“Sloop John B” Live At Capitol Studios

While the Beach Boys were always a unique and ground-breaking band during their peak years, the group can be quite ragged live lately. I hate to say it, but sometimes you get the feeling that it’s mailing it in. That said, this video shows that from a performance angle, the band’s still got it. It’s a live recording of the band’s hit “Sloop John B” done a month or two ago at Capitol Studios. Even Brian Wilson is in relatively good voice, and the band’s signature soaring harmony vocals are very much in evidence.

Of course, any time you see pictures of Capitol, it’s always fun to check out the vintage gear. In this case, the U47 on Brian is very cool, and could well have been used to record Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin in the distant past.

Anyway, it’s a really good performance for a band that’s been doing to for 50 years (even if there’s only 2 original guys left here).