Surf's Up

Interesting album during a down time for The Beach Boys career. Nothing outstanding to me upon first listen!

Variety: 3 Adequacy: 4 Listenability: 3 Uniqueness: 2 Emotionality: 2 = 2.8 rounded up to a 3 "Cowabunga, dude!" This is yet another I've heard before, but it's been so log I barely have any memories of it. It couldn't have amazed me like Smile did. Not enough to leave any permanent marks on my brain like that one did. From what little I know Brian Wilson was not very enthusiastically involved with the band at this point, and may have even recorded his stuff completely separately? I know it has been positively reappraised in recent the last 20 years or so. Aside from Pet Sounds and Smile, Wilson and the boys have been more or less a singles band for me. A childhood radio staple, they seem to have all but disappeared from pop culture in the last couple of decades. THE TRACKS Side one "Don't Go Near the Water" - Getting strong Harry Nilsson and Boulders-era Roy Wood vibes here. Which I guess makes sense as those guys both seem influenced in turn by Wilson and company. Easy to see why weirdo indie musicians would have started championing this near the turn of the century. The oddly charming instrumentation, and harmonies make this an easy pill to swallow, and remove some of the trepidation I had diving in. "Long Promised Road" - This one reminds me again of Nilsson but also of some artists from the 2010s who seemed to embrace the whole psychedelic pop angle, like Dent May ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baXby3gOmXU). The production on this one sounds too fuzzy for me, which ages it too much I think. "Take a Load Off Your Feet" - This song is so dumb. I like it. Only Wilson and a few others can take what would be considered children's music if performed by another group, and give it some weight. The plucked strings, the clanks sell this for me and wish it had not been so brief. "Disney Girls (1957)" - Ugh... we get the "Ringo" track here, but like with most cases none of these pity tracks hold a candle to Ringo's ability to make sing-songy goofiness work. This is pure schmaltzy dreck, with only the watery guitar effects giving it any character. Bruce Johnston wrote the Barry Manilow hit "I Write the Songs." That checks out. I've called out several tracks as being S-tier, all time classics, etc... This is Z-Tier. Lowly of the lowliest. And this is from someone who has multiple yacht rock playlists that he regularly listens to, and who rates Christopher Cross higher than most. "Student Demonstration Time" - Why? No, Beach Boys - NO!! Bad Beach Boys! The Beatles can barely get away with playing the blues. I am embarrassed for Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. I blame Mike Love fully for this one. Side two "Feel Flows" - Nice little bit of self examination type song with some cool vocal effects, some not-over used flute, and a crunchy guitar that weaves in and out before the synth line brings us back in. But Carl carries this. The best singer in a group of great singers. "Lookin' at Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)" - Unfortunately there's more than one Ringo in this group, so we get some more scraps from Al. He's better at this than Bruce though. "A Day in the Life of a Tree" - Here we go. A pretty little number from Brian accompanied by a an organ that starts off as a sort of hymn and evolves into twee etherealness just before the end. "'Til I Die" - More Brian but this time in a more traditional mode. The downbeat tone brings the interest up though, and it gets suitably dreamier near the end. Too little, too late though. "Surf's Up" - An ok closer, even if it's a little tame. The beautiful vocal melodies and harmonies do a lot of heavy lifting as the song itself is barely there. I read that "Pitchfork later included the song in separate rankings of the 200 finest songs of the 1960s and 1970s, and in 2011, Mojo staff members voted it the greatest Beach Boys song." *Cut to the gif of J.K. Simmons cracking up in Spider-Man*. That's some truly heroic levels of contrarianism, even for those two organizations. Sure, Mojo. "God Only Knows" was just an overhyped deep cut or something... HIGHLIGHTS - "Don't Go Near the Water" - "Take a Load Off Your Feet" - "Feel Flows" - "A Day in the Life of a Tree" MIDLIGHTS - "Long Promised Road" - "'Til I Die" LOWLIGHTS - "Disney Girls (1957)" - "Student Demonstration Time" - "Lookin' at Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)" FINAL THOUGHTS I think I might know why this one didn't leave much of an impression now. The high highs were dragged way back down by the lows to kind of even out and leave me with a sort of ... ok experience. The weirder, twee stuff worked best for me, the more traditional stuff did not. Overall I can see how this must have seemed WAY stranger to the public at the time, but it can't help but suffer compared to the 50 pus years of stuff that has since put it in the dust. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - I'll hang on to the highlights - If they hadn't already been deleted from my ancient iPod, I would proceed to do so FURTHER LISTENING - Smile by Brian Wilson - Boulders by Roy Wood - The Point by Harry Nilsson - Across the Multiverse by Dent May

Ohh the beach boys- a band perpetually and forever in an identity crisis. Wilson’s y’all can explore emotion like no-one but leave the social commentary at home, you’re just not good at it.

It aight

Beach boys time! Don’t go near the water was a fun opener. I enjoyed the strange sounds mixed into the background. It gave me something to focus on. The ebb and flow of Long and Promised Road was pretty cool. I liked the chorus, but was meh on the verses. Take a Load of your feet was alright. I thought Disney Girls was quite pretty and Student Demonstration time had a good vibe to it. Feel Flows was good, and Lookin at tomorrow was a nice interlude. I’m currently not having too many thoughts about this album, I’m just vibing. Till I die had some really cool musical ideas. To end with the title track, it had its moments. I liked the little piano bits. 3.5/5 ⭐️ 92/1089

Some good stuff, some cheesy stuff... must be a Beach Boys album from the 70's.

Disney girls mi favorita de este álbum.

If Im going to be honest the album was just ok for me. Maybe because I am a little younger and some of the songs feel dated but overall wasn't a bad album.

Par canciones muy buenas

It's soooo boring at first.. then it's much more interesting. There is some variety in the melody, but the acceleration to this variety is very slow.

Got to say that this is the best Beach Boys album. I really didn't like earlier albums, but this one resonated with me after listening to it a few times.

Litt tam

Zaujímavé, nepoznal som ani jednu pesničku. Ako by to ani neboli BB. V takejto podobe ich vôbec nepoznám. Je to určite posun v ich tvorbe zo 60. tých rokov, ale nemám pocit, že k lepšiemu.

Album cover is really cool. Pretty good otherwise but a little too 70s for my taste. Take A Load Off Your Feet is a hidden gem

There's some great music in here, the title track for one, but as a whole it just does not have even close to the same emotional resonance that Pet Sounds has for me. Maybe it's unfair to compare this to one of the most beautiful moving albums of all time but this is my review and they are both Beach Boys albums so here we are. Also A Day in the Life of a Tree sucks and I do not like it at all.

it alright. i think the last stretch of the album really shines but getting to that point feels like a slog at times. latter half is a high 4 but early parts of this album just a middling 3. if i could get 3.5 i would but i feel more inclined to round down here.

Had never heard this before. I liked it. Need to Liley listen a few times. A different sound

2nd half of the album was good. Feel Flies is a great song.

I was not expecting this to be so earnest - water pollution? Trees? Student demonstrations? Relatively banal lyrics? Despite all of that, partly beautiful music?

Alt i alt en weird atmosfære på dette album, en mærkelig dissonans mellem emnet og melodierne. Outro-harmonierne i Don't Go Near The Water er sindssygt smukke. Bangers: Don't Go Near The Water & Feel Flows Stinker: Student Demonstration Time

Det var hvad jeg havde brug for, men ikke noget der gjorde et varigt indtryk

Tror jeg har lige så svært ved at finde ud af det album, som Beach Boys havde... Men kan ikke lade være med at være mærkeligt draget af det, og tror bestemt ikke det er sidste gang jeg kommer til at høre det. Nysgerrighed pirret: 4 Hvor meget jeg kan de enkelte numre / det samlede indtryk: 3 Musikhistorisk betydning: 2 konklusion : 3

Student Demonstration time

Kind of weird hear the Beach Boys doing the socially conscious album. Student Demonstration Time is a hilariously terrible song but Disney Girls and Surf's Up are outstanding. The Tree Song is honestly one of the weirdest songs I think I've heard.

Better than expected; lovely singing.

Bit more mellow and experimental/hippy (possibly not quite the right word (maybe not pc these days either??)) than the sound you (I certainly do) associate with the Beach Boys (Pet Sounds being the classic example) quite enjoyed.

chill

i feel neutral about this album

This didn't quite chime with me. Love the Beach Boys but this album is a bit more challenging than the usual surf rock I guess

Surfs

Lagom njutbart men inget uppseendeväckande

Strandkillar är aldrig fel men detta var inget speciellt.

Yeah, this was nice. A little different from what I know the Beach Boys as, but still enjoyable.

I love so many other BB albums, but this wouldn’t have made my list

This was a cool album. Not what I was expecting.

Long Promised Road rules, it’s one of the best Beach Boys songs. Everything else here is fine except Student Demonstration Time which is frankly quite awful.

Honestly a weird one. I didn’t really know any of the songs and this was a different vibe from the beach boys I know and love. That being said, it wasn’t bad at all, I just maybe need more time to appreciate it.

Different than typical Beach Boys, for sure. It's mostly listenable because they've dropped most of those multiple-part harmonies. People seem to dunk on "Student Demonstration Time" and I get it, but the music is pretty fun; typical blues riff, but so many fun little flairs throughout makes it ok to gloss over the preachy, too forward vocals. Couldn't even convince my wife that was a Beach Boys song. "Feel Flows" and "Lookin' At Tomorrow" are worth listening to again. "Take A Load Off Your Feet" "A Day In The Life Of A Tree" and "Disney Girls" are flat garbage. "Surf's Up" is the only one here that sounds like old school Brian Wilson with slightly less harmonies and layers, but I'm ok with that. Typical BBoys music drives me nutso. I can handle this one song that leans that way, but that is def enough! This album is a firm 2.5 for me. But I'll round up to the 3 for their longevity and willingness to still be trying new things.

Interesting post 1967 album by the beach boys, definetly not their best but has some fun songs. Disney girls is a real personal favorite. 1. Disney Girls (1957) 2. Long Promised Road 3. Don't Go Near the Water

This is an objectively insane inclusion on this list. An album from after the Beach Boys had fallen off the charts and without a single big hit. It is mostly in-line with their popular work, though maybe you could say it adds a darker, harder edge. Still, think of all the albums that didn't get in so this could.

I like "A Day In The Life Of A Tree" of course I also really like the production on "Student Demonstration Time" it's really pumpin It's nowhere near Pet Sounds though. There's a bit too much of the corniness that the Beach Boys had in their early years present here.

Clearly had some political messages and other messages, but the musical arrangement was surprisingly enjoyable for many of the songs.

Surprised to enjoy. Not what I thought Beach boys was. Not corny thoughtful and caring.

Actually pretty good. Some really nice tunes in here.

Look, I mostly prefer my Beach Boys Brian Wilson-shaped and this album is very much BW-lite in the vocals. I miss the multi layered vocals a lot - they're still here obviously (the title track being an obvious example) but not as Beach Boysy as normal. However, this is a really interesting Beach Boys album because it does feel so different to their hits. Darker. A bit more melancholic (coupled with it's gentle cheesyness). That being said, Student Demonstration Time is, erm... weird. I'm not sure what message Mike Love was aiming for but it comes across a bit "look, war is bad, but you can't stop it, so just forget about it". Which is, erm, yeah... But then Feel Flows happens and that's great, with the flute warbling in the right ear (I'm genuinely dead against noodling, but for some reason find it charming here) and nice vocals. I think I have a sort of baseline level for The Beach Boys where I don't think anything can truly be poor, which means nothing is ever getting a poor score. This album is at the lower end for me, but that's still a good score. As no half stars, I'm going for 3 but just know I very much think it's a solid 3.5. 3/5

I was surprised by this, it's very different to what I imagined the Beach Boys to sound in my head. I quite liked it.

Solid, but immediately forgettable. And I like the Beach Boys, but this is a departure from their signature sound...and that's fine, it's the 70 and times were changing. It's just not as accessible as their mid to late 60s work. This isn't a bad album by any stretch, it just didn't resonate with me.

OMG LOVE THAT MOVIE FAVS (top 3): long promised road, disney girls, 'till i die mençoes honrosas: student demonstration time, lookin' at tomorrow curti cara, o começo n é mt chamativo mas o meio fica legal e quando passa do meio vc ta meio hypado entao o fim tambem fica legal :D nota final: 3.5/5

Enjoyed this, different to other beach boy albums

A treat, thank you RGP…Right up there towards the top of the three stars. Tom.

A few ham fisted songs with a message but there are some real gems in there

Much different than the Beach Boy sound that I am used to. A heavier album talking about protest and politics. I checked twice to make sure I was still on the album.

I think it’s cool how this is so different from the Beach Boys stuff I was familiar with previously. It just didn’t really catch me personally but hey, different strokes for different folks.

It is pretty music, I just can never get into the beach boys. Feel like I just don’t get it (and never have)

I like that there was anti war sentiment in some lyrics. One thing I noticed was how multi-layered most of the songs were. 3 outta 5

Interesting record, the cover is awesome. There’s just not quite anything super memorable on here

Not my cup of tea but there are a few standout tracks.

Most difficult to rate

Inget som riktigt fastnade hos mig. Andra halvan bättre. Feel flows var skön. Förväntade mig mer från Beach Boys faktiskt

This album is so weird? Not rly Beach Boys vibes, but also maybe this is just Brian Wilson’s weird dark underbelly that he needed to throw out there? Student demonstration time was a flop, but everything else at least had me intrigued…

The artwork for "Surf's Up" has always been a favourite of mine - striking enough to make you curious about what lies inside. However, the music is a bit of a mixed bag. While it’s a pleasant three-star experience, it falls short of being an 'essential' listen. The highlights are saved for the very end with '’Til I Die' and 'Surf’s Up', but these are undermined by two tracks - 'Take a Load Off Your Feet' and 'Student Demonstration Time' - that simply don't fit the mood. It’s a schizophrenic record that lacks a cohesive identity. To my ears, it feels like a 'me too' project, chasing the trends of the time rather than leaning into the unique spirit that defined the band's best work. Side one 1 "Don't Go Near the Water" (4/5) 2 "Long Promised Road" (4/5) 3 "Take a Load Off Your Feet" (2/5) 4 "Disney Girls (1957)" (3/5) 5 "Student Demonstration Time" (2/5) Side two 1 "Feel Flows" (3/5) 2 "Lookin' at Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)" (3/5) 3 "A Day in the Life of a Tree" (3/5) 4 "'Til I Die" (5/5) 5 "Surf's Up" (5/5) Total - 34 Average - 3.4 256/1001 139/256 albums reviewed were new to me

Aburrido

Really solid album with resistance and climate change activity at the forefront of it's ideals. Don't go near the water and Day in the life of a tree are really good and solid examples of this. Student demonstration time is a good song about the resistance in colleges and schools which i think resounds especially well at the moment.

This was kind of a weird album. About half of the songs I really loved, but the other half I hated. I think the track that stood out to me the most was Long Promised Road and I can see why it was released as the first single from the album.

Gar nicht bemerkt das dies BEach Boys isrt, fand die Musik gut und die Säner auch

This really just wasn’t anything interesting. The songwriting was nowhere near as good as what I recall from pet sounds (haven’t run into it on the list yet) and the whole thing just felt a little flat.

I can’t believe an album from The Beach Boys, a band I loathe, was the best offering all weekend. Way more heavy blues and tuned down guitars than I was expecting on this album, but vocally I still greatly dislike them. They still sound too much like a barbershop quartet a lot of the time. Best I can do is a 3/5 for some of the interesting instrumental work

как-то смазанно мне не зашло хотя у бич бойс есть хорошие релизы, но в целом пойдет

The Beach Boys – Surf’s Up Es un disco complicado de valorar con una sola escucha. Con Pet Sounds recuerdo que casi todas las canciones me parecieron himnos desde el primer momento; aquí no me ha pasado eso. En la primera escucha solo me entraron claramente Don’t Go Near the Water y Long Promised Road. En la segunda ya empiezo a apreciar más detalles y melodías bonitas —por ejemplo Disney Girls (1957) tiene un aire muy nostálgico y elegante—, pero sin llegar a parecerme canciones increíbles o memorables al instante. Me da la sensación de que es un álbum más sutil y menos inmediato, quizá algo irregular, aunque con ambición y momentos muy cuidados. Es posible que crezca con más escuchas, pero de momento no me ha impactado como otros discos del grupo. Nota: 3/5 (con margen de crecer).

really enjoyed this. nice to have a summery feel like this

very short and very forgettable. though it was nice to hear a totally different vibe and sound than the one on 'pet sounds', this one is a little more dark and wistful.

Не стал углубляться.

I’m glad the boys had it in them to make an album this weird even if I didn’t enjoy it all that much in the end. I think you have to be able to willing to try stuff like this if you are also going to be a band good enough to make Pet Sounds.

AKA the Beach Boys get weird and sad. This has an odd sound but a couple good ones. Top tracks: "Feel Flows," "Don't Go Near the Water," "Student Demonstration Time"

--Don't Go Near the Water...an environmentalist ditty --Long Promised Road...solid rocker --Take a Load Off Your Feet...yeah, Pete! --Disney Girls (1957)...sweet, maybe too sweet --Student Demonstration Time...love that guitar intro. nice distortion. pretty straight forward blues but it works. Mike Love still sucks --Feel Flows...always appreciate a flute but this wanders aimlessly --Lookin' at Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)...interesting production choice, not sure if it enhances the song but it adds spice to the album --A Day in the Life of a Tree...Treebeard? --'Til I Die...bonus points for using "'til" instead of "till". this track is nice 'n' lush --Surf's Up...Van Dyke Parks making presence known. wonderful harmonies

I think you can separate the Beach Boys into pre- and post-Charles Manson. Tonally this is definitely post-Manson, and you get that just from the cover art alone.

A little better than the earlier stuff

Okay, not my style

I have never heard of this album or any of the tracks on it. This is not the Beach Boys I knew. This is a reinvention and it works. This album is filled with social messages and it works.

I really liked it, especially the first half of the album. It's a great time capsule for the times when it was released, but the second half was a bit too slow compared with the first one, would've probably preferred it switched the other way around more, but still had a good time.

Loved Feel Flows(listened to several times) and Surfs Up, most everything else was a bit druggy in a bad way and preachy, however I agreed with the sentiments.

I don't really get the Beach Boys. Like Pet Sounds I do get, but the rest of the Wilson's output is kinda whatever. Must be a me thing. I guess I like when they get all barbershop a capella-y? Like the song Surf's Up is magnificent at least - very melancholic, like the feeling of a faded summer polaroid from memories half-remembered and evenings coming to their inevitable end. Fav tracks: Surf's Up, A Day In The Life Of A Tree

honestly… boring

I haven’t listened to much of the Beach Boys, but this is more dense and “Beatles-esque” than I expected. The album art is a bit dark and somewhat captures the vibe. Great song writing. I enjoyed this! 3.5/5.0

Not super memorable but generally good

So very different, to ally and thematically, from other Beach Boys albums. I’m not their biggest fan, I do think this album is better than the others I’ve heard, but still not sold. Between a 2 and a 3, I’ll upgrade to 3 for the surprise.

I wasn't familiar with this record prior to this listening. But I liked it a lot. It is a different style of beach boys, made evident by the first track telling us Don't Go Near the Water.

The Beach Boys – Surf's Up (1971) On Day 52, Surf's Up felt like a bit of a mixed bag. I really enjoyed Pet Sounds, but this one didn't quite hit the same heights. There’s something missing from the sweet production and the vocal blend that I usually associate with them. It gets quite political and heavy with its environmental themes, which takes away from the overall musical enjoyment for me. It’s a decent listen and the musicianship is obviously there, but it’s not something I’ll be rushing back to. A solid 3/5.

After plenty of attempts at listening to the Beach Boys, perhaps I wasn't looking at the right albums. I'm used to Pet Sounds and their 60s stuff that I've had people point me to the direction of Surf's Up as the Beach Boys that I would probably like the most. And while they're kind of right, I'm coming to the conclusion that the Beach Boys are simply Not For Me. I'm not that big fan of their classic harmonies and the fiendishly whimsical music really just makes me feel more indifferent about it. I don't hate or dislike it, it just doesn't gravitate my attention That attitude keeps going through Surf's Up, instead of annoying harmonies it's just slower and kind of more acceptable to listen to. The songwriting is absolutely a step above here and is probably some of their best stuff (save for that one song I'll get to in a second). I think Pet Sounds is still better with my own meaningless personal criticism aside. I know how important this album is, but I can't really care that much more about this band. I'm not a pop guy. Also the Mike Love student song was really cringe. Could have been an acceptable 4 but that definitely had to stop it from being thought about in that rank. If you like the Beach Boys and that sort of pop music deconstructed from its "safe" 60s sound to the then modestly ominous period of the early 70s, this is the album. I can't care for it. Worth a "must hear or die" listen? Certainly.

Kind of socially conscious but in kind of stilted ways? And a lot of it is lacking that strong beach boys harmony. Still, it’s good chill listening.

Well that was a pleasant surprise; I haven't listened to much past the big hits.

I haven’t really listened to the beach boys much, apart from the popular one. But I was pleasantly surprised by this. It was so dense and not the poppy album I was expecting. I would listen again. I really enjoyed how sad this can sound despite how upbeat Brian Wilson’s voice is. But the more I listened to it the more haunting I found the harmonies.

This was fun, all weird and dotty. I enjoyed it, but probably not enough substance to get me to listen again. Just a few strange tunes.

Only rating this a 3, but I did find it an interesting and worthwhile listen. I consider myself a casual Beach Boys enjoyer but I don't think I've ever heard anything off of this album before. Maybe that shouldn't be surprising for a band with 29 studio albums, but - with this being one of just a few Beach Boys albums picked for the 1,001 list - I would think I'd recognize something. Some hits, some misses. "Long Promised Road" is my favorite track. "Hit hard at the battle that's confronting me, yeah." It doesn't sound much like the Beach Boys to me - except for some very Beach Boys "baa baa baa baa"s in the background. "Don't Go Near the Water" and "A Day in the Life of a Tree" are both good. I don't like "Take a Load Off Your Feet" or the Kent State song.

better than i expected and there was a song about feet.

Sure

I'm not the biggest Beach Boy's fan in the world. They're fine, and I wouldn't say I dislike them or anything; I actually do enjoy the harmonizing. But I don't really gravitate toward their very "beach-forward" aesthetic at all...and honestly, how many songs really need to be written about the beach, or the sun, or surfing? Surf's Up is kind of intriguing though. The cover art vibe here seems to exist in stark contrast to literally everything I know about the Beach Boys. The record even seems like a bit of a downer, which counterintuitively actually makes me really happy. I still don't think the lyrics are that deep, but at least they're headed more in a direction I can actually jibe with. This feels like their effort toward something a little more authentic and existential than everything else I've heard from them. It's still not gonna be the thing that I rush to listen to, but it does get points for its attempt at depth. And like always, the production is really good. 7/10

Nostalgic even though I’ve never heard it before

This album is such a 70s vibe! Definitely more of an atmosphere than something I feel compelled to listen to super critically. But everything is varied enough that I can listen and enjoy and tune in and out and not feel like I've missed something. Love Disney Girls Looking at the track list, I'm not sure that I've heard any of these songs before, which is super fun. I feel like The Beach Boys are one of those groups that I know who they are and I can name a few songs, but I haven't listened to a very large chunk of their discography. A Day in the Life of a Tree is a weird song. Till I Die is also pretty weird. Overall thoughts: I think I liked the sound of this album, but didn't actually enjoy listening to it all that much. I like the front half much better than the second half. Once again, I'm not familiar enough with The Beach Boys to know if this is typical or if this album is more the exception.

This was nice, but truthfully I had no idea when the album ended and other “similar songs” started playing. This was nice to make dinner to, but nothing really snagged me like “gotta hear that banger again!” And then all of a sudden I look and it’s old Simon and Garfunkel again instead of the boys who beach. Three stars.

Shoulda stopped after Pet Sounds

This was... interesting. Definitely not the Beach Boys I'm used to. Enjoyed the first bit then sort of lost interest. Would be a good one to relisten to.

It’s definitely a very different sound for The Beach Boys, not one that I can say I got overly excited about

I'm not really into this type of music, but this was an interesting listen (I even felt compelled to listen twice). It has public service messages (take care of your teeth because no one else will), social justice announcements (student demonstrations and the environment), and dark tones mixed in. I had heard of the Beach Boys, and I knew they were known for surf music, but this was better than I expected.

Lo-fi Beach Boys, I dig this. Wasn’t aware of this record before but this one is a nice twist to what I’m used to with this group. Still the nice vocal harmonies and pleasant instrumentation, but just lower production quality, which I actually like a lot. This is a good one.

This was kind of sold to me as The Beach Boys' sad album, but I think that aspect made have been a little oversold. That being said, at its best, Surfs Up *does* capture some of the strung out darkness underscoring the psychedelic movement. Don't Go Near The Water, 'Til I Die, and Surfs Up feel less like marmalade skies and more like sinking helplessly. But, at the same time, there are a lot of songs here I don't find nearly as memorable. Feel Flows, Lookin' At Tomorrow, and A Day In The Life Of A Tree did not leave nearly as strong an impression on me, even though they are similarly well crafted. Also, I liked Student Demonstration Time, but it does kind of come out of nowhere. On the other hand, a somg that doesn't quite fit the vibe that I liked a lot is Take A Load Off Your Feet, which has some really cool soundscape work. Overall, I enjoyed Surfs Up as a whole, but it kind of feels like it's being carried by a few extremely strong songs, but the other ones aren't necessarily taking a ton away from the whole. I'm feeling middle of the road overall.

Fine. Sounds dated. 3/5

1970’s Beach Boys LPs are pretty much the definition of hit and miss. In truth Surf’s Up’s no different, until, that is, we come to the final three Brian Wilson penned tracks: “A Day In The Life Of A Tree” – a strangely moving lament seen from the perspective of a tree in crisis, dying slowly from the pollution in the air and soil - quite brilliant. “Til I Die” a lovely, melancholy study on existential irrelevance and man’s meaningless journey to the grave, and the title track, originally conceived during the Smile sessions, is a lyrically obstruse sheard of luscious, harmonious psychedelic pop, simultaneously both tenuous and beautifully considered. It’s peak Brian Wilson, post Pet Sounds. As for the rest, “Student Demonstration Time” is Mike Love being Mike Love, Bruce Johnston’s “Disney Girls (1957)” is both humorous and touching, and a highlight. Opener “Don't Go Near The Water” is desperately worthy and “Take A Load Off Your Feet” is Al Jardine’s tribute to his plates. Smashing. 7/10

Makes sense why I've never heard any of these songs, despite liking the Beach Boys. A weird one from them, like a whole album of B-sides.

Better than I expected as I’m not a big fan of their music.

That was nice but not great... i think i'm not gonna particulary enjoy any of the albums here. I'll try to stick around for my my musical culture...

I liked day in the life of a tree and feel flows. Was this before beach boys found their sounds? Didn’t recognize any of the hits but maybe surfs up the title track?

Sad beach boys.

fav track: student demonstration time

Tom a while to tune into this. Surf’s up sounds like the Beach Boys I’d expect to hear. Great doubling of bass in the Piano bass in the outro. Getting under the skin of that made the second listen through more enjoyable. ‘life of a tree’ stood out in ith listens through. The organ maybe? Probably won’t revist this album. 3. Total no. Tracks 10 Fave track 8(A day in the life of a tree)

Not even remotely in my top Beach Boys albums. Shocked this one was chosen for the list instead of nearly any other

It radiates a certain emancipation and brokenness, but the lack of energy gives the music too little emphasis to really make me feel it.

It was fun.

Glad I listened to this! Not sure it’s my favorite but interesting to see this version of The Beach Boys. More politically focused. Cool.

That cover gives a different vibe to what it actually sounds like.

this was very different from what i expected from the beach boys. kind of good though

Still can't really see through this. Beautiful melodies and pop songs mixed up with strange parts and ideas that feel they don't go anywhere…

Save:0

What a bizarre album. There is some real dark beauty on this album. So much of this sounds like the darkest, weirdest late-Beatles material filtered through Beach Boys vocal harmonies. At first, I was pretty low on this album, but it's growing on me. I started off between 2-3 and now I'm thinking between 3-4. Going to go with 3 for now.

This album made it click why the Beach Boys and Beatles were always pitted against each other (I obviously prefer the Beatles). This isn't my favorite but definitely isn't bad. It was fine. 2.75 or a 3? Liked Songs: "Long Promised Road" , "Take A Load Off Your Feet" , "Disney Girls" , "Lookin' At Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)" , "Surf's Up"

Fletno za enkrat poslusat ... mal mi je mlačen in brez osebnosti

nije mi se bas nesto svidio, previse stvari se odjednom prebrzo desava i samo je nekako all over the place

Don’t Go Near The Water: 6.5/10 MBPW Long Promised Road: 6.5/10 MBPW Take A Load Of Your Feet: 6/10 Disney Girls: 2/10 Student Demonstration Time: 6.5/10 Feel Flows: 6/10 Lookin’ At Tomorrow (A Welfare Song): 7/10 MBPW A Day In The Life Of A Tree: 7/10 beautiful ‘Til I Die: 6.8/10 Surf’s Up: 7.3 MBPW

i liked this album! i wouldn’t call it a fan favorite, but i was not at all mad about it. my top three songs were: - don’t go near the water - student demonstration time - surf’s up with an honorable mention of: - disney girls

The cover VS the band LMAO

3+

Kind of boring but not unlistenable.

Quite different from The Beach Boys I know otherwise. Makes sense since this is a later album, but still a really enjoyable atmosphere in this. I wish the vocals Overall decent songs, but nothing totally up my alley here.

Pas très fan - cela s’écoute bien by the way

Первая половина альбома мне понравилась, на второй заскучал.

The vocals irritate me

it was alright, not what I expected when I think of the Beach Boys

When I normally think of The Beach Boys, the kind of music I think of is not contained on this album. I am used to upbeat pleasant sounding songs about surfing and having fun. This album is not that. It has a much more serious tone and each song has a message or a deeper topic. While the deeper meaning to the songs is appreciated some of the insight is very surface level and lacks some nuance. Sonically, you have some beautiful singing and brilliant instrumentation. However, there were some songs I thought captivating, but a majority of the album left me wishing that the lyrics went a little deeper.

Don't Go Near The Water - 5/10 Long Promised Road - 7/10 Probably would listen again. Take A Load Off Your Feet - 5/10 funny Disney Girls - 8/10 Student Demonstration Time - 8/10 Great rhythm. Powerful story. Feel Flows - 6/10 Lookin' At Tomorrow - 6/10 A Day In The Life Of A Tree - 6/10 Melancholic 'Till I Die - 6/10 Surf's Up - 6/10 Good ending to the album. Good music overall paired with good lyrics. Probably will listen again.

Nice album

It's a bit too inconsistent to be among the best Beach Boys albums, as there are some songs that I just don't care for. Don't Go Near the Water is a bit annoying vocally and too disjointed to be catchy, Take a Load of your Feet is a bit too goofy to be taken seriously and Student Demonstration Time or Lookin at Tomorrow read more as failed experiments that well fleshed out songs. On the other hands, the highlights are really awesome. Long Promised Road, Disney Girls and the last 2 songs all feature amazing songwriting, super strong melodies and really stellar compositions that rank it among the group's best. The other songs are kinda in between, making this a messy but interesting listen.

Vocals were so amazing! I am definitely keen to listen to more Beach Boys music. My faves: - Disney Girls - A Day In The Life Of A Tree - Feel Flows I probably need to sit down another time and listen properly to come up with more solid conclusions. Overall strong and want to listen to more Beach Boys.

I liked this a lot more than i thought I would. Good album.

Wtf beach boys gone emo?? Actually kinda fire fr??? Student demonstration was actually a dope song about current events and not how awesome California is?? Not a big fan but it gets a point for being cool and unique

This album makes me feel like I'm on holiday relaxing by a lake, but with some other tracks in this album it calms me down (Disney Girls) and (Lookin' at tomorrow).

Cool ass album cover - Did slightly disappoint but still gives some brownie points, only one song reeally caught my eye, ear thing that was Student Demonstration Time otherwise I can accept that this style of music is just not for me 3.5/5 Ill flip a coin to see If I round up or down as a 4 seems too geneorus and a 3 seems too harsh.

I had written a little about the first half of the album but it has been deleted. Overall the album was alright though certainly not what I expected from the beach boys, I thought it'd be much more upbeat and less melancholy, I don't know if this was more common for the beach boys or if this album was different. I did think that with it being called 'surf's up' it might be referring to a surf ending rather than just the beach saying. The songs were largely not too exciting, some were relatively pleasant, disney girls perhaps being a favourite alongside student demonstration town. The album art is really cool. 60/100

The waahp wahp at the start of Disney Girls made me happy. No idea why he's on about Tootsie rolls though. Boring. When I write these I listen out for things I liked or interest me. Nothing on this album did that. I know The Beach Boys are supposed to one of the greats, but this did not do that for me. I suppose it's a case of recognising how good it would've been when it was released. 2.5 A 3 to recognise the impact of this band on history i suppose.

Decent, over quickly, better if it wasn’t live but a couple of bangers

had a promising start. didn't like a few songs, but it's quite good.

It's no Pet Sounds but "Beach Boys political protest album" works more than you think it would.

I'd never listend to this album before, and frankly didn't know TBB other than their usual "Surfin' USA" stuff. Surprisingly this album is very different to that vibe. Less "perfect world", more seriousness. "Long Promissed Road" is probably my favourite song on that album. All in all a solid 3/5 for the whole album.

Totally different than the Beach Boys sound we are used to! Nothing stands out to me on this album. I think I couldn’t get over Brian Wilson not being involved on this one?

I don’t generally love The Beach Boys, but this was really good.

Interesting instrumentation and production, mixing the beach boys quartet sound with newer pop-ish electronic sounds and organs. Track Highlights: Student Demonstration Time, Feel Flows,

Achei Disney Girls bonita e Student Demonstration Time é bem divertida

The boys were getting a little political and I was digging it. Not what I expected from the BB's. This might even get added to my library

Surprisingly good for the beach boys. I was really starting to think I wouldn't enjoy anything these guys made. This album is much more interesting sonically and lyrically than anything else I have heard from them.

Hm

This led to an extremely in-depth discussion with friends about the value of The Beach Boys. I don’t think I understand what they were trying to do on this record, and therefore don’t really understand The Beach Boys catalog I have friends who love this record, but to me it sounds like a joke. Overall three stars based on friends and opinions

Leuk, ik hoop dat er meer beach boys langskomt

not magical like other beach boys records, but still pleasant

A rather melodramatic album from the Beach Boys, but being the band they are, it still sounds more uplifting than I think it should, considering the sad and environmentalist message of the project. Songs like "Don't Go Near the Water", 'Disney Girls (1957), "A Day In the Life of a Tree", "'Till I Die" and "Surf's Up" are a great example of them trying some more melancholic melodies with some sorrowful lyrics. However, I think the baroque and psychedelic pop elements that characterizes their music so much subtract a lot of the seriousness the album is aiming for, and they bring a bit of an uplifting feeling when I'm expecting a gloomy and depressing experience, specially with such an awesome album cover that looks like that. The rest of tracks I think are fine, but didn't interested me as much. They keep the pleasant voices and the creative instrumentation, but there's not much more going on with them. Besides, there is the garage rock song 'Student Demonstration Time' which comes from nowhere. It feels super disconnected from the album and it is a very weird choice from the band to include in the middle of it. In conclusion, I think this is a fine album. It sounds great and I do appreciate the idea behind, even though I wish for a way more drastic execution.

Meh lol

Very old stuff, apparently when they were just learning to write and play. Pretty good though

A solid addition to The Beach Boys creative period. A bit uneven as most Beach Boys albums after Pet Sounds, but enough variety and well crafted tunes to compel repeat listens. The standout track to me is Long Promised Road but there is hardly a skippable song in the bunch. Even the campy Take a Load off Your Feet and the somewhat confusing Student Demonstration Time warrant listens.

it was pretty good, some songs stood out and were pretty fun. the production on the album was really good but they have much better projects out there.

3 star in the realm of all albums. 2 star would be generous if rating Beach Boys only.

Interesting album. I don't know why The Beach Boys's music always give me a certain joyful impression. Might be a mistake because I didn't listen to many of their songs. This album is surely more psychedelic than joyful, enjoyable non the less though. Feel Flows and A Day In The Life Of A Tree are fun, but 60s psychedelic rock style production overall is a bit weird though.

Believe it or not, even though this was released in 1971, it was their 17th studio album. It definitely has a darker tone overall, previewed by the cover art, which looks like something out of a nightmare. It's not my favorite record of theirs, but the beautiful harmonies add to the melancholy feel of it.

This was soo far from my typical genres I had trouble getting through it. The music isn't bad, it just does not fit me. There were a few songs that felt like a crashout and somewhat sad, which is the exact opposite of what I knew of the band.

Guess I should have known based off the album cover, not the title

Helt greit

Ganske overraskende at det har så kult sound. Noen tekster ganske interessante. Passe lengdee, rakk ikke kjede meg.

Rating: 7/10 It's a solid album, and maybe the perfect recommendation for a Beach Boys record in the winter, moodier rather than sunnier. I'm not the biggest fan of this band but literally can't be anything other than a good listen

I went in expecting to hate this, but honestly wasn't that bad. 6 winter beaches out of 10 lizard wizards

Day in the life of a tree had me chuckling. Sent it to Hunter

Title track is pretty good, the rest is very uneven. Not all bad, but surely not a classic.

Okay so...how do i be nice about this... The Beach Boys have literally never interested me. My main knowledge of them is basically from Full House and whichever songs I've heard here and there throughout my 20+ years on this planet. Their whole vibe is just...meh imo. Needless to say, i wasn't exactly excited to listen to this when i was picked for me. I actually ended up missing the past 3 days, oops, but I wanted to get back into it which means diving into this. Overall, it was okay...I guess? My main issue is honestly the singing voices, it doesn't vibe with me at all for the most part. It feels like I'm being held hostage by a barbershop quartet. I cannot say my life has been made better by listening to a song about feet. At the very least, I now understand why my very conservative dad hates them. Some quick positives: I can genuinely see myself coming back to Long Promised Road, I really liked that one. There are a few other I might come back to individually like "Til I Die", "Feel Flows", and "Lookin' at Tomorrow". It's just very hard for me to stomach a whole album of theirs at the moment.

Artwork is absolutely sickening, really strange choice for The Beach Boys and I love it. I like the Beach Boys, but they’ve never quite reached the heights for me personally that the Beatles do, if we’re going to open that old chestnut. Honestly I think a lot of it comes down to the fact that I find their voices annoying a lot of the time. First few songs are an example of another thing that loses me about the Beach Boys sometimes, I just find the songwriting can be a little meandering, there are cool things happening in the chord changes and the production, but it just doesn’t stick for me. I hear how they influenced Fleet Foxes output heavy on this record though. I hated Student Demonstration Time. This brand of white guy blues music is the worst. The Beach Boys voices are way too soft and vanilla to deliver in this context. A Day In The Life of A Tree has some beautiful organ work, it’s in a really cool space, vocal arrangements near the end are gorgeous. Lead vocal I don’t really care for Chord changes are always so interesting and unexpected, wonder where that influence is coming from? Suspended harmonies in Til I Die are so sick. Brian Wilson is the vocal harmony master. Closer title track is a highlight. Record vastly improves on Side B. This was an interesting turn. I’ve only ever listened to The Beach Boys up to Pet Sounds, and honestly didn’t really think there was much of note beyond that. But this is definitely of note, granted not all notes that I like, but I’m intrigued by it. I think I might revisit this out of curiosity, it might have grower potential (except Student Demonstration Time, pretty confident in that one).

another cool album cover aha except not my favorite sounds... Beatles did it better

That's not my taste in music - But ok

Ik kende geen enkel nummer van dit album. Het is best een leuk album. Wel een vrij typische sound voor die tijd denk ik. Of in elk geval kwam het mij vertrouwd voor. Ik merk wel dat het niet muziek is die mij bij blijft. Ik vergeet het al snel weer

Did not particularly enjoy this album Feel Flows as the highlight of these 35 min

Doesn't quite sound like the Beach Boys. Still has some good tracks though

Good and of its time. Easy listen. Nothing here particularly memorable for me.

Ni surf ni up porque qué es este BAJON de album😭 osea esta bastante bien pero es muy raro el combo Beach Boys con introspección... creo que, una vez mas, tenía otras expectativas y eso me tiene biased. Me gusta la combinación igual de las voces de ellos con las canciones mas tranquilas, pero no me veo volviendo al album

Atmospheric, some brilliance and some half-assed notions. Hard to call it a great album, as it has one defining track and a couple other interesting listens. I can't imagine telling someone, "Hey! You got to listen to this record!".

Listened to a bit of it; definitely different, but enjoyable.

I always found Surf's Up to be overrated. It's experimental and psychedelic (for Beach Boys standards, at least), but Sunflower is literally just that but fun. Shoutout to the last two tracks, 'Til I Die and Surf's Up, for being perfect songs.

Non mi ha detto nulla, ma non è brutto

Good but not great. Overrated because they are beloved.

Kurzweilig, aber ohne dass viel hängenbleibt.

Hätte ich von den Beach Boys so nicht erwartet, aber hittet zwischendrin immer wieder. Würde ich nur das Coverartwork bewerten wäre das eine 5/5, so rechts aber doch nur zur starken 3

I really don't know what to do with The Beach Boys. Sometimes I think they're better than The Beatles and other times I think they only served to deliver Brian Wilson into the world to bring us Pet Sounds. Surf's Up is a weird one. It has moments of sheer brilliance like Long Promised Road and the titular Pet Sounds castoff track but also Mike Love message-music slop like Don't Go Near the Water or the jarring and incongruous Student Demonstration Time. I guess it ends up falling in the middle because of the very high highs and terribly low lows.

Decent! More psychedelic than I expected.

This isn't The Beach Boys album that I would have expected. Instead, it's The Beach Boys grown up and trying to grapple with the issues of the late 60s and early 70s. Or, it's them trying to keep their work relevant as the world grows up around them. I'm not sure which it is, but it's interesting enough if you can gloss over some of the weirder plays they have in this market.

noice

I felt nothing really

Surprisingly enjoyable

loved the sound - especially Feel flows

This was interesting to be a Beach Boys album. No the usual Surfin Safari but not for the better

Je ne connaissais pas cet album, je le trouve vachement moins jovial que ce qu’on connaît des Beach Boys. On en parle de la pochette mega obscure ? Sinon; les voix sont toujours aussi cool ! C’est un peu triste

The title track is an undeniable masterpiece. Probably the last one Brian Wilson ever wrote, when you consider where things went for both him and the band in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. "Til I Die" is every bit its equal, too. On the other hand, it's fascinating that Mike Love, of all people, has the two overtly "socially conscious" songs here. Even though they're not very good, the uncontroversial politics of each is comically to the left of where he is today. The whole thing is a wildly mixed bag that feels funereal in a way. The Beach Boys never really struck gold again with original material until the deservedly derided "Kokomo" in the late 80's. This was the beginning of their transition to beloved legacy act, in retrospect.

I love the album cover because to me it shows a usually powerful figure looking weak and defenseless under gloomy, dark blue cloudy skies, the silhouette of the rider on the horse, holding a spear but without the grit to continue, perfectly showcasing the “End of the Trail” sculpture and it couldn’t be more fitting. Using a defeated, weary rider on horseback creates a strong contrast and represents exhaustion, disillusionment, and the end of an era. It’s not the carefree surfer image I expected from The Beach Boys actually, it’s the complete opposite of their earlier songs, and it matches how mellow and depressing the album feels. This is one of the most interesting albums in The Beach Boys’ catalog because it comes from a time when the band was shifting away from their surf-rock identity and moving into something much more reflective, political, and emotionally complex. You can really feel that transition all over the album. Everything carries a sense of maturity and melancholy. Overall, this album is a heavy listen. Not everything hits for me, but some songs are really nice to listen to. It feels like the sound of a band trying to rebuild itself, sometimes falling apart in the process, but still managing to create something meaningful.

War gut, aber auch schon wieder vergessen? c

нормалек, без негатива.

this one is pretty hit and miss. the trademark harmonies are still in many of the songs, but some of the songs fall flat. in fact much of the songs don’t sound like the beach boys at all.

Enjoyed this. Having never listen led much to Beach Boys this was more than I expected.

Bumbabumpbum

I found this album strange. It’s dark and serious compared to the Beach Boys songs I’m used to hearing. Student Demonstration Time was the most interesting track on the album. Overall, didn’t love it, didn’t hate it, and it was interesting to hear a new (to me) beach boys sound.

This could be the album that insufferable Beach Boys fans will fawn over as the Masterpiece that Pet Sounds isn't. What people like Andrew Hickey don't see or get is that this album is one of the Beach Boys lesser quality albums. This album suffers from the lack of awareness that Brian Wilson required to keep The Beach Boys floating, but since he was in his depression era the boys moved out on their own and tried to create multiple solo-style singles instead of BB records. You don't catch a glimpse to what shows as a glimmer of good production until the last three songs of the album where the wonderful harmonies of the BB return and remind you of what made them so great. This is an okay album. For the Beach Boys. 3/5

I don’t know The Beach Boys’ music very well, but Surf’s Up seems full of well-crafted songs. Still, for some reason, it doesn’t really leave a strong impression on me. I do like Student Demonstration Time, though it feels quite different from the image I had of the band. Maybe this is the kind of album that only longtime fans can truly appreciate.

I was surprised by the tone of this album. It wasn’t bad, just not what I expect from The Beach Boys.

Good listen

Hey! Student demonstration talks about IV! This is so different than the sound I usually associate with them. There are a few beachy jams on here but there’s a lot more variability and musicianship on here. The sound is dripping in California vibes with lyrics to match.

The biggest disservice to The Beach Boys is having the worst name ever. If they had any other name I think I they’d be way more successful. I get the marketing and stuff but got damn they can’t make this hippy bullshit and be called Beach Boys. The sounds are so interesting that they make. I love the production. Every move feels so intentional. I don’t know if I’m actually hearing that or just buying into Brian Wilson mythos. They’ll make an amazing song and follow it up with something that sounds like it belongs in a Skyrizi commercial. Take Care of your feet. Disney girls is really cool. This feels like a band trying to shed their old skin and come into a new decade… apparently it kind of is according to wiki. This is another band that feels so steeped in the American songbook that every little shift in their history led to massive changes and overhauls. Overall, solid listen.

I thought I knew the Beach Boys, but this album showed me a whole new side of them. I liked the slower, more thoughtful songs and lyrics.

I didn't think it was bad, but it didn't really grab me. Maybe this needs a second listen sometime for me to get it.

Not really my style of music, but the production is nice (apart from the ear-piercing Student Demonstration Time.) Maybe I could find more to enjoy from this if I listened a few more times, and the detail makes it seem like that might be rewarding. It manages to do a 'generic sound' in a less predictable way that I anticipated.

Better than expected

okay, I see the appeal but not for me

This one is not bad. I actually like a lot of these songs I haven't heard more than their popular ones.

Overall, I enjoyed the sound and the somewhat experimental vibe of the album. For a first discovery of The Beach Boys, I really loved their vocal harmonies, which are as polished and recognizable as ever. The themes explored give an insight into the social and cultural climate of the time, offering a sort of time travel back to the 70s. It also helped me understand what pop music was like then, although this is a more artistic and introspective form of pop than a commercial one. The album cover is incredible — perhaps even visually too perfect, as it doesn't entirely reflect the diversity and inconsistency of the musical content. Indeed, Surf’s Up contains some very beautiful tracks, both profound and accomplished, such as 'Til I Die or Long Promised Road, which stand out for their sincere lyrics and intricate arrangements. However, the album also suffers from a few weaker tracks. For example, Don’t Go Near the Water tackles an interesting subject but does so with an almost simplistic, caricatural approach, which makes the message less impactful. Other songs like Take a Load Off Your Feet seem a bit anecdotal or out of sync with the rest of the album, lacking the depth present in the most successful tracks. Despite these irregularities, Surf's Up remains a significant and ambitious work, marking a period of transition for The Beach Boys: between their lighter past and a quest for more mature artistry.

I enjoyed it. Different from what I expected from a Beach Boys album. Good, but not enough to push it higher.

It was ok. Inoffensive.

Quirky album. Harmonies are always spot on and can carry even subpar melodies. Feel Flows is a classic. Not their best effort as a band.

Pretty great! Liked this one a lot.

This is an odd album. After Pet Sounds — still one of pop music’s great miracles — the Beach Boys somehow stumbled their way here, five records later, to Surf’s Up: uneven, intermittently brilliant, and often baffling. Brian Wilson was still around, but mostly in spirit; the lush harmonies and meticulous production that once defined the band are largely absent. His presence flickers to life in the final three tracks, though — and when it does, you remember just how far ahead of his peers he once was. The title track remains magnificent; “A Day in the Life of a Tree,” sung (rather alarmingly) by their manager, is merely… memorable. Still, there’s much to enjoy. “Long Promised Road” is a genuine highlight, full of that bittersweet Californian glow the band once bottled so effortlessly. Less successful is their sudden bid for social relevance. Manager Jack Rieley apparently urged them to tackle serious issues — an odd idea for a band that built its empire on surfboards and sunshine. The result, “Student Demonstration Time,” is a clumsy blues-rock detour, complete with sirens and moral confusion, crashing through the album like an uninvited guest. Oddly, its message — penned by the now-MAGA-inclined Mike Love — seems to be that it’s better simply not to demonstrate. In the end, Surf’s Up is a curious mix of beauty and misfire — flashes of the old magic, shadowed by strange choices and the growing sense that the world, and the band, had both moved on.

They've matured and are experimenting, with decent results

Mike Love’s Student Demonstration Time might have been well-intentioned at the time or might have been a preview of his right wing future. Either way, it’s a jarring song. Brian Wilson’s A Day in the Life of a Tree is maybe the worst thing he ever wrote. Don’t Go Near the Water isn’t great either. The pro-environmentalist songs on this record just come off as lyrically clunky. And then there’s ’Til I Die and Surf’s Up, where Brian achieves transcendence. A real up and down, all over the place record. 3.5 stars but I don’t think I can get to 4.

Very political. Kids were surprised they were singing about the same things we are protesting noe

I Much better than I expected. Had a jam-bad feel for parts of songs, sang of the Kent state incident and anti-war, more relevant than I realized.

Oddly interesting. Sometimes sounds unfinished, other times perfect.

3.5 Certaines chansons étaient vraiment hyper chouettes ! C'est juste que le rock /pop psyché c'est pas trop ma tasse de thé alors quelques chansons par ci par là carrément avec plaisir mais un album entier c'est trop pour moi. Mention pour les harmos dingues (qui sont un peu la signature du groupe). J'espère juste avoir autre chose que du rock pour mon prochain album car ça fait 4 de suite

Good album. The Beach Boys sound like they're trying to move on from the Surfin' USA sound that they were known for. Not entirely successful, but it's fine

Album 29/1001 Never heard any 70s stuff from the Beach Boys before. While not hitting the heights of Dennis' solo work later in the decade, this still has some interesting stuff on here. Favourite song: Feel Flows 🧘‍♂️🧘‍♀️ Honourable mention: Long Promised Road 🛣 Disney Girls 🐭👧 'Til I Die 💀🪦 Lookin' At Tomorrow (A Welfare Song) 🔎🗓 Surf's Up 🏄‍♂️⬆️

Not as good as their other stuff

This one has their harmonies but overall it really doesn't do much for me. I had all weekend to listen to this one and didn't listen more than once:

The Beach Boys are consistently overrated. This is not their best work by a far shot. But it's not a terrible album. I'm glad I listened to it before I died, I just don't know that I needed to. Influence 3. Quality 3. Hits 1. I wasn't mad at it, but I really just didn't care 3.

A lot wilder than I expected, in a good way. I was expecting an entire album of Surfin' USA but it was nothing like that. Lots of avant-garde pieces. Not all of them were hits, but more than I would have imagined going in.

Quite a dark, moody, and crazy over the top variety of sounds/instruments from a "typical" beach boys album, so in that sense its a bit refreshing. Unfortunately it didn't really resonate much with me. Lots of environmental references and it comes off a bit chintzy. Fave track was "Surf's up", and least fave is "student demonstration time" -- da fuk was that?

Day 82 First listen- The album was enjoyable and I liked the harmonies. I probably need to listen again because I got distracted a lot. (3/5)

Sonoridade interessante do beach boys, uma versão deles que não conhecia, essa mais blues e rockabily. Mas definitivamente não mudou a minha vida

...

Better than their other material for me. Still not mind blowing

Dated

Not at all what I expected. Interesting message. A bit far out there.

Good vocals and some catchy songs, but overall, not quite to my taste

I enjoyed Pet Sounds more but this was an interesting breaking away from their signature, "Surfin USA" sound they got famous for. The topics were also broader. It was an interesting take and change for them!

The tonal whiplash I felt jumping from “Long Promised Road” to “Take A Load Off Your Feet” can not be understated. This is a much darker tone than I’m used to from The Beach Boys, with that one single goofy and more lighthearted song thrown in just completely randomly. Before I forget to mention it, that album art is absolutely Metal. I see it and think we’re about to start listening to Heavy Metal or something. This is the second of three The Beach Boys albums I’ve rated, and I feel about the same way ratings wise as I did listening to Pet Sounds, although I enjoyed this one more for sure. However, I do appreciate how tight this one was. No filler, which is always huge when I’m trying to pick a favorite song. That being said, I really liked “Student Demonstration Time” the best. Some of the songs on this album just straight up rocked, which surprised me. I really didn’t know they were able to sound this way, but I like it. The flute solo in “Feel Flows” is particularly noteworthy and stands out in a big way. This is by all means a darker The Beach Boys album, and it’s actually really good. A VERY high 3, nearing a 4.

For some reason I was unaware of this record; maybe I should have been paying more attention back in 1971. This is a departure from the typical surf/car music the group was famous for in the 1960s. Lots of social commentary here. Overall it’s pleasant listening, but nothing outstanding.

Not what I expected, but interesting. The first song felt like a pushback against the fun beach music they were known for. The protest song didn't work for me - it felt like they were making light of serious issues.

Je m’attendais à détester au final ça va c’est ok même un peu sympa pour certaines

'Feel Flows' is an amazing song, but the rest of this record is just okay. Enjoyed the ride, but won't be revisiting.

Feel Flows is such an evocative song, one of my favorites. this album, like many brian wilson joints, is pretty uneven.

I've never listened to this album (18). Some good melodies, but it's far from Pet Sounds.

decent. not typical beach boys, but elements - harmonising etc. not favourite album of theirs

Good listen, no particular favourite song.

It was a pleasant listen. For me, not overly memorable and wouldn't feel drawn to go back necessarily but overall enjoyed my experience.

It's hard for me to get behind anything but Brian Wilson's singular vision with the Beach Boys - particularly anything after the aborted Smile sessions. Surf's Up (the song) is obviously a highlight, and there are other redeeming moments. However, most of it feels a little stale.

original

Some moments of brilliance for sure (Feel Flows). Interested to see Brian Wilson was becoming less involved here, especially in production. Long Promised Road feels like it could be so much better but something about the production is holding it back. A lot of those songs, plus one or two that are just bad. Need to go through the discography from Pet Sounds to this.

Man, I dont know how to feel about this album. On one hand, Take A Load Off Your Feet was WAY ahead of its time. To my ears, I hear happy, dorky alt rock like this everyday. Surfs Up is another mega track that needs at least 5 listens to appreciate (err at least it did for me) and its clearly the critical focus of the album (not to mention the most meaningful as well) Shifting to the shitty side, Student Demonstration Time doesn’t hold a candle to 4 Dead In Ohio and IMO, this song sounds incredibly corny. I thought it was an ironic song - an attack on politically charged music. Nope, its serious. Pet Sounds and The Beach Boys Today were so much easier to digest at first. This is inspiring me to take a dive into everything after Pet Sounds to hear what the heck was happening here. A note to my future self: dude, I tried. And I think I understood some of this, but there were some genuinely awful tunes here that I couldn't look past

Uhhhhhh… Nice vibes? Not an absolute all timer 5/10 14/09/25

Long Promised Road has always been a banger, rest of the album wasn't quite as inspired

Interesting songs I’d never heard by them. I liked it but not loved it.

50/50

Not very “beach” but definitely they “boys” not necessarily a bad album but definitely something that reminds me of being stuck at grandmas and she didn’t believe in air conditioning.

Like it! Nice harmony

decent

Not what I expected from beach boys, and not bad

This was weird af

Good OG BB flavour with some interesting synth parts and vocal phasor effects which reflect quite obviously the year of release. Some good pop tunes mixed with some more experimental numbers. Quite dark at times, references to the then current social and natural climates. Still some good "BA BA BAs" included!

Night vibes - Dreamy - Hypnotic. Algunas un tanto repetitivas

Sounds like they were into the White Album

2/1001 ~ First ever listen. Three tracks in, it sounds to me like a heaping spoonful of Rundgren, a dash of Yes, and …wow, did this just become an intervention? Given all the health drama I’ve been through this year, including multiple issues unique to each foot, the song “Take a Load Off Your Feet" sounds a little bit like a read. Anyway, Disney Girls, er DIZ-ooh-NEE Girls, lends a whirling Wonkatania wistfulness, and suddenly we’re student protesting at…the Red Dog Saloon? So far this album is an eclectic collection of sounds and ideas that feels a little like overlapping identity crises, or too many cooks in the kitchen bubbling up a soupy grey area—In a good way. I like how it sounds unfinished or in progress despite the definitive album title. Maybe this one's supposed to hang in the ether as-is, distant, like its vocal harmonies. 'Til I Die.

Really good, never thought I'd see the day that I enjoyed the beach boys

3,25

Not the vibe we'd usually associate with The Beach Boys but we enjoyed it.

je suis bien neutre par rapport à cet album

This is such a cool album cover, but the album doesn’t really hold up for me. It’s trippy, psychedelic, and all over the place. It’s definitely unique and pretty fun at times, but I’m not sure if I’ll ever return to it.

A lot of psa on this album, which, in addition to the harmonies that always seemed very light hearted, makes the album seem almost silly. 3/5

The artwork goes insanely hard. The album itself isn’t my favorite, but it is pretty decent – it’s sonically a bit all over the place, with occasional lyrics about environmentalism and social justice somewhat bringing things together. The unique arrangements and effects across the board are ultimately what sell the album for me – I can’t really see myself coming back to any of these songs individually in the future. Highlights: Take a Load off Your Feet, Feel Flows, ‘Til I Die

Album cover was the best part.

I don't think I'd ever seen this album cover before. Very funny.

Når Beach Boys siger at man ikke skal gå i nærheden af vandet, så skal der lyttes! Jeg kan ikke svinge mig op til mere end 3 selvom jeg nåede 2 lyt. Det er så fint, me. Ikke mere end det.

The Beach Boys go dark. Det lyder mere interessant end meget af det andet jeg har hørt fra dem.

OK

Not my fav from them

Ok.

Listened to this one forever ago. Still liked it enough. Not as instantly recognizable or memorable as other Beach Boys outings.

Beste nummer verpest met abrupte fadeout

Back at it with the albums. First catch up, Surfs Up, Beach Boys. I really tried, I’m a BB fan, but think one isn’t good. The production is very good and every thing sounds great but the actual songs, a bunch of stinkers. And then, suddenly, we reach the end and Til I Die and Surfs Up are right there with Brian’s best work. Surfs Up in particular is brilliant. This is the end of the classic BB period and almost falls completely flat but for the end. Good enough to earn this one a 3/5

nice enough

I never liked the Beach Boys sound, and,while this is different, I didn't like it any better.

It was kinda out there, but not always in a way that I liked. The latter half was definitely better, but didn't really amaze me that much.

D Strand büebli once again, und das es stückli besser wie s letzte Album. Aber jetzt doch au nüd Wellebrechends. Go with the flow und 3 hang loose

boyzboysboyz gemütlich wie immer, aber halt au nüd speziel guets. es gid es abgrundeti 3 sandkörner für e neui beach am ne schwizer see.

It's pretty cool, cover is sick