This Review and 315 More Like It
Are Available in my e-Book...
ALL THINGS MUST PASS
1970
1970
Your All-Genres Guide To
Exceptional CD Reissues and Remasters
Classic Albums, 45-Singles, Compilations
ALL GENRES
Over 2,300 E-Pages of Reviews from the discs themselves
(No Cut and Paste Crap)
<iframe style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=mabasreofcdbl-21&language=en_GB&marketplace=amazon®ion=GB&placement=B01MZYC9BR&asins=B01MZYC9BR&linkId=5c474c0c30ed5b9ad0db0d280d9cb30f&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true"></iframe>
"...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...
