The first few songs have a perfect contrast between the vocals and the background music, the first being happy and the latter being sad, which creates a beautiful mellow feeling. “Long Promised Road” is a masterpiece. “Disney Girls” is a real tearjerker. After you’ve skipped “Student Demonstration Time”, there is a rather spiritual part in the album, which slowly transcends into depressing when you arrive at “Til I Die”. And then “Surf’s Up”, which is of course an amazing song.

Weird on so many levels.

A flawed masterpiece, but the highs are sooo high, my second favorite of the band behind obviously Pet Sounds. Also it´s one of a few albums that the ballads are actually the best part of the album.

An incredibly ethereal record, this was a time when the Beach Boys seemed to be really examining themselves. It's really existential and there's an underlying darkness that becomes present, but it is truly compelling the whole way through.

This album is a bit of a missed opportunity. Some of The Beach Boys' best songs are on this album, and some of most fantastic ballads as well.

"Surf's Up" is the best song and the brainchild of Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks and one of the best songs from the SMiLE sessions, "Long Promised Road", my personal favorite "Feel Flows" and the criminally short "'Til I Die". But songs like "Student Demonstration Time" hinders the album by not keeping with this soft and somber tone.

"Take a Load Off Your Feet, Pete" sounds like it'd be more in place with Sunflower than with this album. It also took a while to get used to Rieley's vocals of "A Day in the Life of a Tree", but now I see it as kind of haunting.

It was also a mistake not to put in some of Dennis' songs on the album, cause his songs during these session are fantastic, especially "(Wouldn't It Be Nice) To Live Again", calling in mind their hit Pet Sounds song, which including a more somber and morbid subject matter.

It's ballads are the high point and worth a listen.

Best Tracks: Surf's Up, Feel Flow, Long Promised Road, 'Til I Die, Disney Girls (1957)

Worst Tracks: Student Demonstration Time

Just beacuse the '60s were over doesn't mean The Beach Boys slacked off. Their '70s material was masterful in their own rite. Not only do I think Sunflower & Surf's Up underrated but I would go as far as saying that they are underestimated & underappreciated too. Sunflower - I suppose - embodies a lot of the characteristic optimism from their earlier efforts when Surf's Up occupies the other, more dejected side of that spectrum. Honestly, "Til I Die" could be my favourite Beach Boys track if it had a psych guitar riff after 1:30 (no matter how nuanced).

After the collaborative optimism of Sunflower bombed commercially, The Beach Boys created Surf’s Up; a more disjointed and darker effort. Surf’s Up may be frustratingly inconsistent, but the best songs are so amazing that anyone interested in Brian Wilson’s work will need to hear it.

Probably the most underrated album on this site. An absolute masterpiece and an undeniable achievement in songwriting. 10/10.

For those who see The Beach Boys as merely a "surfing band", look no further for evidence of the contrary. Their second best record after Pet Sounds, Surf's Up (an ironic title - no surf tunes here) encompasses a beautiful set of songs that sees them tackle issues from the environmental, the political to the deeply profound. The astonishing title track is the best song Brian Wilson ever wrote, while 'Til I Die could be number 2. The others are brilliant also, especially A Day In The Life Of A Tree. A fantastic and stupidly underrated album - right down to that beautiful cover! How this album is not in the top 100, or even the top 1000, simply astounds me.

Their last masterpiece. A near-perfect set of songs and arrangements. I wish this one got more love