The Beach Boys Have Amazed Me
Joe Escalante ·
June 15, 2012 at 6:20am
Have you heard the new Beach Boys Album? Why is it not terrible? It's mind boggling. They can quit now. Kokomo is forgiven.
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Re: The Beach Boys Have Amazed Me
The song "Pacific Coast Highway" is probably better than the title track, but there's plenty of good stuff here.
Mar '12
Re: The Beach Boys Have Amazed Me
Joe, there's a very good review of this Beach Boys album in the Claremont Review of Books (I think). Might have been NR, but I'll check and get back to you. I recall that the reviewer also thought it was amazingly good.
Oct '10
Re: The Beach Boys Have Amazed Me
IMNSHO, it's the audio equivalent of botoxed lips, a poofed up bust or a badly-executed facelift. A total disappointment.
Jan '11
Re: The Beach Boys Have Amazed Me
Suppose you were going to design a football play that called for your wide receiver to run 50 yards in 4 seconds. You'd score every time. But you'd only design a play like that if you had confidence in your wide receiver to perform extraordinarily, every time.
When you have extraordinary talent at your command, you can design extraordinary ways to exploit it.
Brian Wilson a great songwriter, but he can write songs that other people can't attempt, simply because he knows he's got the singers to sing it.
Jun '10
Re: The Beach Boys Have Amazed Me
JE,
You should watch this, if you haven't seen it:
Charlie Rose (5/18/2012): The Beach Boys with Bruce Johnston, Mike Love, David Marks, Brian Wilson and Al Jardine (31 min.)
http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/12364
Jun '10
Re: The Beach Boys Have Amazed Me
I love it! Strange World might be my favorite track, Isn't It Time is insanely catchy, and Shelter makes great use of that trademark Beach Boys falsetto.
But then I also like Kokomo so what do I know...
Aug '11
Re: The Beach Boys Have Amazed Me
I love it, too! Am downloading it as I write this. Thanks!
Oct '10
Re: The Beach Boys Have Amazed Me
This is the only track I've heard, but they seem to have captured the old sound remarkably well. Given Del Mar Dave's opinion, I'll have to withhold judgement until I hear it all. Kokomo is a lot to atone for, not to mention Mike Love...
May '11
Re: The Beach Boys Have Amazed Me
Joe, you might enjoy Vitamin String Quartet's covers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17BytPwp3H4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOQQQ_Kzgts
Re: The Beach Boys Have Amazed Me
I must confess, Kokomo is somewhat of a guilty pleasure for me. In fact the Vandals recorded a bad cover of it once. But the critics hated it, as I remember. I guess there's a much higher bar in Del Mar, but Dave's reaction is what I expected to have. There are always fans that are looking for something that can never be delivered. I've been not delivering satisfying music to them for decades now. But when a band this advanced in years has this many amazing moments in a release like this, it deserves credit.
For the record, I listened to it on Spotify, which I love. I gladly pay $10.00 a month to get entire new albums on a whim, any time I want.
Joseph Stanko: I love it! Strange World might be my favorite track, Isn't It Time is insanely catchy, and Shelter makes great use of that trademark Beach Boys falsetto.
But then I also like Kokomo so what do I know... ยท 6 hours ago
Jun '10
Re: The Beach Boys Have Amazed Me
Kokomo was a great track very much in the Beach Boys tradition. If you don't like Kokomo, how can you like Help Me Rhonda or Barbara Ann? Or 409? Their music is tuneful and fun, and so was kokomo. I don't know about this album, but my guess is they are too long in the tooth to be provided with good songs these days.
Apr '11
Re: The Beach Boys Have Amazed Me
"...to be provided with good songs..." ?? Crime-in-ETly, man! The Beach Boys provide for themselves just fine.
Personally, I am glad for Joe's post here, having sampled tracks before ordering the CD just last night (I like having the media in hand, even if it's not an LP). Perfect timing.
Apr '11
Re: The Beach Boys Have Amazed Me
Also, like Brian makes mention of in the Charlie Rose interview linked to above, check out "That Lucky Old Sun," a more recent Brian Wilson recording. Just great stuff. Brian's still got it.
Sep '10
Re: The Beach Boys Have Amazed Me
PCH is my favorite too.
There was a recent review somewhere that said something to the effect of, "this album is better than it has any right to be."
I thought the title track was a little schmaltzy and strained, but it's growing on me more and more. If this happens to be their final album, it's excellent closure.
And yes, I like "Kokomo" too. And even a few tracks from "Summer in Paradise." Sue me.
Dec '10
Re: The Beach Boys Have Amazed Me
RE: Kokomo. Guilty. Liked it when it came out. Still do. I must confess, however, I was seriously questioning Joe's taste for much of the first verse. The chorus, however, brought an immediate smile along with a wave of Beach Boys nostalgia! Thanks for sharing, Joe!!
Jun '10
Re: The Beach Boys Have Amazed Me
Well, actually Tesla came up with the idea for radio. Marconi heard Tesla describe how the device could function in a lecture, took really good notes and then went out and tinkered until he got one to work. Whether God had anything to do with it is a matter of theological speculation and possible debate. :-)
As for the song...I don't know...I found it a bit mediocre. Nothing will surpass Good Vibrations. (Hmmm....Tesla would have liked that title and the fact that the "vibrations" were courtesy of an Electro-Theremin).
Jun '10
Re: The Beach Boys Have Amazed Me
As far as Kokomo - one of the rare instances where the song was much more enjoyable, and dare I say it, more profound than the movie it was featured in.
Jul '10
Re: The Beach Boys Have Amazed Me
Kokomo was great! Better than this C-grade Beach Boys.
Sep '11
Re: The Beach Boys Have Amazed Me
Ramones songs were just Beach Boys songs sped up.