Sealed 2022 180gm Repress Of The 2016 200gm Audiophile Gatefold Reissue From Analogue Productions. "The Beach Boys' Post-1966 Catalog Is Littered With LP's That Barely Scraped The Charts Upon Release But Matured Into Solid Fan Favorites Despite -- And Occasionally, Because Of -- Their Many And Varied Eccentricities. Surf's Up Could Well Be The Definitive Example, Beginning With The Cloying "Don't Go Near The Water" And Ending A Bare Half-Hour Later With The Baroque Majesty Of The Title Track (Originally Written In 1966). The Album Is A Virtual Laundry List Of Each Uncommon Intricacy That Made The Beach Boys' Forgotten Decade Such A Bittersweet Thrill -- The Fluffy Yet Endearing Pop (Od)ditties Of Brian Wilson, Quasi-Mystical White-Boy Soul From Brother Carl, And The Downright Laughable Songwriting On Tracks Charting Mike Love's Devotion To Buddhism And Al Jardine's Social/environmental Concerns. Those Songs Are Enjoyable Enough, But The Last Three Tracks Are What Make Surf's Up Such A Masterpiece. The First, "A Day In The Life Of A Tree," Is Simultaneously One Of Brian's Most Deeply Touching And Bizarre Compositions; He Is The Narrator And Object Of The Song (Though Not The Vocalist; Co-Writer Jack Rieley Lends A Hand), Lamenting His Long Life Amid The Pollution And Grime Of A City Park While The Somber Tones Of A Pipe Organ Build Atmosphere. The Second, "'Til I Die," Isn't The Love Song The Title Suggests; It's A Haunting, Fatalistic Piece Of Pop Surrealism That Appeared To Signal Brian's Retirement From Active Life. The Album Closer, "Surf's Up," Is A Masterpiece Of Baroque Psychedelia, Probably The Most Compelling Track From The Smile Period. Carl Gives A Soulful Performance Despite The Surreal Wordplay, And Brian's Coda Is One Of The Most Stirring Moments In His Catalog. Wrapped Up In A Mess Of Contradictions, Surf's Up Defined The Beach Boys' Tumultuous Career Better Than Any Other Album." AMG Review By John Bush.