Discuss & Rate Beach Boys Songs Day by Day

Perhaps the most hilarious song in the Beach Boys’ canon, the over the top dramatic orchestration paired with the lyrics extolling a healthy lifestyle is ridiculous and yes, very funny. How did Carl, who couldn’t get though Soulful Old Man Sunshine without laughing, managed to sing this all the way through? That final “Liiiiiiiiiiiiiife” kills me every time - and I love the little break at around the one minute mark. “Don’t sit around on your ass, smoking grass” - hah! I only wish the whole album had been songs like this. It’s no Good Vibrations but just because I love it, 5/5.

 

Wata, no need to even mention missing a day. Everybody has a real life away from the message boards. You are doing an excellent job at running all these polls for so many years now.

That said, glad to have you back. Adult/Child is another favorite of mine.

 

Life Is For the Living - ridiculous but I still like it. 3/5

 

Love this album so much! Hate that there is no really good quality bootleg. I think had of this come out it would have completely killed their career for good, but it's great to have Brian making experimental music again. The opening track is solid, short and to the point. And catchy! Great lyrics that hark back to vege-tables with Brian's health obsession, the irony as he ballooned to 300 pounds! Carl's voice is beautiful as always and really suits the swing arrangement. Really like this one and play it a LOT

5 for me!

 

I really like "Life Is For the Living"; it's enjoyable as hell and may be the best of Brian's "health" songs (though I'd probably put "Vega-tables/Vegetables" higher.)
Again, this goofy humorous side that surfaced in the late seventies is one of the major sides of Brian's genius to me. It's a small tragedy that these fun, creative songs remain unreleased. I mean, I get that it was unfeasible for a major label in the 1970s, but I wish they had found a way: through a minor label or something, to release the stuff that Brian couldn't.

Personally, I hope that we don't have to wait until 2026 to get a "Brian's Back" era release. Or a "Brian's Back redux" release from the late 80s when he seems to have been just as productive he'd been in the late 70s.

This song addresses the theme of physical and psychological transformation, a recurring theme on this album (even "Hey Little Tomboy") I see it as Brian's message to himself (parrotting Landy's capring, no doubt.) Brian did get in shape.

Anyway, I'll give it a 5/5.

 

I think it would have been the other way around - Had it been released, it certainly would have got better reception than what was released (MIU Album), plus it would've surely been a cult favorite among Beach Boys fans just like Love You. I don't think it will succeed commercially, though.

Life Is For The Living is swinging, great opener to the album, although Carl could've given another shot on the vocals. This should have been released by now. 5/5

 

Would it not have alienated fans even further though, as in the whole album. At least MIU paved the way to their America's band phase which love it or hate it kept the live shows going and is the reason the brand is what it is today. I think Adult Child then whatever a follow up would've been would have reduced then to a cult act. Would have been good music wise but would have deminished the wider appeal

 

LIFTL - In the context of an Adult/Child album, I love it (5). Had the album been released it would have been savvy to lead with this ironic take. In the context of the Beach Boys canon, i.e., if I was to listen to it on a shuffle of BB songs, I'd have to say I like it and listen to it (3).

I split the difference and rate it 4/5.

 

LIFTL is jam packed with positive stuff and is basically a decent tune that if somewhat reworked would certainly click. As Wat said above, I think Carl should have thought about doing another, better take but as is, I'm giving it a 4/5.

 

I think a fair bit of Adult/Child is poor, but not this one: 3

 

LIFTL was a highlight of those nonSMiLE boots from the early 90’s. With all the boxsets and other collections we’ve gotten since, I’m surprised this one still remains in the vaults. “Don’t sit on your ass, smokin’ grass!” Pure Brian!

 

Recording dates are a bit fuzzy in this first post-Landy period of early 1977 for Adult/Child, but "Life Is For The Living" is around early March at Brother Studio. Brian was moving on, still dreaming about it. All of his lyrics were direct, simple, and most definitely from a battered soul. Brian sounds like he is feeling free, and at least thinking about a healthy lifestyle. Life is for the living. Indeed, words to live by. It must seem nuts to think of a song like this as a 5/5, 10/10, but I do. Two brothers having a real good time. Carl, and those horn charts, helps to take this over the top.

 

Love the arrangement, hate the lyrics - This is the era where Brian desperately needed a collaborator. It seems like every good idea he had in Love You and Adult/Child was overwhelmed by amateur lyrics. For a new listener it is too difficult to get past the lyrics and so the song is easily dismissed.

2/5

 

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Today's song is Deep Purple [unreleased]:

 

“Deep Purple” is well done insofar as the instrumental track goes, but the vocal does bring it down a bit for me; 3/5.

 

Brian's vocal on Deep Purple sounds like a practising take. Would have been nice to have a more definitive take on the level of, say, Still I Dream of It.

 

Deep Purple - I like it but these big band songs lack the Beach Boys harmonies. 3/5

 

Brian the crooner - the vocal accomplishes what Brian wanted to do I believe. Some backing vocals would be nice but I’m going for a 4/5. Nice to see Brian trying something new after the synth pop of Love You - I wish there were more of the big band tracks, say at least 50% of the album, maybe even do a Christmas album style breakdown of an “adult” side and a teen side. Hey Little Tomboy would definitely fit the bill for the teen side!

 

Bad. The vocals are beyond bad. 1. Worst thing on the album.

 

I always liked the song, especially by Nino Tempo and April Stevens, but this treatment not only lacks direction, it just plods along with Brian's sub par vocal. I'm hoping that this was just an early take and that it eventually was improved because as is, it only rates 2/5.

 

Deep Purple: I am in a quandary on rating this song. I was put off by the croaking vocals like others and rejected it out of hand. I revisited the song recently and thought that although the vocals are rough, instrumentally it certainly fits the supposed Adult/Child musical theme and added it to my A/C playlist.

Having said that, I am not sure I can give it as high as a 3/5, though in the context of the "album", it would get that score.

2/5

 

I have been in this position before. Most folks don't like Brian's take on "Deep Purple". I consider the original beautiful, but Brian is creating something beautiful here, too. The arrangement is top shelf, and Brian's vocal brings a realness to how he wanted this song, and these sessions to sound. I give a strong 4/5, 8/10 for this accomplishment, echoing what lou said, which was very nice. I too wish there had been more of the big band tracks, either originals or covers.

 

Deep Purple - Not a very good vocal by Brian, but the instrumentation is superb. 3/5

 

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