The
Beach Boys – All
Summer Long
Vinyl LP, Mono, 1964
Capital Records
All Summer Long lasts 12 months in the world of The Beach Boys. But
the seasons to The Beach Boys are different from other folks. The
cold despair of Winter is actually their summer. The wishfulness of
Brian Wilson songs seduces one into a calm, but in actuality the
music is like the ocean in a hurricane. It sucks you up, and then
throws you on the pavement.
In 1964 the first thought when one hears the three words of The Beach
Boys is 'surf.' All Summer Long is without a doubt not
a surf album. Although there is one song “Don't Back Down” is
perhaps their last stance on the sand and surf board. “Little
Honda” is the only car song on the album, and now listening to it,
the sexuality of the song brings up Kenneth Anger's fetish of the
machine as a sex toy. Mike Love may or may not have other meaning
for that song, but the urgency of the song is fantastic. Have the
word “Go” brought such sensuality?
Without a doubt “Pet Sounds” and “Smile” are masterpieces,
but for me The Beach Boys made incredible recordings between the
early surf era and their progressive stance in later albums. Here,
they are in a twilight age, where they see the 7” single as a
brilliant medium. Some of the songs are total toss-offs (“Do You
Remember?”) and “Our Favorite Recording Sessions” is....what is
it?
On the other hand “Girls on the Beach” to me is pure sensual
beauty. Sexuality never have been expressed so effortlessly, so
easy, and enticing. But their happiness is fading quickly.
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