“I didn’t want this – because it was original vocals – to be a project that was just all put together. That would have been nice and wonderful. I really wanted The Beach Boys thumbprint on this … I wanted a live thumbprint … and we got it! As great as Don and Nick are it would have been a great album, but it’s more so because of the input of The Beach Boys.” — Jerry Schilling, Executive Producer and Brother Records President

I’m not really sure how to begin a review of this album because it could be promoted as a new and old release. On one hand, it’s a new Beach Boys compilation, on the other, it’s a completely new presentation of old music. The gorgeous sepia-toned cover art features a group montage of The Beach Boys in all their glorious mid-1960s swagger towering over a recent stage shot of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra [RPO] (nestled in the subtlest way across the bottom). It perfectly captures exactly what’s inside; a tasteful marrying of original Beach Boys vocals and tracks with the celebrated Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. There are other RPO collections: Elvis’ (If I Can Dream, The Wonder of You and Elvis Christmas), Roy Orbison’s (A Love So Beautiful) and Aretha Franklin’s (A Brand New Me). The concept with these releases is that the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performs underneath the vocals of the artists, and each release has been quite successful.

Purest fans might look at this release and ask, “Beyond the cover, what makes this release anything special?” Depending on your thought process, you might not think you’d enjoy this collection. On one hand, when looking at the track selections, nothing really stands out as all that unusual. There are five songs from Pet Sounds, which is cool. “Good Vibrations” and “Heroes And Villains” are here too. Even “Disney Girls.” Herein lies the challenge. Why touch these great classic recordings? They’re already perfect. I think that’s where the confusion enters into the picture here… The Beach Boys with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra isn’t an attempt to replace, replicate or better the original recordings; it’s a release that simply marries together two great atmospheric entities. And the results are cool.

Each of the original 16 Beach Boys recordings feature the original vocals and a lot of the original tracks, so The Beach Boys’ (Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Al Jardine, David Marks and Bruce Johnston) original vocals and tracks are included on this collection. Granted, I’ve heard “California Girls,” “Fun, Fun, Fun” and “Kokomo” more times than I can remember, but if you listen with your heart (as Brian is prone to suggest) the depth of the beauty caught on this collection will find you. The difference between the Elvis, Roy Orbison, Aretha Franklin and The Beach Boys releases is night and day. While each release has its own special something, this is the only release that features Brian Wilson’s unmatched vocal and instrumental arrangements. Remember, Brian used the voices of The Beach Boys as instruments…essentially creating a vocal symphony in their own right. Just listen to the second side of the Today! album, the Pet Sounds album and beyond. No one has ever touched Brian’s capacity for great arrangements, and/or The Beach Boys group harmonics and harmonies.

Producers Nick Patrick and Don Reedman are the creative team that works with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on these projects. You can tell they are each real fans of The Beach Boys. Coming from classical backgrounds, they understand Brian’s genius and The Beach Boys’ vocal prowess, so their greatest concern was to accentuate this great group without being heavy handed. Make The Beach Boys the star of the show, remind people it’s great, and present it in a contemporary manner. The results? There are moments on this collection that are – as Brian recently told Jerry after hearing the set – “brilliant.”

Is this Sounds of Summer 2018? Absolutely not. Is it a symphonic outing similar to Bruce Johnston’s 1998 Symphonic Sounds pet project (also with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)? No, it’s better. What makes it interesting? Brian, Mike, Al and Bruce were each involved in the track selection and personally approved the project upon completion. The Beach Boys’ thumbprint is on this album. That, in most cases, is considered the seal of approval. Is that enough for you to want this release? Hard to say. I can tell you that if you really take the time to listen…slow down enough to enjoy it…you’re in for a real treat.

To read the behind-the-scenes account of the making of the album with Jerry Schilling, Nick Patrick, Don Reedman, Mike Love and Al Jardine, be sure to purchase the Summer 2018 edition of Endless Summer Quarterly magazine. Listen to exclusive excerpts of the interviews on iTunes, Mixcloud and Podbean.

Purchase the CD: The Beach Boys with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Purchase the black vinyl two LP set: The Beach Boys with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Purchase the collectible orange vinyl two LP set: The Beach Boys with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

©2018 David Beard /All Rights Reserved