The Beach Boys: Turn That Frown Upside Down, 1967-71 - IV. 20/20

Once more unto the beach, dear friends!

Welcome back again for the fourth album, '20/20', and fifth installment overall of my Beach Boys Retrospective series (click for the full Spotify playlist), 'Turn That Frown Upside Down, 1967-'71' covering the years after 'Pet Sounds' and the collapse of the 'SMiLE' sessions through to the final release of material from those sessions on the 1971 album 'Surf's Up'. 1968 was a pivotal year for the Beach Boys when Brian Wilson's reclusion from life and the band began in earnest. Also covered is Dennis Wilson's unfortunate association with convicted murderer and cult figure, Charles Manson. '20/20' is generally regarded as the weakest album from the period and yet, I wouldn't say there's a bad song on it. In fact, much of the material still stands up today as among the best in the Beach Boys canon. There's still a wealth of fantastic material on the album despite much of it being made without Brian who had briefly institutionalized himself during early sessions for the album. It was the end of the lofi, home studio era and the beginning of the Beach Boys' most democratic era, forced by necessity to make up for Brian's withdrawal from the group's activities. It would culminate in a very prolific year and a wealth of material that would be drawn from to complete their next album, 'Sunflower' (1970), which is now regarded as one of the best albums they ever made.

But the road is traveled by walking one step at a time, so until then, here are my selected tracks from '20/20' ...

 The Beach Boys: Turn That Frown Upside Down, 1967-71 - IV. 20/20

No Brian

20/20
- released 10 February 1969                  
Produced by Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Bruce Johnston, Dennis Wilson, Al Jardine

    '20/20' would be the 15th studio album released by the Beach Boys, so named because it was their 20th album overall with the inclusion of live albums and 'best of' collections. This included 'The Best of the Beach Boys Vol. 3' and 'Stack-o'Tracks'--an album of the instrumental backing tracks to songs spanning their history; both albums were hastily released by Capitol Records after the dismal chart showing for the Beach Boys' previous album, 'Friends'. The former, while successful in the UK (no. 9), fared worse in the States then even 'Friends' had, only reaching no. 153; the latter failed to chart at all in either country, a failure fortunately not duplicated until 1992's 'Summer in Paradise', the only album on which Brian Wilson was entirely absent. As it was, Brian was present on fewer than half of the songs recorded specifically for '20/20' with three unfinished songs having been pulled from the archives to complete the album. Most significantly, two of those tracks were pulled from the unfinished 'SMiLE' sessions: "Our Prayer" and "Cabinessence".

Also no Brian

    '20/20' was essentially a grab bag of tracks with no particular uniting theme as had been the case with several previous Beach Boys albums: 'Little Deuce Coup' (1963), 'All Summer Long' (1964), 'Pet Sounds' (1966), and 'Friends' (1968) being the most obvious examples. This album in comparison was compiled of whatever material, released or unreleased, was available; three of the songs--"Do It Again", "Bluebirds Over the Mountain", and "Never Learn Not to Love" had been released on the two singles preceding the release of '20/20'. "Do It Again", released only two weeks after 'Friends', would be included on many international versions of that album. '20/20' also included three covers, the most on a standard studio album since their second, 'Surfin' U.S.A.' (1963). Apart from the unplugged 'Beach Boys Party!', only three covers had been recorded on all of their studio albums since 1965's 'Summer Days', suffice to say that the group was struggling for material.

Note the date. Manson was already bad 
news when Dennis met him.
(Definitely NOT Brian)

    Technically, you could say the album had a fourth cover, though it was not credited as such. Of course, I'm referring to the song originally called "Cease to Exist", written by infamous cult leader and convicted murderer, Charles Manson, written apparently by Manson on behalf of the group to address their internal struggles. (Yeah... probably not the guy you want giving you advice on how to keep your family together.) As mentioned previously, Dennis Wilson had befriended Manson in April of 1968. Shortly thereafter, Manson and his "Family" crashed and essentially took over Dennis's Sunset Boulevard home; apparently, this arrangement was more or less copacetic until December of that year as Dennis spoke fondly of Manson in an interview printed in Record Mirror at the time. This was after the Manson Family had been evicted from the house as Dennis chose not to renew his lease; he had also spent as much as $100,000 of his own money supporting the Family, including on treatments for many of the members' persistent gonorrhea. (Yikes!) In the meantime, Dennis had introduced Manson to several musical associates including Terry Melcher (Byrds and later Beach Boys producer, as well as co-writer of "Kokomo") who, according to engineer Stephen Desper, co-produced several of Manson's songs at Brian's home studio with Dennis. These recordings have never been, and perhaps will never be, released. (Dennis, in the aftermath of the Tate-LaBianca murders, apparently told prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi that he had destroyed them because "the vibrations connected with them didn't belong on this earth.")

    Things did come to a head that December, however, and Dennis dissociated himself from Manson after Family members wrecked both his Ferrari and Mercedes Benz, but especially after the release of "Cease to Exist", recorded the previous September (following the release of 'Friends'), retitled "Never Learn Not to Love"; the song was released as the B-side to "Bluebirds Over the Mountain". Changes to the lyrics (such as "Cease to exist" to "Cease to resist") infuriated Manson and he allegedly threatened Dennis directly. According to various sources such as Melcher and Love, Dennis was aware that Manson and the Family had, by that point, killed people and that he was personally afraid of Manson. (Van Dyke Parks, however, has suggested otherwise, that when Manson threatened Dennis, Dennis beat him up.) In any case, "Never Learn Not to Love" would be credited solely to Dennis as Manson had sold off his rights for money and a motorcycle; whether this happened before or after Dennis made changes to the song and its title are unclear. Desper, however, claimed that they denied Manson credit for the song as a result of his thievery.

    The only other thing I'll say about this song is that, while most critics at the time and subsequently have more or less slammed the song, I will say that it's not a bad track by any means. How much credit really goes to Manson and how much goes to Dennis and the other Beach Boys is debatable. At least part of the song came from Dennis as can be heard in his demo "Peaches" and the arrangement can be credited to Dennis, Brian and Carl. On behalf of the Beach Boys, it's worth listening to Manson's recording (here) and comparing it to the Beach Boys version (here)--In my mind, there's no question which one is better; Manson's version is rather manic and unrhythmic, though his voice is surprisingly good all things considered, but the Beach Boys made it into something worth listening to.

    

Brian! 
(on the inner gatefold
of the album)

    Lastly, there was Brian Wilson's absence from much of the album precipitated by his institutionalization at some point in the Summer of 1968. Though I had written previously that Brian's institutionalization likely had to do in part with his drug use and the failure of 'Friends' in the US, his family issues may have played an even larger part. One of the songs on 'Friends' as previously mentioned was about childbirth, specifically Brian's first child, which he expected to be a boy based on the lyrics of the song, "When a Man Needs a Woman". Recording for the album was completed in early April and Carnie, a daughter, was born later that month. This taken with Murry's previously mentioned letter--which if you haven't read it suggested that their mother Audrey "raised you boys almost like girls" and this was in part responsible for the Wilson boys' moral failings--has given some Redditors to theorize that Brian's breakdown was in part due to Carnie's birth, exacerbating his feelings of inferiority, not being masculine enough (because he had a daughter instead of a son!?), and his belief in his inability to be a good father.

    Early sessions for '20/20' began in May, shortly after Carnie's birth, and though several songs were attempted and left in various states of completion, only three were ever finished: "Do It Again", "I Went to Sleep" (sounding very much like a 'Friends' outtake), and Bruce Johnston's first solo contribution "The Nearest Faraway Place". The previously mentioned "Ol' Man River" was recorded at this time when tensions within the group were particularly high, and "Walkin'" in which you can audibly hear Brian throw down his headphones and say he doesn't want to sing it. "Walkin'" along with several other songs would be considered for inclusion for the following album 'Sunflower', but most would remain unheard until the 'I Can Hear Music: The 20/20 Sessions' compilation album was released in 2018.

    Sessions for the album continued in September, presumably following Brian's checking out from the psychiatric hospital, but regardless of when he was institutionalized he was still absent from most of the subsequently recorded material, though he reportedly assisted with the production, usually via Carl. Of the tracks recorded during this period, "Cotton Fields" (recorded in mid-November) appears to be the only track Brian took an active role in with Jardine having prevailed upon him to produce in hopes of repeating their past success rearranging a folk tune as they had with "Sloop John B" (also at Jardine's suggestion). Brian would remain inactive for much of the next year apart from co-writing and producing "Break Away" with his father Murry (of all people!) the following Spring.

    The next couple of years, despite the setback of Brian's institutionalization and withdrawal from the Beach Boys, would see a resurgence of activity from Brian as well as a significant increase in song contributions from other band members. Dennis, in particular, would come into his own as his songs would dominate the next album 'Sunflower', but Bruce Johnston along with Mike, Al and Carl would all be of considerable assistance in the songwriting. In fact, the group would be so prolific in late 1969 that an album's worth of material would be left unreleased (not all of it great), a couple being released on subsequent albums, one as late as 1980's 'Keepin' the Summer Alive' (one of the weakest, especially lyrically--Looking at you, Mike!), and others being released on various compilations over the ensuing decades. Regardless, it was a very productive and musically rich time for the group, but troubles still lay ahead. They just couldn't ever shake off the specters of past mistakes long enough to regain their balance.

18. Bluebirds Over the Mountain (Ersel Hickey)    2:51

    - released as a single on 29 November 1968 (UK; no. 33); 2 December 1968 (US; no. 61)

"blue beards"!?
(French single cover)

    Although begun the previous year (September 1967), "Bluebirds" was by no means the oldest track on the album. "Time to Get Alone" dated from the following month with the oldest, of course, being the two 'SMiLE' tracks. All four tracks were completed in November of '68 for inclusion on '20/20'. Most unusual for a Beach Boys track was that "Bluebirds" was Bruce Johnston's first production credit (along with Carl Wilson). What I never knew was that Johnston's career as a musician, writer, arranger and producer preceded even Brian Wilson's. Johnston had not only done session work for Ritchie Valens, the Everly Brothers, and Eddie Cochran before joining the Beach Boys but also produced and recorded records under his own name as well as with Terry Melcher, who would go on to produce the Byrds among others as well as produce and co-write the Beach Boys late career hit "Kokomo" (1988).

    Albeit a cover of a relatively unknown early rock'n'roll song from 1958, the song even in its  original version, written and performed by Ersel Hickey, has a vaguely Caribbean flavor to it. The Beach Boys  do a fair job of elevating Hickey's version or at least making it something quite different and all their own. It's a fun song--Mike does one of his best vocals; Ed Carter lends his fiery lead licks to the cool, laid-back groove; and Johnston adds some nice touches to the arrangement such as with the song's gently winding down coda.

19. All I Want to Do (D. Wilson/S. Kalinich)    2:02

    A solid rock, R&B-inflected track from Dennis, "All I Want to Do" even has a lead guitar (again played by Ed Carter) that evokes the Beatles' own homage to the Beach Boys, "Back In the USSR". The second of only two songs on which Mike Love serves as the primary lead vocalist, it is Love at his most rock'n'roll ever in the entirety of the Beach Boys canon, and he does a fine job of it. This song's a jam, make no mistake. Of course, this song is also (in)famous for Dennis's recording just what it was he wanted to do with a groupie, audible albeit faintly in the song's fadeout.

    

20. Cottonfields (The Cotton Song) - 1970 single version (Huddie Ledbetter)    3:05

     - released as a single on 20 April 1970 (US, no. 103; UK no. 5)

    Rather than the album version of "Cotton Fields", I have gone with the single version which was not released until over a year later in the lead up to the 'Sunflower' album a few months later. The version on the album was recorded in mid-November of 1968 (after Brian's institutionalization) and would be the only new track on '20/20' on which Brian was involved in any capacity.

    In what would be a typical maneuver for the Beach Boys, Al Jardine brought this Leadbelly-penned folk tune (original version) to Brian in hopes of replicating their past success as with "Sloop John B" (US no. 3; UK no. 2). However, Jardine would be dissatisfied with Brian's arrangement and convince the group to re-record it the following year. Jardine would be proved right as the later version, while underperforming in the US, would be a hit in the UK. The album version only featured Al and Brian (along with many of Brian's Wrecking Crew chums such as Hal Blaine, Lyle Ritz, and Al Vescovo), whereas the single version was a full group effort with all the band members (apart from Brian and Mike) providing the instrumentation along with several session players including Orville "Red" Rhodes on pedal steel guitar. Al wanted to capitalize on the rising popularity of country-rock (ala groups such as the Flying Burrito Brothers) and he succeeded with the help of his fellow Beach Boys, but it's also fair to say that Brian's original arrangement laid the groundwork for the later version.

    In any case, the single version is stronger, more vibrant, and suits Al's voice particularly well. "Cottonfields" (as the later version was retitled) is a solidly enjoyable track in the Beach Boys canon if not a groundbreaking one. The band was perhaps working at its most democratic at the time and would produce some of their best work, but the period would prove short lived.

21. Time to Get Alone (B. Wilson)    2:40

    One of two tracks along with "Darlin'" that Brian Wilson initially wrote and produced for the group Redwood (later Three Dog Night), the backing track dates back to the 'Wild Honey' sessions in October of 1967. Most of the backing track had already been finished at the time and this incomplete version was included on the '1967 - Wake the World' collection; it's possible that the version by Redwood was completed prior to the finished Beach Boys version, but that one would not be release until 1993 on a Three Dog Night retrospective collection. (It's not better, so ...) Three Dog Night singer, Danny Hutton, played one of the several keyboards on the track that play on the different beats of the verse, creating a wonderfully evocative quality to the song, but his recollection of Brian's prowess in the studio even then--after 'SMiLE' had been abandoned--is worth checking out on the song's Wikipedia page.

    Carl would complete the song about a year after the initial sessions, recording the group's vocals and a few other instruments--likely with Brian's guidance--as can be seen in this 1968 video filmed during the later sessions. (Note that Brian is absent from the video.) It's a solid track with some very interesting aspects to the arrangement, such as the alternating keyboard sounds, though far less radical harmonically than many of Brian's other works. Most unusual are Brian's lyrics which portray a wintery, snow-bound scene, exceedingly rare for the surfing-inspired, summery California Beach Boys (excluding their Christmas-themed material, natch).

22. Cabinessence (B. Wilson/V.D. Parks)    3:34

2011 Mojo single cover
(for 'The SMiLE Sessions' release)

    According to the history of the 'SMiLE' period, the recording of the lead vocals for "Cabinessence" (or "Cabin Essence") set the stage for the dispute that would lead to the collapse of the 'SMiLE' sessions. It's inclusion then is fascinating, chosen as it was to close the mishmash of the album that is '20/20'. It stands apart very distinctly from the rest of the album, preceded also by the track "Our Prayer", which was slated to open the 'SMiLE' album; both of these tracks are artistically miles above the rest of the album. Though the songs on the album are all quality work, these two tracks throw into intense relief what was lost in the collapse of the abandoned project.

    The dispute occurred in late 1966 during vocal sessions for "Cabinessence". Van Dyke Parks was called into the studio to explain some lyrics that Mike Love felt uncomfortable with. The lyrics in question were as follows:

        Over and over, the crow cries uncover the cornfield

        Over and over, the thresher and hovers the wheatfield

    Love's stated concern with the lyrics was that they were somehow a veiled reference to drug culture, which he didn't want to be associated with. I call bullshit--a sentiment shared by many commentators, I expect. In any case, a quick scan of the lyrics in their entirety should quickly make clear that the song is meant to evoke aspects of westward expansion throughout American history, beginning with the cabin-bound pioneer, through the construction of the railroads ("Who built the Iron Horse?"), and onward clear through to the modern-day truck driver as expressed by Dennis's buried lead vocal in the second "Iron Horse" section. The lyrics sung by Love at the end of the song were quite clearly evoking the agrarian developments that came with westward expansion, albeit in an oblique manner. Are not "amber waves of grain" a perfectly understandable evocation of the American countryside?

    (One commenter on a Beach Boys forum made the suggestion that the lyrics were simply inverted and can be rearranged properly as "Over and over, the crow cries and hovers the cornfield / Over and over, the thresher uncovers the wheatfield" -- This observation can be found in an extensively detailed blog on the song by Arkhonia here. Parks cites James Joyce as an influence and stated that the words were intended more to be "felt" than understood, which may also explain the peculiarity of the lyric in question and the lyrics in general.)

    The fact the Love complained about the lyric and that Parks was either unwilling or unable to explain them is one of the most frustrating episodes of the entire 'SMiLE' saga, because "Cabinessence" is an incredible piece of work, both musically and lyrically; from the gentle fireside musings to the intense cacophony of the music paired with some of the most beautifully rendered and, indeed, meaningful lyrics ever put to a Beach Boys song, "Cabinessence" achieves a real sense of grandeur and majesty that was rare in pop music at the time and is even rarer today. What's more, when one begins to consider together all of the songs and pieces of music from 'SMiLE' that were released in this period ("Heroes and Villains"; "Our Prayer"; "Cabinessence"; "Surf's Up"), the album was clearly poised to make a grand statement on manifest destiny, westward expansion, and the history of America, or at least present Brian and Van Dyke's impressions of how the country the knew came to be. 

    (A side note on the above: "Our Prayer" was intended to lead into "Gee", a 1953 doo-wop standard originally recorded by the Crows. It's my contention that the pairing of these two pieces was intended to evoke the passage from the Old World up to the present day. "Gee" was likely one that Brian heard in his youth that turned him on to music and so the pairing speaks to the historic journey of the album as a kind of overture for the listener. As a matter of fact, it turns out that "Gee" was the first rock'n'roll song that Paul Simon ever heard as he explained in an interview with Stephen Colbert, giving additional weight to the idea Brian's choice to use it in the segue from "Our Prayer" into "Heroes and Villains" was of a special significance in transitioning from Old World hymn to the music of Brian's youth and into Brian's own work, his "teenage symphony to God".)

Van Dyke Parks, c. 1978 (?)

    One of the most mysterious anecdotes to come out of the history of  "Cabinessence" in particular is in regard to a statement made by Van Dyke Parks in a 2004 interview for Paste Magazine. Made at the time of Brian Wilson's successful performance of a newly-completed version of  'SMiLE' 37 years after the project was abandoned, Parks spoke at length about the demise of the original project. On one hand, he cited Brian's drug use as a factor but also his conflict with Love about the lyrics to "Cabinessence" stating that he was "physically afraid of [Love], because Brian had confided to me what Mike had done to him." 

    Well ... that's cryptic, and Parks has never elaborated on that statement apparently either, though the implication that Mike Love could be a bully is obvious and similar behavior has been thoroughly documented over the years. Regardless of what Parks meant by the previous statement, he would also go on to say in a later interview to biographer Peter Carlin that Love "was terribly jealous of me, as it became evident that he wanted my job [as Brian's lyricist]" and that the "Cabinessence" dispute was when "the whole house of cards began tumbling down." 

     More significantly than the house of cards that was 'SMiLE' began tumbling down, but the Beach Boys as a group and Brian Wilson in particular came tumbling down with it. The main reason for the song's inclusion on '20/20' is likely a simple one--it had already been more or less completed by the time the 'SMiLE' sessions came to a halt. Brian, for his part, was firmly against putting "Cabinessence" on the '20/20' album, representing as it did what he perceived to be his greatest failure. The group, however, was in desperate need for material to complete the album and were already in dire financial straits; Brian relented probably because he didn't feel he had any choice tied as his own fortunes were to the continued fortunes of the Beach Boys, for better and for worse. By the time "Cabinessence" was finally released to the public, well over two years since the song's first sessions, Brian and the Beach Boys' fortunes had unfortunately tended for worse.

*        *        *

Well, there you have it! '20/20', the second beginning of the ... uh ... first ending ... of this five-year period in the Beach Boys history. (Dammit! Now, I can see why they had so much trouble making a satisfying documentary of the Beach Boys entire career--There's just too much of it!) Anyway, it's all fascinating stuff; it brings up so many questions about group/family dynamics, cultural expectations, views on masculinity, mental health, drug abuse and so on. There's a lot to mine here, but I would hasten to add that it's not out of some exploitative desire to lay out--once again--the dirty laundry of this particular group of guys. I really dig a lot of this music, and I hadn't necessarily expected that I would when I started listening to it. I also think there is a lot to learn from the past experiences of, well, all human endeavors throughout history; I just happen to be particularly interested in music, musicians and creators of music, especially those who exhibit real genius but seem to lose their grasp on it (or reality) for one reason or another. I hope that reading about the history behind these albums and these songs gives a deeper appreciation for the music and the people who created it.

    I have three more installments to go; the next will cover some of the music that happened in between '20/20' and its follow up 'Sunflower' with an emphasis on tracks by Brian and Dennis Wilson. Both were quite prolific at the time with Dennis working towards a solo album that would never quite materialize, perhaps as a result of the fallout from his well-publicized association with Charles Manson. It's unfortunate, because glimpses of Dennis's own genius were emerging but only slowly bore real fruit--his remarkable 1977 solo album, 'Pacific Ocean Blue'. 

    This one has gotten pretty long, so I best bring it to a close. 

    Until next time, surf's up!

    - DH

Brian with Carnie and Wendy
c. 1997

    (If anyone wonders why I haven't included "Do It Again" among the songs in this collection, it's a fine song but fairly conventional and regressive--being a throwback as it was--when compared to the great variety of material that was created in this period. However, if you'd like to hear the song, let me recommend this version made in happier times, which features Brian and his daughters--who were both born in the post-'Pet Sounds' period--Carnie and Wendy Wilson.)

The Beach Boys: Turn That Frown Upside Down, 1967-71 - III. Friends

 Aloha!

Here we are with the fourth installment of The Beach Boys: Turn That Frown Upside Down, 1967-71 Retrospective (click for the full Spotify playlist) featuring songs from the 1968 album 'Friends', the Beach Boys' fourteenth studio album, the last of the "lo-fi trilogy", and the last to be effectively led by Brian Wilson until their 1977 album 'The Beach Boys Love You'. While I've only chosen five songs from this album (one of which is an uncut version not released at the time), there are two excellent and fascinating tracks I've chosen to omit: "Busy Doin' Nothin'" and "Diamond Head". The former is a straight up bossa nova ala Joao Gilberto or Antonio Carlos Jobim, and it demonstrates just how adept Brian was at adapting and understanding diverse musical styles. The latter is described as "exotica lounge"--a sort of early term for world music--but is clearly inspired by Hawaiian music; it was co-written by Brian with three session musicians and was recorded to complete the album after the other Beach Boys had left for a tour. As such, these two tracks--as great as they are--only feature Brian and are only Beach Boys tracks by virtue of having been released on a Beach Boys record. 

As for the rest, sit back and enjoy selected tracks from 'Friends' ...

The Beach Boys: Turn That Frown Upside Down, 1967-71 - III. Friends

Friends
- released 24 June 1968                   
Produced by The Beach Boys*

    Recorded at a relatively happy time in Brian Wilson's life, 'Friends' was very nearly a return to form for the Beach Boys' musical leader. Unfortunately, it would not last long as Brian's mental health problems, likely exacerbated by increased drug use, would become acute after the release of the album and he would voluntarily institutionalize himself soon after. While it's unclear if any single cause led to Brian's decision to admit himself to a psychiatric hospital, numerous issues contributed but the failure of the 'Friends' album itself must have played a part. Whereas 'Smiley Smile' and 'Wild Honey' reached number 41 and 24 respectively in the US--'Wild Honey' despite the higher chart position, sold fewer copies--'Friends' only managed to hit number 126 and sold an estimated 18,000 copies at the time. For comparison, their first US number 1 album, 'Beach Boys Concert' (1964) attained gold status--sales of 500,000--in four weeks. (Meanwhile in the UK, the Beach Boys continued to be far more successful with the three albums reaching numbers 9, 7,  and 13 respectively.) However, 'Friends' would--like many of the group's albums of the era--receive much greater appreciation retrospectively and is now generally well regarded. Unfortunately, that appreciation came far too late for a band that was struggling with its place in the rapidly changing pop music landscape.

    Although production was still being credited to the Beach Boys*, Brian Wilson primarily took the helm for this project, even going so far as to call it his "second unofficial solo album", despite the fact that the album not only consisted of co-written material but also two songs attributed to Dennis. Carl, Dennis and Al Jardine all had a significant hand in the songwriting for the first time in the group's history. Mike Love still contributed writing to four songs on the album, but he also only recorded vocals on four of the songs as he was absent for the initial recording sessions. (More on that shortly...) While the other members contributed to the writing, the actual tracks were recorded primarily by session musicians; only a few songs--"Meant For You", "Passing By", "Anna Lee, the Healer"--may have been exceptions. But this meant that Brian was once again in charge and making use of a variety of instruments and tonal colors that had been largely absent on the previous two albums, 'Smiley Smile' and 'Wild Honey' (both '67).  Two songs on the album--"Busy Doin' Nothin'" and "Diamond Head"--only feature Brian, lending credence to the notion that the album was somewhat of an unofficial solo album.

    The songs on 'Friends' are all quite gentle, easy going or introspective. The songs dealt with friendship or feelings of love or goodwill in general ("Meant For You", "Friends", "Be Here in the Mornin'", "Be Still", "Busy Doin' Nothin'"), nature ("Wake the World", "Be Still", "Little Bird", "Meant For You" extended version), and family life including childbirth ("Be Here in the Mornin'", "When a Man Needs a Woman"). Apart from the two instrumentals, the two other songs on the album--"Anna Lee, the Healer" and "Transcendental Meditation"--did not fit quite as neatly into the overall themes of the album, and yet they were not entirely out of place either. These were among the songs that Mike Love had the most direct influence on as they were borne of the group's recent introduction to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. "Meant For You", also co-written by Love, is reflective of the inner peace experienced through meditation and helps to bring these songs together into the overall mood of the album.

Mike Love is at the far right, wearing dark blue

    The Beatles were first introduced to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in London in August of 1967. The Beach Boys--minus Brian--met him subsequently in Paris while they were on tour in Europe for the 'Wild Honey' album. Mike Love  became particularly enamored with the Maharishi's teaching and was invited to attend the training seminar in India the following year. This was the same seminar that the Beatles famously attended. Love arrived in Rishikesh at the end of February 1968, while the other Beach Boys began recording songs for the 'Friends' album; he would start his return journey home on March 15th, his birthday, after celebrating with the Beatles (Ringo had already left by this point), Donavon, Prudence and Mia Farrow and other members of the Beatles coterie. This would not only account for Love's absence but also for the Beach Boys continued association with TM (transcendental meditation) and the Maharishi throughout the 70s. However, it also led to a disastrous tour with the Maharishi later that year after the Beatles had already distanced themselves from the yogi in April due to rumours of their spiritual guru making sexual advances towards several women during their time there. Additionally, the recent assassination of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4th had led to riots and racial tensions that also led to cancelled shows during the preceding tour supported by the Buffalo Springfield. (Shortly after this, Dennis Wilson also began his association with Charles Manson, but more on that when we get to '20/20', the following album.) The tour with the Maharishi was cancelled after only five shows due to poor ticket sales--at one 16000-capacity venue, less than a thousand people showed up. These were difficult times but hopes were high perhaps that the album, released the following month, would turn their fortunes around.

    Unfortunately, this was not to be. At some point in the weeks following the release of 'Friends', Brian's mental health began a precipitous decline. Danny Hutton, friend of Brian's and singer for Three Dog Night, said that during the summer of '68 was when Brian's "real decline started." Tensions peaked during session in which the group attempted an arrangement of the 1927 showtune, "Ol' Man River"; Wilson was attempting to return the level of extreme perfectionism such as had originally created tensions during 'Pet Sounds', and according to music writer Bride Chidester, "he and the band seemed at the end of their rope with one another." You can hear the somewhat listless performance from the group in this unfinished recording of the song. It was around this time that Brian's first wife Marilyn quoted him saying, "Ok you assholes, you think you can do as good as me or whatever -- go ahead -- you do it. You think it's so easy? You do it." Brian's subsequent withdrawal from the band had truly began; Hutton stated that Brian had expressed suicidal wishes; Brian perceived that the rest of the group resented him; the group had lost several hundred thousand dollars due to cancelled tour dates; and the failure of 'Friends' led to their record label, Capitol, to panic and ultimately lose faith in the Beach Boys. 

    1968 as a whole would prove to be the first major low period for the band after the collapse of 'SMiLE'. While there would still be some high points, such as the hastily written and recorded "Do It Again", a self-conscious callback to their surfing days--a top 20 US hit and their second UK number 1 after "Good Vibrations"--released two weeks after 'Friends' struggled to make the charts, and signs of recovery as the Beach Boys would release two excellent albums with 'Sunflower' ('70) and 'Surf's Up' ('71), their glory days were now and forever well and truly behind them. The music scene was changing; the 60s blues explosion that birthed the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, and Cream would soon give way to the likes of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. The American music scene was trending towards singer-songwriters like Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Leonard Cohen along with the burgeoning country-rock scene spearheaded by the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers. Pop music was becoming increasingly socially conscious as well as expanding beyond psychedelia into more complex forms as concept albums and progressive rock came to the fore. 'SMiLE' would very much been a part of these developments had it been completed; it would have preceded the Beatles' 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'; it would have been musically and lyrically progressive (as tracks released on subsequent albums would bear out); and it would have been socially conscious, reflecting as much of it did on American as it was and as it came to be. 

    Brian Wilson's January '68 interview with Jamake Highwater gives us a Brian that was together and hopeful, looking forward to making new music. He seemed genuinely impressed with the benefits his bandmates had gotten from transcendental meditation. In hindsight, fans of the group could have hoped that this was the turning point for Brian and the Beach Boys, that 'Friends' would hail a more collaborative dynamic within the group, and that they would continue to develop as a unified whole, but it was not to be. In hindsight, it's amazing the Beach Boys continued at all. In many ways, I believe it would have been better if they hadn't, but the demands of the business, high living, and financial burdens likely required that they carry on. After all, they had been a group since most of them were teenagers--what other life did they know?

13. Friends (B. Wilson/C. Wilson/D. Wilson/A. Jardine)    2:32

    - released as a single on 8 April 1968 (US no. 47; UK no. 25)

    Believing there weren't enough waltzes in contemporary pop music, Brian adapted the original song from 4/4 into waltz time. While a relatively straightforward song structurally, "Friends" does have some unusual qualities harmonically. There's the half-step up in key (from D to Eb) mid-verse; the harmonic planing of 7th and major chords up a D-lydian scale at the end of the verse; along with--typically of Brian--the overall harmonic ambiguity of the song. (It floats around the key of D but never settles on a particular mode.) 

    Brian was also making more elaborate use of session musicians with vibes, upright bass, saxophone, strings, and harmonica (the bass harmonica, when the harmony changes to Eb, rhythmically plays two against three--an especially nice little touch) just to name some of the colors utilized. The drums, played with brushes rather than sticks, also adds to the songs easy-going vibe. 

    After all, the song is about friendship. On first listen, I didn't think it was necessarily about the singer's male friends and, even after reading the lyrics, the gender of the friend is ambiguous. The line "I talked your folks out of making you cut off your hair", for examples, evokes the song "Caroline, No" ("Where did your long hair go?"), so my initial impression was that it was about a female friend. Rhonda, perhaps?

14. Be Here in the Mornin' (B. Wilson/C. Wilson/D. Wilson/M. Love/A. Jardine)    2:17

    Another waltz albeit with a bit of a Hawaiian vibe, this one was another collaboration with everyone but Johnston contributing. It also features additional vocals provided by Brian's first wife Marilyn and the Wilson's father, Murry. Murry's presence is slightly surprising considering he'd been fired as the group's manager in 1964; however, he was still involved in the group's publishing as head of Sea of Tunes having taken sole ownership in 1965 due to a verbal agreement with Brian. (This handover came partly in consequence of a rather vitriolic letter Murry wrote to Brian on May 8th, 1965--it is astounding and speaks to the troubled dynamics within the family.) That and, of course, he was still father and uncle to four of the six Beach Boys.

    Musically, this one is also fairly straightforward in many respects; the chord progressions for the most of the song are standard ones (I, IV, iii7, vi--in the verse; I, vi7, IV, ii7, V7, I, IVsus4-3--in the chorus). However, the alternating lines of the verse, like "Friends", plane harmonically across major chords that are further emphasized by the parallel harmonies in the vocals; the parallel octaves in the bass and top tenor vocals create a particularly unusual sound that I find quite interesting. Even more unusual is the fourth line (the wordless "ooh ah ah ah ah") is only two bars--one in 3/4 and the second in 4/4. Touches like these, along with Jardine's vari-sped up vocals and the flange added to Carl's second chorus vocals, are what makes songs like this fascinating. 

15. Passing By (B. Wilson)    2:24

    A chill instrumental somewhat typical of a certain strain of music throughout the era, one could imagine "Passing By" being used in a soundtrack about the hip, swinging youth. That doesn't exactly sound like a ringing endorsement, but it is. Quincy Jones was known for his soundtracks in the '60s and I could see this tune fitting in nicely with some of his music from the era. It's also got plenty of harmonic flavor with numerous 7th chords--major, minor, and diminished--throughout. While harmonically centered around Eb with interludes that move to the dominant key of Bb, chords will also shift from major to minor--the first phrase of the verse begins with an Eb-major7, the second phrase with Eb-minor7; the verses end with a Bb-minor to Bb-major. The outro of the song simply alternates Eb-major7 and Eb-minor7 as the melody repeats and adjusts accordingly to the shifting harmony. It's subtle but effective.

    This may also be one of only a couple of songs on which many of the Beach Boys themselves play with Brian on organ, Johnston on keyboard, Carl on guitar, Jardine on bass, and Dennis on conga. These last two are not certain, however. Lyle Ritz, a member of the Wrecking Crew, covered the bass parts for most of the album but theses parts were often doubled with both electric and upright basses being recorded. Jim Gordon, another Wrecking Crew member and later of Derek & the Dominoes fame, played drums on most of the tracks--as this track features drums and congas, it's possible Dennis played the latter.

16. Little Bird (D. Wilson/Steve Kalinich)^    2:02

    Probably my favorite track on the album, it's like an R&B song got together with a Disney song and made a baby and that baby was "Little Bird", the first song credited to Dennis Wilson along with poet Stephen Kalinich. Kalinich, with whom Brian would the next year produce the album 'A World of Peace Must Come', stated that Brian in fact rewrote most of the music for the track but didn't take any credit as a way of helping out his younger brother. This is borne out by the fact that a section of the unreleased 'SMiLE' track, "Child is Father of the Man", can be heard in the penultimate section the song with the muted trumpet.

    Otherwise, this is a relatively simple tune harmonically; each section only has two chords that alternate. However, each section of the song essentially transposes to another key, so the harmony has different feeling each time around with only the initially G-minor and D-minor7 chords of the verse repeating with regularity. Other touches like the syncopated bass of the verses, the cello arrangements, the counterpoint of the wordless vocals, the horns on the bridge, and of course the banjo all contribute to making this a really unique song. One of my favorite moments in the song comes just about halfway through when Dennis sings "mow the lawn"; the backing vocals are doing a heavy, shimmering, hummed vibrato--an unusual effect in general, but especially for the Beach Boys who otherwise rarely used vibrato.

    Finally, the final verse, in which Dennis is joined by the others, is the only one to have a harmonic shift mid-section; the vocal harmony ends on a suspended chord ("life") as the chord progression transposes from G-minor to C-major. The final section is, in my opinion, very much like something you would have heard in a Disney movie such as Robin Hood or Song of the South--it just a bit of that vibe, especially with the lyrics being what they are. What's more, Brian would release a solo album of Disney songs in 2011, 'In the Key of Disney', and Disney was no less a California institution than the Beach Boys. Either way, it was the first song that I'd ever heard sung by Dennis and it immediately jumped out as one of the coolest on the album, even for all its "Disneyfication".

17. Meant For You - alternate version with session intro (B. Wilson/M. Love)    2:17

    Finally, although this song opened the album with a 38-second edit, I've included the full length version here for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the full length version clocks in at 1:50 and considering that one criticism of the album was how short it was at 25 and a half minutes, it seems strange that they would cut so much of the song. (For a comparison, the two longest songs together on Jimi Hendrix's double album, 'Electric Ladyland', released that same year, are longer than 'Friends' in its entirety.) What's more, the two lines cut from the song, sung by Brian, were very much in keeping with the spirit of the album with references to love, family, friendship, and nature. It's a very gentle, welcoming song to bring listeners into the spiritual space the album inhabits. I, for one, think it was a mistake to have cut it.

    Secondly, the extended version linked above begins with some of the session chatter; here you can hear Murry advising Brian from the control booth. They seem to be getting on well; considering what the Wilson family had gone through up to that point, it seemed they were still trying to work things out and find ways to get along with each other. It's not for us to know whether Brian and his brothers ever really made peace with their father, but the relationship would continue to be up and down until Murry's passing in 1973. Though this song, likely inspired by Mike's introduction to TM after having been introduced to it by Dennis, speaks of peace in one's mind and the feelings in one's heart, the history of the Beach Boys would continue to be a tragic one. 

    

*            *            *

With that, the golden era of the Beach Boys was definitively over as Brian's mental health issues led him to institutionalize himself and withdraw further from the group. While he would continue to write some new material for the group over the next 2-3 years, the bulk of it would be drawn either from the 'SMiLE' sessions or from other not yet completed material. The new material that he would complete would be some of his most deeply personal music and speak volumes as to the personal turmoil he was going through. The other Beach Boys, in the meantime, would soldier on with each of its members contributing to various degrees but with Dennis Wilson and Bruce Johnston most significantly filling in the gaps. While not successful at the time, a couple of these later albums have come to be highly regarded and I have to agree, they're good. So, until next time ...

Surf's up!

- DH

The Beach Boys: Turn That Frown Upside Down, 1967-71 - II. Wild Honey

 Wellity wellity wellity!

Back again, are you, for some in depth analysis or profoundly poetic musings on one of America's greatest bands? If so, this may be the wrong page for you! These analytical musings definitely fall somewhere in the middle of that particular spectrum, but if you are interested in learning about The Beach Boys and their history at what were arguably the most critical years for them as a group, both collectively and individually, and hearing the songs that were created at that time, then this is ... definitely a place for that! ... If nothing else ...  (As before here is the complete playlist on Spotify.)

So without further ado, here are my selected tracks for 'Wild Honey' ... 

The Beach Boys: Turn That Frown Upside Down, 1967-71 - II. Wild Honey

Wild Honey

 - released 18 December 1967                   Produced by The Beach Boys

    Released exactly three months after 'Smiley Smile', 'Wild Honey' continued the generally lo-fi approach to recording that Brian Wilson had begun with the previous album but with more conventional song structures and lyrics. This album also had the strongest R&B flavor of any Beach Boys record up to that point. (They had previously covered Bobby Freeman's "Do You Wanna Dance?" featuring Dennis Wilson on lead vocals on the 1965 release 'Today!') Apart from writing and recording their own heavily R&B-influenced songs, the group also did a respectable cover of Stevie Wonder's "I Was Made to Love Her"--a No. 2 hit for Wonder the previous July.) 

Carl Wilson was a noted fan of Motown and, as such, sang more lead vocals than on any previous Beach Boys release with four lead and at least two co-lead vocals, a trend that began with 'Smiley Smile' and would only continue as Brian became less and less willing to contribute both musically and vocally. Brian would also, with this album, begin asking his youngest brother take on more production duties.

    As mentioned in the previous post on 'Smiley Smile', "Mama Says" was originally part of the 'SMiLE' song, "Vegetables", but whereas both the 'SMiLE' and 'Smiley Smile' versions of the song were credited to Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, "Mama Says" excluded any credit to Parks and credited Love instead. Regardless of whether "Mama Says" was properly credited or not, 'Wild Honey' marked the first time since 'Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)' that Love had served as Brian's primary collaborator. (Of that album's 12 songs, Love was originally only credited on one song, but seven more credits were added after the 1990s court case brought by Love against Wilson that represented the climax of that particular battle but one that has left lasting scars on the group's legacy.*)

    'Wild Honey' was also the first album since the aforementioned 'Summer Days' on which the Beach Boys served as primary instrumentalists and not since 'All Summer Long' (1964) had they played the bulk of the material themselves, although only Brian, Carl and maybe Dennis performed on most or all of the tracks. Bruce Johnston, who had joined the touring band as Brian's replacement in '64 and soon after became an official member, skipped the 'Smiley Smile' sessions entirely but would take on a greater role on subsequent albums; however, his absence from the previous album would represent the beginning of a trend in which each of the core members would have varying levels of involvement throughout future albums. (Dennis, for example, was only present on two songs for 1971's 'Surfs Up'.)

    Most significantly, the harmonies for which the Beach Boys had become famous are largely absent on 'Wild Honey' with vocal arrangements that were leaner and looser. While on one hand, this approach was perhaps fitting in the R&B context of the album, it may also have been part of an attempt by the group to counter their reputation as "choir boys" or--as Jimi Hendrix quipped after the release of "Heroes and Villains"--a "psychedelic barbershop quartet."

    Though 'Wild Honey' would attain a positive retrospective reassessment in the future, it was the Beach Boys worst selling album ever in the US at the time, underselling even their debut album 'Surfin' Safari' (1962). The album had its fans even then, however, including Jim Morrison of The Doors and producer Tony Visconti. Largely viewed as an inconsequential album at the time, 'Wild Honey' failed to turn the tide back in the Beach Boys' favor and their fortunes continued to dwindle as serious self-doubts, poor financial decisions and regrettable associations continued to dog them through the rest of the decade. 

6. Aren't You Glad (B. Wilson/M. Love)    2:15

    Sitting comfortably between the weirdness of 'Smiley Smile' and their earlier material, 'Aren't You Glad' is charming song that makes the best of the lo-fi style in which Brian was then working but with the addition of sessions musicians. (While it appears certain that Brian and Carl play on the track, it's not clear if any of the other Beach Boys did.) The odd guitar and organ parts in the pre-chorus ("I got a heart that just won't stop beating for you") bring to mind the music of the animated kid's show, Spongebob Squarepants--slightly discordant, imprecise, and childlike in execution but endearing for that very reason. And whatever qualms I may have with Mike Love's behavior and personality, he was doing some of his best singing in these years and this song is just one example.

7. A Thing Or Two (B. Wilson/M. Love)     2:40

    Even more evocative of the music of Spongebob Squarepants is this song, "A Thing Or Two". Appropriately described by one music critic as a "sibling" to 'Smiley Smile's "Gettin' Hungry", it is still more conventional in its overall level of production and execution. I especially appreciate Carl's singing on the track and the odd juxtaposition of the "Spongbobian" verses with the heavy-albeit-sans-drums choruses. At the time, "A Thing Or Two" was about as rock'n'roll as the Beach Boys had ever gotten, and yet the drums are so minimal--consisting primarily of hi-hat--that I can't help but wonder if Dennis wasn't absent for this one. Regardless, the song works for me because of its minimal, carefree and oddly joyful quality, a quality that happily screams, "Drums? Drums?! We don't need no stinkin' drums!"

8. Darlin' (B. Wilson/M. Love)    2:11    - released as a single 18 December 1966

   The most thoroughly produced track on 'Wild Honey' and the second single released for the album, the history of "Darlin'" is perhaps a telling one. Evolved from "Thinkin' Bout You Baby", originally written and produced for Sharon Marie, "Darlin'" was revised and rewritten by Brian as a track for the group Redwood (later Three Dog Night) along with "Time to Get Alone" (later releaser on the Beach Boys album '20/20'). The overall production on both tracks is of a noticeably higher quality; both songs utilized session players (such as long-time associate, drummer Hal Blaine) and a greater amount of time and attention to craft were clearly given to these songs in comparison to others on the album. Carl and Mike had urged--if not insisted--that Brian focus more of his energy on creating material for the Beach Boys rather than other artists. The fact that Brian was putting more effort into the work he was doing for groups or artists other than the Beach Boys suggests that he had lost interest in being a Beach Boy and would have preferred to do his own thing.

    "Darlin'" is a solid track, also worth noting for being one of the few tracks to more prominently feature the group's trademark vocal harmonies. Many of the other songs feature only limited group vocals, some only individual vocal parts, but with almost all of the other songs apart from "Darlin'", the group vocals are generally more raw and less refined than had been typical of Brian's earlier productions.

9. I'd Love Just Once to See You (B. Wilson/M. Love)     1:48

    The shortest song on the album, I have a hard time believing that Mike Love had anything to do with the writing of this song. Brian had in the past written a few songs which he was responsible for both the music and lyrics ("Surfer Girl", "The Little Girl I Once Knew", "Girl Don't Tell Me"--yes, there seems to be a theme emerging ...) and I expect that this was probably one as well. 

    It's a simple tune with a simple arrangement and straight forward, amusing lyrics. It's by no means a groundbreaking work from the creator of 'Pet Sounds' but it's very easy to enjoy. It's also one of only two songs that Brian sings the entire lead vocal on.

10. Here Comes the Night (B. Wilson/M. Love)     2:42

    One of my favorite songs for its harmonically uncentered chorus, "Here Comes the Night" also has the unfortunate reputation for one of the Beach Boys' most ill-conceived tracks but only its re-recording on their 1979 'L.A. (Light Album)' album as an extended disco track. That version, which I won't subject you to (in its entirety--ha!), was the brainchild of the recently rejoined Bruce Johnston and co-producer Curt Becher and at nearly 11 minutes--a full quarter of the album--shows how desperate the Beach Boys would eventually become for material. But forget about that version and soak in the original--it's a cool song. "Here Comes the Night" is probably one of the funkiest songs the group ever did and they did a few over the next few years. 

    A final note: This is one I also doubt Mike having been involved in writing, though I'm less certain here. The main reason for this is that only the Wilson brothers (along with session player Ron Brown on bass) were involved in the recording. Mike, Bruce and Al were all absent.

11. Let the Wind Blow (B. Wilson/M. Love)     2:18

    According to Wikipedia, "Let the Wind Blow" was written by Mike Love and "rearranged" by Brian. While I can't be entirely sure what "rearranged" means, I will say that in my opinion this surely stands as Mike Love's greatest contribution to the Beach Boys cannon. It's a one of the best on the album and, apart from the absence of Jardine and Johnston, it's pure Beach Boys--no session musicians.

12. How She Boogalooed It (M. Love/B. Johnston/A. Jardine/C. Wilson)    1:56

    Although one of the least consequential songs on the album, it's still a fun little tune. More importantly, it's the first real song (apart from the instrumental "Denny Drum's") to be written and recorded by the group without input from Brian. It is a strange song. It doesn't really have a chorus. It lacks any of the typical Beach Boys harmonies. But it has a solid riff and drive to it, and Carl's vocals (probably utilizing vari-speed) hold it together. In any case, it would signal the beginning of the other Beach Boys contributing material to the group's records.

*        *        *

* Oh, about that asterisk from earlier ... I just had a thought on the recent 'The Beach Boys' documentary that was released earlier this year. First of all, I enjoyed it; it was well put together by Frank Marshall and gave a good overview of the Beach Boys founding and career through to ... well, just the mid-70s really. This shortcoming of the film has been remarked on by many apparently, but my biggest critique is in regards to what seems to be its revisionist history in one major respect. Again, we're talking about Mike Love's contributions. The doc leans noticeably into this narrative that Mike's lyrics were an essential part of the group's success, and even in a promotional video of the film's premiere, guests were repeatedly bringing up Love's contributions as if it were a prepared talking point.

    So, ok, forget about the debate about Love's contributions and just look at the songs themselves. Even among the Beach Boys' early hits, Brian collaborated with several people: Gary Usher, Roger Christian, Tony Asher, and Van Dyke Parks. So based on that alone, I find the emphasis on Love's contributions slightly disingenuous. But further considering that many of Love's contributions only came after the 90s court case and the extent of his contributions were in some cases very limited--on "I'm Waiting For the Day", Love apparently only revised eight (8!) words of Brian's original lyrics--I'm tempted to call BS ... but it doesn't really matter, does it? It's well-documented that Love had a tendency to complain about other people's lyrics and occasionally worm his way into a credit. "I Get Around" is one case in particular; Love called Brian's original lyrics "pussy lyrics"--the original verse was "Well there's a million little girls just waitin' around / But there's only so much to do in a little town / I get around from town to town"--which makes me just want to ask WTF Mike was talking about. So AGAIN Brian had already written lyrics to the song and Mike revised them, in that case, because he had forced--it would appear--his opinion of the original lyrics on Brian. Would it be any surprise Brian wanted to write with people other than Mike Love? Not if that's the kind of working relationship they had, it isn't.

Well, that's enough of that! Coming up will be my selected tracks for 'Friends', the failure of which was truly the beginning of the end for Brian Wilson as the band's main musical force; however, the album was also the beginning of the rest of the group making significant writing contributions. Dennis Wilson in particular began to develop his skills as a songwriter and singer, but the band's troubles would also continue and their previous level of success only slipped further away ...

Until next time!

- DH

The Beach Boys: Turn That Frown Upside Down, 1967-71 - I. Smiley Smile

Surf's up, y'all!

Here is the first part of my track-by-track rundown of the Beach Boys 1967-'71 playlist with some brief notes on the albums and the tracks themselves, detailing why I like them, they're unusual or otherwise of historical note. In the telling of these albums and songs is the telling of the Beach Boys themselves in their attempts to wrestle with their rapidly declining fortunes, the mental decline of band leader Brian Wilson, and status as virtual pariahs to the musical press. It was a bleak time for the band that birthed the surf and sunshine of California rock'n'roll, and yet despite that they were still creating some of their most beautiful and moving work.

So without further ado, here are my selected tracks for 'Smiley Smile' ...

The Beach Boys: Turn That Frown Upside Down, 1967-71 - I. Smiley Smile

1. Good Vibrations (B. Wilson/M. Love)    3:37                                           - released as a single 10 October 1966

   Originally a potential track for 'Pet Sounds', work on "Good Vibrations" first began in February of 1966. It was the first track in which Brian Wilson would utilize his new style of modular composition, arranging and recording a variety of fragments for each potential part of the song that could be then cut together in a variety of ways. As such, it borrows a technique essentially pioneered by composers of musique concrete, a form of composition begun in the 1940s that created sound collages by splicing different bits of audio tape together. Harmonically, "Good Vibrations" was vastly different from anything the Beach Boys had done before and the Wilson patriarch, Murry Wilson, worried that they risked alienating their audience with such a wildly different sound. However, it became a worldwide hit. Brian Wilson's reputation as a musical genius seemed certain and the song's legacy can be heard across genres from Marvin Gaye's 'What's Goin' On' to Pink Floyd's 'Money', Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and on through hip hop's cutting and sampling approach. The song itself was interpolated as recently as on Beyonce's 'Ya Ya' from her album 'Cowboy Carter' (2024).

Smiley Smile - released 18 September 1967

Produced by The Beach Boys

    As a child, 'Smiley Smile' was one of two Beach Boys albums that I recall my dad having in his record collection. I asked him recently what the other was; he said it was 'Pet Sounds' but, for whatever reason, I remember the other album being 'Surf's Up'--that particular album cover is a striking one and the complete opposite in tone to the cheerful, childlike impression given by the cover of 'Smiley Smile'. (The differences between the two covers reflect the changes that occurred for the band in the intervening years.) Regardless of which the second album was, I only clearly remember listening to 'Smiley Smile' and not all of it at that. Only a handful of tracks stuck out in my memory.

    I expect my dad bought 'Smiley Smile' primarily for "Good Vibrations", though if he does indeed have 'Pet Sounds', he--like many others who were impressed by that album's artistic virtues--may have bought the album in the expectation of a similarly adventurous and sophisticated collection of songs. While I haven't asked what his initial impressions of the album were, the reaction of the general public at the time was one of bafflement. Whereas 'Pet Sounds' had been meticulously written, recorded and produced by Brian Wilson with an attention to detail bordering on despotism--a level of obsessiveness that only increased to the breaking point with the abandoned 'SMiLE', 'Smiley Smile' was a deliberately underproduced and spare album with often weird and off-the-wall lyrics. It would be a safe assumption that Brian considered this an intentionally light-hearted and humorous project--in conjunction with 'SMiLE', he had made plans to produce a humor-based album and the Beach Boys had a history of including spoken-word vignettes. The album's lack of production also had some precedent in the Beach Boys' 'Party!' album (1965), which is now regarded as the first "unplugged" album though mostly composed of covers rather than original material. 

    On the other hand, the production of 'Smiley Smile' was also deliberately credited to the band as a whole, though Brian was still the one generally leading the sessions. Many of the sessions were held in the newly-built studio in Brian Wilson's Bel Air home; the home-spun atmosphere is evident throughout the album as is the overt inattention to perfection. But it also suggests that Brian had more or less thrown in the towel at this point; he was no longer willing to carry the burden of being the one Beach Boy solely responsible for the group's successes or failures. (It's important to note that Brian Wilson had effectively produced all of the group's albums from the beginning, though only being credited beginning with their third, 'Surfer Girl'.) The album almost comes across as a giant "F%&# YOU" to the public, the critics, and even the Beach Boys themselves. It comes across to me as his way of saying, "This is what you get when you don't appreciate the blood, sweat, and tears that I put into the Beach Boys music." For all that, it's still a fascinating album albeit one less of songs than of moods and fragments, a characterization that could be applied similarly to David Bowie's 'Low'. It's gone on to attain cult status as one of the first DIY albums and has the appreciation of artists such as Elvis Costello, Stereolab, Father John Misty, Pete Townshend, Robbie Robertson and Steven Tyler.

A side note: The 'Smiley Smile' album cover features the "Smile House" from the cover of the unreleased 'SMiLE' album. I always loved the whimsical mystery the 'Smiley Smile' cover evoked, though it was perhaps also indicative of the turmoil that surrounded the unreleased 'SMiLE'.

2. Heroes and Villains (B. Wilson/V.D. Parks)    3:36     - released as a single 24 July 1967

    Work on this song spanned nearly the entirety of the 'SMiLE' sessions with thirty session dates devoted to it at an approximate cost of $40k at the time (well over a quarter of a million in today's terms). "Heroes and Villains" was far and away the most complex work Brian Wilson had up to then undertaken. According to various sources who were working directly with Brian or were Beach Boys associates, there were multiple versions of the song with one reportedly as long as 11 minutes. The chorus section of the song was recorded in numerous permutations, some of which were incorporated into other 'SMiLE' songs such as "Roll Plymouth Rock"--likewise, other sections that were originally included as part of "Heroes and Villains"--namely "I'm in Great Shape" and "Barnyard"--were later excised and arranged as separate tracks. As such, it became difficult even for Brian to know precisely where the sessions for "Heroes and Villains" ended and other songs began.

    It's been written that Brian Wilson's troubles with auditory hallucinations--They began after his first and only acid trip in 1965--were becoming increasingly problematic at this time while they were also fueling some of his most fascinating vocal experimentations. (Wilson himself referred to the voices he heard as 'heroes and villains' as they could be alternately encouraging and abusive.) For some of the other Beach Boys, however, some of the experiments were described as "like being trapped inside an insane asylum" (Jardine) and "demoraliz[ing]" (Johnston). In any case, whereas the initial writing sessions with Wilson's lyrical collaborator Van Dyke Parks proved fruitful and recording sessions for the album in the latter half of 1966 began in good spirits, by the beginning of '67 tensions between Parks and Wilson and Wilson's bandmates--not too mention the increasing number of Brian's associates that he had accrued while the other Beach Boys were on tour for 'Pet Sounds'--were making successful completion of the project increasingly tenuous. With multiple factors--internal conflicts, mental health issues, and alleged drug use--contributing, Parks' departure in the spring of '67 significantly compounded Wilson's difficulty in constructing a finished product, comprised as it was of a vast assemblage of intentionally interchangeable parts that constituted the album as a whole.

    By June of 1967, Brian Wilson had thrown in the towel and even the version of "Heroes and Villains" initially intended for 'SMiLE' was significantly reduced in scope  with several major sections being excised from the released version. For a comparison, consider this version, which has a much more obvious Western-Cowboy vibe to it, or even this one, that is actually shorter but still significantly different. Only a portion of the backing track from October of '66 was used for the released single. The shifting tempos, "muddy" mix, and obscure lyrics all played a part in the mixed public and critical reaction to the song's release, a release for which expectations were increasingly high following the immense critical success of 'Good Vibrations' and the subsequent promotion for the unreleased 'SMiLE'. The response to "Heroes and Villains" was decidedly underwhelming and would, for several decades, be a song that Brian Wilson would refuse to discuss as it represented such a deeply personal artistic failure. It also marked the beginning of his descent into despair, increasing seclusion, and worsening mental health problems, problems which none of the people around him were prepared or adequately educated to address. In all likelihood, Brian Wilson's difficulties were only exacerbated by his inability to free himself of the Beach Boys and get the help he desperately needed.

3. Vegetables (B. Wilson/V.D. Parks)    2:08

    One of the Beach Boys' songs I most clearly remember from my childhood, it should be no wonder that a song not only as silly as this one but also a beautifully done should attract the attention of a child. Originally intended for 'SMiLE', the original version also included a section later released as "Mama Says" on the album following 'Smiley Smile' released only three months later, 'Wild Honey'. Almost entirely re-recorded for 'Smiley Smile', only the ending coda is from the 'SMiLE' sessions, but even this brief segment features some of the wildest vocal techniques that Brian had been experimenting with during the 'SMiLE' sessions.

    Although a far cry from the Beach Boys earlier work, I'd rate this as a personal favorite and not just out of nostalgia. The song's simple production and humor are perfectly balanced, though the original 'SMiLE' version certainly has its own charm. (I especially like the verse discarded from the released version--"I threw away my candy bar and I ate the wrapper..." and it includes an entirely different coda which also recalls "Heroes and Villains".) 

4. She's Goin' Bald (B. Wilson/M. Love/V.D. Parks)    2:16

    Another song I distinctly remember listening to in my childhood, "She's Goin' Bald" is even stranger than "Vegetables". Evolved from a lyrically-unrelated track from the 'SMiLE' sessions--"He Gives Speeches"--this track quickly goes into the most bizarre territory the Beach Boys had ever travelled with its vari-sped, increasingly chipmunkesque bridge (a nod to The Silhouettes "Get a Job") that passes through cartoonish, horror movie exposition and eventually ending with the "ain't nothin' upside your head" fadeout. 

    "She's Goin' Bald" is unquestionably a startlingly strange track from a group that had a reputation for being relatively square; it's amazing in hindsight that Capitol Records allowed the album to be released, though this may have had something to do with the band's lawsuit with Capitol Records earlier in the year over unpaid royalties. ('Smiley Smile' was jointly published under the Wilsons' own label, Brother Records, whereas future records--through '20/20'--were published solely by Capitol at which point their contract with the label expired in the midst of the group's most serious financial troubles.)     

    'Smiley Smile' would attain status as a cult classic, bolstered by tracks like "She's Goin' Bald", but it's still incredible to think that the song exists on an album that was released by the same group (albeit made predominantly by Brian Wilson) that released 'Pet Sounds' just the previous year.

5. Gettin' Hungry (B. Wilson/M. Love)    2:33        - released as a single 28 August 1967

    Believe it or not, "Gettin' Hungry" was technically the Beach Boys' follow-up single after "Heroes and Villains" as it was released about a month later. If "Heroes and Villains" simply disappointed expectations, this one surely puzzled the public and critics alike. However, it was not credited as an official Beach Boys single but was rather credited solely to Brian Wilson and Mike Love. ("Wild Honey", the title track of the following album, released a month later, would be the band's official follow-up.) While it was Love's first official solo release, it Wilson's second, the first being "Caroline, No" which was then subsequently released as the closing track on 'Pet Sounds'. The release of that track as a solo record could be compared to the Beatles' song "Yesterday"; written and performed only by Paul McCartney without the other Beatles, there was much debate as to whether to release that song as a solo record. "Caroline, No", the recording and release of which was not welcomed by the other Beach Boys, failed to achieve much success as a solo single. Had the single succeeded, Brian vacillated on what would've happened next but suggested the possibility that 'Pet Sounds' could have been released as a Brian Wilson solo album, rather than under the Beach Boys name.

    "Gettin' Hungry" is arguably not a very good song or at least a poorly produced one. All the same, it is a song I remember listening to and enjoying as a kid--it's charmingly quirky and the chorus is a catchy one. Faces (fronted by Rod Stewart) recorded a respectable version in 1974, albeit only released thirty years later on their retrospective collection 'Five Guys Walk into a Bar ...'. Mike Love recorded a new version with his late 70s side project, Celebration, that is sadly typical of what the Beach Boys had become by the end of that decade: an unadventurous, MOR, oldies retread nostalgia act. (It's not terrible by any means; it's just extremely typical of its time, so somewhat bland and unremarkable.) In hindsight, the original version was a masterpiece compared to much of what the band would release in its later years.

That covers part one of The Beach Boys: Turn That Frown Upside Down, 1967-71, which will hopefully not require parts for each individual album; I simply had a lot more to write about 'Smiley Smile' and "Heroes and Villains" in particular. However, for those that are interested, covering these albums and tracks in parts will give more space and time to explore more deeply The Beach Boys story. 

Until next time, 

- DH