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Post by kds on Dec 31, 2018 15:45:42 GMT -5
The laughs come hard at Auld Lang Syne. Today's New Year's Eve after all, and that's a lyric from the title track to The Beach Boys 1971 album, so I figured I'd start a thread. Personally, I think the album's very good, bordering on great. It's not as consistent as Sunflower, but it's got higher highs. With a little tweaking, it could've been truly great. The great - Well, the title track is one of Brian Wilson's crowning achievements, and for my money, it's the definitive version (I prefer Carl's vocals on the first two verses). The closing track is preceded by Til I Die, which IMHO, is the final truly special magic Brian Wilson song. I think he's done a lot of good to great songs after Til I Die, but nothing on this level. Going backwards, A Day in the Life of a Tree is the first part of a stellar closing Brian Wilson trilogy. It's not as breathtaking as the closing two tracks, but still very good. However, I think it would've been in the band's best interest to have actual Beach Boys singing on the track instead of Jack and VDP. Not to be outdone, brother Carl contributes the etherial Feel Flows, a mesmerizing song. And Bruce steps up with his signature BB song - Disney Girls. The good - Album opener Don't Go Near the Water is a somewhat clunky, but often charming song, which is taken to another level with the wordless vocal coda. Carl's Long Promised Hard is a nice little number. Al's Lookin at Tomorrow is short and sweet. There's a lot of negativity around Student Demonstration Time, due to Mike's lyrics, but the performance of the song kicks ass, and I'm willing to overlook the somewhat clunky lyrics for that. The bad - Take a Load Off Your Feet is mercifully short, so it doesn't really detract from the album, but it makes Surf's Up one of several BB albums that would be great if not for one, or maybe two, songs IMO. The "What Could Have Been" - Remove Feet, and replace it with any Dennis song of the time, and you have a great album. Attachments:
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Post by Beach Boys Fan on Dec 31, 2018 17:33:15 GMT -5
I wouldn't remove anything, it's good with its official track listing. SDT is definitely not bad, in fact it's cool. FF is cool, especially knowing the fact that Carl played nearly each instrument in it. LPR is really nice too. ADITLOAT is splendid, title track is great but prefer the Brian version. It's got to be the song sung start to finish either by Brian or Carl. If Carl sang it alone, as single seamless performance, it would be much appreciated. But he didn't. Would be cool if full Carl version existed as well.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2018 17:39:20 GMT -5
The laughs come hard at Auld Lang Syne. Today's New Year's Eve after all, and that's a lyric from the title track to The Beach Boys 1971 album, so I figured I'd start a thread. Personally, I think the album's very good, bordering on great. It's not as consistent as Sunflower, but it's got higher highs. With a little tweaking, it could've been truly great. The great - Well, the title track is one of Brian Wilson's crowning achievements, and for my money, it's the definitive version (I prefer Carl's vocals on the first two verses). The closing track is preceded by Til I Die, which IMHO, is the final truly special magic Brian Wilson song. I think he's done a lot of good to great songs after Til I Die, but nothing on this level. Going backwards, A Day in the Life of a Tree is the first part of a stellar closing Brian Wilson trilogy. It's not as breathtaking as the closing two tracks, but still very good. However, I think it would've been in the band's best interest to have actual Beach Boys singing on the track instead of Jack and VDP. Not to be outdone, brother Carl contributes the etherial Feel Flows, a mesmerizing song. And Bruce steps up with his signature BB song - Disney Girls. The good - Album opener Don't Go Near the Water is a somewhat clunky, but often charming song, which is taken to another level with the wordless vocal coda. Carl's Long Promised Hard is a nice little number. Al's Lookin at Tomorrow is short and sweet. There's a lot of negativity around Student Demonstration Time, due to Mike's lyrics, but the performance of the song kicks ass, and I'm willing to overlook the somewhat clunky lyrics for that. The bad - Take a Load Off Your Feet is mercifully short, so it doesn't really detract from the album, but it makes Surf's Up one of several BB albums that would be great if not for one, or maybe two, songs IMO. The "What Could Have Been" - Remove Feet, and replace it with any Dennis song of the time, and you have a great album. I agree with your synopsis. It's too bad The Beach Boys didn't have a manager or an advisor who had a good relationship with Brian, Carl, and Dennis who could've intervened and worked things out with Dennis' unreleased songs. Oh, that's right, they did have such a person - Jack Rieley.
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Post by John Manning on Jan 1, 2019 4:16:00 GMT -5
Indeed a damn fine album.
The closing trilogy is just about the finest work Brian and the band created - especially the tags … three of the greatest tags in rock music, in succession, on the same album! How f’ing likely is that!
And I’m happy with JR’s lead - it sounds distressed, like the suffering tree whose voice he provides. I don’t think I’ve heard alternate versions by either Carl or Brian (feel free to point to them if they’re out there!). The song itself is a piece of pure poetry, deep and evocative of a troubled soul.
I also prefer the 1971 version of Surf’s Up - a full, finished version, as definitive as you can get and, bear in mind, just four short years after Smile was postponed. It’s utter bliss from start to finish.
I like feet - it provides a light and endearing moment among some pretty heavy and deep tracks. You need a drop of levity in your single malt from time to time.
Student Demonstration Time just sounds out of place; lyrics aside, it’s just a brittle, raw claxon among so many polished, velvety sounds. I’d sooner hear a Dennis rocker along the lines of Slip On Through in there instead; Just a few months later they could have slipped in a Blondie & Ricky number. But it is what it what it is and it is where it is and after 48 years (Happy New Year, EHers!) it’s part of the album forever.
LPR and FF are just gorgeous. I read somewhere that FF includes a sound or a movement that a woman had reportedly likened to the moment of orgasm; I wish I knew what moment that was and what she meant but, regardless,I think it’s a jolly nice little song.
Rieley’s mystic/psychedelic/rambling lyrics fit well with the times and the need for the BBs to have that kinda mysticism/psychedelia/looseness about them at a time when rock wore a kaftan, had henna in its hair and a joss stick up its bum.
Don’t Go Near The Water - this oughta get a rerelease now that the world’s woken up to its message. Maybe mike should add a couple of verses about plastic in the ocean and global warming. I always thought its beautiful final section sounded very different to the main body of the song and for a while even wondered if it might be an escaped Smile segment. Thanks to the track only on MiC, however, I know different. I also think that bit sounds a little like the end of the Waltons, just before the closing theme kicks in.
G’night John-boy!
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Post by Will/P.P. on Jan 1, 2019 4:40:03 GMT -5
Indeed a damn fine album. The closing trilogy is just about the finest work Brian and the band created - especially the tags … three of the greatest tags in rock music, in succession, on the same album! How f’ing likely is that! And I’m happy with JR’s lead - it sounds distressed, like the suffering tree whose voice he provides. I don’t think I’ve heard alternate versions by either Carl or Brian (feel free to point to them if they’re out there!). The song itself is a piece of pure poetry, deep and evocative of a troubled soul. I also prefer the 1971 version of Surf’s Up - a full, finished version, as definitive as you can get and, bear in mind, just four short years after Smile was postponed. It’s utter bliss from start to finish. I like feet - it provides a light and endearing moment among some pretty heavy and deep tracks. You need a drop of levity in your single malt from time to time. Student Demonstration Time just sounds out of place; lyrics aside, it’s just a brittle, raw claxon among so many polished, velvety sounds. I’d sooner hear a Dennis rocker along the lines of Slip On Through in there instead; Just a few months later they could have slipped in a Blondie & Ricky number. But it is what it what it is and it is where it is and after 48 years (Happy New Year, EHers!) it’s part of the album forever. LPR and FF are just gorgeous. I read somewhere that FF includes a sound or a movement that a woman had reportedly likened to the moment of orgasm; I wish I knew what moment that was and what she meant but, regardless,I think it’s a jolly nice little song. Rieley’s mystic/psychedelic/rambling lyrics fit well with the times and the need for the BBs to have that kinda mysticism/psychedelia/looseness about them at a time when rock wore a kaftan, had henna in its hair and a joss stick up its bum. Don’t Go Near The Water - this oughta get a rerelease now that the world’s woken up to its message. Maybe mike should add a couple of verses about plastic in the ocean and global warming. I always thought its beautiful final section sounded very different to the main body of the song and for a while even wondered if it might be an escaped Smile segment. Thanks to the track only on MiC, however, I know different. I also think that bit sounds a little like the end of the Waltons, just before the closing theme kicks in. G’night John-boy! Your posts are just captivating. I've got to get off to bed. It's almost 5am here. Good day, john.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2019 7:13:58 GMT -5
Surf’s Up is one album that I’ve never been able to put my finger on and say it’s this or it’s that. I find it to be both moving and unsettling.
The highlights: Don’t Go Near the Water, Feel Flows, ‘Til I Die, Surf’s Up
The lowlights: Student Demonstration Time, A Day in the Life of a Tree
My preference is for the Smile Sessions version of the title track, but the 1971 version is very close behind it.
I find A Day in the Life of a Tree to be the most disappointing song on the album and very hard to listen to because of the vocals – it could have been so amazing. The whole “Jack Rieley sounds like a dying tree” thing doesn’t do it for me. Dennis could have really hit that “dying tree” note in a much more authentic and emotional way.
I don’t often sit down to listen to Surf’s Up all the way through on its own. Usually, it follows a listening of Sunflower, in a kind of “I don’t want it to be over so let’s keep this going” kind of way… even though I know it doesn’t necessarily end on a happy note.
It’s just really satisfying to hear Don’t Go Near the Water immediately follow Cool, Cool Water, like the coin has been flipped and we’re moving from this floaty, breezy world into a darker, more complicated one.
The album hangs together in a very uncomfortable way. Maybe that’s the point, with the eco/socially conscious theme running through it. As a whole, it’s a rough ride at times, and it’s poignant, angry, hopeful, goofy, embarrassing, depressing, even apocalyptic. In that regard, it may be one of their more “artistic” albums, because it elicits so many different emotions.
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Post by kds on Jan 1, 2019 9:57:52 GMT -5
Surf’s Up is one album that I’ve never been able to put my finger on and say it’s this or it’s that. I find it to be both moving and unsettling. The highlights: Don’t Go Near the Water, Feel Flows, ‘Til I Die, Surf’s Up The lowlights: Student Demonstration Time, A Day in the Life of a Tree My preference is for the Smile Sessions version of the title track, but the 1971 version is very close behind it. I find A Day in the Life of a Tree to be the most disappointing song on the album and very hard to listen to because of the vocals – it could have been so amazing. The whole “Jack Rieley sounds like a dying tree” thing doesn’t do it for me. Dennis could have really hit that “dying tree” note in a much more authentic and emotional way. I don’t often sit down to listen to Surf’s Up all the way through on its own. Usually, it follows a listening of Sunflower, in a kind of “I don’t want it to be over so let’s keep this going” kind of way… even though I know it doesn’t necessarily end on a happy note. It’s just really satisfying to hear Don’t Go Near the Water immediately follow Cool, Cool Water, like the coin has been flipped and we’re moving from this floaty, breezy world into a darker, more complicated one. The album hangs together in a very uncomfortable way. Maybe that’s the point, with the eco/socially conscious theme running through it. As a whole, it’s a rough ride at times, and it’s poignant, angry, hopeful, goofy, embarrassing, depressing, even apocalyptic. In that regard, it may be one of their more “artistic” albums, because it elicits so many different emotions. I think Tree provided a perfect opportunity for a Dennis vocal. I kinda get what they were going for, but I find it baffling that a band with six lead singers released a song sung by their manager with additional (even worse) vocals from Parks.
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Post by filledeplage on Jan 1, 2019 11:11:08 GMT -5
The laughs come hard at Auld Lang Syne. Today's New Year's Eve after all, and that's a lyric from the title track to The Beach Boys 1971 album, so I figured I'd start a thread. Personally, I think the album's very good, bordering on great. It's not as consistent as Sunflower, but it's got higher highs. With a little tweaking, it could've been truly great. The great - Well, the title track is one of Brian Wilson's crowning achievements, and for my money, it's the definitive version (I prefer Carl's vocals on the first two verses). The closing track is preceded by Til I Die, which IMHO, is the final truly special magic Brian Wilson song. I think he's done a lot of good to great songs after Til I Die, but nothing on this level. Going backwards, A Day in the Life of a Tree is the first part of a stellar closing Brian Wilson trilogy. It's not as breathtaking as the closing two tracks, but still very good. However, I think it would've been in the band's best interest to have actual Beach Boys singing on the track instead of Jack and VDP. Not to be outdone, brother Carl contributes the etherial Feel Flows, a mesmerizing song. And Bruce steps up with his signature BB song - Disney Girls. The good - Album opener Don't Go Near the Water is a somewhat clunky, but often charming song, which is taken to another level with the wordless vocal coda. Carl's Long Promised Hard is a nice little number. Al's Lookin at Tomorrow is short and sweet. There's a lot of negativity around Student Demonstration Time, due to Mike's lyrics, but the performance of the song kicks ass, and I'm willing to overlook the somewhat clunky lyrics for that. The bad - Take a Load Off Your Feet is mercifully short, so it doesn't really detract from the album, but it makes Surf's Up one of several BB albums that would be great if not for one, or maybe two, songs IMO. The "What Could Have Been" - Remove Feet, and replace it with any Dennis song of the time, and you have a great album. I agree with your synopsis. It's too bad The Beach Boys didn't have a manager or an advisor who had a good relationship with Brian, Carl, and Dennis who could've intervened and worked things out with Dennis' unreleased songs. Oh, that's right, they did have such a person - Jack Rieley. A bigger tragedy that they didn't have a manager who did not play divide-and-conquer, and who brought everyone together for a united goal. He was working for one entity not two factions, for the sake of the work. It could easily have been a double LP or squeezed a couple more tracks about which have talked about before. The title track alone had the power to make a double LP happen after fans had been waiting about 5 years to get their hands on a copy. Surf's Up is a very powerful album. And, still is tremendous, after emerging from all that chaos.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2019 12:05:24 GMT -5
Surf's Up is a lot like 20/20 to me. Sort of middle of the road as an album, but definitely toward the upper end of the list. There are some amazing high points, with a few clunkers along the way.
Sorry folks but Don't Go Near the Water is such a poor way to start an album. I find the song itself to be a bit clunky and annoying. Why didn't one of the guys start it out with a spoken commentary like, "Hi! We've got some great songs for you, but first here's a public service message. Enjoy!"
Long Promised Road took me some years to warm up to, but it's actually a pretty strong song. It really rocks, and it has somewhat of a message for those who feel they need one. Imo, this should have been the lead off song of the album.
Take a Load Off This Album, er I mean Off Your Feet. Sheesh, this one's just a hot mess......A skipper for sure.
Dis-a-ney Girls--I don't like it, plain and simple. I've tried. The fact that the main hook is a corruption of the household name of the legendary Walt is just the beginning.
Student Demonstration Time is not as bad as the majority seems to make it out to be. Sure, it has a flaw or two. The siren sound effects are a bit cartoonish sounding--they should have used real sounds, or not at all (maybe we'll get a mix sans sound effects in a little over two years?). But the song rocks, and that's cool by me.
Feel Flows--Mindblowing, surreal tune. I wouldn't change a thing on this one!
Lookin' at Tomorrow--This one's ok. It can stay. My only nitpick is that it sounds much better without the phasey effects.
A Day in the Life of a Tree--Good song, maybe even borderline great, but....torpedoed by a lame vocal. The best thing about this song is that I can sing along and actually sound better (and more on key) than the singer!
"Til I Die--What can I say? Classic!
Surf's Up--Again, what can I say? Classic!
I for one don't have any problem with the concept of moving things around on this album. I regularly skip enough tunes on it to where I'm not really locked in on any solid lineup. I think it's a shame that they didn't utilize some of the other material they could have polished up (Fourth of July, etc). They could have made the album much stronger.
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Post by John Manning on Jan 1, 2019 13:29:37 GMT -5
Trust me to have missed a couple of tracks in my earlier post.
Disney Girls: easily Bruce’s best Beach Boys Song - nothing else comes close. Beautifully evocative (of a better America?) and beautifully executed. I still buy Tootsies Rolls on Skipton market because of this song, even though they give me toothache.
That said, I wish he’d given I Write The Songs to the Beach Boys instead of Barry Manilow, and that they’d given it this kind of treatment… maybe they did and we’ll hear it in a future copyright extension release. They could have made it something very different to either Manilow or David Cassidy’s versions.
Looking at Tomorrow (A Welfare Song) is excellent, a hippie vibe with a hobo heart. My guitar tutor’s transcribed this and, ambitiously, encouraged me to learn to play it. Maybe one day.
These two songs contribute to one of this album’s strong points – its variety. It has rock, psychedelia, hobo hippiedom, etherealism, environmentalism, nostalgia… I’d like to add “call to revolution” but SDT was more a call to “hide behind the sofa”.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2019 20:30:33 GMT -5
My ranking for Surf's Up: 8/10
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2019 20:34:57 GMT -5
I think Tree provided a perfect opportunity for a Dennis vocal. I kinda get what they were going for, but I find it baffling that a band with six lead singers released a song sung by their manager with additional (even worse) vocals from Parks. Right? You just start to come to terms with Jack Rieley's voice, and then VDP turns up to start the cringefest all over again. Meanwhile, the voices you long to hear are nowhere to be found, except for a teensy bit of Al. And yet it's one of their most achingly beautiful songs, vocals aside. One of the biggest oddities in the entire catalogue.
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Surf's Up
Jan 1, 2019 22:13:49 GMT -5
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Post by kds on Jan 1, 2019 22:13:49 GMT -5
I think Tree provided a perfect opportunity for a Dennis vocal. I kinda get what they were going for, but I find it baffling that a band with six lead singers released a song sung by their manager with additional (even worse) vocals from Parks. Right? You just start to come to terms with Jack Rieley's voice, and then VDP turns up to start the cringefest all over again. Meanwhile, the voices you long to hear are nowhere to be found, except for a teensy bit of Al. And yet it's one of their most achingly beautiful songs, vocals aside. One of the biggest oddities in the entire catalogue. Rieley sounds like a choir boy compared to Parks.
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Post by kds on Jan 1, 2019 22:14:58 GMT -5
9
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Post by Vale on Jan 3, 2019 7:41:54 GMT -5
9. A very very very good album, not in my top five, but I like it more and more every time I listen to it. Every song is brilliant, it has "Surf's Up" in it and "'Til I Die". "'Til I Die" is one of my favorite songs of all time, it reflects Brian's state of mind at that time; there is no better song that could have reflected that period, it had to be exactly like that. When you listen to this song, you're not just listening but it makes you think. The only song that is a bit out of line, for me, is "Student Demonstration Time", I did not say I did not like it but it's a little different from the album' style.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2019 7:51:06 GMT -5
I love this album (including the best BB cover of all). Even the much-maligned "Feet" and "SDT" do it for me. I first heard it in 1971 during a black period in my life. Side two (I didn't bother much with side one at the time) mirrored my mood perfectly.
An easy 10, as my avatar and caption would suggest.
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Post by E on Jan 3, 2019 11:22:59 GMT -5
I think it's a great album, warts and all. Feet might have sounded less out of place on Sunflower and we can all imagine the addition of at least a couple of Dennis' songs, but what the hey... And I think Tree is a wonderfully emotive number.
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Post by Beach Boys Fan on Jan 3, 2019 20:01:54 GMT -5
Let's discuss SU's cover. I'll begin - it's bad, ugly, it seems not many colors been used to paint this true abomination. Such minimalism in colors, especially when it's dark hues of colors, isn't to my taste. Besides, the subject matter depicted in the cover isn't even of fleeting interest to me.
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Post by E on Jan 4, 2019 4:33:11 GMT -5
It's an image of loss but with grace and nobility. The feeling of uneasy melancholy permeates several songs here.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2019 4:59:34 GMT -5
Let's discuss SU's cover. I'll begin - it's bad, ugly, it seems not many colors been used to paint this true abomination. Such minimalism in colors, especially when it's dark hues of colors, isn't to my taste. Besides, the subject matter depicted in the cover isn't even of fleeting interest to me. I like your use of the word discuss, hahaha. Clearly, there's no accounting for taste. What you say is the exact opposite of what I think about it.
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jh055
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Favorite Album: Sunflower. No, Friends! Um....
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Post by jh055 on Jan 4, 2019 7:39:40 GMT -5
I adore this album, except for one song, and I dislike it so much I ALWAYS skip it. SDT. It’s not an I hate Mike Love thing, it’s just so grating, with the distorted vocals and sirens, and as someone else said, it follows a sea of velvety music. Unimaginative remake, completely out of place here..hide behind your couch indeed!
whew, got THAT off my chest. Love everything else, Till I Die is hands down my favorite BW song of all time, nothing comes close for me. Day in the life would have been vastly improved had they taken an Add some music approach to the vocals using multiple Beach Boy voices, and locked Jack out of the studio, or sent him to get more joss sticks..And agree as others have said, what a great spot for a DW vocal, as it is, he is almost entirely absent here, after being such a big part of the previous album..maybe there are other takes w different vocals, I have read that Brian tried several different singers including himself. Give us a hint Mr. Linnett..
Feet is fine, it’s what The Beach Boys do; they sing about vegetables, drinking milk, patting babies, puppies, making phone calls, etc. They sing about stuff. Beautifully. The sometimes goofy, naive lyrics are part of the package, it gives them a charm that most bands don’t have..I personally love the section where Brian (maybe Al) sings “if you wanna do the right thing for em, just take a walk in the grass....”
i give this record a strong 9, a great outing for Carl as a composer, singer, producer...a spooky, absolute genius trilogy that’s all Brian, Bruce’s best song, and just beautiful singing from everyone. I wish Jack had stayed with them longer...
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Post by Vale on Jan 4, 2019 8:36:14 GMT -5
Let's discuss SU's cover. I'll begin - it's bad, ugly, it seems not many colors been used to paint this true abomination. Such minimalism in colors, especially when it's dark hues of colors, isn't to my taste. Besides, the subject matter depicted in the cover isn't even of fleeting interest to me. I like your use of the word discuss, hahaha. Clearly, there's no accounting for taste. What you say is the exact opposite of what I think about it. I like the cover too... let's say that the cover itself reflects some of the moments of Beach Boys' life at that time, which wasn't pink and flowers... especially Brian's life. If I have to associate a song to the cover, I choose 'Til I Die.
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Post by AGD on Jan 4, 2019 8:38:53 GMT -5
Let's discuss SU's cover. I'll begin - it's bad, ugly, it seems not many colors been used to paint this true abomination. Such minimalism in colors, especially when it's dark hues of colors, isn't to my taste. Besides, the subject matter depicted in the cover isn't even of fleeting interest to me. And yet, you choose to discuss it. Given that it's widely regarded as one of the very best BB covers, you have to wonder if you're saying this just for effect. The cover integrates nicely with the subject matter of the music, both colour and design. That's my opinion.
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Post by kds on Jan 4, 2019 8:42:19 GMT -5
Let's discuss SU's cover. I'll begin - it's bad, ugly, it seems not many colors been used to paint this true abomination. Such minimalism in colors, especially when it's dark hues of colors, isn't to my taste. Besides, the subject matter depicted in the cover isn't even of fleeting interest to me. I would say the same thing, except the exact opposite. I don't think cover art is really The Beach Boys' strong point, but Surf's Up is a rare time that they knock it out of the park in my humble opinion.
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Bill M
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Post by Bill M on Jan 4, 2019 15:47:40 GMT -5
FWIW, not only do I love the cover, I also love the dried up river bed photo on the inner sleeve. The whole package completely ties in with the track line up.
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