By Lane Lannan

On January 21, The Beach Boys announced something that many fans, myself included, never saw coming. On that date, it was revealed that a new boxset was on the way. Naturally, fans were excited about another big release, but this one was special. We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studios Years, released on February 13, included many previously unreleased tracks, among them being the previous unreleased songs from the shelved Adult/Child album.

Myself, as well as many others across social media, were shocked by its inclusion. Personally, I assumed Adult/Child would forever live in bootlegs and YouTube videos, as it never really fit with the brand of The Beach Boys as a whole, and the new boxset is different. It offers a loving look at this interesting time in the group’s history.

The set includes the Love You album in full, the aforementioned Adult/Child album, as well as various sessions and recordings from those albums and 15 Big Ones. Every song on the set sounds absolutely amazing, and with over three hours of music to comb through, that is a near-impossible feat. After listening to the set many times, I’d like to highlight the positives of We Gotta Groove and mention some things I wish were a little different.

 

The Pros:

Starting out with the obvious, the inclusion of Adult/Child. In recent years, some songs from this album saw the light of day, namely “Two Can Play” and “H.E.L.P. Is On The Way,” both of which were included on the Feel Flows: The Sunflower & Surf’s Up Sessions 1969–1971 boxset from 2021. But there were still so many songs that were missing, until now. Every song from the album sounds great, and I believe that it is all mixed perfectly. Some fans have commented online that the intro of “Life is for the Living,” specifically the horns, is too quiet. However, if you listen to most versions of the song online, you will find that it is a perfect match. The issue is some fan releases of these songs boosted the intro to the song, which led to the issue some fans have. Despite that, I adore this mix. It is perfectly presented, and Carl Wilson’s vocals carry an amazing weight to them. This song is far from the only time on this release that Carl shines.

I have found that the additional songs from these years that were finished, but never used, are utterly amazing. To call out one song specifically, the version of “Mony Mony” is incredible. It makes me wish it was included on 15 Big Ones, as I believe it would have fit right in with that release. Brian Wilson’s lead vocal exquisitely fits this rocking song. I have loved this song for years, so having the chance to hear The Beach Boys cover it is a real treat. Other highlights in a similar vein are “We Gotta Groove,” “Sea Cruise,” “Running Bear,” “Shake, Rattle and Roll” and “Clangin’.”

Another highlight for me is the inclusion of Brian’s version of “In the Back of My Mind.” This song was available previously as part of his No Pier Pressure album, but it was never officially available outside of that context until now. I absolutely adore this version of the song, as it bridges the gap between Brian’s youthful falsetto and his more mature, gravelly vocal. Between this version and the demo of “California Feelin’” from 2013’s Made in California boxset, you can build an interesting timeline of the evolution of Brian’s voice.

I also enjoyed hearing the alternate vocals of “Love is a Woman” and “Honkin’ Down the Highway” by Al Jardine and Billy Hinsche, respectively. These alternate vocals are great to hear, and they give both songs a different vibe, in my opinion. It is also nice to have Billy included on an official release. Fans know he was involved during this time, but there was never an official song to point to with him on it.

To close out the positives, I think the instrumental and unfinished offerings on this album are great. They give some insight into songs that we would eventually hear down the road. For example, “Gimme Some Lovin” and “They’re Marchin’ Along” would see the light of day in a different context through Brian’s self-titled debut album, although with different titles. “Gimme Some Lovin’” would become “Walkin’ The Line,” and “They’re Marchin’ Along” would become “Little Children.” The other major highlight in this area is the three songs featuring Carl. Hearing him sing “Holy Man,” even if it is just a guide vocal, is heavenly. It is one of my favorite Dennis Wilson compositions, and it makes me wish they had finished the song with Carl and Dennis both singing, as I think it would take the song to heights never-before-seen. “Carl’s Song 1: It Could Be Anything” and “Carl’s Song 2: Angels Come Home” are also both incredible. I love that these inclusions give Carl the spotlight and show how incredibly gifted he was at composing, singing, and playing music.

 

 

The Cons:

Now come the things I wish were different. For starters, I wish the Adult/Child songs were placed on the album in the original order they were intended. It is a bit odd that they got broken up in the way that they did. Additionally, like other fans, I do wish the Adult/Child versions of other songs were present. I know that “Hey Little Tomboy” is already available on the M.I.U Album, but I wish it was here with the other songs. A minor gripe, I know, but I think it would have provided a more complete story of the era.

I do also wish the number of backing tracks was reduced on this release. I feel like their inclusion ate into spots other unreleased songs could have occupied. Don’t get me wrong, they are an interesting listen, and I do understand their placement here, but after my first listen I never really revisited them. I would have preferred other mixes of 15 Big Ones songs, or other deconstructed mixes, as those were really cool to hear.

Speaking of 15 Big Ones, I do think it is very weird that it is not included in its entirety like Love You is. While it doesn’t necessarily fit into the story they were telling with this set, I still believe it is important to this time. After all, had Brian not been lured to return to the studio for 15 Big Ones, then Love You and Adult/Child may have never happened. I wish that album was given more love, maybe with some new mixes, especially since the ones that are included sound amazing. “Chapel of Love” and “Just Once in My Life” received new mixes, which I love, while “TM Song,” “Rock and Roll Music” and “Had to Phone Ya” received either deconstructed mixes or backing track mixes.

However, with all of that said, I still love this release. Every song sounds amazing unlike issues I have had with some other recent releases; specifically on the expanded Sounds of Summer release for the 60th anniversary, I felt some of the new mixes sounded worse than the original versions fans already had access to. That is not the case with We Gotta Groove, every song was handled with care and presented in the most authentic way possible.

I would urge any fan of The Beach Boys to give this release a listen. Even if this era isn’t your favorite, there is a lot of great music contained in the 73 songs present on the boxset. We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studios Years is available wherever you get your music, and the physical edition is available to purchase on The Beach Boys’ official website.

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