The Beach Boys "Friends" (1968)

            “We've been friends now for so many years.”  They're singing to me, right?  Well, it feels like they are.  I am unashamed to say that The Beach Boys are my favorite band of all time.  It’s safe to say that I own all of their albums, save for a few that were put out very late in their career.  I think that the best of their work should be held in the same regard as Mozart, Gershwin, Bacharach, Miles Davis, and The Beatles.  Their average stuff is better than what most bands ever dream of creating, and their bad stuff is…well…hard to listen to, even for a fan as dedicated as I am.  So where does “Friends” fit into all of this?

            1968 was a rough year for Brian and the boys.  They had lost a lot of credibility with the record buying public after “Smile” fell apart, and were seen as unhip by many music lovers.  I’m not really sure why this is.  After all, it had only been two years since “Pet Sounds,” and even less time since their epic single “Good Vibrations.”  Were people’s memories that short?  Could music tastes change that fast in the 60’s?  I always have a hard time understanding that, but what do I know?  I was born in 1982.  My dad (who was born in the 1950’s) told me that he used to love the early Beach Boys singles and albums, but that he never really got into the late 60’s stuff.  When he sat down a few years ago and listened to “Smile,” “Friends,” “20/20,” and “Sunflower,” he loved them. 

            To me “Friends” is the best album, start to finish, that the Beach Boys released post “Pet Sounds.”  They have albums with better songs, but this album really gels nicely.  It has a wonderfully light vibe that is calm and inviting.  The songs are not heady and will not blow your mind in the typical late 60’s mind explosion way, but are special in a different kind of way.    

            Take a song like “Busy Doin’ Nothing.”  He mentions sharpening a pencil and writing reminder notes.  Seriously, that is the action in the song.  That, combined with the directions to his house he gives to a potential visitor, makes for a very interesting song.  Nobody wrote about this stuff back them.  Ray Davies of the Kinks was certainly mining some new ground talking about little, seemingly unimportant people, but Brian took even simpler things and created great songs with them.  Top it off with a great sounding clarinet section and you have a wonderfully original and compelling tune.  Can you even name five pop songs that have clarinet sections on them?  “When I’m 64” by the Beatles comes to mind, but then there is a pretty steep drop off.  It should also be noted that the chords on this song are very advanced too. 

            After the wonderfully short opening song “Meant for You,” we get “Friends.”  Everything you love about The Beach Boys is present in this song: harmonies, harmonicas, and high notes.  Although not as confident as he once was, Brain was still at the top of his game, and could crank out some very highly developed tunes.  How cool is it that there is a modulation after only six seconds?  Brian was a master and it shows all over this album.  One little quirk I have noticed is that at 1:21 in the song you can hear someone turn over a piece of paper, presumably sheet music.  I guess when you listen to something hundreds of times you start to pick that stuff up.       

            “Passing By” is wonderfully breezy, and contains some swirling organ sounds in the bridge.  Some baritone instrument also buzzes away.  I’m not even sure what it is.  It could be an organ, baritone sax, or fuzz box on goodness knows what.  In the outro, the melody is changed very slightly which renews your interest just as the song fades out.   

            As a new father, “When a Man Needs a Woman” has become more interesting.  It’s been very fun sitting with my son listening to a song about Brian waiting for his baby to come.  So many artists write songs about their kids, but Brian takes an original perspective by focusing on this particular thought.  Waiting for your son to be born is a thought provoking experience, and I can certainly relate to wanting to make your child feel loved when they get here.      

            The other songs do not disappoint either.  Dennis nails it with “Little Bird” and “Be Still.” “Diamond Head” feels like Brian’s attempt at Exotica.  “Anna Lee, the Healer” makes me wonder exactly how Anna Lee is helping these boys.  “Wake the World” has some great tuba on it, and “Transcendental Meditation” finishes off the record with some blaring horns and mantra like harmonies. 

Tones:  The sound of The Beach Boys voices’ together is one of the seven wonders of the music world.  The sound makes me feel like I’m 16 years old, feeling things so deeply that it’s scary.  There is something else mixed in there with the harmonies, and to try and figure out what it is would be futile.  I’m just gonna listen instead.     

Cover Note:  This is a very cheerful cover that would not be out of place on a country record.  Bruce looks a little weird though, and Carl’s face is very…wide.  Mike, as always, has a hat on.  Maybe that’s why I think it looks like a country cover. 

Price Paid:  I actually have two vinyl copies.  One is an original pressing, but I really can’t remember how much I paid.  I did however get an unopened reissue for only $6.00 at a record show. 

Bottom Line:  If you have the early stuff, “Pet Sounds,” and “Smile,” then this is the next logical step.  I wouldn't give this to somebody as a starting point, but once you dig their sounds, this is just more of the good.  The CD reissue is also paired with the follow up “20/20.”  That album is good too and the bonus tracks are totally worth it.