941 The Beach Boys - Carl and the Passions So Tough (1972)

 941 The Beach Boys - Carl and the Passions So Tough (1972)

Studio Album - Pop





About the Act:

So, I was really tempted to pull out some cliche about living under a rock if you hadn't heard of the Beach Boys, you probably have, but given that I have just done a quick research on them and found out lots of stuff I didn't know, I'll attempt to give you a really potted overview.

They were formed in California in 1961, by brothers Carl, Brian and Dennis Wilson, cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine. They pioneered, and are most famous for their surf sound in the early 60s, happy, shiny songs about surfing with complex vocal harmonies, in a style related to doo-wop.

Then The Beatles happened, and the so-called British Invasion. At this point the popularity of surf music waned, and although it's simplistic, the Beach Boys attempted to keep pace with the increasing complexity and maturity of pop that was emerging. Out of all of the American bands, they probably did the best job of this.

There has been a lot of too-ing and fro-ing, arguments between members, changing levels of involvement, a few member changes, and some notable things, like a friendship that went sour with Charles Manson, involvement with the same Indian Guru as the Beatles, and of course, Pet Sounds, one of the most celebrated albums of all time, and certainly one of the most innovative for the time.

They kind of survived, sometimes more off than on, since 1961, and have produced 29 studio albums, just over half of which were released in the 60s.


About the Album:

This is the 18th studio album from the Beach Boys, which is quite impressive given that their first was only 11 years earlier.  This came a few albums after Pet Sounds, and was created while Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar were in the band, who got involved in some of the song writing.  


My History with this Album:

None. I think it's a strange name for an album.


Review:

This is not a surfing album. This is a varied and versatile pop album, which reminds me of British bands of the time - The Moody Blues, Procol Harum, Lindesfarne, The Strawbs, and, I guess, The Beatles. Yes, there are times when the complex and idiomatic vocal harmonies of The Beach Boys come into play, but there are many other textures and feels, from the Gospel of "He Came Down", to the mellow strings and stripped back broken vocals of "Make It Good" and "Cuddle Up". Each track in turn is interesting in its own right, with lyrics often worth listening to, diverse musical textures and feels, great production. It sounds to me more like an Elton John album really, and goes a long way to prove that "Pop" doesn't have to mean "disposable" or "facile".

I loved it, it's a great album.


8/10


Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/632t0m8ejm3Geu5rW1CELD

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMxkpnetcodNEQGoU1-kwD8H8_etFJsdc

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_and_the_Passions_%E2%80%93_%22So_Tough%22


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

944 Manu Chao - Próxima Estación Esperanza (2001)

Image
 944 Manu Chao - Próxima Estación Esperanza (2001) Studio Album - World Music About the Act: Manu Chao is a French-Spanish musician of Spanish descent who grew up on the outskirts of Paris. In the mid-80s he was in a Spanish/English rockabilly group called Hot Pants. In 1987, with his brother and cousin he founded the band Mano Negra, combining punk and world music influences and playing on the Paris Metro. This band took off and had 4 studio albums. In 1995 Manu "went solo", forming the band Radio Bemba Sound System to be his backing band. The punk elements were less prominent, but he started to make music that "replicates the sound of street music and bar scenes from a variety of cultures". He has been really popular in parts of Europe.  About the Album: This album was Manu Chao's second studio album as a "solo" artist. In Spanish, the name means "Next Station: Hope", after a real station on the Madrid Metro. The album reached top 10 slots ...
Read more

840 Various Artists - The Best of Girl Groups Volumes 1 and 2 (1990)

Image
 840 Various Artists - The Best of Girl Groups Volumes 1 and 2 (1990) Compilation (double) - Girl Group (Soul/Bobby Soxer/Do-Wop) About the Album: This is a highly acclaimed compilation in 2CDs by Rhino Records. It's the sort of thing that in this country you might expect to see at 3.99 in a Garden Centre. My History with this Album: None Review: There are not many multi-artist compilations in this series for reviewing. There is not information about it on Wikipedia, but the reception seems to have been positive. It is choc-full of hits with a smattering of lesser-known songs, and it's hard not to imagine Grease or similar situations - girls with cardigans and white socks, listening to the juke box while sipping milkshakes in the drug store. On one level it's a fun collection of songs that you could use to feel nostalgic, or as the music for a themed party. On another level it's kind of like a cultural artefact. I feel honour-bound to describe it, even though if I drop ...
Read more

843 Chambers Brothers - The Time has Come (1967)

Image
 843 Chambers Brothers - The Time has Come (1967) Studio Album - Psychedelic Soul About the Act: The Chambers Brothers are an American Psychedelic Soul band from LA, who were formed in 1954 and are still going. They were at heart four brothers, but I think they have now all left the band.  About the Album: This was their debut album (12 years on from forming as a band), and it spawned their most successful single Time Has Come Today. My History with this Album: None. I had never heard of the Chambers Brothers before this list. Review: I am not an American, nor a Social Historian, but I think I can accurately claim that in 1960s America there was a certain separation between the Black community and other communities. As a result of this, and for marketing reasons, the idea of music that was created with a Black audience in mind was an actual thing. I'm not sure if today we would be quite so sure about what constitutes "Black Music", but then, I think, they were generally q...
Read more