POLL Sunflower or Surf's Up

They could have called it Landlocked and included Denny's songs.

 

It really belongs on Smile, IMO, but since that never came to pass back in the day, I'm still glad that this song saw the light of day back in '71. The idea for the "Child is the Father" refrain at the end was a masterstroke.

 

Absolutely

 

So....for the regular label, you'd take Surf's Up?

 

I like the individual songs on Surf's Up better (in particular Side 2), but on an entire album basis, I slightly prefer Sunflower.

 

I'm not sure now, since I'm more fond of the earlier albums the older I get, but as a new Beach Boys fan in the 90s I considered Sunflower to be their best album as a whole.

 

well, we can certainly agree on that

 

My fave Beach Boys albums are "Pet Sounds" & "SMiLE" & I think their peak era runs from "The Beach Boys Today" up through & including "Wild Honey" (save for "Beach Boy's Party"- a fun anomaly, but not in a class with the rest). There's plenty of great songs on the albums before that. After that, starting with "Friends" & running up through & including "Love You" (save for "15 Big Ones"- mixed bag at best with a few fine songs, but below the high bar otherwise set here) you have a second era of weird & wonderful greatness to still adore.

It's a tough choice between "Sunflower" & "Surf's Up", each is as unique as it is wonderful & I ended up casting my vote for "Sunflower", but on any given day...

 

Personally I would choose Sunflower of the two.

Brian was still very active at this point and made major contributions to 5 songs on this album. It is no surprise that they are some of the highlights with This Whole World and All I Wanna Do particular favorites for me.

Dennis was also at his best with Forever probably his finest song. I do wish that Got to Know the Woman had been omitted and replaced by something like Lady though.

And the other members also all made good contributions. Bruce's Deirdre is beautiful and Al's At My Window is very enjoyable too.

I would hope that an extended edition will be released at some point (maybe 2020?) to include all of the other songs of the period such as Susie Cincinnati, Walkin, Good Time, When Girls Get Together etc.

Surf`s Up is another excellent album but a slight step down imo.

It is a shame that Dennis took his bat and his ball home after an argument with Carl, and withdrew his songs and Brian was rather less involved (though Til I Die is a classic).

Carl really proved himself though with two fine songs and Bruce's Disney Girls has rightly become a standard.

I will say though that I like A Day in the Life of a Tree a lot less than some people seem to.

 

What's the question?

Yes the "Cottonfields" 45 cut was added to the UK version of the album which makes it even better to my ears. Top album already getting yet another gem.

 

Feel Flows?

 

Surf's Up : A eco ennui beached whale, Til I Die.

 

Two great ones but I picked Sunflower.

 

Both flawed gems. Bruce should have handed "Tears In The Morning" over to someone else. It doesn't belong on a Beach Boys album.

 

Jeez...it's a dead heat. Like them both.

 

That one's like the Beach Boys go prog. (Of course, Brian was on the progressive edge already back in the mid 60s ).

Yes. I didn't even realize that this was the lead off track on side two, since I've only known it from the CD age), and a pretty long one clocking in at over 4:00 minutes. What an odd choice, but it certainly wouldn't be the first head scratcher on a Beach Boys album. Replace this with something like "Good Time" and the album improves considerably.

 

That's too cemented in the brain for "Love You."

How about substituting in "Sound Of Free" instead?

 

I like "Sound of Free" or "Lady" from Dennis.

 

It's a pick-em here, fairly equivalent even if different from one another. Holland beats either.

I like that one; very musical with lots of ideas and touches. Nice harmony construction too. "Deirdre" is the drippy one on that album.

 

I'd just never known that there was a difference in the track listing. Interesting.

 

Yup the 45 was a big hit in Europe at the time which probably was the reason they added it. Unfortunately it's not the original mono mix, but a re-channel. Sounds nice anyway...

 

If the rest of the album was blank besides the song "Surf's Up", I'd still vote for that album, such is my love and admiration for the song.
But, then we still have "'Til I Die" for the slamma jamma.

 

That's not how it came to pass. Like I said before, SURF'S UP would've been so much stronger with Dennis' songs.

Of course it belongs on SMILE. It just came out on SURF'S UP first. History ...

 

Sure it does.

 

Of course it belongs. It's been a part of that album for 45 years. Bruce was very much integrated into the band by the time that both 20/20 and Sunflower were recorded. To this day, Sunflower is still Bruce's most participation on a Beach Boys album, with 4 lead, co-lead vocals and two compositions.