REVIEW: Beach Boys, Endless Harmony (Capitol)
- Tim Kennedy
The Beach Boys 'latest' release is a soundtrack album, according to the notes, to accompany a documentary about the band. However it is really an appendix to the stunning Good Vibrations box set of 1993. The liner notes give a potted history of the band but evidently this is not a set for the uninitiated. It is a veritable curate's egg, good in parts, with some great moments and also some disappointments.
The first disappointment is what is missing. There are huge gaps amongst the released works of the Beach Boys where material of superb quality has been suppressed, either because it would upset Brian's supposedly fragile state of mind or more likely because it doesn't fit in with the image of the band desired by other surviving members.
The Smile (1966) album was virtually completed and anyone who has heard the bootlegs will testify to the masterpiece that it is. The item relating to Smile on this CD is a demo "Heroes And Villains" (to me) unheard, and slyly hints that Smile is mere bits and pieces - untrue. (Brian himself has even been quoted as saying that Smile is merely fragments which is bizarre as his cohort Mark Linett compiled all the Smile material ready for release a few years back - which never came.)
Drummer Dennis Wilson's death left a large body of still unreleased work- fascinating relics of sessions and finished work of the finest quality. Indeed Dennis' solo album Pacific Ocean Blue (1977) remains deleted which is a shame as it is superb. The two songs here by Dennis- "All Alone" and Barbara" are some of the best on offer. Dennis was master of the ballad in the manner of Harry Nilsson but he sang with greater sensitivity. For now, bootlegs keep his memory alive, despite his erstwhile colleagues' disinterest in his musical legacy.
What we get instead is a scattering of items from through the years, with plenty of live versions (naturally most without Brian as he shunned the stage after 1965). Some are good, such as Carl's great Surf's Up (1971) song "Long Promised Road".
The opener, "Soulful Old Man Sunshine" from 1969 features in demo and 'finished' state (though it was never released). The demo is delightful and light in feel - pure mid 60s Brian. The final cut is in total contrast, it is terrible, with jazz musicians and over the top harmonies. The song was completed largely without Brian, by a friend -Rick Henn. It has an arrangement which has you visualising dancing girls coming on stage left doing high kicks - which makes no wonder we never heard from Henn as a collaborator again.
A pointless live medley of their surf hits dating from 1966 points the way to the cabaret Beach Boys of the future which the fans have had to suffer for the past twenty-odd years.
Better from the early period is an alternate mix of "Help Me Rhonda", a much loved song but also highly innovative in its time. Also of note is a live "God Only Knows" (1967) which showcases Carl's gorgeous voice. Not so great is the lacklustre live "Good Vibrations", but then it was foolhardy to attempt that studio classic with stage sound technology as it was then. Stereo "Kiss Me Baby" and "California Girls" mixes are fine here, though not so different from the mono version.
The Mike Love composition "Brian Is Back" from 1975 is equally faithful to the cabaret band image. It is a very poor song that cannot be rescued by Carl's backing vocal. Mike of course is on record as being infuriated by the widespread view of the band as "Brian and the four assholes".
Bruce Johnston (who took Brian's place in the band when they were touring) contributes the title track which is a lovely tune. It survives a typical saccharine 1990s production with its soul intact.
There are various versions of Smile songs done live which are of interest to the fans. "Heroes and Villains" and "Wonderful" are good versions. "Darlin" and "Break Away" are here too, two of the best of the late sixties material in live and demo form.
One track of real interest is an unusual mix of Brian's classic "Til I Die" from Surf's Up which features a heavy bass, instrumental intro and lush harmonies. This version actually appeared on the re-released "Stack O Tracks" CD not so long ago but it is still a fine version. Fans will love the oddments of radio promos including one featuring Dennis.
Another treat is "Sail Plane Song" which has all the feel of Smile about it, despite being written in 1968 long after the big come-down. The notes bizarrely claim this to be Brian's only attempt at 'acid rock'. Clearly the writer never heard "Mrs O' Leary's Cow" (aka "Fire"), or even "Good Vibrations"!
The remix of "Sail Plane Song" from 1969 renamed "Loop De Loop" adds more silly noises and apparently Al Jardine laid down a lead vocal for this track in 1998. It is more busy but still retains the charm of the original.
I can not imagine a casual observer getting excited about this CD, but fans will find much of value despite the omissions and disappointments, along with a handful of real treats that even the most avid bootleg collectors may not have heard.
