Even in a career full of tumult, 1972 stands out as a busy, eventful year for
the Beach Boys.
Sail On Sailor 1972 documents the upheaval and growing pains the band was going through at the time and stands as a vital document of a strange period. While the band had recently re-established themselves as a live act, the recordings they made in 1972 looked to plug them back into the mainstream album rock scene. With new bandmembers
Ricky Fataar and
Blondie Chaplin on board, the group toughened up and expanded their sound on
Carl & The Passions - "So Tough." The arrangements are filled with loud guitars, pounding piano, insistent vocals, and rugged rhythms. Tracks like "You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone" and "Marcella" sound like beefed-up takes on their earlier sunny sound, "Here She Comes" rambles like
Van Morrison, and "Hold On Dear Brother" rollicks along like a
Band song. The latter two are
Chaplin/
Fataar co-writes and it's fascinating to hear the band bring in new influences to their established sound. Add in a couple of heavily orchestrated
Dennis Wilson ballads along with a gospel jam ("He Come Down") and a lovely bit of sunshine (All of This Is That"), and it makes for a confusing, quite interesting album that was a commercial flop. The band responded by moving their families and all their studio equipment to Holland to record their next album. Though it was released in 1973,
Holland has the same loose feel as "So Tough," though
Chaplin and
Fataar are more fully integrated into the group.
Chaplin even takes lead on the single "Sail On Sailor." With
Brian Wilson mostly out of the picture -- working on his weird bedroom fantasy "Mount Vernon and Fairway" -- both
Dennis and
Carl Wilson show off their writing and producing skills.
Dennis shines with the entrancing bit of psychedelic Americana "Steamboat," and
Carl's politically poetic "The Trader" beats
the Band at their own game. Both of these odd albums are here in crisp new mixes along with a raft of backing tracks, session tapes, and outtakes. Some legendary lost songs, like the heart-rending
Dennis-penned ballad "Carry Me Home," get their first official release and a few tracks show up that would have been good additions to either album.
Brian's country-rocker "Out in the Country" is presented in two rough versions -- pity they were never combined and finished. Their goof on
the Spencer Davis Group's classic "Gimme Some Lovin" is all kinds of fun, combining a rickety drum machine with some truly loose vocal work. The live show included on the box set is also quite enjoyable. It was recorded at the end of the year for a planned album that never happened and captures the band in full hippie rock flight. They sound loose but tight, ripping through current songs, deep cuts, and the inevitable hits presided over by
Mike Love at his cranky best. It's a shame it wasn't released at the time, but it's good that it is finally available in the U.S. A few more live tracks and alternate takes round out the set alongside informative liner notes and photos. The result is a fine archival release that goes a long way toward proving that 1972 wasn't a lost year for the band and that their growing pains and tribulations make for fascinating listening. ~ Tim Sendra
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