Adult/Child

Last updated

Adult/Child
Adult Child 1.jpg
Cover of a 1985 bootleg
Studio album (unreleased)by
the Beach Boys
RecordedAugust 1969 – October 1976 (older recordings)
February 9, 1977 – June 3, 1977 (album sessions)
Studio
Genre
Length30:25
Producer Brian Wilson
The Beach Boys recording chronology
The Beach Boys Love You
(1977)		Adult/Child
(1977)		 M.I.U. Album
(1978)
Alternative cover
Adult Child 2.jpeg
Bootleg from an unknown year

Adult/Child (sometimes typeset as Adult Child) is an unreleased studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys that was produced in early 1977. Similar to the release it was meant to follow, The Beach Boys Love You , the album is essentially a semi-autobiographical solo effort by the band's chief songwriter and producer, Brian Wilson. The title refers to a theory that one's personality can be split into "adult" and "child" modes of thinking.

Contents

Characterized as outsider music, Adult/Child consists of seven new songs, four of which feature orchestral arrangements by Dick Reynolds, along with five older tracks that had been outtakes from earlier albums. Its subject matter ranges from healthy diets and exercise to shaving a tomboy's legs and waiting at a movie theater queue. Some of the tracks, including "It's Over Now" and "Still I Dream of It", were originally written to be recorded by a singer such as Frank Sinatra.

Initially planned for issue in September 1977, the release was vetoed by Wilson's bandmates Mike Love and Al Jardine, who had felt that the record was too strange to sell. [3] Instead, the group delivered M.I.U. Album , which included one song in common with Adult/Child, "Hey Little Tomboy", albeit in a rerecorded form. A few more Adult/Child tracks saw release on the 1993 box set Good Vibrations .

Commentators have described Adult/Child as a poignant reflection of Wilson's troubled personal life, although it has also elicited praise for its humorous and idiosyncratic quality. The full album remains unreleased, but circulates widely on bootlegs and unauthorized YouTube uploads.

Background

At the end of 1976, Brian Wilson produced The Beach Boys Love You (released in April 1977), after which he immediately moved onto the production of what became Adult/Child. [4] Music historian Keith Badman writes that Wilson "reportedly [started the new album] on the insistence of his former doctor", Eugene Landy, who had been relieved of his services in December 1976. [5] Wilson's 2016 memoir, I Am Brian Wilson , attributes the album's title to Landy. "He meant that there were always two parts of a personality, always an adult who wants to be in charge and a child who wants to be cared for, always an adult who thinks he knows the rules and a child who is learning and testing the rules." [6]

Adult/Child would have been their final record on Reprise, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Records [4] Early in the year, band manager Stephen Love had arranged negotiations for the band to move to CBS Records once obligations to Warner had been fulfilled. [7] Issues related to the band's recording contracts and other areas of their management plagued the group for the remainder of the year. [8]

Style and production

Gnome-mime-sound-openclipart.svg
"Lines"
Brian Wilson's "Lines" from Adult/Child, a song that is simply about waiting in line at a movie theater. [2]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Adult/Child was largely recorded from February 9 to June 3, 1977 at the band's Brother Studios in Santa Monica. [9] The songs mostly feature Brian with his brothers Dennis and Carl; contributions from Al Jardine and Mike Love were limited to recordings from earlier sessions. [10] Dennis recorded his solo album Pacific Ocean Blue in between Adult/Child sessions at the same studio. [9] Love and Jardine were sequestered in Switzerland and Big Sur, respectively, and so they were rarely present for the recording. [11] Earle Mankey, who had engineered 15 Big Ones and Love You, returned for Adult/Child. [12]

Five of the 12 tracks that were to be included on Adult/Child had dated from earlier recording sessions or had been rejected from prior Beach Boys albums. [10] "Games Two Can Play" and "H.E.L.P. Is On the Way" were outtakes from Sunflower (1970) and Surf's Up (1971), respectively. [13] "Shortenin' Bread" is a traditional folk song that Brian recorded throughout the early to mid-1970s and features vocals from American Spring. [14] "Hey Little Tomboy" and "On Broadway" were outtakes from 15 Big Ones (1976). [15] The former had also been passed over for Love You. [16]

Some of the songs on Adult/Child were written with Frank Sinatra in mind. Frank Sinatra99.jpg
Some of the songs on Adult/Child were written with Frank Sinatra in mind.

Wilson commissioned Four Freshmen arranger Dick Reynolds, whom he had previously worked with on the Beach Boys' 1964 Christmas album, to compose orchestrations for four tracks: "Life is for the Living", "It's Over Now", "Still I Dream of It", and "Deep Purple". [17] According to Stan Love, when his brother Mike heard them, Mike turned to Brian and asked: "What the fuck are you doing?" [18] Brian remembered, "He told me I was fucking around, that I wasn't serious. [...] I cut a track with swing music [...] and he got mad. He said 'What are you doing messing around for?' I said I'm just trying to do what I like, what I think is for now's times."" [19] [nb 1]

Musically, Adult/Child is keyboard-heavy, with Brian's cigarette-damaged voice providing most of the lead vocals. Lyrically, the subject matter ranges from healthy diets and exercise to ecology. [2] Mankey said, "[Brian]'s looking for a goal. Some of the new songs reflect his everyday situation, like 'Help Is On The Way' [ sic ]." [12] Music critic Matthew Weiner referred to it as "Brian's Sinatra album", or "Brian's 'Food Album'", wherein "one song finds the recluse staring into the mirror at his blubbery naked body – in another, he yearns to drown his sorrows in a good meal, with the whole aesthetic basically encapsulated in a fantastically Moog-y rendition of the children's song, 'Shortenin' Bread'". [21]

The opening track, "Life Is for the Living", begins with the lines "Life is for the living / Don't sit around on your ass smoking grass / That stuff went out a long time ago". [2] Frank Sinatra is directly referenced in the lyrics of "It's Over Now", [22] a song that, alongside "Still I Dream of It", was reportedly intended to be recorded by a singer such as Sinatra. [23] [nb 2]

Adult/Child was mixed and assembled on June 27, 1977, [9] just days after the cancellation of a planned European summer tour by the group, [10] which would have seen them performing songs from Adult/Child. [25] Other tracks that the band recorded during these sessions was "New England Waltz" and a cover of the Spencer Davis Group's 1966 hit "Gimme Some Lovin'". [26] [nb 3]

Cancellation

The Beach Boys performing a concert in August 1978 The Beach Boys Konzert Michigan 1978 (cropped).jpg
The Beach Boys performing a concert in August 1978

Adult/Child was widely publicized as the Beach Boys' next release [24] and planned for issue in September 1977. [12] Dennis told a reporter, "[It is the] strangest album I've ever heard. [Brian]'s vocals are the best I've ever heard him. I'm elated with the new album, it's really gonna be a surprise. I don't know where it's coming from, but it's positive, again." [28] Asked if the album was a "contract pay-off", Carl responded, "Naah, Brian's writing great songs, more grandiose than Love You with more players." [29]

Badman speculated that the album may have been shelved because the group wanted to save the material for a later album, or because the release was vetoed by Warner–Reprise or Wilson's bandmates. [10] Brian's 2016 memoir supports that his bandmates and Warner Bros. did not feel confident about the album. [20] However, according to Dave Berson, an executive at Warner Bros., the band's record contract did not include a proviso stating that Warner could reject albums. [30]

Biographer Peter Ames Carlin, who is more certain in his explanation for the album's non-release, says that, following the commercial failure of Love You, Wilson's bandmates—particularly Mike Love and Al Jardine—"told Brian that his new songs were too weird, too out there, to appeal to the mass market [...] From now on they would record and release music that fans wanted to hear—and because they were the ones up in the front lines onstage every night, they would be the ones to judge what would appeal." [3]

Availability

Some of the unreleased songs on Adult/Child later saw individual release on subsequent Beach Boys albums and compilations. [31]

The album itself circulates widely on bootlegs and unauthorized YouTube uploads. [1] "Life Is for the Living", "Deep Purple", "On Broadway", "It's Trying to Say", "Everybody Wants to Live", "Lines", and the original versions of "Hey Little Tomboy" and "Shortenin' Bread" remain officially unreleased. [26]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Stylus Magazine B [21]

In his 1978 biography, The Beach Boys and the California Myth , David Leaf was generally unfavorable toward Love You and Adult/Child, although he enjoyed "It's Over Now" and "Still I Dream of It", naming them "the most personal tunes Brian has recorded since ''Til I Die.'" [35] Musicologist Philip Lambert wrote, "All of the songs from this collection are solid efforts, but 'Still I Dream of It' and 'It's Over Now' are particularly inspired and rank right up there with Brian's best work." [22] Carlin referred to "Hey Little Tomboy" as "the worst" of the Adult/Child songs, and "the most unsettling" of the Beach Boys' recording history. [32]

Billboard contributor Morgan Enos felt, "A couple of the tunes stand up to any ballad on Pet Sounds , and others, like 'Hey! Little Tomboy''s [ sic ] creepy leering at a girl who throws out her skateboard and 'shaves her legs,' mostly reflect Wilson's declining mental state." [1] Music critic Robert Dayton decreed Adult/Child to be one of the best of the Beach Boys' 1970s albums. Dayton wrote,

There are so-called Beach Boys fans who say anybody who applaud Love You and this album is being ironic. I say fuck those tight-arsed naysayers! Both of those albums showcase a truly original mix of humor and sadness. The original numbers always dance just a step away from the cliche, dealing with simple lyrical themes that make you wonder why they had never been explored before. [...] All of the songs are infectiously catchy, including the ballads, which are possibly the saddest ballads known to humankind. And there are a few classic covers, including an unhinged "Shortenin' Bread." [2]

In his 2008 book The Rough Guide to the Best Music You've Never Heard, Nigel Williamson praised Adult/Child for its "quirky charm and goofy unpredictability". [24] Stylus Magazine included the album in a list entitled "'Long Time Gone' – The Classic Rock Lost Album Archetypes" among other unreleased Beach Boys work such as Smile , Landlocked , and Bambu as "A Lost Album Category Unto Themselves". Contributor Matthew Weiner wrote:

If "legend" means "an unreleased masterwork from the genius who brought us Pet Sounds" then no. But for Brian fanatics, Adult Child is a must-hear, even if it does chronicle the decline of what was arguably pop's greatest talent [...] nearly every song reflects the sorry state in which the elder-Wilson found himself by the late-Seventies: a drug-addled, paranoid shut-in, weighing in at a none-too-svelte 300 lbs. As morbidly awful as that proposition sounds, however, Wilson's melodic sense, arranging skills and humor had not yet totally abandoned him by 1977 — even if his choirboy voice, ravaged by a four-pack-a-day cigarette habit, had. [21]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Brian Wilson, except where noted

Side one
No.TitleLead vocal(s)Length
1."Life Is for the Living" Carl Wilson and Brian Wilson 1:52
2."Hey Little Tomboy" Mike Love, B. Wilson, and C. Wilson2:20
3."Deep Purple" (Peter Derose, Mitchell Parish)B. Wilson2:24
4."H.E.L.P. Is On the Way" (B. Wilson, Love)Love2:30
5."It's Over Now"C. Wilson, B. Wilson, and Marilyn Wilson 2:50
6."Everybody Wants to Live"C. Wilson and B. Wilson3:10
Side two
No.TitleLead vocal(s)Length
1."Shortenin' Bread" (traditional, arranged by B. Wilson)B. Wilson and C. Wilson2:48
2."Lines"B. Wilson and C. Wilson1:44
3."On Broadway" (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) Al Jardine 3:11
4."Games Two Can Play"B. Wilson2:01
5."It's Trying to Say" (also known as "Baseball's On") Dennis Wilson 2:10
6."Still I Dream of It"B. Wilson3:26
Total length:30:25

Notes


Personnel

Partial credits from Badman, sessionographer Craig Slowinski, Phillip Lambert, and Stylus magazine. [10] [36] [37] [38]

The Beach Boys
Additional musicians and production staff

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Wilson's 2016 memoir states, "When [Mike] heard the demos he just shook his head and stared at me." [20]
  2. ↑ Wilson claimed on different occasions that he wrote "Still I Dream of It" for either Elvis Presley or Stevie Wonder. [24]
  3. ↑ During the sessions for the 1972 album Spring , Wilson had recorded another version of "Gimme Some Lovin'" in medley with the Four Tops' "Baby I Need Your Loving". The track was never released. [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beach Boys</span> American rock band

The Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by their vocal harmonies, adolescent-oriented lyrics, and musical ingenuity, they are one of the most influential acts of the rock era. They drew on the music of older pop vocal groups, 1950s rock and roll, and black R&B to create their unique sound. Under Brian's direction, they often incorporated classical or jazz elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Wilson</span> American musician (born 1942)

Brian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often called a genius for his novel approaches to pop composition, extraordinary musical aptitude, and mastery of recording techniques, he is widely acknowledged as one of the most innovative and significant songwriters of the 20th century. His best-known work is distinguished for its high production values, complex harmonies and orchestrations, layered vocals, and introspective or ingenuous themes. Wilson is also known for his formerly high-ranged singing and for his lifelong struggles with mental illness.

<i>Sunflower</i> (The Beach Boys album) 1970 studio album by the Beach Boys

Sunflower is the 16th studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released on August 31, 1970 on Reprise Records, their first for the label. It received favorable reviews, but sold poorly, reaching number 151 on the US record charts during a four-week stay and becoming the lowest-charting Beach Boys album to that point. "Add Some Music to Your Day" was the only single that charted in the US, peaking at number 64. In the UK, the album peaked at number 29.

<i>20/20</i> (The Beach Boys album) 1969 studio album by US band The Beach Boys

20/20 is the 15th studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released February 10, 1969 on Capitol Records. The LP was named for being their 20th overall release when factoring in live albums and compilations. Much of 20/20 consists of outtakes from earlier albums. It reached number 3 on UK record charts and number 68 in the U.S. Brian Wilson was absent during most of the album's recording after admitting himself into a psychiatric hospital, requiring brothers Carl and Dennis to retrieve several outtakes he had recorded years earlier. While Brian does not appear on the front cover, the inner gatefold of the original vinyl release features him alone, behind an eye examination chart.

<i>Holland</i> (album) 1973 album by the Beach Boys

Holland is the 19th studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released January 8, 1973 on Brother/Reprise. It is their first album recorded without Bruce Johnston since 1965, their second with Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar, and their final studio album created under the de facto leadership of Carl Wilson and manager Jack Rieley. The LP was originally packaged with a bonus EP, Mount Vernon and Fairway, which consisted of a 12-minute fairy tale written and produced by Brian and Carl Wilson.

<i>Carl and the Passions – "So Tough"</i> 1972 album by the Beach Boys

Carl and the Passions – "So Tough" is the 18th studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released May 15, 1972 on Brother/Reprise. The album is a significant musical departure for the band and is the first to feature the Flames' Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar as additions to their official line-up. It sold poorly and was met with lukewarm reviews, but later gained stature as a cult favorite among fans.

<i>15 Big Ones</i> 1976 album by the Beach Boys

15 Big Ones is the 20th studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released July 5, 1976, by Brother/Reprise. It includes a mix of original songs and renditions of rock 'n' roll and R&B standards. The LP was the band's first album with production credited solely to Brian Wilson since Pet Sounds (1966). As such, its release was accompanied by a controversial media campaign that declared his comeback as an active member of the Beach Boys' recording and touring group.

<i>The Beach Boys Love You</i> 1977 studio album by The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys Love You is the 21st studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released April 11, 1977, on Brother/Reprise. Sometimes called the band's "punk" or "synth-pop" album, Love You is characterized for its pioneering use of synthesizers and its juxtaposition of adolescent-oriented lyrics with the adult band members' gravelly vocals.

<i>L.A. (Light Album)</i> 1979 album by the Beach Boys

L.A. is the 23rd studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released on March 16, 1979, and their first issued through CBS Records. Recorded during a period of acrimony between the band members, it was a critical and commercial failure, peaking at number 100 in the U.S. and number 32 in the UK.

<i>M.I.U. Album</i> 1978 album by the Beach Boys

M.I.U. Album is the 22nd studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on September 25, 1978. Characterized for its easy-listening sound, the album was produced by Al Jardine and touring member Ron Altbach during one of the most acrimonious periods in the band's history. It sold poorly, peaking at number 151 in the U.S, and was met with confused reactions from critics and fans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heroes and Villains</span> 1967 single by the Beach Boys

"Heroes and Villains" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1967 album Smiley Smile and their unfinished Smile project. Written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, Wilson envisioned the song as an Old West-themed musical comedy that would surpass the recording and artistic achievements of "Good Vibrations". The single was Brother Records' first release. While it failed to meet critical and commercial expectations, it was a hit record, peaking at number 12 in the U.S. and number 8 in the UK.

<i>All Summer Long</i> (album) 1964 album by the Beach Boys

All Summer Long is the sixth album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released July 13, 1964 on Capitol Records. Regarded as their first artistically unified collection of songs, as well as one of the first true concept albums, it marked the Beach Boys' first LP that was not focused on themes of cars or surfing. Instead, the songs are semi-autobiographical and relate to the experiences of a typical Southern Californian teenager, a theme encapsulated by the title track, "All Summer Long", and the often-imitated front cover, a modernist style photo collage depicting the band members fraternizing with young women on a beach.

"I Know There's an Answer" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1966 album Pet Sounds. Written by Brian Wilson, Terry Sachen, and Mike Love, the song was inspired by Wilson's experience with the drug LSD and his struggle with ego death. Musically, it is distinguished for its colorful arrangement, unorthodox structure, and bass harmonica solo. The instrumentation also includes guitars, tambourine, tack piano, banjo, clarinets, flutes, electric keyboards, and timpani. Wilson, Love, and Al Jardine trade the lead vocal, for which the melody spans two octaves.

"Our Sweet Love" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1970 album Sunflower. Written by Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, and Al Jardine, "Our Sweet Love" features a lush sound that has been compared to the band's work on Pet Sounds. Brian Wilson originally left the song unfinished, resulting in the band completing it for Sunflower. Carl Wilson sings the song's lead vocal.

"Our Prayer" is a wordless hymn by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1969 album 20/20 and their never-finished Smile project. Composed by Brian Wilson, it was originally planned to be the introductory track on Smile. He later rerecorded the piece for his 2004 version of Smile in medley with the 1953 doo-wop standard "Gee".

"Ding Dang" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1977 album The Beach Boys Love You. It was written by Brian Wilson and Roger McGuinn during an impromptu jam session after Wilson had visited McGuinn's home to acquire amphetamines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hey Little Tomboy</span> 1978 single by the Beach Boys

"Hey Little Tomboy" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1978 album M.I.U. Album. Written by Brian Wilson, the song was to be included as a track on Adult/Child before the album was scrapped. It was also issued as the B-side to their single "Peggy Sue".

"All Dressed Up for School" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys that was recorded in 1964 during the early sessions for their album The Beach Boys Today!. Written by Brian Wilson, the lyrics express the narrator's newfound fascination with a girl after realizing "what a turn on" she is in school clothes. It is one of the last original tracks the group recorded as a small ensemble rock band before entering their orchestral phase.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beach Boys' unreleased and bootleg recordings</span>

Many recordings and performances by the Beach Boys have attained some level of public circulation without being available as a legal release, and several albums by the band or its individual members were fully assembled or near completion before being shelved, rejected, or revised as an entirely new project. Since the early 1980s, numerous rarities compilations and album reissues have been released with studio outtakes included as bonus tracks.

"H.E.L.P. Is On the Way" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys that was recorded during the making of their 1971 album Surf's Up. It was written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love about H.E.L.P., a Los Angeles restaurant that the band had frequented. The song also references Wilson's health food shop, the Radiant Radish.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Enos, Morgan (May 10, 2018). "The Beach Boys Ready Philharmonic Orchestra Album: 5 of Their Genre-Crossing Moments". Billboard . Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Dayton 2004.
  3. 1 2 Carlin 2006, pp. 222–223.
  4. 1 2 Badman 2004, pp. 368–371.
  5. ↑ Badman 2004, pp. 370–371.
  6. 1 2 Wilson & Greenman 2016, p. 59.
  7. ↑ Gaines 1986, p. 294.
  8. ↑ Gaines 1986, pp. 294–301.
  9. 1 2 3 Doe., Andrew G. "GIGS77". Bellagio 10452. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Badman 2004, p. 371.
  11. ↑ Leaf 1978, p. 181.
  12. 1 2 3 Kubernik, Harvey (August 1977). "Brian Is Back… Again!" . Phonograph Record– via Rock's Backpages.
  13. ↑ Badman 2004, pp. 256, 273, 277, 371.
  14. ↑ Badman 2004, pp. 338, 371.
  15. ↑ Badman 2004, pp. 358, 368, 371.
  16. ↑ Badman 2004, pp. 368, 371.
  17. ↑ Badman 2004, pp. 57, 371.
  18. ↑ Carlin 2006, p. 223.
  19. ↑ McCulley 1997, p. 192.
  20. 1 2 Wilson & Greenman 2016, p. 58.
  21. 1 2 3 4 Stylus Staff, ed. (September 2, 2003). "The Stylus Magazine Non-Definitive Guide: The Lost Album". Stylus Magazine . Archived from the original on September 5, 2003. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  22. 1 2 3 Lambert 2007, p. 314.
  23. ↑ Leaf, David (1993). Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of the Beach Boys: Disc Four (CD liner). The Beach Boys. California: Capitol Records.
  24. 1 2 3 Williamson 2008, p. 74.
  25. ↑ Leaf 1978, p. 183.
  26. 1 2 Doe, Andrew G. "From The Vaults..." Endless Summer Quarterly. Bellagio 10452. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  27. ↑ Carlin 2006, p. 178.
  28. ↑ Priore, Domenic (May 2015). "Brother, Where Art Thou?". Mojo. No. 258. pp. 62–73.
  29. ↑ Bell, Max (August 1977). "The Beach Boys: The Brothers" . NME– via Rock's Backpages.
  30. ↑ Gaines 1986, p. 232.
  31. 1 2 Badman 2004, pp. 256–371.
  32. 1 2 Carlin 2006, p. 225.
  33. ↑ White 1996, p. 358.
  34. ↑ Lambert 2007, pp. 314, 360.
  35. ↑ Leaf 1978, pp. 181–182, 185.
  36. ↑ "The Stylus Magazine Non-Definitive Guide: The Lost Album". Stylus Magazine. September 2, 2003. Archived from the original on February 9, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  37. ↑ Lambert 2007, p. 316.
  38. ↑ Slowinski, Craig (Summer 2021). Beard, David (ed.). "Surf's Up: 50th Anniversary Edition". Endless Summer Quarterly Magazine. Vol. 34, no. 134. Charlotte, North Carolina.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.