The reviews have been pretty mixed and relatively apathetic, but I have grown to really love the new Beach Boys album.
I think people have simply lost all interest in the same music they loved in the past. If Paul McCartney put out an album every bit as good as "Abbey Road", I am convinced it would flop. Abbey Road was great at that moment in time and is considered a classic - in today's market I believe it would flop.
Look at the new Van Halen album. It is every bit as good, and in some ways better, than any other Van Halen album from the 1980s. However, the moment in time when Van Halen was great is over, so no one seems to like the new album. I love it! I had my Zune on random while working in the yard yesterday and when one of the new Van Halen songs came on, at first I didn't recognize who it was and I fell in love with what I was hearing. Once I realized it was Van Halen, I loved it even more.
I guess you simply cannot go back.