In 2016, as the classic Pet Sounds album hit its 50th anniversary, two of the original Beach Boys, Brian Wilson and Al Jardine, recorded some of those songs again, and this voyage is “Sloop John B.” -- as the lyric goes, "The worst trip I've ever been on." What stands out is how strong and fresh Jardine’s voice is, in his mid-70s. And for all his health troubles over the years, Wilson handles his vocals admirably. It’s a very touching, thoroughly enjoyable, easygoing, and confident performance, made all the more so for their homage-like twist on the final lyrics as a sort of salute to their surviving – as well as the falsetto part performed here by Al Jardin’s son Matt (standing, in Navy blue). And for Al Jardine getting to sing lead here, particularly since, as they explain in the preface, it was he who brought the song to the group. I’ve always loved, indeed been in awe, that the words to this song were written by Carl Sandburg. In fact, if I have any quibbles about the video it’s that they refer to the song as having come from The Kingston Trio – which, yes, is where Jardine came across it – but no reference to not only Sandburg (seriously, how could you not even want to shout that “The song we’re about to sing, with words by Carl Sandburg…”??!) , but also that it was actually first recorded by The Weavers (as “The Wreck of the John B.”), whose member Lee Hays wrote the music to Sandburg’s lyric. All that aside, The Beach Boys ultimately made it famous, and with good reason. And here, 50 years later, it remains so.
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AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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