Reviews (page 10 of 13)
the beach boys does the 70s. incredibly hit and miss, but nice to hear some songs that aren't all about the really high pitched in the era where high pitched was all you could fucking get.
The beach boys are a set of fictional puppets created by Disney. In classical mythology they're known as thr surfing fuck puppets of the sea.
Bet they can't even surf. Landsharks
3.5
Je l'ai plus aimé que Pet Sounds, mais ça reste un peu trop ordinaire à mon goût. Même sachant l'impact qu'ils ont eu sur la musique, je trouve ça juste correct.
Listened to half of it, more relaxed than expected
Not what I expected from a Beach Boys album, quite darker. "Til I Die" is great.
Spotify does not carry the full album
I wasn't super taken with this. It feels disingenuous that they switch their lyrics to social issues all of a sudden. "Student Demonstration Time" was very tryhard, imo 3/5
It’s a very slow, heavy album. The sixties were definitely over.
Typical beach boys sound. Not exceptional
Nice
Somewhat interesting, political and serious album while also being melodic and experimental. Some tracks aren't as strong.
Disney Girls gut, der Rest halt 60er Rock (70er?) teils gut, teils meh. 3 Sterne?
Inoffensive. Some nice songs I guess.
It sounds like they didn’t knew who their audience was or who they were making the album for. Musically, most of the songs are pretty strong, but they fall short lyrically; at least for me. I appreciate the sentiment in the words, although the Beach Boys were not equipped to write deep songs. Also, if you’re short on time for your album, it’s better to not write anymore songs than to include a song like Student Demonstration Time. Who was that for? 3/5
Heard this on CD (with Sunflower) a couple of years but found it insignificant. However although its no Pet Sounds it does have some interesting textures. Less vocal harmonies and more direct lyrics it requires repeated play. But for now it's a 3.
Love the Beach Boys! Classic sound but not all the classic hits!
Zoals altijd wel aardige, afwisselende muziek van deze strandjongens (die deze keer merkwaardig genoeg beweren dat de surf op is en dat je niet te dicht bij het water moet komen), maar er zit geen echt memorabel nummer tussen.
This wasn’t what I was expecting for the beach boys, there was more of a diverse vibe to it than what I thought it would be. It wasn’t totally my favourite but it was eh.
Its classic beach Boys, its not their best album but it is still enjoyable and worth a listen
It is a good pop album, that's it, nothing really special about it Favorite track: Long Promised Road 7/10
Definitely was not expecting this from The Beach Boys. Completely different sound and songwriting. Some huge misses but also some amazing songs.
Beach Boys tunes recorded to sound like The Velvet Underground.
Ok, but prefer other beach boys
Surf music and a political song. This was not what I was expecting.
Pleasant surprise, only knew their early surf songs and Pet Sounds and this one was really different.
Into there trying to hard to be deep phase. Not my fav beach Boys but still good harmonics and interesting
I had never heard of this album and who knew the Beach Boys would write songs about environmental issues. A darker, moodier record than I expected from the Beach Boys with some interesting songs and actually some pretty decent ones, I might add. The commercial appeal is lacking, which isn't a bad thing, but the lesser contributions of Brian Wilson is evident.
Very different from the other two B-Boys albums I’ve had. A bit more out there, with songs on a lot of different topics and in a lot of different styles. Feels all over the place in that regard but there are some gems on it still. 6/10
OK, but not remarkable
Has some nice vibes
Brian Wilson is... well, he's a little insane, sure. But he's also kind of a genius. His absence is felt on this album. It feels awkward and thin even when they layer on those thick, Beach Boys harmonies. It's just lacking that THING that made "Pet Sounds" such a monster album. Also, the jazz flutes... stahp. The saving grace here is that the lyrics are actually pretty great. It's a much deeper assortment of topics and perspectives than one expects from a Beach Boys joint and I love that. So, on balance, it nets a middling 3 stars from me.
I distinctly remember this album cover growing up. I think it belonged to a friend of my dad's. I don't recall ever listening to it though. Defintely not the Beach Boys that comes to mind when I hear the name The Beach Boys.
This would probably sound better during the summer....(it's autumn right now) I liked a few songs (don't go near the water, feel flows) but it pales in comparison to pet sounds. a lot of filler on here. At least it was short.
weird vibes, feel flow a day in the life of a tree surfs up
Surfs duck
Int så bra slm jag kom ihåg.
I'm not very familiar with the Beach Boys outside of Pet Sounds, but this seems like a strange album for them. Some darker lyrical themes contrasting their generally upbeat melodies and vocal harmonies. Their style of music isn't my favorite but their harmonies are hard to beat. Standouts for me: "Don't Go Near the Water," "Student Demonstration Time," and of course, "Feel Flows."
Without a doubt, the Beach Boys created their own niche and are one of the most important and influential bands in American Rock history. Listening to this album, however, I felt that the band tried to recreate itself. While I think style and story variations within an album are important, I thought this album may have gone a little too far in that respect.
Weird music 3/5
ALBUM RATING: 3.3 ALBUM GRADE: C+ TRACK RATINGS: 1. Don’t Go Near the Water - 3.0 2. Long Promised Road - 3.0 3. Take a Load off Your Feet - 3.0 4. Disney Girls (1957) - 3.5 5. Student Demonstration Time - 3.5 6. Feel Flows - 3.5 7. Lookin’ at Tomorrow (A Welfare Song) - 4.0 8. A Day in the Life of a Tree - 3.0 9. Til I Die - 3.5 10. Surf’s Up - 3.0
Something is missing compared to the classic hits by The Beach Boys that I know so well and I can’t put my finger on what it is. It still has the tight and unpredictable harmonies that The Beach Boys are known for.
I hadn’t heard this before so was expecting the happy chappy Beach Boys but should’ve known better from the artwork. Darker and hardly any mention of bloody surfing. Struggled to get into it and found most songs forgettable. Convinced myself I’d give it a 2/5 but listened to it again on a run and warmed to it. Not sure I’ll necessarily rush back for another listen soon but I can appreciate it for what it is. Highlights: Disney Girls, ‘Til I Die, Surf’s Up
Some nice songs here, might revisit this one at some point.
JMC LIKE TO LISTEN MYSELF
Does not sound like classic beach boys, a bit darker and less intensely happy. The focus on environmentalism was way ahead of its time, but the music is more dated. I hope and expect to see more of their albums, and reckon I will enjoy them much more.
An edgier sound to what I expected. Suits the scary album art. I liked the bluesy Student Demonstration Time but found parts of the album a bit dull. Solid 3.5 stars for me
Let's save the water!! I liked this one.
This sounds literally NOTHING like a Beach Boys album...
Solid and weird
Not your usual beach boys album. This one didn’t seem as up best throughout. The songs varied into certain political songs to songs about surfing or girls. When thinking Beach Boys it’s not that this album isn’t like them I think it was a transition as they aged into a more insightful songwriting. However it felt like this album wouldn’t be as played as some of their others. 6.2/10
This was more impressive than I had hoped. This group has a soft, gentle, safe rock-psych moment before they are forced into chintzy surf pop. The vocals shine, especially in the last track.
I love The Beach Boys. We share a home town. I didn’t like this all that much. They lost a little magic post ‘60s.
Nunca lo había escuchado, es muy diferente a lo que estoy acostumbrada a escuchar de ellos.
Feel Flows and Til I Die we’re the highlights. I like this album a lot and could see it getting better on further listens
"Feel Flows" is one of my favorites by these guys. This was a very different album than I was expecting. I'm not sure if they were maturing with their music at this point, if they were just tired, or if they were trying to re-imagine themselves and keep up with changing musical tastes of the time. I'm glad that this wasn't a "Surfing Safari" type of album. As was the tag line for this album when it was released: It's safe to listen to the Beach Boys again.
I enjoyed a few of the songs, esp. the first one
Hard time understanding what Brian Wilson is saying sometimes but it sounds like he put some thought into it. Good not great but looking forward to hearing more from them. Favorite: Feel Flows
A quirky and intriguing later Beach Boys album with a few tracks evoking that trademark harmonic magic and others using blues and rock to explore themes of student protest and environmentalism.
Some different sounds to what I’ve heard before from The Beach Boys and also some similar.
The title track is the best part of the album.
Weird album, even for later stage Beach Boys, and a weird choice for this list. A weird time for America: this came out just a couple months before the articles that became Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and the rather dismal “socially conscious” songs suggest they hadn’t gotten the memo, that that wave had long sense broken, and was rolling furiously back. The last half of side two is better but doesn’t quite pull the whole effort above average.
I wanted to like it more cos Beach Boys & 'Til I Die but nothing else grabbed me that much.
A freshest chubby soup of sound. Didn’t like it initially, but second half improved. Student protest a stand out
I've heard plenty of songs from the Beach Boys and a couple of full albums from the band, but "Surf's Up" was all new music to me. This album is interesting because of how much of the song writing and the lead vocals are spread out among the members of the band. The content of this album is documenting something that was going on in the US and the world at the time. There are discussions of environmentalism, and political activism. It would have been interesting to listen to the album in context. Althoug Surf's Up does not have what I would have thought was the typical subject matter for the Beach Boys, the songs still have an intreguing application of Beach Boys musical arragnements. "Don't Go Near the Water" and "Long Promised Road" have such happy sounding music for serious subject matter. There were tracks that I can only describe as weird: "Take a Load Off Your Feet" (which contains an odd collection of lyrics about feet), and "A Day in the Life of a Tree". "Disney Girls (1957)" made me feel like there is so much that I don't understand about the Beach Boys. "Student Demonstration Time" feels like a practice run at the blues, but not really the blues. I didn't hate this album, and I didn't NOT like it, but I'm not sure if I liked it. The album is interesting and was an unexpected experience from the Beach Boys. The album was worth a listen just for the novelty of the experience.
3.5/5. I've heard this album before. It is really still a surprise - when you think of the Beach Boys, you think of all the classic surfin' and Californa Girls types of songs. This has none of that. It's really a great listen and I expect that I will look forward to hearing it again.
This doesn't work for me. The Brian Wilson tunes are good (if not great), but the rest is disjointed and subpar. The last three songs are signs of what could have been.
This album is a mostly well-balanced blend of the core Beach Boy sound with the wave of culture and music in 1970 that takes a new, darker turn. Long Promised Road hits hard knowing Brian Wilson’s story and is the top track. Some places wonder completely into the weird and get lost. But, mostly, I was surprised that I’d never heard this album. Shame on me.
What an odd little album. The highs and lows on this are amazing. I mean, "Disney Girls" is a really terrific, but the less we say about "Take a Load Off Your Feet," the better. I appreciate the willingness to try something different. It doesn't always land, but there are some lovely surprises on here. Fave Songs: Disney Girls (1957), Lookin' at Tomorrow (A Welfare Song), Feel Flows, A Day in the Life of a Tree
I quite got into Don't Go Near The Water, Take A Load Off Your Feet, and Student Demonstration Time, but found the rest mediocre at best.
Great sounds and production, but no song really stands out. There is nothing too engaging on this album.
Not what I expected from the beach boys. Not necessarily bad but I found it just lacking that little extra something. The songs were very similar to each other and could have done with some variation
In which the Beach Boys were encouraged to modernise and did so to the point where they sounded weirdly dated. Actually, the whole album is kind of weird, a mix of some of their best and worst material and most of it buried under a mix I found hard to penetrate (at least the version I heard sounded kind of thick, maybe there's a brighter version out there somewhere). I don't really get the general love for this.
Not too enthusiastic about it tbh.. seems mellow but forgettably so. Student Demonstration Time was a welcome change of pace and tone. Cool vocal echo effects and guitar response to each line. Sounds like the beatles. Lookin' At Tomorrow was a good one too. Just fine overall.
This album has many elements shared by great 70s rock music, and The Beach Boys have their own style too. Yet somehow, none of the songs are memorable, but I cannot determine what specifically is missing.
The decision to make a jaunty whiteboy-blues song about societal unrest in general (and the Kent State Massacre specifically) is honestly one of the dumbest things they did in their (famously uneven) career but the rest of this is probably worth a 4. Interesting spacey arrangements and the usual tight vocal harmonies. But that Student Démonstration Time song is, like, as bad as the song in that "Deficit Rag" bit from the Simpsons
Was pretty meh until the last 3 songs
The Beach Boys make it hard to be a fan of hte Beach Boys. The early stuff is easy to like, but the lack of actual substance wears thin quickly. Then, Brian Wilson stops touring and focuses solely on recording while the rest of the band is on the road. This produces their best record "Pet Sounds" which will be a 5/5 when it comes up on this list. With that success, Brian Wilson is emboldened to expand the art further and starts making Smile. The sessions are scrapped because he lost his shit, precipitated by Mike Love's gaslighting and emotional abuse. Then, thorugh the 70s, the band makes spotty records - including Surfs Up. I like the quiet and laid back nature of some of these songs and the production. But the songs aren't good. EXCEPT "Til I Die" and "Surfs Up," the latter of which was a song that escaped the acrimony of the Smile sessions and made it onto this record. They are both beautiful and haunting songs. And they are the only reasons this record gets a 3/5 instead of 1/5.
No. More. Beach. Boys. Please. BUT, this one is less Beach Boys-y that the last several. I don't know why they're on this list so much though. I mean, This much Beach Boys before I die? Seems outrageous. Feel Flows is good. I'd like to hear They Might Be Giants cover some of these songs. 3.5/5
I think there are better Beach Boys albums, but I don't think it is necessarily a bad album. It flows a little strangely and is a bit more experimental at times than I really enjoy.
This sounds like the flaming lips
Pour pas cher, pourquoi pas
Familiar as I might have been with The Beach Boys, their legacy and influence, and their hits, I hadn't a clue that they went in this direction during their history. Interesting to hear them get into important issues like environmental protection that still resonate today, and musically this is a bit of a departure from the hits I knew from growing up. I admire The Beach Boys for their music and vocal harmonies even though I don't really listen to them in any form and haven't for a long time. That's just a personal preference. This is good stuff.
Half a great album. Transcendent moments are bundled up with variety show rubbish. I see Mike Love's lumpen refusal to try anything new butting up against the Wilson's experimental passion. When it works, it's amazing. There just aren't enough of those beautiful waves of melody.
From PSAs about your feet to ripping student riot manifestos, this LP clearly isn’t interested in any kind of coherence as a musical whole. It does read as genuine, however, mostly thanks in part to the passion and catchiness that are a part of every tune on here no matter how diverse.
This was a revelation. I'm familiar with Pet Sounds, and to be honest, not that mad for it. This one's a far more interesting piece of work. Apart from the Student Protest song, which is terrible.
I guess I prefer them as surfer wannabes over hippies. Or maybe they should have spent more time on convincing Brian Wilson to get out of bed. My favorite songs here feature Carl on lead vocals.
I love The Beach Boys but I did not especially enjoy this album. Without Brian Wilson’s active role in the production, the vocal arrangements are not the usual tight harmony that I’ve come to expect from the Beach Boys. For me it was a rather maudlin album.
A solid enough effort
Genre: Psychedelic Pop 3/5 What are we as music listeners without the historical relevance and inspiration provided by The Beach Boys. Songs like Good Vibrations, Wouldn’t It Be Nice, and I Get Around are pop music staples, and their discography is full of hits and classics. But we’re post-Pet Sounds. They’re relevance has since waned, and their cultural relevance was only kept afloat by their songs of the past 5-10 years. With Surf’s Up, their 17th(!) album, the emphasis on arrangement and cohesion is quite apparent. Brian Wilson didn’t feel like doing nearly everything himself this time, a la Pet Sounds, but that’s where he went wrong. Brian Wilson provides us one of the group’s best, the title track and outro Surf’s Up, but his contributions aren’t truly felt until the end of the album, and with Mike Love’s woke-piece Student Demonstration Time, and songs like Feel Flows, which is beautiful, but never truly takes off to hit that true peak like I know these guys are capable of. Overall, some big time songs on here, and great production, but a bit flat and inconsistent. It ain’t Pet Sounds, that’s for sure.
Naive but occasionally sweet. Reminds me of Paul McCartney's later Beatles contributions. but doesn't have any edge to it. Even the bluesy Student Demonstration Time just sounds like a protest song that bunch of 13 year olds might write. Weedy. No soul.
I like the odd juxtaposition of beach music and protest music.
Beach Boy vibes but not up to the classics.
I would never have known this was The Beach Boys. Feels very 60's/70's (barely 70s, I suppose). Was not particularly familiar with any of it except Surf's Up, which I only heard for the first time recently anyway. Just okay. At least a different style than the 50's style of most of the group's other familiar work.
Fine!
Where did this come from? The last 2 Beach Boys albums i got were pretty light, this was far more interesting.
What a weird album. Good though
Pretty good, not the best of the Beach Boys albums
lyrics were whack but instrumentals were okay
Meh.
Just like the waves of the Pacific, the highs (the first two tracks and the last three tracks) were high. But the low tides were low. Three Surfs up out of five.
I didn't think I would like this album at all but was pleasantly surprised. Really liked Disney Girls, Student Demonstration Time, Long Promised Road.
3.4 - decent album with a distinctly non-Beach Boys sound. Enjoyed “Don’t Go Near the Water”, but not sure I’ll be revisiting any time soon.
First time listening to this. Never discovered before. Last run of songs very melodic. Have added to playlist going forward. Nice.
Dare I say it is a rich man’s version of The Zombies? Prob not, because I actually liked The Zombies a little more than this. Not what I consider a typical Beach Boys album as it less happy-harmony and more something else. I was only familiar with “Student Demonstration Time” - good tune, but lyrics didn’t always click with the tone (e.g. Kent State reference). It’s a 3+, but not enough here for me to round up.
more interesting content than i expected from the beach boys, clearly they realized they needed a deeper sound for this later album. 3.5 but rounding down as it feels like a band doing a well-executed catch-up (which still deserves praise!), rather than something groundbreaking.
Way not what I was expecting
Started off good, went a bit meandering
Bastante bien
Nije lose, dobri su mi decki. Al nije mi nijedna stvar ostala u glavi sa ovog albuma, pa ne znam, nema odusevljenja. Trojka
Nisam ih baš nikad uzeo slušat, a ovaj sad album mi je baš bio dobar, svaka pjesma na mjestu, aaaaal nije četvorka.
Esperaba encontarme algo con el sonido más original de ellos y menos de Pet Sounds pero me sorprendí gratamente.
Wow, that was The Beach Boys? A very strange album. Student Demonstration Time is so out of the blue, it’s crazy. Interesting harmonies in several songs.
Definitely a different sound that other Beach Boys albums. Very enjoyable. 3/5
An offbeat Beach Boys album. No hits here, but The Boys are always a good listen.
I'm still not quite sure how I feel about by this one. There are some truly wonderful songs here and some duds as well. The sound and lyrics of this record were very surprising to me. Going to give it a 3 for now. I think it could potentially be a 4 for me with some more listens.
Nice album from those beach bums
Never quite managed to get the Beach Boys.
It's not Pet Sounds, is it? There are some great songs on here, namely the last three tracks. The rest of the album? Not that that great. This album is marred by soupy production and a patchy song choice, especially "Student Demonstration Time" which just sounds condescending and dated rather than being the protest song it intended to be.
Primera escolta d'aquest àlbum dels The Beach Boys. Amb Brian Wilson recuperant-se dels seus problemes mentals, la resta del grup aconsegueix un àlbum interessant i força entretingut, amb cançons i arranjaments inspirats.
Never listened through this one all the way through either. I enjoyed it.
This is very disorienting. Nothing like what I know of the Beach Boys, and I respect that they just kinda did what they wanted and flipped a bird to their expectations. It's a strange mix of songs: socially conscious (DGNTW and Student Demonstration Time), nostalgic and tropey but lush (Disney Girls), whimsical (TALOYF). Another one of those "glad i listened," but what mood do you need to be in to return to it as a whole? Solid 3.
Honestly don't remember much of it other than "Feel Flows". Wasn't what I was expecting and on reading about the history realized it was a band trying to reconnect with fans after some disappointing albums.
Interesting garage blues song reminded me of The White Stripes
Was expecting girls and surfing. Was pleasantly surprised
Not their best album, but still enjoyable.
Enough high points to make it interesting and enjoyable.
3.5 fun
Had a very Beatles sound, wouldn't have guessed any of the tracks on this album were the Beach Boys. A bit political. Fun listen. Not their best though.
not your "classic" Beach Boys album, a lot more politically aware and less "young and fun"
This is my first "deep cut" Beach Boys, and I'm not super impressed. There are some callbacks to the surf-rock harmonies, and some Jethro Tull-like explorations (and flute).
Lijkt een beetje op everly brothers maar ik vind die toch beter
Nice 6/10
Much as I like the close harmonies and the jangly upbeat tempo of the better-known hits of the Beach Boys, this album could only be described as "pleasing". There are some lovely melodies and catchy hooks, but it rarely raises the pulse while listening. Californian background music at best, in my view.
Not your typical Beach Boys sound, but this is really nice. I really enjoyed the songs. I think after hearing it more the rating will go up quite a bit. Right now I'll give it a 3/5 for first listen. Stand Outs: Disney Girls (I always loved the Art Garfunkel version, and didn't know it was originally a Beach Boys song).
There really is not anything significant that the Beach Boys aim to convey on Surf's Up. If you are up against Pet Sounds, I can't blame you for sounding worse. But this record is just too weird and too confusing in its message. Sure, Brian's voice sounds beautiful as ever, though the psychedelic elements and melancholy do not produce a work of true quality. 3/5.
no malo pero tampoco nada más
Bahnbrechend und erhellend, weshalb sich so viele auf die Beach Boys berufen. Ihr Sound ist großartig doch die Songs leiden etwas an der selbstauferlegten Ideologie eines Aufbaus basierend auf einfach angeschlagenen Piano Tönen, die mal wieder eine Ableitung gefundenes bei den stets verehrten Super Furry Animals (listen to „Atomik Lust“) Deswegen 3.4
It's The Beach Boys. You either like them or you don't, but this isn't their strongest effort.
Steering a long way from the beach here into much deeper water. An interesting move that results in a lyrical win though not always a musical one.
There is a sophisticated beauty in songs like Surf's Up and Feel Flows. Disney Girls (1957) and 'Til I Die have gorgeous melodies. A grower of a 'listening' album. Not quite 4, but I think it will get there after a few more listens.
Unremarkable
Weird for what I think The Beach Boys are, not weird in a way that does it for me.
captures the beach boys at just about the exact moment they teetered over the cliff but it ain't bad at all. brian wilson's songs are all stacked at the end of the album so at least it goes out on the high mark. the songs composed by other members have a real store-brand beatles feel to them, which is odd considering the two bands' rivalry.
A different sound from Beach Boys
It's not Pet Sounds, that's for sure. I thought it was fine, but nothing spectacular.
never gone out of my way to listen to the beach boys, definitely was not expecting this album to be so dark/introspective. 3/5
Fun, but most of the songs are "happy-ish old music that I've heard somewhere before" type, without standing out too much. Rating: 42/69 Fav song after first listen: A Day In The Life Of A Tree
Kind of a mixed bag overall, but there are some gems in here.
fine as background music for LoL wouldnt listen otherwise
Kinda boring ngl, need to be in a specific mood for this. Too many boys, not enough beach. 3/5.
Yes but no
I have never been a special fan of the Beach Boys. although this album definitely shows that their talents extend beyond beach party music, I was not won over
This album was alright and contains social commentary. I don't think it is their best work.
Decent
3/5
L'album avait été écouté il y a trois ans par crisdusseld qui a depuis vécu bien des mésaventures.
The explicit social commentary the Beach Boys tried on this album feels really clumsy and forced, while "Take a Load Off Your Feet", a song literally about looking after your feet, sounds like an advertising jingle. I can't work out whether they are being sincere or taking the piss. That's kind of the problem I have with this record. In parts it's amazing, in other parts it's decidedly "meh" and feels like the group were running on fumes creatively.
The A side and B side feel weirdly disconnected.
Very different than usual beach boys albums, darker and more depressing tone
The album's title and cover artwork (a painting based on the 19th-century sculpture "End of the Trail") are an ironic, self-aware nod to the band's early surfing image. Lyrically, Surf's Up addresses environmental, social, and health concerns more than the group's previous releases.
Sonne forcément vieillot, mais de belles surprises. Album court, ce qui joue en sa faveur etant donné que je commençais à me lasser. 2 saves sur 10.
It’s just brilliant in places. Will still come back to this but will probably skip too many tracks to warrant more than a 3/5
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.
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
Very melodic and different from earlier Beach Boys albums.
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 **** ?
Was this *THE* Beach Boys??
5. I can't take the beach boys seriously enough to listen to them talk about the current events of the past
Un par de temazos, el resto demasiado lentos y melódicos. No es malo, pero...
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
A little too slow, but recording sounded really modern for 1971
A bit of a departure from their previous albums, not as cohesive as I would like but some solid gems throughout
Rock suave.
It's definitely a Beach Boys album.
Enjoyable Beach Boys with a cool eco message
not bad but kinda boring
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*
eh
righteous
This is really good. Haven't listened to much Beach Boys post-60s, but this is interesting. 3.5 stars.
Some BB 70's weirdness. Not bad, but not for me.
If I had this album when I was a pre-teen I would have devoured it. Great American stuff, glad to have realized I really only know Pet Sounds.
I mean. It’s ok?
deece to put in background
Pet Sounds it is not. There are some fine tunes here but overall nothing super impressive.
¿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.
Faktisk fin nok, igen lidt hilly billy
The cover looks like depression but the music says "have mercy"
A lot of missing songs on Spotify, so I couldn’t listen to it all. I liked it though.
Interesting variety, not as strong as Pet sounds or smiley smile. Still like the album though
Meh. Definitely not typical beach boys tho
Far from my best album from the beach boys... but not bad
Thought this was great. Not the Beach Boys I'm used to. Harder edged, more sombre, very cool. 3.4
Not what i was expecting from a beach boys album
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
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
börjar bra med avslutar kass
not as fancy as pet sounds
Dejlig pop, nice kor, kort, konceptuelt
Found this incredibly boring. Thought the beach boys were this upbeat lively band, but this album sure isn’t it
Mid vibes, title track and "Disney Girls (1957)" were really good tho
This was a surprising album for me since it was more of a protest album then I would expect from The Beach Boys knowing them in this era. But no songs were memorable to come back to. But a fine album.
Stronger beach boys albums out there I'm afraid, surprised to not enjoy this one that much.
This is so surprisingly dark. It's a real downer.
I'm not a huge Beach Boys fan--I know, sorry--but this album seems a bit more introspective and socially conscious than other music I've heard by them, and I kind of liked that.
te playful voor mijn smaak. kan er wel naar luisteren tho
Maybe a little better at the end than the beginning, but these lyrics often are asinine, and because it's the Beach Boys, you unfortunately can hear every word.
Curious decision to include this album out of their 29 album catalog, the music was uninspired and very forgettable
Even though the album is titled Surf's Up, it’s not a surfing record. In my opinion, The Beach Boys peaked in the early 1960s. After Pet Sounds, it was all downhill.
Aaaand we’re three for three on albums that are frustratingly average! I just felt nothing listening to this - it seems like every other album from around the 60s and, considering this album is actually from the 70s, it sounds even more dated than it should. The album cover is cool, and that fact there’s only 10 songs makes it less torturous to sit through, but… I’m not gagging.
“Take a load off your feet, Pete.” Full of mildly interesting tracks and mildly annoying tracks, finishing with a reminder of what the Beach Boys once were and probably still could be if it weren’t for the myriad of personal problems that followed the initial release of “Surf’s Up”
Surf's Up marked an intentional attempt by The Beach Boys to address more serious topics in their music. The result is a bit of a mixed bag. The environmental songs are pretty good, though "A Day in the Life of a Tree" is way too slow. "Student Demonstration Time" is a clumsy throwback musically and even worse lyrically. It's unclear if "Take a Load Off Your Feet" is supposed to be goofy or very serious about foot care. The redeeming factor is the more personal downtrodden songs. "Long Promised Road" is the catchiest and best. The title track has a lot of good ideas that don't quite come together until the very end. In the end, the fact that this isn't a musical advancement past Pet Sounds - in fact, it sounds thinner - is what really does it in. The Beach Boys were better when they were having fun.
5/10 -it's actually not bad, nice to have in the background
ok
Musta been bored ash just talking about anything but mildly entertaining. Def not best of The Beach Boys. Best tracks: Feels Flow, Disney Girls
Interesting, but not what I want to listen to when i think Beach Boys.
Not the greatest BB album I’ve ever heard, but the boys in good harmony
buena música para el buen humor
Not their best
It has some neat arrangements and good melodies but not a single song stuck with me after listening to it. Cool album cover.
What the heck is this?!? Clearly I was not aware that the Beach Boys got away from the sunny California pop sound of the 60’s. Hated the first half of the album. Student Demonstration Time was decent and I was familiar with Feel Flows from Almost Famous I think. Hated the last several songs on the album as well. Overall depressing and whiny. (2)
Disney girls, a day in the life of a tree. Outdated
Misses Brian Wilson Can’t really hear his influence so much on this. It’s fine. But far from pet sounds or the earlier records, lost some of the innocence and melodies that made me love them. Favourite track: dunno, couldn’t really get into it
Man. Going to bed but I wanted to plug today’s album one more time. I profess I mostly know their singles far outside Surf’s Up, but this album ranges from kinda boring (A Day in the Life of a Tree), to not good (Take a Load Off Your Feet and Student Demonstration Time) and a mix of pretty and forgettable. There’s also surprisingly little Brian Wilson to it and I feel that can’t be a coincidence.
Never would have placed that as a Beach Boys album.
Good fun i suppose. Always felt this band was one for the critics a bit like the velvet underground. Not much depth and only one good album. This isn't it. Lots of ideas jostling for space and not much of it is very interesting
Interesting artistic choices but the album as a whole is ok at best, don't see myself listening to it.
2.5 okay
I was looking forward to hearing this, but ultimately found it a bit dull. Could grow on me I suppose with a few more listens, but not sure if I'm that bothered to be honest.
some interesting bits but kinda boring
I love the Beach Boys, and I especially love Brian Wilson's contributions to modern music, and post Animal Sounds music. Yet, here I am thinking to myself "It's... fine" as I roll my eyes.
Muy experimental para mi opinión
Nothing at all what I expected….wheres the surf music?
Way more melodic and flowery than I remember, but it makes sense. These guys make beautiful music. But a bit repetitive for me. It was a groovy era!
not my fave beach boys but it was interesting
I recognized none of these songs. Maybe it's just me, or maybe this is far from their best album? Makes me feel maybe the list is too diluted. It was fairly low in background so maybe this is harsh. Maybe I said a particular word too much in this review. Maybe I didn't.
What happens when you try to be The Beatles but forget you aren't The Beatles. The album gets better in the second half when the Boys get closer to what they excel at.
Alright, but not my favourite
I honestly don't know much about beach boys other then pet sounds. I thought a lot of these songs were fun especially be good to your feet. but it doesn't make as much use of the harmonies and dreamy vibes that they're known for. And without all that they're just sound like another band trying to be the Beatles.
Surf’s down.
I’m very mixed. I really like the messaging however the inconsistency’s for me amount to more than the great messaging.
A handful of surprisingly good tracks by the standards of later Beach Boys releases. But it's the howlers and the universally heavy-handed lyrics that stay in the memory. Probably won't get another outing at my gaff. 2*
I only know The Beach Boys from their very best, which is transcendently good. Combined with my previous 1001 albums pick being The Who’s “Who’s Next”, also released in 1971, the album suffered greatly in comparison and my main impression was “corny”. Still had some nice harmonies, though.
I found very little enjoyment in this album. Some parts were okay but overall, would never listen again.
Not my favourite from the beach boys
Never heard their stuff other than commercial/ popular releases! This isn't bad!
This was a horrible listen; it had to go off. I note the dark lyrical content, but musically, it sucks. I cannot comprehend the love that's generated for this band. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ in part Revisit ❌️ ★★☆☆☆ (3/10) Total reviewed : 296 Already owned : 68 Purchased : 15 To buy : 3 Nope : 210
It felt like the Beach Boys were doing their best impression of later Beatles but were still very obviously the Beach Boys
Never listened to the Beach Boys with any seriousness. In the early 21st century, many indie pop bands were said by music critics to be drawing inspiration from Pet Sounds, so this seems like a good tine to listen (finally!) to that legendary album. Wikipedia says Surfs Up is their 17th (!) album. That's 17 in 10 years -- Holy moley! Different times. Ok, now having listened ... The Groop employs a diverse array of sophisticated arrangements and production techniques in order to achieve a consistent outcome ... I will borrow here a memorable line by Monie Love -- "Just one word describes your whole life: It Sucks." When I started listening to Pandora in the late aughts, I discovered all these indie pop bands I didn't know anything about. And the critics' descriptions often would reference Pet Sounds, and Beach Boys records of that era, as sources or inspirations. I was always skeptical -- how does a band that records undeniably catchy singles that are so juvenile as to be lame and ridiculous have any bearing on a cool 21st century band? But of course, that description applies to the Beatles who saw her standing there and wanted to hold her hand in consequence as much as it does the Beach Boys who enjoined us all to join them in a grand bout of surfing. And all those bands evolved ... Who, Kinks, Stones, Animals, Byrds ... it was that or wither away (looking at you, Yardbirds -- and the Byrds and the Animals ultimately). So ...I was open to the theoretical possibility of a Beach Boys' Sgt Pepper's or whatever. The problem, I think, was that the Beach Boys grew up to be Burt Bacharach (another pop icon-dinosaur who had a curious nostalgia-fueled revival in the early 21st century), so -- not a good path. I would like now to formally announce my desire to call bullshit on all those music critics. This album sucks, and Pet Sounds is boring, too.
Uhhhhh... I don't know bout this one, a lot of this isn't the sound I want from them. Then I imagined if Ween wrote this and I liked that idea so
Tämä levy ei taida edustaa Beach Boysia parhaimmillaan. Sekava ja vähän keskeneräiseltä tuntuva kokonaisuus.
Love the Beach Boys normally but I’d never heard this album. Didn’t do much for me to be honest. It was alright.
Kind of a downer in tone. Didn't get into it, not much to like, leans into psychedelic at times. Only stand out is Feel Flows. Why is this on the list??
Well, this one's a bit of a head-scratcher! The Beach Boys--nearly a decade after their initial huge successes, half a decade from their biggest critical success, with most members nearing 30 and with their only true musical genius Brian Wilson largely checked out--decide that the best way to remain relevant is to shoot for more socially and environmentally conscious material. The result is a song from the perspective of a tree dying from pollution and lyrics the sound a lot like a Simpsons-esque parody, like "Take good care of your feet/You'd better watch what you eat." After leading the group completely off the charts by trying to simply recapture earlier glory with a few albums repeating watered-down versions of their early sixties style, Mike Love was apparently forced to take a backseat here as a new producer decided to see if Carl Wilson maybe had a little of the latent genius of older brother Brian. Spoiler alert: he does NOT. The inclusion of this album on a list of 1001 records we all need to hear before we die is simply puzzling. It's not prime Beach Boys, and it's far more derivative than innovative. You are much more likely to laugh out loud at the apparent misguided earnestness than to ever feel a desire to listen to this again.
Slow, not my jam
Great band I was transported back to that er. Ilove that they talked about environmental issues in some of the lyrics.
2.5 - Meh
Really dark album. I know was trying to transition from being a fun, laid back, Summertime band into something more psychedelic. But, this did not work for me.
favs: student demonstration time lookin’ at tomorrow a day in the life of a tree rating 1.5/5
Such a cheerful album. Their songs are so calming. Some bluesy influences here too !! Fav song is ‘Student Demonstration Time’.
It's not terrible... but not good either. Definitely not Pet Sounds.
I've really come around to the Beach Boys in recent years, but I'm still not a fan of their later output.
Surprisingly much more listenable than I thought, but no higher than 2.5
A few good songs, and a majority of "meh" songs, and a few that plain made me laugh when they played. Not a fan.
The beach boys are weird as hell.
The Beach Boys have a deep catalog of all time classics. I've seen them two times in concert and I do not think a single song off of this album made the setlist. It is definitely Beach Boys but sounds like all the B sides. None of the songs really stood out to me. I had to double check the lyrics when they were singing out the importance of taking care of your feet.
2.25 - I liked it more than I expected and I found the styles to be more diverse than I thought it would be. I really didn't expect Kent State protest song. I still don't see this as something I would choose to listen to on a regular basis.
Kind of a mixed bag for me; yet another album on this list that I appreciated more than I enjoyed. I was surprised to see that this came out several years after Pet Sounds; I spent the whole album thinking this one was sort of a bridge album between their 'Surfin USA' days and their more experimental period.
I guess the drugs got to them... weird, uneven, kind of tuneful
Blev en anelse bedre ved 2. gennemlytning, men et stort mesterværk ... arh. Rodet, usammenhængende og irriterende. De sidste par tracks var dog ok, som lige akkurat hiver den op til 2 (meget små) stjerner.
lowlights: - disney girls er trash og har ærligt talt nogle underlige vibes - student demonstration time - titlen er ligeså ulideligt kedelig og uinspirerende som valget af en standard blues-rundgang beklædt med en hvirvlende synth, der lyder som en heliumballon der er sluppet løs i studiet for at demonstrere den nye smarte stereo-funktion - a day in the life of a tree - virkelig? highlights: - take a load off your feet er fire, varm og analog som en tæppe af vinyl-lp'er jeg er glad for, at man ikke laver så meget musik, der lyder sådan her længere, men det er heller ikke det værste i verden. 2.1
Mikäs ihme tää oli. Odotin enemmän
En tiiä oikein. Näilkin on sata levyä niin miks just tää.
No ei ihan täysin uponnut. Omaan korvaan kuulosti vähän jopa parin ekan levyn jälkeiseltä Queeniltä paikkapaikoin. Olisko Freddie ja kumppanit kuunnelleet tätä? Ei kyllä oikeastaan yhtään mieleenpainuvaa biisiä.
Nice
I liked so long, Marianne
Too psychedelic and not Beach Boys enough for me
2/3
Vet inte om det var dagens humör men den här kändes extra trist
Blev lite nyfiken av omslaget, som såg så annorlunda ut från allt jag förknippar med The Beach Boys, men det lät inte så spännande i slutändan.
Not a fan, didn’t do much for me.
Never cared for the Beach Boys, this album did nothing to change that. I did like "Long Promised Road", but that was the only song I liked on this one.
Student Demonstration Day — boomers gonna boom?
This was really dreary. These dudes need to surf more.
There is either a key that they sing in or play in or something but it’s the key that does to me what sirens do to dogs. My face starts twitching, my eyes start blinking, and I can feel it: my mind is closing to the fucking Beach Boys. Sorry Mr. Genius Brian Wilson. It does not work for me. Some songs are ok on this album. The Boys nod to their times with songs about environmental and social issues, though with the most surface analysis possible. A couple songs sounded fine to me and I did hear some of the experimentation that they are known for. But is it a good listening experience? Do I even remember it well a few hours later? Obviously, not really. It’s a pass.
classic beach boys harmony coupled with prog rock sensibilities. No standout song here. Can tell they are missing Brian.
This isn’t what i want from the Beach Boys. Student Demonstration Time is a good old rock n roll stomper, but this sort of thing is done far better than others. The whole thing comes across as a contract obligation filler. I quite like Feel Flows, but spent most of the time trying to think what song it reminded me of….turns out it was just I knew the song from the Almost Famous soundtrack. ‘A Day in the Life of a Tree’ is just abysmal.
I don’t know what to make of this. I didn’t hate it, but it didn’t sound like any sort of album by The Beach Boys I’ve ever heard - and it’s The Beach Boys when they sound like The Beach Boys that I like.
This albus shows almost everything I hate about the music of the seventies. Nice album cover artwork by the way.
Enjoyed this, perfect for a Sunday morning
Not loving this album and wondering how it made the list. And I am a fan of the Beach Boys. 2 stars. Fave track - Surfs up (an absolute standout from a mediocre album)
Didn't get it. Not your typical beach boys. Give us at least one song with a beat.
Am I being pranked? That album art is rad af and they deliver this?
The lyrics on this album are so terrible and heavy handed, it’s like they decided they needed to do a socially conscious album but had absolutely nothing to say. I also felt like the gorgeous layered harmonies that the Beach Boys are known for are missing, all in all quite disappointing.
It’s not bad just found it a bit boring, I sort of understand some of the messages in the songs but just didn’t really connect with it. I guess it’s quite bluesy and different from their big hits but found all the songs to sound quite samey apart from the student one. A high 2-Star from me.
Kinda feels like the passion was gone by this point
Okay, this was a different Beach Boys sound (kinda) than I grew up with, the cover said as much. It's not something I want to listen to again, but I'm glad I heard this.
Langweiliges Werk der 70er. Wenig Spirit wenig Spaß .. dunkel wie das Cover irgendwie ein Album gemacht um Kohle zu scheffeln..