I have to admit that I've been addicted to the family soap opera that's been The Beach Boys for a long time. Drugs, abuse, schizophrenia, alcohol and generations of disordered Wilsons go back nearly a century. This latest chapter is a sort of revival of the surviving Beach Boys with Brian Wilson, the first time in decades that Brian has been in the band. They're on tour now and have a new CD. I cringed at the thought of buying it, but now, I actually like it. Granted, it's all derivative of 1965 and these guys are delaying cashing their social security checks because school's out, they are at the beach, trying to catch a wave and "go steady". Nevertheless, for an exercise in nostalgia, it's really OK.
Brian's magical vocal harmonies are still there and still magical, the singing is surprisingly good, the production and sound are much better than 90% of what's on the market today and Brian and Mike have buried their hatchets (not in each other's heads). The song writing is excellent. I was surprised to find that it debuted at number 3 on Billboard, but if you're in the mood to go down to Malibu after burgers at the drive-in, this could be for you. If you can go with the basic premise, nothing is an embarassment, it's easy to take.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGke6pnT1d0
