I purchased this album (well, actually the sweet new twofer of it and Surf's Up) when I was about to leave for my now aborted Job Corps experiment. I had, to tell you the truth, been scared away from the bulk of the Beach Boys catalog because I had never heard it and the titles looked quite strange. I was also under the impression that their post-1966 output (save Kokomo [ick]) was basically filler. But after I had splurged and bought the Good Vibrations box set and listened to it like 20-30 times, I felt I needed to satisfy my new addiction and purchase this disc. As usual, I was pleasantly surprised, as this album stands up to practically anything from this era from any artist. Also a major surprise was the undervalued composing talents of Dennis Wilson. He had his name on 4 of the composing credits of this album, and 3 of them are gems (the other one is "Gotta Know the Woman", enough said). Let's investigate further...
The Cover and Liner Art perfectly capture the essence of the album. It is whimsical and bright, complete with rainbows and ribbons. The image on the album cover is especially telling though. It shows the Beach Boys having a jolly old time with a bunch of kids (their own, to be sure). Mike Love looks like he just got woken up from a particularily rough session of meditation, probably depressed over the fact that he couldn't make it to the "Johnny Appleseed in a Bedsheet Lookalike" contest. Dennis looks like he is gapping out on his older brother Brian adjusting a sun bonnet on a cute little baby. In a pose and hat befitting a rodeo leprechaun down on his luck, Al Jardine stares directly at the viewer, standing akimbo and ready to pounce on the next hombre that tries to snag his lucky charms. Next we have Bruce Johnston in a classy ensemble comprised of blue jeans, a red sweater and a huge wig made of what used to be Mike Love's hair. Then we have little Carl Wilson with a baby on his shoulders and it appears as though the wee one has cut off Carl's oxygen supply. The other images inside my CD's liners are really neato. Brian in a Good Humor ice cream man's hat (I hope this was not a poke at his weight), Alan Jardine in a particularily stunning organ grinder outift, Carl looking quite rugged with a horse. Dennis Wilson, befitting his fast paced lifestyle, is in a motorcycle hat and goggles. As if we didn't know he was all richer than the rest of us, Bruce has to rub it in by wearing a foppish tuxedo, stolen from Victor Borge's personal wardrobe. And to top it all off, there is a picture of some beautiful, lush villa, called simply "The House". Wait a second- did we forget something here? Yes we did, right below "The House" we have Mike "Where's My Hat?" Love, donning a beautiful one piece number from the Softer Side of Sears Bedwear collection, picking burrs and twigs out a kid's hair.
The Songs
1. Slip on Through (Dennis Wilson)- This song kicks off the album in some uncharted territory for the Boys. It is a horn-charged rocker with some good lead vocals from Dennis, a cowbell, and some awesome arrangement. Horns in rock, for some reason, were a pretty recent development in the popular music soundscape in 1969-70. Bands like Chicago Transit Authority and Blood, Sweat, and Tears had ushered in a whole new texture for the listening public to digest and, in my opinion, it is something that the Beach Boys should have taken further than they did. What makes this song especially good, though, is that the horns (and every other sound for that matter) are so perfectly woven into the mix. Every musical notion or idea is either perfectly subtle or prominent, which is a hard thing for some bands (I refuse to name names) to pull off. It was also the first song to be released as a single off the album and, sadly, did not chart...
2. This Whole World (Brian Wilson) We all know that Brian Wilson is a genius. We have all heard evidence to support this tons and tons of times. But some of his tunes were vehicles that showed us all that he was not the only substantial talent in the group, and that was part of his genius. Such is the case with "This Whole World". It was a perfect display for his brother Carl's magnificent vocal instrument. His voice could convey so many different emotions and do it so nimbly and beautifully. This song, melodically and from a production standpoint, was up to the incredibly high Beach Boys standards, but does not quite stir me emotionally as do some of Brian's other songs. But the awesome doo wop-style vocal arrangement and Carl's outstanding performance on this one make it a worthy listen.
3. Add Some Music To Your Day (Brian Wilson/Joe Knott/Mike Love) Where do I start here? This song basically puts the Beach Boys into a nutshell for me. I don't think that any other group used group harmony vocals to the heights that they did without sounding disgusting and overwrought. This song is probably the pinnicle of that sound. It is also a sampler of their tremendous lead vocal abilities, as all of them, save poor Denny, take over at one point or another. Lyrically speaking, although it is slightly on the sappy side, it reminds us all why and how music is such an integral part of the human experience. Such a landmark deserves some extra discussion. Let's see here...
1. Mike Love starts off with his usual nasal delivery and tries to get the "world to come together as one" while we all sit in a dentist chair and let the music that they have for us there take us away.
2. In a particularily delicate passage, Bruce Johnston, in his lilting voice, tells us about how doctors and preachers, of which I am sure he is some sort of expert, use music to calm us down and steal our money.
3. Carl Wilson, in my favorite passage of the song, sings: "music, when you're alone, is like a companion for your lonely soul", which I completely agree with.
4. Got To Know the Woman (Dennis Wilson)Well, well, well. Well...well. Seriously, this song isn't that bad, it is a nice change of pace. It is basically Denny trying to pick up a woman. Dennis sings pretty darn good on it, and it is kinda funny when he sings about doing The Chicken, which, in my book, is about as sexy as Andre the Giant singing about a naugahide ping-pong table. But Denny laughs and recovers, and if there is one thing that he knew it about it was picking up so women, so he probably knew some stuff I don't. Any of you hot lasses want to do The Chicken?
5. Deirdre (Bruce Johnston/Brian Wilson) This song has Bruce Johnston written all over it, but, as with most of his other songs, I just can't help but like it. And this one is my favorite. With help from Brian, the song sings the praises of a mythical red-haired beauty, who must have been quite a stunner because I can't see any man writing a song this nice and romantic for just some average dame, or even Joyce DeWitt, for that matter. The sultry horns really add a lot to creating the atmosphere and feeling, and Bruce puts in his typical breathy vocal performance. I think this is one of my favorite Beach Boys songs.
6. It's About Time (Dennis Wilson/Bob Burchman/Alan Jardine) Now this song is my favorite Beach Boys song. It cannot imagine how you could possibly improve it. The lyrics center around an artist who tries to express himself and blows his mind, searching for the "lost elation" and he finally finds joy "knowing (he)(is) only (him)". Phew. I cannot help but think that must have something to do with Brian and his troubles. The groove is really unlike anything else, the closest thing to it is probably "Slip On Through", and it really rocks hard and fast. Carl puts in an excellent, powerful lead vocal over the top of a slicing guitar and the absolute best conga drum playing I have ever heard. Then it slows down for a bit, then builds up into a huge crescendo: a Beatlesque guitar solo which reminds me of a sun rising in the morning. And then the song ends in fury and Carl really wailing. Brilliant. I think that if I had to pick only one song to take with me to a desert island or some other similar situation, this would be the one.
