An ongoing tonal whiplash would kill off The Beach Boys’ relevancy. They may be a historic band, but their post-Pet Sounds, pre-Surf’s Up days are lacking in quality. After that latter album, it takes another nosedive for the Brian Wilson-featuring band. It’s albums like Carl and the Passions “So Tough” that caused this. Eight songs, and even across that is a loss of what The Beach Boys had stood for. Good. They never managed to replicate the Pet Sounds style, nor replace the consistencies of Surf’s Up. Still, two all-time great albums are more than most will have. It’s not a free pass for what follows, though. Carl and the Passions “So Tough” starts strong and, as is the case for many of The Beach Boys’ other works, fizzles out fast. You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone, despite being the album’s opener, feels like a last gasp. One final moment of quality from a band which were, as they had been through the 1960s, reflecting popular genre choices.
Their roots rock style through Carl and the Passions “So Tough” rips away the fundamentals of what makes The Beach Boys unique. There’s still a few harmonies featured throughout, and they sound decent on You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone, but that mess comes through on Here She Comes. A fun song, well-pieced together and an instrumental powerhouse that sounds just like every other band at the time. Their pop-rock tone doesn’t stand out when compared to The Rolling Stones or The Band. That bubble of soft rock and stylish, emotionally charged tones doesn’t settle well with The Beach Boys. It’s a total contrast to their sound. Even with those trade-offs, Carl and the Passions “So Tough” is a very entertaining listen. An easy-going album. The Beach Boys have traded off their style to support a cleaner image, a rock and roll style which a wider audience would, on paper, be more accepting of as it was the popular style at the time.
Remove the pretence of The Beach Boys being psychedelic heroes or crooning, light musicians. Their adaptation to blues rock is so tremendous they bury their artistic instinct. Instead, they fit nicely into a style fitting the times. It’s an excellent adaptation of that rock and roll style but it lacks the flair and magic bands at the time were offering the genre. Heavier percussion is what The Beach Boys believe is the route through, and they bring as much to Here She Comes. Gospel blues on He Come Down feel like The Beach Boys are exploring their options more than anything. You could strip The Beach Boys’ name from this release and nobody would think it was the band behind Pet Sounds. There is a chameleon-like quality to the group, they can sift through genres without anyone noticing it’s them.
A blessing and a curse, being capable of that. Get over the shock and what you have is a very competent and confident rock and roll album. It has those charming instrumental fade outs and drifting tones, particularly on Hold on Dear Brother, but also a tremendous heart. Make It Good uses that brass build, the backing of tearjerker instrumentals, to great effect. An honest and fantastic moment which sets a standard that the rest of the album matches. All This is That and Cuddle Up are two deep cuts worth seeking out. Carl and the Passions “So Tough” feels a bit odd and aimless in its pursuit of new genres but the success is clear. A B-side of charming, stylish adaptations of pop rock. It’s a pay-off which requires muddling through the A-side, which is not without its moments of brilliance.
