That’s Why God Made the Radio

The Beach Boys. 50th Anniversary

Summer of 2012 has been crafted under the guise of a new Beach Boy album – That’s Why Got Made the Radio.

While on past vacations at the OBX one of us in the group fixates on an old Beach Boys tune and things just chill. It could be Wild Honey, or Kokomo, or Good Vibrations, or Fun, Fun, Fun on the iPod.

Well this summer it will be Beaches in Mind, Shelter or Pacific Coast Highway. These are but three of the new tunes on the just released (June 5th) album that I have been listening to since iTunes fulfilled my pre-release order on Tuesday.

I am not a big Beach Boys fan. Yet, I respect their catalog of work – its tough to beat them for the 60’s beach music scene they own, a niche they never let go of. Their sound has recently been imitated by groups such as South Carolina’s The Explorer’s Club and pilloried by The Beatles on their White Album – in the song Back in the U.S.S.R.. Their music is an easy target. Yet, no one does it better then them in 2012.

I have seen them three times since the early 70’s. Always without Brian Wilson. I don’t plan on seeing them perform this year – in what is being billed as their 50th Anniversary tour – but I won’t be without their music at the beach.

That’s Why God Made the Radio is Brian Wilson at the top of his game, singing, writing and producing their 60’s sound in a 2012 tech package distributed through iTunes.

Wow. Turn up your car radio and just listen to the harmonies, listen to the clean musical arrangements, and the lyrics – well they are old school but for a good reason – it sells (ask Jimmy Buffett).

Dial up those pricey Bose car speakers – and let them perform as they were designed to with the songs like – Isn’t it Time and Day Break Over the Ocean.

In this album Brian Wilson and the Boys stay away from making political statements – unlike other recently new releases by old school artists (i.e. Springsteen, and Bonnie Raitt). However, Brian does show that he has rejoined us in the 21st Century by playing on America’s obsessive voyeurism in his island sound encrusted tune – The Private Life of Bill and Sue. Then there is his – Strange World – that could easily describe a day in his life walking on the Santa Monica Pier.

It’s ok to go back – let Brian take you – let the harmonies carry you away to a time of sun, surf and sand. That’s Why God Made the Radio.

Here’s the link to That’s Why God Made the Radio on itunes for your listening pleasure.

About Phil Fabrizio

Phil Fabrizio is an event, news and sports photographer in the Washington D.C. Metro area. He lives in North Potomac and has operated Sugarloaf Photography since 1985. He is a member of the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce and serves on the board of the Glen Echo Partnership for Arts and Culture, Inc in Glen Echo. Stop by Phil's PhotoLoaf site or follow him on Twitter @Photoloaf. Find Phil's blog on MyMCMedia here.

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