Brian’s Album of Peace - The Spiritual Tranquility of “Friends” (1968)
In 1968, America was collapsing into violence and chaos. America’s band was collapsing into obscurity and near-bankruptcy- and it’s leader slowly withdrew from the world.
During this time, The Beach Boys (especially Mike Love) and their contemporaries like The Beatles were getting much more involved with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and his promotion of Transcendental Meditation (TM). In 1968 this culminated in the Beach Boys launching a nationwide tour to preform songs and promote the Maharishi and his teachings- it was a complete disaster, both financially and critically, barely anyone showed up (Martin Luther King Jr. was killed the same month of the tour), and those who did responded negatively at the Maharishi’s appearance- the tour was thus cancelled prematurely, financially wrecking the band.
During this time, rock was getting heavier, Acid rock was getting more refined and heavy metal was slowly being born- The Beach Boys looked like total, unhip squares as a result. So what did the Beach Boys do to counter not only the negative press they received, but also the heavier sounds in rock? They stuck with their guns, went the polar opposite direction of music trends, and made a lo-fi, tranquil album whose sounds were not heavy, nor intense, but one about hope, peace, as well as explicit spirituality and the little joys of life and love. While Friends’ simplicity fiercely disappointed fans and critics, the work is now seen more positively as a lost and underrated Beach Boys gem.
The attempts of more explicit harmony & healing thus led to a more gentle, comforting work that passes by in a flash- many of the songs don’t even reach the 2-minute mark. The sound is sparse, delicate, dream-like and bubbly and bouncy at times too. Spiritual undertones are throughout, in sound and in lyrics too- from Brian singing about his first child being born, a mysterious-yet-welcoming healer, the simple joys of the sun rising and starting the day- things that can enrich the soul. It intentionally contrasted gory imagery of hatred and war that saturated US TV screens and horrified the populace in 1968. The closer for the album, “Transcendental Meditation” is an unfortunate and sonically abrasive misstep for the album (the earlier demo for it, simply titled “New Song” is much more fitting as the closer, in my mind.)
Friends perhaps features some of the most ethereal, gentle, and most gorgeous harmonies of the Beach Boys’ entire career- instead of using them for grandiose and loud orchestrations or for energetic rock, they effectively used their genius knack for harmonies to further uplift the songs into a practically angelic level- the best examples being “Anna Lee the Healer” and the wordless “Passing By”. Notably, Brian Wilson recruited his father Murray and his then-wife Marilyn Wilson to do backing vocals in a few of the tracks. Even with the instrumentals, Brian comes through once more in creating strange yet inviting worlds, like in the track “Diamond Head”.
The themes and sounds of peace that manifest in the album (perhaps unintentionally) reflected the odd circumstances surrounding the production: Despite the Maharishi and TM, there seemed to be an attempt at reconciliation between Brian Wilson and Murry- a man who infamously beat him and his brothers senseless, and Marilyn- whose marriage with Brian was slowly falling apart. But aside from that, Wilson’s mental struggles deteriorated further after his daughter was born, struggles that led him straight to the psychiatric ward the next year. The oddities are apparent as in the bossa nova-inspired “Busy Doin’ Nothin”, Brian literally tells the listener actual directions on how to get to his house- only if they can figure out the starting point.
Like Pet Sounds, labeling this as a Beach Boys album is slightly misleading- aside from two tracks, the record is largely a Brian Wilson solo album, as he arranged, produced, and led the project. Those two other tracks (”Be Still” and “Little Bird”) however, were made by his brother Dennis- his first songwriting contributions in a Beach Boys album, a trend that would only grow in the band’s future. His unexpectedly strong songwriting and music production in the coming years would culminate in his critically acclaimed 1977 album Pacific Ocean Blue.
Friends is a near-masterpiece that doesn’t cry for peace- it prays for it. Considering the background and timeframe in which it was made, and considering that modern times in the world have gotten frightening once more, Friends reminds us that despite seemingly apocalyptic times- happiness can exist in the mundane, love always persists and can grow, and peace might even be right around the corner- within ourselves, and our world.
