posted 07-10-2006 09:09 AM            

To Listen: Summer In Paradise

Track Listing:
1. "Hot Fun in the Summertime" (Sylvester Stewart) - 3:29
2. "Surfin'" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) - 3:45
3. "Summer of Love" (Mike Love/Terry Melcher) - 2:51
4. "Island Fever" (Mike Love/Terry Melcher) - 3:27
5. "Still Surfin' " (Mike Love/Terry Melcher) - 4:03
6. "Slow Summer Dancin' (One Summer Night)" (Bruce Johnston/Danny Webb) - 3:23
7. "Strange Things Happen" (Mike Love/Terry Melcher) - 4:42
8. "Remember "Walking In The Sand" " (George Morton) - 3:31
9. "Lahaina Aloha" (Mike Love/Terry Melcher) - 3:44
10. "Under the Boardwalk" (Mike Love/Artie Resnick/Kenny Young) - 4:07
11. "Summer in Paradise" (Mike Love/Terry Melcher/Craig Fall) - 3:52
12. "Forever" (Dennis Wilson/Gregg Jakobson) - 3:05
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Background Info: (From Wikipedia)

Summer in Paradise is The Beach Boys' first album of the 1990s. It was released in the United States in 1992 on Brother Records (through an independent distributor, Navarre) and in the United Kingdom in 1993 on EMI.

The entire album was recorded using Pro Tools on a Macintosh Quadra computer. Musically, it continued in the vein of The Beach Boys and Still Cruisin' by having an abundance of electronic instrumentation.

All the surviving band members (except Brian Wilson, who was being removed from the care of Eugene Landy) contributed to this project, though the contributions from Carl Wilson and Al Jardine are purely vocals as they have no songwriting credits here. The idea of this album, in Mike Love's words was to create "the quintessential soundtrack of summer". Every song on the album, with the exception of "Forever", deals with summer in one way or another. In terms of song selection, "Summer in Paradise" features a mixture of new material and covers, along with two re-castings of previous Beach Boys material ("Surfin'" and "Forever").

Since Navarre and EMI only did one print run each, Summer in Paradise has technically been out of print since its release. Copies have become somewhat rare, fetching upwards of $25 USD on eBay for a U.S. pressing and upwards of $40 USD for UK pressings.

UK CD Tracks

The UK CD release, though it has the same track order as the U.S. CD, features different versions of five songs:

* "Island Fever" - 3:11
o Completely re-recorded and features new music and different lyrics.
* "Strange Things Happen" - 3:17
o Remixed and shortened considerably.
* "Under the Boardwalk" - 3:28
o Remixed and shortened considerably.
* "Summer in Paradise" - 3:27
o Completely re-recorded and features new music, different lyrics, and Roger McGuinn singing lead vocals on one verse.
* "Forever" - 2:58
o Remixed and shortened slightly.

Singles

* "Hot Fun in the Summertime" b/w "Summer of Love" (Brother), July 1992

Summer in Paradise (Brother BBR 727-2 and EMI 0777 7 81036 2 2) failed to chart in either the U.S. or the UK It was the first and only Beach Boys studio album to ever miss the chart in the U.S.

Trivia

* Remember (Walking in the Sand) was remixed for the UK CD but was left off in favor of the U.S. version.
* Three versions of Forever exist; the U.S. CD mix, UK CD mix, and CHR mix.
* This album was the first by a major artist recorded entirely on Pro Tools

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REVIEW:

My original review of this album is pretty harsh - I give it a mere half-star (and that's for the cover artwork!), but in retrospect, it doesn't really deserve such a bad reputation. My biggest complaint about the album is it's sterileness; having been completely recorded using pro-tools, the vocals and instruments all sound cold and unemotional, and although Carl, Mike, Al and Bruce all sound great, this is the most cynical, product-driven album of their careers. None of the songs sound as if they were performed from the heart, and none of the sentiments remotely match the sensitivity and "heart" that the band used to bring to their music. That said...

The lead song, "Hot Fun In The Summertime" is OK, with fantastic vocal insertions by Carl, and Mike solid on his bass lead. The tempo is a bit plodding for a lead off track, and although the production is tight and clean, it doesn't do much for me.

The next song I have big problems with: a synth-laden recasting of the Beach Boys very first hit, "Surfin'" with heavy programmed drums and crunching electric guitar power chords ringing out. I guess if the Beach Boys wanted to show how far technology has progressed, this is a good example - comparing this track with the original version is pretty shocking, and I suppose that recent fans may prefer this version over the archaic first one.

I also have big problems with the next track "Summer Of Love" which embodies Mike Love in full "Lounge Lizard" mode; the spoken verses, the blatantly sexist lyrics which may have been acceptable in the 1960s (they were protested even then), but being sung now by a mid-50s frontman is again, just sort of creepy.

The Beach Boys again dip their toe into Jamaican rhythms for "Island Fever" and it has some nice harmony moments, and as far as the album goes, it's the most "Beach Boys"- sounding track on the album so far, with the harmonies taking precedence on the chorus, and the vocal prowess of Carl Wilson giving a luscious reading on the bridge. Again, Mike is singing lyrics like "Sweet little Mama gotta get away, Daddy knows your little hideaway"... ugh.

"Still Surfin" is yet another thematic version of "Do It Again" - a topic which the band has strip-mined since the late 1960s. It even has a high harmony vocal reminiscent of Brian's falsetto, but then, Brian wasn't involved in this recording. It's a forgettable song overall, with lots of Mike, and the rest of the Beach Boys buried in the mix.

"Slow Summer Dancin' (One Summer Night)" is a Bruce Johnston power-ballad, with the sweet, piano-driven song shotgunned to death by the out-of-place drum pounding away; Al Jardine gets a rare vocal outing on the chorus, a part that Carl Wilson usually takes. It's an inoffensive 50's style doo-wop ballad that's one of the more attractive moments on the album.

I hate the catch-all lyrics of "Strange Things Happen", which seems to talk about a girl who seems to believe, well... everything. And then the chorus, which is one of the catchier things on SIP, veers away from the verse and intones a non-sensical sentiment in that "everytime I touch my face, Strange Things Happen"... OK. Besides the song being complete gibberish, I like the chorus's hook, with Al Jardine again getting full billing.

It seems odd for the Beach Boys to tackle a cover of the Shangri-Las "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" since the psycho-dramas of the 1960s were never the Beach Boys forte, and yet here's Carl wailing over his baby being gone... it never quite jells as a vocal performance, and the off-beat minor-key arrangment and wailing saxaphone is all overkill.

"Lahaina Aloha" seems to be Mike trying to write "Kokomo 2.0" but Carl does justice to the melodic chorus, and despite the "two ships passing in the night" cliches in the lyrics, it's one of the better songs here.

"Under The Boardwalk" is a mistake - a lazy, uninvolving cover version, with Carl sounding sleepy, and the entire song just limping along, with no reason for existing other than to serve as album filler. ZZzzzzzz...

I like the understated beginning to the title track, but the lyrics are horrific; clumsy and self-reverential, mixing heavy-handed environmental chest-thumping with disingenuous references to the Beach Boys own past. This song could be 'exhibit A' in how Mike Love devolved as a lyricist over the past decades.

And the needless remake of Dennis Wilson's "Forever" with a simpering John Stamos taking lead vocals is a final indignity; the Beach Boys might have thought that this was a nice nod to their deceased brother, but it sounds heartless and overwrought, with screaming lead guitar transforming a tender ballad into something leaden and crass.

posted 07-10-2006 12:09 PM         

Still, I generally enjoy this album. It's fun and summery, and the best part is Carl's vocals. He sounds great here and really adds a lot of character to the songs. Beautiful.

"Hot Fun In the Summertime" is a decent cover, and sets the stage for the feel of the album. I love its laid back sound.

The first bad song on the album is "Surfin'." Bad production kills it, but the way it was streched out with the pauses between verses really make it a drag. I will say it's satisfying to hear the 'Boys repraise the "Surfin' is the only life..." part, but that's about it. Heck, I don't think the original 1962 version is even that great.

"Summer of Love" is just embarrassing. I've talked about how I appreciate that The Beach Boys attempted other music genres, even if it didn't work. Well, SoL doesn't work. The Beach Boys can't rap. At least with "Wipe Out," they had professionals handle the rapping.

"Island Fever" is clearly a light and fluffy "Kokomo" clone, but it wins me over. It accomplishes what it sets out to do, and it's fun and laid back. I love Carl's "Hey girl.." part.

When there's already a song on the album called "Surfin'," and there's another called "Still Surfin'," it's hard not to think they were running out of ideas. I expected "Still Surfin'" to be bland and contrived, but to my surprise and delight, it's one of the highlights of the album! It's very Brian Wilson inspired, and I think it's one of the few "throw back" songs that actually manages to capture the energy and momentum of their classic 60's hits. I love the driving drum beat, the simple but very effective hook, and I even like the lyrics. It's not a great song, and I could think of several ways to improve it, but it's definitely one to notice. Not bad for The Beach Boys' last surf song.

What's weird about "Slow Summer Dancin' (One Summer Night)" is that it's kind of a half-cover. Why Bruce didn't just write a wholly original song is a mystery. It's not one of his best, but it's pleasant for what it is, and it's cool to finally hear Al on the chorus. The production is a bit too agressive, though, (as it is on most of the album), and the precussion is way too loud at the beginning.

"Strange Things Happen" is a cool song. It breaks up the theme of the album a little (in a good way). I once heard this song likened to "Feel Flows" with its ethereal lyrics and long instrumental break. The "strange things" chant towards the end was a great touch. Again, it's nice to hear Al. Too bad he didn't get a full lead vocal somewhere. Oh, and I think the chorus goes "Everytime I touch my baby, strange things happen to me..."

This might be difficult for me to explain, but I love "Remember 'Walking In the Sand'." I actually hated it when I first heard it, but Mike's deep, echoeing "Remember" made me, well, remember it. Something kept drawing me back to the song, and somewhere along the line, I gained a sincere appreciation for it.

First of all, it's the only song on the album in which Carl sings a full lead vocal. Also, it sounds more like 80's synth-pop than a Beach Boys song. Because of that, it's the one song on the album where the aggressive production actually works for it rather than against it. The sinister tone is very well realized in pretty much every aspect, and the finger snapping is just perfect. The sound of it is very jarring for a BB song, and I can understand why a lot of people would hate it. Still, I can't help but think it might be one of their most misunderstood production efforts.

"Lahaina Aloha" is another "Kokomo" clone, but again, I think they pull it off. It's got tasteful production and pretty good lyrics. Definitely one of the best songs on the album.

"Under the Boardwalk" is a throwaway. I think it could actually work as an airy, relaxing ballad if it wasn't for one, specific, glaring flaw: the precussion is totally out of place! It's way too fast. If they only removed it, it would greatly improve the song. Either way, though, it's fairly insubstantial.

Is it just me, or does "Summer In Paradise" have a sad undertone hiding behind the environmentalism? I mean, at the beginning we've got The Beach Boys singing about their glory days followed by lines like "If our lifestyle's over now it sure is sad." Then they sing about wanting "to get back to living without a care." It's almost as if they knew their careers were over and wished they could go back to the 60's when they were at their peek--their summer in paradise, if you will. Perhaps the environmental angle is just a front for a confessional song. It's kinda sad, and even poignant, when you think of it that way.

The song, itself, is merely okay, suffering a bit from Mike's usual tendency to repeat stanzas and chorases. The actual environmental lyrics are embarrassing (not that I have anything against saving the environment, of course). It has a nice hook, though.

Talk about controversial songs, first there's "Never Learn Not to Love," then the disco version of "Here Comes the Night," and now here's the Jesse and the Rippers version of "Forever." Personally, I like it. Like most people, hearing it on Full House was my first exposure to the song. If John Stamos' intention was to increase its recognition among casual listeners (and I think it was), then he succeeded. I don't think it's as good as Denny's 1970 original, but it's a pretty good power ballad version of it (if you appreciate that kind of thing). It's a little weird that they repeat the first verse instead of singing the real last verses, (They did the same thing on "California Dreamin'." What's with that?) but hearing Carl sing the na-na-na's is priceless! Great way to end the album.

posted 07-10-2006 02:14 PM            

Here's my take on it:

"Hot Fun in the Summertime" - This is a great opener for the album. I prefer this version over the orignal the Sly and the Family Stone classic.

"Surfin" - Looking back at this now, this song is awful. This was the 2nd take on this song that I ever heard (the first was the Muppets). I think the guys were just trying to have some fun when they recorded it, that's cool. I prefer the original 1961 version without the Pro Tools looping drum track.

"Summer of Love" - This song is downright bad. I'm ashamed to say that I know all of the words. The lyrics that flow out of Mr. Love's mouth are creepy but the older ladies still love the man so maybe this is who he was trying to impress.

"Island Fever" - I don't really mind this song, yeah it's a Kokomo ripoff but it's not too bad. The UK version is lame, I hate it.

"Still Surfin'" - This is actually one of my all time favorite BB songs. It makes me sad to think this will be their last ever surfing song.

"One Summer Night" - I think Bruce did a great job on this song. It's catchy and his vocals are excellent. One of my favorite songs on the album.

"Strange Things Happen" - Over the last month or so I've became a fan of this song. The chorus is catchy and I like the lead guitar track, very ninties.

"Remember Walking in the sand" - This is my least favorite song next to the remake of Surfin. I love Carl's voice but it's just kind of bland.

"Lahaina Aloha" - This is a great Carl Wilson song, it's very catchy and I like Mike's back ups.

"Under the Boardwalk" - Ehhh, here's another bad cover song. I remember them playing this the first time I saw them in 94.

"Summer in Paradise" - I kind of wish the album would have closed with this song. I think there is a lot more meaning behind it than the whole environmental thing as Socks said above. It kind of summed up their careers and yeah, their lifestyle is over. Out of the 4 times I've seen the Beach Boys, 3 of the times, I've seen this song performed in concert.