The Beach Boys (album)


The Beach Boys is the 25th studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on June 10, 1985. Produced by Steve Levine, the album is the band's first recording after the drowning of founding member Dennis Wilson. It was also the band's first album to be recorded digitally and the last released by James William Guercio's Caribou Records.

Music and lyrics

For The Beach Boys, the band hired Culture Club producer Steve Levine, who took them into the world of drum machines, synthesizers, sampling, and hi-tech recording technology. Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Mike Love, Bruce Johnston and Al Jardine all took active roles in the project, writing several new songs for it, with Stevie Wonder and Culture Club each donating a song. The album was recorded during summer 1984 at Red Bus studio in London, and Westlake Audio in Los Angeles during late 1984/early 1985. It features Motown artist Stevie Wonder on harmonica and keyboards on the song "I Do Love You", which he also wrote. Ringo Starr also appears on the track "California Calling". Noted guitarist Gary Moore features playing both guitar and synthaxe.
Brian Wilson contributed a song written in 1982 by himself and Dennis Wilson called "Oh Lord", but the song did not make the final cut. Also cut from the album was a cover of "At the Hop" with lead vocals by Mike Love.

Promotional videos

Two videos were produced to promote the album: "Getcha Back" and "It's Gettin' Late." Both videos feature a stereotypical nerd as the central character who socializes near the beach. In "Getcha Back", all band members are featured in a story of childhood love separated until the couple reaches their teenage years. In the second video, "It's Gettin' Late", the central character learns about the trials and tribulations of dating. The only Beach Boys member to appear in "It's Gettin' Late" is Brian Wilson, who makes an appearance at the end of the video. He is shown picking up a seashell and using it to listen to the song "California Calling".. Katherine Kelly Lang has a role on both videos.

Release

Although "Getcha Back", was a top 30 hit, the album only reached No. 52 in the U.S.. After the album, CBS Records let the band's contract expire, leaving them without a record deal for the first time in years.

Reception

Writing in Rolling Stone, Parke Puterbaugh called the album 'pretty entertaining', adding 'though not a world-beating act of artistic reassertion, the LP does serve to showcase those amazing voices, and to remind the world that nobody does it better — still.'
In their book The Complete Guide to Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys, critics Andrew G Doe and John Tobler describe the album as 'technically perfect yet generally sterile'. They do, however, single out Carl Wilson's 'Where I Belong' for praise, describing the track as 'simply magnificent, with block harmonies of almost chilling power'. Doe also praised 'Where I Belong' in his liner notes for the 2000 CD reissue, calling it "achingly beautiful" and "the album’s undisputed highlight".

Track listing

originally received co-writer's credit for all Brian Wilson compositions. This credit was omitted on later editions.
;Side one
;Side two
;Bonus CD track

Personnel

Some credits sourced from Craig Slowinski. Others sourced from the 1985 liner notes and the reissued album.
;The Beach Boys
;Additional musicians

Chart positions

;Album
Chart Peak
Position
U.S. Billboard 200 Albums52
UK Top 40 Album Chart60