The fate of the Beach Boys has been up in the air for quite awhile now, the truth residing somewhere out there amidst the rumors, innuendo and speculation. While a spate of recent magazine articles have indicated in no uncertain terms that the end of the group is impending, fans have been left alone to ponder why there hasn't been a new Beach Boys album on the shelves for over three years. According to vocalist Mike Love, however, the Beach Boys have never really been away.
"After Brian and Dennis left the group back in '77, Alan and I had no intentions of ever ending the Beach Boys," claims the balding front man. "Carl eventually came to the same conclusion. The Beach Boys are simply too significant to our society. We are an American institution, and for us not to exist is akin to there being no Fourth of July or no Lincoln Memorial."
Maybe this is the case, or perhaps not, but the public might now be hard pressed to even remember the last time a new, non-holiday related Beach Boys album was on the shelves (that would be 1977's BEACH BOYS LOVE YOU, for those keeping score at home). In a series of drastic events, the group's fortunes-- which had rapidly escalated in the wake of 1974's double platinum ENDLESS SUMMER compilation-- have begun to wane. Years of differing viewpoints amongst band members began to reach a boil shortly after the Brian Wilson-dominated LOVE YOU fizzled commercially. (The album was rush-released by Warner Brothers, who skimped on packaging and promotion and in some cases didn't even bother to ship the record to distributors.) The group had already begun to branch off into two separate factions, and after a very public blowout on the tarmac at the Newark airport, both Brian and Dennis Wilson submitted their resignations from the group in order to pursue solo careers. The lackluster MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE BEACH BOYS was released in December of '77, but the happy group photo on the cover fooled nobody. By the time of the Christmas record's arrival, four former group members had already unleashed solo albums in the interim period since LOVE YOU's release.
Thus began a long and sordid saga of record company squabbles, endless touring and cancelled LP releases. And while the solo career of Dennis Wilson has taken off with his critically acclaimed PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE and BAMBOO releases, Brian Wilson's recent fortunes have yet to equal that of his talented brother's. Once considered the group's resident genius and guiding light, the reclusive Brian has only released 1977's hit-and-miss ADULT/ CHILD LP and a bizarre Columbia Records single ("Marilyn Rovell" b/w "Diane") since leaving the Beach Boys. Essentially a document of his recently-ended marriage, the single's somewhat inane a-side celebrated the joys of their union, while its heartbreaking flipside (sung by brother Dennis) candidly chronicled Brian's open desire for his sister-in-law. Since the single charted at #74 on Billboard in August of '78, not much has been heard from the one-time Prince of Pop.
As for those members who chose to remain Beach Boys-- Carl Wilson, Michael Love and Alan Jardine-the saga has been one of dashed hopes and utter frustration. Their highly publicized 1978 contract with CBS/ Caribou has yet to yield an official LP release, at a time when Dennis alone has managed two and is currently finishing up his third. A proposed 1978 album produced by Jardine and Ron Altbach, as well as least one more recorded the following year with former/ current Beach Boy Bruce Johnston at the helm, were rejected by CBS as not being up to snuff. The group had begun to tour again in 1978, and while they still managed to draw healthy stadium-sized crowds to their shows (their 1980 Fourth of July concert in Washington D.C. had an enormous turn-out of over 70,000), the common consensus was that the magic that made them 1974's Rolling Stone Band of the Year-- solely on the strength of their live shows-- was all but gone.
Additionally, Mike Love's career outside of the group has done little to aid their ailing fortunes. 1978's ALMOST SUMMER (the soundtrack to a Bruno Kirby/ Tim Matheson movie), 1979's COUNTRY LOVE and 1980's CELEBRATION albums were critical and commercial flops. To compound the Beach Boys' troubles, they asked Bruce Johnston and Curt Becher to produce an extended disco remake of 1967's "Here Comes the Night" for release as a 12" single, a move that was vilified by critics and fans alike. By the turn of the decade, it truly seemed the Beach Boys would be relegated to a one-dimensional existence as a touring oldies review.
But all that's changed… at least for now. After a three year hiatus, the group has pulled together and released a fine new double album, mockingly titled M.I.A. This new set is both a glance at where the Beach Boys are at now and a look back at what's been going on behind the scenes ever since the debacle at the airport. The new album is almost exclusively comprised of ballads and down-tempo material and was assembled by Carl (who sifted through hundreds of hours of tape to boil it down to an even eighty minutes) and remastered by now de facto Beach Boys Johnston and Becher. The result is a pleasant listen that is somewhat unique for a double disc set. Rather then attempting to push at established musical boundaries, the way many artists are wont to do over the course of two long-players, the boys (they are men now, after all) have simply chosen to unleash a surplus of what it is they've always been best at providing-- good solid songs. "We had so much material in the vaults that was just dying to get out," explains Carl, who first conceived of the project. "It was getting to the point where we were seriously concerned that we were never going to get an album released on the label with which we're affiliated. So I proposed the idea to Walter (Yetnikoff, president of CBS Records) and Jimmy (Guercio, owner of Caribou Records) that I would compile the best of the material we'd recorded since leaving Warner's. Then we'd add some newer stuff to the mix and come up with one really solid album. They okayed my idea. However, once we started selecting tracks it became apparent that one record simply was not going to be enough."
Heavily involved with all aspects of the new album are Bruce Johnston and Curt Becher, both of whom contribute lead vocals, harmony singing, instrumental and vocal arrangements and production expertise. The addition of these two west coast session pros guaranteed that the album would achieve an overall sheen that has been largely absent from most of the group's recent work. Exclaims Mike Love, "since the label chose not to let the public determine for themselves whether or not our two previous records were any good, we decided about the only thing we could do to appease CBS was to assemble what is essentially ENDLESS SUMMER part two. And I'll be very surprised if this record does not go on to sell at least a million copies."
Love's obvious enthusiasm notwithstanding, the Beach Boys have their work cut out for them addressing a public that has witnessed the birth of the punk rock and new wave movements since the release of the last new Beach Boys album. But while the group's intricate vocal blend is not likely to convert the clothespin set into rabid new audience members, previous fans of the group will find lots to cheer about on M.I.A. While nothing here is going to match PET SOUNDS or FRIENDS in terms of supreme artistic achievement, nearly every song on the record sports a winning melody or hook.
The mellow "California Feeling" starts things off on disc one, and it is the strongest Beach Boys track I've heard since the HOLLAND album back in '73. Carl's vocal here is simply sublime, while the melody is classic Brian Wilson. The recording process for this song was grueling and lasted a number of years, but the end result is certainly worth it to listeners. Brian pops up again throughout the disc, adding a lead vocal or a songwriting credit here and there, but this is primarily the work of the new Beach Boys. Working individually or together as a unit, it seems Carl, Mike and Al are primarily attempting to re-create the glory days of SUNFLOWER, the Beach Boys most successful album of the past decade. The harmonies on the Ron Altbach/ Ed Tuleja composed "Winds of Change", as well as Brian and Carl's own "Good Timin'", capture the togetherness of the SUNFLOWER sound ably. Other songs such as Bruce Johnston's take on Brian's oft-covered "Don't Worry Baby", or the album's first single-- the winning "Goin' On"-- look to the group's 60's heyday for inspiration.
Sandwiched in between the more retro material are some au currant numbers like "Endless Harmony", in which the various voices during the bridge are effortlessly intertwined into a pure Wall of Sound. One is immediately struck by the gorgeous sheets of harmony on this record (particularly on the Johnston produced cuts). After the ragged, under whelming vocalizing contained on previous albums like 15 BIG ONES and LOVE YOU, it's reassuring to know the group hasn't lost its knack for what made them famous in the first place.
The overall sound of this record is so smooth and easy, it's libel to be off-putting to a good deal of listeners who've come to demand the excessively compressed drums and synth beats that have become so ubiquitous throughout the last few years. But vintage analog warmth is exactly what gives some of these songs such an enduring quality. There is a similar timeless quality to much of the music as well. Brian and Mike's "Wontcha Come Out Tonight" echoes vintage doo-wop and Burt Bacharach in equal measure. Similarly, the effortless "First Love"-- originally from Mike's unissued first solo album-- glides on a smooth disco groove so unforced it can easily embed itself in one's mind without ever being detected. Even better are some of Carl Wilson's gorgeous new ballads, like "Heaven", "Full Sail" and the emotionally charged "Angel Come Home" (vocals courtesy of brother Dennis who dropped by on hiatus from a solo session). Not as overtly gifted a songwriter as either of his two older brothers, Carl has finally succeeded in establishing his own niche within the Wilson family of composers. Combining elements of Dennis' overt sensitivity with Brian's knack for stacking vocals, Carl is starting to come into his own here.
M.I.A. is not an entirely successful venture. One of the biggest disappointments is that Al Jardine seems to have been removed from the creative process this time around. With only a handful of vocals and no solo compositional credits, he is out shown by just about everyone involved, including Brian. Al has been composing steadily throughout the 70's, and it is likely we may see a solo album if he is not given a permanent voice within the group. Another setback is the random nature of the track line-up. Several cuts were recorded for solo projects by the various participants, and the juxtaposition of unnamed backing vocalists with the real Beach Boys sounds clumsy at times. I found myself wondering at times if actual Beach Boys were a requirement for a new Beach Boy album.
However, a wide range of source material can also benefit the listener-- particularly when it results in songs as stunning as Bruce's "Brand New Old Friends", a seven minute pastiche of Marx Brothers imagery and haunting chord progressions that ranks as his finest song to date. The song and two others on the collection hail from an aborted "supergroup" project known as California Music. The project contained a rotating line-up of members including Bruce, Curt Becher, Terry Melcher, Mike Meros, Joe Chemay, Brent Nelson, Gary Usher, Dave Edmunds and even Brian Wilson (that's his organ work on M.I.A.'s "Jamaica Farewell"). While at first these songs may appear only tangentially connected to the Beach Boys, one listen to the album proves they do belong both in sound and in spirit. If there is one final gripe concerning M.I.A., it's that while the peaceful, harmony-rich tone of the record serves to unify its diverse sources, the overall effect of nearly eighty minutes of slow songs can cause extreme listener fatigue. Do not, under any circumstance, operate any heavy machinery after listening.
Overall, M.I.A. is a much better record that fans had any right to expect, based off of the last few years of Beach Boys' recorded output. And if the album does become a hit, then the Beach Boys may still have some life left-- with or without Brian and Dennis Wilson. As for now, the group is soldiering onward and gearing up for a tour to support the new release. Carl and Michael are both working on new solo albums during their spare time, and the optimistic Love has even begun to sing the praises of the new Beach Boys record.
"As our latest release, M.I.A., was basically Carl's baby, Alan and I thought that it was only fair that we withhold a few of our own songs that we felt weren't right for what we were trying to achieve this time around, and that we'd apply those to the next Beach Boys album instead. The new album will be more experimental, yet at the same time even more familiar, then our latest two-record set. For example, I've got a song called 'Sumahama' that combines Japanese and western music into one form. It's an entirely new sound.
"But I also believe it's a good idea not to ignore the fans that made ENDLESS SUMMER the number one album in America and who flock to see our shows, so I've been writing some new material I think they'll really appreciate-- songs that basically appeal to everyone. And what's wrong with that? Too much of today's music is exclusionary. Al's got a number of great songs we could use on the next record. One incorporates Bach into a pop arrangement. What a fantastic idea! It's an ode to his wife whom he loves very much. Then there are some great oldies and doo-wop covers. Also a couple of tributes to Maharishi. Carl's been busy collaborating with Randy Bachman of B.T.O., and from what we've heard of those sessions, Brian and Dennis better watch out because there's a new Wilson songwriting genius on the block. I really think our next record is so far out that it's going to be even better than PET SOUNDS!"
Stay tuned fans.
