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CD Description
To celebrate their 50th anniversary, Beach Boys Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, and David Marks reunited in Los Angeles’ Ocean Way Studios for That’s Why God Made The Radio, the band’s 29th studio album, the first in decades to feature all of the band’s surviving original members. Produced by Brian Wilson and executive produced by Mike Love, the album’s eleven songs illustrate The Beach Boys’ unique and evocative West Coast story with the band’s timeless signature sound.
Classic Rock – 8/10
“The songs float in melody and nostalgia like every great Beach Boys song since Surf’s Up or Do It Again.”
Mojo – August 2012 - ****
“This album, at its best so wistfully reliving our golden yesterdays, ranks up there with Today!”
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I always thought that this would be a pointless exercise, a bit like the awful Jeffferson Airplane comeback album from 1989, or Sinatra's Duets recordings from the early 1990s.
Thankfully not, as I found this to be a great album, bar Mike Love's sole soul-less composition. Of late, and I refer to previous albums from MIU onwards, The Beach Boys output has been throughly insipid, throughly uninspired, thoroughly awful. The best Beach Boy albums have been the solo recordings, i.e Carl's Youngblood, Dennis' Pacific Ocean Blue, and Brian's wonderful comeback as a functioning recording artist, from Brian Wilson (1988), I Just Wasn't Made for These Times (1995), Live At The Roxy, Smile, Lucky old Sun, etc.
The album does show that the Boys can revisit the close harmony material, a la Our Prayer, Brian's One For The Boys, on Think About The Days. It is also good that Brian's Wondermints backing musicians aid and abet the regular Beach Boys, i.e. Jeffrey Foskett and Darian Sahanaja, into creating an album that doesn't seem anachronistic, and this is apparent on the title track. I think this also harkens back to the vibe of Mount Vernon from Holland, but is, however, in a happier un-drugged state of mind.
Another old associate of Brian's appears as songwriter on most of the tracks, i.e. Joe Thomas - he produced 1998's solo album Imagination, which was a trifle over-done, but also contained great tracks, i.e Lay Down Burden. Isn't It Time is great, but Spring Vacation does over-egg the pudding somewhat with an unsubtle reference to Good Vibrations.
The Private Life of Bill & Sue shows that Brian is not afraid to write about a day to day scenario, a bit like McCartney on Another Day and Back Seat of My Car, or English Tea for that matter.... Read more ›
Thankfully not, as I found this to be a great album, bar Mike Love's sole soul-less composition. Of late, and I refer to previous albums from MIU onwards, The Beach Boys output has been throughly insipid, throughly uninspired, thoroughly awful. The best Beach Boy albums have been the solo recordings, i.e Carl's Youngblood, Dennis' Pacific Ocean Blue, and Brian's wonderful comeback as a functioning recording artist, from Brian Wilson (1988), I Just Wasn't Made for These Times (1995), Live At The Roxy, Smile, Lucky old Sun, etc.
The album does show that the Boys can revisit the close harmony material, a la Our Prayer, Brian's One For The Boys, on Think About The Days. It is also good that Brian's Wondermints backing musicians aid and abet the regular Beach Boys, i.e. Jeffrey Foskett and Darian Sahanaja, into creating an album that doesn't seem anachronistic, and this is apparent on the title track. I think this also harkens back to the vibe of Mount Vernon from Holland, but is, however, in a happier un-drugged state of mind.
Another old associate of Brian's appears as songwriter on most of the tracks, i.e. Joe Thomas - he produced 1998's solo album Imagination, which was a trifle over-done, but also contained great tracks, i.e Lay Down Burden. Isn't It Time is great, but Spring Vacation does over-egg the pudding somewhat with an unsubtle reference to Good Vibrations.
The Private Life of Bill & Sue shows that Brian is not afraid to write about a day to day scenario, a bit like McCartney on Another Day and Back Seat of My Car, or English Tea for that matter.... Read more ›
47 of 50 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's not Pet Sounds but it is the perfect coda to the Beach Boys career
4 Jun 2012
By Ray Wortley
Format:Audio CD
Let's be clear, this isn't another Pet Sounds or Smile but if it is the final studio album from the Beach Boys it does provide the perfect coda to what has been a magnificent career. It begins with outstanding track "Think about the days" where sublime vocals are set against a beautiful piano piece. Then we are on to the title track where the chorus features the sort of cascading vocals that were such a central feature of "God only knows. The following three tracks wouldn't have sounded out of place on "The Beach Boys Love You" album. It would be interesting to know if Mike Love (who went from frontman and chief lyricist to pantomime villain in the eyes of many fans) wrote the couplet,
"As for the past, it's all behind us
Happier now, look where life finds us".
"Shelter" starts of a bit weakly but suddenly takes off with a superb Carl Wilson like vocal on the chorus, by Jeffrey Foskett. "Daybreak over the Ocean" the only track not at least co-written or produced by Brian follows. Fortunately for a Mike Love penned track this more "Brian's Back" rather than "Student Demonstration Time" and with it's 50's and early 60's feel would have fitted nicely alongside some of the covers on "15 Big Ones". "Beaches in Mind" seems to me to be the weakest track on the album. "Strange World" sounds like it would fit perfectly on "That Lucky Old Sun" and we finish with a series of three gems, that were apparently originally supposed to be part of six song suite. I've read that Brian originally intended that "Summer's Gone" would be the final song on the last Beach Boys album and with the final verse one can see why,
"Summer's Gone
I'm gonna sit and watch the waves
We laugh, we cry
We live then die
And dream about our yesterday.... Read more ›
"As for the past, it's all behind us
Happier now, look where life finds us".
"Shelter" starts of a bit weakly but suddenly takes off with a superb Carl Wilson like vocal on the chorus, by Jeffrey Foskett. "Daybreak over the Ocean" the only track not at least co-written or produced by Brian follows. Fortunately for a Mike Love penned track this more "Brian's Back" rather than "Student Demonstration Time" and with it's 50's and early 60's feel would have fitted nicely alongside some of the covers on "15 Big Ones". "Beaches in Mind" seems to me to be the weakest track on the album. "Strange World" sounds like it would fit perfectly on "That Lucky Old Sun" and we finish with a series of three gems, that were apparently originally supposed to be part of six song suite. I've read that Brian originally intended that "Summer's Gone" would be the final song on the last Beach Boys album and with the final verse one can see why,
"Summer's Gone
I'm gonna sit and watch the waves
We laugh, we cry
We live then die
And dream about our yesterday.... Read more ›
27 of 29 people found the following review helpful
By Bodhi Heeren
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Audio CD
People who tend to think that come-backs and reunions are only made for commercial reasons must be people who don't know about the deep bonding that happpens when people play music together. Ok, it is not always the magic can be re-created, but in most cases something surprisingly worthwhile comes out of the effort.
That is definitely the case with this 50 years reunion album from one of the greatest bands ever. Uniting the three surviving original members Brian Wilson, Al Jardine and Mike Love with 2 musicians who has an imporatant place in the history of the band. Mainstay Bruce Johnstone and the more obscure surf guitarist David Marks who joined the band at only 13 and played on the first 4 albums.
Not surprisingly Brian Wilson is the driving force here, many of the tracks based on demos of songs he had made over the years - with Beach Boys in mind. Helped out by old time friend - and sometimes 'enemy, at least in the court rooms - Mike Love, multi-talent Jeff Foskett and co-producer Joe Thomas. And a host of first-rate studio-musicians, mostly from Brian's touring band but also guitar-legend Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter.
There are some beautiful gems here. The title track is certainly a bona fide hit song. Some more introspective songs like "From there to back again". Not a bad song, interesting arrangements, exemplary playing and on top it: the still present and vital vocal magic. And as always with music of this calliber an album that wins tremedously from repeated listenings
That is definitely the case with this 50 years reunion album from one of the greatest bands ever. Uniting the three surviving original members Brian Wilson, Al Jardine and Mike Love with 2 musicians who has an imporatant place in the history of the band. Mainstay Bruce Johnstone and the more obscure surf guitarist David Marks who joined the band at only 13 and played on the first 4 albums.
Not surprisingly Brian Wilson is the driving force here, many of the tracks based on demos of songs he had made over the years - with Beach Boys in mind. Helped out by old time friend - and sometimes 'enemy, at least in the court rooms - Mike Love, multi-talent Jeff Foskett and co-producer Joe Thomas. And a host of first-rate studio-musicians, mostly from Brian's touring band but also guitar-legend Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter.
There are some beautiful gems here. The title track is certainly a bona fide hit song. Some more introspective songs like "From there to back again". Not a bad song, interesting arrangements, exemplary playing and on top it: the still present and vital vocal magic. And as always with music of this calliber an album that wins tremedously from repeated listenings
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing collection of familiar not so good sounds
Brian Wilson is for me the ultimate but that was when at his greatest plus a few since whilst not forgetting his tributes to other greats and adding their music to Beach Boy... Read more
Published 20 hours ago by HalcyonKnight
5.0 out of 5 stars
The greatest Beach Boys album since the late '60s/early '70s
This was one unlikely reunion if ever there was one, but to The Beach Boys' credit they didn't just embark upon a tour to cash in on the need for nostalgia like so many other old... Read more
Published 14 days ago by Volt & Volume
4.0 out of 5 stars
Was bought as a present
Bought for my dad. He seems to like it. I much prefer the earlier stuff. Sounds ok from what I've heard.
Published 1 month ago by Steve
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fab Beach Boys
Great CD! Fab music, fab harmonies as always. Definitely one for listening to in my car - and some of the tracks also make me want to dance.
Published 1 month ago by JSW
5.0 out of 5 stars
They're back!
This is classic Beach Boys, recalling their glory days of yesteryear. At times the lyrics make you wonder if this is their swansong, but if it is, this is a fitting end to a... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. B. Wright
5.0 out of 5 stars
I'm Surprised
It's a really lovely album, with a perfect blend of youthful sounds and mature reflection. It's also just a very happy experience on an album.
Published 1 month ago by Pete
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beach boys rule
My husband has been a great fan of the BB fo a number of years. He is over the moon with this CD. It arrived very quickly, before the due date. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Tia Maria
3.0 out of 5 stars
title track is great
Unfortunately for me that's where it ends. The rest of the songs are 'OK' in my opinion. The production is pretty slick, to the point of being a bit too slick and making me sick... Read more
Published 1 month ago by O
4.0 out of 5 stars
That's Why God made the Beachboys
I bought this ambum after watching the Beach Boys 50th Anniversary Tour DVD as I wanted to hear more from the album. The Beach Boys did not disappoint me. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mrs Josephine Gibson
5.0 out of 5 stars
You never lose it
If you have "IT", you never, ever lose "IT". This is a prime example of this saying; an amazing album by quite an unbelievable group. Read more
Published 2 months ago by B. McGOWN
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