Beach Boys Marathon
Monday, May 31, 2004 at 10:28AM 2 Comments So for Memorial Day, the local ClearChannel oldies station (I'm sure there's one in your town) WWMG is playing a two-hour syndicated radio show that counts down the Beach Boys' hits in chronological order. From this, I learned that "The Warmth of The Sun" was written on November 22, 1963 after Brian Wilson learned of JFK's assassination.
I had always figured that this song was from the period immediately prior to Pet Sounds because of its lush arrangement and funky progression. This along with the Phil Spector-style arrangement on "Don't Worry Baby" really show Brian's growth and progression.
I know that Smile is supposed to be finally released sometime this year. When the album was played in its entirety in Febrary, Slate argued that it shouldn't be touched. Salon was a bit more forgiving.
I'm looking forward to it. I've never heard anything beyond Pet Sounds, but that album remains in my eyes the best single album ever released. As a Beatles freak, that's hard to admit.
Reader Comments (2)
you shouldn't be too ashamed. Pet Sounds was nearly directly inspired by Revolver, after all. i know hard-core punk rockers, and old-school country nuts, and even goths who think pet sounds is one of the best albums ever. no music collection is complete without it. music is a lovely, magical, giving, and refreshing experience, especially when it's done right. have some today.
Where did your long hair go? Where is the girl I used to know? How could you lose that happy glow?
Oh, Caroline. No.