The summer fun is back! Brian Wilson reunites with the band for the group's 50th (!) anniversary and brings his trademark harmonies and teenage-fun-in-the-sun lyrics. My tongue-in-cheek complaint is that Wilson's modern production is too good. To me, the Beach Boys need to be heard through a hand-held transistor radio! ;-) Don't expect auto-tune, though - these guys don't need it!
The bad news: there's nothing here to compare to their greatest hits from the '60s.
The good news: there's nothing here as bad as Kokomo.
Metacritic has this rated at 64, which is a little low IMO. If you've got teenagers at the pool or the lake, don't play this. But if it's just us middle-aged folks, this is perfect for a summer afternoon in the sun. After all, Exclaim called this the "the dad-rock album of the year." I can dig it.
Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #3
Tracks: Far from flawless, these 39 minutes are a bit uneven, but I enjoy most all of it anyway. The track that sounds the most like the Beach Boys of old is Isn't It Time. Also, the suite of final tracks is simply beautiful, including From There To Back Again, which ranks up there with the group's best ballads. The oddest track is The Private Life Of Bill And Sue which I can only guess is a commentary on reality TV programming.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Too new.
Previously revisited for the blog:
20 Good Vibrations: The Greatest Hits (1995)
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