In it's own way- as great an album as Pet Sounds (Sunflower - Beach Boys)

Member Name: MGEEK

Product:	Sunflower - Beach Boys
Date:	02/09/08 (35 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: GREAT production

Disadvantages: none

Sunflower catches The Beach Boys at an odd stage in their career. Having basically single handedly created their sound up until Pet Sounds (1966) and beyond, Brian Wilson stepped back, and a more democratic period followed, embodied by several patchy, but lovable albums for capitol.

This was their first album for new label Warners, and it really sounds like a new start for the group. Gone is the muddy, cobbled together production of the preceding few albums- replaced here by a glorious ambient stereo production, light years ahead of anything else at the time, some KILLER songs from Brian, (cool cool water and this whole world are up there with anything he's written) and most notably from his brother Dennis, who contributes the romantic classic 'forever', knowing grinder 'got to know the woman' and futuristic (for the time) opener 'slip on through'.

In it's own way, this album is as much of a classic as is Pet Sounds, and points the way to a future The Beach Boys never QUITE managed to live up to, beyond 1973- and should not be missed out by even casual fans of the bands later sound. Highly recommended

Summary: A classic