Surf's Up (1971) The Beach Boys
I grew up surfing in SoCal, and hating The Beach Boys.Cars, Girls, and Surfin' delivered in clean cut harmonies over the uncoolest lightweight music imaginable.
I listened to my desk lamp/clock/radio all the time, tuned to KHJ, KRLA, and KFWB, when DJs were spinning records on air, and occasionally playing the B side of a single or a song that didn't chart. Two or three of these only-heard-once anomalies became life long obsessions.
When "Surf's Up" was released as a single in November 1971, the DJ introduced it, and I listened. Ballads often bore me, but this majestic vision grabbed me immediately.
I didn't hear it again until 1973, while hanging out with another surfing buddy at his family's dysfunctional house. We were lounging on the unclean sculpted off-white carpet, while playing his big sister's records on the floor strewn stereo system, when I found "Surf's Up". She'd just yelled downstairs, accusing her little brother of stealing a light bulb from her room. It was true, he'd done it.
These Beach Boys were cool.
"Surf's Up" remains one of my all time favorite songs, inspiring me in the early 90's to research and collect all I could pertaining to "SMiLE!", the legendary unreleased masterpiece it was intended for. Originally recorded in 1966, it was assembled and finished for the "Surf's Up" album.
If I owned a vinyl copy of "SMiLE!", instead of multiple CDs, including bootlegs, it would be here, and taken a week to write about.
By now I'm a big fan Brian Wilson and his work with The Beach Boys even with Mike Love involved.
"Surf's Up" stands out as my favorite post Brian Wilson meltdown album. Brother Carl really came through with "Feel Flows", and "Long Promised Road". Brian's "Til I Die" is another masterpiece, with "Take Good Care Of Your Feet" also a "SMiLE!" remnant.
I found this original copy, virtually unplayed, with the shrink wrap intact, in Palmer, Massachusetts at The Antique Flea Market, in Palmer Massachusetts, a few months ago for $8.
-BBJ
4 comments:
From the cover to Carl's emergence as a great songwriter, this one's a total keeper. Whether the Beach Boys were "relevant" in 1971, this record is proof that "cool" and good aren't necessarily synonymous.
I also love "Lookin' At Tomorrow" and "A Day In The Life Of A Tree" I think the only dud here is "Student Demostration Time"
A mate had the album back then but I was headbanging like a good 'un and had little room for the Beach Boys. I'll hold my hands up and confess it took a good few years (try decades) to fully appreciate Surf's Up in all its multi-layered complexity of lyrics, instrumentation and vocals. Good to hear the track again. Cheers!
I liked "Student Demonstration Time" in 1973, and today I allowed myself to enjoy it while writing this post. I think it's aging a little better now.
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