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Lee Marshall
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« Reply #1 on: February 18, 2006, 12:51:24 pm » |
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In spite of my not being able to appreciate A Day In the Life of a Tree...although the ending is spectaculor...and in spite of not really appreciating Student Demonstration Time all that much...this lp is still easily a 9.
A WOW!!! album.
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"No Wilsons...NO Beach Boys." I find it impossible to argue with THAT.
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Ed Hemingway
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« Reply #2 on: February 19, 2006, 01:20:17 pm » |
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I love this album, but Imagine it a little longer with two Dennis songs on it, or longer still with Mike's early version of Big Sur.
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Not even if it helps the space programme...
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Lonely Summer
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« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2006, 02:15:27 am » |
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Hard to fault an album that features Long Promised Road, Feel Flows, Til I Die and Surf's Up. But I never could stomach Take a Load off Your Feet. I do have a perverse love for A Day in the Life of a Tree and Student Demonstration Time, though. Disney Girls might be the best song Bruce ever wrote. Art Garfunkel did a nice version on his Breakaway album.
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Soulful Old Man Sunshine
increasingly common, in a good way
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Posts: 98
Mr., Mr. Wilson...humble and brave, empty of hate
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« Reply #4 on: February 23, 2006, 03:17:07 pm » |
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A good but frustrating album, like Shut Down Volume 2. Both albums contain some of the best songs of the Beach Boys' entire catalogue, with the rest being absolute bunk.
If Surf's Up had some Dennis songs instead of dreck like Don't Go Near The Water, Take A Load Off Your Feet and the awful Stduent Demonstration Time, which sounds like a hammer to the brain, then this album would've been quite a bit closer in quality to Sunflower. As it stands, though, it's a half-disappointment.
The gems on here are well-known to us: Carl's beautiful (if lyrically banal) Long Promised Road and Feel Flows, Bruce's lovely (if overly-sentimental) Disney Girls, and Brian's two masterpieces, the title track and the soul-shattering Til I Die. Bless you, Brian.
Well, A Day In The Life Of A Tree is a quasi-good song, it's just that Reily's singing practically ruins it, and because of him, I always skipped over it until I decided to give it a chance one day. Brian has written a great, emotional song here, underneath the awful perfomance of it. I beg Brian or somebody to rerecord this one...y'know, with GOOD vocals.
Overall, Surf's Up has its moments, but it can't even begin to match the overwhelming greatness of Sunflower or even Holland.
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"Lady, people aren't chocolates. D'you know what they are mostly? Bastards. Bastard-coated bastards with bastard filling. But I don't find them half as annoying as I find naive bobble-headed optimists who walk around vomiting sunshine."--Dr. Cox
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donald
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« Reply #5 on: February 23, 2006, 03:49:37 pm » |
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This album has the greatest clash of any BB album in terms of the best and the worst of the Beachboys all in one place.
I'll bet you can fill in the blanks yourself regarding which is which.
Still, when you think of the output of bands in this era, usually an album a year, you have to appreciate getting half a good album.
Feel Flows, Til I Die, Surfs Up.........all on one album. Pretty amazing.
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Conspiracy Jim
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« Reply #6 on: February 26, 2006, 11:17:07 am » |
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A bit too fuzzy round the edges. Needs some Dennis, and less Tree. The title track is the band at their peak. Prefer the long version of 'Til I Die. I like Student Demostration Time.
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Are you telling me you don't see the connection between government and laughing at people?
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garydavis
Shows up sometimes
Offline
Posts: 25
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« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2006, 01:45:02 pm » |
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Some very good songs from Brian and Carl. Bruce chips in with "Disney Girls", one of the prettiest tunes in the late Beach Boys canon. Al and Mike's "contributions" really detract from the album. "Student Demonstration Time" is so bad it is laughter inducing. I am in the minority that likes "A Day in the Life of a Tree", Jack Rieley's shaky vocals and all. If Dennis' songs were included in place of Al and Mike's this would have been a near-perfect album. As it is, it is a very good one with a few skip overs - acceptable in the reissue with the excellent Sunflower.
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Moon Dawg
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« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2006, 06:22:58 pm » |
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The weaker tunes have their assets: "Student Demonstration Time" features an excellent instrumental track with Carl on gtr and Dennis on drums. "Water"'s chilled vocal coda is nearly SMILE worthy, even if the song itself is trite. "Feet" has an appealing whimsy.
"4th of July" belongs in between "Disney Girls" and "SDT".
It's a dark album for The Beach Boys.
Carl's greatest hits, Bruce's best, and two of Brian's finest make SURF'S UP a classic.
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topgazza
Guest
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« Reply #9 on: April 07, 2006, 03:04:40 pm » |
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A classic indeed. Not perfect with some weak choices but even they define the Beach Boys as a group with moments of brilliance and moments of average. Just outstanding as a whole.
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Wrightfan
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« Reply #10 on: January 09, 2007, 09:40:06 pm » |
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Very underrated album although it is dated. I gave it an 8:
Don't Go Near the Water: Funky sounding track. 7/10
Long Promised Road: One of Carl's best. How can you hate this song? 8.5/10
Take A Load Off Your Feet: Humorous track that I like (although I don't know why lol) 7.5/10
Disney Girls (1957): I agree with this website, deffiently Bruce's crowning achievement, 9/10
Student Demonstration Time: Remake of Riot Cell Block #9. Hate this track with a passion. 1/10
Feel Flows: Ok production from Carl. 7/10
Lookin' At Tommorrow (A Welfare Song): Another song I like that I can't pinpoint why. 7.5/10
A Day In the Life of a Tree: Another odd song but with a great tag. 7/10
'Till I Die: Fantastic, yet depressing song. 9/10
Surf's Up: One of the most underrated rock songs in the history of Rock and Roll. 10/10
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TdHabib
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« Reply #11 on: June 10, 2007, 01:40:34 pm » |
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Really good, even though I hate "Student Demonstration Time" and it really needs some Dennis. All of the songs have special moments, the coda of "Water," the middle eight of "Long Promised Road," the last verse of "Feel Flows," the codas of "Til I Die" and "Tree" and Bruce's clear lead on "Disney Girls," that are pure magic. I give this an 8 only because of what it could've been:
1. Don't Go Near the Water
2. Lookin' At Tomorrow
3. Long Promised Road
4. Take a Load off your Feet
5. Loop de Loop
6. H.E.L.P is on the Way
7. Disney Girls (1957)
8. Big Sur (4-4)
9. 4th of July
10. A Day in the Life of a Tree
11. 'Til I Die
12. Surf's Up
But, to quote Paul McCartney, "I woke up from my dream, to see things as they really are."
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Lonely Summer
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« Reply #12 on: June 10, 2007, 01:53:55 pm » |
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I like Student Demonstration Time, it's one of the few places where we hear some dirty guitar on a BB's song. Used to hear it on Electric Lunch once in a while - probably the only 70's track our local AOR station every played.
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midwest
Shows up sometimes
Offline
Posts: 33
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« Reply #13 on: June 19, 2007, 02:52:28 pm » |
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If you take off student demonstration time off and add 4th of july this album would be my 3rd favorite BB album.
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rfa77
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« Reply #14 on: July 26, 2007, 09:16:17 am » |
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It's all been said already, pretty much. Even though I only like half the album, the other half is so good I rate it an 8. Goes without saying, standout tracks - Surf's Up, 'Til I Die, Long Promised Road, and Feel Flows. Don't Go Near The Water - the coda, but thats it. I guess it's just barely ok to keep on the album, but although the BB have have plenty of songs that can make a run for worst lyrics, DGNTW just grate on me. Disney girls is Ok.
Maybe they should have released this a few months later, took out the 4 stinkers, and thrown in Marcella, All This Is That, Cuddle Up, and You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone - now you have a complete album. Or, thrown in a couple of songs they had in the can.
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