The Sands Of Time - A Tribute To The Beach Boys '76 45 (1976)

1976 tribute to The Beach Boys, as the name suggests. Produced by The Tokens.

Tracklist:
1. A Tribute To The Beach Boys '76
2. Benji's Cincinnati

Download: megaupload

Brian Wilson - Melt Away 45 (1988)

One of the 45's released from Brian Wilson's 1988 solo album. The b-side is an unreleased song from the same album.

Tracklist:
1. Melt Away
2. Being With The One You Love

Download: megaupload

The Flame - The Flame (1970)

The Flame are most well-known for their connection to The Beach Boys. Al Jardine saw them play at a bar one night, and thought they were so good that he brought Carl Wilson to see them the next night. Carl also liked them, so he invited them to LA to record an album for Brother Records, which Carl produced. Two of the members, Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar, also became short-term members of The Beach Boys, playing on 2 studio albums and 1 live album.

This album's pretty good, sounds kind of like the late-60's Beatles.

Tracklist:
1. See The Light
2. Make It Easy
3. Hey Lord
4. Lady
5. Don't Worry, Bill
6. Get Your Mind Made Up
7. Highs And Lows
8. I'm So Happy
9. Dove
10. Another Day Like Heaven
11. See The Light (Reprise)

Download: megaupload

The Beach Boys - Sunflower (European Pressing) (1970)

This album is often critically acclaimed as The Beach Boys creative re-birth. I'm not sure if I agree with that statement entirely, as I don't really think The Beach Boys released any bad music at all before this album, if anything, their most creative period was in the years right before before this album. Though after Pet Sounds, Smile, and Smiley Smile, this album does show The Beach Boys as a fully working band again, and a return to the style of songs they were recording in the mid-60's, similar in sound and feel to albums like "Today!" and "Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!!)".

This is ripped from a European pressing of the vinyl, which includes a recording of "Cottonfields", alternate to the version found on "20/20".




Tracklist:
1. Cottonfields
2. Slip On Through
3. This Whole World
4. Add Some Music To Your Day
5. Deirdre
6. Got To Know The Woman
7. It's About Time
8. Tears In The Morning
9. All I Wanna Do
10. Forever
11. Our Sweet Love
12. At My Window
13. Cool, Cool Water

Download: megaupload

Taylor Swift covers "God Only Knows".

Like it or love it (I personally like it, besides all the screaming fans), it's cool to see someone sharing this music with a younger audience. The sing-a-long part at the end rules. Also, she has "Don't worry baby, everything will be alright" written down her arm.

The Beach Boys - Don't Fight The Sea 45 (2011)

The Beach Boys recently released their first recording of new material on years on this 45 as a benefit for the Red Cross Relief for the Japan earthquake crisis. The A-side is a cut from Al Jardine's solo album, but features Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Mike Love and Bruce Johnston. The b-side is an a capella version of Friends. Don't fight the mtt.

Tracklist:
1. Don't Fight The Sea
2. Friends (A Capella)

Purchase: soundstagedirect
Download: mediafire

Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue (1977)

Pacific Ocean Blue is by far the best solo album released by any member of The Beach Boys (though I'm not comparing it to anything Mike Love has done outside of The Beach Boys, because that stuff's in a league of its own). Dennis himself wasn't a fan of this album, claiming he thought it lacked substance, and was more excited for the release of it's follow-up "Bambu", which ended up being un-finished and un-released at the time of his death. This is a great album of 70's rock that The Beach Boys would have been incapable of releasing as a band. Every bit as essential as Fleetwood Mac's Tusk.

This album was re-issued a few years back as a 3xLP, which included a re-mastered version of the album, a LP of outtakes, and a LP with the "Bambu" sessions. You can purchase it from http://www.sundazed.com/ as well as tons of other great and hard to find vinyl re-issues. I unfortunately just have a stupid white label promo of the original pressing, so no bonus tracks for you guys.

Tracklist:
1. River Song
2. What's Wrong
3. Moonshine
4. Friday Night
5. Dreamer
6. Thoughts Of You
7. Time
8. You And I
9. Pacific Ocean Blues
10. Farewell My Friend
11. Rainbows
12. End Of The Show

Download: mediafire

The Beach Boys - The Beach Boys (1985)

I've been going through a big 1970's/1980's Beach Boys phase lately. Most of the 1970's stuff is really great but the 1980's stuff is generally pretty cheesy. This album, released in 1985, was their first album in 5 years and an attempt to regain past glories. While it's not an extraordinary listen, or really anything special at all, there are a few enjoyable moments through out the album. I'm a big fan of the Mike Love and Terry Melcher pennedopening single "Getcha Back", which has a similar feel to "Do It Again". It's a real heavy hitter.

Tracklist:
1. Getcha Back
2. It's Gettin' Late
3. Crack At Your Love
4. Maybe I Don't Know
5. She Believes In Love Again
6. California Calling
7. Passing Friend
8. I'm So Lonely
9. Where I Belong
10. I Do LoveYou
11. It's Just A Matter Of Time

Download: mediafire

The Beach Boys - Surf's Up (1971)

After I saw that Disney Girls video I posted here last night, I dug out my copy of Surf's Up. This is one of my absolutely favorite Beach Boys LP's. The final 3 songs are an absolute masterpiece.

Tracklist:
1. Don't Go Near The Water
2. Long Promised Road
3. Take A Load Off Your Feet
4. Disney Girls (1957)
5. Student Demonstration Time
6. Feel Flows
7. Lookin' At Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)
8. A Day In The Life Of A Tree
9. 'Til I Die
10. Surf's Up

Download: mediafire

The Beach Boys - Merry Christmas From The California Legends (1977)

 

Volume 3 of Making Wave's Ltd.'s Beach Boys Collectors Series. ( I also have Volume 1 up here). This bootleg is a collection of songs recorded for a Christmas album in 1977 which Warner Brothers ended up rejecting probably because it's actually pretty bad. A lot of the tracks on this are actually just other Beach Boys songs from the mid-70's re-written with new terrible lyrics about Christmas, there's even a Christmas version of a song from Dennis Wilson's Bambu sessions. Musically I think this is actually a good album, but the lyrics kind of ruin it.

Tracklist:
1. Alone On Xmas Day
2. Go And Get That Girl
3. Santa's Got An Airplane
4. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
5. Xmas Medley
6. Winter Symphony
7. Michael Row The Boat Ashore
8. Holy Evening
9. Xmas Time Is Here Again
10. Child Of Winter
11. Seasons In The Sun
12. Kona Christmas

Download: mediafire

Celebration - Celebration (1978)

Mike Love's 1970's side project. Better than The Beach Boys. Better than Music. Best album ever, but tied with this.

Tracklist:
1. Gettin' Hungry
2. Sailor
3. Lovestruck
4. She's Just Out To Get You
5. I Don't Wanna Know
6. Starbaby
7. Go And Get That Girl
8. How's About A Little Bit
9. Song Of Creation
10. Country Pie

Download: mediafire

The Beach Boys - Smile (surfin records bootleg) (1971)

This bootleg started showing up at just about every single record store I shop at last summer. A friend of mine told me he was talking to one of the dudes that work at one of the record stores and he said they didn't even know they were getting in a Smile bootleg and they had thought they originally ordered a reissue of Smiley Smile. The quality isn't the greatest but it's still a cool mix of the Smile songs, and includes a lot of tracks that are missing from 2004's Brian Wilson Presents Smile. And since Al Jardine was lying about an official Beach Boys Smile being released, this will have to do. This also receives The Certified Tripper Seal of Approval.

Tracklist:
1. Our Prayer
2. Heroes And Villains
3. Barnyard
4. Do You Like Worms
5. The Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine
6. He Gives Speeches
7. Wonderful
8. Child Is Father Of The Man
9. Cabin Essence
10. Look
11. Good Vibrations
12. I Wanna Be Around/Friday Night
13. Vega-Tables
14. Wind Chimes
15. Mrs. O'Leary's Cow
16. I Love To Say Da Da
17. You're Welcome
18. Surf's Up

Download: mediafire

The Beach Boys Feb 5th 2011 (almost) reunion

I got the day off work today, and after a busy weekend (and a little hung over from the Heritage Classic yesterday) I decided to just stay in today and waste time on youtube.

Al Jardine and John Stamos joined Mike Love's Beach Boys band for a celebration of Ronald Reagan's 100th birthday. The performance seems kind of weak and if they actually end up doing a 50th anniversary tour, this kind of makes me worry.

The Beach Boys - Rarities (1983)

1983 compilation of rare covers, b-sides, out-takes, and alternate takes of familiar songs.

Tracklist:
1. With A Little Help From My Friends
2. The Letter
3. I Was Made To Love Her
4. You're Welcome
5. The Lord's Prayer
6. Blue Birds Over The Mountain
7. Celebrate The News
8. Good Vibrations
9. Land Ahoy
10. In My Room
11. Cotton Fields
12. All I Want To Do
13. Auld Lang Syne

Download: mediafire

The Beach Boys - California Feeling (1976)

Bootleg of 1970's Beach Boys outtakes. It's actually credited to Carl and the Passions. Eugene Landy wrote the liner notes for this album:
 "This is California Feeling, an album of 17 previously unreleased recordings carefully selected and programmed for your listening delectation. Be mindful of the fact that although the title "California Feeling" was the proposed moniker for what was to essentially become MIU Album, this collection bares no resemblance to that album. We simply liked the title and decided to appropriate it for the little collection we've assembled here. (We'd also like to point out this collection bears no relationship to an unauthorized collection on the Making Waves Ltd. label entitled California Feeling. Perhaps they should change the name of their label to Illiterate Records.)
Our program begins with the title track, written by Brian with Steve Kalinich in late 1975. If there was ever a group qualified to sing about California feelings, it's these guys. Nuf said. "Brians Back", ostensibly a Mike solo effort (although Carl's unmistakable falsetto essentially renders this a "group effort") follows. Mike manages to be affectionate without becoming obsequious in this touching tribute to his cousin and long-time cohort and collaborator. Motifs from some of the groups earlier hits are interweaved throughout the song. If you get hard-up for a parlour game you can try picking them out.
Part of the influential fallout from the towel-head religions that were in vogue during the late sixties/early seventies was the concept of the mantra. This circular style of singing was put to use several times by the boys, and always with pleasant results. "We're Together Again" is no exception. It's a rather pretty song and was recorded circa 1970. In the mold of "Be True To Your School" (sorta) comes "Our Team", a song considered for the MIU Album but dropped at the last minute. Another song likewise dropped from that collection was "How's About A Little Bit Of Your Sweet Lovin'", a short tune barely longer than it's title.
The next song (presented here in painfully discreet stereo) is not a finished track but rather a vocal/demo of Brian imploring "I'm Begging You Please". The disturbing revelation here is that vocally there is sometimes a thin line separating Brian from Wild Man Fischer. Alan gets the spotlight on the next two numbers. His lead vocal on an unreleased version of "Santa Ana Winds" is obviously a scratch track. Note that the tracks were completely rewritten by the time the song was redone for inclusion on Keepin' The Summer Alive. Though the version included here is considerably rougher, this reviewer finds that it possesses more charm than the more refined and considerably "sweetened" officially released specimen. Brian sings the opening lines on Al's next track "Looking Down The Coast", another song with a California feeling. The side closes with another of Brian's demos, "Lazy Lizzy" is a domestic essay, the subject matter being about picking your kids up as they walk home from school. So who says ya gotta try to be deep all the time, huh? The song has something of a dirge-like quality about it and is too long and meandering but it is, as stated, only a demo.
Side two: Mike and Carl share the lead vocals on the Mamas and Papas hit "California Dreamin", the only cover song contained on this album. "Skatetown USA" was written by Al and Mike and submitted to Columbia Records for consideration for the "roller disco" film of the same name. The song lost out to a recording by Dave Mason. "Sherry She Needs Me" is interesting in that the instrumental tracks were recorded in 1965, but the vocal was recorded by Brian in 1976. The trouble is, the lyrics are dippy, even by 1965 standards. There are some phrases that just don't seem to work very well in the context of a pop song. "Sherry, don't hate her guts because she took me away" is a prime example. The basic storyline of the song is excessively naive. The singer is asking his old flame to be cool about getting ditched for some other chick, and he even goes as far as to suggest that the ditchee should consider becoming friends with her successor. This kind of logic could only come from someone who spent too much time with his feet in a sandbox; in real life socio-sexual relationships seldom resolve themselves in such a way. It's hard to find fault with the instrumental tracks, though. The music is sophisticated even by mid-seventies standards. 
The boys get heavy with "River Song" co-authored by the brothers Dennis and Carl. This quite respectable group effort preceeded the version Dennis eventually cut for his one and only released solo album. This is a rough mix, to be sure, but it packs a punch. From 1980 comes a song produced by Dennis and sung by Brian: "Stevie" was written about that airhead who sings in Fleetwood Mac.
I guess you could say that "Marylin Rovell" rates as a "personal" song for Brian, considering that the songs title was his wife's maiden name. "We Gotta Groove" is somewhat of a mystery. We don't know which of the brothers wrote it or when it was recorded. It doesn't even sound much like them (but it is). I guess this number could be described as a bombastic mantra.
This album closes with a track that, in light of the events that have since transpired, is downright scary. "Carry Me Home" is a solo effort from Dennis, the lyric content of which leads one to the conclusion that the man may have been haunted by some frighteningly and all too dreadfully accurate premonitions regarding his eventual fate. We will comment no further about it - the song speaks for itself.
So there you have it ... a generous helping of rarities finally released from the vaults. We hope you have fun fun fun listening to them!"

I picked up a pretty good batch of records over the week, and though I would like to stay home and upload more, my arms are sore now from typing all of that out, and it's Superbowl Sunday. So I'm gonna go get drunk and watch football. Even though I'm a Jets fan, I really hope Green Bay wins.

Tracklist:
1. California Feeling
2. Brian's Back
3. We're Together Again
4. Our Team
5. How's About A Little Bit Of Your Sweet Lovin
6. I'm Begging You Please
7. Santa Ana Winds
8. Looking Down The Coast
9. Lazy Lizzy
10. California Dreamin
11. Skatetown USA
12. Sherry, She Needs Me
13. River Song
14. Stevie
15. Marylin Rovell
16. We Gotta Groove
17. Carry Me Home

Download: mediafire

Mike and Dean - Rock N Roll Again (1983)

1980's album put out by Mike Love of The Beach Boys and Dean Torrence of Jan and Dean, with special guest appearances from The Association, The Rip Chords, and Paul Revere and the Raiders, and produced by Curt Boettcher. This album's full of really cheesy covers, and it's kind of awesome. Oh, and it was an exclusive for Radioshack.

Tracklist:
1. Lightning Strikes
2. Walk Away Renee (with The Association)
3. The Letter
4. Locomotion
5. Sealed With A Kiss (with The Ripchords)
6. Sugar Shack
7. 96 Tears (with Paul Revere and The Raiders)
8. Baby Talk
9. Wild Thing
10. Da Doo Ron Ron
11. Her Boyfriend's Back

Download: mediafire

The Beach Boys - Heroes And Villians 45 (1967)

The only thing officially released by The Beach Boys from the smile sessions, during the smile sessions. Also one of the greatest songs The Beach Boys ever released.

Tracklist:
1. Heroes And Villians
2. You're Welcome

Download: mediafire

The Beach Boys - Surfin 45 (candix) (1961)

The Beach Boys very first single (credited just to Beach Boys, no 'The'). This is what made them famous and got them the deal with Columbia. Originally released on X records, this is ripped from a second pressing on Candix Records.

Tracklist:
1. Surfin'
2. Luau

Download: mediafire

David Lee Roth - California Girls 45 (1985)

More super cheese. Terrible 1980's cover of California Girls, even worse remix.

Tracklist:
1. California Girls
2. California Girls (remix version)

Download: mediafire

California Music - I Can Hear Music 45 (1978)

Super cheesy disco produced by Curt Boettcher. I think Bruce Johnson and Carl Wilson are singing parts on this. Kind of fun.

Tracklist:
1. I Can Hear Music
2. Love's Supposed To Be That Way

Download: mediafire