Carl and the Passions: "So Tough" by The Beach Boys

Album cover for Carl and the Passions: "So Tough" - The Beach Boys

Carl and the Passions – "So Tough" is the eighteenth studio album by The Beach Boys, released in 1972. Upon initial release, it was the second disc of a two-album set, with Pet Sounds as the first of the set (which The Beach Boys were able to license from Capitol Records). Because Carl and the Passions – "So Tough" was a transitional album that saw the departure of one member and the introduction of two new ones, the result was a sound that was largely new ground for the band. It's been speculated that Carl and the Passions – "So Tough" was either scheduled to be released, or re-released, as a single album. A Warner/Reprise catalogue number, MS 2090, had been assigned to this single disc release, but nothing came of it. The album was released as a standalone album in Europe on Reprise Records. The title of the album was a reference to an early band Carl Wilson had been in as a teenager. It was also the first album released under a new deal with Warner Bros. that allowed the company to distribute all future Beach Boys product in foreign as well as domestic markets.