That's Why God Made the Radio is the twenty-ninth studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on June 5, 2012, by Capitol Records.
[6] According to record producer Joe Thomas, Brian Wilson circa 2008 or 2010 inquired to him about demo tapes recorded during the sessions for Wilson's 1998 solo album Imagination which Thomas co-produced: "He called up and said I've got some ideas for some new Beach Boys songs, and I said, That’s great, and I pointed out to him that when we worked together several years ago he had the genesis of some other Beach Boys songs that he had never really wanted to put on any of his solo records.
"[7] One of these demos was an early version of the then-future title track "That's Why God Made the Radio".
[7] In the late 2000s, reports began to circulate that the surviving members of the Beach Boys would reunite for a 50th Anniversary tour and album.
Despite some uncertainty[9] and initial denials,[10] on December 16, 2011, it was announced that Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and David Marks would reunite for a new album and The Beach Boys 50th Anniversary Reunion Tour.
[14] Thomas described the making: He really wanted to do like a kind of reflection of California from the standpoint of a, you know, a guy who’s almost 70 years old.
[7] Classified as baroque pop,[15] many of the songs have a considerable history: "That's Why God Made the Radio" was written by Brian Wilson, Jim Peterik, Joe Thomas and Larry Millas back in the late 1990s,[14] and that "about 80 hours worth" of demo tapes were sourced from that period.
[16] "Spring Vacation" originated during Your Imagination and contained new lyrics by Love written reportedly in five minutes.
[14] Whereas songs like "From There to Back Again", "Isn't It Time", "Beaches in Mind", "Shelter" and "The Private Life of Bill and Sue" were written for the new album.
[7] During the band's June 15, 2012 show, a slight revision of "Isn't It Time" was performed, with some lyrics altered and a different vocal arrangement for the song's bridge.
Thomas explains his and Wilson's roles in production: Brian is still, as you would imagine, the taskmaster in terms of what people play.
[21] QVC gave away an exclusive eleven track greatest hits CD with the purchase of the album.
[23] Doin' It Again, an hour-long documentary that aired during the summer of 2012 on PBS, was released on DVD and Blu-ray August 28, 2012.
The documentary features a new biography with new interviews of the current lineup, footage of the band recording the new album, and live performances from the 50th anniversary tour.
In November 2012, a DVD and Blu-ray titled The Beach Boys Live in Concert: 50th Anniversary was released featuring a performance by the band from July 2012 in Phoenix, AZ.
[19] It received generally favorable reviews, and reviewers unanimously highlighted the album's four-song closing suite as its crowning moment,[25] which Consequence of Sound called "a funeral dirge full of majesty"[27] and The Guardian touted "the best thing Brian Wilson has put his name to in the last 30 years.
"[30] Some critics were disparaging of the other more upbeat and lighthearted tracks in comparison,[31][36][37] and one reviewer accused the band of using Auto-Tune.
[38] Others accredited the album's low points specifically to Mike Love's contributions,[33] as NOW Magazine wrote "Since 'Ronald Reagan-lite Love' thinks the Beach Boys’ best period was their most profitable, we get bankable early 60s simplicity and zero evidence that these guys were once the coolest, funniest, strangest guys in music.
"[39] Beats Per Minute summarized, "The album as a whole isn't flawless, yet by sounding utterly enchanting during its climax it leaves a listener feeling genuinely touched.