Not the 1971 album, also self-titled, by Spring, a progressive rock group with the same name, this particular Spring is an excellent artifact from the world of
the Beach Boys, and is highly entertaining with much historical value. The album features
Marilyn Wilson-Rovell and
Diane Rovell, who Creem magazine managing editor
Ben Edmonds explains in his trippy liner notes were
the Rovell Sisters and
the Honeys, and is produced by
Marilyn's husband,
Brian Wilson. The gals stare out of the gatefold in a blurry blue hue -- an appropriate image for a disc that never got the notice it deserved. The album begins with "Tennessee Waltz," a two-minute version that puts the vocals front and center in a fusion that might be called "girl group folk music." Not as orchestrated as
the Beach Boys' thick harmonies and the all-pervasive carbon-copy wall of
Spector-ized sound, this is more like
Brian Wilson emulating
Spector's work with
the Teddy Bears, light and airy with the ladies' voices very present and in control. The major find here is track two, "Thinkin' 'Bout You Baby," written by
Wilson and
Mike Love. It is the song "Darlin'" in different form, and it is lovely hearing that melody with other lyrics and in this unique setting. Renditions of
the Shirelles' "Mama Said" and
Bonnie Bramlett's "Superstar" don't fare as well as the originals and more obscure tunes here though. On the popular covers they come off as a forced girl group, abandoning the folksy charm of the first two songs. They overdo a song that
Rita Coolidge made a name with, and if
Bramlett didn't like what
Karen Carpenter did to her song, she might take solace in the fact that at least this album stayed underground and was a tip of the hat to
Bramlett's songwriting genius.
Tommy Roe's "Everybody" gets a similar treatment to the group's version of "Mama Said," and at least the cover tunes give insight to what the group was attempting to do.