Spring (American Spring album)

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"American Spring (album)" redirects here. For the 2015 album by Anti-Flag, see American Spring (Anti-Flag album).
Spring
Spring album cover.png
Studio album by
Spring
ReleasedJuly, 1972
Recorded
  • January 7, 1970 ("Good Time")
  • October 8, 1971 – May 1972
StudioBeach Boys, Los Angeles, CA
Length34:50
LabelUnited Artists
ProducerBrian Wilson
Singles from Spring
  1. "Now That Everything's Been Said"
    Released: October 20, 1971
  2. "Good Time"
    Released: May 1, 1972
American Spring reissue cover
Spring album cover.jpg

Spring is the only album by American pop duo Spring, released in July 1972 on United Artists. It contains cover versions of popular songs as well as original material written or co-written by producer Brian Wilson. The album sold poorly, and in later years, became a valuable collector's item.[1]

The record was later renamed American Spring, along with the band, to avoid confusion with the English band Spring. In 1998, the album was reissued on CD with four bonus tracks.

Background and recording[]

Spring was largely tracked in Brian Wilson's home studio in Bel Air, California from October 8, 1971 to May 1972, engineered by Stephen Desper.[2][3] The track for "Good Time" was sourced from an outtake from the Beach Boys' album Sunflower and was recorded on January 7, 1970.[4] The album was produced by Wilson, Desper, and David Sandler,[5] but the record itself only credits the production to Wilson.

Sessions coincided with the Beach Boys' recording of Carl and the Passions – "So Tough", an album that featured less involvement from Wilson than Spring.[5] According to Sandler, Wilson "was definitely trying to establish some independence from the group, and the Spring album was part of that. He still had a lot of music in him, but I think he was depressed. And maybe some of the people who were supposed to be helping him were hacking away but not helping him that much."[6]

Release and reception[]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic3/5 stars[1]
Christgau's Record GuideB+[7]

Spring was released in the US by United Artists in July 1972. Elsewhere, and on later reissues of the album, the record was renamed "American Spring" to avoid confusion with the English band of the same name.[5] The album was critically acclaimed but sold poorly.[5]

Reviewing in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau wrote of the album: "In which Brian Wilson produces his old female backup group—the Honeys, featuring his wife Marilyn—in what sounds like the best and is certainly the most charming Beach Boys album since Sunflower. The old combination of ingenuousness and sophistication works as well as ever, only this time the vocals rather than the lyrics are naive—direct, pretty, effortless, thoughtless. And Wilson's studio work is as precise and humorous as ever."[7]

Track listing[]

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Tennessee Waltz"Pee Wee King, Redd Stewart2:03
2."Thinkin' Bout You Baby"Brian Wilson, Mike Love3:05
3."Mama Said"Willie Denson, Luther Dixon2:34
4."Superstar"Bonnie Bramlett, Leon Russell3:31
5."Awake"Floyd Tucker3:24
6."Sweet Mountain"B. Wilson, David Sandler4:13
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Everybody"Tommy Roe2:20
2."This Whole World"B. Wilson3:11
3."Forever"Dennis Wilson, Gregg Jakobson3:14
4."Good Time"Al Jardine, B. Wilson2:50
5."Now That Everything's Been Said"Carole King2:16
6."Down Home"Gerry Goffin, King2:44
Total length:34:50
1989 CD bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Shyin' Away"Diane Rovell, Sandler, Marilyn Wilson2:10
14."Fallin' in Love"D. Wilson2:37
15."It's Like Heaven"Rovell, B. Wilson2:36
16."Had to Phone Ya"B. Wilson, Love, Rovell2:03

Personnel[]

American Spring

  • Diane Rovell
  • Marilyn Wilson

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Viglione, Joe. "Spring – Spring : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
  2. ^ (2012). "GIGS71". Retrieved October 26, 2012.
  3. ^ (2012). "GIGS72". Retrieved October 26, 2012.
  4. ^ Badman 2004, pp. 223, 309.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Badman 2004, p. 321.
  6. ^ Carlin 2006, p. 179.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 13, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.

Bibliography

External links[]

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