So, The Boys could be doing better. At this point in the story, they've fallen off quite a bit in the US, and were still reeling from the collapse of SMiLE. The following albums in the wake of the rise and fall of The Beach Boys empire, the lo-fi stoner pop of Smiley Smile and the R&B-infused Wild Honey were nothing short of disappointments in the US, even in comparison to the low-charting of Pet Sounds at 10 - it doesn't help that critical reception, at least to Smiley Smile, was pretty hostile, and the warm reception of Wild Honey probably did little to help it in the charts. Friends did little to change things around, becoming their lowest charting album up to that point in the US, and their second lowest charting in the UK, only behind Surfin' U.S.A.'s 17 position - warm reception in the music press did little to sway buyers perhaps. With years of hindsight, though, Friends is somewhat revered as an underrated gem of The Beach Boys' catalog, and often ranked as one of their finest. An extreme cult following, perhaps, and one that, while I've never been fully indoctrinated into, is a position that I see more and more with every listen of this album.
Many have since branded this era immediately after the collapse of SMiLE as a series of lo-fi albums - minimalist production, simple arrangements, and a certain warm sound and style are all ideas that permeate the bodies of these works. In this department, perhaps Friends embodies all of these facets the most. Many of the songs on Friends almost feel like a deliberate experiment in minimalism, to the point where songs like "Meant for You" and "Be Still" are really built solely off of organ drones - admittedly, these leave some moments sounding flat-out incomplete, which used to be a sticking point with me in previous listens. Now, I find moments like these to play directly into the warmth and relaxing feel of the album. In contrast to the stoned-out Smiley Smile or the punching, jumping energy of Wild Honey, Friends builds its emotion and feel around a calm, peaceful atmosphere, played into perfectly with moments like the title track and the personal highlight of "Anna Lee the Healer." It's a very relaxing album, and there isn't really a moment that strays off-course from this.
One of my other big issues with this album that I used to have was it's insane brevity - 25 minutes long, with almost half of the songs being under two minutes. Invariably, I thought this lead to some ideas sounding half-baked, and in some ways I still think as such for moments like "Be Still," and especially "Wake the World," which I believe could've benefited from a little more running time. For the most part, though, this brevity plays into the album's best side, as the shining moments generally get their dues - the brilliant title track, the lighthearted and goofy "When a Man Needs a Woman," which feels like the comedy of "I'd Love Just Once to See You" done a little better, and of course "Little Bird" and "Diamond Head." The former is the beginning of Dennis Wilson's ascent to a brilliant songwriter - in many ways, I'd liken Dennis Wilson to the group's George Harrison, in that he was a late-blooming songwriter, and would go on to write some of the most timeless music from the group. "Diamond Head," on the other hand, is a simply lovely instrumental from the group - quite possibly one of the best they've ever made. Honorable mentions to the funny "Busy Doin' Nothing," and the sublime "Passing By." Some moments still don't stick the landing, though, like the bizarre falsetto of "Be Here in the Morning" and the consistently weak "Transcendental Meditation," a song that, almost two years later, still does nothing for me.
Sure, maybe I don't see this as the group's best, but I can finally say that I find Friends to be overlooked. Hidden in the middle of career peaks, and yet it shines just as bright as some moments from the likes of Sunflower and Pet Sounds. While I think it's still probably the most flawed out of this "lo-fi" trilogy from the group, it's very flaws do contribute to its welcoming, peaceful demeanor. I'm glad that I was so willing to consistently give this album chance after chance, because I can finally see what all the hype is about - I think it's time you take a listen to find out why, yourself.
RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯
Listen to Friends.
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