Disc of the day
The Feelies - The Good Earth
Good-natured powerpop gets two-thumbs-up from MOJO messageboarder.
Features Disc of the day
The Beach Boys
Holland
(Brother, 1973)
Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe of Beach Boys albums
“Pet Sounds aside, what’s your favourite Beach Boys album?” Yesterday’s typical mid-morning MOJO office starter-for-ten elicited excitable support for Surf’s Up (in spite of Al Jardine’s horrible song about his feet) and Carl And The Passions “So Tough” (especial Dep Ed “props” for Dennis Wilson’s gorgeous closer, Cuddle Up). Holland is my shout, an exile’s ode to Americana beautifully embroidered by the underrated non-Brians plus newcomers Blondie Chaplin and Ricky “Stig O’Hara” Fataar. Dennis’s chooglin’ Steamboat, Mike Love’s country-waltz, California Saga/Big Sur, but most of all, Carl’s lonesome diptych The Trader more than hold their own against Brian’s effortlessly anthemic Sail On Sailor. It was not a good time for the latter, under a braincloud and barely present at sessions, bafflingly transplanted to the tiny Dutch village of Baambrugge by eccentric Beach Boys manager, Jack Rieley. Instead he toiled over a curious, six-part sound-story – Mount Vernon & Fairway (A Fairy Tale) – its narrative of a boy prince visited by magic, phosphorescent transistor radio a barely veiled allegory of his own lonely childhood, its beautiful Moog-y theme collides with Jack Rieley’s narration of Wilson’s increasingly wigged-out lyrics. Originally a free 7” EP with the vinyl album, it’s probably the most compelling reason to invest in Holland, the Beach Boys’ least-heard (and certainly last) great record.
Danny Eccleston
Posted by Danny_Eccleston at 6:00 AM GMT 28/08/2008
Further Listening
The Beach Boys – Carl And The Passions “So Tough” (Brother, 1972)
The Band – Northern Lights-Southern Cross (Capitol, 1975)
The Byrds – Untitled (Columbia, 1970)
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The Feelies - The Good Earth
Good-natured powerpop gets two-thumbs-up from MOJO messageboarder.
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6:00 AM GMT 24/06/2009
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Chico Hamilton Quintet/Elmer Bernstein - Sweet Smell Of Success
Double noir delights from jazz and orchestral giants!
6:00 AM GMT 23/06/2009
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Comments
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Last/least? Have you ever heard "The Beach Boys Love You?". If you enjoyed Mount Vernon you'd love that album.
Anyway,for me Sunflower (tied up with Surf's up) would be my choice for a 70's BB record (in the 60's there's plenty of joy to be found in albums like Today, Summer days and summer nights and Wild Honey).
Posted by Leandro at 1:04 PM GMT 28/08/2008 Report Abuse
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Never understood the cult of 'Carl and the Passions', think it their worst album of that great purple period. Otherwise, most of their late 60s/early 70s post-Pet albums are all essential: 'Friends', '20/20', 'Holland','Surf's Up', 'Sunflower'. 'Love You''s just creepy, musically unpleasurable and lyrically worrisome. Far better, and woefully undervalued, is 'LA', which has some gorgeous songs from Carl and Dennis, and even the disco excursions have a kinda charm. (In brief, when Brian was less in charge, they, for me, got miles more interesting.)
Posted by Anonymous at 5:01 PM GMT 28/08/2008 Report Abuse
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