During the unfortunate sessions for Brian Wilson's magnum opus Smile (1966-1967), none other than composer Leonard Bernstein came by to make a TV special. Before the eyes of millions of American viewers, Wilson performed the song Surf's Up, which he had composed with Van Dyke Parks. It would not be released on record until four years later. It says a lot about the now withdrawn band leader that not
… he, but his younger brother Carl completed the song. According to some sources, The Beach Boys could only put the prize song on the record if it also contained Brian's melancholic songs Till I Die and A Day In The Life Of A Tree. In addition to these brilliant contributions, the other Beach Boys made attempts with varying success to fill the rest of the album. Especially the songs by Carl Wilson and the interesting sounds from engineer Stephen Desper's case ensure that Surf's Up scores more than satisfactory. (JE)more
