20/20 (1969)

20/20

• One of my favorite albums of all time, 20/20 is definitely one of the best Beach Boys albums they released. The interesting thing about this way is how they tried to resonate their old surfing sound on songs like “Do It Again”, along with others. “Do It Again” was a really good track to open up with, and though it’s probably my least favorite song on the album, it still helps give you the nostalgic feeling of their old music. And although they wanted to bring some of that old feeling back, the tracks are still progressive and new. The thing I love about this album so much is that you get more song production from the Wilson brothers, and you get a taste of what they can do. Both Carl and Dennis both produced a few songs, and being able to hear their vision of what a song should sound like is awesome. The track “A Nearest Faraway Place” was actually written by Bruce, who is a seriously underrated writer/singer. I loved listening to his writing style, and he created an absolutely beautiful and very relaxing song with great chord choices. “Cotton Fields”, though not written by any of the boys, was phenomenally sung by Al. His voice is ALWAYS spot on, and this is easily one of his best songs where he has lead vocals. The last thing I will mention is the inclusion of a couple scrapped songs from SMiLE. We got to hear bits and pieces of SMiLE from the album Smiley Smile, and we get to hear even more on this album. The scrapped tracks that were brought to life are “Our Prayer” and “Cabinessence”. They perfectly end the album, and give you a little taste of what’s to come in the future. Overall, this is a beautifully crafted album, I listen to it all the time, and I highly recommend it. This album is officially Berry Approved, so go give it a listen!