The Beach Boys - Landlocked (1970)

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The bootleg called Landlocked by the Beach Boys is a much circulated, rejected version of what would eventually become Sunflower. After leaving Capitol Records in 1969, the band compiled an album's worth of demos and recordings for approval by their new label. In 1970 Warner/Reprise smartly demanded that the band continue work on new songs. The Beach Boys went back to the drawing board, abandoning the Landlocked songs at the time. (A second rejected "version" is available in bootleg form as Add Some Music to Your Day.)

Some of the songs in Landlocked remained unreleased for decades while others made their way onto future Beach Boys albums. "Take a Load off Your Feet," "'Til I Die," and "Lookin' at Tomorrow" were first heard on Landlocked but made it onto Surf's Up. "Good Time" was eventually recorded for Love You, "Big Sur" was released on Holland, and Mike Love's "When Girls Get Together" was heard on 1980's classic Keepin' the Summer Alive. Other songs like "I Just Got My Pay" stayed in a vault until the release of the Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of the Beach Boys box set in 1993. Standout tracks include "Loop De Loop" which was a collaboration between Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks (later heard on Endless Summer Soundtrack) and "Lady" which was a Dennis Wilson composition.

Clearly, this is a record for diehards only. It is worth tracking down for Beach Boys fans who are interested in their recording process, especially in the post-Pet Sounds world where other members like Dennis and Al Jardine began taking a more active role in the group. Landlocked is the only time when these songs fit into their original context. To that end the well-developed demo of "'Til I Die" is fascinating. It is perhaps the best song on this bootleg and fit in perfectly on their 1971 album. But here is where it first appeared. - AMG