Carl and the Passions – "So Tough"


Carl and the Passions – "So Tough" is the 18th studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on May 15, 1972. The album is frequently considered a transitional album for the band, with the addition of Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar on guitar and drums, respectively, and long-time member Bruce Johnston departing during its initial sessions.
The initial American pressings of the album included the band's 1966 studio album Pet Sounds as a bonus record. It has been speculated that Carl and the Passions – "So Tough" was either scheduled to be released, or re-released, as a single album. A Warner/Reprise catalogue number, MS 2090, had been assigned to this single disc release, but nothing came of it. The album was released as a standalone album in Europe on Reprise Records.
Carl and the Passions was Brian Wilson and Mike Love's high school band. This was the first album released under a new deal with Warner Bros. that allowed the company to distribute all future Beach Boys product in foreign as well as domestic markets.

Background

In 1971, Carl Wilson, who served as the group's de facto musical director at this time, decided to spice up the structure of The Beach Boys by hiring third guitarist Blondie Chaplin, whose soulful singing brought a strong R&B element into the band's sound. Drummer and singer-songwriter Ricky Fataar also joined at this time, as Dennis Wilson had suffered a debilitating hand accident. Both South Africans, Blondie and Ricky were discovered by Carl while playing in seminal South African band the Flames in London, c. 1969. The album sees the Beach Boys entering a period of roots-based rock.
Not long after the sessions began, Bruce Johnston had a falling out with manager Jack Rieley and left the band. Conflicting reports state that Johnston either quit or was fired. According to Johnston, he quit because he was unenthusiastic about Rieley's suggestion that the group adopt a hard rock approach and felt that Brian Wilson's prolonged lack of involvement had resulted in declining artistic quality. However, Rieley claims he fired Johnston, both to prevent him from voting in the group's democratic processes and because of the supposed disrespect and contempt Johnston was showing Brian Wilson at the time. Johnston's main writing contribution, an early version of "Endless Harmony" entitled "Ten Years of Harmony", was re-recorded and eventually released in 1980 on Keepin' the Summer Alive. Johnston has said that his only musical contribution on the released album is as a background vocalist on "Marcella".

Music

Recording sessions took place at various studios in Los Angeles, including Sunset Sound Recorders, Village Recorder and Brian Wilson's home studio from December 1971 and lasted through February of the following year. Following a brief tour of the east coast, the band reconvened for final sessions and mastering in April. An additional album outtake, "Out In The Country", was worked on during the sessions but remains unreleased. Additional titles which circulate include songs titled "Body Talk" and "Spark In The Dark".
Brian Wilson sporadically contributed to the album's sessions, distracted by the production and promotion of the debut album of American Spring titled Spring. The extent of his contributions for Carl and the Passions - "So Tough" were his collaboration on the writing of three songs and the recording of both vocal and instrumental tracks. Two songs were written and sung by Fataar and Chaplin. Dennis Wilson also contributed two songs which he wrote with Daryl Dragon, hinting towards the sound of his solo debut album, Pacific Ocean Blue. Other songwriting contributions came from Jack Rieley, Alan Jardine, Mike Love, Tandyn Almer and Carl Wilson.
This LP was mixed for Quadraphonic reproduction. It was to be played back using the now long-extinct Dynaco or EV Stereo-4 decoders, or later, using the "360Surround" matrix decoder built by Stephen Desper and previously included with purchases of his limited-edition book Recording the Beach Boys. However, the recording can be played back in Quad by most of today's audio-video receivers. The surround sound information can be extracted using the Dolby Pro Logic setting, albeit imperfectly, due to the different matrix coefficients.

Release and reception

Carl and the Passions – "So Tough" met with moderate commercial success upon release, reaching number 25 in the UK and number 50 in the US.
It was reviewed favourably in The San Diego Door. And unfavourably by Robert Christgau. Stephen Davis in a contemporary review in Rolling Stone felt that only four of the tracks were "acceptable", and that Brian Wilson's lack of genuine involvement hurt the album.
Elton John penned liner notes for the 2000 CD reissue, writing: 'This is an album which I have loved for a long time... Carl and the Passions: So Tough has moments of breathtaking genius and experimentation. When this record was released, I remember how different and fresh it sounded. It still does'.
English Britpop band Saint Etienne used the title So Tough for their 1993 album as an homage to the Beach Boys. Likewise, they also named their compilation of the same year, You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone, after the Beach Boys song.

Track listing

Track notes per 2000 liner notes.

Personnel

Partial credits per Scott McCaughey and 2000 liner notes, except where otherwise noted.
;The Beach Boys
;Session musicians and production staff
;Strings on "Make It Good" and "Cuddle Up"
;Horns on "Make It Good"

Charts

;Albums
YearChartPosition
1972
--
1972US Billboard 200 Albums Chart50

;US Singles
YearSingleChartPosition
1972"Marcella"US Billboard Singles Chart110

Chart information courtesy of Allmusic and other music databases.