A charming little song which clocks in at around 35 seconds, opening the superb 'Friends' album. In a way which complements the superb Beach Boys track 'our prayer', 'meant for you' has a slight hint of a religious, hymn-like tone, with a prominent organ sound and uplifting words. The overall effect is a very warm, beautiful track which you keep wanting to hear again.
from Friends available on CD - Friends/20 20
27 Aug 01 ·LawrenceM: there is another fantastic version of this on the Brain Wilson s/t album to the film "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times", just Brian on piano and vocals. I can't understand why "Friends" isn't up there is "Pet Sounds" ... it's suh a great, and overlooked, album. 04 Feb 03 ·hewtwit: Friends is indeed a great beach boys album, with only a few weak tracks. Smiley Smile I feel is also underrated for not being smile... It's still lovely music though.
Another of my favorite Beach Boys tracks, 'warmth of the sun' is a haunting ballad, sung astoundingly beautifully (Carl Wilson does the lead vocals) over a twangy picked electric guitar. From the astounding album 'Shut down vol. 2' which also gave us 'Don't Worry Baby'! 6 years ago I thought that the Beach Boys were pretty much 'Surfin' USA and other surfer hits'. I'm glad I was able to get beyond this - there's so much to discover!
from Shut Down Vol. 2 (Capitol) available on CD - Surfer Girl/Shut Down Vol. 2 (Capitol/EMI)
A superb, achingly beautiful song which, to my knowledge, never appeared on a Beach Boys album, and was merely a studio outtake. The track opens with an incredible dense wall of harmonized vocals, and emotive lyrics ("I miss you darlin, I miss you so hard"). Later, the rhythm changes, and it becomes (to my taste) slightly cheesily rocky, but not so much as to ruin the song, which still rates as one of the Beach Boys' finest.
available on CD - Smiley Smile/Wild Honey (EMI/Capitol)
07 Dec 04 ·catfish: also check the different version on the box set. fantastic tune, and recorded after smile was shelved - proof that brian's genius endure a sea of troubles...
Although it´s just a 50 seconds bonus track at the end of Capitol reissue of "Friends/20/20", I think it contains one of the most memorable vocal harmonies ever sung by the Beach Boys. The irruption of voices that come at the end is just sublime. I think there are longer versions in an "Unsurpassed masters" record but I have never listened to it. Anyone has ?
