Endless Harmony: Soundtrack Review

07/13/2005 6:21 AM, AMG


This is a maddening collection, at once one of the most fascinating and frustrating compilations of the Beach Boys' work ever issued. On one level, it seems to be the group's answer to the Beatles' Anthology discs, consisting of unissued songs, home and studio demos, live tracks cutting across more than 15 years, early versions of material later issued in substantially altered form, and stereo mixes of material previously only available in mono. It all sounds tantalizing, and individually many of the tracks are -- but it doesn't hold together as a collection. It's difficult to imagine that many people attracted by the live medley of surfing tunes from 1966 will get excited about the alternate mix of 1971's "'Til I Die," fine as that song is, or the 1972 live version of Carl Wilson's "Long Promised Road." The grouping may work for viewers of the television special Endless Harmony: The Story of the Beach Boys, to which this is the soundtrack, but for everyone else, it will just seem as though a bunch of outtakes and oddities were tossed into a hat and assembled together. Having said that, it should be added that the material is gorgeous, song by song. Just maybe, however, it's time for Capitol to put together a definitive collection of live middle/late-1960s Beach Boys performances, instead of spreading those tracks around, as well as an authoritative live 1970s set, a CD of new stereo mixes, etc. The problem with this CD is that there's no hook -- nothing to explain in its name or packaging what it is or what it offers, and that is sad, because it's not only a worthwhile addition to any collection, but an okay place to begin developing a deeper appreciation of the band. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide