Sunflower/Surf’s Up

What a deal this is: two key Beach Boys albums on 2 CDs for the price of one! Sunflower (1970) marked a strong return to their mid-’60s form, with the rich harmonies of their hit Add Some Music to Your Day plus Cool, Cool Water and This Whole World. The eclectic, often-haunting Surf’s Up (1971) includes the hit Long Promised Road plus the compelling title track and ‘Til I Die.
Many reckon 1970’s Sunflower to be amongst the Beach Boys’ finest moments. Certainly, it has a maturity and consistency which belies the turmoil the Wilson brothers must have been feeling at the time–a bitter split with their label coincided with creative lynch-pin Brian Wilson’s withdrawal from the spotlight. This is no Pet Sounds, however. Tracks such as “At My Window” and “Slip on Through” display an unseemly fondness for pop schmaltz, while “It’s About Time” is Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On?” diluted. Dennis Wilson’s rather beautiful “Forever” and the timeless “Tears In The Morning” go some way to rectifying the balance, though. 1971’s Surf’s Up, meanwhile, is a decidedly patchy affair. Dennis had mostly succumbed to his elder brother’s demons, and tracks such as Mike Love’s pseudo-political “Student Demonstration Time” are plain embarrassing. Meanwhile, proto-green politics take over in places. Fortunately, the album is saved by two incredible Brian Wilson songs: the brass-textured title track (one of the highlights of shelved Smile), and the morbid introspection of “Till I Die”. This joint reissue included new liner notes by Wilson biographer Timothy White. –Jerry Thackray