Surf's Up
The Beach Boys
1971
Album Summary
Surf's Up is the 17th studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released August 30, 1971 on Brother/Reprise. It received largely favorable reviews and reached number 29 on the US record charts, becoming their highest-charting LP of new music in the US since 1967. In the UK, Surf's Up peaked at number 15, continuing a string of top 40 records that had not abated since 1965. The album's title and cover artwork (a painting based on the early 20th-century sculpture "End of the Trail") are an ironic, self-aware nod to the band's early surfing image. Originally titled Landlocked, the album took its name from the closing track "Surf's Up", a song originally intended for the group's unfinished album Smile. Most of Surf's Up was recorded from January to July 1971. In contrast to the previous LP Sunflower, Brian Wilson was not especially active in the production, which resulted in thinner vocal arrangements. Lyrically, Surf's Up addresses environmental, social, and health concerns more than the group's previous releases. This was at the behest of newly recruited co-manager Jack Rieley, who strove to revamp the group's image and restore their public reputation following the dismal reception to their recent albums and tours. His initiatives included a promotional campaign with the tagline "it's now safe to listen to the Beach Boys" and the appointment of Carl Wilson as the band's official leader. The record also included Carl's first major song contributions: "Long Promised Road" and "Feel Flows". Two singles were issued in the US: "Long Promised Road" and "Surf's Up". Only the former charted, when it was reissued with the B-side "Til I Die" later in the year, peaking at number 89. In 1993, Surf's Up was ranked number 46 in NME's list of the "Top 100 Albums" in history. In 2000, it ranked number 230 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums. As of 2021, it is ranked as the 761st highest rated album of all time on Acclaimed Music. Session highlights, outtakes, and alternate mixes from the album were collected for the 2021 compilation Feel Flows.
WikipediaEnjoyed a lot. Environmentalist, forward-thinking rock. I love the whole album top to bottom, only thing that I found weird was the song Take a Load Off Your Feet, but other than that everything was top notch. Disney Girls, Student Demonstration Time, and Long Promised Road are my favorite, Will revisit, and other than Take A load off your Feet I loved it top to bottom, even with weird songs like A Day in the life of a tree, 8/8.
I must admit to have never even heard of this album. The tone of the album artwork seemed like such a departure from the beach boys I’m familiar with. I had to double check and see whether the website was using the right image. I can report this album is fantastic. How it’s been hidden from me for so long remains a mystery.
The kind of weird and soulful record you need to listen to hear once per annum to remind yourself the hippie dream wasn't always just another way to shill the consumer. Eccentric, blissful, goofy. And political as fuck.
You see "Beach Boys," you see "Surf's Up," and you think you know what you're getting into, only for Brian Wilson to treat the title drop at the tail end of the record like some sort of cruel punchline playing on your expectations. On one hand, it feels like they're punching above their weight class with the heavier subject matter—a lot of the songs have a message, but lack nuance ("I know we're all fed up with useless wars and racial strife / but next time there's a riot, well, you best stay out of sight"). On the other, I kind of appreciate the effort, since it's a bit more interesting than the album I pictured in my head, and the sounds are often pleasant, even borderline beautiful on side two. I can definitely see why the Beach Boys have the reputation they do amongst music critics, but I had to push past cheesy environmentalism and songs about washing your feet to get there. Key Tracks: Disney Girls (1957), Feel Flows, 'Til I Die
4.5 | Sobre los Beach Boys se podría decir mucho, basta decir que son mucho más de lo que la gente piensa como música surf de fiesta playera y 5 monitos con camisas iguales cantando con sonrisota. Este disco al parecer es el último de ese periodo de muchísima creatividad y propuesta, tras la apatía de Brian Wilson la banda seguiría intentando lograr recuperar terreno pero es un hecho que la mente creativa y gran parte del talento siempre fue él. Así queda un disco medio raro pero bueno, muy bueno he de decir pero con puntos muy extraños. Puedo empezar por los puntos bajos, la canción Student Demonstration Time es, a mi parecer el punto más bajo del disco, un rocanrol realmente básico tal cual copiado y pegado de lo que ya para ese entonces era un estándar del género, sin cambiarle nada, metiendo unos ruidos mal hechos y una sirena que parece de patrulla de juguete, distorsión mal nivelada y una letra tremendamente patética que parece parodia de sí misma diciendo "muchachos estudiantes mejor no se rebelen no hagan demostraciones," pareciera que como en este disco todos tuvieron chance de hacer una canción el primo sin talento pues también debe de tener chance y aquí esta su contribución (no es exageración Mike Love es primo de sangre y la verdad es que su contribución normal era básicamente tocar el pandero y estar de bulto), quizá su mensaje era tratar de hablar sobre lo peligroso de la época para un estudiante, no se si se creía Neil Young pero falló catastróficamente en el intento, la letra es burda y nomas mal escribir letras sobre una canción de hace 15 años para mí no cuenta. Vamos al segundo tope, Al Jardin quien cree que tiene todo el sentido hacer una canción sobre los pies, musicalmente no es terrible, solo siento que para el disco termina sintiéndose como música infantil; si bien musicalmente no ofende, hasta podría decir a mí me suena como a algo de Dr. Demento que me gusta mucho, pero aquí cae como balde de agua sin sentido con su sonido tipo naif y su exageración en efectos graciosos que estorban, líricamente es... sobre pies, hizo una canción sobre los pies porque la canción Hair estaba de moda... Hair... que habla sobre todo un movimiento social y lo que fue volcar estructuras sociales a través de el estilo propio y romper estereotipos de género y actitud que tenían cientos de años... y Al Jardin lo que toma de eso es "Bueno... si hicieron sobre el cabello yo hago sobre... ¡los pies!." El resto del disco en general muchísimo mejor, se siente como si fuera sobre una nostalgia de algo que se te está escapando de entre los dedos, desde la ironía de variedad de lecturas que le puede dar uno al título, la manera en que la primera canción puede sonar medio chistosa y sin sentido pero cuando se reflexiona la letra de ella y la última canción se vuelve mucho más sombría. La dulzura y clásico de Disney Girls. La psicodelia y letra sin sentido de Feel Flows pero con una producción y orquestación espectacular termina como quizá de las mejores canciones de pop progresivo que he escuchado. El cierre del disco, es lo que lo eleva a clásico, esas tres canciones de Brian Wilson son espectaculares (incluso si una es sobre un arbolito), el órgano de iglesia, el melotrón y la caja de mono cilindrero, el fraseo simple y los coros punteados... nadie hacía música así, es de esas composiciones que equiparan y en varios sentidos superan cualquiera de los experimentos sonoros de los Beatles. Till I Die como si trajera de vuelta la base del sonido surf de inicios del grupo y la deshiciera por completo, reacomodara en algo totalmente depresivo añorante con una de sus mejores letras mostrando como el surf rock puede dar todas esas emociones y sensaciones extrañas que te puede dar el solo escuchar las olas y como si dijera "aquí ya acabó la fiesta solo está el mar pegando en las rocas." Surfs Up cerrando de nuevo con arreglos y música únicos en una canción que de cierto modo tardó cinco años en terminar. Nada más que decir, excelente disco con una canción mala y otra demasiado extraña, a ratos se nota demasiado la variedad de escritores y lo fragmentado de la banda, pero es bastante disfrutable y termina en un cierre grande. Parece que este fue el último "gran" disco de los Beach Boys y si así fuera, se fueron con un excelente destello antes de su decadencia.
Very nice stuff from the boys, consistent theming and excellent sound, but whoever thought that "Take a Load Off Your Feet" should make the final cut needs to be fired lol
Very much not what I was expecting from the Beach Boys, as somebody who knows almost nothing about them. Excellent, though.
A weirdly, subtly sinister Beach Boys record. The songs are, I hesitate to use the word but, solid, just weird in certain spots ("Student Demonstration Day" sticks out the most, super cheery but very, very dark). Not a record I plan on really revisiting. Favorite track: "Disney Girls"
You gotta feel sorry for these guys. They had that snappy, surfy early sixties sound that defined them and brought California to the world. Then the music scene changed and they tried to be more experimental and serious, but I think their original fans wanted to hear Surfin' US and other fans in the 70s, like me, refused to listen to this because it's the Beach Boys and are asking "what's the point?"
Qué buen disco. Sabía poco o casi nada acerca de los Beach Boys; ubicaba las rolas obvias con tono surf y sus tristes intentos en épocas más recientes de explotar esa nostalgia, pero no tenía noción de todo lo que pasó en medio y de todos los cambios musicales que tuvieron. De este disco en especial me gusta que ahondan de hecho casi nada en esa onda surf (sin dejarla de lado) y tampoco sobreproducen sus vocales. Por lo que leí, esto viene por la ausencia de Brian Wilson en la producción, y de hecho veo que las rolas que más me gustaron (Long Promised Road y Student Demonstration) no son de él.
I really enjoyed listening to this album. It was very moving. Besides Surf's Up, the best realized song on this album is Disney Girls (1957).
No i plazowe chlopaki sie wylosowaly, dosc troche ich albumikow przesluchalem i sa dla mnie jak hamerykanski brat blizniak beatelsow, ktory caly czas pozostaje w ich cieniu, podobna ewolucja bojsbendowego grania popowego do powazniejszych plyt juz bardziej typowo rokowych, ciekawa sprawa jest takze to, ze banda byla zalozona przez 3 braci Wilsonowych, ich kuzyna Mika i niepowiazanych krwia Ala i Brucea, wiec dosc rodzinne granie, surfs up, siedemnasty albumik studyjny, jest juz jednym z tego okresu tworczosci, gdzie cukrowe tracki ustepuja temata majacym na celu uswiadomienie sluchacza w konkretnej sprawie, a nie tylko cieszyc ucho, wiec uslyszymy tutaj songi z perspektywy fabryki tlenu, o akwenach, dziury w ziemi, biedaka bezdrobtnego, a to wszystko w rozbudowanych kompozycjach lirycznych, ktore potrafia zamienic song o drzewie w prawdziwy dramat, drwic z wlasnych korzeni surfowego popu, prawiac o poszanowaniu wody, czy o tak prozaicznych rzeczach jak zeby nie byc grubasem i dbac o zdrowie, ale nie sama strona liryczna stoi albumik, bo jednak beach boye sa znane przedewszystkim z tego co jak wygladala produkcja ich materialu, bo sami byli sobie panami produkcji, wiec albumiki wygladly tak jaki mieli koncept, wiec pisanie tutaj o instrumentalach nie ma calkowicie sensu, gdzie tak jak w tracku long promised road cala kompozycja zostala stworzona w calosci przez Carla Wilsona, liryka, instrumenty produkcja, az ciezko w to wierzyc, ze w taki sposob moglby powstawac tak zlozone kawalki, kolejnym punktem wartym uwagi jest uzycie syntezatorow w dosc innowacyjny sposob na feel flows, ostatnim elementem ktory stanowi o tym ze chlopaki z plazy to chlopaki z plazy jest wykorzystanie chorkowania i overduba do tworzenia melodii, taki poziom zgrania bandowego, to cos rzadkiego do uslyszenia, ciezko wybrac cos na dodanie plejkowe, bo takie albumy staram sie sluchac od poczatku do konca, ale gdybym mial cos dodac to chyba tytulowy surfs up, ktory swoja kompozycja przypomina mini opere z tymi ultra wysokimi wokalami i podzialem na trzy czesci 4 minutowego kawalka, bo sam albumik ma tylko 33 minuty, to ciezko znalezc tam jakiekolwiek miejsce ktore mialoby byc zapychaczem, wiec zakonczyc epicka operowa ballada jest jak najbardziej na miejscu, zazwyczaj taki kawalek bylby raczej openingiem
My fav Beach Boys album, I know this is a controvercial take but something about these batch of songs just resonate so hard with me.
I’ve been waiting for some Beach Boys music, as I have only been exposed to their greatest hits and was pretty sure I was missing out on something. I had no idea how true that was... “Don’t Go Near The Water” seemed like a strange opening for an album entitled SURF’S UP by The Beach Boys. But I loved the song. It is heartbreaking how applicable it is 50 years later. I instantly loved “Long Promised Road” with its quiet verses and rocking choruses. The bridge was so beautiful. Couple that with the deep and complex lyrics... such an impressive song. “Take a Load Off Your Feet” is really wild! Strange as it starts off talking about wrinkly feet. “Take good care of your feet, Pete”. Bizarre sound effects abound in this song, including car horns, clanking plates. I loved it! I also loved this version of “Disney Girls (1957)”. Really like the three-syllable treatment of ‘Disney’. I have always loved this song but did a disservice to myself by not seeking out this original. There is so much more dimension in this performance than the covers I've heard. “Student Demonstration Time” has a unique feel but is very well done and catchy - a bit surprising since it is documenting student riots and police shootings. The synthesizer siren is pretty cool - quite a song. "Feel Flows" is so unique and beautiful. "Unfolding enveloping missiles of soul recall senses sadly". The complicated lyrics along with the sort of weird backward overdubbing makes for a really psychedelic while still unmistakably The Beach Boys. I love this song. "Lookin' At Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)" is so applicable today it disturbs me to think of how little progress our world has made despite the technical revolutions of the last 5 decades. Really incredible. "A Day in The Life of a Tree" contrasts dramatically to something like "Feel Flows." This elegiac song starts off an you might not suspect it was The Beach Boys. But as the organ swells those unmistakable harmonies join in and the song begins to soar. Another really incredible song. "'Til I Die" is really a beautiful and haunting song that is such a prime example of the happy/sad currents underlying the Beach Boys music. "Surf's Up" is an epic ending to the album that left me stunned. Haunting. The song craft on SURF'S UP is beyond belief. The songs' deep environmental, personal and sociological themes are still sharp and even more pertinent today. I've already listened to this 5 times and every time I get more out of each song. This is one incredible album that has completely changed how I think about The Beach Boys.
Holy holy, what an absolute gem of an album. Can't believe I've never heard it. The album starts with The Beach Boys telling me NOT to go near the water. What? This was unexpected. To be honest, this song is a little cheeseball and a bit too on the nose. It could've been (maybe was) a TV ad for water conservation. But other than the surprising message, this sounds like a Beach Boys song. Long Promised Road is a beautiful, beautiful pop song. I just love it. Can't believe it wasn't a bigger hit. Take a Load Off Your Feet is catchy and ridiculous. I knew Captain & Tennille's cover of Disney Girls but had no idea it was a cover of a Beach Boys song. This is another really lovely pop song with an achingly exquisite melody sung so beautifully by Bruce Johnston. When he sings "oh" in the chorus, it goes straight to my heart. I love this one. From that we go straight to a heavy blues riff and some sirens for Student Demonstration Time. This has some of the best lyrics including, "The pen is mightier than the sword, but no match for a gun." Fuck. Feel Flows definitely sounds like the Beach Boys singing but doesn't sound like a Beach Boys song. The instrumental section is prog rock with flutes and all. This is another one that I love. I don't know what to say about Lookin' At Tomorrow. I just don't. A Day in the Life of a Tree is from the p.o.v. of said tree accompanied by a sad carnival calliope. Again, Til I Die and Surf's Up sure sound like the Beach Boys singing but they are eerie and haunting and the opposite of the carefree surfing songs I've come to expect from these guys. They're stunning. I am so grateful to have been introduced to this precious piece of work. We've only been together, this album and I, for about 24 hours but already we are in a pretty serious relationship that I think is going to last for quite some time.
Probably the nearest the Beach Boys came to making a truly psychedelic album, this is simply masterful. The lyrics are more thoughtful than previously expected and cover some ecological and political themes. The usual vocal harmonies are there of course, plus there are some interesting musical textures. It's disappointing that no Dennis Wilson tracks were included as his songs were to the highlights on the previous Sunflower album. The mood is generally quite mellow with the raucous 'Student Demonstration Time' placed at the end of side one to wake you up after the gently nostalgic 'Disney Girls'. Highlights include 'Don't Go Near The Water', 'Feel Flows', 'Til I Die and the masterful title track. I also have soft spot for the humorous 'Take Good Care of Your Feet'.
One of the better no-Brian albums, in part because it uses so much Smile material. But it also has one of my favourite Beach Boys tracks ever, Disney Girls, evokes a great sense of nostalgia while also critiquing the very same feeling. It does also have Student Demonstration March which is fucking awful sooooo
This album was so good! I thoroughly enjoyed all of it, even if some of the tracks were a bit strange.
I didn’t know this album at all. My knowledge of the Beach Boys begins and ends with Pet Sounds. I really liked this album- it seemed so familiar. I can totally hear where Belle and Sebastian get their sound. Those Harmonies…
not a bad song on this album. didn't think i'd enjoy it but i loved it Long Promised Road #1 Disney Girls and Surf's Up #2 Take A Load Off Your Feet #3 A Day In The Life Of A Tree i know my #2 and #3 are controversial but they're great lol
Great tunes! My favourite is the Long Promised Road, but all of the songs was a great surprise and experience. A bit Beatles-ish, but in a good amount. Saved to favourites.
Beach Boys are really hit and miss for me. I love them, or I hate them. This was a good one.
I thought the Beach Boys were little more than just singing about the ocean and relaxing on the beach, not that there's anything wrong with that, but boy did this album prove me wrong. There's an actual message behind these lyrics, and, without being too preachy, it nails the balance between message and good music. The vocals might be a bit different than usual when one thinks of the Beach Boys, but they are still bright and wonderful. This album shows that the Beach Boys aren't just a one-note band, and that they can branch out and make meaningful music.
Love this album, probably the last great beach boys album. Don’t go near the water and long promised road are great, take a load off your feet is fun. Disney girls is nice and sweet. Student demonstration time was probably my least favorite, just felt nothing like the rest of the album and was pretty bland. A day in the life of a tree and ‘til I die are wonderful. My favorite song is probably surfs up, the lyrics and feel of it are mystical.
This was so cool and way ahead of its time. I listen to indie music now that has an eerily similar sound.
Given what I have heard from the Beach Boys and the title of the album, this was not what I expected.
I hear some of my favorite bands in here (MGMT, Foxygen, Beach House). I've always gravitated to Pet Sounds, but this album is spectacular with its psychedelic beachy sounds. This is when this 1001 challenge pays off - I'll be listening to this on repeat.
A tale of two sides. They stuck the experiments that didn't work on Side 1 and the ones that did on Side 2. It's almost as if you can hear them maturing as the album goes on. I doubt that was the intent, but it's my headcanon. Best track: Feel Flows
01/10/2020 Sat in room listening in the morning, WiFi in the block was down. Excellent album and showed me a side of The Beach Boys I was unaware of. Grew up listening to them in the car but had no idea they had such a strong 'non-commercial' side to them. Almost a 5.
surprised me, interesting listen all the way through. Have never heard this side of the beach boys but i like it a lot.
Expected all the over played Beach Boy stuff. Got something that I would listen to again if I were in the mood. Very pleasant.
No me esperaba algo tan diferente. Es único y bastante experimental a mi parecer pero me agradó mucho Realmente pensé que solo se habían dedicado a hacer música sobre olas, arena, sol y malteadas
This album really surprised me. Maybe better than Pet Sounds. It's got a variety of sounds and themes, but they somehow all flow. Not repetitive. Quick and to the point. Definitely heavier than Pet Sounds and early Beach Boys.
A deliberately weird Beach Boys album - yeah, I liked it! Fave track - well, "Surf's Up" sounded most classically Beach Boys, but I think I'm gonna go with "Student Demonstration Time" as being the most unexpected!
Bängeri Skön classical rock. Jännä att jag inte har hört de här låtarna då många av dem är bättre än deras andra kända biisin
I was pleasantly surprised by this album. It was more subdued than I expected from The Beach Boys, and had interesting melodies and lyrics.
Wow, nothing at all like I expected when I saw that the album of the day was a Beach Boys album. Melancholy and socially critical. These songs "slap", as the kids say. Gone are the days of goofy surfing lyrics and "Rah rah rah be true to your school". I like the double meaning of the album title.
Only having heard their hits I didnt know that they did a bit more folkish stuff as well.
I had never wondered what The Beach Boys did between Pet Sounds and Kokomo and yet here is this album. It’s a bit heavy-handed and strange but I like Disney Girls and it’s short. 7
Thoroughly enjoyed it. My bias for chill music is showing but I liked this way better than their more upbeat stuff. High 8.
Nice ironic mix of counterculture and the poppier motifs at the time. Short and sweet listen.
I was not expecting this from the Beach Boys at all. It's complex, deals with themes of global pollution and protest, and dips into genres I would have never thought they would go for. I like this a lot. Favorite song: Long Promised Road
A great, somber, thoughtful, well-produced beautiful album...with fucking “Student Demonstration Time” right in the middle of it 🙄
No hay mucha playa, pero está chulísimo! Me ha sorprendido bastante, no se parece en nada a otras cosas que he escuchado de ellos
-Pretty solid album overall, but the second half was kind of boring -"Student Demonstration Time" was by far the best song
Donkerdere muziek dan wat ik ken van The Beach Boys, al deed de hoes dat ook al vermoeden. Het is af en toe wel een traag album, maar de 40 jaar oude teksten zijn nog altijd brandend actueel
An extremely unique, interesting entry by the Beach Boys. I haven't heard them sound this morose before, it's actually a really sweet sound.
Agree with comments that this can seem a bit disjointed in places but for me thats its charm. The first 4 songs are all great but could be from 4 different bands, not something you always say about TBB. Long Promised Road an absolute classic.
Much better than I was expecting considering the album didn't have any of their well known songs.
Wow! Hatte ich überhaupt nicht auf dem Zettel, dieses psychedelisiert müde, angenehm gebrochene und dann ganz erwachsen wieder zusammengesetzt endlich aus Brians riesigem Schatten getretene Spätwerk der frühen Beach Boys. Trifft heute einen ganz weichen Soft Spot bei mir, muss mich bisschen zügeln, nicht die (vielleicht doch diskutable? Ich weiß es schlicht nicht und bleibe vorsichtig!) Höchstnote zu vergeben für diese großartig aufgebaute Reihe von Hits, die spätestens ab Student Demonstration Time so richtig ins Bewusstsein tritt, nur um jenes dann mit Feel Flows direkt wieder aufs angenehmste zu vernebeln. Leute/Leut: vielleicht hab ich seit jetzt gerade eine neue Lieblingsplatte von den Beach Boys. Ziemlich gut möglich sogar. 4,5 - und vielleicht werden es noch mehr!
I enjoyed this. Even though I have heard my fair share of Beach Boys songs, I didn't know any of the ones on this album. I also feel these songs are quite different from their usual vibe. Enjoyable, though!
Pretty fun album. Would never have recognized it as a Beach Boys album if I hadn't known!
A bit darker than the beach boys I’m used… enjoyed this though. No one can say they don’t know their way around a good tune!
A new discovery for me and one that I really enjoyed. You can hear the growth that reached it's zenith with Pet Sounds, buty this one has a similar feel and dare I say may be a little more accessible. 4 stars
This was completely unexpected. The album feels much darker than their upbeat more popular songs, but it showcases their voices and talents just as well. Really enjoyed it.
different from what i’d expected from the beach boys. kinda gave eels vibes and i enjoyed it
I do love me some Beach Boys and was happy to see one of there albums pop up on the list. I was not familiar with this one. I was definitely different that the sound that I am familiar with. The music and vocals seemed to lack a richness. I don't know if that was more the production or the compositions. Overall, it was good.
I guess I didn't really know what happened to The Beach Boys between 1966 and 1988. There was a lot more than I imagined, and this was a really amazing experience for me. Really interesting, varied stuff! Different voices, different styles...always a hint of earlier Beach Boys there. I loved "Disney Girls (1957)" and "Feel Flows" and "'Til I Die" and "Surf's Up," maybe all for different reasons. The songs "Don't Go Near the Water" and "Student Demonstration Time" and "A Day in the Life of a Tree" are fascinating looks at 1971 through an adapting Beach Boys lens. I really enjoyed this "discovery," and feel that several of these songs will stay with me for some time.
I enjoyed this more then I thought i would, since it is not a beach boys album I had heard before.
Disc de ressaca d'una década. Mateixos vibes en aquest sentit que 'Bridge Over Troubled Water', però radicalment diferent en quant a plantejament, filosofia i motivacions. Les harmonies vocals tracten de recuperar l'esperança dels 60, però es veuen maniatades per unes melodies i temàtiques opressives, pessimistes, apesarades. Tot plegat, però, tot i ser molt lluny de la immediatesa de les seves primeres obres, transpua una qualitat i pes artístic de primer nivell
Djeluje čak depresivnije/mračnije od onoga što su prije radili, i dobro je, također je i cover odličan. Sviđa mi se album. Nije mi u potpunosti odličan, ali je dobar! Prvi dio albuma iliti prva strana je jača od druge. Imo. Najdraža mi je Feel Flows, taman na tom prijelazu na drugu stranu albuma.
I did not expect to hear Mike Love sing an ode to feet but here we are. This still holds up against other BB works but I don't think I'd choose it over Smile, Pet Sounds, or their early work.
I visualize this journey as a day at the beach, or maybe at the woody mountains (the original title of this album was "Landlocked" but they resurrected the discarded track from 1966, "Surf's Up", and made it a decent closing track for the album). In the early morning, the cool and welcoming vibes was captured by "Don't Go Near the Water". I love the casual and slightly trippy energy of it. The rest of the morning, the first half of the album, is pretty bland. Just a bunch of forgettable Beatles-esque tracks. At noon, a riot erupted. "Student Demonstration Time" is a bit of a rocker with a dark theme. But even that is forgettable and not that great. The fun began when the sun sets. The beautiful sound of "Feel Flows" painted the crimson-going-indigo colors of such calm time of the day. The ocean went from blue to black. And the winds became more solid and cool. It's nighttime, and while everyone is beginning to sleep, the nature is just waking up. I love this "nighttime" part, the second-half of the album. It's trippy and oftentimes emotional. The sound conjures images of walking alone in the beach at night. Almost haunting, but cool and relaxing. It's like being spiritually close to nature. It was night. And nature was wide awake. . . . And the lyrics? Perhaps extending the metaphor and narrating this as the reason for spending a day at some beach? To ponder about some social issues, especially environmental ones. Perhaps their true motive is just to re-ignite the band's public image, and that might be the reason it felt messy. But the few stellar tracks are worth experiencing. I might not come back to experience the whole album, but I would listen to those tracks again. Perhaps at a vacation in the woods. Man, this album made me want to experience and smell those woods and leaves and soil again.
Hey wait a minute, this isn't the soundtrack to the hit 2007 computer animated film? My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined. Oh wow, I was not ready for how bluesy "Student Demonstration Time" is! The guitar and vocals on that track have some got-damn attitude. I had no idea The Beach Boys had that in them. Also holy shit, the lyrics to that song are socially conscious as fuck and are still relevant today. Wow yeah this album is way different than what I've previously heard from this group. I was expecting some "round round get around I get around" type of beat, not this deep, existential sonic experience - I'm all for it!
A new discovery for me and one that I really enjoyed. You can hear the growth that reached it's zenith with Pet Sounds, but this one has a similar feel and dare I say may be a little more accessible. 4 stars
A more mature and melancholy Beach Boys. It’s maybe not completely fair, but I can’t help comparing this to Holland - which they released 2 years later. Similar vibes but nothing on this one stands out as particularly fun or memorable.
It's terribly unfair I know, but this is both a brilliant album, and the start of the decline. Any other band and it'd likely be their very best, but while this is interesting as hell - what if the Beach Boys were really quite sad - it falls short of their imperial phase. Surf's Up is still essential listening... Just not life changing...
I enjoy The Beach Boys but don't think I've ever listened to this one. I dug it a lot though. The cover art is fantastic and quite different for them. The psych pop elements are really great.
The cover art is arresting. Don Quixote meets Poseidon meets that Native American who cried because of all the litter. Oil painting brush strokes and a name plate like you'd find on a painting in a museum. The grim subject of the painting and the somber colors really contrast with both the name of the band and the name of the album. The first track, Don't Go Near The Water, is genuinely sad and despairing. Although I guess ultimately optimistic that maybe it isn't too late for our poor planet if we all wake up and do something. Shame that we didn't, isn't it? The rest of the album goes on in that same cautionary vein, personal, societal, environmental. Honestly the themes sound like the same bunch of hippies who thought up Earth Day. It is still the Beach Boys, so even though the album is mostly a downer it is still gorgeous to listen to. None of the tracks are especially catchy in and of themselves. But the songs flow together making quite a pretty package. Am I glad I heard this before I died? Yes. Am I likely to listen to it again? Probably. A Day in the Life of a Tree could be called Bran Stark's Lament.
Does not sound like “the beach boys” but that’s what makes it great. A really unique collection of songs which shows off all of their individual talents and strengths as a groups.
Very different album from the Beach Boys, lots of haunting songs with a focus on political themes. Really enjoyed the album, Surf's Up itself is an amazing tune and enjoyed almost all of the songs with maybe one or two exceptions.
Probably more like a 3.75 with a couple of really good, innovative songs. Overall some hits and some misses.
Première écoute à vie de cet album. Je suis vraiment agréablement surpris. C'est probablement l'album à écouter pour ceux qui n'aiment pas les Beach Boys. Je trouve que la rivalité avec les Beatles a fait du bien au groupe. Ils ont osé prendre plus de risques. Musicalement et en terme de mélodies vocales, c'est intéressant et on reconnait les fondements du groupe malgré un changement de direction par rapport aux débuts. J'aime comment chacun est mis en évidence sur les différentes chansons. Je trouve que c'est une belle évolution. La pièce Take A Load Off Your Feet me fait énormément penser au style de Hubert Lenoir, le petit côté pop, la façon que les voix sont arrangées et la façon de chanter. J'adore la pochette. Définitivement un album que je vais réécouter. Pièces préférées: Student Demonstration Time, 'Til I Die, Don't Go Near The Water, Long Promised Road, Take A Load Off Your Feet.
I thought this was cool. I wasn't really aware of the Beach Boys post-Smile, pre-Kokamo career. This was better than I thought it would be given the reduced influence of Brian Wilson. I didn't really feel like there were any standout moments, but the album was pleasant overall 4/5
Liked it more after a few listens. Nice break from the beachy beach boys. appreciated all the different feelings/genres. I hate to admit that I don't know much about the Beach Boys, this definitely has me interested in listening to more of their catalog.
Second listen really made me appreciate this one more. Overall weird popprog stuff but in the end i enjoyed it more than initially thought
I love this album and was pleasantly surprised to see it was included in this list. The Beach Boys took a darker and more psychedelic turn with a lot of the songs on this album while still doing what they do best - massive vocal harmonies. Carl Wilson (R.I.P.) in particular had some of his best work on this album (Long Promised Road and Feel Flows). I'm giving it 4 only because the consistency could be better and it's only 33 minutes long. Student Demonstration Time is pretty cringe, and there are maybe two other songs that aren't very strong. The rest of the album is excellent and some of the best work The Beach Boys ever did. Favorite song: tie between Feel Flows and Surf's Up
A surprising Beach Boys album I'd never heard before. Not quite a perfect record, sometimes a bit worthy & smelling of greenwash, but actually very good.
I can't even hate on Student Demonstration Time, Disney Girls is lush and the rest: sublime.
Darker than I’d have ever guessed, chamber-jazzizsh. The explicit political song reminded me of Zappa (not in a good way). Still an intriguing album I’m sure I’ll come back to.
Magnificent album by the Beach Boys focused on the arrangements of instruments and voices. Lots of experimental details, but which don't become "too much" like on Pet Sounds, for example. There are darker songs than usual. It's also more focused on moods than catchy melodies. Amongst my favorite albums from this band. Love it.
The Beach Boys are so much more than just Pet Sounds. This one and Sunflower might be less recognized as classics, but I think they both have some of the best music they've ever recorded.
I've only listened to this one other time and it was probably because of "Feel Flows." What an incredibly beautiful song that I was completely unaware of until I had seen "Almost Famous." Apparently it was the first song that Carl wrote, just gorgeous. Other than that the only other song I knew from here was the title track which I knew from "Smile." I thought that this album would suffer from the diminished presence of Brian and his couple of contributions are great, I mean he's Brian Wilson an undisputed musical genius, but the contributions by the other guys here are good too "Student Demonstration Time" and "Don't Go Near The Water" stand out for me.
nice first exposure to beach boys ever, album anyway i have heard like,,, god only knows and wouldn't it be nice, i'm not a complete moron
Wasn't really feeling this. It was my first time hearing every song on this album, or at least the first time actively listening to it. I only really liked student demonstration time, especially since this this track can still relate to how social issues are demonstrated against nearly 50 years later. Overall, the album is too mellow for me... Lol @ "The pen is mightier than the sword, but no match for a gun!" - Student Demonstration Time
Thought this was great. Not the Beach Boys I'm used to. Harder edged, more sombre, very cool. 3.4
Interesting variety, not as strong as Pet sounds or smiley smile. Still like the album though
¿Los Beach Boys cantando blues, y además de protesta? Woaooo Leí que este disco fue un intento de los BB para “reinventarse” y tratar de salir del estereotipo en el que se encontraban, y al menos musicalmente lo lograron. Creo que les hubiera ido mejor si hubieran cambiado de nombre o creado otra banda, pero entiendo que deshacerte de tu “marca” no es tan fácil, y seguro era más difícil hace 40 años. Desde el punto de vista musical, si bien me gustaron las canciones, ninguna me atrapó. Aparte del blues me llamó la atención que algunas canciones le dan un aire los Arctic Monkeys o Jet; así que fue un disco bastante vanguardista, pero a la vez un tanto gris. Como que este disco no envejeció tan bien. De todas formas fue interesante escuchar algo diferente de estos muchachos, y probablemente lo volvería a escuchar.
Pet Sounds it is not. There are some fine tunes here but overall nothing super impressive.
This is really good. Haven't listened to much Beach Boys post-60s, but this is interesting. 3.5 stars.
I like the fact that it is short and sweet. Three stars because it's a good album. No more than that because I'm quite sure it's highly likely I won't listen to it again... *shrugs*
A bit of a departure from their previous albums, not as cohesive as I would like but some solid gems throughout
Mi favorita fue "Student Demonstration Time". Un sonido muy de su época, como de drogas y puro chill. Me gustó escucharlo y disfruté los cambios de voces. Sin embargo, no me quedaría escuchándolo constantemente. 7/10
5. I can't take the beach boys seriously enough to listen to them talk about the current events of the past
This was not the Beach Boys sound I was expecting because their hits were fun, upbeat songs which I love. However, having seen a biopic of Brian Wilson, I just think he was an amazing talent. Disney Girls was from the year I was born and was probably my favourite. *** or **** ?
A move away from what I’m used to with The Beach Boys but liked it for the most part nonetheless. Am guessing that Wilson’s eccentricity informed some of less conventional songs. All in all an enjoyable listen
I like several songs by Beach boys, but none of them is on that album. I wasn't very impressed, so I am deciding between 2 and 3. Maybe because of melody and some lyrics I am gonna give it a 3, but maaan.