Feel Flows

Last updated

I played piano first and then I played organ. I played piano twice, overdubbed it, and used a variable speed oscillator to make the track different speeds so that the piano would be a little bit out of tune, sort of a spread sound ... And then I put the organ on and put it through the Moog at the same time, so that one side of the stereo had the direct organ sound and the other side had the return through the Moog synthesizer. [6]

Asked about the song in a 2013 interview, Rieley said:

One of the finest experiences in a studio that I had. Carl put together a raw-bones concept and gave me a tape, I took it home and listened to it over and over. The lyrics started coming out of me: a reflection of the sensitive side of life. I'm so proud of them. Carl's guitar solo might be the best he ever played. There is a point in the song where you hear a synth and then there’s a "swoosh" sound. Carl and I have been told by a number of girls that that was the closest they’d heard to the sound that would go with an orgasm. [5]

Wilson's lead vocals were recorded using reverse echo. [1] The saxophone and flute were both played by jazz musician Charles Lloyd, as Mike Love commented, "It's amazing. It's unlike anything we ever did." [7]

Reception

Biographer Jon Stebbins identified the song as a highlight on Surf's Up. He said that Jack Rieley's lyrics were "nonsensical but fit Carl's airy jazz-rock song perfectly. The trippy phasing and synthesizer elements in 'Feel Flows,' which are tailor-made for a stoner's headphones, undoubtedly delighted more than a few hippies who stumbled upon the Surf's Up LP. ... as modern and progressive as the majority of 'heavy' music in the mainstream rock world of 1971." [2] Conversely, biographer Peter Ames Carlin criticized the lyrics as "impossibly cryptic". [8] Record Collector 's Jamie Atkins wrote that, "despite the hamfisted lyrics", the song "remains sonically intriguing, with the lightness of touch and natural feel for arranging that had served Brian so well." [9]

Almost Famous

Cameron Crowe is credited with popularizing the song after featuring it in his 2000 film Almost Famous Cameron Crowe 2005.jpg
Cameron Crowe is credited with popularizing the song after featuring it in his 2000 film Almost Famous

Director Cameron Crowe used the song twice in his 2000 film Almost Famous . It first plays during a scene in which the protagonist meets a groupie, and reappears during the closing credits. Crowe cited "Feel Flows" as his favorite Beach Boys song and explained that it contains "the happy/sad greatness that defines the group and the timelessness that allows The Beach Boys to tower over any attempt to classify them as simple poster boys for the California experience. It is the essence of the fulfilled promise of The Beach Boys and everything Brian envisioned for their creative journey." [10] According to biographer Mark Dillon, the song received "new life from exposure in the film and inclusion on its Grammy Award–winning soundtrack." [10]

Other uses

Personnel

Credits from Craig Slowinski [14] and Tom Nolan [6]

The Beach Boys

Additional musicians

Related Research Articles

<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>Surfs Up</i> (album) 1971 studio album by the Beach Boys

Surf's Up is the 17th studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on August 30, 1971 on Brother/Reprise. It received largely favorable reviews and reached number 29 on the U.S. record charts, becoming their highest-charting LP of new music in the U.S. since 1967. In the UK, Surf's Up peaked at number 15, continuing a string of top 40 records that had not abated since 1965.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sail On, Sailor</span> 1973 single by the Beach Boys

"Sail On, Sailor" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1973 album Holland. It was written primarily by Van Dyke Parks and Brian Wilson with Ray Kennedy, Tandyn Almer, and Jack Rieley. The lead singer on the song is Blondie Chaplin, making this one of the band's few well-known songs not sung by Mike Love, Brian Wilson or Carl Wilson. The song was released as a single in 1973, backed with "Only with You", and peaked at No. 79 on the Billboard singles chart. A 1975 reissue charted higher, at No. 49.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forever (The Beach Boys song)</span> 1971 single by the Beach Boys

"Forever" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1970 album Sunflower. It was written by Dennis Wilson and Gregg Jakobson. Dennis sang lead vocal. His brother Brian assisted with the arrangement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surf's Up (song)</span> Song written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks for the Beach Boys

"Surf's Up" is a song recorded by the American rock band the Beach Boys that was written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks. It was originally intended for Smile, an unfinished Beach Boys album that was scrapped in 1967. The song was later completed by Brian and Carl Wilson as the closing track of the band's 1971 album Surf's Up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">'Til I Die</span> 1971 single by the Beach Boys

"'Til I Die" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1971 album Surf's Up, subsequently issued as the B-side of the single "Long Promised Road". With autobiographical lyrics about death and hopelessness, it is one of the few songs in which both the words and music were written solely by Brian Wilson. An extended mix of the original recording, created by engineer Stephen Desper, was included on the 1998 Endless Harmony Soundtrack.

"Funky Pretty" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their January 1973 album Holland. Themed around astrology, the song was written by Brian Wilson, Mike Love, and Jack Rieley. Carl Wilson explained that the song was quickly recorded in a "spontaneous flurry". Brian was an active participant in its production, a rare occurrence at the time. In April 1973, it was issued as the B-side to their single "California Saga/California".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disney Girls (1957)</span> 1971 song by the Beach Boys

"Disney Girls (1957)" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1971 album Surf's Up. It was written and sung by Bruce Johnston, who also plays upright piano, Moog synthesizer, and mandolin. Johnston later rerecorded the song for his 1977 solo album, Going Public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cool, Cool Water</span> 1971 single by the Beach Boys

"Cool, Cool Water" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1970 album Sunflower. It was written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love and later issued as an A-sided single in March 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Go Near the Water (The Beach Boys song)</span> 1971 song by the Beach Boys

"Don't Go Near the Water" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1971 album Surf's Up. Written by Mike Love and Al Jardine, the song puts an ironic, ecological spin on the traditional Beach Boys beach- and surf- based songs: instead of enjoying surfing and other fun activities, this time the listener is advised to avoid the water for environmental reasons.

"A Day in the Life of a Tree" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1971 album Surf's Up. It was written by Brian Wilson and the group's manager Jack Rieley, who also performed lead vocal. The lyrics were inspired by Wilson's feelings toward environmental pollution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcella (song)</span> 1972 single by the Beach Boys

"Marcella" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1972 album Carl and the Passions – "So Tough". Written by Brian Wilson, Jack Rieley, and Tandyn Almer, the lyrics were inspired by Wilson's fixation with a local massage therapist. It is the last song to feature Bruce Johnston during his original tenure in the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Promised Road</span> 1971 Beach Boys song

"Long Promised Road" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1971 album Surf's Up. It was written by Carl Wilson and Jack Rieley. Aside from a few guitar instrumentals written in the early days of the band and collective co-writing credits, the song is Wilson's first solo composition, and he plays all of the instruments himself.

"Take a Load Off Your Feet" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1971 album Surf's Up. It was written by Al Jardine, Brian Wilson and Gary Winfrey.

"Student Demonstration Time" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1971 album Surf's Up. It is an altered version of Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller's "Riot in Cell Block Number 9" with new lyrics by Mike Love.

"Sound of Free" is a song performed by American musicians Dennis Wilson and Daryl Dragon that was written by Wilson and Mike Love. It was released by Stateside Records as a British-exclusive single on December 4, 1970. The B-side was "Lady". In 2013, "Sound of Free" was officially released on CD for the first time on the Beach Boys' box set Made in California.

"Loop de Loop (Flip Flop Flyin' in an Aeroplane)" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys that was written by Al Jardine, Brian Wilson, and Carl Wilson. It was originally recorded between the late 1960s and 1970s. In 1998, Jardine finished the song for its release on Endless Harmony Soundtrack.

"My Solution" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys that was recorded during the early sessions for their 1971 album Surf's Up. It is a novelty Halloween song that features Brian Wilson doing an impression of Vincent Price over a descending chord progression and test-tube sound effects. The recording was officially released on the 2021 compilation Feel Flows.

"Child Is Father of the Man" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys that was written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks. It was originally recorded for the band's never-finished album Smile. In 2004, Wilson rerecorded the song for Brian Wilson Presents Smile. In 2011, the Beach Boys' original recording was released on The Smile Sessions.

References

  1. 1 2 "The Beach Boys: The River's A Dream In A Waltz Time". Aquarium Drunkard . March 14, 2017.
  2. 1 2 Stebbins, Jon (2011). The Beach Boys FAQ: All That's Left to Know About America's Band. Backbeat. p. 162. ISBN   978-1-4584-2918-6.
  3. ↑ Petridis, Alexis (January 27, 2022). "The Beach Boys' 40 greatest songs – ranked!". The Guardian . Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  4. ↑ Schmidt, Arthur (14 October 1971). "The Beach Boys". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  5. 1 2 "The Life of RIELEY". Record Collector Mag. September 6, 2013.
  6. 1 2 Nolan, Tom (November 11, 1971). "Beach Boys: A California Saga, Part II". Rolling Stone .
  7. ↑ Smith, Lee Valentine (March 2021). "Get Together". Insite Atlanta. Archived from the original on 2021-03-28. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  8. ↑ Carlin, Peter Ames (2007). Catch a Wave: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson. Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony/Rodale. p. 256. ISBN   978-1-59486-899-3.
  9. ↑ Atkins, Jamie (July 2018). "Wake The World: The Beach Boys 1967-'73" . Record Collector .
  10. 1 2 Greg (July 10, 2012). "Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys". The Uncool.
  11. ↑ Coker, Matt (April 29, 2014). "NBFF Recommendation of the Day: Five Summer Stories". OC Weekly . Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  12. ↑ Hogan, Marc (May 3, 2005). "Super Furry Animals: Under the Influence". Pitchfork . Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  13. ↑ Goldenberg, Joel (September 12, 2020). "Free Feel Flows!". The Suburban.
  14. ↑ Slowinski, Craig (Summer 2021). Beard, David (ed.). "Surf's Up: 50th Anniversary Edition". Endless Summer Quarterly Magazine. Vol. 34, no. 134. Charlotte, North Carolina.
"Feel Flows"
Song by the Beach Boys
from the album Surf's Up
ReleasedAugust 30, 1971
RecordedJuly 29, 1971
Genre
Length4:44
Label Brother/Reprise
Songwriter(s) Carl Wilson, Jack Rieley
Producer(s) The Beach Boys
Licensed audio
"Feel Flows" on YouTube
Songs
Outtakes
Related articles
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.