Beach Boys 20/20
Beach Boys, ‘20/20’, 1969. Having a late heatwave at the time of writing so let’s have some California sunshine. This is an odds-and-sods collection bringing together some singles and outtakes and tunes that were going to be used on ‘Smile’. ‘Smile’ was to be the follow up to ‘Pet Sounds’ but that was before Brian Wilson and the world heard ‘Sgt Pepper’, which shot Brian’s confidence and the album was shelved for 40 years.
It’s a righteous set of tunes and miles away from ‘Surfin’ USA’. ‘Do It Again’ kicks it off, the last truly great Beach Boys’ single. ‘I Can Hear Music’ channels Phil Spector (not least coz he co-wrote it) with trademark harmonies and happy strum. ‘Bluebirds Over the Mountain’ all funky guitar and percussion and harmonies, obvs. ‘Be With Me’ written and sung by drummer Dennis, lush with horns and melancholy. ‘All I Want To Do’ a boogie shuffle with rockin’ guitar and drums and Stax horns. ‘The Nearest Faraway Place’ piano led instrumental with strings veering into MOR territory but manages to keep its cool. ‘Cotton Fields’ is an old Leadbelly tune with a singalong ‘Barbara Ann’ feel. ‘I Went to Sleep’ is dreamy and woozy with harmonies again. ‘Time To Get Alone’ waltz rhythm and harmonies. ‘Never Learn Not to Love’ starts off creepy and feels off-kilter all the way through, which is fitting as it’s based on ‘Cease to Exist’ written by Charles Manson who’d been a friend of Dennis for a short while (before the Tate killings, obvs). Shiver. ‘Our Prayer’ is short but beautiful, just voices. Jawdropping. ‘Cabin Essence’ is the whole ‘Smile’ album in miniature. Eerie, old world, harmonies, layered, melancholy, obtuse lyrics, weird instrumentation, a banjo even. It’s weird but beautiful.
Endless summer…
Beach Boys 20/20
Beach Boys, ‘20/20’, 1969. Having a late heatwave at the time of writing so let’s have some California sunshine. This is an odds-and-sods collection bringing together some singles and outtakes and tunes that were going to be used on ‘Smile’. ‘Smile’ was to be the follow up to ‘Pet Sounds’ but that was before Brian Wilson and the world heard ‘Sgt Pepper’, which shot Brian’s confidence and the album was shelved for 40 years.
It’s a righteous set of tunes and miles away from ‘Surfin’ USA’. ‘Do It Again’ kicks it off, the last truly great Beach Boys’ single. ‘I Can Hear Music’ channels Phil Spector (not least coz he co-wrote it) with trademark harmonies and happy strum. ‘Bluebirds Over the Mountain’ all funky guitar and percussion and harmonies, obvs. ‘Be With Me’ written and sung by drummer Dennis, lush with horns and melancholy. ‘All I Want To Do’ a boogie shuffle with rockin’ guitar and drums and Stax horns. ‘The Nearest Faraway Place’ piano led instrumental with strings veering into MOR territory but manages to keep its cool. ‘Cotton Fields’ is an old Leadbelly tune with a singalong ‘Barbara Ann’ feel. ‘I Went to Sleep’ is dreamy and woozy with harmonies again. ‘Time To Get Alone’ waltz rhythm and harmonies. ‘Never Learn Not to Love’ starts off creepy and feels off-kilter all the way through, which is fitting as it’s based on ‘Cease to Exist’ written by Charles Manson who’d been a friend of Dennis for a short while (before the Tate killings, obvs). Shiver. ‘Our Prayer’ is short but beautiful, just voices. Jawdropping. ‘Cabin Essence’ is the whole ‘Smile’ album in miniature. Eerie, old world, harmonies, layered, melancholy, obtuse lyrics, weird instrumentation, a banjo even. It’s weird but beautiful.
Endless summer…