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| There might be some sort of sexual metaphor going on here. |
THE BASIC DETAILS
Artist: The Beach Boys
Album: Wild Honey
Label: Capitol
Year: 1967
Length: 23:58
CHRISTGAU AND THE ALBUM
What does the Dean of American Rock Critics have to say?
It feels weird to call this a great record--it's so slight. But it's perfect and full of pleasure; it does what it sets out to do almost without a bad second (except for "Let the Wind Blow," each of the 11 tunes--total time: 23:54--ends before you wish it would). And what does it set out to do? To convey the troubled innocence of the Beach Boys through a time of attractive but perilous psychedelic sturm und drang. Its method is whimsy, candor, and carefully modulated amateurishness, all of which comes through as humor. Tell me, what other pop seer was inspired enough to cover a Stevie Wonder song in 1967?How many words is that? 116.
What are your favorite words or phrases? "[A] time of attractive but perilous psychedelic strum und drang"; "carefully modulated amateurishness."
How does the A+ grade compare with other albums from the band?
Christgau is up and down when it concerns the Boys, with the other albums hitting every grade between A and C. There are 13 reviews in total, 11 of which received a letter grade. Smiley Smile doesn't receive any grade at all, but it's listed as one of the top albums of 1967 in an article he wrote for Rolling Stone.
ANY OTHER NOTABLE INFO?
The album was later released as a two-pack with Smiley Smile (both albums were recorded in 1967; more on that later), which is why you might find some Wild Honey tracks or YouTube videos crediting Smiley Smile or "Smiley Smile/Wild Honey." But Christgau clearly reviewed only Wild Honey for his review, because he notes the running time in his review.
Similarly, Christgau reviewed a two-album set that paired 1972's Carl and the Passions – "So Tough" with a reissue of the "classic" Pet Sounds from 1966. Based on that review, it appears he was reviewing only Carl, which he awarded a C+. What this means is, there's no true review from Christgau regarding Pet Sounds, which is considered one of the greatest and most influential albums of all time.
Amazon: Though the single album is available, the more common version (with more reviews) is the pairing with Smiley Smile, so it's not really an apples-to-apples comparison.
Allmusic: 4 stars, plus reviews of three tracks.
Pandora: It's the friggin' Beach Boys, so a Pandora analysis is unnecessary. Even I know who they are.
YouTube: All the tracks are available.
WHAT DID YOU KNOW ABOUT IT?
Have I heard of the band, prior to seeing it on Christgau's list? Yes
Have I heard of the album, prior to seeing it on Christgau's list? No
Have I heard any of the songs? Yes: "I Was Made to Love Her" (but I'd never heard this particular version.)
AND NOW, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT?
Growing up, my only experience with the Beach Boys was with Sunkist commercials:
Watching the sellout version of a classic song before hearing the original is a great way to ruin it, which is why I can never enjoy the Four Tops:
I had a friend in high school who was really into the Beach Boys, and I thought he was crazy. By the late 1980s most people my age thought of the Beach Boys as an oldies group known for surfer songs and the surprise hit "Kokomo" which had no artistic qualities other than when a friend of mine would change the lyrics and sing, "Mar...tinique...I wanna take a leak."
It was only after college — and even after hearing "Brian Wilson" by Barenaked Ladies — that I discovered their value and influence as a band, particularly with Pet Sounds. I knew plenty about the Beatles (my father owned a few albums), but had no idea that the Boys (particularly Wilson) and the Fab Four (particularly Paul) had a friendly rivalry to achieve musical greatness.
But I'm digressing. I still don't know the entire Beach Boys catalog, and I primarily focus on Pet Sounds when I think of the band, so I'd never heard of Wild Honey. However, I do enjoy the album, having played it several times, and there are a few songs that I'll probably keep on my phone. It is a very brief album, clocking in at under 25 minutes, and some of the songs end right when you start to enjoy them. (Which is sort of what Christgau says.)
Rolling Stone sums up the album as "a rougher album of California soul" (Allmusic said it had a "looser, funkier feel than any previous Beach Boys effort, at times approaching a kind of bleached-out white soul), and most of the songs do evoke a late-sixties laid-back West Coast vibe; I say this while admitting I didn't live in the 1960 or on the West Coast and I'm not laid back. Nor would I be able to recognize a real "vibe."
The first two tracks didn't really grab me, but as soon as the third one began, I was hooked:
It took me a minute to realize that this was a cover of one of my (and possibly your) favorite Stevie Wonder songs. What's interesting is not only did the Beach not record many covers (as far as I know), but the original song was released the same year (1967).
One of my favorite tracks is "Country Air," which has that has the harmonizing the Beach Boys were famous for. (The song begins sounding almost like a "Good Vibrations" outtake.) The lyrics are simple, almost as if they were written by my 7-year-old (but not my 5-year-old):
The song makes me feel like I just woke up in a bed-and-breakfast somewhere in the mountains and I'm gonna go out and climb one of those mountains or have sex with one of those mountains and yeah you probably get the idea.
Another track that's worth at least one listen is "I'd Love Just Once to See You," which is possibly the only non-novelty song that ends with such a funny punchline.
Finally, because I'm a sucker for harmonies, I'm a fan of the final track, "Mama Says," which was supposed to be on the abandoned Smile album that Brian Wilson wanted to follow his masterpiece Pet Sounds. (The story of the life, death, and rebirth of Smile, which includes the album Smiley Smile that was released in its place, as well as the 2003 version of Smile that Brian Wilson finally released, is worth checking out if you're into reading stories about how notable albums were developed.)
I kind of buried the lead by waiting until now to mention the Pet Sounds and different-Smiles connection, but Wild Honey seems like the result of the Beach Boys picking up the pieces after a lot of stress (as Brian Wilson's mental health deteriorated), and collectively saying, "Shit, let's just crank out an album full of good, fun tunes." Consider that all this drama took place during little more than a single calendar year, and it's amazing they were able to release any albums at all.
But anyway, "Mama Says" is less of a song than a "chant" (as Wikipedia calls it), and is similar to one of my favorite (but least-known) Beatles songs, "You Know My Name, Look Up the Number."
Well, that's what I have on Wild Honey. Let's summarize this thing.
A PHILISTINE'S SUMMARY OF WILD HONEY
Without getting all "music critic-y," did you like it? Yes.
Which tracks would you consider for your iPod? "I Was Made to Love Her," "Country Air," "Mama Says."
How would you describe and/or recommend this to others? It's not an essential Beach Boys album, but I think the entire thing is worth a listen. There are far worse ways to spend just under a half hour.
What would you grade this album, based on Christgau's Consumer Guide grading system? Probably an A. As Christgau wrote, the album does do what it's supposed to do. I didn't lurrrve it, but I did like several tracks. And I prefer this version of Beach Boys to what Mike Love eventually did with the band, turning it into something resembling Jimmy Buffett:
Amazon: Though the single album is available, the more common version (with more reviews) is the pairing with Smiley Smile, so it's not really an apples-to-apples comparison.
Allmusic: 4 stars, plus reviews of three tracks.
Pandora: It's the friggin' Beach Boys, so a Pandora analysis is unnecessary. Even I know who they are.
YouTube: All the tracks are available.
WHAT DID YOU KNOW ABOUT IT?
Have I heard of the album, prior to seeing it on Christgau's list? No
Have I heard any of the songs? Yes: "I Was Made to Love Her" (but I'd never heard this particular version.)
AND NOW, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT?
Growing up, my only experience with the Beach Boys was with Sunkist commercials:
Watching the sellout version of a classic song before hearing the original is a great way to ruin it, which is why I can never enjoy the Four Tops:
I had a friend in high school who was really into the Beach Boys, and I thought he was crazy. By the late 1980s most people my age thought of the Beach Boys as an oldies group known for surfer songs and the surprise hit "Kokomo" which had no artistic qualities other than when a friend of mine would change the lyrics and sing, "Mar...tinique...I wanna take a leak."
It was only after college — and even after hearing "Brian Wilson" by Barenaked Ladies — that I discovered their value and influence as a band, particularly with Pet Sounds. I knew plenty about the Beatles (my father owned a few albums), but had no idea that the Boys (particularly Wilson) and the Fab Four (particularly Paul) had a friendly rivalry to achieve musical greatness.
But I'm digressing. I still don't know the entire Beach Boys catalog, and I primarily focus on Pet Sounds when I think of the band, so I'd never heard of Wild Honey. However, I do enjoy the album, having played it several times, and there are a few songs that I'll probably keep on my phone. It is a very brief album, clocking in at under 25 minutes, and some of the songs end right when you start to enjoy them. (Which is sort of what Christgau says.)
Rolling Stone sums up the album as "a rougher album of California soul" (Allmusic said it had a "looser, funkier feel than any previous Beach Boys effort, at times approaching a kind of bleached-out white soul), and most of the songs do evoke a late-sixties laid-back West Coast vibe; I say this while admitting I didn't live in the 1960 or on the West Coast and I'm not laid back. Nor would I be able to recognize a real "vibe."
The first two tracks didn't really grab me, but as soon as the third one began, I was hooked:
It took me a minute to realize that this was a cover of one of my (and possibly your) favorite Stevie Wonder songs. What's interesting is not only did the Beach not record many covers (as far as I know), but the original song was released the same year (1967).
One of my favorite tracks is "Country Air," which has that has the harmonizing the Beach Boys were famous for. (The song begins sounding almost like a "Good Vibrations" outtake.) The lyrics are simple, almost as if they were written by my 7-year-old (but not my 5-year-old):
Get a breath of that country air / Breathin' beauty of it everywhere...but the harmonies and piano — along with a bit of timely rooster crowing — really come together:
The song makes me feel like I just woke up in a bed-and-breakfast somewhere in the mountains and I'm gonna go out and climb one of those mountains or have sex with one of those mountains and yeah you probably get the idea.
Another track that's worth at least one listen is "I'd Love Just Once to See You," which is possibly the only non-novelty song that ends with such a funny punchline.
Finally, because I'm a sucker for harmonies, I'm a fan of the final track, "Mama Says," which was supposed to be on the abandoned Smile album that Brian Wilson wanted to follow his masterpiece Pet Sounds. (The story of the life, death, and rebirth of Smile, which includes the album Smiley Smile that was released in its place, as well as the 2003 version of Smile that Brian Wilson finally released, is worth checking out if you're into reading stories about how notable albums were developed.)
I kind of buried the lead by waiting until now to mention the Pet Sounds and different-Smiles connection, but Wild Honey seems like the result of the Beach Boys picking up the pieces after a lot of stress (as Brian Wilson's mental health deteriorated), and collectively saying, "Shit, let's just crank out an album full of good, fun tunes." Consider that all this drama took place during little more than a single calendar year, and it's amazing they were able to release any albums at all.
But anyway, "Mama Says" is less of a song than a "chant" (as Wikipedia calls it), and is similar to one of my favorite (but least-known) Beatles songs, "You Know My Name, Look Up the Number."
Well, that's what I have on Wild Honey. Let's summarize this thing.
A PHILISTINE'S SUMMARY OF WILD HONEY
Without getting all "music critic-y," did you like it? Yes.
Which tracks would you consider for your iPod? "I Was Made to Love Her," "Country Air," "Mama Says."
How would you describe and/or recommend this to others? It's not an essential Beach Boys album, but I think the entire thing is worth a listen. There are far worse ways to spend just under a half hour.
What would you grade this album, based on Christgau's Consumer Guide grading system? Probably an A. As Christgau wrote, the album does do what it's supposed to do. I didn't lurrrve it, but I did like several tracks. And I prefer this version of Beach Boys to what Mike Love eventually did with the band, turning it into something resembling Jimmy Buffett:
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