Surf's Up: Exploring Brian Wilson's Pop Masterpiece (Chords, Themes, & Structure)

[@TimSmolens]

Join Tim's online conservatory on Patreon (High Castle Conservatory). This is the best way to support Tim's efforts to create more music education content and get exclusive lessons. www.patreon.com/hccmusic Explore and buy albums from Tim's 50's/60's & Beach Boys-inspired group I.S.S. albums on Bandcamp timsmolens.bandcamp.com/ Explore and buy the albums of Tim's genre-defying sci-fi prog band with an all-star international roster, High Castle Teleorkestra. highcastleteleorkestra.bandcamp.com/ Explore Tim's KZbin channel playlists and subscribe to his channel. kzbin.info Check out Tim's website timsmolens.com/

[@911heroesandme]

This is an unbelievable gift to those of us whose lives have been touched by Brian, the Boys, and this song. Thank you so much!

[@TimSmolens]

Thank you so much for saying so. Check out my playlists page and you will see a ton of other Beach Boys analysis that are nearly equally rewarding.

[@reggae-rock-roots]

​@@TimSmolens The other videos are incredibly good. This, though, is a full hour on the most beautiful song he ever wrote, and you've done a better job with it that I ever would have thought possible. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for this.

[@CipherSerpico]

_Surf’s up…_ _aboard a Tidal Wave…_ I firmly believe that’s one of the single greatest Lyrics ever written. - The blissful innocence of youth. - The moment that innocence is lost. - And the horror of what is to come. Van Dyke sums up the past, present and future of the Beach Boys-and the entire generation - in 6 words.

[@floraline7153]

Imagine my excitement when I met VDP in the Atlanta International Airport in 2007, by chance, as he was waiting to depart and I was waiting for a friend to arrive. I recognized him immediately and he knew that, and tried to divert his eyes and attention. Since I once worked in the entertainment business, I usually never fangirl on anyone, but I had to ask, "You're Van Dyke Parks, aren't you?" And he replied, "Yes." And I said, "I just wanted to selfishly tell you that your work has had a major positive effect on my life and I think you are brilliant." He politely nodded, replied a thanks, and picked up his bag and walked away. I firmly believe that most truly gifted people are introverted and have a less inflated ego than most.

[@andylewin3029]

WOW!!! This is absolutely outstanding. Surfs Up is my favourite song and I would argue, the greatest song ever written. This is by far the best breakdown of this masterpiece I have ever watched/heard. I studied music at University and one of my lecturers, a guy called Roger Reed, big jazz guy. He had forgotten more than I will ever know. He used to say, "I can sit down and bore you to death about Gershwin, Bach, Mozart etc and talk movements. Complex harmony. I cannot explain to you what Brian Wilson was doing." Now, he could. But he was almost pleading with his students to check out Smile era Brian Wilson because NOBODY COULD COME CLOSE TO HIM. Nobody. It breaks my heart as I believe that if this had been released as intended, it would have created a shift in the consciousness of the world. I know I sound crazy but I truly believe that. Still to this day, if I sit down and really listen to this song I am in tears. This is art. I would also add, the lyrics are also abstractly referring to the Vietnam war. I think. Maybe. What do I know? I'm just a guitarist from the UK. Again, thanks for this Tim. This maybe my favourite video on KZbin now. SUBSCRIBED! Patreon beckons.

[@Treguard]

Agreed about it being the best song ever written. Truly transcendent, isn't it? The first time I ever heard it, when it came to the coda, it felt familiar- like remembering a long-forgotten childhood memory, or uncovering something that had always been there but I wasn't consciously aware of. I mean, I was high as hell, but still.

[@WarlikePeace]

A most hauntingly beautiful song. I get choked up everytime I hear the final section. Thanks, Tim, for that in depth analysis.

[@TimSmolens]

Thanks so much for the props and for watching and taking the time to comment. Check out my playlist page and I have lots of other Beach Boys and similarly interesting analysis. Thanks so much for engaging and I look forward to hearing more comments from you

[@rakrakrakrak]

I remember seeing the Leonard Bernstein clip in the smile documentary. This video is awesome and I can finally understand some of what Leonard was talking about when praising the song.

[@BeaRobertsArtist]

I had this at my wedding. One of the most wonderful tracks I have ever heard.

[@Logan912]

Can’t forget his second masterpiece, “Ding Dang.”

[@generalkrow]

or Rollin' Up To Heaven

[@kookadams85]

Its "Short'nin' Bread" w/ a vs by McGuinn from the Byrds. Just like A Young Man is Gone/Hearts-spring & Cell block 9/Demonstration time. 95% of Brian's masterpieces were/are from 62-7 the rest go til 77.

[@Logan912]

@@kookadams85 Gotta make an exception for “Smart Girls.” Seriously though, That Lucky Old Sun is probably what I would consider Brian’s last masterpiece work showing that he still had it in him after all those years. Most of his best work was in the 60s though, yeah. The “Brian’s Back!” era in the 70s is interesting and has a cult following, but it was sadly Brian being shoved back into the songwriter/producer role at a time when he was *not* mentally ready to do so.

[@Chease1337]

guys how could you forget "You Skibidi In Me"

[@garybrockie6327]

Truly great song. I love the whole section on the Smile album from Wonderful to Song for Children to Child is the Father of the Man and ending with Surfs Up!

[@johncostigan6160]

Just imagine, university-level music analysis of songs we love, combined with nuts and bolts application instructions. You're speaking my language. Thanks so much, Tim.

[@TimSmolens]

Thank you so much for that type of praise. That is exactly how I was hoping it would reach people so I am thrilled that you are loving it. I would love to see you on my Patreon if you get a chance to take it even further.

[@ronengel4586]

This later part of the Beach Boys career is quite fascinating with quite rich music. Surf’s Up and Holland are great records, keep the good work!

[@mumbles215]

Holland was a huge disappointment for me. I knew sail on sailor, (prefer a few live versions of the studio) and then I heard half of steamboat which I liked but thought it was a downer for a track two on an album. I had to go to bed but I was so excited to hear the rest of the album. The next night. I sit down fire up a J and start the album over….just disappointed. It dropped off big time for me after those two songs. Some of Saga was okay, the album lacked energy. I need to do a re-listen I guess

[@floraline7153]

The first time I heard this song I was in my early 30s. Due to my dad's richly diverse musical tastes, I'd been exposed to, yes, Bernstein, as well as Stan Getz, Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, George Gershwin, Burt Bacharach, The Allman Brothers, and so many more. Yet, he and my six year old self kept loading the turntable with Pet Sounds more than any other album. As I aged and began collecting other Beach Boys works, I found a double album CD combining Sunflowers and Surf's Up. Playing start to finish, I found Sunflowers different, moving, and fairly satisfying. But Surf's Up made me speechless, transformed. Unlike my usual adult self, I played two particular songs over and over: 'Til I Die and Surf's Up, yet, if there's one that sticks in my head more than even my lifelong favorite, God Only Knows, it's Surf's Up. The bass in the piano notes going to the very edge of the keyboard juxtaposed with the otherworldly, angelic singing filled my soul with longing and my eyes with tears. Fully 25 years after that first hearing, I still long and I still cry.

[@alexandracolmant9983]

Thank you for your elucidation of this unique song---its structure and themes. I feel its meaning a little more clearly now.

[@maesk52]

Great great great fresh upload! Thanks a million. This song just entered into my life in the past days and I am obsessed with it, playing it non stop and learning how to play it. This had happened me before with “Vegtables” which I also consider an undercooked gem. Maybe not at the same relevance of surfs up but I wouldn’t be so sure, I’m certainly it have also influenced a bunch of musicians as well. 😊 god only knows what we’d do without him, that is Brian and the whole bunch!

[@maesk52]

Great breakdown thank you for dissecting this ode to humanity

[@kookadams85]

EVERYTHING Brian did from 62-67 was/is *the best of the best* . Period. 🇺🇲🎼👌🏻

[@TimSmolens]

Totally agree. I am not a huge fan of post Smile Brian as he was a shell of a man and artist but mention anythign negative to online fans of the post-Smile era and the lynch mob comes out! Smile is the pinnacle of recorded music history.

[@ArmanBaig]

his finest moment indeed. great analysis, i thoroughly enjoyed this tim. great work

[@MrMikeConner]

Great work. Very comprehensive and informative. I’ll provide some additional context about a lyric in the first movement of “Surf’s Up”. In June 1966, Capitol Records released an album called “Yesterday and Today”. To finish the album, they asked EMI for three new tracks to fit the 'today' theme. They received early mixes of songs that would later be on the UK version of “Revolver”, including John Lennon’s “I’m Only Sleeping”. Given the timeline of Brian and Van Dyke’s collaboration, it’s likely that the lyric “Are you sleeping, Brother John?” refers to Lennon’s song and could be seen as a subtle response to what Wilson/Parks perceived as their main lyrical competition during the latter part of 1966.

[@TimSmolens]

Thank you so much for that. The entire smile story is so deep that any particular aspect you focus on will only yield more fruit and more depth. Thank you so much for sharing. Check out my playlist page for lots of other Beach Boys and similarly interesting content

[@danielo174]

Always delighted to see the meistro sharing more brilliant insights!

[@jml-rj5re]

Bernstein uses a voice and language similar to trained radio announcers of the 1920s-1950s. It was a refined Manhattan or Northeastern accent. When television became popular in the late 1950s, the standard broadcasting American accent became a flat Midwestern accent - St. Louis was chosen.

[@patrickohara2012]

Hi Tim. Really enjoy your content on your channel, especially your in-depth analysis of Surf’s Up! If you haven’t already, I highly recommend listening to Dae Lim’s SMILE AI version of Surf’s Up. In particular, this version contains a surprise progression and key change and additional harmonic background vocals and rhythm change. And the epilogue is George fell into his French Horn! Great way to end with a Smile!

[@donaloconnell8165]

Thank you for this, it’s fantastic

[@TimSmolens]

Thank you so much for the props and for checking it out. If you look on my video playlist page you will see a ton of other analysis of Beach Boys songs and other interesting chord progression songs

[@peterwoodward540]

More on your palindrome vamp observation in the verse: The guitar part in the '67 version that starts d ↑d c Bb a g f e switches the Bb to a B on the 2nd chord, giving both the major 6th. A nice example of keeping something the same in two different ways across a chord changes (same absolute melody, altering a chord tone to make it the same between chord changes). Brian has said he was very aware of keeping things the same across chord changes for the pop aesthetic. He often achieved this by repeating a melody and altering certain notes relating to the parent chords (also consider Vegetables "If you brought a big brown bag of them home, I'd jump up and down and hope you'd toss me a carrot" and Heroes and Villains verse does it as well). So, anyway, it's a palindrome vamp (Gm7/D with the maj 6 to Dm7/G with the maj 6) when the guitar part is included.

[@TimSmolens]

That is a really interesting point you are making. Whenever I analyze Brian I am always quick to say that I doubt Brian was thinking about this in a real intellectual way but he seemed to have more of an intuitive approach that naturally yielded complexity. You so much for watching and check out more videos on my playlist page of similar content

[@lennyanderson4038]

Great Analysis. I discovered this song on a Beach Boys archival release and was blown away by the Brian Wilson solo version. I can't believe how interesting the chord/ melody relationship is. I can't name another artist that compares at that level of songwriting. What made Brian great was also his downfall. How small minded Mike Love seems.

[@TimSmolens]

A case could easily be made that this song is the absolute pinnacle of singer-songwriter pop music. Take even the greatest pure singer songwriters., people like Paul Simon, and not even they have a song that can compare to Surf's Up. I am not sure there will ever be a pop song this great. I kind of view it on a society level as well that this was the last chance that our society had to maybe take a different course. The fact that we did not take that different course only makes Surf's Up that much more haunting to listen to because the best of the best musicians were calling out the establishment. To no avail

[@angelajones4193]

Thank you. Fascinating but I'll need to watch several times!

[@jasonhackett7217]

Just wanted to comments and let you know how much I appreciate these videos ( I’m planning to join the patreon soon, once money is a little less tight). You have taught me more about music theory with these videos than I have been able to gather on my own Over years of playing music. Thank you for being such a great instructor, and for sharing your passion for the music of Brian Wilson.

[@TimSmolens]

Thanks so much for the greta somments and I look forward to working with you as a student on Patreon!

[@peteralexander2885]

​​Brilliant analysis and homage to BW, his spiritual insights that sees both grief/conflict and the relief and resolution of fun and innocence. Gratitude to Tim! You are masterful.

[@johnnyboy1967]

There are parallels between Surf’s Up and Anything Goes. Both musically and thematically

[@yeemosenpdad]

So excited for this video🙏

[@robbiepeterh]

Times like this I regret learning guitar as my first instrument because the shapes you have to make in order to play songs like this are largely impossible. The piano has all of music laid out right before you in simple shapes.

[@lennyanderson4038]

So true. But if you learn both you can "think" piano and "play" guitar. Just learn chord shapes in all positions and bang a bass note with your left hand....... I am not a very gifted piano player but my practice has helped me on the guitar. As you stated; the music is laid out mathematically on a piano.

[@TimSmolens]

I would highly recommend learning piano in the way that I play it where it's just chord shapes. I am not a good pianist by any means but I understand chords and chord shapes. You don't need to try to be an amazing pianist but just understanding songs and chords from that perspective will help you conceptualize them much better than just learning the shapes of a guitar chord. Thanks for watching and there's a ton of more similar videos on my playlist page for you to check out. I look forward to hearing more comments from you

[@wpochert]

Not impossible at all.. I'm currently working out an arrangement to sing with

[@sunshinecoolwater9528]

I enjoyed watching your breakdown of the song. I do think the unspoken key track of Wilson's SMiLE, is "Child Is Father Of The Man." That is a song that needs further exploration in a video.

[@tylerfine3368]

May be a bit of an unusual opinion, but I almost feel like this song fits better after till I die on the surfs up album. It’s good on smile still obviously, but just different when it’s in the surfs up atmosphere. Seems to really emphasize Brian “losing his way”

[@waynegram8907]

Are you saying that the whole SMILE album brian wilson Vocal Melodies are mostly minor or major Pentatonic? while Pet Sounds album the Vocal Melodies are NOT using Pentatonic Vocal melodies?

[@yeemosenpdad]

YESSS YESSSS YESSSSSSSSS

[@kookadams85]

34:50 *exactly my point. Bohemian Rhapsody wouldn't exist w/o Surf's Up!!!!!*

[@TimSmolens]

There were a few points were rock/pop was trying to become high art, none better than surf's up but there is also Bohemian Rhapsody, Billy Joel Scenes from an ItalianRestaurant, and hell even Stairway to Heaven. It's sad that most of the public doesn't know Surf's Up. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@angelajones4193]

Woody Woodpecker theme hidden in that 'muted trumpeter swan' bit.

[@angelajones4193]

'Two-Step' with capitals. And Murry wrote Two Step Side Step, didn't he?

[@angelajones4193]

Must also mention handsome-manneRED BATON' - my caps) Baton Rouge?

[@bammbamm12]

This analysis presupposes that Brian Wilson was conscious of, or at least in subconscious, some kind of unwritten law. I believe that the "what key am I in" question never occurred to Wilson. These are the problems music theorists are always trying to solve. This is why music theorists can't write music - they've been enslaved by an imaginary master. I think the composer's master is the melody, and it is purely intuitive. The chords come afterward. Lennon & McCartney tried many chords to fit the "stand" in "understand". They knew the melodic note was necessary, but didn't know what went under it - when they finally hit B major they said -"That's it".(I Want to Hold Your Hand) Again, this is my opinion. Btw - good catch on the BbMa9.

[@kookadams85]

L&M were 💩 compared to Brian 💯.

[@floraline7153]

While I am not a musician, I can agree that Wilson didn't ask what key it was in. He, like Mozart, had it all in his head, usually, and could just sit at the bench and go ahead. He was not only gifted, he was on a whole other plane of existence.

[@andylewin3029]

@@kookadams85 Agreed

[@stephenmarmer543]

More often chords came first and melodies emerged later.

[@bammbamm12]

@@stephenmarmer543 - Melodies existed thousands of years before chords.

[@artysanmobile]

I’ve watched Bernstein’s speech many times, decrying the paucity of pop which appealed to him even while rhapsodizing about its best efforts. If 5% expressed his dissatisfaction then, what could he possible take away from today’s machine? With cookie cutter regularity and pathetically insipid themes, how would our great American composer feel for example, about Taylor Swift’s utter and total ownership of the pop market? Or the unbelievably childish composition being trotted out as meaningful by a clueless corporate takeover of the entire business of live performance? His disappointment would, I can only imagine, be profound. The 1960s was, by contrast, a time of fascinating exploration and lyrical genius.

[@TimSmolens]

Bernstein would be absolutely appalled. I honestly think most of us are not willing to admit what a dead state of affairs things truly are. I hear people complain of it but when I look at the musical landscape I see more zombie apocalypse type of stuff. I'm also very hard to please musically and even things like the tone and the aesthetic of the production affect me a lot. For that reason I think I gravitate towards stuff from the '50s '60s and '70s more so than anything modern. It's not that there's not some great stuff happening it's just that the entire scene is dead in almost every way.

[@floraline7153]

@@TimSmolens If you haven't yet, check out Neal Francis. He has some gems so far, and it's composer-musicians like him that give me some hope.

[@Jameswilliam1982]

I dont think Bb Is the major chord is think its actually Dm/Bb

[@TimSmolens]

Dmi/Bb is not really a proper chord name because that should be called Bbmaj7

[@xcx8646]

Thinks: this is a wordy intro Notices: 58 min running time Decides: not today

[@TimSmolens]

Yep. It's an endeavor. Glorious and complex song like this deserves the time but it is not necessarily convenient and something that could easily be put off for a day that works better

[@dashmagic6211]

So many P P P Plosives in the intro :)

[@TimSmolens]

That was totally unplanned and I totally noticed that while I was editing. Lol. Thanks for watching

[@dashmagic6211]

:) great video though. Cheers

[@ods94065]

This is a place where I don't think your major/minor key analysis makes much sense, since there's no harmonic structure in evidence to go with the key you identify. I suggest thinking of it instead in terms of modes, as it better aligns with where the music's heading. In that case we start in G dorian (i.e. Gm with raised 6th), not F, and we end in F dorian (i.e. Fm with raised 6th), not Eb. Same scale material, as it turns out, but very different structure surrounding that material.

[@starshipwaters]

great comment! i totally agree with you identifying g dorian as the tonal center at the start and i think you also worded well why the harmonic structure matters when identifying the key of a piece.

[@TimSmolens]

I think your comment is completely valid and is a worthwhile way of approaching this. For some reason in my 30 years of studying and playing music I have been allergic to thinking of things in terms of modes. It's not that I don't know the modes it's more that I think of things in terms of chords and I like to vaguely be able to put them into keys so I can show how they relate to that key or stray from it. This is one of those many roads lead to the same place type of things but I can certainly appreciate what you are expressing here. Thanks for watching

[@kennethpace9887]

Another star sidelined by drugs...

[@Logan912]

Well, both drugs and mainly schizoaffective disorder. But yeah, the drugs didn’t help either.

[@floraline7153]

And lifelong depression, caused by his physically and mentally abusive father and passive mother. Who deafens their toddler with blows to the head and gets away with it? Genius also is quite debilitating for many. It seems poor Brian had all of these things against him and yet he still lived to make several comebacks and even to finish Smile. I would say those are victories, if not miracles.

[@gasparucciox9706]

complicated track , also amzi g