The Beach Boys - Sunflower/Surf's Up

After an acrimonious split with their original record label at the end of the 1960s, the Beach Boys moved over to Warner Bros., ostensibly to capitalize on their phenomenal early successes. But the move also coincided with band founder/creative genius Brian Wilson's burgeoning health problems and subsequent artistic abdication. That the boys were able to come up with what remain two of their more interesting albums is an enduring testament to the band's willpower. Sunflower, originally released in 1970, was a drastically revamped version of an unreleased album called Landlocked, and has an upbeat consistency that both built on the band's vocal strengths and somehow overcame schmaltzy pop and even the embarrassing, halting espanole of "At My Window." Perhaps the album's greatest revelation is the brief flowering of Dennis Wilson as a writing and singing talent, especially on the lovely "Forever." With Dennis largely succumbing to older brother Brian's demons, '71's Surf's Up is marred by cloddish efforts at agit-prop hipsterism (Mike Love's "Student Demonstration Time") and a nascent environmentalism that ranges from the naïve ("Don't Go Near the Water") to the bizarre ("A Day in the Life of a Tree"). Carl Wilson rescues the collection somewhat with "Long Promised Road" and "Feel Flows," but the album's twin jewels are both salvaged Brian Wilson efforts--the title track was one of the centerpieces of the unreleased Smile (cowritten by lyricist Van Dyke Parks and here given that album's "Child Is Father to the Man" as a glorious coda), while "Til I Die" hails from the scrapped Landlocked and remains one of Brian's most hauntingly introspective works. Both albums have been remastered on a single disc and include new liner notes by Wilson biographer Timothy White. --Jerry McCulley Amazon.com

A Post-Brian Twofer to Die For

Finally, as Capitol buddies-up the Beach Boys catalogue for re-release, a twofer that, for the most part, matches up to the band's best early work.

"Sunflower" has a load of pop gems - democratically written and performed by the band's various members and "Surf's Up" - thanks in large part to Brian's album-ending contributions ('Til I Die & the title track) ranks as one of the Beach Boys most artistic and poignant releases ever.

Littered with more-than-listenable music over the course of the disc, Beach Boys fanatics have known about these two albums for years. With awesome sound and neat packaging, this is a great twofer for anyone curious about the Boys' best work minus Bian's domination. July 14, 2008

Awesome - one of my desert island discs

Sunflower would be one of my desert island discs, ahead of Pet Sounds, anything The Beatles did and pretty much anything else you can mention. Influencing current great artists like Nick Worrall and Fleet Foxes this album knows no bounds in gorgeousness, the production is simply the finest ever recorded. Period. Enjoy. Surf's Up has it's moments because it was engineered by the same great Stephen W Desper but Mike Love is all too prevalent, so are other malingerers/managers...do your own research. Buy this. July 9, 2008

their best album ever

I always found, contentiously, that Bruce Johnston did my fave songs, in the beach boys. Here, he is more prominent than he ever was, or will be. He sings lead vocal on the beautiful 'tears in the morning', which has gorgeous melodies and piano chord sequences. He also sings on his co-write with Brian, 'deidree', a beautiful happy number. I am also convinced, although the liner notes don't say, that he is singing lead on the beautiful 'at my window'.
Dennis is the most prominent lead vocalist, contributing the melodic 'slip on through', where he acutally sounds more melodic and less gruff. Indeed, 'forever' is an exceptional ballad and deeply heartfelt, although his voice just isn't that fantastic. His other two contributions just feel out of place here, and should have been replaced with other songs that were ultimately rejected from the album. 'Got to know the woman' is funky, but goes nowhere, and 'it's about time', is just horrible.
Mike Love's vocal contributions are virtually non existent, he sings a nice vocal on 'all I wanna do', but that is it, apart from 'add some music to your day', which they all sing. Things have certainly changed from the days when he was the dominant singer.
Carl sings the beautiful 'our sweet love' another positive ballad and the Brian Wilson penned 'this whole world', which is also a winner.
'Cool cool water' is somewhat progressive in approach and sounds like a 'smile' track. Really like this ending to the album.
'Surfs up' is nowhere near as consistent, but I think to give the album less than five stars, just does not do sunflower justice. All the tracks are at least acceptable, with the strongest being 'disney girls', Bruce's best song ever, 'till I die' a heartfelt and beautiful Brian ballad, and 'Surf's up' a nice mutli part song. The only absolute rubbish is 'student demonstration time', dreadful.
Highly recommended to hear the Beach Boys at their ultimate best. May 27, 2008

Surf's Up is a great album!

I mostly got this CD because Surf's Up is a great album and I wanted the digital copy as I already had the record album and still have it. Sunflower is ok to me as any Beach Boys music is fun to listen to but I really loved the ecology theme that was what Surf's Up was about. I would have just got the Surf's Up CD but I could not find it available any where so I took the second choice. I am a great fan of the Beach Boys and I have seen them 6 times now in concert. What great memories of these times! I say get this and enjoy the music you really cannot go wrong! Have Fun! April 6, 2008

This SUNFLOWER Dazzles

On December 26, 2007, television audiences had the privilege of seeing Brian Wilson receive one of five Kennedy Center Honors Awards for 2007. I predict and hope that this prestigious, well-deserved lifetime achievement award will create a resurgence of interest in the Beach Boys. For anyone interested in the Beach Boys, SUNFLOWER is a must-hear, must-have. Along with PET SOUNDS and TODAY, SUNFLOWER belongs on the Beach Boys honor roll. It's wrong that this gem is obscure in the U.S., and it's high time the oversight is corrected.

The album cover provides the first clue as to what's inside. The Beach Boys are posed on the lawn with their miniature offspring; only Bruce and Dennis are child-free here, although I believe both men were fathers as well by then. Others have complained that the lyrics on SUNFLOWER are trite and childish. I disagree. The lyrics reflect the presence of children in the Beach Boys' lives as well as a distillation of the Beach Boys' personal values: the importance of music, love, spirituality, and respect for nature. Childlike innocence and light pervade SUNFLOWER, and the title is quite apt; the overall effect is dazzling in a subtle way...except for those moments when the criminally underappreciated Dennis Wilson seriously rocks the house. Then we're just plain dazzled.

SUNFLOWER utilizes the talents of all the members of the band. I can't think of another group that has worked in such a fully collaborative fashion, with such impressive results. And the emphasis on complex vocal arrangements and harmonies for which the band is famous, is as present and as rich as ever.

SURF'S UP, while not as uniformly excellent, provides some of the best material the Beach Boys ever recorded: "Long Promised Road" and "Feel Flows," both of which feature Carl as composer and lead singer, and two timeless Brian Wilson masterpieces, "'Til I Die," and "Surf's Up."

Whether you're an old fan or a newbie, this disk belongs in your collection. November 30, 2007

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