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The Beach Boys|Spirit Of America

Spirit Of America

The Beach Boys

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Language available : english

The follow-up to 1974's incredibly popular Endless Summer -- which gave the Beach Boys their highest chart placement for an album (at number one, no less) in a dog's age -- Spirit of America was a similar attempt to mine the group's classic Capitol Records catalog, with odder and somewhat less satisfying results. But some of the less than wholly satisfying moments were more a reflection of the woeful state of Capitol's A&R department than they were any black mark against the Beach Boys' music. And the album did have its unexpected joys, as well as a few lessons to teach a lot of bands from the 1970s. Endless Summer had, indeed, mined the lion's share of big hits associated with the band, but Spirit of America, which was more hooked around the band's car song repertory than its surf music output, had its familiar moments -- "409," "Dance, Dance, Dance," "Little Honda," "Do You Wanna Dance," and "Barbara Ann" were great selections (and perfect to reach out to a teenage/early-twenties listenership attuned to -- if not always fully enamored of -- oldies and early-'60s nostalgia), and most of what surrounded them was a good match. And there was a serious, unexpected twist in the range of the content going right into the second song on side one, the repertory making a sudden leap across five years to the end of the 1960s and the group's then all-but-forgotten late-era single "Break Away." The latter song, which probably came up too early on the album to generate its maximum impact, did fit with the rest of what's here and helped direct a few otherwise unsuspecting low-level fans toward the group's then-overlooked late-'60s psychedelic-era output. On the minus side, however, the overall sound was rather indifferent on the original double-LP edition, which contained only 23 songs. And as this wasn't intended as a serious retrospective, there were, of course, no notes whatsoever (which no one minded at the time). There was also a highly instructive lesson to be gleaned from listening to this collection, however, and realizing that the four-sided double LP ran less than 50 minutes, without leaving anyone feeling cheated -- at a time when most bands this side of the Ramones and maybe the Flamin' Groovies seemed incapable of recording songs that ran less than five or six minutes, Spirit of America was downright refreshing in its succinct, bracing brevity, singles and album tracks alike. The 1975-vintage Beach Boys themselves could have taken a lesson from that aspect of this collection and its predecessor.
© Bruce Eder /TiVo

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Spirit Of America

The Beach Boys

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1
Dance, Dance, Dance
00:02:03

Brian Wilson, Producer, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Mike Love, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - The Beach Boys, MainArtist - Carl Wilson, ComposerLyricist - Glen Campbell, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Chuck Britz, Engineer, StudioPersonnel

(C) 2006 Capitol Catalog ℗ 1964 Capitol Records, LLC

2
Break Away
00:02:56

Brian Wilson, Producer, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Mike Love, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - The Beach Boys, MainArtist - Carl Wilson, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Al Jardine, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Pablo Beltrán Ruiz, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Reggie Dunbar, ComposerLyricist - Alan Jardine, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Murry Wilson, Producer

(C) 2006 Capitol Catalog ℗ 1969 Capitol Records, LLC

3
A Young Man Is Gone
00:02:18

Brian Wilson, Producer, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Mike Love, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - The Beach Boys, MainArtist - Carl Wilson, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Dennis Wilson, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Bobby Troup, ComposerLyricist - Chuck Britz, Engineer, StudioPersonnel

(C) 2006 Capitol Catalog ℗ 1963 Capitol Records, LLC

4
409
00:02:00

Gary Usher, ComposerLyricist - Brian Wilson, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Mike Love, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - The Beach Boys, MainArtist - Chuck Britz, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Murry Wilson, Producer

(C) 2006 Capitol Catalog ℗ 1962 Capitol Records, LLC

5
The Little Girl I Once Knew (45 Version)
00:02:36

Brian Wilson, Producer, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Mike Love, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - The Beach Boys, MainArtist - Carl Wilson, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Chuck Britz, Engineer, StudioPersonnel

(C) 2006 Capitol Catalog ℗ 1965 Capitol Records, LLC

6
Spirit Of America
00:02:20

Roger Val Christian, ComposerLyricist - Brian Wilson, Producer, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - The Beach Boys, MainArtist - Chuck Britz, Engineer, StudioPersonnel

(C) 2006 Capitol Catalog ℗ 1963 Capitol Records, LLC

7
Little Honda (Mono)
00:01:54

Brian Wilson, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Mike Love, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - The Beach Boys, MainArtist - Pablo Beltrán Ruiz, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Chuck Britz, Engineer, StudioPersonnel

(C) 2006 Capitol Catalog ℗ 1964 Capitol Records, LLC

8
Hushabye
00:02:42

Doc Pomus, ComposerLyricist - Mort Shuman, ComposerLyricist - Brian Wilson, Producer, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Mike Love, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - The Beach Boys, MainArtist - Chuck Britz, Engineer, StudioPersonnel

(C) 2006 Capitol Catalog ℗ 1964 Capitol Records, LLC

9
Hawaii
00:02:01

Brian Wilson, Producer, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Mike Love, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - The Beach Boys, MainArtist

(C) 2006 Capitol Catalog ℗ 1963 Capitol Records, LLC

10
Drive-In
00:01:53

Brian Wilson, Composer, Producer - Mike Love, Composer, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - The Beach Boys, MainArtist - Chuck Britz, Engineer, StudioPersonnel

(C) 2006 Capitol Catalog ℗ 1964 Capitol Records, LLC

11
Good To My Baby
00:02:15

Brian Wilson, Producer, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Mike Love, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - The Beach Boys, MainArtist - Chuck Britz, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael Edward Love, ComposerLyricist

(C) 2006 Capitol Catalog ℗ 1965 Capitol Records, LLC

12
Tell Me Why
00:01:46

John Lennon, ComposerLyricist - Paul Mccartney, ComposerLyricist - Brian Wilson, Producer - The Beach Boys, MainArtist - Carl Wilson, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Al Jardine, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Chuck Britz, Engineer, StudioPersonnel

(C) 2006 Capitol Catalog ℗ 1965 Capitol Records, LLC

13
Do You Remember
00:01:39

Brian Wilson, Composer, Producer, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Mike Love, Composer, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - The Beach Boys, MainArtist - Chuck Britz, Engineer, StudioPersonnel

(C) 2006 Capitol Catalog ℗ 1964 Capitol Records, LLC

14
This Car Of Mine
00:01:37

Brian Wilson, Composer, Producer - Mike Love, Composer - The Beach Boys, MainArtist - Dennis Wilson, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer

(C) 2006 Capitol Catalog ℗ 1964 Capitol Records, LLC

15
Please Let Me Wonder
00:02:46

Brian Wilson, Producer, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Mike Love, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - The Beach Boys, MainArtist - Carl Wilson, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Pablo Beltrán Ruiz, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Chuck Britz, Engineer, StudioPersonnel

(C) 2006 Capitol Catalog ℗ 1965 Capitol Records, LLC

16
Why Do Fools Fall In Love
00:02:09

Morris Levy, ComposerLyricist - Brian Wilson, Producer, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - The Beach Boys, MainArtist - Frankie Lymon, ComposerLyricist

(C) 2006 Capitol Catalog ℗ 1964 Capitol Records, LLC

17
Custom Machine
00:01:36

Brian Wilson, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Mike Love, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - The Beach Boys, MainArtist - Chuck Britz, Engineer, StudioPersonnel

(C) 2006 Capitol Catalog ℗ 1963 Capitol Records, LLC

18
Barbara Ann
00:02:13

Brian Wilson, Producer - The Beach Boys, MainArtist - Fred Fassert, ComposerLyricist

(C) 2006 Capitol Catalog ℗ 1966 Capitol Records, LLC

19
Salt Lake City (Mono)
00:02:00

Steve Douglas, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Leon Russell, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Brian Wilson, Producer, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Mike Love, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - The Beach Boys, MainArtist - Billy Strange, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Plas Johnson, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Jay Migliori, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Hal Blaine, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Frank Capp, Vibraphone, AssociatedPerformer - Lyle Ritz, Double Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Carol Kaye, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Al De Lory, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Chuck Britz, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Roy Caton, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Howard Roberts, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Jerry Kolbrak, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer

(C) 2006 Capitol Catalog ℗ 1965 Capitol Records, LLC

20
Don't Back Down (Mono)
00:01:43

Brian Wilson, Producer, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Mike Love, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - The Beach Boys, MainArtist - Pablo Beltrán Ruiz, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Chuck Britz, Engineer, StudioPersonnel

(C) 2006 Capitol Catalog ℗ 1964 Capitol Records, LLC

21
When I Grow Up (To Be A Man) (Mono)
00:02:03

Brian Wilson, Producer, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Mike Love, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - The Beach Boys, MainArtist - Chuck Britz, Engineer, StudioPersonnel

(C) 2006 Capitol Catalog ℗ 1964 Capitol Records, LLC

22
Do You Wanna Dance?
00:02:21

Brian Wilson, Producer - The Beach Boys, MainArtist - Dennis Wilson, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Bobby Freeman, ComposerLyricist - Chuck Britz, Engineer, StudioPersonnel

(C) 2006 Capitol Catalog ℗ 1965 Capitol Records, LLC

23
Graduation Day (Live)
00:03:28

Noel Sherman, ComposerLyricist - Brian Wilson, Producer, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Mike Love, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - The Beach Boys, MainArtist - Joseph Daniel Sherman, ComposerLyricist

(C) 2006 Capitol Catalog ℗ 1964 Capitol Records, LLC

Albumbeschreibung

The follow-up to 1974's incredibly popular Endless Summer -- which gave the Beach Boys their highest chart placement for an album (at number one, no less) in a dog's age -- Spirit of America was a similar attempt to mine the group's classic Capitol Records catalog, with odder and somewhat less satisfying results. But some of the less than wholly satisfying moments were more a reflection of the woeful state of Capitol's A&R department than they were any black mark against the Beach Boys' music. And the album did have its unexpected joys, as well as a few lessons to teach a lot of bands from the 1970s. Endless Summer had, indeed, mined the lion's share of big hits associated with the band, but Spirit of America, which was more hooked around the band's car song repertory than its surf music output, had its familiar moments -- "409," "Dance, Dance, Dance," "Little Honda," "Do You Wanna Dance," and "Barbara Ann" were great selections (and perfect to reach out to a teenage/early-twenties listenership attuned to -- if not always fully enamored of -- oldies and early-'60s nostalgia), and most of what surrounded them was a good match. And there was a serious, unexpected twist in the range of the content going right into the second song on side one, the repertory making a sudden leap across five years to the end of the 1960s and the group's then all-but-forgotten late-era single "Break Away." The latter song, which probably came up too early on the album to generate its maximum impact, did fit with the rest of what's here and helped direct a few otherwise unsuspecting low-level fans toward the group's then-overlooked late-'60s psychedelic-era output. On the minus side, however, the overall sound was rather indifferent on the original double-LP edition, which contained only 23 songs. And as this wasn't intended as a serious retrospective, there were, of course, no notes whatsoever (which no one minded at the time). There was also a highly instructive lesson to be gleaned from listening to this collection, however, and realizing that the four-sided double LP ran less than 50 minutes, without leaving anyone feeling cheated -- at a time when most bands this side of the Ramones and maybe the Flamin' Groovies seemed incapable of recording songs that ran less than five or six minutes, Spirit of America was downright refreshing in its succinct, bracing brevity, singles and album tracks alike. The 1975-vintage Beach Boys themselves could have taken a lesson from that aspect of this collection and its predecessor.
© Bruce Eder /TiVo

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