The Beach Boys' 'Sunflower' Commercial and Artistic Flaw: No Mike Love Uptempo Rockers

It was more a case of needing a song in an emergency, given Dennis' opposition to contributing his own songs to Surf's Up.

 

How does a turd end up in the punchbowl?! Great image, though...

 

Ironically these are two of my very favorite Beach Boy Records. I don’t miss Mike Love’s song smithing in the least.

 

Actually, I think what the UK did with the album -- place Al Jardine's wonderful reworked single mix recording of Cottonfields at side one track one -- was a smart move (forgetting for a moment that they put a fake stereo mix of the mono on it). I like it better that way, anyway.

People have to remember (or understand, if they were around at the time), that the cover art really looked like a joke. The Beach Boys looking like they just came off the commune -- Love in his guru robe, etc. -- and it looked ridiculous to a lot of people. Just trying too hard or something and not having it work to their advantage.

PS: Didn't Reprise turn down what ended up on the unreleased Landlocked album and Sunflower was the replacement? Gotta admit I think the Landlocked material makes an album at least as good and mostly better to my ears.

 

I think Sunflower could have used an uptempo number too. It’s mostly bland to my ears.

 

But there is a classic on the record -- This Whole World. To me it's flat brilliant and it's the star on the album. I'd have liked the LP lots better if there was more tunes like that on it. Some of the rest is from OK to nice, or whatever, but I agree it's pretty bland.

 

I agree.

 

How 'bout Mike Love joins Fleetwood Mac and Lindesy joins the BB's? They can each contribute 'up tempo' tunes!

 

Here's one they could have cut. It's really 'up'

 

I don't miss anything on Sunflower. It's a wonderful album as it is. A Mike Love rocker would feel strange on it.

 

Before/during Sunflower, they used to do 'Riot' – straight – in concert, and it was glorious. There was no need to rework it for the album, much less create horribly awkward social commentary.

Leave well enough alone.

On the other hand, even that would seem out of place on any of the early 70s albums. They could have used that kind of muscular rock OOMPH on 15BO.

But by then the train went off the rails in any event.

 

Wow. Speechless. I'd never heard anything from his "I'm a genius, too" album. Wow, again.

 

Channeling mantras and blessing the little ones with flowers, from inside the gatefold:



Concert garb, mid-70s I think -- or later?:



I'm sure the meditation robes are way comfortable, but give me the sequins and turban any day of the week.

 

It's a old term for party-pooper, wet blanket, etc.

 

Ah, I see. Works great in that context! Gotta remember than one.

 

Close, but no cigar. What we call Landlocked, was a tape with all of the unused songs from Last Capitol Album/Reverberation and the Sunflower/Add Some Music album. Sunflower, by August 1970, became a combo of Reverberation and Add Some Music, plus two added songs recorded in early July; It’s About Time and Cool, Cool Water.
Landlocked or the 2nd Warner’s Album, as it was called, only produced 3 songs that actually made it onto the real Second Warner’s album “Surf’s Up”; Take A Load Off Your Feet, Lookin’ At Tomorrow and Til I Die.

 

I understand your point with Sunflower, but when you lumped Friends in there with it, well...I turned on you!

 

20/20 thread?
Last Capitol album and a beaut.

 

Maybe they should have worn the striped shirts.

 

Add Some Music has grown on me, but this cracked me up!

 

Sunflower is one of my fave Beach Boys records and I don't think it's missing anything...but the OP's post cracks me up!

 

What a great call. My second favorite track on the album and an absolute stunner. I can remember hearing this playing shortly before MBV took the stage a few times and it made perfect sense ... the song sounds about 20 years ahead of its time and Mike does just fine. The genius switch was on less and less for Brian at this point so we are lucky we got a few great ones on this album ... it would have been nice if there had been enough juice left to write a few more for Mike. For me the biggest flaw are the Bruce songs on this album ... especially "Tears". One of the highlights of the Made In California box set was the stax o' vocals mix of "Slip On Through". That song has such a great groove going that I never really noticed (but probably felt) the "spook" in parts of vocal arrangements before they burst through into glorious sunlight. Great stuff.

 

Oops. My mistake. No offense intended - it’s certainly a valid, albeit unpopular, position.

 

+1. Sonically “About Time” gets props on first impression, but it’s lyrics are eye rollingly atrocious. Eh, I still love Sunflower though.