The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys early records were all about surfing, cars and girls. The first six records fit this category, and while some may find gold digging into the album tracks, the period is best served for most listeners by the Endless Summer 1974 compilation. Today! and Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!), both from 1965, see the band's music and Brian's production getting more sophisticated and both are more than the singles and filler of their earlier work.

And then in 1966 comes Pet Sounds. Widely hailed as one of the greatest pop records ever, it is all that and more. Brian's masterpiece. Interestingly, it was met with mixed reviews on it's release in America, and Brian was deeply hurt by the rejection he felt. In England the record was met with universal acclaim. Go figure. It actually took a long time to develop it's reputation for greatness. In 1974 it was out of print and you could buy it in cut-out bins.

I'll skip over the whole Brian's breakdown and the collapse of Smile, the planned follow-up to Pet Sounds. The next ten years would be a roller coaster of quality for Beach Boys releases, some of which have received better reviews retrospectively than on their initial release. The band was trying hard to become relevant in a more grown-up album market that rejected their 60s surfer image. On the road they were becoming a nostalgia act even while they were producing some excellent work.

So I'll go ahead and tell you the ones I think are well worth hearing, and there will be plenty to disagree with. In the period from 1967-1977, I like Wild Honey 1967 (An unusual R&B outing, and fun and different because of it), Sunflower 1970 (Their last great record, and a showcase for under-appreciated Dennis), Surf's Up 1971 (Uneven, but when it's good, it's great), and Holland 1973 (Not perfect, but close, and their last really good record).

Then there's the one's that have received some good press, at least retrospectively. I don't really think they cut it for my list, but Friends 1968, 20/20 1969, and Love You 1977 all have their supporters, and they are at least interesting to hear from a historical perspective.

That leaves Smiley Smile 1967, Carl and the Passions "So Tough" 1972, 15 Big Ones 1976, and M.I.U. Album 1977, none of which deserve your time. There are good songs here and there, but they'll show up on any number of compilations. And everything after 1977 is at least as bad or worse, that is until That's Why God Made the Radio 2012, a decent stab at a reunion of what was left of the band 50 years after their debut. Better than almost anyone would have expected, but still not essential.

For all the myriad compilations, there's really not one that sums everything up. Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of the Beach Boys 1993 has all the good stuff, but also includes a lot of unreleased material related to the aborted Smile, outtakes and assorted junk in a 5-CD box set for the collector. The two-CD Fifty Big Ones 2012 comes very close, and if you didn't have any Beach Boys music, it covers everything you need (except Caroline, No, but you need Pet Sounds anyway). 

The Best of 1971 Fifty Years On

There has been a lot of discussion this year of the music from 1971. And why not. It was 50 years ago, and it was a fine year for music (or was it?). Before I began this post, I went and looked at 1971, but I also looked at 1970 and 1972 to see if there was anything particularly special about 1971. Honestly, it seemed to me that 1970 was just as interesting as 1971, but 1972 did not seem to live up to the 1971 standard. Anyway, it's covid days and distractions are welcome, so let's just say that 1971 was special. I know it was special to me, because I was very into music and I was sixteen years old. Music (and lots of things) from your impressionable teen years can leave a mark. I was surprised just how many of the classics from 1971 I own and still enjoy.

So you can browse the "Best of 1971" sites for yourself, and when you do you'll find many of these classics:

Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers

Joni Mitchell Blue

Marvin Gaye What's Going On

Carole King Tapestry

Allman Brothers At Fillmore East

Rod Stewart Every Picture Tells A Story

T Rex Electric Warrior

John Lennon Imagine

Funkadelic Maggot Brain

Led Zeppelin IV

Harry Nilsson Nilsson Schmilsson

David Bowie Hunky Dory

Beach Boys Surf's Up

Janis Joplin Pearl

Yes The Yes Album, and Fragile

Grateful Dead Grateful Dead (Skull and Roses)

Santana III

 

That does look like an impressive list. In addition to artists, it was an incredible year for engineer-turned-producer Glyn Johns. In 1971 he produced The Who's Who's Next, The Faces' A Nod Is As Good As A Wink (arguably the best records by those two bands), and Boz Scaggs' Moments and Boz Scaggs And Band. He was a busy guy. 

 

And 1971 also included some other bright spots that may not be as well remembered as the classics, but that were no less interesting and/or influential. Some of these include:

 

Can Tago Mago - I didn't get hear Can until many years later, but it amazes me that this record came out in 1971. This music seems so alien to the era, and so different from anything else then, or now.

The Kinks Muswell Hillbillies - Maybe their last great record, and definitely the end of a spectacular five-year run.

Fleetwood Mac Future Games - Bob Welch and Christine McVie head the band in a new direction. Serious candle-lit stoner rock jams.

Laura Nyro Gonna Take A Miracle - Songwriter Nyro, with help from LaBelle, does an all-covers record that stands the test of time. A lesser-known gem that still sounds great.

The Rascals Peaceful World - Although it further alienated their pop fans, this smooth jazz/rock hybrid is a great record that went almost completely neglected.

Elton John 11-17-70 - The big lists like to talk about Madman Across The Water, but this is such a singular and riotous Elton John record, and Madman was only OK.

 

New York Rock Ensemble Roll Over - Great record, great band, should have been, could have been...

The Band Cahoots - Their fourth, and last near-perfect studio album.

 

Poco From The Inside - Paul Cotton's first with Poco, and one of their better ones all things considered.

 

Ten Years After A Space In Time - Again, maybe their last great record at the end of a string of them. Includes the hit I'd Love To Change The World. 

Oh, I almost forgot. 1971 was the year of The Sons Follow Your Heart (the one without horns), the title track of which contains my favorite guitar break, by the fantastic Terry Haggerty.