Sunflower came out on August 31st 1970, so it's 40 years old this week. It was the first Beach Boys album of the 70s, and their first release for Brother Records after they left Capitol. With the change in label and the band profile at an all time low, Sunflower sold poorly and didn't have any hits, but over time it's become a favorite for Beach Boys believers.
Brian Wilson wasn't really involved in the recording of Sunflower, but his brothers Carl and Dennis picked up the slack with some of the best songs of their careers. Here's Dennis performing "Forever" (one of his many gems from Sunflower) live at Central Park.
And here's another great one, "It's About Time", sung by Carl at the same show. A great performance, and I just wish the video and audio were better quality.
I used to put "It's About Time" at the end of mix tapes without listing the artist and let people guess who it was. Most people were surprised to find out it was the Beach Boys since it doesn't sound anything like a "Beach Boys song". The only songs on Sunflower that sound like Beach Boys songs are "Add Some Music To Your Day" and "Cool Cool Water", which segues flawlessly into "Don't Go Near The Water" on the Sunflower/Surf's Up two-fer CD.
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