Line #6 Music/Spring


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/americanspring_oakwoodm.jpeg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:]]
3
4	''Spring'' is the debut and sole album by Music/AmericanSpring. Released in 1972, it features a mix of [[Music/TheBeachBoys Beach Boys]] covers, Bril Building pop covers, and originals.
5
6	The album is known for being affiliated with Music/BrianWilson since he is credited as its executive producer (on top of being the husband of Marilyn Wilson, one half of American Spring, back then). However, he produced only a handful of tracks, and the rest was carried over by David Sandler and Beach Boys sound engineer Stephen Desper. ''Spring'' was initially conceived during the recording of The Beach Boys' ''{{Music/Sunflower}}'', after Brian met David through Music/BruceJohnston. They kept in touch and later recorded some songs back in Brian's home studio at a moment where Marilyn wanted to continue making music with her sister Diane, following the dissolution of their GirlGroup trio The Honeys. The recording happened between 1970 and 1971, at the same time as The Beach Boys' ''Music/CarlAndThePassionsSoTough''.
7
8	''Spring'' went unnoticed following its release despite critical acclaim. It is now a sought-after collectible item, on top of being an interesting Beach Boys-related project for fans of the band.
9
10	!!Tracklist
11
12	[[AC: Side One]]
13	# "Tennessee Waltz" (2:03)
14	# "Thinkin' Bout You Baby" (3:05)
15	# "Mama Said" (2:34)
16	# "Superstar" (3:31)
17	# "Awake" (3:24)
18	# "Sweet Mountain" (4:13)
19
20	[[AC: Side Two]]
21	# "Everybody" (2:20)
22	# "[[{{Music/Sunflower}} This Whole World]]" (3:11)
23	# "[[{{Music/Sunflower}} Forever]]" (3:14)
24	# "Good Time" (2:50)
25	# "Now That Everything's Been Said" (2:16)
26	# "Down Home" (2:44)
27
28	Reissues of the album would also feature some outtakes as bonus tracks: "Shyin' Away", "Fallin' In Love", "It's Like Heaven" and "Had to Phone Ya".
29	----
30	!!This album provides examples of:
31	* BreakUpSong: "Now That Everything's Been Said":
32	--> ''Now, how come you wanna leave me here''
33	--> ''Is there something else I should know''
34	--> ''You may think it's strange''
35	--> ''I never noticed the change''
36	--> ''That made you wanna get up and go''
37	* CallAndResponseSong: "Sweet Mountain"
38	--> ''I'm looking up (what do you see?)''
39	--> ''I see the sky (and tell me why)''
40	--> ''I look and wonder (wonder 'bout why)''
41	--> ''When will I see him? (tell me will I)''
42	* TheCityVsTheCountry: "Down Home" is about someone living in a city wishing to go back to his native home located around rivers and trees.
43	--> ''Wish I could leave this big town''
44	--> ''City living just ain't living to me''
45	* TheCoverChangesTheGender: "Good Time" is a song originally written and recorded in 1970 by Music/TheBeachBoys but that version was never released until their 1977 album ''Music/TheBeachBoysLoveYou'', and ''Spring'' is the first album to feature that song. The Beach Boys version has girlfriends named Penny and Betty while the ''Spring'' version has boyfriends named Eddy and Orion.
46	* CoverVersion: Quite a lot! "Sweet Mountain" might be the only original track while the rest is either Beach Boys songs or songs affiliated to the Brill Building genre.
47	** Beach Boys-wise, we have the cover of "This Whole World" and "Forever", two songs which appeared on ''{{Music/Sunflower}}''.
48	*** "Good Time" and "Had to Phone Ya" were written way before their appearance on Beach Boys albums ''Music/TheBeachBoysLoveYou'' and ''Music/FifteenBigOnes", yet they were still intended for The Beach Boys and could count as covers.
49	*** "Thinkin' Bout You Baby" is a rewrite of "Darlin' which appeared on ''Music/WildHoney''.
50	*** "Awake" was also recorded and slated to appear on ''Sunflower'' (in a version which featured Music/BrianWilson on lead vocals) but got canned, making the ''Spring'' version the first officially released one.
51	** "This Whole World" is partially interpersed by a cover of the nursery rhyme "Starlight, Shine Bright".
52	** "Mama Said" is originally a song by The Shirelles.
53	** "Superstar" is a Delaney & Bonnie song written in 1969.
54	** 'Now That Everything's Been Said" and "Down Home" are Music/CaroleKing-penned songs which were popular in TheSixties.
55	** "Tennessee Waltz" was originally written by Pee Wee King back in TheForties.
56	** The outtake "Fallin' In Love" is originally a song by Music/DennisWilson, the first single he released outside of The Beach Boys.
57	* FaceOnTheCover: The first pressing of the album shows what looks like the molding of Marilyn's face. The european covers feature both sisters with the exception of the Italian version showing the drawing of a tree.
58	* GratuitousFrench: On "Sweet Mountain":
59	--> ''Au bord de ma chère montagne d'amour'' [[note]]At the age of my sweet mount of love[[/note]]
60	* OneWordTitle: "Superstar", "Awake", "Everybody" and "Forever".
61	* PepTalkSong: "Everybody" is about how everybody goes through a heartbreak and moves on:
62	--> ''One time or other everybody listen to me''
63	--> ''You lose somebody you love''
64	--> ''That's no reason for you to break down and cry''
65	* ThePowerOfLove: "It's Like Heaven":
66	--> ''You know our love was meant to be''
67	--> ''The way that it should truly be''
68	--> ''Every day''
69	--> ''It's like heaven''
70	* ThePowerOfMusic:
71	** On "Forever"
72	--> ''If the song I sing to you''
73	--> ''Could fill your heart with joy''
74	--> ''I'd sing forever''
75	** The original LP release of the album comes with a lengthy text written by music journalist Ben Edmonds. It presents American Spring, as well as talking about the meaning of music and its power.
76	--> ''For many of us, music has the power to do most anything we might need it to do.''
77	* SelfTitledAlbum: Subverted. Initially released as an album of the duo Spring, the band later had to change their name after knowing that an European ProgressiveRock band had the same moniker, opting for American Spring.
78	* ShoutOut: "Good Time" namedrops "Talk To Me" by Little Willie John (a song which would later be covered by The Beach Boys on their album ''Music/FifteenBigOnes''.
79	* SpecialGuest
80	** Outside of Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson partially producing and providing backing vocals on the album, his brother [[Music/CarlWilson Carl]] is also credited as a guitarist and backing vocalist.
81	** Beach Boys manager Jack Rieley sings at the end of "Down Home"
82	* TitleDrop: On all tracks except "Superstar".
83	* VocalDissonance: The double-tracked whispered voice on the bridge of "Good Time" hardly sounds sexy.
84	* YouCantGoHomeAgain: On "Down Home":
85	--> ''But there's no way to get down home''
86	--> ''You can't retrieve it''
87	--> '''Cause once you leave it''

Context Music / Spring