New Beach Boys album - That's Why God Made the Radio

wow gorgeous clip

dennis was such a dreamboat

has there ever been a band where there was such a contrast with one member being such a dude and the rest being such dorks? it's like a band with one robin zander and four rick neilsons

lol

Brian was sort of cool for awhile. pre-bathrobe.

Brian lorded over the group in early BBs videos like a dorky but hip genius. I would call him cool before the breakdown.

yeah but i doubt he was really getting in the bone zone that much you know?

some BB book I read years ago described Dennis as one of the great "swordsman" of the era.

I can take a stab at it, but I'm not even sure what that means.

you watch that TAMI show performance and it's clear that Dennis was the most popular with the girls.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uts03i0WRms/TK1nRKEHZSI/AAAAAAAADS0/-df4fej4nh8/s1600/AlJardineNC001.jpg

the amazing thing about Brian is that even as a 300+ pound of unshaved, unwashed pile of neuroses he STILL had multiple women literally fighting over him in the late 70s

dude had a sandbox! if there's one thing ladies love it's a dude with a sandbox. am i right?

when they were listening to the "13 minute suite" that closes the album Mike Love turned his hand into a gun and mocked blowing his brains out

ladies love $$$$

and fame.

and guys who eat their vege-ta-bles.

Posting just for the hell of it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxJfuml6ir8

The 12-inch mix is quite something (I'm serious)

more than 25 years ago and they look old even then. not a bad track though - not sure how it slipped through the cracks in my collection. It's probably there somewhere but don't remember even hearing it.

Going to see them tomorrow night and will be wearing my new Black Flag/Beach Boys shirt.

oh, it's on Made in the USA.

Saw two things in the Paste review of this that caught my eye:

The seeds of most tracks date back over a decade, to a series of fruitful sessions between Wilson and producer-instrumentalist Joe Thomas, who originally collaborated with Wilson on his 1998 solo album, Imagination. A stand-out from those hours and hours of recordings was a mid-tempo, ‘50s-styled ditty called "That’s Why God Made the Radio," but instead of using the track as a springboard into a new solo album, Wilson shelved it away with an unselfish (and lofty) pride, claiming its potential could only be realized with his Beach Boys bandmates.

But just when you’re ready to write off Radio completely, it closes with a four-song stretch (part of a supposed long-form suite that remains, as of today, unfinished) that rivals anything in the group’s post-Pet Sounds repertoire.

the reflective, meditative closer “Summer’s Gone,” which was originally intended to serve as the final track on the final Beach Boys album.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2012/06/the-beach-boys-thats-why-god-made-the-radio.html

Are there any other sources for this stuff? I'd never heard either of the first two stories -- and the latter may prove yet to be true, so...

think that stuff was covered in the recent newsweek (Time?) article.
hey i'm listening to this right now! http://www.npr.org/event/music/154917913/the-beach-boys-in-concert?sc=tumblr&cc=tumb_music

"isn't it time" holds its own mixed in with the hits!

That's right, it's here: http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/05/27/the-beach-boys-crazy-summer.html

Jim Peterik

Not just ex-Ides of March, but also of Survivor fame, and writer of .38 Special hits, too. Plus, another local Chicago guy, which would explain why he and Brian hooked up.

dude had a sandbox! if there's one thing ladies love it's a dude with a sandbox. am i right?

Female posters post more when the main server goes down, it's true.

more than 25 years ago and they look old even then

also really reassuring that Brian looks just as confused as disengaged onstage then as he does 2/3 of the time now

Amazing show at Merriweather Post Pavilion last night...

MVP: Jeff Foskett
Beach Boys MVP: Al - as advertised here, he sounded great.
Mike was even sketchier than I could have imagined and sounded old, but the essence of the original vocals came through
Brian showed flashes of his old self but was pretty subdued
Bruce didn't sound very good

They gave a shoutout and solo each to David Marks (Hawaii), Jeff (Don't Worry Baby), Darian (Sail on Sailor), and Scott (don't remember) - very classy. David Marks played lead guitar and was quite good. They didn't miss any of the big hits as far as I could tell. Some of the album tracks included Ballad of Ole Betsy, Hawaii, Little Honda, When I Grow Up, and All This Is That. Isn't It Time was the worst song of the day, Radio sounded a bit better. The backing band is top notch. All in all, it was incredibly more fun than the BW solo concert I went to a few years ago. It just looked RIGHT to see all of those guys on the same stage.

The video tributes to Dennis (Forever) and Carl (God Only Knows) were actually quite well handled.

All in all, it was incredibly more fun than the BW solo concert I went to a few years ago

Exactly my feeling.

Finally listened to as much of the new album as I could. A couple of these tracks, "Strange World" and "Spring Vacation," are among the worst I've heard from anyone in months.

I didn't think Strange World was that bad. Seemed like a typical BW "I'm scared of everything" song.

"Spring Vacation" on the other hand...

Yeah spring vacation is awful but I like strange world

I'm not going to listen to it again, but I want to say mid-"Stange World" I realized that if this was by anyone other than the Beach Boys I wouldn't have even made it half way.

It wouldn't be a proper Beach Boys album if it didn't have a few lolworthy tracks mixed in with the good ones

Finally read the Daily Beast piece -- it's awesome. Loved this:

They begin to sound like the Beach Boys. Close your eyes, shutting out Wilson’s swoosh of silver hair and Love’s four golden rings, and 1965 isn’t such a stretch.

Or it isn't until someone's iPhone rings. Jardine's. He turns away from the piano and presses the device to his ear. "I'm going to have to call you back, because--wait, what?" He hangs up, shaking his head. "Dick Clark just passed away," he says. The room begins to murmur; the makeup lady covers her mouth with her hand.

The Beach Boys in rehearsal for their 50th Anniversary reunion tour.
Over the next few minutes, I watch as each Beach Boy absorbs the news. Love makes light of it, pretending to strangle Jardine behind his back. “You’re next, Al,” he purrs.

important insights from George Will

Closing trilogy beginning with To There And Back Again is really really good. Some pretty gorgeous melodies and arrangements. An assemblage of classic Wilson strategies perhaps, with strong hints of Smile and Holland, but lovely all the same.

That reads like a wine description.

http://s7.thisnext.com/media/largest_dimension/84AA39BB.jpg

'60s vintage pretty tasty.

YES

Overtones of surf wax, cocaine, sand

would drink

"You're next, Stew."

Does george will ever have a fucking point? Every time I get to the end of something he's written I'm like ”Ok.....and...”

Pay no attention to the man behind the bow tie.

Does george will ever have a fucking point?

Political scientist James Q. Wilson grew up there, and in 1967, the year after the Beach Boys released “Good Vibrations,” he wrote a seminal essay on the political vibrations that produced California’s new governor: “A Guide to Reagan Country.” Wilson’s conclusion was that Ronald Reagan represented the political culture of a region where social structure nurtured individualism.

Heh, it does a bit. Unfortunately the Mike Love contributions have the unpleasant tang of corkage.

Eh, I'm sending the whole bottle back. I think it's been adulterated with antifreeze.

Mike Love in still being "Mike Love" SHOCKAH!

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/mike-love-books-beach-boys-shows-without-brian-wilson-20120626

haw. never take your eyes off love! interesting that they're playing/singing "our prayer" now, that'd be interesting to hear.

INTERESTING

I just read "Nearest Faraway Place," and while there's no question the guy is often a dick and I hate to say it, it's pretty clear there would be no Beach Boys without him. When Brian was staying at home, first working and then just, um, staying at home, Love (and I guess Carl) kept the machine moving.

Another way to look at it is that linking your career to Brian's is a risky proposition, especially if you make a living in the road.