"Feel Flows: The Sunflower & Surf's Up Sessions 1969-1971" by THE BEACH BOYS – August 1970 US LP "Sunflower" and August 1971 US LP "Surf's Up" and 34 Unreleased Tracks (27 August 2021 UK/EU UME/Capitol/Brother 2CD Compilation of New Remasters – Mark Linnett and Alan Boyd Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Touching Your Heart..."

 

Although it's now over 21 years ago, most Beach Boys fans who wanted these cool early 70ts albums plumbed for the Capitol/Brother Reissue that Remastered both LPs onto 1CD released back in July 2000 in the USA (August 2000 in the UK). I've had that 70:22 minutes and its chunky 22-page booklet in pride of 'B' place on my shelves for over two decades now as I say.

 

So even with the promise of 56-Tracks across 2CDs as stated on the shrink-wrap sticker - 34 of which are unreleased - I have to admit (and to my amazement), that I'm a tad underwhelmed by this new 2021 "Feel Flows: The Sunflower & Surf's Up Sessions 1969-1971" compilation. I should explain why.

 

The 103-Track 5CD Super Deluxe Box Set (also issued 27 August 2021) is a beast and a true beauty - book to die for etc. Unfortunately, the standard issue (which I’m reviewing) or just plain 'Deluxe Version' as some are calling it - is no such thing. You get a rather crappy gatefold card sleeve with a 20-page booklet in one of the two slots. The first half is taken up with just listing the tracks, while the remainder of that lesser booklet sports new liner notes from Original/Subsequent Engineers and Producers ALAN BOYD and MARK LINNETT on the new transfers and tape library discoveries (Linnet has a 30-year association with The Beach Boys and was behind "The Smile Sessions" "Pet Sounds" etc - is also a 3-times Grammy Winner). There is some discography material on the inner gatefold by HOWIE EDELSEN and a potted history of the period - especially their absence from the charts for nearly three years (something they dominated with ease for nearly all of the 60ts). But in truth - visually, when the wrap is off, this 2CD set feels and looks wimpy compared to its predecessor of two decades back. Still, there is at least the music, new and old, and all of it sparkling like never before. To the boards...

 

UK released 27 August 2021 - "Feel Flows: The Sunflower & Surf's Up Sessions 1969-1971" by THE BEACH BOYS on UME/Capitol/Brother 00602508790584 (Barcode 602508790584) is a 56-Track 2CD Compilation that offers both the 1970 Album "Sunflower" with 18 Previously Unreleased Bonus Tracks and the 1971 Album "Surf's Up" with 16 Previously Unreleased Bonus Tracks. 

 

The Album Remasters are New 2019 Versions and the CDs play out as follows:

 

Disc One (78:32 minutes):

SUNFLOWER Original Album (2019 Remaster)

1. Slip On Through

2. This Whole World

3. Add Some Music To Your Day

4. Got To Know The Woman

5. Deirdre

6. It's About Time

7. Tears In The Morning [Side 2]

8. All I Wanna Do

9. Forever

10. Our Sweet Love

11. At My Window

12. Cool, Cool Water

Tracks 1 to 12 are the album "Sunflower" - released 31 August 1970 in the USA on Brother Records/Reprise RS 6382 and November 1970 in the UK on Stateside SSL 8251.

 

SUNFLOWER Bonus Tracks (Previously Unreleased):

13. Loop De Loop (1969 Mix)

14. San Miguel (2020 Mix)

15. Susie Cincinnati (2020 Mix)

16. Good Time (2019 Mix)

17. I Just Got My Pay (2019 Mix)

18. Two Can Play (2019 Mix)

19. I'm Goin' Your Way (Alternate Mix)

20. Where Is She (2019 Mix)

21. Break Away (Backing Vocals Excerpt)

22. Our Sweet Love (String Section)

23. This Whole World (Alternate Ending)

24. Soulful Old Man Sunshine (2019 Mix)

25. All I Wanna Do (a Cappella)

26. Back Home (Alternate Version)

27. When Girls Get Together (2019 Mix)

28. Cotton Fields (The Cotton Song) (2012 Stereo Mix)

29. This Whole World (Live 1988)

30. Sunflower Promo 1

 

 

Disc Two (78:59 minutes):

SURF'S UP Original Album (2019 Master)

1. Don't Go Near The Water [Side 1]

2. Long Promised Road

3. Take A Load Off Your Feet

4. Disney Girls (1957)

5. Student Demonstration Time

6. Feel Flows [Side 2]

7. Lookin' At Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)

8. A Day In The Life Of A Tree

9. 'Til I Die

10. Surf's Up

Tracks 1 to 10 are their album "Surf's Up" - released 30 August 1971 in the USA on Brother/Reprise RS 6453 and November 1971 in the UK on Stateside SSL 10313.

 

SURF'S UP Bonus Tracks (Previously Unreleased):

11. It's A New Day

12. Big Sur

13. (Wouldn't It Be Nice To) Live Again (2019 Mix)

14. 4th Of July (2019 Mix)

15. Lady (Fallin' In Love) (1970 Stereo Mix)

16. Behold The Night

17. Medley: All Of My Love/Ecology

18. Sweet And Bitter

19. My Solution

20. Awake

21. Disney Girls (Live 1982)

22. Surf's Up (Live 1979)

23. You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone (Track & Backing Vocals)

24. Feel Flows (Backing Vocals Excerpt)

25. Disney Girls (Backing Vocals Excerpt)

26. Surf's Up Promo

 

 

The Audio it has to be said is a bit of a mixed blessing - the extra clarity has brought out quite a bit of that tape hiss behind those layers of vocals and you can really hear it in-between those musical gaps. But when it does work like on the gorgeous "Deirdre" or "Disney Girls (1957)", it's so damn sweet. I suppose you could argue that placing 17-seconds on CD1 and calling it a 'Previously Unreleased" song ("Break Away") and following that with a 'push-the-boat-out' one-whole minute of 'String Section' for "Our Sweet Love" is a bit of a stretch on two fronts.

 

One anomaly in the booklet calls Track 17 on CD2 as a Medley with "Happy Birthday" and "God Only Knows" as the duo of tracks when the back of the gatefold card sleeve gets its right – it's actually "All Of My Love" and "Ecology" – and for me it's one of a few unreleased dazzlers. Takes 1 and 2 of "Sweet And Bitter" with Mike on Lead Vocals are damn good too while the 3:43 minutes of "My Solution" complete with spoken and sung lines is just plain Beach Boys bonkers (easy on the mushrooms lads). The Final Take of the Floyd Tucker song "Awake" is so pretty (Brian on Lead) – an outtake that will thrill long-term BB fans.

 

But there is no doubt that when you re-hear Bruce Johnston's truly lovely "Tears In The Morning" that ends Side 1 of "Sunflower" that the band was at that moment swimming in melody and ideas. They were unfortunately saddled with that 60ts Surfin' Beach Boys image thing that did for them in the harder-hitting 70ts. I can remember huge numbers of people discovering these albums in retrospect and being impressed.

 

The 2CD Version of "Feel Flow: The Sunflower & Surf's Up Sessions 1969-1971" is a good reissue for me then, when I was hoping to be hopping up and down in hysterics. I'll just have to wait for the Big Daddy 'Super Deluxe Version' to drop in price and in the meantime, take a load off my feet with this...

"The Smile Sessions" by THE BEACH BOYS (2011 Capitol '2CD' Mini Box Set Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Giving Me Excitations..."

Although I think the never-released Beach Boy's LP "Smile" is a victim of gross over-importance by historical revisionists (there's an awful lot of meandering faff on here – segments rather than actual songs) – on the evidence presented in this sweet sounding mini box set – there's an actual album lurking about in there somewhere. God only knows - but let's go try and find it...

UK released 31 October 2011 (November 2011 in the USA) – "The Smile Sessions" by THE BEACH BOYS on Capitol 5099902766324 (Barcode the same) is a 2 x HDCD Mini Box Set with a 36-Page Booklet, 15" x 20" Fold-Out Poster and a 'Smile' Button. It plays out as follows:

Disc 1 (79:20 minutes):

1. Our Prayer

2. Gee

3. Heroes And Villains

4. Do You Like Worms (Roll Plymouth Rock)

5. I'm In Great Shape

6. Barnyard

7. My Only Sunshine (The Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine)

8. Cabin Essence

9. Wonderful

10. Look (Song For Children)

11. Child Is Father Of The Man

12. Surf's Up

13. I Wanna Be Around/Workshop

14. Vega-Tables

15. Holidays

16. Wind Chimes

17. The Elements: Fire (Mrs. O'Leary's Cow)

18. Love To Say Dada

19. Good Vibrations

BONUS TRACKS:

20. You're Welcome

21. Heroes And Villains (Stereo Mix)

22. Heroes And Villains Sections (Stereo Mix)

23. Vega-Tables Demo

24. He Gives Speeches

25. Smile Backing Vocals Montage

26. Surf's Up 1967 (Solo Version)

27. Psycodelic Sounds – Brian Falls Into A Piano

Disc 2 (64:06 minutes):

1. Our Prayer "Dialogue" (9/19/66)

2. Heroes And Villains (Part 1)

3. Heroes And Villains (Part 2)

4. Heroes And Villains: Children Were Raised (1/27/67)

5. Heroes And Villains: Prelude To Fade (2/15/67)

6. My Only Sunshine (11/14/66)

7. Cabin Essence (10/3/66)

8. Surf's Up: 1st Movement (11/4/66)

9. Surf's Up: Piano Demo (12/15/66)

10. Vega-Tables: Fade (4/12/67)

11. The Elements: Fire Session (11/28/66)

12. Cool, Cool Water Version 2 (10/26-10/29/67)

13. Good Vibrations Session Highlights

Some have moaned about the hard card sleeves inside housing the 2 CDs (put the discs in protective plastics) – I think they look and feel great. I also love the way Capitol have given the "Smile" album that Capitol T 2580 catalogue number and what would have approximated its probable artwork (even if the track list on the rear is confusing). You certainly can't complain either about a near 80-minute playing time on Disc 1. The 36-page booklet is a chunky affair offering Brian Wilson's "Music is God's Voice" liner notes at the beginning - followed by some vacuous assessment of "Smile" by Tom Nolan which goes into 'myth' and 'artefact' babble. There's a plethora of period colour photos followed by lyrics for everything and detailed notes on the tortuous transfer process by compilation producers MARK LINETT, ALAN BOYD and DENNIS WOLFE. They explain that digital editing has now allowed Capitol to 'splice' the album together making sense of Brian Wilson's 'modules' of music (as he liked to call them).

The AUDIO is fabulous – Mixed and Mastered by MARK LINETT at 'Your Place Or Mine Recording' in Glendale, California (edited by ALAN BOYD). This is as clean and vibrant as I've ever heard this much bootlegged material - and the bare piano demo of "Surf's Up" on Disc 2 is a stupendous remaster.

It opens with what could only be track one – the beautiful Acapella "Our Prayer" – one minute and five seconds of gorgeous Beach Boys harmonies – like an opening salvo to a masterpiece. Personally I sequenced "Surf's Up" (which I would have called 'Brother John') next – surely one of the truly great finished songs on "Smile". Equally brill and complicated is the 4:52 minute version of the mammoth "Heroes And Villains". I personally like to follow that with the monk-like chant of "Love To Say Dada". I also dig the pretty clavinet 60ts feel to "Wonderful". And of course we then get the big one – "Good Vibrations". Having grown up like everyone else with the October 1966 seven-inch single mix at 3:59 minutes – how weird is it to hear this altered supposed 'full album version' at 4:15 minutes. It's good – but not nearly as sharp as the 45 released version. I know it only adds about 20-seconds but it actually lessens the song in my books – the single mix was tighter and more extraordinary. This version feels more of a meander – like too many of the album segments did. "Cabin Essence" is pretty as he sings "...I'll give you a home on the range..." and then goes off into yet another tempo change. Other faves include "Plymouth Rock" and "Look (Song For Children)" and the piano-cha-cha of "Child Is Father Of The Man" – brilliant piano breaks with a trombone sailing in over it (gorgeous Bass sound too). Stuff like "I'm In Great Shape" and "Barnyard" at 28 and 48 seconds are nonsense ditties to me but the string arrangements given to "You Are My Sunshine" are beautiful as are the heavy-vibe vocals.

In some respects I actually enjoy Disc 2 more than 1. The dialogue featured in almost every song here gives you insight into their process - for instance one band member clearly feels "Our Prayer" is an ideal opening song while the other only feels it’s an intro to a song. Part 3 of "Heroes And Villains" is the 'ba boom' part that they've called "Children Are Raised" with the boys discussing being in Japan as they get the harmonies right. The "First Movement" of "Surf's Up" will thrill fans as they work out what many consider (outside of "Good Vibrations") to be the album's central masterpiece. It opens with piano and guitar and feels magical. Moving on - I experimented with iTunes edit on "Cool, Cool Water" starting it at 1:32.5. It gives the song that beautifully produced vocal intro (what a finished tune this would have made). The 8:19 minutes of the "Good Vibrations" Session Highlights is the stuff of legend - Brian breaking it down time and time again until they get it right. "OK - here we go - play hard and strong..." he directs - and they do. And those bits around 3:35 that aren't in the final mix - wow...

Frustrating, magical, unfinished business with too much time passed – "Smile" is all of these things and more. "The Most Anticipated Album In Rock 'n' Roll History" the outer sticker screams. Maybe so - but I still don't know if it's the great lost meisterwork everyone latterly claims it is. The true Beach Boys nutter can of course go after the 5CD full-on 'immersion' experience. But in the mean time – we mere mortals and musical Neanderthals can settle for this beautifully presented reissue – now with best ever Audio.

"...The laughs come hard in Auld Lang Syne..." – Brian Wilson sings on the gorgeous and unadorned Take 1 Piano Demo of "Surf's Up" on Disc 2. After all this time – don't those prophetic lyrics still ring true about this troubled slice of genius...

PS: Time to get really contentious - here's my version of the "Smile" LP by THE BEACH BOYS on Capitol T 2580

Side 1:

1. Our Prayer

2. Surf's Up [credited as "Brother John"]

3. Heroes And Villains

4. Love To Say Dada

5. Wonderful

6. Good Vibrations

Side 2:

1. Cool, Cool Water [Edit at 1:32.5]

2. Child Is Father Of The Man

3. Cabin Essence

4. Do You Like Worms (Roll Plymouth Rock) [as "Plymouth Rock"]

5. Vega-Tables

6. Wind Chimes
7. Look (Song For Children)