 |
SUNFLOWER/SURF'S UP
Beach Boys
(Capitol)
Long out of print, the first two Beach Boys records of the 1970s (now available on one CD) correct the common misconception that the group was a spent creative force as the '60s came to a close.
1970's Sunflower is no Pet Sounds, but it's a marvellous album of florid pure-pop nonetheless. Troubled genius Brian Wilson was still together enough to make several significant contributions, most notably This Whole World and its swooping, intersecting vocal arrangement. Bruce Johnston and Dennis Wilson picked up the slack quite admirably -- the former with the pretty, stroll-tempoed love song Deirdre and the Jayhawks-with-Gallic accordion Tears in the Morning; the latter with a clutch of rollicking numbers as free-spirited as he was. Surf's Up is spottier, but this 1971 disc has three splendid moments: Carl Wilson's rustic pioneer song Long Promised Road and Brian's autobiographical mini-suite consisting of the title track and 'Til I Die, two poignant gems salvaged from the aborted Smile album. "I'm a leaf on a windy day/Pretty soon I'll be blown away," sings Brian with heartbreaking resignation, as if he knew the weight of his emotional problems would soon crush him. Sunflower and Surf's Up fared poorly when they were originally released; both are now ripe for rediscovery.
Capitol-EMI has also reissued The Beach Boys In Concert, a double-album live set from 1973 now on one CD. Featuring the short-lived lineup augmented by Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar (but minus Johnston and Brian Wilson), this 20-song set is competently played but joyless at its core. More '70s Beach Boys titles hit stores on Aug. 15.
Track Listing
1. Slip On Through
2. The Whole World
3. Add Some Music To Your To Your Day
4. Got To Know The Woman
5. Deirdre
6. It's About Time
7. Tears In The Morning
8. All I Wanna Do
9. Forever
10. Our Sweet Love
11. At My Window
12. Cool Cool Water
13. Don't Go Near The Water
14. Long Promised Road
15. Take A Load Off Your Feet
16. Disney Girls (1957)
17. Student Demonstration Time
18. Feel Flows
19. Lookin' At Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)
20. A Day In The Life Of A Tree
21. 'Til I Die
22. Surf's Up