Carl and the Passions So Tough

| The Beach Boys

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76.9%
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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 on May 15, 1972. The album is frequently considered a transitional album for the band, with the addition of Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar on guitar and drums, respectively, and long-time member Bruce Johnston departing during its initial sessions. The initial American pressings of the album included the band's 1966 studio album, Pet Sounds, as a bonus record. It has been speculated that Carl and the Passions "So Tough" was either scheduled to be released, or re-released, as a single album. A Warner/Reprise catalogue number, MS 2090, had been assigned to this single disc release, but nothing came of it. The album was released as a standalone album in Europe on Reprise Records. Carl and the Passions was Brian Wilson and Mike Love's high school band. This was the first album released under a new deal with Warner Bros. that allowed the company to distribute all future Beach Boys product in foreign as well as domestic markets. -WIKIPEDIA

Critic Reviews

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  • RollingStone

    1972 - So Tough’s insurmountable problem is that only four of the eight cuts fall into the subtly specialized class of “acceptable” Beach Boy material. 

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  • sputnik music

    2018 - No dirty little secret, but a dusty one nonetheless.  

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  • ALL MUSIC

    cycles through all manner of roots-based rock; Fataar and Chaplin lead the band through a bluesy number ("Here She Comes") and a country song complete with steel guitar ("Hold On Dear Brother"), while Mike Love exercises his spiritual side on the gospel-inspired "He Came Down." 

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  • blogcritics

    2008 - was not commercially successful and in this case probably deservedly so.  

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  • Sean is Here

    2009 - there’s a lot of good stuff. 

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  • the uncool

    So Tough finds some excellent music with no trace of anything left over from the Pet Sounds days. 

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  • Alan's Album Archives

    At turns thought provoking, beautiful, haunting, frustrating, forgettable, petty and pretty, ‘So Tough’ packs quite a lot into it’s 34 minutes and eight songs. Sometimes it really is the quiet albums you want to watch! 

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  • Starling Rinet

    One hell of a reinvention. Is it the Band or James Taylor they're trying to one-up here?  

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  • Wilson & Alroy's Record Review

    lyrically vapid, gospel-inspired Mike/Carl anthems ("All This Is That"), and aimless, overproduced Dennis Wilson/Daryl Dragon epics. 

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  • Don Ignacio

    There are too many amazing moments in this album for you to pass it by.  

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  • John McFerrin Music Reviews

    I don't dislike any individual song on here, and I really like some of them, so why wouldn't I give this a solidly decent grade? I wouldn't seek this out before listening to about ten other Beach Boys albums. 

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  • Mark Prindle

    In the words of world-famous web site maintainer Rich Bunnell, "I can't tell whether it's a great album, or just really really bad."  

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  • Aphoristic Album Reviews

    Carl and the Passions pulls in a lot of directions over its 34 minute running time and feels thin and disparate.  

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