Love You (The Beach Boys album)
| The Beach Boys Love You | ||||
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| Studio album by The Beach Boys | ||||
| Released | April 11, 1977 | |||
| Recorded |
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| Studio | Brother Studios and Brian Wilson's home studio, California | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 34:50 | |||
| Label | Brother/Reprise | |||
| Producer | Brian Wilson | |||
| The Beach Boys chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Beach Boys Love You | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Retrospective reviews | |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| Pitchfork Media | 7.8/10 |
| Robert Christgau | A |
The Beach Boys Love You is the 21st studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on April 11, 1977. Originally planned as a Brian Wilson solo outing named Brian Loves You, the album is almost entirely written and performed by Wilson, with the other band members mainly serving as additional lead vocalists.Love You peaked at number 53 on US record charts and was received with a sharp divide between fans and critics. One single was issued from the album: "Honkin' Down the Highway" backed with "Solar System".
Penned during a process of mental and drug rehabilitation for Wilson, Love You has been praised by reviewers for the album's honest, unpretentious lyrics, and has been described as a portrait into his sense of self in 1977. Heavily reliant on 1970s analog synthesizers, the album has been recognized as an early work of synthpop, a forerunner to new wave experiments, and an idiosyncratic and creative oddity in the Beach Boys' canon.
After being asked where somebody should begin with the Beach Boys discography, Wilson answered: "Pet Sounds first, then listen to The Beach Boys Love You." A follow-up album, Adult Child, was completed by the group, but left unreleased.Love You would remain the last album written and produced by Wilson for the next 11 years — his debut solo outing Brian Wilson (1988) marked his comeback.
Ten years ago, I had resolved I wasn't going to tour, that I was much better off, I assumed, at home, in an environment where I could create music. Then, the guys in the group said, "Hey Brian, would you help us? We think your presence on the road would improve the quality of the show and help sell tickets." Another reason was that my psychiatrist [Eugene Landy] wished I would do something to keep me from sitting on my ass, to keep me from going insane.
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Wikipedia