Holland (The Beach Boys Album)
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''Holland'' is the 19th studio album by American
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
the Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and frie ...
, released January 8, 1973 on
Brother A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
/
Reprise In music, a reprise ( , ; from the verb 'to resume') is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the 18th century—was simply any repea ...
. It is their first album recorded without
Bruce Johnston Bruce Arthur Johnston (born Benjamin Baldwin; June 27, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who is a member of the Beach Boys. Johnston also collaborated on many records with Terry Melcher (his bandmate in Bru ...
since 1965, their second with
Blondie Chaplin Terrence William "Blondie" Chaplin (born 7 July 1951) is a South African singer and guitarist from Durban, where he played in the band the Flames in the mid to late 1960s. From 1972 to 1973, he was a member of the Beach Boys and contributed t ...
and
Ricky Fataar Ricky Fataar (born 5 September 1952) is a South African-English multi-instrumentalist of Cape Malay descent, who has performed as both a drummer and a guitarist. He gained fame as an actor in ''The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash'', a spoof on t ...
, and their final studio album created under the ''de facto'' leadership of
Carl Wilson Carl Dean Wilson (December 21, 1946 – February 6, 1998) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He was their lead guitarist, the youngest sibling of bandmates Brian and Dennis, and the group's ''de ...
and manager
Jack Rieley John Frank Rieley III (November 24, 1942 – April 17, 2015) was an American record producer, songwriter, and disc jockey who managed the Beach Boys between mid-1970 and late 1973. He is credited with guiding them back to popular acclaim and was ...
. The LP was originally packaged with a bonus EP, '' Mount Vernon and Fairway'', which consisted of a 12-minute
fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...
written and produced by
Brian Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world. It is possible that the name is derived from an Old Celtic word me ...
and Carl Wilson. Per its title, ''Holland'' was recorded over the summer of 1972 at a barn in
Baambrugge Baambrugge is a village on the river Angstel in the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is a part of the municipality of De Ronde Venen and lies about 14 km southeast of Amsterdam. In 2001 the village of Baambrugge had 925 inhabitants. The built-up ...
, near
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
, where the band members and their entourage had decamped for several months in the pursuit of creative inspiration. Recording the album was an unprecedented and extremely costly venture, as the group had commissioned their engineers to renovate the barn, which had housed an existing studio, using components from the band's studio in Los Angeles that were dismantled, shipped to Holland in crates, and then reassembled. Ultimately, only the album's basic tracks were recorded in Holland, with the band finishing off the record in late 1972 at
Village Recorders The Village (also known as Village Recorders, or the Village Recorder) is a recording studio located at 1616 Butler Avenue in West Los Angeles, California. History The building was built by the Freemasons in 1922 and was originally a Masonic ...
in Los Angeles. Total expenses were estimated at $250,000 (equivalent to $ in ). ''Holland'' received generally favorable reviews and came to be viewed by many fans as the Beach Boys' last great album. It peaked at number 36 in the US and number 20 in the UK, and it produced two singles: "
Sail On, Sailor "Sail On, Sailor" (mislabeled "Sail On Sailor" on original pressings) is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1973 album ''Holland''. It was written primarily by Van Dyke Parks and Brian Wilson with Ray Kennedy, Tandyn Almer, an ...
" and " California Saga/California". Subsequently, the band recorded little in the studio for the next two years. Instead, they released the live album '' The Beach Boys in Concert'' (1973), and did not follow up with another studio album until '' 15 Big Ones'' (1976). In 2022, an expanded version of ''Holland'' was packaged within the compilation ''
Sail On Sailor – 1972 ''Sail On Sailor – 1972'' is an expanded reissue of the albums '' Carl and the Passions – "So Tough"'' (1972) and ''Holland'' (1973) by American rock band the Beach Boys. Produced by engineer Mark Linett and Brother Records archive manager ...
''.


Background

In late December 1970, the Beach Boys played three concert dates in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
as part of a short European tour. On the first date, which had been scheduled to begin at 12:30 a.m., the band arrived four hours late due to a missed flight, and were surprised to find that the concert hall venue, the
Concertgebouw The Royal Concertgebouw ( nl, Koninklijk Concertgebouw, ) is a concert hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch term "concertgebouw" translates into English as "concert building". Its superb acoustics place it among the finest concert halls i ...
, was still packed with attendees. Furthermore, the audience shouted for the group to perform their new songs, rather than their past hits.
Carl Wilson Carl Dean Wilson (December 21, 1946 – February 6, 1998) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He was their lead guitarist, the youngest sibling of bandmates Brian and Dennis, and the group's ''de ...
told a local magazine, "I love this audience. Our last albums
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'' and ''Sunflower (The Beach Boys album)">Sunflower The common sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') is a large annual forb of the genus ''Helianthus'' grown as a crop for its edible oily seeds. Apart from cooking oil production, it is also used as livestock forage (as a meal or a silage plant), as ...
''] sold poorly in the US, our financial situation is disastrous – and here we have success. I like this country." Reports from this period suggested that the group were planning to move from Los Angeles to Britain once their recording commitments were finished. In one report, manager
Jack Rieley John Frank Rieley III (November 24, 1942 – April 17, 2015) was an American record producer, songwriter, and disc jockey who managed the Beach Boys between mid-1970 and late 1973. He is credited with guiding them back to popular acclaim and was ...
said they were "definitely leaving Los Angeles because of the
smog Smog, or smoke fog, is a type of intense air pollution. The word "smog" was coined in the early 20th century, and is a portmanteau of the words ''smoke'' and '' fog'' to refer to smoky fog due to its opacity, and odor. The word was then inte ...
." Later, Rieley told ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'', "I wanted to hift our baseand so did Carl. ollandseemed like an interesting place. But most importantly, I felt that The Beach Boys had to do a record outside of California, to get away from that whole scene, find a new scene, and create in that new scene." During the recording of ''
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 May 15, 1972 on Brother/Reprise. The album is a significant musical departure for the band and is the first to feature the Fl ...
'', in late February 1972, the band returned to the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
to film a promotional clip for their forthcoming single, "
Marcella Marcella is a Roman cognomen and Italian given name, the feminine version of Marcello (Mark in English). Marcella means warlike, martial, and strong. It could also mean 'young warrior'. The origin of the name Marcella is Latin. Marcella may refer ...
", and play a televised concert at the RAI Congrescentrum. There, the group decided on the Netherlands as the venue for their next recording project, and where they would set up headquarters for the next several months. A few days later, the band announced drummer
Ricky Fataar Ricky Fataar (born 5 September 1952) is a South African-English multi-instrumentalist of Cape Malay descent, who has performed as both a drummer and a guitarist. He gained fame as an actor in ''The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash'', a spoof on t ...
and guitarist
Blondie Chaplin Terrence William "Blondie" Chaplin (born 7 July 1951) is a South African singer and guitarist from Durban, where he played in the band the Flames in the mid to late 1960s. From 1972 to 1973, he was a member of the Beach Boys and contributed t ...
as new additions to their official line-up. 1965 addition
Bruce Johnston Bruce Arthur Johnston (born Benjamin Baldwin; June 27, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who is a member of the Beach Boys. Johnston also collaborated on many records with Terry Melcher (his bandmate in Bru ...
resigned from the group in April 1972. The band had expected to record their Netherlands-based album at a local studio, however, the country's few studios were already overbooked. To get around this, the group commissioned their engineer, Steve Moffit, to design and construct a portable mixing desk – something which had never been done before – and have it shipped to their Netherlands base. This meant dismantling the band's private studio located in
Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often called a genius for his novel approaches to pop composition, extraordinary musical aptitude, and m ...
's home. Later, at the end of May, Moffit discovered a barn in
Baambrugge Baambrugge is a village on the river Angstel in the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is a part of the municipality of De Ronde Venen and lies about 14 km southeast of Amsterdam. In 2001 the village of Baambrugge had 925 inhabitants. The built-up ...
, within 10 miles of Amsterdam, that housed an existing recording studio, which he then converted for the band's own purposes. The group also tasked their publicist, Bill DeSimone, with finding eleven houses for the Beach Boys' entourage, unaware that the Netherlands had suffered from a chronic housing shortage. After two weeks, he successfully secured four houses for the group. From May 5 to June 3, the group toured Europe and the UK while using their new homes and offices around Amsterdam as a base. Members of the group and their entourage – which included several wives, girlfriends, and relatives; Rieley and his dog; engineers Moffitt, Gordon Rudd, and Jon Parks; assistant Russ Mackie, and secretary Carol Hess and her husband – took residence at various locations within a 30-mile radius of central Amsterdam. Carl and Chaplin lived in
Hilversum Hilversum () is a city and municipality in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. Located in the heart of the Gooi, it is the largest urban centre in that area. It is surrounded by heathland, woods, meadows, lakes, and smaller towns. Hilvers ...
; Fataar lived in
Vreeland Vreeland () is a village in the Dutch province of Utrecht. It was a part of the former municipality of Loenen. Since 2011 it has been part of the new formed municipality of Stichtse Vecht. It is located on the river Vecht, about 2 km north o ...
; and
Mike Love Michael Edward Love (born March 15, 1941) is an American singer and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys with his cousins Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson and their friend Al Jardine. Characterized by his nasal tenor and occasional bass-bari ...
and
Al Jardine Alan Charles Jardine (born September 3, 1942) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best known as the band's rhythm guitarist and for occasionally singing lead vocals on singles such as "Help Me, Rho ...
lived in
Bloemendaal Bloemendaal () is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Bloemendaal is, together with Wassenaar, the wealthiest place in the Netherlands. In October 2015, after persistent problems with the local governa ...
. Brian, who had long resisted making the trip, ultimately settled in Laren with his wife Marilyn, their two children
Carnie Carny, also spelled carnie, is an informal term used in North America for a traveling carnival employee, and the language they use, particularly when the employee operates a game ("joint"), food stand ("grab", "popper" or "floss wagon"), or ride ...
and
Wendy Wendy is a given name now generally given to girls in English-speaking countries. In Britain, Wendy appeared as a masculine name in a parish record in 1615. It was also used as a surname in Britain from at least the 17th century. Its popularity ...
, Marilyn's sister Diane Rovell, and a housekeeper. It took three attempts for Brian to successfully get on the flight from Los Angeles to Amsterdam.


Production

The sessions in Holland lasted from June 3 to August 15, 1972 at the BBC 2 Baambrugge studio near Amsterdam. Initially, the studio was in a non-functioning state, as there was not enough time to test the equipment shipped from Los Angeles before the group were due to record. According to biographer Steven Gaines, Moffit "spent eighteen hours a day for the next four and a half weeks trying to get the equipment running. This ruined the touring schedule the Beach Boys expected to keep in Europe, severely limiting the needed income to cover the expense of living in Holland."
Al Jardine Alan Charles Jardine (born September 3, 1942) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best known as the band's rhythm guitarist and for occasionally singing lead vocals on singles such as "Help Me, Rho ...
remembered, "It was rough being in Holland. We were working 24/7 in a small homemade rebuilt piecemeal little studio in a garage next to a cow pasture. Yeah, it was rough. We didn’t even have the correct electricity ..so that kind of affected the sound of our equipment. It was a mixed blessing." According to Fataar, "Everybody would come in with a piece of a song or a completed song and kind of play around with it and then figure out how we wanted to record it. It was very casual." Carl produced every track on ''Holland'', except for the songs by
Dennis Wilson Dennis Carl Wilson (December 4, 1944 – December 28, 1983) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best remembered as their drummer and as the middle brother of bandmates Brian and Carl Wilson. ...
, which Dennis produced himself. In the middle of recording, Dennis moved to the
Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...
, opting to return to the studio only for certain sessions. Biographer
Jon Stebbins Jon Stebbins is a Los Osos, California-based musician, songwriter, documentary producer and author of four books about The Beach Boys, as well as two other books. Music career Stebbins was a member of a music band called 'The Point' which was ac ...
explains that Dennis had not felt "comfortable living in Holland". Brian did not join most of his bandmate's sessions, instead preferring to work alone on late nights. Fataar said, "I can't even remember seeing him in the studio in Holland. Everyone had their own family situation and we'd just go to work and occasionally see each other. It wasn't like a one-big-family thing." Carl recalled, "It was a very creative time for me. Brian had me working on the album very hard so he could have some time for himself. He wasn't really up for doing much, as far as going into the studio every day." Biographer
Peter Ames Carlin Peter Ames Carlin (born March 13, 1963) is an American journalist, critic and biographer who has written for publications such as ''People'' magazine, ''The New York Times Magazine'', '' The Los Angeles Times Magazine'', and ''The Oregonian''. Seve ...
writes, At the end of the Holland stay, in early August, the band attended a party hosted by the Dutch record company Bovema Negram, where Rieley announced to local journalists that the Beach Boys' next release would be a
double album A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording i ...
titled ''Holland''. However, only the album's basic tracks were recorded in Holland; the band subsequently returned to California for further recording. Rieley stayed behind, intending from this point onward to manage the group from his office in Amsterdam. From late September through early October, the band refined the tracks at
Village Recorders The Village (also known as Village Recorders, or the Village Recorder) is a recording studio located at 1616 Butler Avenue in West Los Angeles, California. History The building was built by the Freemasons in 1922 and was originally a Masonic ...
in Los Angeles, and a master was assembled on October 9. It was expected that the album would be released on November 5, but this motion was halted by
Reprise In music, a reprise ( , ; from the verb 'to resume') is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the 18th century—was simply any repea ...
/
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
executives who felt that the LP was a weak effort and lacked a hit single. The band were displeased; Gaines quoted one Warner Bros. executive as saying, "It was bloodshed. Everybody went wild." To satisfy the record company, the group recorded one more song, "
Sail On, Sailor "Sail On, Sailor" (mislabeled "Sail On Sailor" on original pressings) is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1973 album ''Holland''. It was written primarily by Van Dyke Parks and Brian Wilson with Ray Kennedy, Tandyn Almer, an ...
", after which the album was remastered and completed in late November. Production expenses for ''Holland'' totaled $250,000 (equivalent to $ in ). Rieley remarked of the exorbitant cost, "Someday accounting will face a column just titled 'Holland.'"


Songs


Side one

"
Sail On, Sailor "Sail On, Sailor" (mislabeled "Sail On Sailor" on original pressings) is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1973 album ''Holland''. It was written primarily by Van Dyke Parks and Brian Wilson with Ray Kennedy, Tandyn Almer, an ...
" was written primarily by
Van Dyke Parks Van Dyke Parks (born January 3, 1943) is an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer who has composed various film and television soundtracks. He is best known for his 1967 album ''Song Cycle (album), Song Cycle'' and for his ...
and
Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often called a genius for his novel approaches to pop composition, extraordinary musical aptitude, and m ...
with Rieley,
Tandyn Almer Tandyn Douglas Almer (July 30, 1942 – January 8, 2013) was an American songwriter, musician, and record producer who wrote the 1966 song "Along Comes Mary" for the Association. He also wrote, co-wrote, and produced numerous other songs pe ...
, and
Ray Kennedy Raymond Kennedy (28 July 1951 – 30 November 2021) was an English footballer who won every domestic honour in the game with Arsenal and Liverpool in the 1970s and early 1980s. Kennedy played as a forward for Arsenal, and then played as a le ...
. There are several contradicting accounts of the song's origins. Carlin states that the song was essentially co-written by Wilson and Parks in 1971, with Kennedy and Almer's contributions dating from impromptu sessions at
Three Dog Night Three Dog Night is an American rock band formed in 1967, with founding members consisting of vocalists Danny Hutton, Cory Wells, and Chuck Negron. This lineup was soon augmented by Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboards), Joe Schermie (bass), Michael Allsup ...
singer
Danny Hutton Daniel Anthony Hutton (born September 10, 1942) is an Irish-American singer, best known as one of the three lead vocalists in the band Three Dog Night. Hutton was a songwriter and singer for Hanna-Barbera Records from 1965 to 1966. Hutton had a ...
's house during the epoch. Brian refused to participate on the recording. "Steamboat" was written by Dennis and Rieley, and sung by Carl. The lyrics reference
Robert Fulton Robert Fulton (November 14, 1765 – February 24, 1815) was an American engineer and inventor who is widely credited with developing the world's first commercially successful steamboat, the (also known as ''Clermont''). In 1807, that steamboat ...
, the inventor of the
steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...
. Carlin described the song as "a dreamlike journey back to the mythic heart of
Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...
's America, borne by the insistent chug of an actual steam engine, hurtling keyboard
glissando In music, a glissando (; plural: ''glissandi'', abbreviated ''gliss.'') is a glide from one pitch to another (). It is an Italianized musical term derived from the French ''glisser'', "to glide". In some contexts, it is distinguished from the co ...
s, and a wonderfully
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
y slide guitar break". Musician
Scott McCaughey Scott Lewis McCaughey is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter and the leader of the Seattle and Portland-based bands The Young Fresh Fellows and The Minus 5. He was also an auxiliary member of the American rock band R.E.M. from 199 ...
wrote, "the chugging, almost industrial rhythm bed sounds like a modern sampled tape loop or a latter-day
Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...
creation." "California Saga" is a three-part series of songs – "Big Sur", "The Beaks of Eagles", and "California" – that the members of the group produced when they had been feeling homesick. "Big Sur", an acoustic number about rural life in Northern California, is the first song in which
Mike Love Michael Edward Love (born March 15, 1941) is an American singer and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys with his cousins Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson and their friend Al Jardine. Characterized by his nasal tenor and occasional bass-bari ...
wrote both the words and music. It was originally recorded during the '' Surf's Up'' sessions; the version on ''Holland'' is a rerecording. "The Beaks of Eagles", composed by Jardine, is partly based on
Robinson Jeffers John Robinson Jeffers (January 10, 1887 – January 20, 1962) was an American poet, known for his work about the central California coast. Much of Jeffers's poetry was written in narrative and epic form. However, he is also known for his short ...
' poem of the same name. "California" has Brian, who was otherwise barely present at the group's sessions, singing the opening line "On my way to sunny Californ-i-a".


Side two

"The Trader" is a two-part composition by Carl, with lyrics by Rieley, who explained, "Carl was speaking out about the fact that it’s wrong to subjugate a people, as so many have been. The Trader is really about racism; these people who got their orders from the king or queen and colonised Africa, for example. The tender part of the song asks the Africans to reply. I believe it’s quite touching. I wasn’t consciously trying to do something political." According to Carlin, the lyrics explore "
Manifest Destiny Manifest destiny was a cultural belief in the 19th century in the United States, 19th-century United States that American settlers were destined to expand across North America. There were three basic tenets to the concept: * The special vir ...
as seen through the eyes of the conquering and the conquered." "Leaving This Town" was written primarily by Fataar, who said, "I had parts of it and Carl came in the studio and suggested other things, so we were just making it up as we went along." "Only with You" was composed by Dennis, with words by Mike Love, and sung by Carl. " Funky Pretty" was produced by Carl and Brian, and features every member of the group trading the lead vocal.


Leftover

Among the outtakes, "We Got Love" is an anti-apartheid song by
Blondie Chaplin Terrence William "Blondie" Chaplin (born 7 July 1951) is a South African singer and guitarist from Durban, where he played in the band the Flames in the mid to late 1960s. From 1972 to 1973, he was a member of the Beach Boys and contributed t ...
, Fataar, and Love that was dropped from the album's track listing to make way for "Sail On, Sailor". A live recording of "We Got Love" was included on the album '' The Beach Boys In Concert'' (1973). "Hard Times" (not to be confused with "
Hard Time Hard may refer to: * Hardness, resistance of physical materials to deformation or fracture * Hard water, water with high mineral content Arts and entertainment * ''Hard'' (TV series), a French TV series * Hard (band), a Hungarian hard rock supe ...
") was written by Chaplin and recorded on October 4 "Pa, Let Her Go Out", written by Brian, evolved into "Better Get Back in Bed", "Little Children (Daddy Dear)" and " Lazy Lizzie". All the songs listed were released on the Sail On Sailor – 1972 box set besides for "Lazy Lizzie" which remains unreleased to this day. "Carry Me Home" was written by Dennis, who shared the lead vocal with Chaplin. Stebbins refers to the song as "the most expressive of emotional pain" of any Beach Boys songs. Dennis explained to an interviewer, "I wrote a song intended for ''Holland'' about Vietnam. I got the image of a soldier—me—dying in a ditch, and I ended up doing a song about it. The soldier began feeling, 'Why the hell am I here?' Then the coldness started move up his body, from his feet to his legs, to his chest ... until he was dead. See? It was too negative! How could I put that on a Beach Boys album?" The song would have been released on the 2013 box set ''
Made in California ''Made in California (1962–2012)'' is a compilation box set by the Beach Boys, released on August 27, 2013. The set, released through Capitol Records, was designed by Mark London in a form emulating a high school yearbook. The set contains six ...
'' had there not already been a large number of Dennis songs on the compilation.
Brother Records Brother Records, Inc. (BRI) is an American holding company and record label established in 1966 that owns the intellectual property rights of the Beach Boys, including "The Beach Boys" trademark. It was founded by brothers Brian, Carl and Dennis ...
archive manager
Alan Boyd Alan Boyd is an American musician, sound engineer, record producer, and filmmaker who is best known for his work with the Beach Boys. Since the 1980s, he has been an archive manager for the band's Brother Records. Since 2000, he has worked alongs ...
said, "We also felt a little uncomfortable with the idea of at this point in time of Dennis singing (recites lyrics), 'Please God don’t let me die'." The song eventually was released fifty years after being recorded, as a teaser single for the Sail On, Sailor boxset, which it was also included in.


Packaging and bonus disc

The front cover depicts (upside down) a tugboat in the Kromme Waal, a canal in central Amsterdam. ''Holland'' was packaged with a 12-page booklet that provided a historical overview of the album's making, plus a bonus EP, '' Mount Vernon and Fairway'', that Brian and Carl had produced during the ''Holland'' sessions. The EP represented a compromise, as Brian had wanted ''Mount Vernon and Fairway'' featured on the album, a proposal that his bandmates had vetoed.


Release

Released on January 8, 1973, ''Holland'' peaked at number 36 in the U.S. and number 20 in the UK. Despite having a lower chart showing, the record outsold ''Carl and the Passions''. Lead single "Sail On, Sailor" (backed with "Only with You") was issued in February and reached number 79. In the UK, the lead single was "California Saga/California" (backed with "Sail On, Sailor"), reaching number 75. In March, the band remixed and overdubbed new vocals onto "California Saga/California" for a U.S. single release. Released in May, the single (backed with "Funky Pretty") reached number 84. From March 7 to May 17, the Beach Boys embarked on a ten-week U.S. tour with a supporting band that included guitarist
Billy Hinsche William Hinsche (June 29, 1951 – November 20, 2021) was an American musician who was a co-founding member of the singing trio Dino, Desi & Billy and a keyboardist for the Beach Boys' backing band. Background Hinsche was born in Manila, the Phi ...
, keyboardist Carlos Munoz, drummer Joe Pollard, bassist Ed Carter, and percussionist Richard "Didymus" Washington. Their set list included "Funky Pretty", "Leaving This Town", "California Saga/California", and "Sail On, Sailor". According to music historian Keith Badman, critics noted "some unusually long pauses between each song and the group's sometimes negative reaction to any audience requests for oldies." Brian Wilson, who last appeared with his bandmates in concert in 1970, briefly joined them onstage during their encore at the
Hollywood Palladium The Hollywood Palladium is a theater located at 6215 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. It was built in a Streamline Moderne, Art Deco style and includes an dance floor including a mezzanine and a floor level with room for up to 4,000 ...
on April 20. Over the next two years, the group maintained a touring regimen, but recorded very little in the studio. On November 19, Warner/Reprise issued '' The Beach Boys in Concert'', a live double album that became the band's best-selling release on the label. It included live performances of "Sail On, Sailor", "The Trader", "Leaving This Town", "Funky Pretty", and the ''Holland'' outtake "We Got Love".


Critical reception


Contemporary

''Holland'' received generally favorable reviews at the time of release. ''Rolling Stone''s Jim Miller, who was displeased with ''Carl and the Passions'', praised ''Holland'' for its "occasionally unnerving simplicity of viewpoint ndits frequently ornate perfection." The magazine later ranked it among the five best albums of 1973.
Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...
of ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...
'' praised the sound quality of ''Holland'', but believed that the album had strayed too far from what the Beach Boys did best, stating, "I suppose that in time their tongue-tied travelogue of Big Sur may seem no more escapist than 'Fun Fun Fun', but who'll ever believe it's equally simple, direct, or innocent?" In Britain, ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
''s Richard Williams wrote, "I expect more from the Beach Boys than from anyone else. ''Holland'' has the goods."


Retrospective

''Holland'' became regarded by many fans as the Beach Boys' "last, high-quality original album". Music journalist
Peter Doggett Peter Doggett (born 30 June 1957) is an English music journalist, author and magazine editor. He began his career in music journalism in 1980, when he joined the London-based magazine ''Record Collector''. He subsequently served as the editor t ...
opined, "After the false start of ''Carl And The Passion'', ''Holland'' proved that the Beach Boys could function as a creative rock band beyond the self-imposed limits of their 60s hits." ''Mojo''s Danny Ecleston referred to ''Holland'' as his favorite Beach Boys album, as well as their "least-heard (and certainly last) great record." The album has been included in some opinion polls and rankings. * In 1999, it was ranked number 21 in ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''s list of the "Top 100 Albums That Don't Appear in All the Other Top 100 Albums of All Time". * In 2000, it was voted number 648 in the third edition of
Colin Larkin Colin Larkin (born 1949) is a British writer and entrepreneur. He founded, and was the editor-in-chief of, the ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music'', described by ''The Times'' as "the standard against which all others must be judged". Along wit ...
's ''
All Time Top 1000 Albums ''All Time Top 1000 Albums'' is a book by Colin Larkin, creator and editor of the ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music''. The book was first published by Guinness Publishing in 1994. The list presented is the result of over 200,000 votes cast by the ...
''. * In 2007, it was ranked number 100 in ''OOR Magazine''s list of the "100 Best Albums of All Time". Less favorably,
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
reviewer John Bush rued that ''Holland'' was a "surprisingly weak" effort.
Douglas Wolk Douglas Wolk (born 1970) is a Portland, Oregon-based author and critic. He has written about comics and popular music for publications including ''The New York Times'', ''Rolling Stone'', ''The Washington Post'', ''The Nation'', ''The New Republi ...
of ''Blender'' thought that the band "got way self-indulgent, recording poetry, flutes and Moog solos." Among biographers, Stebbins called the record "a very respectable effort", though "not of the caliber of ''
Pet Sounds ''Pet Sounds'' is the 11th studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on May 16, 1966, by Capitol Records. It was initially met with a lukewarm critical and commercial response in the United States, peaking at number 10 on th ...
'' or ''
Sunflower The common sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') is a large annual forb of the genus ''Helianthus'' grown as a crop for its edible oily seeds. Apart from cooking oil production, it is also used as livestock forage (as a meal or a silage plant), as ...
''".
John Tobler John Hugen Tobler (born 9 May 1943) is a British rock music journalist, writer, occasional broadcaster, and record company executive. With Pete Frame, he was one of the founders of ZigZag magazine in April 1969. The magazine focused on the " un ...
praised the "California Saga" trilogy and "The Trader", but decreed, "some of the
ther Ther may refer to: *''Thér.'', taxonomic author abbreviation of Irénée Thériot (1859–1947), French bryologist * Agroha Mound, archaeological site in Agroha, Hisar district, India *Therapy *Therapeutic drugs See also *''Ther Thiruvizha ''T ...
tracks were less than exceptional". Brian's 2016 memoir, ''
I Am Brian Wilson ''I Am Brian Wilson: A Memoir'' is the second autobiographical memoir of American musician Brian Wilson, written by journalist Ben Greenman through several months of interviews with Wilson. It was intended to supplant '' Wouldn't It Be Nice: My O ...
'', states of ''Holland'': "There are some great songs on that record. 'Steamboat' kicks ass. I really like 'Only with You' and 'Funky Pretty', too. It's a damned good album no matter where or how we made it."


Influence

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...
ranked the album as one of his favorite records of all time.
Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the lat ...
penned liner notes for the 2000 CD reissue, in which he described the album as "beautiful" and singled out "The Trader" as the album's "centerpiece".
Primal Scream Primal Scream are a Scottish rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie (vocals) and Jim Beattie. The band's current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes (guitar), Simone Butler (bass), and Darrin Mooney (drums) ...
covered the ''Holland'' outtake "Carry Me Home".
Camper Van Beethoven Camper Van Beethoven is an American rock band formed in Redlands, California in 1983, later based in Santa Cruz and San Francisco. Their style mixes elements of pop, ska, punk rock, folk, alternative country, and world music. The band init ...
stated that ''Holland'' was an enormous inspiration on their 2013 album ''
La Costa Perdida ''La Costa Perdida'' is the 8th studio release by the American alternative-music band Camper Van Beethoven. It was released on January 22, 2013, and contains 10 tracks. The lead-off single from the album, "Northern California Girls", was release ...
''.


Track listing


Personnel

Credits adapted from the LP sleeve. The Beach Boys *
Blondie Chaplin Terrence William "Blondie" Chaplin (born 7 July 1951) is a South African singer and guitarist from Durban, where he played in the band the Flames in the mid to late 1960s. From 1972 to 1973, he was a member of the Beach Boys and contributed t ...
*
Ricky Fataar Ricky Fataar (born 5 September 1952) is a South African-English multi-instrumentalist of Cape Malay descent, who has performed as both a drummer and a guitarist. He gained fame as an actor in ''The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash'', a spoof on t ...
*
Alan Jardine Alan may refer to: People *Alan (surname), an English and Turkish surname *Alan (given name), an English given name **List of people with given name Alan ''Following are people commonly referred to solely by "Alan" or by a homonymous name.'' * A ...
*
Mike Love Michael Edward Love (born March 15, 1941) is an American singer and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys with his cousins Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson and their friend Al Jardine. Characterized by his nasal tenor and occasional bass-bari ...
*
Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often called a genius for his novel approaches to pop composition, extraordinary musical aptitude, and m ...
*
Carl Wilson Carl Dean Wilson (December 21, 1946 – February 6, 1998) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He was their lead guitarist, the youngest sibling of bandmates Brian and Dennis, and the group's ''de ...
*
Dennis Wilson Dennis Carl Wilson (December 4, 1944 – December 28, 1983) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best remembered as their drummer and as the middle brother of bandmates Brian and Carl Wilson. ...
Technical *Stephen Moffitt – engineer (except "Leaving This Town"); co-engineer ("Sail On, Sailor") *
Rob Fraboni Robert Alan Fraboni (born 23 April 1951) is an American, California-born record producer and audio engineer, well known for his work with Bob Dylan, The Band, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Tim Hardin, The Beach Boys, Joe Cocker, and Bonnie Ra ...
– engineer ("Leaving This Town"); co-engineer ("Sail On, Sailor") *
Bruce Johnston Bruce Arthur Johnston (born Benjamin Baldwin; June 27, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who is a member of the Beach Boys. Johnston also collaborated on many records with Terry Melcher (his bandmate in Bru ...
— backing vocals ("California Saga: California") (uncredited) *Jon Parks – second engineer *United Visuals (Amsterdam) – layout *Russ Mackie – album photography, art *John Roos – crickets


Charts


Notes


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * *


External links

*
''Holland''
on
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
* * {{Authority control The Beach Boys albums 1973 albums Reprise Records albums Brother Records albums Albums produced by the Beach Boys