1979 L.A. (Light Album)

Side A
 
1. Companion
2. Lady Lynda
3. Full Sail
4. Love Surrounds Me
5. Viggie
6. Almost Summer

Side B

7. It's A Beautiful Day
8. Baby Blue
9. The Monterey Saga : Looking Down The Coast
10. The Monterey Saga : Santa Ana Winds
11. The Monterey Saga : Goin' South
12. The Monterey Saga : Mexico


Continuing this series of reimagining of The Beach Boys' 70s albums
Thanks to Malcolm C. Searles for parts of this following text.

After the lows of the 1977/early 1978 Winds Of Change sessions, and the subsequent public airings of the internal animosity when there was the strong probability of the band disintegrating permanently, to pull this album out of the bag, a result of seem- ingly more harmonious sessions held at the Gibb brothers favored Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida, was a major coup. Having sold Brother Studios in summer '78 and signed a multi-million dollar deal with their new record label CBS and with Bruce Johnston returning to the fold to after leaving the band in 1972 to assist (initially on a temporary basis) with production, the sound flowed effortlessly. Their next opus would be called L.A. (Light Album).

Unfortunately however, underneath the glossy sheen and glamour that the album suggests, all was not quite as it seemed. It was business as usual. The division between the wild life- styles of the Wilson brothers and the clean living Love/Jardine axis was still causing tension on the road, coming to a head a few months before these sessions commenced, during the early 1978 tour to Australia, where excessive drug use was a clear chasm between the parties. In addition, Brian, only recently to be found holed up in a Los Angeles mental ward, was still unwilling, incapable or just downright uninterested enough in maintaining his studio production chores of yore, hence the hasty California-bound telephone call to Bruce - once their new CBS record company execs had heard what Brian had initially prepared for them (a handful of demos like "Im' Begging You Please" and a dreadful remake of "Calendar Girl"). “Gentlemen, I think I’ve been fucked...” was the much-quoted response from CBS head Walter Yetnikoff.

Dennis, meanwhile, was still looking to further his solo career, a diversion that had kicked off magnificently in 1977 with his wondrous  hit  Freckles, although he was obviously in tune enough with his fellow bandmates to offer up four compositions to the new album. Then, in addition to all of this, various marriage break-ups were also hindering the family harmonies. However, out of all the morass and chaos, arose this delightful album release, proof that the group could still combine effectively enough to produce material recalling the "Holland" and "Ecology" period. How much of it was actually a group effort is open to debate, with some numbers reportedly featuring just one or two recognizable vocalists, and including one track pulled from the unreleased first Mike Love solo album and that they there were no new joint songwriting collaborations between band members, but nevertheless – the album still flowed. Sadly, the media only chose to focus on the band's inner fighting.

While the new contract with CBS Records was calling for Brian Wilson to write and produce 75% of the songs on each new album, his contributions to L.A. (Light Album) are minimal. His presence on the album as a vocalist has only been confirmed on one song, Al's "Looking Down The Coast" and on his own version of "Almost Summer", which was co-written by him and cousin Mike for the soundtrack to the same-titled movie of the previous year. The first song attempted for L.A. was  Dennis' funky "Constant Companion", which, with an unusual samba instrumental introduction, would be the lead-off single. The finally-titled "Companion" hit #17 in the US during summer '79. His other compositions included were "Baby Blue" (sung magnificently by Carl) and "Love Surrounds Me", which were originally recorded for Dennis Wilson's never-released second solo album, Bambu. Christine McVie, with whom Dennis had recently started an intense relationship, also appears amongst the ‘special thanks’ (she assisted with backing vocal contributions to “Love Surrounds Me”). Dennis also provides the melancholic instrumental closing coda to both the "Monterey Saga" and to the album, the lovely "Mexico". Mike Love's folk-flavored "Viggie" was taken from his solo album sessions. Carl's association with lyricist Geoffrey Cushing-Murray produced two wonderful ballads, "Full Sail" and the penultimate part of the Monterey Saga, "Goin' South". Cushing-Murray also contributed lyrics to Dennis' "Love Surrounds Me". L.A. (Light Album) also spawned a top-ten hit in the UK with Al Jardine's Bach-inspired "Lady Lynda", written with Ron Altbach for his wife. Jardine recently revealed that Dennis Wilson made an uncredited contribution to the song's lush string arrangement. He also contributed to the sunny "It's A Beautiful Day", which opens side B of the LP. Closing the album's second side, Jardine also presented a suite of songs which were the spiritual sequel to the band earlier "California Saga" on Holland. Al's "Looking Down The Coast" and "Santa Ana Winds" initiate the suite with the tale of early California settlers which eventually leads to the protagonist moving with his life towards the south with the addition of Carl's "Goin' South" and Dennis' "Mexico.  

Possibly the group's weirdest moment of this period was the release of an eleven-minute disco recasting of Wild Honey's "Here Comes the Night. Released on March 16th 1979, it caused considerable consternation among fans. The song was only played live during a few dates at New York City's Radio City Music Hall in March 1979 before being dropped from the live set due to adverse audience reaction. Nevertheless, an abridged 4:34 radio edit made the charts in the US at #44.  The 1979 disco version of the song, produced by Bruce Johnston is over eight minutes longer than the original song. Despite the dominance of disco music at the time of song's release, this version of "Here Comes the Night" peaked at #48 on the Disco Top 80 chart. The b-side was Mike's "Brian's Back". 

During the sessions of the album, Mike Love explained to the press the album's title: "L.A. (Light Album), was titled in recognition to our homeland, and to the word ‘light’; as in ‘the awareness of, and the presence of God, here in this world as an ongoing, loving reality’, was packaged in a wonderful cover made under the guidance of CBS art directors, Tony Lane (previously responsible for such recognizable work as Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water) and Nancy Donald and would be featuring an impressive Heimann-designed logo. The inner sleeve would features twelve individual pieces of art, each designated to represent one of the featured tracks, and all were commissioned from some of the finest and promising young artists from the Los Angeles area. For the back of the record the record itself, Tony Lane presented a series of strong color photographs, all taken during the preceding months by Beach Boys photographer friend and associate Ed Roach. The ten featured frames, five of the individual group members, are some of the strongest images to grace a Beach Boys album insert, each capturing the band in natural music-making status, including bass-wielding Brian, resplendent in over-sized shades, pictured at the Omni in Atlanta on September 2nd 1978. 

L.A. (Light Album, the 24th studio album by The Beach Boys, was released on July 19th, 1979. Although Brother Records was still in operation during the time of the albums' release, the band's manager, former Chicago producer James William Guercio, had his own label, Caribou Records, distribute the album in conjunction with Brother. Produced by Bruce Johnston, James William Guercio and the band itself, the album reached # 15 in the US during a chart stay of thirteen weeks, and #12 in the UK. Upon its release, L.A. (Light Album) received generally favorable reviews. Rolling Stone argued that, "The Beach Boys have made their most competent pop record since Holland". Contemporary critics stated that "The Beach Boys ended the decade by releasing of one their finest album of their career," describing the album as "a paean to the California lifestyle for which  The Beach Boys are well-known for."

This LP would be the last release of the decade from The Beach Boys. With Brian withdrawing more and more from the group and touring, the band would struggle to make an album release the following year, leading up to 1981's "Endless Harmony".... 

1978 WINDS OF CHANGE

Side A

1. Match Point Of Our Love (alternate mix)
2. It Could Be Anything
3. He's A Bum (alternate mix)

4. Pitter Patter (alternate mix) 

5. Wontcha Come Out Tonight (alternate mix)

6. Sweet Sunday Kind Of Love (alternate mix) 

7. 10 000 Years Ago (Scott G mix)

 
Side B

8. She's Got Rhythm (alternate mix)

9. Go And Get That Girl (alternate mix)

10. How's About A Little Bit Of Your Sweet Lovin' (Scott G mix)

11. Why

12. Our Team

13. My Diane  (alternate mix)

14. Winds Of Change (alternate mix)

Continuing this series of reimagining of The Beach Boys' 70s albums.

Note: The various alternate mixes from this fanedit come from bootlegs, hence the poorer sound quality through the LP. I wish those could be available in top notch quality!

Winds of Change is the 23rd studio album by The Beach Boys, released on July 16, 1978 on Brother/Reprise. Recorded during a fraught time for the band, only Mike Love, Al Jardine, and Brian Wilson appear consistently throughout the album, with Carl and Dennis Wilson contributing only a few tracks. Produced by Al Jardine and songwriter Ron Altbach, the album's title stems from the final track on the album with was written by Ron Altbach and Ed Tuleja of King Harvest fame.

After the release of both Brian and Dennis' solo albums in 1977, The Beach Boys fell into dispute over the direction of the band, and were close to breaking up. Brian Wilson began regressing back into drug use and mental illness after abandoning his therapy. Dennis was  still reeling from the success of his debut solo album, Freckles. Mike was busy contributing songs to the soundtrack of the movie Almost Summer with side project Celebration (a with little help from Brian).

Mike, Al and Brian wanted the next record to follow the now popular disco trend by introducing this particular sound into The Beach Boys' blend and mixing it with a "retro" feel heard on Group Therapy. Dennis was largely unavailable for the new project, being on tour for his solo album. Brother Carl soldiered on even if he wasn't inspired by the band's new direction. The group was to record the new album once again at Brother Studios. When the sessions started in September 1977, only Love, Jardine and Brian Wilson showed up. The original intention was for Brian Wilson to produce the album, but it soon became clear he was unable to function in that role. The production credit on the album was given to Al Jardine and songwriting partner Ron Altbach, with Brian billed as "executive producer", though the exact nature of this role was never clarified.

Intended as a follow-up to Group Therapy featuring a brand-new sound , sessions and mixing for a new album called Winds Of Change were completed and mastered by The Beach Boys in late June 1978. Dennis submitted two songs: the lyrically controversial "He's A Bum" and the disco-fueled instrumental "10 000 Years Ago". He also sang lead vocal for Brian's "My Diane" during one of his rare studio appearances. Carl submitted his lovely soft-rock ballad "It Could Be Anything" and sang on Brian's "Sweet Sunday Kind Of Love" and Ed Tuleja and Ron Altbach's soulful "Go and Get That Girl". The rest of the songs would be contributions from Brian, Al and Mike with a few lyrical assistance from Altbach and Tuleja. The LP opens with Brian Wilson's "Matchpoint Of Our Love". Released as a single it charted at No. 59 in the United States. The follow-up single, "Pitter Patter", went surprisingly to become a top 20 hit in late 1978 when it was released.

 
Although the album peaked at only #51 in the US, and became their first since 60s to be in the UK top 10 album chart. The resulting album was deemed by the musical press "the Wild Honey of the 70s"
Upon its initial release, Rolling Stone stated: " The tracks recapture early soulful energy of the Beach Boys' earlier "Wild Honey", and the mix of retro and disco doesn't always gel but it's a pleasant albeit very commercial-sounding listen. Some concepts are dated and throughout, the playing and singing has a melancholy edge, almost as if the Beach Boys are fully aware that they've outgrown this kind of teen fantasy, but can't think of anyplace else to go."

When asked about the album in the British press, Dennis Wilson said that he "[doesn't] believe in that album". Carl said that "the album was something the band had to get out of its system." Reflecting on the album in 1992, Mike Love noted, "It was too democratic. Everybody coming into it with their song, which is okay. It's like if you have an album and have a hit song on it, and it's very commercially viable. Doesn't it make sense to have another song that would also be commercially viable? And a third and a fourth." In 1995, Brian said that he could not remember making the album, claiming that he had gone through a "mental blank-out" during this period.

At the end of the year, the band recorded a seasonal set of songs released as a EP a few weeks before Chistmas Day. Tracks on the EP were Mike's "Alone On Christmas Day", Dennis' "Holy Evening" b/w Brian's "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa" and "The Beach Boys family Xmas Carol Medley".

1976 GROUP THERAPY

LP 1: "15 Big Ones"

Side A
 
1. Rock And Roll Music
2. Come Go With Me
3. Ruby Baby
4. Chapel Of Love
5. Running Bear
6. Talk To Me
7. Sea Cruise
8. Mony Mony

 
Side B

9. Palisades Park
10. Peggy Sue
11. A Casual Look
12. Blueberry Hill
13. Shake, Rattle and Roll
14. In The Still Of The Night
15. Just Once In My Life

LP 2: "Group Therapy"

Side C
 
1. Seasons In The Sun
2. H.E.L.P. IS On The Way
3. Big Sur
4. My Love Lives On
5. Short Skirts
6. My Solution
 
Side D

7. Sherry She Needs Me
8. Winter Symphony
9. TM Song
10. Michael Rowed The Boat Ashore
11. That Same Song
12. You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling

Continuing this series of reimagining of The Beach Boys' 70s albums. Special thanks to Dennis Diken for part of his liner notes.

In 1976, the words that were planted on the lips of Beach Boys fans all over this whole world were “Brian Is Back.”

Let's rewind at the end of January 1976, the Beach Boys returned to the studio with an apprehensive Brian producing once again. At the time, he felt: "It was a little scary because [the Beach Boys and I] weren't as close. We had drifted apart, personality-wise. A lot of the guys had developed new personalities through meditation. It was a bit scary and shaky. But we went into the studio with the attitude that we had to get it done. After a week or two in the studio, we started to get the niche again." He decided he would produce an album with the band should reprising rock and roll and doo wop standards. Brothers Carl and Dennis disagreed, feeling that an album of originals was far more ideal. Mike and Al Jardine reportedly wanted the album out as quickly as possible to take advantage of their resurgence of popularity following the release of California Feeling.

According to manager James William Guercio, Carl "dragged his feet" for the record, believing that the group was squandering its potential. He explained: "The hard truth is you don't have forever to tinker around with this stuff. The pressing demands of business sometimes interfere with artistic indulgence. Business-wise, you want to get the goddamn album out when things are gelling. Commerce and art, man, that's a tough thing."Discussing Brian's production, Carl said: "Once we had finished a certain batch of songs, Brian said, 'That's it. Put it out.' That's why the album sounds unfinished. Brian just wanted to do one cut and capture the moment rather than working on something."

In the spring, news tidbits were popping up in the rock press confirming that Brian was working with the Boys again. By summer, feature articles began appearing in the mass media heralding the return of Brother Brian. A new Beach Boys album was scheduled for a July release and for the first time since Pet Sounds in 1966, the credit on the jacket was to read “Produced by Brian Wilson.” Maybe it was the therapy with his doctor, Lawrence Jacoby. Maybe he was forced into it. Maybe Brian really wanted a hit too. Whatever it was, Brian went to work with the Beach Boys again.

The initial sessions put Brian back at his old stomping grounds, Hollywood’s Western Recorders, the birthplace of numerous Breach boys hit records, where he was reunited with many of the “Wrecking Crew” session musicians who played on them. His old comrade, staff engineer Chuck Britz, also presided. The homecoming proved fruitful, if not strained from Brian’s initial paranoia. At one point during the sessions, it was decided that a double album was to be released: one LP of oldies ("15 Big Ones" on the record sleeve) and one new album of original material and outtakes from past sessions ("Group Therapy"). Dennis explained in Crawdaddy that the band's next album would “take the form of a double album of all-new material that stretched from hard rock ‘n’ roll to these wordless vocals we’ve been doing that sound like the Vienna Boys Choir.”

Recorded between January and May with the bulk of the recording held at the band’s own Brother Studio in Santa Monica, the ambitious double album project was now called by Brian "Group Therapy". The gatefold sleeve was designed by KittyHawk graphics, owned by Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean and featured portraits of the bearded band members by renowned photographer Guy Webster.

Mike’s spirited lead vocal kicks off the album with a rollicking take on Chuck Berry’s Rock and Roll Music, which was also issued as the album’s first single (predating the LP’s appearance with a May release in a hotter 45 mix). It peaked at #5 in August, giving the band their first Top Ten single since Good Vibrations ten years earlier. A few of the cover songs are connected to record producer and composer Phil Spector, whose famous Wall of Sound production methods have been an enduring fascination to Brian. "Just Once in My Life" and "Chapel of Love" both carry Spector songwriting credits, and "Talk to Me" had been a relatively unknown 45 rpm single produced by Spector in the early 1960s for singer Jean DuShon. Some of the other covers recorded for the album's sessions are "Come Go With Me", "On Broadway", "Running Bear", "Shake, Rattle, and Roll", "Peggy Sue". According to Wilson, the songs that were covered were chosen on the basis that "since they were acceptable once, we figured they would be acceptable again. . . We figured it was a safe way to go."

The second LP's first side consisted of late 1970 outtakes. Starting with Carl's beautiful rendition of the Jacques Brel/Terry Jacks song "Seasons In The Sun", we move with the quirky Brian composition "H.E.L.P. Is On The Way" with reference to his old shop "The Radiant Radish". Then moving on to Mike Love's beautiful alternate version of "Big Sur", the wonderful Dennis-penned ballad "My Love Lives On" (written in 1974 with Stephen Kalinich) and closing with the brand new Brian instrumental "Short Skirts" and the weird 1970 Halloween reject called "My Solution". Second side opens with the album's second single (which peaked at # 10), "Sherry She Needs Me", a throwback to the Pet Sound era (featuring a 1965 backing track, followed by Brian and wife Marilyn's romantic "Winter Symphony" and the silly "Friends"-era soundalike "T.M. Song". Closing the side are new renditions of the classics "Michael Rowed the Boat Ashore" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" (featuring Brian of all instruments and voices).

 
A media campaign, "Brian's Back", was devised to promote Brian's return as a touring member and active producer for the band. The Beach Boys were given an NBC TV special heralding their return.; it included a rendition of "That Same Song" with the Alexander Hamilton Double Rock Baptist Choir which is featured on the double album. The complete work was released on August 20th 1976, rising to number 8 in the US during a chart stay of 27 weeks, went gold and became the band's last top 10 studio album. 

Group Therapy was the most commercially successful Beach Boys studio album in over ten years, though the critical reaction of the album was not strong, critics deeming the album "too ambitious" and "unfocused". Carl was disappointed with the record, while Dennis was "heartbroken," explaining: "People have waited all this time, anticipating a new Beach Boys album, and I hated to give them this. It was a great mistake to put Brian in full control. He was always the absolute producer, but little did he know that in his absence, people grew up, people became as sensitive as the next guy. Why do I relinquish my rights as an artist? The whole process was a little bruising." Before the end of the sessions, Dennis would strike back by starting to work on his own solo project, "Freckles".

And after all is said and done, Group Therapy is a very Brian album. In the end, 1976 turned out to be a banner year for The Beach Boys. If Brian wasn’t quite back yet, he was smack dab in the process of returning. He lost a bunch of weight and although he generally felt and appeared awkward onstage, he toured with the Boys in the fall. “The Beach Boys 15th Anniversary Special” (produced by Lorne Michaels of Saturday Night Live) aired on NBC-TV in August and fans new and old continued to come out in droves to see the band live.

Considering Brian’s frazzled physical and mental state in 1976, the success of Group Therapy on so many levels may be considered nothing short of a miracle. One might also view the album as Brian’s salvation from a goal-less downward spiral and an imminent crash landing. In 1977, he would produce his first solo album (with the help of his band), "Brian Love You/Adult-Child", another double album masterwork that found Brian firmly at the helm and inspired. Some fans argue that it ranks among Brian Wilson's best work. The Beach Boys, on the other hand, wouldn't release a new album until 1978...

1975 CALIFORNIA FEELING

Side A

1. Good Timin'
2. Rainbows
3. Had To Phone Ya
4. Lucy Jones
5. Barnyard Blues
6. Rollin' Up To Heaven
 
Side B

7. It's OK
8. Angel Come Home
9. Back Home
10. Pacific Ocean Blues
11. California Feeling
12. Battle Hymn Of The Republic

Continuing The Beach Boys' alternate 70s studio albums discography. Special thanks to Peter Reum for excerpts on his great article "Forward Into the Past: How The Beach Boys Became An Oldies Band" or the following article.

(Also, "Lucy Jones" actually features a vocal from poet Stephen Kalinich)
 

In the fall of 1974, after the failure of the album Ecology, The Beach Boys were at a crossroad. Blondie Chaplin and manager Jack Rieley had left the band. The constant touring of the previous year had exhausted the band and to top it all, a compilation called Endless Summer was released by Capitol Records and fans were clamoring for more songs akin to their past "fun-in-the-sun" songs. Brian Wilson had been retreating from writing and producing for years, and The Beach Boys were at a crossroads as to whether to continue to try to continue to write and produce albums without him, or to try to revive his interest in writing and producing at a time when his mental health and chemical dependency problems were escalating rapidly.

Enter James William Guercio, known for his work as the producer of Chicago, who joined the band in '74 serving first as a bass player first during live shows, then becoming the band's new manager as Rieley exited. After helping Chicago to complete "Wishing You Were Here", Guercio returned the favor to The Beach Boys by lending the group his studio at Caribou Ranch studio in Nederland, Colorado. It was reported that Brian would be actively involved in the proceedings and was writing more songs than the previous years.

During fall 1974, sessions were held with the group working on a few tracks that had been started on earlier that year ("Good Timin'", "Ding Dang" now called "Rollin' Up To Heaven", "String Bass Song") and brand new songs from each band member: the Brian/Mike Love/Roy Wood collaboration "It's O.K., Brian and Stephen Kalinich's "California Feelin", "Lucy Jones" and "You're Riding High On the Music"; Mike and Carl's "Don't Let Me Go", Mike's "Our Life, Our Love, Our Land", Dennis' "Barnyard Blues" and a definitely quirky arrangement of the traditional "Battle Hymn of the Republic" by Brian. The sessions were proven unfruitful as most tracks were instrumentals or partial tracks or demos were recorded. The only release the band made at the end of 1974 was a quick and weird Christmas single written by Brian and Stephen Kalinich, "Child Of Winter" (with a lovely b-side by Mike called "Glow Crescent Glow").

Early 1975, the band was back to fully touring (this time, with Chicago featuring a special set called "Beachago"). Dennis was the only band member working on new songs ("Pacific Ocean Blues", "Rainbows" aka "String Bass Song"). For Brian and his family, it was a difficult period. Rumors circulated through this time that Brian was staying in bed for days at a time. Several published accounts said he was in his room for two or more years. The truth has been well documented by now. Brian was simply doing everything he could to avoid writing or recording. Brian was growing increasing ill, and after Wilson was again hospitalized in '75, the Beach Boys hired experimental psychologist Lawrence Jacoby to rehabilitate the ailing songwriter. The first thing Jacoby did was push Wilson back into the studio to record an album.

In the fall of 1975, Brian finally accompanied The Beach Boys to Brother Studios in Santa Monica to try to record an album which would be called "California Feeling". The Beach Boys, especially Carl, knew that they needed Brian`s input in new material to compete with other groups for radio play. They worked hard with Brian to produce two hits that would be made for the new "Endless Summer" audience. First is the Carl/Brian collaboration "Good Timin", a beautiful ballad in the same vein as "Surfer Girl". The second single, "It's OK", is really "Do It Again" for the 70s. During theses sessions, Dennis completed his tracks ("Rainbows", "Barnyard Blues" and "Pacific Ocean Blues") relatively quickly, Carl produced the Dennis sung "Angel Come Home", Mike's song ended up as a b-side ("Everyone's In Love With You") and Al landed a neat vocal for the new recording of "Lucy Jones" (featuring the Chicago horn section). Brian also dusted off an old collaboration with Bob Norberg ("Back Home") and with his wife Marilyn ("Had To Phone Ya") and finally, the title track. The latter may have been the last time Wilson was still in possession of the inimitable falsetto voice of the early 60's. On a few tracks during the record we can clearly hear that his instrument was seemingly ravaged by the end of 1975. The title song was called "white gospecl" by co-writer Kalinich. He recalled that the piece "frightened him a little to let his defense down and give for the vocal all he had". Following the penultimate track, the weird cover of"Battle Hymn of the Republic" by Brian. The charitable opinion is that Brian was having one of his musical jokes of ending the album on a joke track, similar to the way he closed the albums "Shut Down Vol.2", "Today" and "Friends".

The album was finally released on October 31st and was the first top 30 Beach Boys album in years. Both singles were smash it for 1975, with "It's Ok" and "Good Timin'" both ranking # 5 and #8 respectively on the Billboard. People were flocking to hear the new Beach Boys because it was a modern representation of what their older music represented with the focus on more innocent times. Brian's life got more complicated, as he was placed in a milieu therapy situation that had him busy on a schedule that he could not deviate from without negative reinforcement under the system taking place. In late 1975, he began to working on new music, but the writing was fairly therapeutic as opposed to being artistic. He was expected to write songs on a schedule, as well as eat, record, be with his family, and make supervised public appearances. Subtly, Brian rebelled, and he once again adapted to a situation that he outlasted. In the end, his family became tired of the overly controlling atmosphere of milieu therapy, and Brian was gain able to pursue his life without being shadowed. With The Beach Boys, he began to work on a follow-up which would be an all-cover album of some of Brian's favorite rock n' roll classics...
 

1974 ECOLOGY

Side A
1.   River Song
2.  We Got Love
3.  Out In The Country
4.  Carry Me Home
 
Side B
5.  Hard Times
6.  Wishing You Were Here
7.  Ecology
8.  Sweet Mountain
9.  Holy Man

This continues the series of re-imagining of The Beach Boys' 70s studio albums:

My new versions are an amalgam of my own personal mixes, official mixes and other fan mixes from jiggy22, soniclovenoize, seltaeb, videojpp and others that I forgot. Many thanks all for your hard work! 

Note: This particular album demands a stretch of imagination from the listener, since there isn't a real Beach Boys lead vocal on Out In The Country, Wishing You Were Here, Sweet Mountain and Holy Man.

After the release of Holland in early 1973, The Beach Boys had a achieved both critical and commercial success. They eventually started work on their next album. During the first half of '73, the group had worked on a few experiments/backing tracks or bits of unfinished songs. Among the titles recorded during these sessions were: "Had To Phone Ya", "Dr Tom", "My Love Lives On",  a medley "Baby, I Need Your Lovin'" and "I'm A Man", "Canyon Summer", "Pattycake" and "Ding Dang". They had also collaborated with adding backing vocals to Chicago's "Wishing You Were Here". At the end of the year, they had a surprising success with the release of the live album The Beach Boys in Concert (Brother/Reprise 2RS 6484), which hit No. 25 in the US during a chart stay of 24 weeks.

Early '74, the group worked again on a few songs ("Good Timin'", "Clangin'", "String Bass Song", "Carl moog riff") but it seemed like the band had lost it muse with the constant touring. Carl Wilson, the band's leader and musical director, was becoming less and less involved with the band dues to back injuries. Flash-forward to June 24th, 1974. The Capitol surfing hits-era compilation Endless Summer is released and becomes an unexpected # 1 smash hit on the Billboard 200. Most of the impact made by the album is now associated with the the popular  music trend of the 70s veering toward an "oldies" sound after the release of popular box-office success of the 1973 film American Graffiti, which featured a number of classic Beach Boys songs.  

At the end of summer of '74, the group didn't have an album ready yet and the label was hungry for a new record following the success of Endless Summer.  Frictions also started within the band, with member Blondie Chaplin and Dennis Wilson wanting to go further the Holland road, and Mike Love and Al Jardine wanting to incorporate a more "retro" sound similar to their earlier hits. At the eleventh hour, Dennis Wilson and Jack Rieley overtook production duties from a suffering Carl Wilson and ready decided to compile a new album by reworking a few outtakes from the previous albums and complete the rest with a few new tracks. By reworking old tracks into a new "concept", Jack Rieley wanted to push further the "ecology" themed album started with "Landlocked" as a sort of sequel to the earlier group success. The quick assembly and re-records were done within an incredible two weeks stretch starting in early July of 1974.

The result—the album simply called "Ecology", was released on August 31st. It continued the progressive/roots rock mood started with Carl & The Passions/So Tough and Holland. Most songs are moody, introspective and are evolving around the theme of man/civilization versus nature. Side A opens with the rocking Dennis tune River Song, which was started in 1971 into a riff to turns up later in the track "Ecology". The song, which is one of Dennis' masterpieces and was the only single from the album, was unfortunately lost in the shuffle when it was released in early August as it never entered the top 100 on the charts. Next is the lovely Blondie Chaplin/Mike Love composition, "We Got Love", which also had an appearance on their In Concert album and was in fact an outtake from the Holland sessions. The following track, "Out In The Country", was begun in 1972 by Al Jardine and was reworked by Brian Wilson and young composer Don Goldberg in 1973. The final version, which is similar in mood to parts of "California Saga", features Al on lead for the first half of the song and Mike on the ending. The first side end with an heartbreaking outtake from Dennis made during the Holland album: "Carry Me Home". Told from the perspective of a dying soldier, the songs shatter to an emotional peak with Dennis pleas to have a few moments more to live. 

Side B picks up things with the livelier and rockier Blondie Chaplin track "Hard Times". Next is Carl's sweet rendition of the Chicago song "Wishing You Were Here", which doesn't add that much to the original song but feature an exceptional lead from an exceptional singer.  Following the cover is Dennis' instrumental composition "Ecology", which assemble bits and pieces recorded in 1971 and features the main riff of "River Song" to unite the whole album. The result is an incredible SMiLE-esque piece that also recalls part of Pink Floyd's classic album Dark Side Of The Moon. Next is the only Brian song on the album, a reprise of his "other" group Spring's "Sweet Mountain", which features an emotional duet between Carl and Brian. Concluding the album is Dennis' proggy "Holy Man", which was the last backing track recorded during the sessions, wraps everything neatly with a powerful lead vocal from Carl.

Ecology is released to critical success but commercially, it doesn't follow. The public wants a more retro sounding band that recalls the more "fun-in-the-sun" era heard on the Endless Summer and is now bored this more adult sounding Beach Boys sound. The album is now considered some kind of "lost classic" of the Beach Boys' discography and stands up to both "Carl and The Passions/So Tough" and "Holland". But back then, the failure of the album hits the band hard. Having second thoughts on his future with the band, Blondie Chaplin decides to quit the group after being offered a place within the Rolling Stones' live. Ricky Fataar would also exit with his bandmate to perform on other projects like the Beatles parody called "The Rutles". By the end of '74, even manager Jack Rieley called it quits leaving the band and returning to Holland to start a new musical project called "Western Justice". Everything was looking gloom for the band. They needed a hit and, most importantly, they needed Brian...

  

1973 HOLLAND

Side A
1. Sail On Sailor
2. Steamboat
3. California Saga: Big Sur
4. California Saga: The Beaks Of Eagles
5. California Saga: California (single mix)
 
Side B
6. The Trader
7. Leaving This Town
8. Only With You
9. Funky Pretty
10. Fairy Tale Music

Mount Vernon and Fairway (A Fairy Tale) EP

side one

1. "Mt. Vernon and Fairway – Theme" B. Wilson 1:34
2. "I'm the Pied Piper – Instrumental" B. Wilson/C. Wilson 2:20
3. "Better Get Back in Bed" B. Wilson C. Wilson 1:39

side two

1. "Magic Transistor Radio" B. Wilson B. Wilson 1:43
2. "I'm the Pied Piper" B. Wilson/C. Wilson B. Wilson 2:09
3. "Radio King Dom" B. Wilson/Rieley 2:38


Continuing this series of reimagining of The Beach Boys' 70s albums:

Following the critical if not commercial success of Carl & The Passions/So Tough, the band manager's Jack Rieley decided to move the group elsewhere in the world for inspiration. Their next record, Holland, would be recorded in Baambrugge, Netherlands over the summer of 1972 using a reconstructed studio sent from California, and with two Brian Wilson tracks rush-recorded in Los Angeles and added to the album at the last minute. The lineup feature Brian's "Sail On Sailor", a reworking of song begun with Van Dyke Parks begun in 1971, "Funky Pretty" and "Fairy Tale Music", a "ouverture" featuring all the main musical themes to his the included EP Mount Vernon and Fairway (A Fairy Tale). Dennis continues to impress with the effect-laden "Steamboat" and the romantic "Only With You" (written with Mike Love). Mike and Al offers "California Saga", an epic three-parter about California and incestuous eagles. Carl is firing on all cylinders with his Jack Reiley collaboration called "Trader" and Blondie Chaplin offers the trippy and soulful "Leaving This Town".

The photograph on the album's front cover is an upside down image of the Kromme Waal, a canal that runs through the center of Amsterdam.

Released in January 1973, Holland received mostly encouraging reviews and helped The Beach Boys establish their critical standing further. It peaked at No. 36 in the US and No. 20 in the UK. At the end of the 1973, Rolling Stone named Holland as one of their picks for "album of the year". In 2000, Elvis Costello ranked the album as one of his favourite records of all time.

Mount Vernon and Fairway (A Fairy Tale)

Holland included a bonus EP, Mount Vernon and Fairway (A Fairy Tale), a musical fairy tale written by Brian Wilson about a magical transistor radio who appears to a young prince. Narration was provided by the group's manager: Jack Rieley. The name of the fairy tale was based on the intersection where the Love family lived in Los Angeles, and was primarily composed by Brian Wilson. Wilson originally intended it to be the centerpiece of a new Beach Boys album, consisting of an ouverture, the tracks from the EP and "Funky Pretty". Finally, the group and Brian agreed to retain the "ouverture" (Fairy Tale Music) for the album and add the complete fairy tale as a bonus EP.

1972 CARL & THE PASSIONS/SO TOUGH

Side A
1. You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone 
2. Here She Comes
3. He Comes Down
4. It's A New Day
5. Awake
 
Side B
6. Marcella
7. Hold On Dear Brother
8. Make It Good 
9. All This Is That
10. Cuddle Up (single mix)

This continues the series of reimagining of The Beach Boys' 70s albums:

My new versions are an amalgam of my own personal mixes, official mixes and other fan mixes from jiggy22, soniclovenoize, seltaeb, videojpp and others that I forgot. Many thanks all for your hard work!

In 1971, Carl Wilson, who served as the group's de facto musical director at this time, decided to spice up the structure of The Beach Boys by hiring third guitarist Blondie Chaplin, whose soulful singing brought a strong R&B element into the band's sound. Drummer and singer-songwriter Ricky Fataar also joined at this time, as Dennis Wilson had suffered a debilitating hand accident reducing his role to play keyboard on stage. Both South Africans, Blondie and Ricky were discovered while playing in seminal South African band The Flames, by Carl, in London, circa 1969. The album sees The Beach Boys entering a period of roots-based rock.

Not long after the sessions began, Bruce Johnston had a falling out with manager Jack Rieley and left the band. Conflicting reports state that Johnston either quit or was fired. According to Johnston, he quit because he was unenthusiastic about Rieley's suggestion that the group adopt a hard rock approach and felt that Brian Wilson's prolonged lack of involvement had resulted in declining artistic quality. However, Rieley claims he fired Johnston, both to prevent him from voting in the group's democratic processes and because of the supposed disrespect and contempt Johnston was showing Brian Wilson at the time. Johnston's main writing contribution, an early version of "Endless Harmony" entitled "Ten Years of Harmony", was re-recorded and eventually released in 1982 on The Beach Boys' penultimate opus. Johnston has said that his only musical contribution on the released album is as a background vocalist on "Marcella".

Brian Wilson sporadically contributed to the album's sessions, distracted by the production and promotion of the debut album of American Spring titled Spring. The extent of his contributions for Carl and the Passions - "So Tough" were his collaboration on the writing of three songs and the recording of both vocal and instrumental tracks. Three songs were written and sung by Fataar and Chaplin. Dennis Wilson also contributed three songs (It's A New Day, Make It Good, Cuddle Up) which he wrote with Daryl Dragon, hinting towards the sound of his solo debut album, Freckles. Other songwriting contributions came from Jack Rieley (two co-credits), Alan Jardine (two co-credits), Mike Love (two co-credits), Tandyn Almer (one co-credit) and Carl Wilson (one co-credit). Side A concludes with the lullaby Awake, written with Spring member David Sandler and featuring one of Brian Wilson's last purest falsetto committed to tape.

Carl and the Passions – "So Tough" was met with moderate commercial success upon release, reaching number 25 in the UK and number 50 in the US.

1971 LANDLOCKED

Side A
1. Don't Go Near The Water
2. Long Promised Road
3. Sound Of Free 
4. Disney Girls (1957) 
5. Student Demonstration Time
6. Fourth Of July

 
Side B
7. Feel Flows 
8. Barbara
9. Lookin' At Tomorrow
10.A Day In The Life Of A Tree
11. 'Til I Die
12. Wouldn't It Be Nice (To Live Again)


This series of reimagining of The Beach Boys' 70s albums, stand on this question : What if The Beach Boys continued a more "progressive pop/rock" music route with their albums instead of reverting back to the oldies/"fun in the sun" era.

(Note: In this discography, Surf's Up was released in 1967 on SMiLE)

My new versions are an amalgam of my own personal mixes, official mixes and other fan mixes from jiggy22, soniclovenoize, seltaeb, videojpp and others that I forgot. Many thanks all for your hard work! 

Sometime in 1969, Brian Wilson opened a short-lived health food store called The Radiant Radish. While working there, he met journalist and radio presenter Jack Rieley. Flash forward one year later, after offering a six-page memo ruminating on how to stimulate "increased record sales and popularity for The Beach Boys", Jack Rieley officially becomes the band's new manager in the fall of 1970. Rieley had impressed the band with his credentials (a supposed Peabody Award-winning stint as NBC bureau chief in Puerto Rico- later discovered to be false) and fresh ideas on how to regain respect from American music fans and critics. One of his initiatives was to encourage the band to record songs featuring more socially conscious lyrics. Rieley also insisted that the band officially appoint Carl Wilson "musical director" in recognition of the integral role he had played keeping the group together since 1967. He also arranged a guest appearance at a Grateful Dead concert in April 1971, aiding to push the Beach Boys' transition into the counter-culture.

After the relative commercial failure of the Sunflower/Add Some Music double album, the Beach Boys put all their effort into making a hit album. The project, now titled Landlocked, feature as per Sunflower compositions from each band members. "Long Promised Road" and "Feel Flows", two songs composed by Carl Wilson and Rieley, are cosmic numbers stepping into progressive rock territory. "Student Demonstration Time" (essentially the R&B classic "Riot In Cell Block #9") and "Don't Go Near the Water" finds Mike Love and Al Jardine eagerly embracing the group's new topical-oriented direction. Bruce Johnston's "Disney Girls (1957)" was praised by Brian for its harmonies and chords."A Day in the Life of a Tree" was Brian's sole new contribution written for the album. The song was experimented upon for days with a harmonium, an antique pump organ, and a smaller pipe organ. Van Dyke Parks and Jardine join Rieley to sing the song's coda. According to Jardine, Rieley sang the song when "no one [else] would sing it because it was too depressing."

"Til I Die" was a song Brian had been working on since mid-1970 but initially rejected by group members. He spent weeks arranging the song, using an electronic drum machine and crafting a harmony-driven, vibraphone and organ-laden background. This mix features an extended instrumental intro. After their last album, it was becoming clear that Dennis Wilson was soon becoming the group's greatest asset after Brian. His songs "Sound Of Free", "Barbara" "4th of July" and "(Wouldn't It Be Nice to) Live Again" are all highlights from the original LP.

Landlocked was released that August to more public anticipation than the Beach Boys had for several years. It outperformed Sunflower/Add Some Music commercially, reaching 29 in the US charts, becoming their best selling album in years. It was their first Top 40 album since Wild Honey, and in the UK it peaked at 15. Melody Maker positively reviewed: "Suddenly the Beach Boys are back in fashionable favour, and they've produced an album which fully backs up all that's recently been written and said about them."

In a retrospective review, John Bush wrote "[Most of the] songs are enjoyable enough, but the last three tracks are what make Landlocked such a masterpiece. The first, 'A Day in the Life of a Tree', is simultaneously one of Brian's most deeply touching and bizarre compositions ... The second, ' 'Til I Die,' isn't the love song the title suggests; it's a haunting, fatalistic piece of pop surrealism that appeared to signal Brian's retirement from active life. The album closer, 'Wouldn't it be Nice (To Live Again)' is a masterpiece of overblown romantic psychedelia, probably the most compelling track produced by Dennis Wilson.^" In 2014, John Wetton named Landlocked as his favorite prog album of all-time, elaborating: "The summer of '71 had so many musical milestones ... but Landlocked was a revelation. I was in family, a major player in the first wave of British progressive bands, but this collection from the iconic California surg-pop band shifted my parameters, blurring all the bounderies of my musical vocabulary. I marvelled at the mind-expanding poetry, wallowing in the glorious harmonies. Both composition and production absolutely floored me. the whole experience was my nirvana, And the cover? Mega prog!"

Even with them back on track on the road to success by the end of 1971, not all band members are happy with the new direction under the management of Jack Rieley. Leading to new lineup changes within the next year...