Album Review 8: The Beach Boys - Surf's Up 

Perhaps the most underrated album of all time. And, is "Surf's Up" possibly the most beautiful song EVER?

Surf's Up is an absolute masterpiece. I will never get over how good this song is.

Elton John used to rave about this album in interviews at time! ( that sold me!) I'm surprised you didn't mention the album cover!! The dying Indian was the total antithesis of fun on the beach!!!😊

I remember this was the First Album I bought when I got back from Vietnam, I was in mental insecurity, I had nearly committed suicide, this album helped me find my mental stability, after having served five years as a Soldier doing things I regret to this day, I had not heard a new Beach Boys song since 1967. every song except Student Demonstration Time, I think they hit this 10/10, it is among the Ultimate Albums, my personal favorite songs in order are Till I die, Surf's Up, Disney girls, Long Promised Road, Lookin' At tomorrow (A Welfare song), Feel Flows, Don't go near the water, Take a Load off your Feet, and finally Student Demonstration time.

I actually like "A Day In The Life Of A Tree" quite a bit, it sets up the last two tracks really well, I think. And I just like it's bizarre-ness - Jack Rieley's odd vocal, and that plaintive sounding organ during the middle of the song...Excellent review, I really enjoyed it.

For me the Surfs Up album has a depressing sort of dark feel to it. I still enjoy it though.

I thinks that Holland, Carl and the Passions, Sunflower and Surf's Up, are honestly the best Beach Boys album after Pet Sounds.

You are really, really good at this. Love the touch of having the album playing in the background and the fact that you don't edit the shit out of this. Just found you today and have watched several videos of yours. Very enjoyable, very knowledgable, and it's hard to get that without a superiority complex on RU-vid but you're very down to earth. Subscribing to your channel. Thank you! Love the album, love the review, and share the same sentiments.

I think pound for pound this may well be my fave. For years i wished Brian had sang Tree, but in retrospect i think he was right, Jack does sound like a poor dying tree so it works for me. I'm not ashamed to admit the coda can have me in sheds of tears. Magical. Carl's stuff is maybe the best he ever penned. Of course Till I Die and Surfs up are 2 of Brian's true gems and never fail to move me. shame we didn't get Dennis's material but it wouldn't be The Beach Boys if we didn't get some sort of drama. I dig the much maligned Feet and Don't go near The Water too . Dang it! Even with it's faults it has to be 10/10 IMO. Long Live The Beach Boys.

this album needed to have A Day in the Life of a Tree, just as essential as 'Til I Die

I have a CD reissue of Sunflower and Surf's Up that are both on one disc. It's funny that "Cool Cool Water" (the last song on Sunflower, encouraging one to enjoy the water) is followed by "Don't Go Near The Water" (The lead track from Surf's Up encouraging the opposite). Interesting stuff.

Again, love your work... never thought I would see like minded BB fans, who are also not afraid to be critical, and discuss their body of work...

Really love Disney Girls, Till I Die, and Surfs Up

i honestly really like take a load off. really weird lyrics, cant lie, but i loooove the “better take care of your life cause nobody else will” part. makes me FEEL stuff. dislike student demonstration time tho. love the beach boys and love hearing people talk about them so thank u for covering this 😌

I wonder if your opinion on “Take a load of your feet” has changed 5 years later. I think it’s a stroke of brilliance. Amazing chords, melody and harmonies. Sounds like something off Friends

Surf's Up is definitely my favourite Beach Boys album, because of how different it is, and the moody aesthetic to it. It is a 'mood album'.

The ironic nature of this album, if it's deliberate, is on par with Nirvana! Everything from the title to the cover to the odd mix of songs. Love it!

Great review! I really like Lookin' at Tomorrow, though. I think it's my favorite Al Jardine song!

Love your album review of surfs up. Thankyou

To me Jack’s vocals on A Day In The Life Of A Tree add to the darkness of it, because he has a soft beauty in his voice that comes out (a sort of Art Garfunkel in-the-rough type of feel), but is also raw and struggling to hold the notes at times, which really fits the subject matter, and the sort of existential, peaceful, scarred finality that colors ADITLOAT and ‘Till I Die.

I love this album! I like Take a Load Off Your Feet, especially Brian's vocal on the 1st verse.I'd miss it if this wasn't there.Same goes for Student Demonstration Time,even if it is a little cheesy.The 2 Dennis songs that were left off are amazing,but i would have loved to have them on there without taking anything off.Make it six songs per side.Jack Rieley's vocal also works for me on A Day in the Life of a Tree.Having a non singer somehow fits the track.I can't imagine a perfect vocal on that song.Its a 9/10 for me. Love your reviews!

I have always like this album, I've had for over 40 years. After watching your review I need to give it a fresh listen. And I agree that 'student demonstration time' seemed really out of place here. But many Beach Boys albums are saddled with that one throw away track you wish they would have just left all. But this album has many strong tracks, and as you said the last two Brian songs are among his best. Great review, and thanks for posting.

Great review of a seminal album. 1970 to 1973 is my favourite Beach Boys era, some fantastic music created during that time. Sunflower also has some absolute belters on it.

Once again Giggens another great review. Lots of information on the opening 5/6 minutes, your spot on with your comments regarding the songs , but most importantly your final statement regarding Brian's last two song's and the fact that Dennis's songs not being on this album, and after making so many bad dississions in the past, this Im afraid was another terrible mistake by the band. Regarding Jack's lead vocal on ADITLOAT?, I read somewhere at the time that Brian wanted the vocals to sound as if the the tree was dying. Don't know if that's true though. Pleas keep em coming Giggens, have you ever considered a review of The Flame album?. Now that's another Beach Boys related unknown classic.

I recently rediscovered the Beach Boys from back in my teen years. I’d kind of dismissed them,though I did enjoy their hits. Now that I’m retired,I’m enjoying their music again,discovering great songs I was unfamiliar with,as well as learning about their biographies and the history of the band. Surf’s Up is totally not what I was expecting from the title,but it is so beautiful. It will probably be the first one I add to my collection.

Surf's Up might be my all-time favorite Beach Boys album. Sure, there's 2 duds on Side 1 (Take a Load Off Your Feet and Student Demonstration Time) and some of the songs I could live without, but the highlights on here are some of my favorite Beach Boys songs, period. The last 3 songs (Day in the Life of a Tree, Til I Die, Surf's Up) remind us how great Brian's songwriting was at that time, Bruce Johnston showcases his talent as a songwriter and singer Disney Girls (1957), Al Gardine gives us the haunting Lookin' at Tomorrow (A Welfare Song), but the two big highlights of this album are from Carl Wilson. Until I saw this video, I didn't know Carl did all of the instruments behind Long Promised Road. His playing and singing on this track is superb, and the choice of instrumentation is very psychedelic for a Beach Boys song (especially for this time). Then there's Feel Flows, which might be my favorite Beach Boys song. Such a trippy, catchy, and beautiful song. These 2 songs make a good argument that Carl is just as talented as his big brother, Brian. It's a shame there's no Dennis songs on this album. He really knocked it out of the park on Sunflower, so it makes me wish he gave us a few songs on this album. This album might not as be as consistent as other albums like Pet Sounds or Friends, but the highlights on it are some of the best songs the Beach Boys ever done. That's why it's a contender for being my favorite Beach Boys album. It reminds me of how I feel about Led Zeppelin's album Houses of the Holy. Yeah, there's some stinkers, but there's a lot of songs that make it too good to pass up. EDIT: I don't think I would call Take a Load Off Your Feet a 'dud'. It's not a horrible song by any means, but I don't think it's a strong track on the album. I feel its overall loose and humorous vibe would sound more at home on an album like Smiley Smile or Wild Honey. It certainly does feel more 'home-made' than the other songs on the album, if that makes any sense.

This album is easily a 10/10 for me. I honestly love every single song on this thing. My favourite album of all time. I don't think i have ever heard an entire album that just SOUNDS like depression and death. Even the "weaker" songs are still great and memorable in my opinion.

'Til I Die is phenomenal.

I first heard this album when my father bought me this back in 1971 when it first came out. It’s probably is the most underrated album by the band and it should get more recognition.

Dennis' Pacific Ocean Blue & Carl's 'Long Promised Road' shows if they'd have gotten the reins, songwriting-wise, they could've been a pretty damned good, straightforward, pop rock n roll band... In the vain of Chicago, who they toured with, or The Eagles... something like that. The 'Holland' album was also a demonstration of this, I feel.

I LOOOVE Take a Load Off Your Feet and Day in the Life of a Tree, haha! And I love how weird and awkward the album is overall. I'm totally here for WEIRD BEACH BOYS. I think this album is such an 'uncanny valley' companion to the sun-washed Sunflower album that preceded it. The two albums form an incredible diptych of the new, 70s Beach Boys.

Till I Die, Surf's Up, Feel Flows (10Pts), Disney girls, long promised lang, (9Pts), Don't Go Near The water, A Day in the life of a three (8Pts) Looking at tomorrow, Student demostration time (7Pts) take a load of your feet (5pts), A Great Album!

I found this one in a Salvation Army store stack in the early 80s. It was a revelation. The title song, Feel Flows, Long Promised Road, Til I Die. Wow!

Songs such as "A day in the Life of a Tree" could've been all-time great songs IF they had spent more time with them. Different vocals, different music remix. The same holds true for a few Dennis Wilson tracks. But, the Beach Boys didn't have time to do an extra 30 retakes for albums that weren't profitable. That's why they would release songs in a few takes instead of investing too much time with them.

Love the cool water song, Carl’s vocal. Amazing tune

With "Wouldn' it be nice to live again" in place of Stud Dem Timel...this would have the PERFECT RECORD!!

A Day in the Life of a Tree is my favorite Beach Boys song

I feel that student demonstration time makes the album somewhat disjointed. The other songs flow into each other beautifully. Surfs up has a beautiful melancholy which is hinted at even before you actually hear the record. The sleeve, so appropriate for what is held inside, just to look at it you know this is a record that's going to effect you deeply.

You could say that "A Day in the Life of a Tree" has a rough start, but the ending is so strong that once you're there you've forgotten about the beginning - it's a keeper. I prefer to think it has a fragile start. It's difficult to know for sure how Brian really felt at the time about Surf's Up being on the album - he certainly put a lot of work into it. We definitely know Dennis' thoughts.

"Surf's Up": a would-be classic marred by one unfortunate Mike Love monstrosity: "Student Demonstration Time".

I was once asked what my favourite 3 song sequence on any album was. I didn't even hesitate, the last 3 songs on this album blow me away every time

I'm enjoying your BB reviews. I laughed when you said "now that I'm older"...I'm amazed you are such a fan at your age....early 20s? (Not that I'm THAT old, this album was made 1 year before I was.) Cool to see someone so young like them so much.

a huge boost to its popularity in the NY/Metro area must be credited to WNEW-FM for first, playing it in its entirety on the day it was released and then, keeping it in heavy rotation. As far as SDT, I first heard a live version that Pete Fornatale had before the LP was released. It blew the doors off of the album's version. I taped it from an AM-FM clock radio with a Concord portable cassette player using the cheesy microphone that came with it. I brought the cassette into our student lounge later that day and played it for all the "hip" kids without mentioning who it was. When someone asked me who the band was I replied, "Who is the least likely band you'd expect this to be?" The answer came back, an incredulous reply, from the guy who had posed the question, "The Beach Boys!" In the room jaws dropped when I said he was correct. That live track was killer as it was most likely Ed Carter playing the guitar solo.

I kinda like Student Demonstration Time, it's like 10 shitty John Lennon Protest songs rolled up into one...

I used to hate "A Day in the life of a tree"...As I listen to it grown up, I really think Jack Reilly's vocal makes the song. The raggedness of his voice, to me, sounds completely appropriate with these words.

The best of The Real Beach Boys.....if only WOULDN'T IT BE NICE TO LIVE AGAIN was in the tracklist......total perfection

I feel this Album could have been one of the best albums the band ever made if the track list was slightly different I think the ultimate track listing would be Side one 1. Don’t Go Near The Water 2. Long Promise Road 3. Take A Load Off Your Feet 4. Lady(Fallin In Love) 5. Disney Girls 6. Break Away Side 2 7. Sound Of Free 8. Feel Flows 9. Big Sur(from the Feel Flow album) 10. San Miguel 11. Till I Die 12. Wouldn’t Be Nice To Live Again I’d keep surfs up off the record because I don’t think it really works without Smile and the energy or that time period and it feels so out of place within a post sunflower era

I have this too. Found it at a used books store. I just recently found your channel and enjoy your reviews. Not sure if you've reviewed it but you should really do "Today!" My favorite Beach Boys album

As a lifetime BB's fan, now 71 y/o, I was there in '71, when this album was released. Hearing Carl do the opening segment of " Surf's Up", I realized what a tragedy it was that BW did not allow younger brother to sing it, & then release it on 1/3/67. Had that happened--Had he allowed Carl to do " Surf's Up" then, anything The Beatles did, including "SFF" , would have rightly been seen as 3rd rate!! -------The album is brilliant. Only Reilly's vocal on " A Day In the Life Of A Tree", is unsettling, & discordant. Just why none of DW's songs --3 or 4 already completed --were missing, is THE real question surrounding the album. As for Carl Wilson-----ALWAYS, my # 1 Beach Boy---" Long Promised Road" is a Masterpiece, as is " Disney Girls, 1957". BOTH, make this album worth the effort to get it. " Surf's Up" is gorgeous, & Carl should have done it 4 years earlier!-----------WolfSkyi9-

Great/underrated album by them, nothing more to say the second side of this record is nothing short of amazing, competes with the likes of Today!, Pet Sounds, and Sunflower. The only song I will come close to not liking is take a load off your feet. But other then that this is a flawless album. Even student demonstration was great

Till I Die is very haunting.

It's just an incredibly beautiful album by a super band.

"Surf's Up" could have been an absolute masterpiece if the band hadn't rejected Dennis' songs. "Don't Go Near The Water" is too preachy for it's own good, even for Al and Mike. "Take The Load Off Your Feet" is too quirky for it's own good, even for Brian, and it kinda stops the album dead in its tracks. "Student Demonstration Time", 'nuff said. There have been speculations about what the original Surf's Up would have looked like. This is what I feel it should have been. Surf's Up 1. San Miguel 2. Long Promised Road 3. Wouldn't It Be Nice (To Live Again) 4. Disney Girls 5. 4th of July 6. Barbara 7. Feel Flows 8. Lookin' At Tomorrow 9. A Day in the Life of a Tree 10. 'Til I Die [Alternate Mix] 11. Surf's Up

If the BBs had released Smile as, simply, Good Vibrations (side A) and this recording of Surf's up (side B), the Beatles would be nothing more than an afterthought today.

I never noticed that sick shirt you got on!

I'm not american, I was not familiar with the End of the trail sculpture, so for years i thought the album cover was a dolphin riding a horse 😂😂 His hat looks like a dolphin with a open mouth

Giggens!...I never thought about where '4th of July' and 'Wouldn't it be Nice to Live Again' fit in the Beach Boys recording lexicon, but you telling us that those two songs should have been Dennis's contribution to Surf's Up and I just want to cry that they weren't included! The addition of Dennis's songs and the junking of 'Student Demonstration Time' and the Jack Rieley tune would have vaulted this record into the heights of an all time Rock and Roll classic - in my (not so humble) opinion. I definitely have more problems with 'SDT' than I do with 'Take a Load' as I find 'SDT' to be jarring and annoying while 'Take a Load' is just quirky in the vein of the 'Vegetables'...certainly not uncharted territory for the Beach Boys and kind-of-right for the counter-culture times of the early 70's. My other favourites from this record are Long Promised Road and Feel Flows - two very cool songs. With Dennis's contribution 'Surf's Up' would be a 10/10, as is 8/10. Great job again Giggins, very Bug-In!

I am a huge fan an this is my fav beach boys album

I always thought "Take a Load off Your Feet" should have been a non-album B-side. "Student Demonstration Time" should never have been considered for release at all. My ideal Surf's Up, with Dennis' tracks restored, follows: SIDE 1 Don't Go Near the Water / Long Promised Road / Disney Girls (1957) / 4th of July / Surf's Up SIDE 2 Feel Flows / Lookin' at Tomorrow / A Day in the Life of a Tree / 'Til I Die / Wouldn't It Be Nice to Live Again Re-positioning "Surf's Up" from closing side two to side one might not work for some but I think it allows the album to keep its momentum. It also doesn't push all of Brian's brilliance to the end of the album. I'm grateful to Carl for all he did to keep the group together in this period but he could have compromised to let Dennis shine.

Thanks for reviewing the BEACH BOYS albums... A group I grew up with, and an ongoing love, hate relationship. I get angry when I think of the huge talent and potential of the Boys, and the inner conflict that saw Dennis and Carl not recognized as major talents within band. Since PET SOUNDS, Brian essentially never came back and the Band lived on past glory, rehashing the same tunes. The Band, there was still so much great music they could, and did, create but commercially it was not successful. They are celebrated for music from the sixties, which is sad because of all the great work that was to follow, including a lot of awful stuff, with Carl and Dennis stepping in when Brian continued to flounder and showing such talent. The FENDERTONES have done a wonderful job in bringing some of the BEACH BOYS work to a new generation and capturing the tunes as they were originally meant to be played. I have all the BB albums, love and hate them all, but without them the world would lose some of the greatest music created.

Another great review! I agree that take a load off your feet is the low spot but as such not bad. AS for day in the life of a tree its more about and I believe meant to be about the message about of the lyrics

Hey Gig. What kind of furniture do you use for your albums there? Looks very neat and organized.

Your right on target about the Dennis Wilson songs, IMO, they could have fitted perfectly on a number of albums, and made them a complete album, instead they were shelved and substituted for weak fillers.. strange choice to make ..who knows why? I think that was one of their major mistakes, not letting him be equally involved, as far as songwriting inclusions were concerned, after all they were supposed to be a band..

Not a huge BB fan...will have to check out. A little weary though....seems 75% of the tracks you seem people might like might dislike...can't figure out if I like this or not? Not a real strong testimony of how great the album is....do like your reviews, keep it up

Student Demonstration Time is such a fantastic rocker. Why o why had it to be ruined by those overlaying siren sounds? This is screaming for a remix :-)

Regarding Lookin' At Tomorrow; there's a really interesting live version recorded at one of their concerts in the early 80's.. almost prog arrangement, it's on RU-vid somewhere, sound quality sucks but I wish they'd have released a version like that on the album!

Disney Girls (1957) is an amazing song. That and Surf’s Up make the album worth buying.

Interestingly, I never fully got into this album, though there are a few of my absolute Beach Boys favorites on here, especially "Feel Flows". On the whole though I prefer other 70s albums like 'Sunflower' and 'Holland' over this.

Brian was far past his sell-by-date during the album's sessions. I'm not the biggest fan of BB but I can't deny the talent that both Brian and Dennis encompass. The Smile Sessions, as far as what I've read, scared him. '20/20' is 65% 'Smile' and Brian refused to take any part in it. I'm guessing it reminded him of the paranoia ("Mrs. O'Leary's Cow"/"The Five Elements") and mental decline he experienced and still experienced at that point. through his heavy use of acid, opiates and cocaine, as well as the knowledge that his dream was never realized because of the label's and Mike's discouragement and hatred over the material presented. It's bizarre that back then, it was considered too avant-garde, when surf rock was long dead by '66-'67 and pretty much everyone, including most of their fanbase, had moved on and were doing 'cid habitually. By '70-'71, he is remorseful but still indulges. Both "A Day in the Life of a Tree" and "Till I Die" are so honest and unapologetic, it hurts. It's hard to stomach for me, since finding a few demos from 1973-1976 of coked up, morbidly obese Brian Wilson that'd since shown up on group and solo compilations.

Maybe one their best albums. Music and soundwise. Terrible shame though that Dennis withdrew his two songs, which may have put this album on level with Pet Sounds and Sunflower. Which is in my opinion their best studio albums. Throw in Smiley Smile too!

Carl and Brian are great on this record.

Cool review! 1)Do you have ALL of The Beach Boys' LPs? & 2)There's a bootleg cd called THE BEACH BOYS MEET THE GRATEFUL DEAD.

If you really listen to the lyrics of Day in the life of a Tree, and how it's sung.. it is so extremely depressing. But in a good way.

I love most of this album. I do love Day In the Life of a Tree. But I agree with you on the choice of Jack singing the lead. He totally ruins it. I think it would have had a much stronger effect if Brian had actually sung from the point of view of the dying tree.

HI Giggens - I've recently discovered your channel and am slowly going through the backlog of videos. You have great insights and I'm a huge Mamas and Papas fan. Have you ever seen The Fendertones RU-vid channel? You probably have, but in case you haven't, check it out. They sing Beach Boys cover songs live in one take and are nothing short of amazing. If you have 3 spare minutes search RU-vid for The Fendertones The Monkey's Uncle. And keep up the great work!

Did you figure out if you like the Welfare song or not?

I ordered this album 2 months ago from discogs and someone stole it from my postbox. too bad ...

Suggestion: Turn off the radio in the background.

i’m waiting for pet sounds...

the whole vinyl thing is for the hipsters but this is a great album, Surf's Up and Sunflower are awesome. Thanks for you thoughts and info on this album.

If you get the chance... check out Dennis Wilson's "Pacific Ocean Blue" album. Amazing!!! Gotta' hear his works!

Good analysis. You should lose the background music. Very distracting.

You don't mention Jack's lyrics in any of your reviews. The Welfare Song's "creepy melody" is based on old folk tunes. Album ends amazingly with three sublime tracks in a row.