Background: Recorded in the spring of 1968 without Mike Love who had travelled to Rishikesh to study Transcendental Meditation, Friends was released in the US in June 1968, and in September in the UK. On his studio return to complete vocal recordings, Mike Love suggests the now ill-fated joint tour with The Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The Beach Boys had already embarked on a tour of the Southern US states earlier in the year, just as Martin Luther King was assassinated. Consequently, the tour was cancelled resulting in a huge financial loss. This ‘TM’ tour, their second attempt within a matter of months would include the Maharishi (not a crowd-puller as it turned out) giving lectures. The tour was cancelled after only seven shows, again incurring enormous financial loss to the band. Capitol release just one single from the album; the title track Friends. The single reaches No. 48 in the US and No. 25 in the UK, but album sales in the US are not helped by this modest achievement. Friends (release two months later) does not make an impact in the US and reaches the lowly position of No. 126 - the release and success of the US hit single, Do It Again can't even boost album sales . In the UK however where their fan base is still relatively in-tact, the UK single Do It Again hits the No.1 spot and the album reaches No. 13. For the US audience, Friends with its relaxed, laid-back songs and overall serene sound must have felt completely out of time in a turbulent 1968 America.

Review: Friends is a pleasant, relaxing, feel-good album - it is also incredibly short. It was the first album to be released in stereo with the mixing handled by engineer, Steve Desper who would later feature prominently on their follow-up albums.
In Friends, we see a return to the vocal harmonies of old, but it is still an oddly directionless album, and sets in motion what was to become a recurring trend in their subsequent releases. Not that Friends needs a theme as such, it’s just that it loses its flow somewhat.
From Mike Love’s opening vocals on Meant For You, the scene is set for a sequence of songs of love, from the Beach Boys to the listener. The title track, Friends is an example of the band returning to a more Beach Boys sound that was lacking in their previous albums. The vocal harmonies return, as does the clever instrumentation. Examples of this are Wake The World with its contrast from day into night created through musical imagery – day being dramatised by the cheerful tubas. As does Be Here In The Morning and When A Man Needs A Woman with its seaside organ sound. One of the Brian Wilson compositions, Passing By retained as an instrumental, rather than adding lyrics (although words were apparently written for it), is perhaps enhanced by having only the Brian and Carl Wilson humming vocal sounds. And Anna Lee, The Healer with its minimal use of instruments is a highlight of the album and exemplifies how a simple steady vocal over piano, bass and rudimentary percussion, can combine to create a fine rhythmic song.
Friends is also the first Beach Boys album to feature songs by Dennis Wilson. His two tracks written with Stephen Kalinich – Little Bird and Be Still stand out for both their emotional vocals by Dennis and poignant lyrics complimenting each other perfectly, the latter being particularly evocative with its solemn pleading against organ accompaniment. Brian Wilson’s autobiographical Busy Doin’ Nothin’ describing his day and directions to his house on Bellagio Road, is simple in its production, but quite brilliant, and Diamond Head with its complex arrangements and different segments is similar in parts to a 1967 Smile sound. Transcendental Meditation, placed as the concluder to an otherwise harmonious record, seems out of place and is an instantly forgettable final contribution – an odd inclusion as the album closer. Transcendental Meditation was of course being practiced by some of The Beach Boys, but the song itself seems to lose focus with the whole feel of the album both in the way it is structured and the general idiosyncratic sound of the song as a whole. For this track with a subject matter signifying peace, love and harmony, the resultant song is somewhat quirky, grating, and discordant.
Overall, Friends is a nice listen with pleasant relaxing songs. The production, as with many of the songs is a collaborative effort, although the Brian Wilson-sounding production techniques are evident particularly on his tracks. Friends is important in that it showcases the start of Dennis Wilson’s development as a songwriter and singer, and for the introduction of Steve Desper onto The Beach Boys scene.

Highlights: Meant For You, Friends, Little Bird, Be Still, Busy Doin’ Nothin’, Anna Lee, The Healer

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