Album Review 7: The Beach Boys - Wild Honey
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- Originally released in December 1967, Wild Honey is commonly referred to as the Beach Boys' "R&B" album. A collection of songs with a lot of heart, soul, and warmth, the group never sounded so fresh and ready for a new approach. While "Darlin" was a moderate hit, peaking at #19, this album was one of their worst selling at the time. It did far better on the charts at #24, than their previous album, and hit #7 in the UK, where their popularity was skyrocketing. I absolutely love this album! What do you think of it?
Carl's lead vocals were amazing on this album!!!
Yes they were!
Wild Honey was Carl's coming out party, released just in time for his 21st birthday on 21/12/67.
You mentioned there was never a true stereo version of this album and how cool that would be, and then just eight months after you posted this video, a full stereo version was indeed released as part of 1967 Sunshine Tomorrow. 😃
So cool haha!
The Beach Boys are the honey on my cornflakes of life!
Picked up an interesting UK "twofer" at a local used shop that pairs Wild Honey with Friends.... Two of the best in one gatefold LP!
Can't beat that!
I had that one. It was a 70's UK release with an all-white double-spread cover, easily confused with the White Album and Beggars Banquet! Later, there were twofers of WH + Smiley Smile and WH + 20/20
Your channel is great, I especially like your Beach Boys reviews/discussions. Please keep doing what you’re doing Giggens my man, incredibly interesting and nicely articulated content!!
Thanks Queezus! I love doing these videos, so they will keep happening!
A great stripped down album.....one of my favorites. The reissue, 1967 Sunshine Tomorrow is frickin' awesome!
Yes it is! So much to dive into!
I love lo-fi Beach Boys. This album in particular.
Totally man!
"I was made to love her" was a great cover!
Absolutely!
Great review of this great album!!! You echo my thoughts verbatim!! I've spent years trying to convince people how great this album is!!
Mitch Harrelson glad you like it man! It's one of their best for sure!
Giggens You know, I've heard soundboards for those 1967 shows are they're fantastic!! Have you reviewed the "Live In London 1969" album?? That really impressed me when I was young! This band had their shit together !!!
Mitch Harrelson I love that album too, that will happen at done point!
I got this album coupled with Friends on vinyl, absolutely awesome albums, both too short but very sweet
Perfect pairing of albums!
Defintly one of my favourite beach boys record. It was the first bb album of the "gold period" i listened. A really 10/10 for id just love once to see you : chill lyrics with some kinks vibes (do you agree ? ). I really love when brian sings lower than usual. Its a pity that he didnt sing more often like that (as in buisy doin nothing). Let the wind blow is ..... Woaaaaaah !!!! The live version of beach boys in concert album is just wonderfull wirh carl on lead vocals but i guess you've already list to it. Did you make a review of this live album ? Because it realy is one of the best 70's live album Ive listened. (Special mention to al vocals in this effort : he sings more often in live and it is a good idee. He sings H and V so good)
Totally Gaspers! This album and that live 1973 release are seriously fantastic! That live version of Let The Wind Blow is one my favorites too!
yeah this is a great album Here Comes The Night is great love Brian's vocal
Even more so than Darlin', Here Comes The Night just so hits the spot with it's chiming guitars and lusting lyrics. Ah looove it!
Well, maybe not "more so"... Now, now, Paul, don't get carried away!
I just came from your Off The Wall review and wanted to ask Do you think you'll do any more MJ album reviews? love the channel
Liam Cahill id be down to do some more!! Thanks for watching man!!
Darlin/Here today is my favorite beach boy single if not my favorite single in general. My second favorite tho is, do you want to dance/please let me wonder, I love that single cause it shows their transformation from their fun fun fun summer time music (do you want to dance). To their more Awesome slow and beautiful (please let me wonder)
Well said!
Thx, question you still have that 45 of darlin. I’m planning on buying my own picture sleeve. I already have the 45 but that cover looks very cool
Oh yeah I still have it! One of my favorite Beach Boys things I own!
Another excellent and largely un-biased review. I do take slight exception to one thing ~ you suggested that The Beach Boys didn't really venture into R&B territory in prior years. Take a look at the Beach Boys vocal lineup from the very beginning...A falsetto Soprano lead vocalist; Two (three if you count Dennis) harmonizing back-ground singers and a guy singing deep bass parts (mike, of course he also sang lead). THAT, my friend is the classic Do-Wop vocal line-up. When the BB's sang, 'Why do fools fall in love', 'Hush-a-by'...that's Do-Wop. When the BB's sang 'Louie Louie', that's pure R&B. Even instrumentals like 'Carls Big Chance' and 'Boogie Woodie' were very R&B influenced IF you take the time to examine them. Then there's 'Don't Worry Baby' which derives directly from the huge Motown hit 'Be My Baby'. Brian's awesome live performances of 'What'd I Say' (Ray Charles), and 'Papa-Ooo-Mow Mow' (Rivingtons) are totally R&B. I submit to you that The Beach Boys, actually were an ultra-modern supersonic Do-Wop/R&B group all along. People just weren't getting past the lyrics and the striped shirts (as usual).
Carl Rudd damn! Well said man!!
Happy to do it. Carry on.
carl rudd "be my baby" wasn't motown (detroit) but written or co-written and produced by phil spector ( gold star studios , hollywood).
Great work sir. Have you seen the beach boys knebworth gig on dvd? If not i want to hear your thoughts please.
Such a great DVD, I love their dynamics together!
@@Giggens oh yeah. You should review it. It is really dennis,s show. He brought out the best of the band on stage. Notice after he finishs too early on rock and roll music? He is gutted. The whole band hunkers down on i get around. It is the best live version sinse the tami show.
Darlin not being a smash is insanely disappointing. Mind blowing. It’s Chicago before Chicago
It's interesting that my favorite period of The Beach Boys is from their least commercially successful period ('66-'73). If this era was played on the radio more often, I might have
become a fan a lot sooner than I did. As it turned out, they were a lot more than just surfing and hot rods.
Its their best period in term of creativity
ToasterTwo Yea, 65-67 was the height of Brian’s creativity.
Exactly. You are dead on. Look at the comments i posted on the animated Beach Boys video Little Saint Nick. I think you might agree with me.
Exactly my favourite period too. 66 - 73.
This has always been one of my favorite Beach Boys albums. I love the title track. Carl's singing on this album is superb! Wish they had continued with the sound on this album (a lot of organ/piano, not much lead guitar) for more than just this album. Not much harmonizing on the songs, but the lead vocals are fine. Let The Wind Blow is such a pretty ballad. How She Boogalooed It is a cool little rocker from Al! I think the group at the time were trying to develop a new sound (both instrument/vocally) that would start selling their records again. Smiley Smile hadn't sold too well, and it had been at least 8-9 months since Good Vibrations had reached number 1. Wish Dennis had some lead vocals on some of the songs, but that would have to wait until the next album, Friends (along with his own songs!).
Totally, what an amazing album!
Mine and Jim Morrison’s favourite Beach Boys album
"Darlin'" sounds like it was from the '70's instead of 67. Perhaps that is why it didnt do as well. In fact, I have a very early childhood memory of hearing that song around 1974--I would have been about 5 years old at the time. I actually thought it was from that time until a few weeks ago.
Interesting! I can kind of see the 70s sound there!
Darling.was.done.by.american.spring.as.thinkin.bout.my.baby.brian.produced.
Former heartthrob David Cassidy had a version of Darlin' out around that time. Perhaps that's what you heard. (Commiserations if that's what happened!)
Here Comes The Night (NON DISCO)! I was made to love her! Country Air! Darlin! How She Boogalooed it! GREAT ALBUM. Too short.
Too short indeed!
“Here comes the night”..... I will publicly state that this has been my favorite song for the past few years.
It took me a long time to really get to like this album. Now with the the stereo release I have a whole new appreciation for it.
James Haberkamp that new stereo release is truly incredible!
It's weird. I both love "Smiley Smile" and "Friends", they're two of my favourites. But "Wild Honey" in the middle never really clicked with me, I'm ashamed to say. Maybe one day.
“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?”
- Robert Christgau on Wild Honey
The grade he gave the album? A+! 🤗
I agree with you that Wild Honey is one of their best albums. Specifically, as a serious Beach Boys fan myself, I rank it as their seventh best studio album. The Cabinessence website ranks it (by combining album ratings and average fan votes) their tenth best studio album, so I guess I like it more than the average fan.
But you say you rank it fourth? Wow, that is surprisingly high. I'd like to hear which are the only three albums you think has it beat. The six I rank higher are Pet Sounds, Summer Days, Sunflower, Surf's Up, 20/20, and Today. I'm guessing you'd put 20/20 below since I tend to also be a bigger fan of that album than most fans are, but which other two would you pull out?
Fun fact: In nature, honey NEVER goes bad.
Great review of a brilliant album.
Thanks! I absolutely love this album. I grew up with Beach Boys hits as a child in the 1960's. As a teenager in the 1970s, I first became familiar with the Beach Boys full catalogue. I remember wondering why I'd never heard these songs on the radio. I'm so glad that people continue to discover these songs - generation after generation.
Susan Altman that’s so cool!! I grew up with them too, just in the 90s haha
Just been getting into this! As far as I'm concerned "Darlin'" is a Carl classic!
For sure!
It did better in the UK because in Brian Wilson the British recognize a true artistic genius. Just my opinion.
The UK loved the Beach Boys!
@@Giggens still do
Why was this only released in mono?
That I do not know!
I have to concur with your opinion of this album. I've loved it since the first listen. The last of their really consistent albums, imho. Summer Days(Summer Nights), Pet Sounds, Smiley Smile and this sum up the Boys for me.
Excellent combination of albums!
L.A.(Light Album) is about half-consistent.
Great.song
Very good album. The title track is one of the coolest pieces of music they ever put out.
Enjoy your reviews 😎
Wild Honey, the song, was the third time The Beach Boys had used a theramin on a track. Can you name the other two? Lol.
Paul Casey certainly Good Vibrations, and then I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times!
Going by that lot, maybe they should have used the theremin more often!
I just wasn’t made for these times and good vibrations ❤️
This is a great LP. The stereo version is going to be released in June!!!
This isn't technically Duophonic. Like Smiley Smile, it's minimally fake stereo. Capitol Records abandoned that process when mono LPs were being phased out, because the Duophonic process sounded awful when folded down.
On Magical Mystery Tour we had a much more intense fake stereo for Penny Lane, Baby You're a Rich Man and All You Need is Love, with heavy bass on the left and ultra highs on the right, but no delay between the channels.
It was originally supposed to be Brother Records release 9003 with a different track listing. Allegedly it was to have a version of The Letter and Game of Love. Cool Cool Water was also to be included. Brother 9002 was to have been the live LP you mentioned.
Great job on these reviews. I'm glad i stumbled upon your channel tonight.
michael7572 thanks for the awesome comments! I can't wait to pick up the new 1967 cd and the stereo Wild Honey on vinyl, it's gonna be so good
I was very lucky that this was the first Beach Boys album I heard thanks to my sister in law (who is 10 years older than me) who lent me her original mono album. I loved it and still do 40 years later. So many classics as well as the title track, Country Air, Let the Wind Blow, Aren't you Glad etc etc
Seriously one of their best albums!
Well done mate. I’ve had these albums since the seventies. Good to see that a younger chap appreciates this stuff. Your review is spot on.
Thanks Steve, much appreciated! One of their best albums!
Probably the best band possible to rank and discuss out of hundreds.
Great in depth critiques of the Beach Boy's extensive catalog.
Thanks Alan!
Where do you get yer info on the Beach Boyz? - Very knowledgeable... Keep uploading "mo Beach Boyz album reviews.
TheChinatownkid hey! I've read and continue to read lots of books about them. Truly a fascinating subject! Also message boards or talking to people who lived in the 60s!
often cited as my favorite Beach Boys' LP :) Except for . . . ;)
Joseph Virgilio I know that feeling!
I just received Wild Honey for Valentine's Day, which was a couple days ago. What an album! Wow!! My girlfriend had bought it for me a month ago, and kept it a secret. Meanwhile, for some reason about 2 weeks ago I had become obsessed with this one BB song: Darlin'. I didn't know what album it was on, but I listened to every live version I could find on youtube. I played it for my gf, saying "I don't know why but I'm obsessed with this. I LOVE this song!" Imagine how she must have felt knowing it was on the record she had just bought for me. Thank you Giggens. Spot on review!
That is perfect! Wild Honey was meant to be!
They're finally releasing a true stereo mix of the album! Are you gonna pick it up when it comes out?
HeGivesMixes oh hell yeahhhhhh!!
Been hunting for the Darlin' pic sleeve for ages
Man I can't even remember where I found it, I've had it for a loooooooong time now. I've only seen that one time!
Fantastic Review
Thanks Phuong!
Al actually played the bass on a number of the BB's recordings in the early 60's, he was probably equal to Brian, though neither was a virtuoso bass player by any means.
Tom Christie haha yeah, those bass duties got switched around!
Yep Al played Bass while Brian handled Piano, Organ, Harpsichord etc back in the early 60's.
Great review. Love this record, and never tire of it!!! Carls vocals make it for me!
Dan O'Malley hell yeah!!!
just come across ya channel top man
Lee Maloney thanks man!!