Sunflower (Album)
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Sunflower (1970) was the first album released by the Beach Boys on their own label, Brother Records, after departing from Capitol Records. It is considered by many to be the best post-Pet Sounds Beach Boys album.
Unlike Beach Boys albums before and after, Sunflower was very much the work of the Beach Boys as a whole and less a work by Brian Wilson, as each one of the group (including their newest member, Bruce Johnston) contributed memorable songs. The previously under-utilized Dennis Wilson was by then hitting his stride as a songwriter and contributes three excellent tracks, "Slip On Through", "It's About Time" and "Forever" (which Brian Wilson has lately been including in his concerts).
The album was by far the group's strongest and most coherent effort since Pet Sounds and is highlighted by "This Whole World", one of the last truly great songs Brian Wilson composed before slipping into serious mental illness and drug addiction in the 1970s. Also of note is the track "Cool Cool Water", an expanded version of the piece "I Love To Say Dada"; originally created for the legendary Smile album, it is also one of the longest Beach Boys tracks.
Despite its artistic strengths, the album was not financially successful, and it paved the way for diminishing returns further down the road.
Track listing
- "Slip on Through" (Dennis Wilson)
- "This Whole World" (Brian Wilson)
- "Add Some Music to Your Day" (Brian Wilson/Joe Knott/Mike Love)
- "Got to Know the Woman" (Dennis Wilson)
- "Deirdre" (Bruce Johnston/Brian Wilson)
- "It's About Time" (Dennis Wilson/Carl Wilson/Bob Burchman/Alan Jardine)
- "Tears in the Morning" (Bruce Johnston)
- "All I Wanna Do" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love)
- "Forever" (Dennis Wilson/Gregg Jakobson)
- "Our Sweet Love" (Brian Wilson/Carl Wilson/Al Jardine)
- "At My Window" (Brian Wilson/Al Jardine)
- "Cool, Cool Water" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love)de:Sunflower