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THE BEACH
BOYS
Love You (1977)
 One
of the great myths of our time is that Brian Wilson’s creativity
imploded under the strain of striving to create "Teenage
Symphonies to God" on the aborted opus ‘Smile’. Subsequently,
the Beach Boys post-Smile work often receives short shrift
from critics and music fans alike.
Hardcore Brian Wilson fan would
argue otherwise though. Hidden amongst the patchy seventies Beach Boys
output lies an ocean of golden nuggets that proved when Brian Wilson eventually
got out of bed and into the studio his genius never did wane following
the aftermath of the doomed ‘Smile’.
On one particular album from 1977 Brian Wilson
surfaced to produce his finest, most cohesive record since the lavish,
‘Pet Sounds’. Up to that point most Beach Boys albums only featured small
contributions from a reclusive Brian Wilson but ‘Love You’ is pretty much
Brian Wilson solo.
‘Pet Sounds’ is revered for it’s near perfection,
‘Love you’ is equally treasured for its imperfections. The crude use of
crunching synthesisers was typically innovative at the time and the romantic
naivete was at odds with what happening in the music scene. As far as
the record buying public was concerned, the Beach Boys had washed up years
ago.
The album is an honest, sincere, raw and
at times, poignant body of work written by a troubled man forever willing
to bare his soul and take solace in the comforts and security of the simple
things in life.
 The
innocence of childhood is portrayed through the eyes of the infamous "adult
child" at odds with the grown-up world that revolves around him.
His croaky, fragile, worn out voice adds further depth and emotion. You
won’t find a more honest, natural album oozing with sincerity and pure
love.
"I wanna pick you up" is a simple
song about the magic and joy a child can bring to someone’s world. The
melody weaves around the nursery rhyme lyrics like a dream. The amazing
"Solar System" compares the complexities of the heavens above
with the endless search for true love.
"If Mars had life
on it, I might find my wife on it" - Solar System
"Airplane" is similar to the sentiments of
"Solar System" with its yearning blend of wonder and despair married to
the analogy of a another long, endless airborne flight home to a loved
one.
"Good Time" is a joyful pop song that was
first recorded by Brian Wilson's wife Marilyn and her sister Diane as
American Spring in 1971 (Available on the highly recommended 'Spring..plus'
compilation on See For Miles).
"The night was so young" is the
most polished song with its almost spiritual melodic crescendos that literally
take your breath away whilst "Let’s put our hearts together"
is an endearing, warm romantic duet between Brian and his then wife Marilyn.
"Let Us Go on This Way", "Roller Skating
Child" and "Honkin' down the highway" are three rough'n'ready rockers
swamped in huge slabs of synth sounds and salvaged by superb muli-layered
harmonies.
"Well, oh my! Oh
gosh! Oh Gee!" - Roller Skating Child
"Mona" is a homage to Brian Wilson's mentor,
Phil Spector and the song mimmicks his infamous 'wall of sound'.
"Listen to 'Be My Baby', I know you're gonna
love Phil Spector" sings Brian name checking one his all time favourite
songs on song.
The albums lighter moments and Brian's wry
sense of humour takes over on the goofy skit "Johnny Carson" and the short
but perverse "Ding Dang" - a track you really have to hear to believe
in it's sheer madness!
 On
the final track "Love is a woman" a tired and weary sounding Brian Wilson
takes the lead and sounds absolutely whacked. It's as if he's been propped
up to keep him awake but along with the near perfect harmonies of the
Beach Boys, our hero makes it to the end of yet another raw, rough diamond.
'Love You' may never be held in as high esteem
as the innovative "Good Vibrations" and faultless "Pet Sounds" and is
nowhere near the finished article. But that is part of its overall charm,
I guess. Also, you don't need to be a musician to fully appreciate the
constant, sometimes elaborate and playful key changes and harmonic shifts
that you find as you scratch beneath the surface. In 1977, against all
odds, Brian Wilson was still pushing the boundaries of music production.
.
The ‘Beach Boys Love You’ album can be found
in bargain bins if you look hard enough. I picked up a copy for just £3
after a long search! The good news though is that ‘Love You’ is now available
on CD for the first time coupled with 15 Big Ones.
Tracks: Let Us Go on This Way (Love/Wilson),
Roller Skating Child (Wilson), Mona (Wilson), Johnny Carson (Wilson),
Good Time (Jardine/Wilson), Honkin' Down the Highway (Wilson) Ding Dang
(McGuinn/Wilson), Solar System (Wilson), Night Was So Young (Wilson),
I'll Bet He's Nice (Wilson), Let's Put Our Hearts Together (Wilson), I
Wanna Pick You Up (Wilson), Airplane (Wilson), Love Is a Woman (Wilson)
Further info on the ‘Beach Boys Love You’:
http://perso.club-internet.fr/dermojet/index.html
Other neat Beach Boys web sites:
http://addsomemusic.homestead.com/index.html
http://www.cabinessence.com/
If you would like to send
your comments, ratings on any the above albums please email me readysteady.go@virgin.net.
Click here for more Beach Boys
articles/features
Page last up dated: April 2001
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