From There to Back Again explained

From There to Back Again
Artist:the Beach Boys
Album:That's Why God Made the Radio
Label:Capitol
Producer:Brian Wilson

"From There to Back Again" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 2012 album That's Why God Made the Radio. Written by Brian Wilson and Joe Thomas, the song features Al Jardine and Wilson in the lead vocals, and is part of a four-song suite which concludes the album.

The song received critical acclaim from critics, who variously praised it for Jardine's vocal performance, its harmonies, and melodic beauty, with at least one considering it among the band's best ballads since the 1960s.

Composition

"From There to Back Again" was one of the new songs composed for the album That's Why God Made the Radio, and is the sole new song from its concluding four-song suite, which includes "Strange World", "Pacific Coast Highway", and "Summer's Gone".[1]

Reception

"From There to Back Again" received critical acclaim from critics. John Bush of Allmusic deemed it the "most beautiful" song of That's Why God Made the Radio and "one of their best ballads since the '60s", stating that it is "a Side 2 ballad epic that Wilson frames impeccably around Jardine's voice, aging but still sweet."[2] John Bergstrom of PopMatters described it as "ponderous, swooning... as the harmonies swirl around [Jardine] like the sun itself",[3] while Andrew Leahey of The Washington Times favorably compared it to "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times".[4] Alex Phillimore of Beats Per Minute stated that the song "sounds both youthful and beautiful. ... It could easily be a song from their professional peak".[5]

In terms of composition, Jim Beviglia of American Songwriter considered both "From There to Back Again" and the album's next track "Pacific Coast Highway" impressive for their "offbeat chord changes and freeform structure, displaying the kind of inventiveness for which Wilson is known."[6] Jim Farber of New York Daily News wrote that "Jardine's amber voice idealizes the melody in Wilson's [song]".[7] Ryan Reed of Paste praised the song as "absolutely stunning" for its "particularly intricate harmonic development, lovely flute runs, and a stand-out lead vocal from Al Jardine".[8]

Alexis Petridis of The Guardian considered the concluding suite the song is a part of as "easily the best thing Brian Wilson has put his name to in the last 30 years."[9] Randall Roberts of Los Angeles Times shared this sentiment, writing that the last three songs "are as exquisitely rendered as anything in the group's catalog",[10] while Bergstrom concluded that "it's neither a reach nor hyperbole to say this final suite is among the strongest, most affecting music Wilson has ever recorded."[3]

Personnel

The Beach Boys

Additional musicians[11]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Romano. Andrew. The Joe Thomas Interview: On Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys Reunion, and That's Why God Made the Radio. Andrew Romano. March 18, 2020. May 2012.
  2. Web site: Bush. John. That's Why God Made the Radio - The Beach Boys : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards. AllMusic. March 18, 2020.
  3. Web site: Bergstrom. John. The Beach Boys: That's Why God Made the Radio. PopMatters. September 17, 2020. June 4, 2012.
  4. Web site: Leahey. Andrew. LISTENING STATION: 'That's Why God Made the Radio,' The Beach Boys. The Washington Times. September 17, 2020. June 4, 2012.
  5. Web site: Phillimore. Alex. Album Review: The Beach Boys – That's Why God Made the Radio. Beats Per Minute. March 18, 2020. July 19, 2020.
  6. Web site: Beviglia. Jim. The Beach Boys: That's Why God Made The Radio. American Songwriter. Savage.Ventures. September 17, 2020. June 6, 2012.
  7. Web site: Farber. Jim. Album Review: The Beach Boys, 'That's Why God Made the Radio'. New York Daily News. September 17, 2020. June 12, 2012.
  8. Web site: Reed. Ryan. The Beach Boys: That's Why God Made the Radio. Paste. Paste Media Group. March 18, 2020. June 5, 2012.
  9. News: Petridis. Alexis. The Beach Boys: That's Why God Made the Radio – review. The Guardian. March 18, 2020. London. May 31, 2012.
  10. News: Roberts. Randall. Album review: The Beach Boys' 'That's Why God Made the Radio'. 18 March 2020. Los Angeles Times. June 5, 2012.
  11. Web site: Bush. John. That's Why God Made the Radio - The Beach Boys | Credits. AllMusic. June 5, 2012. September 17, 2020.