I know, I know. Okay? Nobody gives a flying crap about (finger-waggle) alternate albums. Nothing can ever replace the originals. What's the point? Do you know better than the artist? Etcetera. Back when I was listening to vinyl albums, I'd make mid-side lunges at the turntable to lift the tone arm over tracks I didn't like. This is that. And because I lovingly micro-manage these albums to my own taste - which has been lauded by the crowned heads of Europe, I'll have you know - they can replace the original versions. Like the antecedently Foam-Featured 20/20 - Do It Again, the original seems strangely less satisfying thereafter, and leaves both a chalky aftertaste and unsightly residue on your cherished upholstery. Anyway, this is the last Pimp My Beach Boys album, so you just grit your false teeth and wait for the next post, you ingrate.
Surf's Up? Well, we can't use the same title, so it's called Long Promised Road. And the new cover is Peyote Americana, an artful and persuasive collage of three (3) different paintings. Yes, it is fantastic. Hey! Lookee here! The tee-pee is like also a road? A long-promised road, through the waves ... look ... straight to the event horizon of my miiiiiiiiiind ... oh wow ...
Which tracks get flipped into the slop bucket? Not too difficult. Mike n' Al's execrable Student Demonstration Time was loathed by Carl, Dennis, and Jack Rieley, so I'm in good company. I know - you like it - go away! And Al - on a roll - gets his Sunflower reject Take Good Care Of Your Feet kicked to the curb. If it wasn't good enough for that, it's not good enough for this. Right. Moving on.
Dennis comes in gangbusters. Three swell tracks - there are other possibilities, but these were chosen because they fit and flow. Quality Control. The Axis of Evil - Mike n' Al - get two between them. Lookin' At Tomorrow is actually pretty nice. And leave us not forget it was - I think - these two who got the great Jack Rieley involved. Carl - at the top of his incredible game - gets two. Bruce gets Dizzernee Gurls, which is not only swooningly gorgeous but fits with the whole what the fuck is happening to America? concept. Bri gets four, showcasing his Many Moods. Well, four of them. We get the goofy H.E.L.P., the sublime Surf's Up with the epic tag, the melancholic 'Til I Die, and the heart-wrenching A Day In The Life Of A Tree. Which we need to talk about.
A Day In The Life Of A Tree sounds like an ecology song, and a not particularly subtle one. Over-wrought, even. But Brian recognized himself in Rieley's lyrics. It was too close to him. He couldn't bring himself to sing it, even at the distance of metaphor. So he used Jack Rieley's gnarly, creaky vocals. You can hear Van Dyke Parks in there, too, another tree-voice. When the song connects, when the emotion carried by Rieley's affectless voice and that gorgeous melody hit you -
"If you're listening to this right now ..." - thank you.
What's your bestest sambwidge?
ReplyDeleteOyster po-boy, dressed. Followed closely by a muffaletta.
DeleteNot even hot pastrami on rye could distract me from this one. I've hated Student Demonstration Time...EVERY time I've heard it. It ISN'T in theme with the Surf's Up album. It is an unsuccessful attempt to be radically political...YUK!!! Anyway, I'm looking forward to playing this. Til then, THANK you!
ReplyDeleteTo the Promised Sand!!!
Isn't this a "left over" quiz quest-yun (no onions)?
ReplyDeleteFor shame, and here when we've just welcomed back Trebek after his long absence and our long summer of dis-re-runs-content...
Side Order:
Fried Peanut Butter & bananas using a stick of Real Butter. Elvis' fave. NOT mine... (I add cukes..)
(Yes, I am JOKING!)
Quit yer horsin' around an' tell us yer favrit sambwidge awready.
DeleteFer crike's... er, or fer Gods-only-know sake. I type for ten minutes, and meantime, a "reply" appears before mine, making me look like a ho-dad on a gremmie board about to wipe out like a kook.
ReplyDeleteHeads you win, tales I lose.
Or maybe not.
When's the next TL-DR Dept. Jacky Kerouac's Kat OR $1 Buckeroo Guy eppy-sewed due?
My favorite sandwich, or so it seems to me right now, is the
ReplyDeleteunassuming and inexpensive yet rather tasty Fried Egg Bánh Mì.
I can't believe that Til I Die didn't make the cut. Please explain...
ReplyDeleteJust dumb-assery on my part. I change the sequence of these things endlessly, and it was lost in a last-minute shuffle. It's back in place - thank you for pointing it out!
DeleteHere's the Director's Cut - apologies if you already downloaded the botched version.
ReplyDeletehttps://workupload.com/file/S5arVB2KAVN
The track that got tossed, leading to last-minute shuffle panic, was actually H.E.L.P. I cut it, but I missed it, because it's the only track on the album that's lighthearted fun, which was always an aspect of Beach Boys music. Take Good Care Of Your Feet supplied this to an extent, but H.E.L.P. is typical nutsoid Brian, and it's a better song. The album needs a lift half way along, so I stuck it back in. You can stick it back out.
ReplyDeleteThanks Farq...
ReplyDeleteNononononononoooo! The thanks are due to you. My internet cachet, already at a low ebb, would have flatlined without your timely intervention.
DeleteSince you've suddenly started saying nice things about Bruce Johnston, I could offer some of his early stuff with Melcher, but on 2nd thoughts...Oh and the favourite sambgodotwidge, obviously maloney & murphies........
ReplyDeleteYeah, this saying nice things thing won't stand either.
DeleteFuck him and his eternal shorts.
Bread and dripping - bah gum that's reet 'n hard to beat!
ReplyDeleteSurely haggis on plain breid beats that one
DeleteThank you, farq!
ReplyDeleteThe album finally feels like a balanced event that is focused and fun and meaningful.
I'm also very partial to the cover graphics!
A new AND improved healing of a very old wound!
To love without Loving...THAT's the message!
A sandwich doesn't need bread! BREAKTHROUGH!!!
Beautiful job...
But, a sandwich does indeed need a substrate.
DeleteThe Blue/White striped Hat bread was moldy on EVERY Beach Boys album.
DeleteI wonder how the cousin was able to mimic an abalone on a rock for the entire history of the band. The image was compromised and the integrity of musical creativity was diluted in massive amounts.
Over and over the crow cries uncover the cornfield!
WHAT DOES THAT mean?
It means, we need a new cousin.
The Hawthorn riots never took place...too bad!
"Nobody gives a flying crap about (finger-waggle) alternate albums."
ReplyDeleteYeah, nope. I'm now at my second crack on a complete Holland album. Didn't like the way I just dumped my least favorite songs at the end and it didn't flow like I thought it would.
I leave Holland alone. Like Sunflower, any improvements are fractional. But Surf's Up is immediately improved by cutting SDT and TALOYF - and there were tracks specifically recorded for the album but left off for internal political reasons. So it's not only do-able but obligatory.
DeleteFair point that I won't really argue, but when they were "forced" to drop a song to make space for "Sail On, Sailor" (of course, both could have fit as the album runs 36 minutes), I feel that the wrong Chaplin/Fataar got dropped, as I always found "Leaving This Town" boring and repetitive both musically and lyrically, to say nothing of the freakin' over one minute long Moog solo. I mean, I get it, it's different, but doesn't go nowhere particular and takes almost six friggin' minutes to get there.
DeleteBy the way, that cover IS awesome...
ReplyDelete"Bruce gets Dizzernee Gurls, which is ... swooningly gorgeous".
ReplyDeleteYep, as mentioned elsewhere, the tune and lyrics are spot on, but the vocal is still wet n weedy. For a singin' upgrade perhaps you could slip in Mari Wilson's version and not tell anyone. (Try to mute the bloke with the trumpet though.)
Cheers, Peanuts Molloy.
Bruce's vocals are pure Cheez Whiz. I can't imagine (thankfully) these lyrics sung with grit and passion.
DeleteJust listened to the original. It's true that that album's reputation rests entirely on three tracks: Feel Flows, Surf's Up and Til I Die. Tree is, well, very Brian, Long Promised Road was, uh, promising (in terms of Carl's songwriting) and I guess Al's Welfare song was okay. The rest is pretty much crap, especially Al's horrible fucking feet song and Mike's ridiculous kissing ass of the student counter culture (and he couldn't even be bothered to write his own music for it). The usual suspects strike again. Also not too hot on Don't Go Near The Water and its goofy lyrics and delivery, most BB ecology songs (save, funnily enough, the one called "Ecology") were atrocious.
ReplyDeleteThin spread of oleo, wonder bread, crusts off. Can I have the dyrectors cut re-up?
ReplyDelete