Topzle Topzle

Surf's Up (album)

Updated: 12/11/2025, 2:40:02 PM Wikipedia source

Surf's Up is the 17th studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on August 30, 1971, on Brother/Reprise/Warner Bros. 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 began in 1965. The album's title and cover artwork (a painting based on the early 20th-century sculpture "End of the Trail") are a tongue-in-cheek, self-aware nod to the band's early surfing image. Originally titled Landlocked, the album took its name from the closing track "Surf's Up", a song originally intended for the group's unfinished album Smile. Most of Surf's Up was recorded from January to July 1971. In contrast to the previous LP Sunflower, Brian Wilson was not especially active in the production, which resulted in thinner vocal arrangements. Lyrically, Surf's Up addresses environmental, social, and health concerns more than the group's previous releases. This was at the behest of newly recruited co-manager Jack Rieley, who strove to revamp the group's image and restore their public reputation following the dismal reception to their recent albums and tours. His initiatives included a promotional campaign with the tagline "it's now safe to listen to the Beach Boys" and the appointment of Carl Wilson as the band's official leader. The record also included Carl's first major song contributions: "Long Promised Road" and "Feel Flows". Two singles were issued in the U.S.: "Long Promised Road" and "Surf's Up". Only the former charted, when it was reissued with the B-side "'Til I Die" later in the year, peaking at number 89. In 1993, Surf's Up was ranked number 46 in NME's list of the "Top 100 Albums" in history. In 2000, it ranked number 230 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums. Session highlights, outtakes, and alternate mixes from the album were collected for the 2021 compilation Feel Flows.

Infobox

Released
August 30, 1971 (1971-08-30)
Recorded
November 1966 – July 1971
Studio
Beach Boys (Los Angeles)Sunset SoundWesternColumbia (Hollywood)
Genre
Progressive pop psychedelic pop
Length
33:49
Label
Brother/Reprise/Warner Bros.
Producer
The Beach Boys

Tables

Professional ratings · Retrospective assessments
Source
Source
Review scores
Source
Review scores
Rating
AllMusic
AllMusic
Review scores
AllMusic
Review scores
Christgau's Record Guide
Christgau's Record Guide
Review scores
Christgau's Record Guide
Review scores
B−
Encyclopedia of Popular Music
Encyclopedia of Popular Music
Review scores
Encyclopedia of Popular Music
Review scores
MusicHound Rock
MusicHound Rock
Review scores
MusicHound Rock
Review scores
4/5
Pitchfork (Sunflower/Surf's Up reissue)
Pitchfork (Sunflower/Surf's Up reissue)
Review scores
Pitchfork (Sunflower/Surf's Up reissue)
Review scores
8.9/10
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
Review scores
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
Review scores
Uncut
Uncut
Review scores
Uncut
Review scores
Review scores
Source
Rating
AllMusic
Christgau's Record Guide
B−
Encyclopedia of Popular Music
MusicHound Rock
4/5
Pitchfork (Sunflower/Surf's Up reissue)
8.9/10
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
Uncut
· Charts
Australia (Go-Set)
Australia (Go-Set)
Chart (1971)
Australia (Go-Set)
Peakposition
32
Canadian RPM 100 Albums
Canadian RPM 100 Albums
Chart (1971)
Canadian RPM 100 Albums
Peakposition
22
UK Top 40 Albums
UK Top 40 Albums
Chart (1971)
UK Top 40 Albums
Peakposition
15
U.S. Billboard Top LPs & Tape
U.S. Billboard Top LPs & Tape
Chart (1971)
U.S. Billboard Top LPs & Tape
Peakposition
29
Chart (1971)
Peakposition
Australia (Go-Set)
32
Canadian RPM 100 Albums
22
UK Top 40 Albums
15
Billboard Top LPs & Tape
29

References

  1. Nick Grillo remained the band's business manager until December 1971.
  2. From August 13 to late October, Dennis shot his parts for the Universal Pictures road movie Two-Lane Blacktop. Due to th
  3. Brian only played the first two nights, as he experienced a panic attack on the second.
  4. Rieley later told a radio interview, "From an artistic stance, it was a disastrous tour" due to the Beach Boys' dissatis
  5. In one report, Rieley said they were "definitely leaving Los Angeles because of the smog."
  6. "Surf's Up" (portions recorded in 1966), "Take a Load Off Your Feet" (portions recorded in January 1970), "'Til I Die" (
  7. These songs were "Loop de Loop", "Susie Cincinnati", "San Miguel", "H.E.L.P. Is On the Way", "Take a Load Off Your Feet"
  8. It was long thought that Landlocked was a complete album that was scrapped by the Beach Boys in between Sunflower and Su
  9. In December 1970, Dennis released the single "Sound of Free" (credited to "Dennis Wilson & Rumbo"), but the album projec
  10. Biographer Steven Gaines wrote that the bootlegged tape of this concert "became legendary in the rock-and-roll business.
  11. The Beach Boys were the only major group to appear at the rally. David Leaf wrote: "People were shaking their heads in d
  12. The second part was published for the issue dated November 11.
  13. According to journalist David Hepworth, the style was unprecedented in the field of music writing, and the "story within
  14. From a performance standpoint, he cited 1971 as his favorite year of the group musically because their set lists focused
  15. Gaines 1986, p. 242.
  16. Tiny Mix Tapes
    http://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/beach-boys-surfs
  17. Badman 2004, p. 273.
  18. Badman 2004, p. 277.
  19. Sunflower/Surf's Up
    http://albumlinernotes.com/Sunflower_Surf_s_Up.html
  20. Carlin 2006, p. 154.
  21. Badman 2004, p. 275.
  22. Badman 2004, pp. 275, 277.
  23. Badman 2004, p. 301.
  24. Badman 2004, pp. 274, 277.
  25. Leaf 1978, p. 138.
  26. Badman 2004, p. 278.
  27. Badman 2004, pp. 264, 278.
  28. Badman 2004, pp. 278–279.
  29. Badman 2004, p. 282.
  30. Badman 2004, p. 283.
  31. Badman 2004, p. 288.
  32. "GIGS70"
    http://bellagio10452.com/gigs70.html
  33. Badman 2004, p. 274.
  34. "UNRELEASED"
    http://www.esquarterly.com/bellagio/unreleased.html
  35. Record Collector Mag
    https://recordcollectormag.com/articles/the-life-of-rieley
  36. Badman 2004, p. 297.
  37. Endless Harmony Forum
    https://web.archive.org/web/20211024173737/https://endlessharmony.boards.net/thread/1595/message-stephen-desper?
  38. Rolling Stone
    https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/surfs-up-19711014
  39. Leaf 1978, p. 144.
  40. Aquarium Drunkard
    https://web.archive.org/web/20170318104646/http://www.aquariumdrunkard.com/2017/03/14/the-beach-boys-the-rivers-a-dream-in-a-waltz-time/
  41. Carlin 2006, p. 161.
  42. Carlin 2006, p. 162.
  43. Carlin 2006, p. 160.
  44. Badman 2004, p. 292.
  45. Doe & Tobler 2004, p. 77.
  46. Goldmine
    https://web.archive.org/web/20010420193757/http://troun.tripod.com/al.html
  47. Badman 2004, p. 291.
  48. Carlin 2006, pp. 162–163.
  49. Badman 2004, p. 296.
  50. Badman 2004, p. 298.
  51. Badman 2004, pp. 288–289.
  52. Shindig Magazine
    https://web.archive.org/web/20210905144712/https://www.shindig-magazine.com/?p=4986
  53. Badman 2004, pp. 279, 283, 298.
  54. https://www.allmusic.com/album/r189381
    https://www.allmusic.com/album/r189381
  55. Rock Cellar Magazine
    https://web.archive.org/web/20130930143358/http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2013/09/04/made-in-california-producers-alan-boyd-dennis-wolfe-mark-linett-beach-boys-interview/2/
  56. Stebbins 2011, p. 165.
  57. Badman 2004, p. 289.
  58. Rolling Stone
    https://web.archive.org/web/20210603131126/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-beach-boys-feel-flows-the-sunflower-surfs-up-sessions-big-sur-1177572/
  59. Badman 2004, pp. 277–278.
  60. Badman 2004, pp. 256, 273, 277, 371.
  61. Badman 2004, pp. 274, 320.
  62. Gaines 1986, pp. 241–242.
  63. Leaf 1978, p. 141.
  64. Badman 2004, p. 290.
  65. Gold Mine Magazine
    https://www.goldminemag.com/features/beach-boys-feel-the-flow
  66. tela.sugarmeds.org
    https://tela.sugarmegs.org/_asxtela/asxcards/BeachBoys1971-05-01Syracuse.html
  67. Leaf 1978, p. 142.
  68. Gaines 1986, p. 243.
  69. Badman 2004, pp. 299–300.
  70. Badman 2004, p. 300.
  71. Never a Dull Moment: 1971 The Year That Rock Exploded
    https://books.google.com/books?id=k3_tCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA223
  72. Badman 2004, pp. 208, 297, 300.
  73. Badman 2004, pp. 291, 300.
  74. The Times
    https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/the-beach-boys-isurfs-upi-stateside-ssl-10313-215
  75. Melody Maker
    https://web.archive.org/web/20140103140700/http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/the-beach-boys-surfs-up
  76. NME
    https://web.archive.org/web/20190629231355/https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/the-beach-boys-isurfs-upi-
  77. The Village Voice
    http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cg20.php
  78. The Rag
    https://web.archive.org/web/20190629231147/https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/the-beach-boys-isurfs-upi-brotherreprise-6653
  79. Out of the City
  80. The Paul McCartne Project
    https://web.archive.org/web/20220621045339/https://www.the-paulmccartney-project.com/interview/interview-for-melody-maker/
  81. Leaf 1978, p. 146.
  82. Bush 2002, p. 73.
  83. Surf's Up
    https://web.archive.org/web/20030828004415/http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=3473
  84. The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Concise (4th Edition), Virgin Books (UK), 2002, ed. Larkin, Colin. p. 87
  85. MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide
    https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781578590612/page/83
  86. Pitchfork
    https://web.archive.org/web/20090318154602/http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/11665-sunflowersurfs-up/
  87. The New Rolling Stone Album Guide
    https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/46
  88. Surf's Up
  89. "The Beach Boys – Disc of the day – Mojo"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20120310141519/http://www.mojo4music.com/blog/2009/09/the_beach_boys_1.html
  90. The A.V. Club
    https://www.avclub.com/the-beach-boys-sunflower-surfs-up-1798196421
  91. Stebbins 2011, p. [page needed].
  92. All Time Top 1000 Albums
  93. 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
  94. Pitchfork
    https://web.archive.org/web/20120313194004/http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/5932-top-100-albums-of-the-1970s/4/
  95. Icons of Rock: An Encyclopedia of the Legends Who Changed Music Forever
    https://books.google.com/books?id=chj91X0dWzUC
  96. The 100 Greatest Bands of All Time: A Guide to the Legends Who Rocked the World
    https://books.google.com/books?id=8XG9CgAAQBAJ
  97. Stebbins 2011, pp. 163, 165.
  98. Record Collector
    https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/wake-the-world-the-beach-boys-1967-73
  99. Prog
  100. Endless Summer Quarterly Magazine
Image
Source: —
Tip: Wheel or +/− to zoom, drag to pan, Esc to close.