The Beach Boys - Keepin' the Summer Alive/The Beach Boys '85 (CD)

All Music Guide

Rating the Beach Boys' later catalog is often a comparison game, and the nexttolast installment in Capitol's twofer reissue program (M.I.U. Album/L.A. (Light Album) sounds positively glorious compared to the final twofer, composed of 1980's Keepin' the Summer Alive and 1985's The Beach Boys. The bandinabubble cover design of Keepin' the Summer Alive makes for a good (though unintended) symbol of the era, in which the band shut itself off from any innovation or hope for commercial success (and undoubtedly prompted a parade of lifesupport jokes). After sounding equally tired and outoftheloop when they covered oldies as when they wrote original songs, these two LPs recycle a host of songs from the '70s. Bruce Johnston returns to the group as producer. There are a few highlights here "Endless Harmony" and the surprising Top 40 hit "Getcha Back." [In 2000, Keepin' the Summer Alive was made available on the twofer compilation Keepin' the Summer Alive/The Beach Boys '85.] - John Bush, All Mu...sic Guide Read more Less