Reviews (page 9 of 13)
The Good: We’ve got the Beach Boys! The Bad: Very little beach included here… The Ugly: Boys… what about aging men? I am not judging this album based on the lyrical content—I know one too many persons who don’t pay attention to lyrics, instead they listen to the music…—which means that this album, from a musical standpoint, is your basic “easy listening” you could expect to hear in a department store as you are picking out your next pair of socks. Is the album bad? No… and it contains some whistling, which is always preferred over crying… Is the album good? No… and that is just my opinion. Off to rate this album so that I can find out what joyful album awaits me today… hopefully The Black Crowes, because I need some serious rock and roll at the moment. 3* for run of the mill music that isn’t neither here nor there...
No real stand-out tracks and Brain Wilson's lack of participation in the album shows but it is still a very enjoyable album to listen to.
Never heard this kind of Beach Boys music. Nice, but kind of a bummer. 3*
Aside from their super popular songs like "Surfin' USA", "Good Vibrations", etc., this was my first time listening to The Beach Boys. This album was not what I expected at all. It addresses environmental and political issues and was more depressing than what I am familiar with from The Beach Boys. There are a variety of cool sounds and details on this album, and I think there may have even been some backmasking on a few tracks. Definitely worth another listen. Favorite Songs: "Feel Flows" and "Lookin' At Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)"
A mostly well done “later” BB album. I have to imagine this sounded pretty dorky compared to all the other cool stuff coming out in 1971. Standouts: “Long Promised Road”, “Disney Girls”, “Surf’s Up”
Bof
...
Fine, but not my favorite Beach Boys. Still impressive for it being 17 studio albums in as a band.
There are definitely flashes of brilliance throughout. Overall, I find it pretty good but not excellent.
Beach boys are such a classic band, pretty groovy for ‘71, and the vocals have really beautiful sounds effects on it
A different sort of album than I was expecting from the Beach Boys. A more mellow but also, very refreshing album. Did appreciate them doing Student Demonstration Time as a nod to the Vietnam War protests. Interesting stuff.
Love their sound but this isn’t their best stuff
I never have a bad listening experience with the Beach Boys, which I believe speaks volume about the band's quality. But this isn't anything to write home about.
This ain't your mom's Beach Boys! It's dark and edgy. Not very good... But dark and edgy.
Cool
Its aight
Back half was a lot better than the front. Didn’t even feel like the beach boys at times. Good though
I listened to this a week ago and all I remember is that I thought it was mid.
Really neat. It’s diverse, and heck, just downright cool throughout. I didn’t realize the Beachies had this in their bag!
Just ok.
Als ik de reviews eens voorzichtig doorblader lijkt het alsof ik de enige ben die dit album niet helemaal begrijpt ofzo. Ik weet waarschijnlijk gewoon te weinig over De Strand Mennekes, of het muzikale en politieke landschap van de Verenigde Staten in de jaren '60, ook prima. Ik mis ironie, of ik bespeur juist een ironie die er niet is ofzo. Wat niet weet wat niet deert. Ik hoor een prima geproduceerd album met een combinatie van best aardige liedjes. Redelijk veel variatie. Niet helemaal wat je verwacht bij 'The Beach Boys', maar dat was dan een beetje de bedoeling geloof ik. Een ontzettend lang Wikipedia artikel voor een wat mij betreft eenvoudig drie sterren album. Gewoon aardig.
Solid but underwhelming
Melancholic and quiet album by the Beach Boys. Happy times seemed far away.
A weird one. Some really strange lyrics with the beach boys trying to be socially relevant, and sometimes failing miserably. Also had one of the few pop songs about looking after your feet. Still has enough of tr beach boys sound, and at least it's memorable.
Honestly, though there were no songs on here that were mind blowing, I was impressed by the variety and more serious topics. I guess I assumed most of the beach boys stuff was generally surface-level and vapid. Not bad. 3.4/5 -> 3/5
Better than the last beach boys album
Fave song - student demo time Overall, harmonies are great as expected, found myself wanting it to be better, but it wasn't
This is the sound of the world passing them by. Wilson seems to be throwing everything at the wall to see if it sticks. A few very interesting songs (and sounds) that made this one worth a listen.
Adult contemporary Beach Boys! Yay! It's pretty OK. I can see why it's well-regarded, but it doesn't do much for me. Largely forgettable.
I used to know The Beach Boys as “that nostalgia band over THERE,” which had no connection to the real arc of great music. But I’ve come to respect them as innovators who couldn’t keep up with the Beatles, but dang it they tried, before throwing in the towel. This album is both post-towel and post-Beatles. The fight is over, no more competition. And like the solo albums by Paul and John around this time, there’s an unevenness and occasionally something cringe (“Student Demonstration Time”—no). But also like John and Paul at this time, and the very last few Beatles albums, there’s a “throw everything at the wall” approach to songwriting and style that I appreciate. Interesting that they keep up the ocean theme, but this time to lament the pollution and—in “Til I Die” and “Surf’s Up”—as a metaphor for personal lostness. Brian Wilson was struggling. When the album ended on Spotify, it took me over to early 70s George Harrison: “All Things Must Pass.” I didn’t mention George earlier because unlike Paul, John, and Brian Wilson he was in his stride at this time. Yet there is still a similarity between where all of these songwriters landed after music’s most innovative decade. Interesting times.
What a surprise! I really don't know a whole lot about The Beach Boys post Pet Sounds until the 80s, and the later work kind of makes sense to me. This album is full of interesting and diverse tracks that pack a punch I just did not expect. For the first time, I thought, "I need to explore this band further." Good job, Fellas!
I surprised myself and liked this one.
I have never been a huge follower of The Beach Boys. I know of all their big hits. This album took me by surprise. Had I heard this without knowing who it was I might not have guessed. I like this and will listen to it again.
Lo siento ecléctico, tímido y exento de fuerza viva como si no quisieran tocar sueltos. Rígidos y puristas con gran apoyo técnico y efectos sonoros, pero...
Weirder and more psychedelic than I was expecting. Didn’t recognize any songs on the whole album. Very odd Beach Boys record
Escutar mais the bicth boys
Beach boys 17th studio album was hailed as a return to form after some lackluster releases. It's a departure from their early surfer sound but still has the harmonies although not as layered as before. It's a nice enough album to listen to and the songs carried some important messages back in the day when protest songs were popular. I probably won't listen to it again for no other reason that it's not really my thing.
Нейтрально, приятная музыка, но не понимаю почему она выдающаяся
This was an alright album. There were some great moments but there was just something off about it. 3 stars
This album cover is too cool for how corny this album is... Kind of a lame album, there is a decent moment here or there, but for the most part this is kind of a dud. Low 3.
I like The Beach Boys but this was meh
Barely recognisable as the beach boys, fine for the most part, an interesting curio for beach boy fans more than anything I would say 3*
There were things I liked about this album. It's very ironic and strange coming from them. Does that make it sound inauthentic? The song about a riot was pretty bad.
this is kinda good but a little boring. I appreciate what he's trying to do though.
This was a fine album. I really like some of the slower/faster paced songs (Disney Girls & Student Demonstration Time respectively) but as a whole it's not really my genre.
Experimental for its time. Not as good as pet sounds.
# Album Name: Surf's Up # Artist: The Beach Boys # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Wasnt bad. Just OK to be honest. # Top Tunes: Lon promised road / Student Demo # Would I listen to it again? Hmmmm
Definitely not like their older music. I actually like The Beach Boys acting more grown up and tackling modern day issues like the environment (still an issue), social issues (still an issue), and the overall contempt for the Earth that seems to be prevalent. Obviously, it's not Surfin' USA and Kokomo or anything like that, but it is a good album. Disney Girls is a pretty awesome song. Overall, I'd listen to this again. 3/5
A little dull for me.
Better than some of the Beach Boys albums I've heard.
I can see where existing fans might have been confused or put out by this one, and I don't personally enjoy it nearly as much as Pet Sounds, but it's got some interesting stuff. I especially like the last few tracks.
so so, not a bad album but nothing special at all
Had a tought time classifying this. Listened to it mostly two times through. Some interesting songs but nothing really stood out. May revisit this later but will put this on the three side of a 3.5.
i was a bit worried at first, but those last five or so songs i was like okay there's the Beach Boys i know and love! i'm a big fan of the classical influences with the flute in "Feel Flows" and organ in "A Day In the Life of a Tree" and "'Til I Die" and "Surf's Up" are two Brian Wilson masterpieces. it is kind of evident that he wasn't as involved in the production of this album because the harmonies aren't nearly as interesting as they are in other albums like Pet Sounds, or even their earlier massive radio hits. i'm sure Pet Sounds is included too but it makes me wonder if this album's inclusion was mostly due to nostalgic purposes when honestly i think only about half the tracks on the album (on the B side no less) are worth writing home about
As much as I can appreciate what people like about these sandy fellows (the songwriting, the harmonies, etc.), I just don’t connect with the aw-shucks mawkishness underneath it all, and they certainly aren’t suited for the kind of social commentary they attempt to make on this album.
there are some really great moments mixed with some awkward misses. Still, Top 7 Beach Boys, prob Top 5. 3.5
I'm into more sunny vibes from them
All the flashy Beach Boys production, can't say I loved the slightly half hearted attempts at the songs having real world meaning. Pleasant but nothing outstanding
Vi får bare Dark Side of the Beach Boys de her dage. Den her lyder også skøn, men det trækker lidt ned at de bare ikke kan finde ud af at skrive protestsange
A bit different from the surfing vibe and Pet Sounds, but found it rather unremarkable. 3/5
The Beach Boys feel a little like a victim of their own success here. Surf's Up is fun because it (mostly) retains the recognised sound of The Beach Boys with a darker twist, yet the combination of the two makes it difficult to take this new moodier landscape in. The Beach Boys are telling me Don't Go Near The Water!? That doesn't seem like them at all, except it does because it sounds exactly the same as when they sang about being in the water. After getting a few songs in and taking them a little more seriously, I get hit with Student Demonstration Time and the tonal juxtaposition seems silly again. That being said, the latter half of the album seems to communicate the image of Surf's Up better. I do enjoy this album, but I think it deserves a few more listens for me to truly like it. Currently it sits in a strange zone where it's better than just being okay but not quite something I love.
Interesting pick! I’m old enough to know many Beach Boys songs but I didn’t know a single one on this album. Not as peppy as some of their earlier stuff, shows maturity. Easy to listen to in the moment but honestly very forgettable, because I’ve listened to parts of it 2-3 times today and I keep forgetting what it sounds like
I like the Brian Wilson led, Pet Sounds version of the Beach Boys better. But still not bad.
Unfamiliar songs from a band I've heard a lot from. I knew nothing about this album, but I could immediately tell this was at least late 60’s if not later. Reminded me of many other bubblegum-hippy offerings of the era (ex. Mamas and Papas, Cowsills) but got a little more loose and jazzy as the album progressed. But it didn't seem to have that quintessential Beach Boys feel. I later read Brian Wilson wasn't very involved in production, so maybe that's the reason for the change in sound and vibe. I really like the album cover.
Disappointed by this beach boys album, thought it would be more interesting, but it wasn't
Nice enough, but no songs stand out. I like that it’s not at all what I would expect from a Beach Boys album
Carl Wilson starts taking the helm. It's not Pet Sounds but some great music. Long Promised Road, Don't Go Near the Water and Disney Girls are great. Take a load Off your Feet and Student Demonstration Time are bit weird.
Nice.
The album art got me excited but most of the songs were just alright
I only know the Beach Boy hits, so was expecting some cheesy, surf pop rock. This isn't that. Experimental sounds with socially aware lyrics, yet it still has a huge amount of cheese somehow. This album is patchy. Some songs are great, others aren't. With so many different sounds being blended together it still sounds flat in places.
I thought the rest of this would be like the first track and got excited but it was just okay. I like The Beach Boys, but this felt more like a collection of songs (some of them better than others) than a cohesive album.
щас бы на пляж, на море, а не вот это всё
Ok
Nice music. Good stuff
I thought this was quite good.
Pretty good. Til the End is very good
This is a rather dark image for being a Beach Boys album. It was alright. 3 stars.
Brian Wilson was definitely in it here. This is a million miles from the early 60s surf tunes. The title is clearly ironic, right? This has some of the Pet Sounds “God Only Knows” sound and feeling. I’m familiar with Feel Flows from the Almost Famous soundtrack and is the standout track here. This one is worth revisiting to discover the depths of Brian Wilson’s genius.
Hot take: I liked this album more than Pet Sounds. By no means is this album perfect, but its darker tone and more focused musicianship made this a decent listen. Feel Flows is a highlight especially since it shows up in Almost Famous, one of my favourite movies ever.
Weird. In a good way, but weird. Not for me necessarily, but maybe on a relisten.
Student Demonstration Time goes pretty hard for a Beach Boys song.
Not bad but a little too mild. Expected more surf. Not sure why.
I had no idea this existed. Misses the complex ass vocal harmonies one expects, but I guess big BW was down for the count at this point. Anyway, interesting to see them do the socially aware stuff, and take down the fun a bit.
Kinda nice listen but kinda meh. I like cheesy surf beach boys, and i love pet sounds. But this one i dont think needs to be featured
Disney girls was cool but I’m not sure I like sad beach boys that care about the environment.
I know some Beach Boys fanatics so I knew that their later discography was different than what most people know them as. I was enjoying the first half of this. But the second half wasn’t as strong. Some songs felt like noise while others just felt like a rehash of the earlier songs on the album. 3/5
I like Student Demonstration Time
pior que eu aprecio beach boys. esse aqui é mó doidera né. na tentativa de se desvencilhar do título de banda pop meia boca, eles tentam ficar mais tristes e reflexivos? mas funciona. top. essa capa tbm mó bonita.
No me recuerda a los típicos Beach Boys. Mucho más tranquilos. Aunque es agradable de escuchar.
Not a favorite Beach Boys album but still good.
Very different from what I was expecting, but I guess I only know Californian Girls. This is more like protest songs so that was interesting. But the music style wasn't for me.
It had some solid moments. 3/5
Boy, Brian Wilson was going through some shit, huh?
Weird era, first song still pet sounds psychedelic, couple 70s sounding Jackson Browne/eagles ish.
This was okay.
I've missed most of the albums over the past week but got back in via this one. Good sound, not what I know of the beach boys. Disney girls, till I die were the songs I particularly enjoyed
This is much more garage rock than having fun on the beach rock, than I was expecting. Also fine.
Felt so generic.
Pedantic early 70s themes.
pimeä... hullun rankka synkkä melankolia ympäröi koko albumin ethosta.... to me, neil young and crazy horse is just neil young and normal horse...... sairas vitun terrorismi albumi vittu horrorcore. ''Synnyin orjantappuravuoteeseen, PURETTELO PITKETTY musiikkini, koska tiesin, että tämä paska MYYTY'' - rantapojat, 1971. vittu mikä vastaus jonkun pikkuvauva lilliputti heavy metallin syntyyn, vähän rankempaa paskaa tässä. jos ei sydän kestä teillä kukkahattutäteillä niin suosittelisin pysymään kaukana tästä saatanan lahjasta.. sillä saatana on laulaja... viehättävä poikamies... mutta pysykää tädit kaukana loitolla!!! vievät sielun ja HEKOTTAVAT MENEMÄÄN... long promised road
I don’t think this is why people listen to The Beach Boys
This was a bit of a mixed bag. At some points, it seemed inauthentic, delivering a corporate message. Very different set of sounds to Pet Sounds, somewhat loose production. There were some really good tracks mixed with a bit of meh.
Not my Favorite, but I can appreciate it.
Enjoyable but not nearly the iconic vibes of Beach Boys peak
underwhelming
Cansan
Nice arrangements and production but at the end of the day it is The Beach Boys cynically reaching out with hippie BS for a money grab. The whole point of The Beach Boys as a band was escapist rock. A place where you could leave the body politic behind for a little while, and get away from everyone's struggles for awhile. Somewhere to live in pure joy for a bit. This album is cheese ball eye-rolling boring protest rock album in the first half and a bit more fun, mature, and interesting on the back half but still a mixed bag of oddities. It makes clear that Brian Wilson was the only great composer in this band. Everyone else was often more miss than hit. "Feel Flows" was fun from an instrumental performance vibe and doesn't feature the lame lyricism that the protest songs suffer from. "A Day in the Life of a Tree" is an interesting re-imagination of gosepl music from an environmentalist point of view. "'Til I Die" is a pretty melodic song but darker than an abandoned mine. Cheesy lyrics drag this album down but the production and performances manage to drag it back up to a 2.5, which I will have to round up to 3.
An okay album. Didn’t really understand why The Beach Boys needed a redemption record. As far as their harmonies, they were tight as always. Songs were all over the place. Student Demonstration Time was an interesting take on protests. All in all, a 3/5 because it was good to hear it but I won’t listen again.
Not what you would normally expect from the beach boys but I found myself actually enjoying it more though none of the songs really struck a chord with me. High 3.
Not as bad as I thought it would be, but I am not really sold on what Beach Boys put out, like ever. But not that bad.
I enjoyed this more than Pet Sounds. Not as classically Beach Boys, but very experimental from their signature style. I decided to give Pet Sounds another listen after this, and I can appreciate how groundbreaking the band is for remaking itself over and over.
it’s cool but not great. for my first beach boys album im interested to hear more from them
Not the Beach Boys you know and love. They definitely went weird on this one.
Equal parts imperfect and interesting. A perfect combination
Def gets away from typical Beach Boys vibes. Some ok tracks.
Before the surf pop, we have edgy chill Beach Boys!
Not bad
Not bad. Not great.
Not my favorite Beach Boys album but I've also been assured I'm wrong about this one so? I enjoyed the back half of this record way more than the front half, and I don't know what's up with Student Demonstration Time but I did not vibe with it
This was interesting. I liked it, but also kinda weird. Three stars.
It's probably never a good idea to have the phrase "ecological aftermath" in a pop song -- but on-the-nose-ness aside I enjoy this album. Not up there with my favorite Beach Boy albums, but if I see it in a store I'll pick it up and happily listen to it. 3.5 stars
Never heard this one before.
Mielenkiintoista poppia, ei oo ihan niin suoraviivaista. Parhaat: Disney Girls, Looking At Tomorrow
It’s The Beach Boys, you can’t go wrong with The Beach Boys.
There's a misconception that the Beach Boys didn't make good albums after Pet Sounds. It's fair to say that The Beach Boys never made another singular album-length statement of brilliance like Pet Sounds again. But there are a lot of good albums and great songs that followed for at least ten years after that high-water mark. Surf's up is one of those good albums. Yes, you'll have to suffer through the preachy "Don't Go Near the Water", and Mike Love's near-parody re-imagining of "Riot in Cell Block #9", in "Student Demonstration Time". And "Take a Load Off Your Feet" is typical of the kinda-baffling health-conscious tracks that Brian Wilson would pepper into latter Beach Boys records. But if you can sift through the album's flaws, you'll be treated to Brian's classic title track, which stands with the best songs that the band recorded post-Pet Sounds. Carl Wilson and Bruce Johnston also stepped up to the plate and delivered two other period highlights. Disney Girls is a lovely piece of nostalgic melancholy from Johnston, who didn't write many songs for the Beach Boys; but when he did write, he batted at a very high average. And Carl's first major statement as a writer in the Beach Boys came in the breathtakingly swirly Feel Flows. The beautiful song is the beginning of a much larger writing presence that Carl would have on future Beach Boys albums. Sadly, there's not a lot of Dennis Wilson on Surf's Up. I have a soft spot for Dennis' contributions to Beach Boys albums of the period. And I miss him here. So as a whole, Surf's Up is far from a perfect album. And when inevitably compared to Pet Sounds, it falls terribly short. But what doesn't come up short when compared to Pet Sounds? When the dust settles, Surf's Up is a good Beach Boys album that features singular statements from each Beach Boy, save for Dennis. Some of it is great. Some of it is good. Some of it is terrible. But I welcome it in the Beach Boy's rich canon of albums.
Det här var en kul lyssning. Trodde det skulle låta annorlunda. Jag gillade det. Kul att bli överraskad.
Kan mycket lite om BB och det här var inte alls vad jag förväntade mig. Mörkare och bitvis mycket mindre glättigt än vad jag trodde samtidigt som soundet spretar åt olika håll. Tycker en del är rätt bra och annat mindre spännande.
Like others, I didn't know this album existed. It's an interesting album, for sure, and I don't know that I would rank it as one of their best. 3/5
What a weird album.
I liked this less as it got deeper into the album; it got a bit too ethereal. The early tracks were enjoyable.
Interesting album. The songs are unmistakably Beach Boys pop but they’re also sometimes trippy and experimental and even political. I love the police siren effects on "Student Demonstration Time" -- sounds like they’re being made by a wah-wah pedal and some feedback. The psychedelic “Feel Flows” is really interesting! Feels like an odds and ends sort of album, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Curious to put this on again and see how it grows on me. 3.5 What an interesting album cover. I can’t imagine the reaction from the record label when they were told the new Beach Boys album would be called “Surf’s Up” but then saw that this was the artwork. 😂
Pretty solid Beach Boys album that I'm mostly unfamiliar with. It's way less energetic than their usual sound and at times almost feels like an entirely different band altogether. It's an easy one to listen to but it also drags along quite a bit. "Disney Girls" for example I think is supposed to be a more texture-filled and pretty beach boys bop, but it takes so long to get through, and you never get that sense of resolution. It feels like many of these songs are about 5-10bpm too slow. This is such an absurd album cover for a Beach Boys record, I love it.
Weird
The Beach Boy's are a tough band for me to rate. I feel like they are up and down with me. Sometimes I sense the strong visual California surf vibe and sometimes ... I guess I will say it is "less fun?" I love that they sing about the environment, I love that they are original and competent. I think maybe that they are a band that got to the head table by being quite specific and niche. Like if they dared stray too far off their strongest vibe they would be second best. Some bands have massive talent and range, others have massive energy and just blow away the listener by it. The Beach Boys are a bit quieter, like someone's Aunt's favorite band. "Not that she has bad taste, just ..."
Not my kind of sound, but I was pleasantly surprised by their variation and politicality (is that a word?) - better than I had thought. Listens: 2 Fave Track: Til I Die Rating: 3
Definitely interesting, not what I expected from the Beach Boys. An attempt at more socially conscious subject matter, I think - Student Demonstration Time is too weird. I really like Feel Flows, feel like I've heard this before. Harmonies on Til I Die and Surf's Up are great, classic beach boys
Meh.
Very sweet music isn't it. I have to say I didn't mind that much. This album didn't have some of the hard hitters that I really like. It decent
Definitely not what I would expect from the Beach Boys. Very bluesy and really liked songs like Student Demonstration Time.
like it
Kinda bounced off me to be honest. Reading reviews I get that it resonates with some people, and it's a clear departure from their norm, but after just one listen I didn't really get what it was all about.
Yep, these are songs. Fine, really nothing stands out about the album. I feel like the mixing is odd in places and the vocals feel like a whisper/distorted at times. Meh. 5/10 (2.5/5)
# 247 : They've done a pretty decent job. I think Its OK, a great collection of songs, that require a couple of listens and then become better and better. Favourite Track : Long Promised Road
It felt a bit disjointed but a good album.
long promised road disney girls a day in the life of a tree
One of the earlier albums I listened to a lot was a compilation of Beach Boys tunes. I really loved it and would mimic surfing in the living room. I was five. In retrospect, the material isn't all that sophisticated, except when it is... but ironically, I think I like the simplest tunes best, so the later material isn't as interesting to me, even though sonically there's more going on.
3.5
Mostly psychedelic rock/pop, with one song of 12 bar blues/early rock (Student Demonstration Time) and some slightly weird experimental stuff (A Day in the Life of a Tree) Close to a 4, but I don't really feel an emotional connection or really captivated by anything, so it's going to be a 3.
Own
Long Promised Road Feel Flows 'Til I Die Surf's Up
Nice sounding album
There were a couple good ones in here, and the album overall was enjoyable. I didn't realize they released so many albums. I love this cover as well, I read it is surf related but it really doesn't look like it. Almost looks like they are giving up surfing.
Another from the Beach Boys, but this one is very different. Later in their timeline, and it feels more somber and existential. Beach, this time, refers not to a fun place to hang out, but the shores of existence. These are the Shores of Existence Boys. I like it though, it's pretty good. Didn't know they made stuff like this, but it's cool. Not super memorable or anything, but I had a good time. Favorite tracks: Long Promised Road, Disney Girls, Feel Flows, Surf's Up. Album art: Really, really love this one. I've seen it before, but never realized this was the Beach Boys. A defeated warrior on a weary steed, "surf's up" has a completely different meaning here, it's all over and done. Instant classic. 3.5/5
Meh
I'll admit I'm a Beach Boys fan, but I've never heard anything from this album outside of "Feel Flows" (from the 2000 motion picture "Almost Famous") prior to listening. This does not sound or feel like any other Beach Boys record that you're used to. Way more political and socially aware than the surfer jams from years past. The messages don't really land for me either, I must say. I get that the group wanted to change their image and sound at the time, but some of these tracks just feel outta place, especially "Student Demonstration Time". It's a bit jarring honestly, especially compared to the closing tracks in the same album that feel more at home coming from the Beach Boys. Side note: I guess I'm working through the Beach Boys discography in reverse order as this is the first album of theirs that I've drawn thus far. I don't necessarily see this as a bad thing!
Decent
Listened to Surfin’ USA by accident before realizing I was supposed to listen to Surf’s Up, but it was a good thing to see the evolution. The overall maturity of the band really comes through when you contrast to the earlier material. Very well done album, but only a few songs really popped out for me. Notably Student Demonstration Time. I have a feeling nothing is going to come close to Pet Sounds for me. But this was a pleasant listen.
First time I’d listened to this album—I pretty much know only the popular side of The Beach Boys. Didn’t immediately love it but I think it warrants another listen for sure.
Inga låtar jag kände igen men trots allt en godkänd platta.
A different sound then their greatest hits, but I like it! But perhaps not love it.
Not what I was expecting at all. Surf's Up means Surf's time is up. Much looser, darker, and weirder than the classic Beach Boys stuff, this album still has the signature emphasis on thick harmonies and lush production, but it doesn't come at you with the big hooks and 2 minute concentrated blasts of pure pop. Instead, it has a washed out acid hangover feel to it, woozily easing you into a slightly formless psychedelic daze punctuated by fuzzy guitar leads, some bleeps and bloops that sound like kraut-rock before it had been invented, and all sorts of different random instruments sounds. Favorites: Disney Girls, Feel Flows
favourite song: student demonstration time had its high points (which were very very good) and its low points (ehich tbf weren’t particularly low). solid album, torn between a 3 and a 4 here tho.
Sad beach day
Definitely not your typical Beach Boys album. But it was good
Surf's Up is an interesting record. Sometimes it feels like a continuation of Brian Wilson's expanding songwriting odyssey. Then other times it sounds like the boys are entirely out of their element. Ultimately, for me, it's aging men trying to adapt but unsure of what they're supposed to d anymore. With flashes of brilliance. Tracks 8 & 10.
Not their best
Nice vibes, very soothing. Favourites: Disney girls (1957), feel flows, surf's up. Overall very pleasant but not the most memorable. High 3/5
I love the Beach Boys, but at this point it's to the latter part of their amazing albums. I liked this one ok, but there's not much in the way of standout songs. I really liked Disney Girls. Overall not a bad album.
I'm going to have to come back to this album sometime. It's obviously got something interesting going on but I'm just not connecting with it. Sometimes it feels a bit too much like teenage poetry "I feel like a cork on the ocean," etc.... The music is complex and beuatifully arranged, which you'd expect. But it just didn't work for me. It might on another day.
2.7?
I like it a lot actually
Buenos pasajes.
A nice one. There’s something for everybody here
Exactly what you'd expect it to be
Bändi on tällä levyllä luottanut melodisuuteen jaksamatta kehittää definitiivisyyttä. Tulos ei ole mullistava, mutta se on kiinnostava, ja jaksan keskittyä toisellakin kerralla.
Mwuah
It’s an eclectic album. That helps to differentiate the tracks somewhat but for my tastes, the album only really shines once you reach the second half Feel Flows and Lookin’ at Tomorrow are the album’s standouts. But Don’t Go Near the Water and Student Demonstration Time are also strong. It’s overall enjoyable but I wouldn’t put it in my own list of 1000 must-hear albums.
This was like the Beyond Meat version of The Beach Boys Burger. It was ok but something just wasn’t quite right with it
It seems strange listening to an album trying to deal with social and environmental issues that's 50plus years old. A different beach boys sounds that still carries a nod to the past. It's not a bad album, just not what I would consider a real beach boys album though
If you expect the classic Beach Boys sound, you'll be disappointed. This is no feel-good album. The themes are environment, student protests, health issues, etc. The sound is more contemporary and experimental and leans into prog/psychedelic rock. Not bad, but nothing outstanding either.
Les Beach Boys sont toujours aussi mélodieux, mais ici plus bruts et francs. Les pistes sont super courtes, incisives.
First time I listen to a whole Beach Boys record. This one is fantastic! There are a lot of experimental sounds, more than I'd have imagined.
I'm pretty sure that I have never heard these songs before. Pretty good, I was actually expecting it to be bad. It's very different from other Beach Boys albums that I have heard.
surprisingly good and progressive. Does not sound like a 70s album.
Listened by the beach today. It was raining on and off, so kinda suited this albums meander.
A clear commentary on the late 1960's. Kind of a forced collection of songs to reflect on social and environmental issues. Not the cheery songs one would expect from the Beach Boys. Even the album cover is a downer.
Interesting
Interesting, but I was never a huge beach boys fan.
Good
Interesting album from The Beach Boys, not very beachy Top tracks: Student Demonstration Time
I enjoyed this album, but there's something about The beach Boys (or maybe just Brian Wilson) that makes me feel sad
Had no idea what to expect going into this besides the fact that it wasn’t gonna be the typical surf rock that The Beach Boys are typically associated with. Each track was uniquely strange and that made it an interesting album to listen to, but it also made it feel like it wasn’t a cohesive album. Glad I’ve heard it once, but don’t think I’d go out of my way to listen to it again.
Potentially worth another listen, though its not very good, it did have some intrigue.
Couple good songs. Overall none of the bangers. Just alright
что то странное
7/10
Not the Beach Boys I was expecting. I really liked the Student Demonstration song. I'd give 3.5 stars
Enjoyable listen, but didn't blow my socks off.
First couple of songs showed a trippy side of Beach Boys which I didn't know existed. They sound like a combination of the Beatles and the Eagles Student demonstration time was intense I think it was about the Kent State riots. The use of the sirens was pretty cool feature. I did not expect that at all from the Beach Boys I thought they were just surf rock. I liked that album more than I thought with the amount of psychedelic music that was in it
Never been able to get completely into The Beach Boys but I’ve really only tried Pet Sounds as a whole album. Definitely a different sounding album than I was expecting from them. Definitely enjoyed it high 3
48/100 Based on this scale: 1 star - 0 to 19 2 stars - 20 to 39 3 stars - 40 to 59 4 stars - 60 to 79 5 stars - 80 to 100 This is a bit better than their usual surf pop nonsense. I don't see how this is "prog pop", but it's better than Animal Sounds, or whatever that stupid album was called.
This is not at all what I thought I was going to get from the Beach Boys - it's an album of songs that are trying too hard to be serious and political, but it comes across as the band being a bit out of its depth and all feels forced. It's very 'I'm 14 and this is deep'. It's not bad - it's OK, just bland and takes itself too seriously. The album cover is great, though.
Sounds like the beatles - and some blues - honestly had no idea they made this type of sound, but.... I'd rather just listen to the beatles (Sorry USA) as the music isn't something I'd seek out...
Disco tranquilo y pausado de escuchar, con buenas voces, un tanto melódico. Quizás un tanto parecidas algunas canciones entre sí.
Bog standard Beach Boys album. As good as you would expect it to be but pedestrian when set aside earlier works.
It was ok
This album has been surpassed by the Smile Sessions release.
Interesting to see how The Beach Boys embrace global issues and message their songs differently. But they just aren’t as catchy
I had to double check that this was the right album. This is drastically different from the "beach boy" sound I'm used to. Its striking how great sound fidelity is on this album but I think I prefer the style they are known for.
Interesting to hear more range of The Beach Boys. I enjoyed parts of it, quite folksy
Felt like I was sat at a bbq with my uncle
You snooze, you lose. katek somehow read my mind and posted nearly the exact review I was working up. I definitely enjoyed "Surf's Up" more than the lauded "Pet Sounds," and it deserves a higher score. But I gave "Pet Sounds" a 3, and this isn't a 4. Maybe a 3.75? Been a while since I've lamented the 5-star scale. Maybe making Carl Wilson the leader helped the Boys out. I enjoyed his first major song contributions - "Long Promised Road" and "Feel Flows" - and felt the first half of the album was better than the second half, which happened to have more Brian Wilson songs.
I definitely found this album more interesting than Pet Sounds. The attempt to address heavier topics in the lyrics was laudable but felt jarring as it didn't mesh with the overall vibe. 3.5 because I am glad I was exposed to a different side of The Beach Boys but ultimately, I probably wont be revisiting.
Pretty easy listening, classic Beach Boys. “Student Demonstration Time” stood out as my favorite, while the other songs were plain pleasant.
Agréablement surpris
This is a bit all over the shop, but an enjoyable listen, apart from the rewrite of Cell Block No 9 as Student Demonstration. Royalties owed there surely. But no particular desire to hear it again.
Much like the Doors' "Morrison Hotel", a fairly solid album if you are already a fan of the Beach Boys. You can hear the classic sound undertones through most of the songs. You can hear/feel the heavy influences of the late 60s/early 70s in every song. A good album but not their best.
A very different BB sound to what I know. More socially and environmentally conscious lyrics. Music is average. Good enough, probably won't listen again though
Surprised at how few of these songs I heard. Didn't love it. Surprised Pet Sounds wasn't chosen for this list.
I liked it more than I thought I would, it changed my opinion of The Beach Boys.
This one was pretty cool.
I liked it more than I thought I would. Still just ok
Probably only knew 2 or 3 songs from The Beach Boys. Interesting to hear more of their discography. I'd probably stick to the hits, but this wasn't so bad.
I didn't know the beach boys changed their style so much
Fantastic vocals with a slightly haunting vibe unusual to the beach boys, solid songs but slightly forgettable. Inclusion of some songs confusing as left album feeling disjointed
Ah yes. One of the original boy bands of America. Growing up with a Catholic Grandmother from California you had 2 constants in her house hold. Prayer and listening to Beach Boys vinyls. Both were over done and forced upon me as a kid. And both are over rated. Beach Boys had a certain sound but theyre essentially just an a Cappella band with extra steps. Every song is the same melody and harmonizing vocals. Which was cool 50-60 years ago but even growing up liking all kinds of music I could never appreciate what the Beach Boys had.
Ok, de serieuzere Beach Boys. Aandacht voor het milieu, klimaatverandering. Bijzonder album
Ja! Dit doet het beeld van die ouwe seniele boys op een podium met totaal weggedraaide gitaren in de mix een beetje vergeten. Gelukkig maar.
There's more than meets the eye. Ze kunnen meer dan alleen surf muziek maken.
Dit had zowaar wat diepgang en was een stuk creatiever dan die simpele Beach Boys liedjes.
Best leuk.
we started nice with dont go near the water! cool cool! i weirdly liked it! thought it wouldn't!
A bit darker than what I was expecting. Stand out track - Student Demonstration Time
This is a weird one from them, not necessarily bad, just… unexpected
Not listened to it in years. A couple of classics; Feeling Flows and Surf's Up. Not a masterpiece like Pet Sounds, but still good. A high 3.
This took me down a Beach Boys/Brian Wilson hole for hours. Much of which was far better than this album. The band really trapped themselves between the song topics and sound they created. Both of which were highly influential, but also limited them, and clearly when they attempted something different it only failed for them. This album sees them getting political, and they are waaaay too on the nose with their lyrics. And it's so odd to hear it from them. Interesting history though.
It's interesting to hear the Beach Boys attempt to be socially relevant. Really, they're a surfer group and that's what people know them for. When they tried to expand past past that, it's not something people were all for. But that would probably have to do with the songs. Their manager wanted them to addresses environmental, social, and health concerns more than previous releases, So we get songs like "Take A Load Off Your Feet?" Sure, that sounds... fun? Hey everybody, let's go to a beach party and sing "Student Demonstration Time!" woooo, I'm picking up bummer vibrations! Yeah, I can't imagine anyone thinking this is the directionless direction the band needed to pursue. Looking at their later albums, it doesn't look like they bounced back a lot, either.
Get back to me when there's a 60's Beach Boys album, or best of their stuff before 1965. Sorry if I'm pining for cliché bubble gum pop and what these guys started out as, but they were great at that. This album is fine, and shows they still had talent even when they weren't firing on all cylinders or working together well. But there are far better albums than this, by the Beach Boys or others.
I listened several times and it just isn't clicking. Disney Girls is the only one that caught my attention each time I listened. A lot of these songs sound like less-weird outtakes from Smile. It's not bad, I just don't think I'll be revisiting. Feel Flows and Lookin' At Tomorrow were both decent. Moving on.
Not your classic surf music
Great cover art, not one of my personal favorite Beach Boys records musically. Something feels off to me. Still some lovely harmonies and a couple of nice songs though.
This is a lot different to 60's Beach Boys with Brian taking a shadow role. In fact it's a strange mish-mash of styles with rock and folk and even Saxophones in the mix. I still don't know if I like it or not- time will tell.
It feels a mile away from Pet Sounds tbh
This was fine. I'm not particularly in love with the Beach Boys' sound but I get it, it's not for everyone. Album was fine overall, at least it was short. 6/10.
the cover is badass the music is ight
Was cool hear The Beach Boys with a slightly different 70s sound and this one was pretty good. The first couple had a little bit of influence from the band which was cool. Had a big dip after Disney girls which was a good song with classic beach boys harmonies but the next 3 were skips. High 3
3,5
Really not bad but obviously in a different league than Pet Sounds.
Nice easy listen and not all the stereotypical Beach Boys sound.
Dreamy 70s pop-rock
It is hard for me to understand why this became one of their great albums. I hear a couple good songs, a bunch of decent songs, and a couple ridiculous should have been b-sides. Landlocked would have been a superior album title, I wish they would have stayed with it. I don't recognize any of these which tells me they did not become a part of the collective consciousness the way many of their other songs on other albums have. Despite all this, I understand its place on the list since it apparently did so well. But I still don't understand why.
17th album? Jeez guys. But ok, I was expecting to hate this a lot more. I would never have thought it was the Beach Boys. I guess this was their "darker" album into the counterculture movement, I don't agree with the darker label but definitely feels more like a progression I'd wanna see from the Beach Boys. I just don't like the surfer Beach Boys stuff, so this is more palatable. Sounds like this one is divisive among fans, but so far my favorite thing by them I'd heard for sure, but a few duds on the album. 3.5 to 3.
Just like the other Beach Boy albums we've had it's not all that bad, it's just not all that interesting either. On this album, I quite enjoyed tracks 4-7 but they were sandwiched on both sides by 3 absolutely bland snoozers.
Some interesting some boring. Perfect recipe for 3/5
Fine
Worth listening to Student Demonstration Time & Feel Flows
Major meh…
Positiv överraskning. Bättre än de där surflåtarna👍
Weird - I prefer Pet Sounds. This was...not my gig.
Good, but not great. They have better albums, but I appreciate the effort.
Their seventeenth album! Prolific bastards. Pretty good
Loin de la perfection des années précédentes, ça reste souvent solide et agréable. Disney Girls dans mes favorites de l'album. Je n'y reviendrai pas très souvent.
in some ways, this is very unlike typical beach boys but not. the beach boys' sound evolved as the years went on, as all artists do, but brian wilson's songwriting has a magic about it. after my first listen, it wasn't a big surprise to discover brian wilson was not heavily involved in this album. that fact is definitely to this album's detriment. i suppose carl wilson and the rest of the beach boys didn't necessarily do a bad job, but it's such an obvious change. surf's up mostly feels like some sort of beach boys caricature. i am compelled to say that "student demonstration time" is by far the standout of this album. this rock song is catchy on its own, but with mike love rewriting lyrics of "riot in cell block number 9" from 1954 to apply to the political and social unrest in 1970, it is incredibly powerful.
I lIke exploring non beach beach boys.
loved it! never listened beyond pet sounds before so pleasantly surprised
Less beachy than other albums, a few more political tunes. Overall a good, easy listen. Catchy as per!
I've been a casual fan of the Beach Boys for a long time, but I hadn't heard this album before. The Beach Boys' music is fundamentally special imo. Their sound defined the era it was released in and is the musical embodiment of Californian summers. It shouldn't be a surprise that the gorgeous harmony is my favourite thing about the Beach Boys' music. I really enjoyed the first half of this. Feel Flows onwards feels like a bit of a lull sadly. 3.5/5
Did Woody Guthrie get any song writing credit for this album?
Solid album. 3.5 stars.
First off, love that cover. Very doom metal. Fitting, it came out the same year as Master of Reality. I am reasonably sure that I have never in my entire life consciously listened to the Beach Boys. I was expecting pre Sgt Peppers Beatles, just a bunch of silly and happy pop songs. Instead I got a lovely bit of tonal dissonance between the really happy and dreamy music, and the esoteric and depressive lyrics.
Very different Beach Boys album with fewer vocal harmonies and an overall darker sound.
3.5/5. Nowhere near as good as pre-Smile Beach Boys.
The problem with the Beach Boys is that they were capable of producing some of the best music ever recorded and also some of the most embarrassing—and it's not entirely clear to me that they know the difference. This album is Exhibit A. Side one is basically awful, though Disney Girls and Long Promised Road are merely too-earnest-but-otherwise-OK. Side two, though, features four of their greatest songs (Feel Flows, A Day In the Life of a Tree, Til I Die, and Surf's Up), with the title track being perhaps my favorite song of all time by anyone, and Til I Die being the last great Brian Wilson masterpiece, and it only gets better the more you hear it. Also, their manager Jack Reiley's vocals on A Day in the Life of a Tree are incredible. When I saw Brian Wilson a few years ago, I was thrilled when they played Feel Flows. What a great song. I'm glad their early '70s efforts are getting some love. Take those four songs and combine them with the best songs from their previous album Sunflower (Slip On Through, This Whole World, All I Wanna Do, Our Sweet Love, Forever), and you have the best BB album outside of Pet Sounds.
Decent
Better than expected.
This was a real eye-opener - similar to an extent in style to other Beach Boys records we've had, but very very different in terms of mood and content. Going into it without knowing anything, and reading the title, expected a worse version of their standard 60s jolly surfing songs. This was really different, much darker, less catchy, but much more interesting. There are some songs that really don't land (the one written from the point of view of a tree, for example), but when it's good it's really good. 3/5, verging on a four but too inconsistent.
A couple good tracks on this not as popular beach boys album
tide's gone out
Fun! Beach Boys (60s pop)
Better than I expected, hard to take a song about staying off your feet or at least taking care of your feet, seriously what the hell is this? Yes guys eat Rhymes with feet, brilliant! Ok Student Demonstration Time is kind of missing a better singer and lyrics but has a very Greatful Dead vibe, I'd rather be listening to the Dead. Stick to surfing my dudes
What a colossal letdown. It sounds like they tried to make songs in a bunch of musical styles. But almost every time, they missed the mark. Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
wanted to like this album more than I really did. Still a solid album. Student Demo and Feel Flows top it for me.
Not as bad as expected, another one I would not go out of my way to listen to but definitely a good couple of tracks on here
Nothing like anything else I've ever heard from the Beach Boys, and not in a bad way, either.
not their best album
Enjoyable and seemed a bit more raw than other BB records I’ve heard.
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.
Yessss Beach Boysssss. Noooooot my favorite Beach Boys album, as it turns out. Don't Go Near the Water - big ol eco vibes, man I'm so glad we solved all that. Take Good Care of Your Feet - yep. Student Demonstration Time - favorite so far. Till I Die - I like it.
Not bad. Pleasant background music but not their best!
Decent music, starts to sound the same after a while.
Great album.
There was one song I really enjoyed, but the rest was kind of meh. However, I don't like the Beach Boys much at all and was still pleasantly surprised by the beginning of the album.
Not a huge beach boys fan, although I definitely found it interesting, some of the songs surprised me in that there were of a very different nature compared to what I expected Beach Boys to sound like
More interesting than pet sounds. It feels like it's played on a water damaged cassette or something. It's sort of slow, bogged, suffocating. Altogether warped and moribund. The lyrics are fine and sunny enough, there are touches of Moog here and there but a generally stripped back production. It's not a classic in my book but more interesting than I imagined and a very minimalist, tonal representation of the beach boys.
A good one.
3.4 + Sounds like leftover tidbits from “Pet Sounds” studio sessions. Besides the trippy “Feel Flows” and “Till I Die”, I don’t bother with this one.
ничего не запомнила, но норм)
I’ve never listened to later Beach Boys. I can’t say I’ll be returning to it willingly.
Not a masterpiece but clearly one of their best outputs post-Pet Sounds. It is to be expected of course, as many snippets or full songs are Smile-era products. There are also some serious misses here and there, with Student Demonstration Time being the most notorious.
The album is a bit of a surprise being their seventeenth, and it is a positive testament of the band's ability to change their sound. The album certainly does not fit their moniker, but in a way we get to experience them as a band that has matured without Brian Wilson. The identity of The Beach Boys being an issue here is that the music does not fit. Therein lies somewhat of a great experience or enigma, because the album is actually really really good because it is The Beach Boys. This band's history is one of the more dramatic ones out there, but it certainly lends a bit of importance to everything they have still managed to produce in spite of all that. This album being a great example.