The Beach Boys, Carl & The Passions – “So Tough” (1972)
On a bit of a Beach Boys kick again, and seeking out the lesser known albums and the ones that aren’t completely obvious – I owned them all on CD, all those reissues with the bonus tracks, many of them 2for1 with a couple of albums jammed onto one disc. I prefer hearing them now as just their own thing – you realise the ‘extras’ are extra for a reason; usually they were never much chop – hence being left out the first time. I was always a fan of this record though – proof the Boys could get on without Brian, his contributions here so minimal. The record takes its name after Carl Wilson (and an old group) and hints at him being the ‘spiritual leader’ of the group in a time of transition; new members coming in, two of the three Wilson brothers really struggling…Despite all of that, and I don’t think the album did all that well at the time, it’s always been one of my favourites – the first one I go to outside of the big obvious, hit-filled gems.

Sample Track:  All This Is That

The Vinyl Countdown is a document of every LP I listen to, brand new discoveries and old-old favourites; extremely pre-loved, previously abandoned or with the shrink-wrap having just been removed it’s all here at The Vinyl Countdown