A previously unreleased a cappella mix of “All This Is That” is released today (11) by the Beach Boys as a new taster for the December 2 appearance of the Sail On Sailor – 1972 boxed set.
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The striking recording follows the recent, previously unreleased “Carry Me Home,” written and produced by Dennis Wilson, and the live recording from Carnegie Hall of “You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone.” All will be included in the much-anticipated new collection, which digs deep into the Beach Boys’ transformative era that yielded 1972’s Carl and The Passions “So Tough” and 1973’s Holland.
The new mix of “All This Is That” strips away the music to allow listeners to hear Al Jardine, Carl Wilson, and Mike Love’s pristine vocals and the whole group’s trademark harmonies exactly as they were recorded in the studio. The song was by those three group members and inspired by the Transcendental Meditation teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken.” Produced by Jardine and Carl Wilson, the band version was the penultimate track on Carl and the Passions – “So Tough.”
In 2013, Jardine told Rock Cellar magazine of the track and its inspiration: “It’s a real moving poem about choices, taking gambles rather than going the safe route. Someone turned me onto that poem so I went up on a little road in Big Sur right above my house by the Big Sur River, read it and I really got inspired.”
Coinciding with the release of the track and the imminent arrival of the boxed set, a new capsule collection of Sail On Sailor-inspired merchandise is launching today, featuring t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and more. The new apparel complements the Beach Boys’ recently-unveiled holiday merchandise line, which includes a variety of shirts and hoodies emblazoned with imagery from the band’s classic Christmas album, plus branded scarves, beanies, and ornaments. All the new offerings are available at their official store.
Pre-order Sail On Sailor – 1972, which is released on December 2.