Sunflower/Surf's Up [Original recording remastered]

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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

Sunflower/Surf's Up, Music, The Beach Boys, Pop, Pop/Rock, Popular Music, Rock, Rock & Roll, Rock/Pop, Sunshine Pop

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THE TWO BEST BEACH BOYS ALBUMS RECORDED IN THE 1970'S.

TWO BEAUTIFUL HARMONIAL BEACH BOYS GEMS. THE BEACH BOYS CONTINUED TO HAVE VERY CREATIVE OUTPUT DURING 1970-1971

The fullness of the wine, the dim last toasting

Here's the thing.

LONG LOST

Sunflower/Surf's Up
The Beach Boys
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music
Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music
General | Rock | Styles | Music
General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00004TJXS
Release Date: 2000-07-18

Tracks:

Slip On Through
The Whole World
Add Some Music To Your To Your Day
Got To Know The Woman
Deirdre
It's About Time
Tears In The Morning
All I Wanna Do
Forever
Our Sweet Love
At My Window
Cool Cool Water
Don't Go Near The Water
Long Promised Road
Take A Load Off Your Feet
Disney Girls 1957"
Student Demonstration Time
Feel Flows
Lookin' At Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)
A Day In The Life Of A Tree
'Til I Die
Surf's Up

Amazon.com

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

Customer Reviews:

THE TWO BEST BEACH BOYS ALBUMS RECORDED IN THE 1970'S........2007-06-24

I will be writing a review on two of Rock's legendary albums entitled "SUNFLOWER" (1970) and "SURF'S UP" (1971) by a band that millions of fans the world over as well as the music critics believe to be America's true band. I give you the pride of Hawthorne, California, T-H-E B-E-A-C-H B-O-Y-S! "SUNFLOWER" was originally released in 1970 and "SURF'S UP" was released one year later in 1971. Both of these classic legendary albums were originally released on Vinyl/LP and 8-Track on the Brother Records label which is manufactured in association with Epic / Caribou Records. These two legendary albums would see their first release on CD in the 1990's. To make things easier for the Record Company, it was decided to release several of their albums such as "SUNFLOWER / SURF'S UP" in a "two albums on one CD" series which began in 2000. As always, if I hear any new additional information concerning these two legendary albums or the artists, I will edit this review immediately so that you the consumer will get the overall best informative and most accurate review possible.

THE BEACH BOYS will forever go down in Rock n' Roll history and be remembered for composing and recording some of Rock's all-time greatest anthems ever. THE BEACH BOYS will also forever be remembered for singing the most beautifully angelic harmonies ever. No one can sing harmonies like THE BEACH BOYS. Brian Wilson owned the greatest and most beautifully smooth falsetto sound in the history of Rock n' Roll. If that wasn't enough, many music critics as well as many well known studio musicians truly believed that Brian Wilson was a musical genius. Brian was also very gifted in learning all of the recording studio equipment quickly enabling him to produce, arrange and engineer the recording process in the recording studio.

From 1962 to 1969, THE BEACH BOYS would deliver many great hits on the Capitol Records label. However, there would also be many frictions, conflicts and disagreements concerning the never released "SMiLE" album between Brian and certain members of THE BEACH BOYS, Brian's father Murray Wilson and Capitol Records that would hinder Brian's creativity for brilliance and perfection resulting in Brian having a nervous breakdown in 1967. When Brian broke down, "SMiLE" died. At this point, Brian would never be the same again until decades later. THE BEACH BOYS would still record some great songs and deliver some great albums but without Brian's full participation. Not finishing "SMiLE" in 1966-67 really truly killed Brian so deep inside that his life would in turn spiral out of control so severe that he would temporary lose his mind and sanity due to the increasingly large amounts and excessive quantities of drugs and alcohol. If that wasn't bad enough, Brian's younger brother Dennis was no stranger either when it came to his alcohol and drug intake and wasn't very far behind his older brother Brian in the partying scene. With these two key ingredients and the continuing frictions especially with Capitol Records, THE BEACH BOYS left Capitol Records and signed a multi album deal with Warner Brothers Records in 1970. Rumor also has it that as part of the deal, Warner Brothers wanted the unreleased "SMiLE" album. Warner Brothers would never get the unreleased "SMiLE" album. However, some of the songs from the "SMiLE" album would be included in some of THE BEACH BOYS later albums including the two albums I'm about to review for you today.

"SUNFLOWER" from 1970 begins a whole new era for THE BEACH BOYS in the 1970's. In my opinion, "SUNFLOWER" may very well be one of THE BEACH BOYS greatest albums ever recorded to date. Many music critics have called the "SUNFLOWER" album "THE BEACH BOYS' SGT. PEPPER" album. I truly believe that this is a very appropriate statement to make.

"SUNFLOWER" contained some many great Rock music moments such as the funky and soulful "Slip On Through," the beautifully smooth and mellow "This Whole World," the beautifully slow acoustic "Add Some Music To Your Day," the traditional Rocker "Got To Know The Woman," the fast paced Rocker "It's About Time," the beautifully slow and soothing "All I Wanna Do" and one of Dennis' greatest contributions to THE BEACH BOYS, the beautifully slow and heartfelt "Forever."

"SURF'S UP" may not have been the greatest album or follow-up album to "SUNFLOWER," but "SURF'S UP" did have some great Rock music moments on it such as the mellow Rocker "Don't Go Near The Water," the beautifully slow turned fast Rocker "Long Promised Road," the blistering Hard Rocker "Student Demonstration Time," the beautifully arranged mellow song "A day In The Life Of A Tree," the beautifully slow and well arranged Brian Wilson composition with powerful lyrics, "'Til I Die" and a different version sung by younger brother Carl of the original beautifully slow Brian Wilson masterpiece composition from the unreleased "SMiLE" album, "Surf's Up."

As for all of the hardcore diehard BEACH BOYS fans, I would highly recommend purchasing these two albums on one CD. It would definitely save you more time and wear and tear on your CD player. As for all of the curious newcomers and new beginners that are not quite familiar with the sound and music of THE BEACH BOYS, you are definitely missing out. Since your occasional and average BEACH BOYS fans would not be used to hearing this kind of music from this legendary band and would not know how to react to THE BEACH BOYS different 70's sound, I would start with one of the many greatest hits compilation albums containing the BEACH BOYS hit anthems they would forever always be remembered for that we all know and love. You can do all of your greatest hits compilation albums researches and purchases either on Amazon com or at your nearest local Borders Books and Music store. Doing this, you will have found the perfect greatest hits compilation album that is right for your music tastes and needs and have taken a giant step in owning and beginning your very own personal BEACH BOYS music collection.

In closing, THE BEACH BOYS have had their fair share of ups and downs and highs and lows throughout their whole career and history. Dennis Wilson would drown in the waters of Marina Del Rey in December 1983. Carl Wilson would succumb to Cancer in 1998. The world ALMOST NEARLY lost Brian Wilson but he would be spared. The new millenium not only gave us Brian Wilson back, but gave us Brian Wilson, A LIVE PERFORMER. This is something extremely rare that all Brian Wilson fans haven't seen in years. Brian also seems more alert and more happier and it is great to see him in great health again. Perhaps, it was fate and destiny that Brian had to go back into his painful past and make the wrong things right which finally included finishing and releasing the "SMiLE" album in 2004. In my opinion, when Brian came to terms and made peace with an unreleased album called "SMiLE," Brian, after so many years, was finally set free. Brian has come to life and I am very happy for him and am very proud of him. So here's to you Brian and the rest of your great talented band. Keep up the great work. Thanks for the great memories with many more still yet to come. And as the saying goes, "AND THE REST IS ROCK N' ROLL HISTORY," need I say more? Thanks for reading my review and I truly hope that you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have truly enjoyed writing it for your reading pleasure. I also deeply hope that all of you will read all of my other reviews in the near future when time permits. THE BEACH BOYS FOREVER! R.I.P. Dennis Wilson (1944-1983) and Carl Wilson (1946-1998). Long Live Rock n' Roll. Rock out always and take it easy. Forever in Rock, John L.

TWO BEAUTIFUL HARMONIAL BEACH BOYS GEMS. THE BEACH BOYS CONTINUED TO HAVE VERY CREATIVE OUTPUT DURING 1970-1971.......2007-03-03

These two album releases are truly among the Beach Boys best. The remastering of "Sunflower/Surf's Up" is beautifully done. Beautiful harmonies, well written songs. Despite Brian Wilsons appearent demons at this time of 1970-1971. Brians contributions to these two albums are magnificent. My favorite song is the 1920s Charleston sounding "Deidre", beautifully written as the harmonies are incredible, not just on "Diedre" but on both albums. "Sunflower/Surf's Up" speaks volumes of harmony,rock and a little big band thrown in.
There is some really great guitar work on these two albums. "Till I Die" is considered to be Brian Wilsons last great song with the Beach Boys and what an awesome song it is. The title track "Surfs Up" is a beautiful well composed song. Bottom line, both of these Beach Boys recordings are gems, that are even highly regarded in England. The linear notes are informative. The Beach Boys were continuing some very creative material output during the early 1970s, these two Beach Boy gems capture that creativity............

The fullness of the wine, the dim last toasting.......2007-01-30

Sunflower is regarded as the BBs Sgt. Pepper in England. I don't think it quite lives up to that quote, but it has some real good songwriting, even as a recluse Brian can still sing the high falsettos here and for the fans they added part of the "Water" Smile suite at the end of the record.

Surf's Up contains the lost masterpiece Surf's Up from Smile and it is the song everyone forgets to put on those best song of all time lists, because it should be numero uno. I like Brian's a day in the life of a Tree and Til I die also.

Here's the thing........2006-12-16

This Sunflower/ Surf's Up set is really good and everything, but what you NEED to know is this: If you pass over this album, do yourself a favor and download A Day in the Life of a Tree. Of all the songs I've ever heard, none come close to the heart-aching beauty of this track. Only Big Star's Kanga-roo even comes close to how mind-boggingly singular this song is, and while that is without a doubt Alex Chilton's finest moment, it pales next to this, Brain Wilson's last great song.

Seriously, get that track.

LONG LOST.......2006-11-03

I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS ALBUME FOR YEARS !!!! LOVE IT AND SO COOL ........

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