Feel Flows: The Sunflower & Surf's Up Sessions 1969–1971
Aug 30, 2021 11:37:22 GMT -5
drbeachboy (Dirk), mfp, and 4 more like this
Post by dauber on Aug 30, 2021 11:37:22 GMT -5
I'm just gonna do the TL;DR right now: This is the best box set EVER. A gift from the powers that be at any price. An easy 10 from me!
THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS! If you still haven't gotten yours yet, you've been warned!
THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS! If you still haven't gotten yours yet, you've been warned!
Disc-by-disc:
Disc 1:
I wasn't sure I would care much to listen to the remastered Sunflower album because, well...in my collection are two vinyl copies (one UK, one US, both from BITD), the 2000 CD, and the 2012 CD. Each sound great. How much better would this one sound? The answer: I think it's actually too bright, if you can dig. For one thing, I noticed distortion in Bruce's vocal on "Add Some Music." Now, it might just be heightened awareness due to a new product, and despite listening to other Sunflower masters shortly before listening to Feel Flows, I also noticed the guitar accents in "It's About Time" ("I'm singing in my heart...") really jump out of the speakers, much more clear and pronounced backing vocal parts in "All I Wanna Do," almost 3-D vocals on "Forever" (I could almost SEE the singers!), and the 12-string on "At My Window" sounds particularly nice.
I didn't think the live performances of "Add Some Music" and "This Whole World" were very remarkable, but still cool to have. "Susie Cincinnati" is a really good live version. I'm really puzzled as to the inclusion of a live performance of the "Ohio" version of "Back Home," given that the version done back in '70 wasn't with those lyrics. The live "It's About Time" included was...not a great performance; the live version used on Made in California blows this one out of the water. And why was this not the last of the live tracks on this disc? At the beginning of the song, they say it's their last song, and at the very end of the performance, the guys are saying goodnights to the crowd!
As for the "bonus tracks":
- "Celebrate the News" -- the playback is slightly slower than we're all familiar with, but it does sound more natural. The faster speed of the previous versions is definitely more commercial, but the slower speed is more natural. The mix brings the vocals out and very de-emphasizes the backing track. Not quite as much as, say, the Perfect Harmony compilation, but still significantly noticeable. The a cappella tag? REALLY REALLY COOL!!!
- "Loop de Loop" 1969 mix -- glad to finally see this released, but honestly, it sounds pretty bad. The bootleg versions sound better. It's not, say, promo 45 dump of "Penny Lane" on the Sgt. Pepper's box bad, but still...not good.
- "San Miguel" 2019 mix -- I never noticed that "Never Learn Not to Love" ending! Then again, I never really cared for "San Miguel" (I know, I know), so it might have been there all along for all I know.
- "Susie Cincinnati" 2020 mix -- pretty cool but not really necessary; don't know why they didn't just include a vintage mix. And why the echo on Al's voice?
- "Good Time" 2019 mix -- kind of like "Loop de Loop," it sounds, well...not good. The EQ is way off.
- "Two Can Play" [what, it's not "Games Two Can Play" any more?] 2019 mix -- It's the same version that's on the Good Vibrations box, but it somehow sounds...busier. The acoustic guitar is a bit louder, and there are some vocals at the end that got buried in the previous release.
- "Cotton Fields" 2021 stereo mix -- there's a fun little banter intro before the song starts. This is much more accurate than the stereo mix on Hawthorne, CA -- the vocal fades in with a heavy reverb just as on the mono mix. And even better: THE GLITCHES ARE GONE! (or at least very significantly buried) Of the new mixes on this disc, this is easily the best one; TPTB didn't add anything that wasn't there before (like echo effects, etc.) other than just a nice little surprise intro. Great way to end the disc!
Disc 2:
Overall, really nice mastering of Surf's Up. Only listened to a couple of the tracks from that part, but they sound nice and bright.
The live tracks aren't really all that noteworthy, although it's pretty cool to hear the 1993 "unplugged" live version of "Take a Load Off Your Feet." The first half of "Surf's Up" is particularly really good, and for the second half, we hear the "Child is Father of the Man" drums -- which I've never heard on a studio version! "Student Demonstration Time" is a really cool live rendering of the song.
"Bonus Tracks":
- "Big Sur" - nothing remarkable if you're already familiar with the heavily bootlegged version, other than it sounds much better and is more likely playing back at the right speed, judging at how it lines up with A440.
- "H.E.L.P. is on the Way" - sounds like they potted down one of Mike's vocal a bit; he sounds almost single-tracked. I think it sounds a bit closer to the mix used on the Adult/Child bootlegs. A few interesting revealing moments that are buried on the previous mix.
- "Sweet and Bitter" -- if you're familiar with the version Dan posted on YouTube years ago, this will actually be new to you! It's an okay song, but IMHO not that remarkable. Good vocal from Mike though.
- "My Solution" -- of course, it's great to have this track in studio quality. There's a lot going on in this song at the end that you just can't hear on the bootleg version! The previously unheard parts sound similar to the "Happy Birthday Mike" song from the Head soundtrack. Sounds like they added echo to Brian's narration; at least, the bootleg version had Brian's voice very dry.
- "4th of July" 2019 mix - nothing really significantly different from the 1993 release; better overall sound, but that's about it.
- "Sound of Free" single mix -- great to finally have this thing!! Only mono track on the whole box, IINM.
- "Lady" 1970 mix -- Glad to finally have an untampered version of this!!
- "Seasons in the Sun" -- sucks. Because it's "Seasons in the Sun." I hate the song so freaking much. I skipped over it. I can only assume it sounds sonically better than on the Christmas bootlegs.
Disc 3:
- "Slip On Through" track and backing vocals -- I'm not a fan of the backing vocals in the verses; they sound warbly and off-key. Glad to finally hear the words in the chorus backing vocals though: "Baby believe that I do love you, love you..."
- "This Whole World" long version track and backing vocals -- It's so cool to hear the guitar and drums that are buried in the commercial release. Shortening the song, though, was the right idea!
- "Add Some Music to Your Day" track and backing vocals -- Suddenly hear a conga that I never heard in the song before! And the guys singing a divine E-major-7 chord during the bridge...wow!
- "Deirdre" backing track -- does nothing but confirm my long-held belief that "Deirdre" is basically Bruce's version of "D.W. Washburn"
- "It's About Time" track and backing vocals -- Because the first thing you hear is "Let it go, now, all the way!" you'd think you're about to hear the old bootlegged percussion-and-organ track, but nope -- it's the whole backing track. The vocals are so in your face. And the bass at the end...so freakin' cool!
- "Tears in the Morning" track and backing vocals -- way too much brass.
- "Cool, Cool Water" 2019 mix - the organ drone from the original "water" chant is intact! The 1967 section has a lot more vocal parts than I'm used to hearing! The 1970 portion just jumps right in - no fade or nothing.
- "Break Away (tag)" backing vocals excerpt -- I thought this was just gonna be that multi-layered "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH" thing that was booted under the title "Harmony Friends." Nope -- it's the low-pitched "Break, wake" backing vocals that I used to think were slowed down -- now I'm not so sure!
- "Add Some Music" vocals only -- actually sounds a bit different from the Hawthorne, CA version; some previously buried vocal parts are revealed.
- "Got to Know the Woman" a cappella -- HOLY CRAP!!! If you haven't heard this yet, make sure you're sitting on a sturdy, reliable surface before you listen!
- "All I Wanna Do" a cappella -- Mike sounds really good.
- "Forever" a cappella -- a completely different lead vocal take with some different lyrics! (IMHO, the lyrics that were on the released version are definitely better.)
Disc 4:
- "Long Promised Road" track and backing vocals -- I can actually hear Brian on this one.
- "Take a Load Off Your Feet" alternate vocal -- not the bootleg version, but it actually sounds like it's just a guide vocal from Al. Brian half-speaks, half-sings the bridge.
- "'Til I Die" long version with alternate lyrics -- It's the famous Desper mix, really, but the first half sounds brighter than before and has some extra vibraphone stuff. The alternate "positive" lyrics, though, sound forced and out of place here.
- "Surf's Up" 2019 mix with Brian on vocal -- *yawn* been there, done that. Nothing remarkable. Yet another sync with the 1966 demo.
- "It's a New Day" -- bootleg version but of course with much better sound quality, so much so that you'd think you're listening to a completely different recording! Now...after the song is over and shortly before the next track starts, there's a sudden burst of music that lasts maybe a quarter of a second...don't know what that's about. (It's not part of the next track.)
- "Baby Baby" -- just...weird and goofy! Fun listen, a basic 12-bar I-IV-V7 pattern with improvised lyrics. The liner notes say it's Dennis singing it, but it doesn't really sound like him (for the most part).
Disc 5:
- "This Whole World" w/alternate ending - completely different lead vocal take with slightly different lyrics, and Brian on the "when girls get mad at boys" part. As my notes say: "The ending is HELLA different!"
- "Add Some Music" w/alternate lyrics -- basically, just a boot killer. Some of the instruments -- again, with the conga -- are more audible.
- "Don't Go Near the Water" alternate version -- in my notes, I wrote "wtf?!" The lyrics in the first verse cross the fine line between bizarre and disturbing.
- "Surf's Up" 1971 remake track with Brian's vocal -- again, another sync with Brian's 1966 demo. Now...I could have sworn that those in the know said that the guys tried to re-record the first half of the song rather than just use the January 1967 track. Well...that sounds exactly not like what was going on here. It sounds like they took the 1967 track, potted down a couple of tracks, and overdubbed a few other instruments. I mean, some of the instruments sound a bit too dead-on balls-accurate for this to be a completely new 1971 recording. Regardless, they made the right decision by not using this.
- "Soulful Old Man Sunshine" 2019 mix -- completely different lead vocal take. The intro is different and less in-your-face. It sounds like Carl put a lot more grit into this vocal. Now...the thing is, Carl doesn't sing the flawed "shunsine." If it's true that that's why he didn't want the song released, because he didn't want that vocal flub heard, why couldn't they just Frankenstein the correctly-sung line into the other version?? Lots of distorted guitar that sounds like it was flown in from the Monkees' Headquarters sessions! Interesting listen, but the version released in 1998 and 2013 is much better.
- "It's Natural" - never heard of this song before the box came out. It's...so-so, really. Mike sounds flat on it. It sounds like it could have been written by Brian circa 1976-1977.
- "All of My Love / Ecology" - Wow...The "river run" part is pretty divine. Part of it sounds like "River Song" and "Tiny Dancer" had a love child.
- "Before" -- I knew the instrumental track previously as a section of "Quad Symphony." Glad to have this in studio quality AND with some vocals!
- "Behold the Night" -- this track actually didn't do much for me, but it was clear that Dennis was getting into an amazing zone.
- "Old Movie (Cuddle Up)" -- basically, an alternate instrumental track very similar to what we know from "Cuddle Up." Now...I always pointed out how "I know a man who's so in love" has the "Wouldn't it be nice to live again" melody, giving me the impression that the latter begat the former, but...even though the words aren't here, that part of the song is -- and this recording pre-dates "Live Again" by a couple of months, so...who knows?? Very beautiful track though.
- "Hawaiian Dream" -- a masterpiece from Dennis. It sounds unfinished, yet it still sounds finished. It's like "Let's Go Away For Awhile" meets Wondermints' cover of "Full Moon (Tropical Blend)". When the vocals kick in...wow! Part of me wonders why this wasn't included on Surf's Up, but another part of me doesn't know when in 1971 it was recorded, so it might have been too late.
- "I've Got a Friend" - totally new to me; haven't even heard an audience recording. I love it when the drums kick in.
- "Back Home" alternate version -- wow, it actually has some of the 1963/1976 melody in it! Any other time I heard a 1970-ish version of "Back Home" the melody was a bit closer to that of "Merry Christmas, Baby."
- "Won't You Tell Me" -- very surprising track! We get to hear a bit of Murry in the control booth. And really, the song is very nice! Beautiful melody and nicely crooned by Brian.
- "Slip On Through" early track -- meh. Just a bit much, I think. And that it has a concert-style ending almost makes me want to think this was a rehearsal for a concert. Of course it wasn't, but...
HOW IT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER
Seriously, you'd have to struggle to find ways to improve this set. But I did. 
For one thing, the live tracks should not have crossfaded into each other; even the audience sounds were way different across performances. Also, I really don't like the way the CDs are held in place. This is not unique to Feel Flows but appears to be the norm now; it's all too easy to scratch the playing surfaces the way the discs slide out. And...the otherwise well-done liner notes obviously weren't proofread. There were some typos and some really awkward sentence structure that I had to read multiple times to parse and understand.
For one thing, the live tracks should not have crossfaded into each other; even the audience sounds were way different across performances. Also, I really don't like the way the CDs are held in place. This is not unique to Feel Flows but appears to be the norm now; it's all too easy to scratch the playing surfaces the way the discs slide out. And...the otherwise well-done liner notes obviously weren't proofread. There were some typos and some really awkward sentence structure that I had to read multiple times to parse and understand.I don't like that there's zero indication in the liners as to dates and venues for the live tracks -- we're only given years.
WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE IF THEY (COULD HAVE?) INCLUDED (but lack thereof nonetheless doesn't affect the greatness of the box):
- "Feel Flows" with the "surface joy" lyrics
- "Feel Flows" without the preverb effect on Carl's voice
- The "hypnotize me, Van Dyke!" "Sail On, Sailor" demo
- a concert version of "I've Got a Friend," even an audience recording, just so we can hear the melody or a hint of lyrics
