerful harmonies, although Brian’s lead vocal was difficult to distinguish in the mix. In the second new track, he clearly took command of his part. Suffice it to say that, if I wasn’t excited about the new album before now, I was after listening to these performances.

Other highlights included Scott Bennett’s absolutely scorching electric guitar solo, not to mention Brian’s opening piano riffing, on the seventies Beach Boys track “Marcella.” (He had tapped the keys of his keyboard just before “Sloop John B,” and then continued to ignore the instrument behind which he sat as the night went on.)

All in all, this was a great show and I’m glad that I went. I can’t say it was my favorite Brian Wilson show, and how could it be when compared to the others I have seen in the past? No, I took this for what it was — a greatest hits show with a couple of sneak peaks of new material to come. I truly couldn’t have been happier to find that Brian was in high spirits and incredible form, on the eve of yet another new album.  While you wait, make sure to check out all of our Brian Wilson and Beach Boys cover songs here on the Laptop Sessions acoustic cover songs music video blog!

 

The Weekend Review: June 2012 Report

By Chris Moore:

That’s Why God Made the Radio  (The Beach Boys)

Producer: Brian Wilson

Released: June 5, 2012

Rating:  5 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “Spring Vacation” & “From There to Back Again”

For anyone who has ears to listen, That’s Why God Made the Radio is deserving of a place among the all-time classic masterpieces in the Beach Boys’ catalog of albums and songs.  For the moment, it has served nicely as the masthead for the Beach Boys’ 50th anniversary reunion, but it should be recognized as more than that.  That’s Why God Made the Radio is a reminder: that truly great bands can continue to be great, releasing new music fifty years after first forming.  It is also interesting to juxtapose this album with other recent releases, and there’s clearly still something for other bands to learn, most notably – as it’s always been – from the vocal arrangements the Beach Boys continue to be capable of pulling off.  There’s a warmth and an energy here that is somewhat shocking considering that their previous two releases – both from the early nineties – lacked the consistency, overall quality, and (frankly) the drive of this most recent album.  Consider also what three of the five original Beach Boys have been up to for decades: Mike Love and Bruce Johnston have been in full “greatest hits” touring mode and have shown no previous interest in revisiting the recording studio, while David Marks has been absent from the popular music scene save for guest appearances and low-scale projects.  When you add in the fact that the paperwork from the lawsuits traded between Beach Boys could fill a medium-sized library, it is incredible that this album was attempted at all.  To truly contextualize it, the listening becomes all the more unbelievable: there is a warmth in the harmonies that defies belief.  “Daybreak Over the Ocean,” in particular, could have been a hit when the Beach Boys were in their prime, showcasing as it does the best of what they are capable vocally.  (Of course, they’re aided in no small part by Mike Love’s family, particularly his son whose range and tone is the closest to Carl I’ve heard since Carl passed.)  For those who have followed Brian Wilson and, most recently, Al Jardine, it perhaps comes as less of a surprise that this album should be possible.  After all, Wilson has been consistently productive since 2004’s Getting’ in Over My Head and SMiLE releases, going on to release a masterful solo release in That Lucky Old Sun (2008) as well as numerous other projects of interest.  Then, Al Jardine released his first solo album in 2010, signaling that Wilson was not the only surviving Beach Boy to show interest in making new music and putting it down on record.  Still, for Mike Love and Brian Wilson to team up again and still be able to contribute to such high-quality, single-worthy tracks as the upbeat, rocking “Spring Vacation,” the catchy, gorgeous “Isn’t It Time” (which has already inspired a radio version remix), and the title track nearly defies belief.  Critics will write this effort off as yet another surf-inspired album of formulaic tunes, but this could not be further from the truth.  That this record begins with the a cappella “Think About the Days” is practically a mission statement from the start: clearly, That’s Why God Made the Radio is not a greatest-hits extension of predictable tracks; rather, it is another artistic and visionary installment in the Beach Boys catalog.  Certainly, there are lyrical echoes of what the Beach Boys have been known for since their first work in the early 1960s, but who would expect or even want a complete break from the images, metaphors, and motifs that have enabled them to carve a signature place in popular American music since their star?  And, if there are still any detractors after the powerhouse represented by tracks two through four, then they should be directed to the lush vocals and sharply poignant tone of the final trio of songs: “From There to Back Again,” “Pacific Coast Highway,” and “Summer’s Gone.”  If the first trio are the songs you’ll want to hear again and again while driving, windows down, then this second trio are the heart and soul, the foundation even, for That’s Why God Made the Radio: these final tracks present the thesis, the reason for recording a new album, and perhaps an explanation of why and how the Beach Boys continue to have emotional pull all these years later.

 

 

 

Safe Travels  (Jukebox the Ghost)

Producer: Dan Romer

Released: June 12, 2012

Rating:  4 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “Oh, Emily” & “Ghosts in Empty Houses”

For their third album, Jukebox the Ghost returns with all the same energy that has propelled their first two releases – the dynamic Let Live and Let Ghosts (2008) and the more artful Everything Under the Sun – yet a unique feel, largely achieved through their attention to the traditional rock music ingredients as well as more orchestral elements.  Some tracks, the almost Beatles-esque acoustic “Man on the Moon” for instance, sound unlike anything they’ve produced previously.  The songs suffer at times from a repetition that goes for too long, but Safe Travels is otherwise a pristine record marked by energetic instrumental force and passionately driven vocals, as well as touches of innovation that remind listeners that Jukebox the Ghost is a band interested in growing, progressing, not content to occupy their niche.   With any luck, the world at large will take note, though it seems that more often the one-hit wonders are enabled.

 

 

 

The Idler Wheel is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do  (Fiona Apple)

Producer: Fiona Apple & Charley Drayton

Released: June 19, 2012

Rating:  5 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “Left Alone” & “Daredevil”

True to form, Fiona Apple continues to defy expectations and ignore conventions, starting with the unwieldy title of her latest album: The Idler Wheel is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do.  Furthermore, her first single, the album-opener “Every Single Night,” is hardly going to make it onto the popular music charts any time soon.  However, though quirky and slow-paced upon an initial listen, one would be unwise to write The Idler Wheel off so easily when, lurking just beneath the surface, there is a current of emotion and the power of poetry in each and every track on Apple’s new album.  Lyrically alone, The Idler Wheel is an achievement, and the lyric booklet – packaged as a composition notebook with lyrics and drawings – could stand alone.  Apple’s vocal delivery is compelling, as her voice alternately drips with desperate passion and shakes and scrapes with raw emotion (see: “Regret”).  Instrumentally, it is as though the piano is engaged in a duet the various layers of percussion at work.  Never before have I heard percussion used in quite this manner, practically as an instrument in the foreground rather than a foundation or support for other instruments.  Even Apple’s distinctive piano, integral as ever, is not the most interesting instrumental element for perhaps the first time in her catalog; her playing borders on riff-driven, holding the songs together as the vocals and percussion shake and stretch the parameters of each track.  Overall, though 2005’s Extraordinary Machine is more to my liking for speed and style, The Idler Wheel is an indisputable masterpiece.