While “Good Vibrations” has been hailed as one of the most important songs in Rock and Roll history, few of today’s “pop” music fans may know of it or even be able to understand the layered composition that went into it.
Fortunately, Akashic Books has called on some of today’s hottest visual composers to help bring older classics (like the Beach Boys opus) back to the music-minded masses.
In this edition (which is depicted by comic and newspaper penner Paul Hoppe), a young boy surfs down the shore, laying down the titular vibes and inspiring people and even pets to get up and groove. As for those who cannot sing (or even speak) along, he gets them “bop”-ing too! And while a sense of melancholy wafts through the beachy scene, once the main character is reunited with that mysterious “her,” all is well again!
Be sure to watch for more read-along records, including Otis Redding’s original take on “Respect” (respectfully rendered by Rachel Moss), Erik B. and Rkim;’s seminal “Move the Crowd” (rapped up by Kirk Parrish), and Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna’ Take It” (with rebellious images by Margaret McCarthy). Though the songs may be old, the messages remain important, so if it takes comics to revive them, so be it!
- Matt Robinson
