Excellent review, your knowledge and presentation is really impressive. After the awesome early 70s albums I was disappointed in the change of direction but it's about time I listened to it again and re-appraised it. So great you are keeping the interest in the band alive!

So cool you know all this. Especially the late 60s and early 70s stuff

I have this at #5. It's a great album but it makes the Beach Boys a more interesting band because they put out stuff like this. It's my 2nd favourite cover after Smile too. The prominent synth parts is one of the highlights of this album. Brian sounds excellent on his backing vocals through out the album especially since most of his leads were a bit hoarse. The chorus of Airplane is his cleanest lead on the album and almost has hints of his old voice. With McCartney II coming out in 1980 and Neil Young's Trans in 1983 it felt that with Love You Brian was once again briefly ahead of his peers.

Awesome and one of my fav albums ever

I hope you get a chance to do a few more; really enjoy all the videos

Nice review! I'm a big fan of this record too. Currently my #5 Beach Boys album.

Good review! The album is definitely a top 5 BB record for me. “Honkin Down The Highway” was released as a single (to little success). The single version was slightly different to that the drum intro was removed. Also, Smiley Smile was the last album that Brian produced (I think). Apparently the label didn’t do a lot to promote it and many initial pressings were actually made of weak materials, Mike blamed the album’s lack of success to that.

mona is just amazing happiness put to song and lets put our hearts together is easily one of my favorites on this album

2nd Favorite record by them behind Beach Boys Today!

Great review and conversation, a new found appreciation for this album, The Pet Sounds and SMiLE era will always be my favorite I think, I appreciate all there era’s, and that late 60’s to early mid 70’s period, so many great under rated albums and songs, and it amazes me and pisses me off, that because SMiLE did not come out, it seriously tarnished them as a group, and it hurt all there albums after that, looking back on the history it’s just crazy that albums especially like Wild Honey, Friends, Sunflower and Surfs up didn’t sell well, so criminally under rated and so awesome, they should’ve sold so much better, all because SMiLE didn’t happen. It tarnished all there efforts after it, it hurt Brian so bad, and it affected the whole group as a whole. It’s crazy and it makes me mad man.!

Will be back after I check out the Friends review, excited for both of these though!

i know i mentioned it on 15 big ones but i think that album and love you are actually very similar sonically, tons of synths and syncopation on both. they make a good twofer. i once read a review of this album that compared it to smiley smile but much better and with synths. i personally like both of those albums a lot. smiley smile is weird as hell. its mellow but kinda droning too "Love is a Woman" is probably my favorite song here. Brian did it solo on SNL around that time with the house band. It was kinda sleazy and cool. i cant find the footage anymore it used to be up here.

I'll Bet He's Nice is a Top 5 Beach Boys song for me.

great review again mate. cant wait to see how you place the remaining catalogue

Your review put a smile on my face like I was listening to Ding Dang for the first time 👌🏻 Looking forward to the next one👍🏻

The wait is killing me! It's either going to be Today, Smile (2004 or 11), Surf's up, Sunflower but unlikely to be Pet Sounds. Anywho, I admire your throughless.

Interesting to see that you've ranked this above Friends. I'm not sure I would do that personally. I think because Endless Summer shut down the more creative projects The Beach Boys were doing, it might be the one event I wish I could change in Beach Boys history. If it hasn't been released, maybe Mike wouldn't even be playing greatest hits sets at state fairs and such today, and maybe if we were lucky we would've gotten a proper follow up to Holland. If anyone hasn't heard it, check out the Seattle 1977 version of Roller Skating Child. It is partial, but it's a whole different beast live, and Brian sings high falsetto parts. Mona reminds me of a big band style. Dennis's singing on it has a slight Rat Pack style to me. When I first heard the album, I saw people say that it was seen as a stab in the back to fans who wanted more in the style of Pet Sounds, and I thought Good Time was intended to parody that sound a little bit, taking two key instruments from Pet Sounds (harmonica and castanets) and making them sound eccentric and goofy and ridiculous outside of a lush arrangement. Airplane is another one that took on a whole new arrangement live. If anyone hasn't heard it, I'd really encourage checking out the London 1977 version, the Landover 1977 version, or really any other live version from that year. There's even a version without Brian(!) where Al sings his verse parts and Carl sings the gruff count-in near the end. I think Sweet Insanity didn't come out because it was a Landy Project and Melinda thought that it wasn't up to par.

This one is such a groove with some great vocals although I think there are a couple tracks that don't quite fit the tone, such as Good Time and Ding Dang. Which is more awkward: I Wanna Pick You Up from this album or Hey Little Tomboy from M.I.U. Album? My pick is the former. Least favorite on this LP by far, I'm one of those who find the lyrics weird.

Excited to see how your rank the remaining 5 🤔. If I were to rank them today I’d probably put sunflower at tippy top. But tomorrow maybe it would be pet sounds, who the f knows

There’s really no way to describe the vibe on this album, it’s one of those where you hear it and you either get it or you don’t. It’s like a part of all the punk/new wave stuff from around that time, but still completely in its own league. I heard someone describe it as Brian Wilson’s version of Low, and I could definitely see that, especially because their recording dates match almost perfectly. I only wish it didn’t include ‘Good Time’, because I’m a major puritan when it comes to recording dates and stuff. Replace that with the outtake ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin Feelin’ and this is 10/10 for me.

Greatest BB opening track.

Ive tried but i just cant get the appeal of this one. I know people love that moog synth but idk. That being said tho, Id definitely place it in my top ten but thats only because it is indeed more listenable than most of their albums in their entirety.

Hyped for the top 5 my dude. Don't worry, we will forgive you if you mess up the ranking ;)

Great cude9 bro

I've been a Beach Boys fan for over 50 years. Sorry, but a simply can't connect with this record. i find it sloppy, crude and oafish. Originally these songs were from a therapy session with Landy, getting Brian to write songs (he had to appear on the Carson show so he wrote a song about it). Their best album post Holland is the LA album. The Brian Wilson self titled album eclipses everything post Holland.

I'm giving this album another try. But Johnny Carson...is so bad.