Carlton/Miami, Florida
Surf's Up is a masterful piece that stirs the soul very deeply. The lyrics reflect the pain of Brian Wilson in breaking away from the Mike Love-led opposition to his departure from the surf music that was so successful (hence, the lyrics: "surf's up aboard a tidal wave... come about hard..."). Thankfully, Smile is now a tremendous hit in 2006!

Jamie, Chicago
This song is a ghost. Enormous but precise, powerful but delicate, a spectre of what might have been.

Michael Whiston, Culter/Aberdeen
Simply the most emotive lyric and beautiful arrangement these ears have ever heard. Avoids being saccharine by the simplicity of the message. One straight for the heart.

Lois - Andover, Hants
This is one of my favourite songs of all time, and I still feel emotional, every time I hear it, even after 35 years of listening!

Tom, Zagreb
regarding the lyric "are you sleepy, brother John?" ... I believe that it was a reference to another Beatles' song "I'm Only Sleeping" off "Revolver" - an album Brian was probably most influenced by while creating SMiLE, before The Beatles came with Sgt.Pepper!It could not have been a reference to John's "I'm So Tired" because John wrote it in India, probably a year after Brian/Van Dyke did "Surf's Up" ...

Pete Fenelon, York
Wilson rivals all the complexity of Bach at his finest here, with exquisite vocals. Ravishing.

Chris Melbourne
Yes yes yes, so everyone knows how great this song is, and everyone does somersaults over the lyrics, but no-one attempts to interpret those words... I kindly request that we take the discussion into the direction of an interpretation of Surf's Up.

Trevor Jones, Wellingborough
Just beautiful from beginning to end. Even the humming is beautiful!

Ian Jennings, Kansas City
A great track, taken from a legendary album. I've played this track to many friends, and they are surprised the Beach Boys made tracks like this, they had never heard of the album, let alone this track. That's a shame as it deserves to be right up there with the best. This to me, was Carl Wilson's album though. His singing was at its prime God rest his soul.He deserved to live longer than 51.

john, county kildare, ireland.
im lucky to have the 2 in 1 sunflower/surf's up cd. what a gift! surf's up is the closing track and the icing on a truly mesmirising cake. my emotional health imprved 101% when i discovered there was so more to the beach boys than silly 2 minute frat boy songs. here is the proof. do your soul a favour......

Beach Boy, Manchester
Columnated ruins domino! A full-blown musical masterpiece from the great visionary, Brian Wilson. Van Dyke Parks provides some of his greatest lyrics to complete an astonishing piece of music/work of art. 10/10.

Ian Jennings
The album, 'Surf's Up,' is to me, simply the best the Beach Boys ever did. It is Carl Wilson at his very best. If you don't know this album, try it. Forget the early surf type stuff, this is far more prgressive for those times. This has two really good tracks; Long Promised road; great lyrics, and one of the earliest progressive-rock songs;Feel Flows. a lot of people i know who heard this for the first time, never even knew the B.B made songs as good as this.

Rob from Tamworth
With the now completed SMiLE it leaves magic floating around the speakers it came from. SMiLE is the ultimate album of truly breath taking music, as they say the best things come to those who wait and the backup Wondermints are truly great themselves.

Michal/Warsaw
First time you hear it - you think "What's the fuss about?" Five hearings later, you are haunted. Utterly beautiful.

Kenny
this song rocks. no doubt. just wanted to add that the 'sleepy little john' part is in reference to Lennon's 'tired' song... what? it's 'i'm tired' or something... yeah, ya know Brian was totally into the Beatles.. but man, Beach Boys rock. this song shows where Brian was at... he was truly a one-man show.... this proves it... he could do everything. We love Brian!!!

Paul London
So achingly beautiful and staggering complex. This song is another example of the absolute genius of Brian Wilson.

Hugh
Surf's Up, was perhaps the greatest musical achievement of Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys: To this extent, one of the best popular musical songs ever written. It is hauntingly beautiful, has lyrics that are as complex as they are logical, and it will always be a benchmark for musical perfection. It challenges anything The Beatles wrote, and demonstrates Brian Wilson's ultimate realisation. Pop' perfection.

Angus, Luton
Surf's Up is magestic, quite simply the fact that rock luminaries state it is their favourite song speaks volumes. And now that Brian Wilson HAS completed Smile we can hear Surf's Up in context...it only adds to the beauty.