Surf's Up

Beach Boys: The PSA album

Interesting pick!
I’m old enough to know many Beach Boys songs but I didn’t know a single one on this album.
Not as peppy as some of their earlier stuff, shows maturity. Easy to listen to in the moment but honestly very forgettable, because I’ve listened to parts of it 2-3 times today and I keep forgetting what it sounds like

I am usually not a fan of the Beach Boy vibe, but this was kind of weird and eclectic and I was digging it.

This was quite weird and I'm not sure in a way that I particularly like. Feel Flows is a fine song that I knew before listening to this album (but I don't know if I knew it was The Beach Boys) but other than that, not a ton here I really enjoyed.

Damn the nixon years really made
them finally have to up their game

I loved this shift in the Beach Boys’ style.
Some very pretty tracks on this one

Delightful harmonies and catchy melodies. Doesn't quite have the killer hook present in some of their later albums, but still a great listen.

pior que eu aprecio beach boys.

esse aqui é mó doidera né. na tentativa de se desvencilhar do título de banda pop meia boca, eles tentam ficar mais tristes e reflexivos? mas funciona. top. essa capa tbm mó bonita.

Cool and weird and worth a revisit.

A welcome surprise. 4 because I would not have found it if not for this list.

Never cared much for them but good god I'd rather listen to an asmr of a colonoscopy than whatever the hell this was

Not as bad as I thought it would be, but I am not really sold on what Beach Boys put out, like ever. But not that bad.

Yeah, I’m at a 5.

I’ve never really heard a Beach Boys album in full like that – the big 60s singles that are all literally beach-y and happy and surf-y are the extent of my Beach Boys knowledge. I know sort of about the Smile Sessions or whatever, and the sort of desperate turn to try and match a wave they knew was coming, but I’ve never actually heard anything from around that era until now.

This was really fucking good, man; such a diverse variety of soundscapes and styles here – I don’t think there was a single bad track on this album. Yes, I know that “Student Demonstration Time” has some odd lyrics about the protestors and they’re especially weird because it’s Mike Love singing it, but I almost kinda don’t care? This is my first sort of Beach Boys experience, so I don’t know if they ever dipped into that kind of heavy guitar before or after this, but I thought it was so out there for my perception of The Beach Boys that I kinda just enjoyed it regardless. Take a Load Off Your Feet was kinda weird, and felt the least fitting from the entire album, but I still liked it.

Seriously, I don’t have any complaints; good production, good vocals, pretty strong subject matters, nice imagery in the lyrics, and overall, just a damn good album. Pretty strong 5 from me.

Well, this is the first proper Beach Boys album I'm listening to. I've heard songs like "Surfin' USA" and "Little Saint Nick" in passing, though never cared enough to seek them out. I did not expect they would forego the whimsical nature of their surf rock '60s material for a more psychedelic prog-rock album.

This is a strange album, where it takes twisted turns using Moog synthesizers, Hammond organs, electric guitars, and vocal effects while taking a crack at socially conscious lyrics for the time. It's not a perfect album, as not every experiment goes well. But I'll be damned if I'm not impressed with the boys trying something different than what I expected. Give it a shot.

Update 8/17/2026: You know, with my recent appreciation for the Beach Boys, I wanted to go back to Surf's Up and figure out why I felt that this wasn't a perfect album. Upon relistening, I found a few tracks to be not quite up to par.

There's the corny novelty of "Take a Load Off Your Feet," complete with kooky sound effects and Al Jardine's hammy foot-focused lyrics. Then later on we have Mike Love's clunky reworking of Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller's "Riot in Cell Block Number 9" into "Student Demonstration Time," where Mike tries to appeal to both the student protesters and the police force after the Kent State Massacre happened, and he ends up appealing to neither party amidst the ear-grating sirens. Both of those songs drag the experience down a peg for me.

It's a shame, because otherwise, I do feel that The Beach Boys, under the direction of then co-manager Jack Rieley, made genuine strides in revamping their style and presentation. I got some genuine pathos from their messaging on environmental destruction in "Don't Go Near the Water" and "A Day in the Life of a Tree", Carl Wilson's strife to overcome his obstacles on "Long Promised Road", Bruce Johnston's longing for a simpler time on "Disney Girls (1957)", the rather poignant soliloquy about being down on your luck in between jobs on "Lookin' at Tomorrow (A Welare Song)", and the examination of Brian Wilson's mental state on "Feel Flows" and "'Til I Die". Plus, the title track lifted from the Smile sessions proved to be an effective closer, as a two-movement tale of a spiritual awakening that once again showcased how damn good a songwriter Brian was.

So yeah, Surf's Up is a good record overall, on the cusp of greatness even.

A four star album with a couple of five star songs on it. Feel Flows is fantastic, and Surf's Up might be my favorite Beach Boys song from their whole catalog; beautifully melancholic.

Some of the worst music I've heard of the albums I've listened to so far. Really not good. I never "got" the Beach Boys, and this just makes me dislike them more.

Not what I was expecting at all. Surf's Up means Surf's time is up. Much looser, darker, and weirder than the classic Beach Boys stuff, this album still has the signature emphasis on thick harmonies and lush production, but it doesn't come at you with the big hooks and 2 minute concentrated blasts of pure pop. Instead, it has a washed out acid hangover feel to it, woozily easing you into a slightly formless psychedelic daze punctuated by fuzzy guitar leads, some bleeps and bloops that sound like kraut-rock before it had been invented, and all sorts of different random instruments sounds.

Favorites: Disney Girls, Feel Flows

This just did not land for me at all.

I went in knowing this was a very different version of The Beach Boys to the sun soaked 60s hits I was familiar with, but I was still hoping something would grab me. Instead, I found it a fairly dull listen from start to finish.

It is moodier, more introspective and far removed from the surf pop harmonies most people associate with the band. I can respect that they were trying to evolve and move into more serious, reflective territory, but for me it lacks energy and memorable hooks. The songs drift by without ever really demanding attention.

There may be depth here that rewards repeated listens, but on this occasion nothing pulled me back in or made me want to revisit it.

Favourite song: I could not really pick one that stood out
Least favourite song: Disney Girls
Album artwork: I am still not entirely sure what it is meant to represent

Well, this was an unexpected trip, part environmental psychedelic rock/part bubblegum pop? Brian Wilson was in his decline at this point, Dennis Wilson was half insane also so Carl Wilson and Mike Love stepped up to take some of the load and it shows, the final product is just so disjointed. Aurally pleasing because, hey, it's the Beach Boys in 3 part harmony, but it just doesn't hit like they used to.

The admonition not to go near the water is sadly even more powerful a damnation today than it was in 1971. Look how much we’ve learned and how little anyone gives a shit! That dude on the album cover is us. Surf’s up, and it’s plastic wrappers and bottles from a sea of garbage.