Music / Sunflower

The world could come together as one, if everybody under the sun would add some music to his day....

Sunflower is the sixteenth studio album by The Beach Boys. Released in 1970, it did relatively well in Europe, but performed disastrously in the US, peaking at #151 on the charts. It has since been Vindicated by History though, and rightfully so; it's generally considered to be one of their strongest albums, and a showcase of the growing songwriting abilities of the individual Beach Boys without major involvement from Brian Wilson. It spawned the hits and fan favorites "Add Some Music to Your Day" and "Forever".

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Tracklist: ^note  The European version adds "Cottonfields" as the first track, and moves "Got to Know the Woman" and "Deirdre" around)

Side One

1. "Slip On Through" (2:17)
2. "This Whole World" (1:56)
3. "Add Some Music to Your Day" (3:34)
4. "Got to Know the Woman" (2:41)
5. "Deirdre" (3:27)
6. "It's About Time" (2:55)

Side Two

1. "Tears in the Morning" (4:07)
2. "All I Wanna Do" (2:34)
3. "Forever" (2:40)
4. "Our Sweet Love" (2:38)
5. "At My Window" (2:30)
6. "Cool, Cool Water" (5:03)

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Principal Members:

• Al Jardine - lead vocals, guitar
• Bruce Johnston - lead vocals, bass, piano, celesta
• Mike Love - lead vocals, percussion
• Brian Wilson - lead vocals, piano, rocksichord, bass, organ
• Carl Wilson - lead vocals, guitar
• Dennis Wilson - lead vocals, drums, tambourine

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It's only tropes and what you're tropin' for:

• Break-Up Song:
  • "Deirdre"
  What could I say
  That you ran away
  Don't you think it's time that you stayed right near me?
  • "Tears in the Morning"
  Well you know I lit a candle
  It's in my heart now where it glows
  Day and night feel my light it's gonna stand till
  My heart believes in what you chose
• Cover Version: "Cottonfields" is a cover of a Lead Belly song. Also, its a remake of "Cotton Fields (The Cotton Song)" from their 20/20 album.
• Face on the Cover: A group shot of the band with some children.
• Fiery Redhead: "Deirdre"
  Always had our love, Deirdre
  I love your red hair
• Gratuitous French: "At My Window"
  Le moineau est venu
  Se poser à ma fenêtre ^note  Translation: "The sparrow has come and sat himself at my window."
• Heavy Meta: "Add Some Music to Your Day":
  The sunday mornin' gospel goes good with the soul
  There's blues, folk, and country, and rock like a rollin' stone
  The world could come together as one
  If everybody under the sun
  Add some music to your day
• Heel Realization: "It's About Time"
  I used to be a famous artist
  Proud as I could be
  Struggling to express myself
  For the whole world to see
  I used to blow my mind sky high
  Searching for the lost elation
  Little Did I Know the joy I was to find
  In knowing I am only me
• Hymn to Music: "Add Some Music To Your Day" celebrates a bunch of different genres and contexts in which music is heard.
• Lyrical Cold Open: "Deirdre" opens with the band harmonizing the title lyric just before the instruments kick in.
• Mundane Made Awesome: "Cool, Cool Water" is literally about the delight of drinking water.
  When I'm just too hot to move
  Cool cool water is such a groove
  In a shady spot when I'm layin' down
  Only thing movin' are the ants on the ground
  When I'm thirsty and I reach for a glass
  Cool water tastes like such a gas
• New Sound Album: Particularly "Got to Know the Woman" and "It's About Time".
  • Not to mention the country rock "Cottonfields" from the European version of the album.
• One-Woman Song: "Deirdre"
• One-Word Title: "Deirdre", "Forever"
• Pacifism: "It's About Time"
  It's about time we get together
  To be out front and love one another
  Brothers sisters everybody
  We better start to help each other now
  We need it now
  When we're sharin' our love brother
  That's when we know we can shape another world
• Vocal Tag Team: Every then-member of The Beach Boys got at least one lead vocal on this album.

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