Surf's Up - Beach Boys (1971) 5/22/23

Composer/Conductor/Pianist/Educator/Author and Humanitarian Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) is considered to be one of of the most talented and successful musicians in American history.

Over the years, Leonard won 7 Emmy Awards, Two Tony Awards, and SIXTEEN Grammy Awards--including the Lifetime Achievement Award. He also received the Kennedy Center Honor.

When Leonard lectured about music, it was always a master class, and something musically profound.

In a 1967 TV special, he sang the praises of "Today's "Great Song of the '70s:" "Surf's Up" by The Beach Boys.

Personal note: As a lifelong Beach Boys fan, I've been trying to figure out the best way to highlight this Brian Wilson song without sounding like a "fanboy" going off on an obscure album cut.

But Leonard immediately saw the greatness, and here's what he had to say:

"There is a new song, too complex to get all of first time around. It could come only out of the ferment that characterizes today's pop music scene. Brian Wilson, leader of the famous Beach Boys, and one of today's most important musicians, sings 'Surf's Up.' Poetic, beautiful even in its obscurity, “Surf's Up” is one aspect of new things happening in pop music today. As such, it is a symbol of the change many of these young musicians see in our future."

"Surf's Up" was written by Brian and Van Dyke Parks, and was originally intended for the infamous abandoned album, "Smile."

On the TV special, Brian sang the song solo, but later, when it finally appeared as the closing cut of the Beach Boys' 1971 "Surf's Up" album, it had been reworked several times, with the final cut featuring Brian and Carl, along with the rest of the band.

(Note: The song is NOT about surfing. It, perhaps, is more about the feeling that TIME was up for surf music. Or not.)

When the song was released a as single, it garnered an incredible amount of praise:

Rolling Stone called the song "dazzling" to a fault."

Record World said the song was "both an enigma and a musical masterpiece."

Cash Box also called tit a "masterpiece."

And yet, it never charted Anywhere.

But maybe that's for the best because Brian never thought of it as single material in the first place.

Be that as it may, "Surf's Up" is still a "Great Song of the '70s." Thank you, Leonard Bernstein for seeing it that way.

Album/Single Version (1971) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyOYQ8qfFng

Documentary version (1967): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-ZjIdyWu-U

Tomorrow: A little Bit More from Olivia Coming June 1: Great Songs of the '80s