410. The Beach Boys, "Wild Honey"

 


How often do you hear a freaking Beach Boys album and think "Sounds like they just knocked this one out in about half a day in the studio, just fucking around, you know those lo-fi loving Beach Boys"?  How about fucking NEVER?  Well, sit down because I've got one for you.

This was recorded post-Pet Sounds and the tortured Smile project, which both sound like hell with Brian Wilson in the studio demanding 735 takes just for the tambourine and taking 3 weeks to record one song.  So after that, naturally you'd just want to kind of take it easy and have some fun, right?

And this album sounds fun!  There's definitely some R&B/Motown influence here.  Sometimes it's subtle and sometimes they just cover a Stevie Wonder song ("I Was Made to Love Her").  But the whole thing is interesting; you would know it's the Beach Boys right off the bat, but it's a mellower, less structured Beach Boys.  It sounds like they're having fun.  

This came out in 1967 and it was their THIRTEENTH studio album.  I read that and thought "that can't be right."  I mean, most bands never get close to 13 albums, and the Beach Boys had that before 1968.  Incredible.

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