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A SoundPress.net CD Review
The first album that I ever owned as a nascent music lover was The Beach Boys' Endless Summer on cassette in my preteen years. I "discovered" the band about 10 years after their peak but the songs on both sides of that best-of double-record were so fresh and life affirming that it didn't take long for me to wear out the tape on the now antiquated delivery format. So, it was with much interest that I've been following the story-line of The Beach Boys 50th Anniversary Reunion tour and CD release. All of the group's surviving original and longtime members have put aside their differences to celebrate the founding of the band that became the American Beatles. In 2012 - Mike Love, Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, David Marks, and Bruce Johnston - have released That's Why God Made The Radio - a 12-track masterpiece that stands on its own among the best of the group's legendary catalogue. Like any release that is marking a momentous milestone the album does draw on nostalgia to a degree - but the captivating mix of melancholy and uplifting melody herein signifies that something new has emerged in the grooves fifty years on from their founding. That's Why God Made The Radio abounds with the boy's signature lush harmonies, songs of the sunny seasons and an ample amount of their famed twangy surf-rock sound. The lead single and title-track recalls the prayerful "God Only Knows" from Pet Sounds and is the perfect soundtrack for a drive to the beach. "Isn't It Time" is a happy shuffle that showcases the best the boys have to offer. Featuring traded vocals and a steady rhythm track from David Marks - the wonder kid who joined that band in 1962 as a precocious thirteen-year old. "Shelter" is a beautiful offering of love led by Brian Wilson and bolstered by the boys. Mike Love is featured on the next track - the feel good "Daybreak Over The Ocean" that rises with the help of Scott Totten's additions on acoustic guitar. Sure, surf's up and the guys are riding high on their reunion. But, has a cautionary red flag been raised as well? Are The Beach Boys admitting that their regrouping is simply viewed by them as a cash play? In the Wilson/Love/Thomas penned "Spring Vacation" they sing -- "Spring vacation, good vibrations, summer weather, we're back together, easy money, ain't life funny, Hey what's it to ya, Hallelujah". Maybe The Beach Boys are having the last laugh on us - but after all the years of acrimony and accusations - at least they're laughing together. The record closes with the haunting double shot of "Pacific Coast Highway" and the Jon Bon Jovi co-write, "Summer's Gone". Both these songs are more plaintive than some of the more uplifting tracks - but they serve as a reminder that sunlight fades and seasons change for all of us - and it doesn't take a genius of Brian Wilson's caliber to realize they're singing about mortality here. The 39-minutes of musical magic contained on That's Why God Made The Radio is a heaven sent reintroduction to the God-given gifts inherent in The Beach Boys' craft. Hopefully, this magnificent musical morsel is a tasty appetizer and not their last supper. If there is a God then this release won't be their final word because a new chapter has been opened and surely there must be more to be revealed. • Info: -- USA/CA: www.thebeachboys.com (Richard J. Lynch/SoundPress.net) |
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