The Smiley Smile Message Board

Hi, I'm just gonna do what I have done on PSF....

This is a thread to discuss and rate every Beach Boys song that have already released day by day.

(Except these kind of songs:
 ・Any kinds of live recordings
 ・Alternate Versions and demos (with the exception of Be True To Your School, Back Home, Do It Again (1969 ver. and 2012 ver)
 ・Outtakes from Party! sessions
 ・Obviously incomplete and way too short songs (ex. Little Surfer Girl))

And we'll have a poll to rate the song from 1 to 5 every day. After finishing doing an album, we'll have a discussion for the whole album for one day. We move to the next song every 9:00 p.m.

Hope you enjoy!  :)

You can check the list of the songs to discuss here:http://petsoundsforum.com/thread/1225/discuss-beach-boys-information-thread (http://petsoundsforum.com/thread/1225/discuss-beach-boys-information-thread)
If you have any feedback or suggestions for this thread, please let me know either on this thread or by PM.

◎Surfin' Safari(1962)
1. Surfin' Safari
2. County Fair
3. Ten Little Indians
4. Chug-A-Lug
5. Little Girl（You're My Miss America)
6. 409
7. Surfin'
8. Heads You Win-Tails I Lose
9. Summertime Blues
10. Cuckoo Clock
11. Moon Dawg
12. The Shift

[Non-Album Tracks]
Luau
Lavender
Judy
Beach Boy Stomp (a.k.a. Karate)
Barbie
What Is The Young Girl Made Of
Cindy, Oh Cindy
Land Ahoy
Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring

Forgive me with including two songs(Barbie and What Is The Young Girl Made of) that are not actual Beach Boys songs. I included them to the list because generally they're regarded as Beach Boys tracks.

Today's song is Surfin' Safari.

Video: https://youtu.be/VLXvATxHHiQ (https://youtu.be/VLXvATxHHiQ)

It's 3. Not favorite "classic". It grew on me for short while, then again outgrew. Sth. bores me about it.

Love it when Mike's voice breaks----there's a touch of desperation in it (like "nothing lasts for ever").

"Surfin' Safari" was my first encounter with the Boys in (gulp) '62. The UK music paper NME had a Billboard Top 20 and there it was at #20. Not that I ever heard it then----I had to wait 40 years for that...

Anyway, got a soft spot for it. 5.

I'm not the biggest fan of this song, but you have to admit it played a large role in the Beach Boy story. Because of that I think it gets a 4/5

An evolution from 'Surfin'', just as 'Surfin' USA' would be over this song soon. A fun kickstart to the boys' musical odyssey, a safari that in many ways has never ended. Uh, yeah, it's a classic.

Surfin' Safari: 5/5 Classic. Love everything about it.


What time zone?

It's UTC+9 here in Japan.
9:00 pm in Japan is:
1:00 pm in Britain
3:00 pm in Moscow
10:00 pm in Vladivostok and Sydney
0:00 am in New Zealand
5:00 am in Los Angeles
8:00 am in New York


Due to my personal reason, changing the poll could be later or earlier than scheduled.

5/5 Surfin Safari

I've always been obsessed with that second strum of the guitar in the opening - it sounds so California, so full; and I just picture Murry in the booth yelling at David to stop fucking with the treble so they can get that perfect Surfin sound ;D

Two things really pop out at me though: Dennis on the drums: that guy must've put in some hard work to learn the drums so fast for this band. To be under the pressure of performing live and being recorded for mass produced records by Capitol (one of the most famous record companies out there), all while knowing you've barely played the drums....the guy was always destined for greatness.

Second. This track really showcases what the vocals brought to these songs. Firstly, it's one damn catchy vocal hook (not to mention the lyrics playing a major role). Mike sings the whole song with that distinct voice that helped these guys stand out. The rest of the harmonies are perfect - proving to the world this wasn't just another surfing band, but perhaps these guys had more to offer.

Your ratings for Surfin' Safari:
1...1 vote
2...0 vote
3...2 votes
4...2 votes
5...2 votes→3 votes

Edited. Thanks B.E. for letting me know.

Today's song is County Fair.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jywVEmOk1PY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jywVEmOk1PY)

2. The girl voice annoys me biiiig time. It sure's fun but boring fun, if it makes sense.

That's a hilarious video choice.

Oops, that was fake! Thanks to let me know.

'Count Fair' is filler. I suppose it's the first Beach Boys filler track. Still, it's an oddly fun listen, every now and then. 2.5., or if we can only do whole number ratings, a 2.

I really like this song, but it's not one I'd suggest listening to on a loop! I rate it a 3.5, but for the purposes of this thread I'll give it a reluctant 3. I think Andrea's and Mike's voices were perfect for this song. Mike's vocal perfectly reflects the mood of the song. Goodbye muscles, indeed!

I like it. Bit of a downer ending to the story but "Muscles" doesn't seem too concerned.

That fairground organ effect is spot on. According to AGD, apparently it's Mike supplying the "barker's spiel" rather than Nick.

Brian took it to greater heights later on with "I Do", but "CF " is still a felicitous second track on the Boys' debut.

5.

Why 5? Well, anything I really don't like is gonna get a 4. So there!  ;D 

What? This is literally 1st time I read this rubbish. It doesn't sound like Mike at all & it's been said many times here in archived threads that it's Nick Venet.

Your ratings for County Fair:
1...0 vote
2...3 votes
3...1 vote
4...0 vote
5...1 vote

Today's song is Ten Little Indians.
Video: https://youtu.be/r9-OrJnt1O4 (https://youtu.be/r9-OrJnt1O4)

Watamushi, you don't have to post vids to songs. We know what they sound like.

I'm glad "County Fair" got 3 "2" ratings. As it should.

When I 1st listen to Surfin' Safari, "Ten Little Indians" was the song I liked the best. It still is that way. It's catchy & sunny. 5.

I know most people have listened to the stuff, but there can be some newer fans who are willing to join this thread though are familiar with not all the albums.

I post the link for videos of songs for them.

I'd give a 3 to Ten Little Indians. It's pleasant and catchy, but a little embarrassing.

'Ten Little Indians' is yet more filler, although one could argue on this and Surfin' USA are so early that the filler is the normal stuff, unlike, say, The Beach Boys Today. Anyway, this tune is total "meh"-ville, like unfortunately most of Surfin' Safari.

Your ratings for Ten Little Indians:
1...1 vote
2...0 vote
3...1 vote
4...1 vote
5...2 votes

Today's song is Chug-a-Lug

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuYOT7wu8gA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuYOT7wu8gA)

It's 1. Fluff.

Btw, glad TLI got more 5's than other rating. Jolly good! :3d

I used to think that "Ten Little Indians" was a poor choice of follow-up single to 'Surfin' Safari" although after hearing the entire album it's obvious that Capitol didn't have an awful lot of potential hit material to choose from!

I remember seeing it briefly in the "bubbling under" section of the Cashbox charts in an UK music mag at the time...

It's innocuous enough, I suppose. And like most BB stuff it's brief. I'll give it a 4.       

Would you like to add a 4 to those ratings? I was too late to catch the poll----and they say time stands still in cyberspace! ;D

Done!

I kinda dig 'Chug a Lug'. The roughshod harmonies on the chorus have an odd charm about them. I'll give it a 3.

"Brian's still glued to the radio..."

I was thinking about this very topic yesterday. I've always enjoyed Ten Little Indians. After Surfin' Safari and Surfin', it's right up there with Little Girl (You're My Miss America) and Chug-A-Lug as one of my favorites on the album. As you can guess, I'm particularly fond of Side 1.

Ten Little Indians / County Fair was indeed the follow-up single to Surfin' Safari (#14, 17 weeks) and Surfin' (#75, 6 weeks) and was a moderate success. It reached #49 and spent 8 weeks on the charts. It was quite successful (top 30) in certain regions of the US, such as, the Midwest and Philly/AC. The only other song that I would have considered off the already released Surfin' Safari album would have been Chug-A-Lug. I started considering this once I read that, apparently, Brian was in favor of releasing it as the 3rd single. It's a fun song (especially to sing-a-long to) with great bass vocals. As Summer_Days points out, it's (oddly) charming. Also, it veers away from surfing, but not so much from their target audiences everyday life and the California image (as Ten Little Indians does). It's a fun way to introduce the general public to the members of the band before introducing their trademark sound with Surfin' USA a few months later. I don't think Chug-A-Lug would been a huge hit, but I think it may have inched a little closer to the top 40. While, it's fun to think about it, I also don't think it matters! Nothing was going to change what was about to happen.

Additionally, you are right, JK, Ten Little Indians is brief. Clocking in at just under 90 seconds. That seems a little too short for a single. Chug-A-Lug was more appropriately about 2:00 minutes long. That got me curious about the shortest songs to chart and I found this article...
http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7549893/longest-shortest-hot-100-hits-kendrick-lamar-beyonce
According to this article, the fifth shortest song to chart clocked in at 1:20 and the article further states that "Stay" (which went to #1) narrowly missed the top 5 at 1:38, so no matter how you look at it, Ten Little Indians was one short, somewhat successful single.

I give Ten Little Indians and Chug-A-Lug 3.5

2 B.E.: You enjoy "Ten Little Indians", yet gave it 3.5. Therein lies difference - I rate songs seclusively, i.e. don't compare between them. You seem to do this: like song, it can be even favorite album track but give it 3.5 as "5" is songs like GOK etc. Correct?

Damn, wish I was aware of this thread earlier. Chug A Lug's pretty meh, and I don't really care for Ten Little Indians at all. County Fair however is an early favourite of mine - a product of a bygone era - while Surfin' Safari is a solid classic.

Cool you joined. Post here, people. :3d

Glad you noticed. Enjoy discussing & rating  :-D

Your ratings for Chug-a-Lug:
1...1 vote
2...2 votes
3...3 votes
4...0 vote
5...0 vote

Today's song is Little Girl (You're My Miss America).

Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN8VhQaR8bI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN8VhQaR8bI)

5. It's charming. Early Dennis' vocals are very wonderful, youthful & just great. Too bad he didn't keep that voice.

Really nothing special, but it's enjoyable. 4/5

This sums it up for me, although I gave it a 4. The song is also like County Fair undoubtedly a product of its time, which in this case also adds to the appeal IMO. They just don't make 'em like this anymore  :lol

I agree with RR, bummerinparadise, and Unreconstructed Wilsonite...enjoyable song, with an endearing vocal by Dennis. Unfortunately, for me, Mike's vocal seems a bit off. I think he could have sung it better. Still, I rate it a 3.5. It's right at home on Surfin' Safari. Very charming.


That's right, RR. If I'm reviewing or rating a song or album, whether it be in this thread or the album reviews section, I am trying to think more-or-less objectively and am comparing them to other songs on the album, other BB albums, and even other popular music. However, in threads such as Beatles Survivor and Battle of the Songs, my only concern is my preference. It's entirely subjective. I voted against Drive My Car 11 times in a row because it literally is (by a VERY slim margin) my least favorite song on Rubber Soul, not because I necessarily think it's the "worst".

I really like Dennis' vocals on this one too. A certain youthful sweetness about this song and his performance. What the hell, a 3.

The original has more oomph in my opinion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YJqS2Q6etM

The Boys simplify it considerably. Nothing to write home about but engaging in its way.

4.   

Your ratings for Little Girl:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...1 vote
4...3 votes
5...2 votes

Today's song is 409.

Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuUfidbM_nM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuUfidbM_nM)

The other great song on the album. True, the boys' later car songs would eclipse this one, but it's still a fun listen. Rev 'er up, Mr. Usher! Give it a 4.5 if I could, so....a 5.

Yes, a 5 from me too. Any song with "positraction" in it deserves full marks.

Could this be the only hit song with real-life car noises on it (as opposed to stuff from a sound effects library)? There can't be too many of them around...

There were some car noises on J&D's Drag City as well if I remember correctly.

I kind of like 409. Not a great composition per se but the words and the music match really well, which is nice.

Your ratings for 409:
1...0 vote
2...1 votes
3...1 vote
4...1 vote
5...2 votes

Today's song is Surfin'.

The one that started it all. How could anyone not like it?!  5.

What strikes me as fascinating about this song isn't the song itself, but rather the progression from how awful the first home demo recording is to how smooth the final version sounds. Same guys, same instruments, same voices, but they get it so tight and together for that final recording. Also, how many bands were able to record their progression from their very first meet-up to getting to record in a studio with the same song? It kinda reminds me of Bob Dylan's recordings when he borrowed his friend's cassette recorder to hear his own voice...it ain't that good at all, but with time and practice you can do anything (a good life lesson in these early recordings).

As for the song, the melody is really kickass, the harmonies are on point, and Mike knocks it out of the park with his first lead vocal. I really wonder what this would've sounded like had Brian recorded it with Capitol, with him at the helm after gaining a lot of experience (double tracking, actual drums, etc).

I find 1967 Lei'd in Hawaii version of Surfin' much catchier and more interesting.

This one, however, gets 4 from me. My favourite over the title track and 409

I totally forget what the Lei'd version sounds like. Gives me an excuse to pull my boots out again soon.

"Surfin'"=5. Cool song.

Your ratings for Surfin':
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...0 vote
4...2 votes
5...3 votes

The song for next three days is Head You Win- Tails I Lose.

Notice: I will not be able to log in here from tomorrow to next Saturday evening, so the poll will go on until that day.

Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvPIKMJTDI8  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvPIKMJTDI8)

3. Features dreadful Mike vocal. If not it, could be 5.

2Watamushi: Too big letters - can you minimize them a bit?

'Heads You Win - Tails I Lose' is, again, filler but it's not really all that good filler like some of the other things on this album. It's just meh. Inoffensive and forgettable. 2.

Thanks to Watamushi for minimizing letters, by my request. Much better.

It's time for next song. :police:

Not quite. ;D

"HYWTIL" is quite acceptable fare for a debut album whose producer can't get out of the studio quick enough ("Bobby's waiting!")...

It's Easter, so I slipped in a sneaky five. :hat

Your ratings for Head You Win- Tails I Lose:
1...0 vote
2...2 votes
3...1 vote
4...0 vote
5...1 vote

Today's song is Summertime Blues.

Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZmNWU0QEhI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZmNWU0QEhI)

1 star. Didn't do justice with this boring cover. Btw, disagree with fans about Carl sounding different than GOK & late 60s vocals - baloney. His voice is the same, blame it [the seeming "difference"] on lightweight character of songs (""All Dressed Up for School", "Pom Pom Play Girl"). It changed during 70s.

David's in there, isn't he? Singing, I mean. That's deserving of 5 points in itself.

Did the Everlys ever sing this? It sounds much more like their vocal style than Eddie's. I like it. 

Your ratings for Summertime Blues:
1...3 votes
2...1 vote
3...1 vote
4...0 vote
5...1 vote

Today's song is Cuckoo Clock.

'Cuckoo Clock' is rather pointless, like 'Summertime Blues'. The only thing of note is Brian's early falsetto vocal, rough though it is. It's got nothing on his chorus vocal on 'Surfin' USA'. An odd little thing. 2.

If I'm not mistaken, "Cuckoo Clock" is the first officially released BB track to feature Brian's falsetto, surreptitiously sneaked into an unsuspecting world of pop on the back of a mechanical toy.

I know for a fact that Bugs the mod describes it somewhere as "crap"----a little unfair, in my opinion. How could any song that includes the line "I broke the cuckoo's heart" be crap?  ;D

Most entertaining. 5.

Your ratings for Cuckoo Clock:
1...2 votes
2...0 vote
3...1 vote
4...0 vote
5...1 vote

Today's song is Moon Dawg.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTVpdKLZ0aQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTVpdKLZ0aQ)

Another first, this time in the matter of officially released BB instrumentals. That's worth more than 4 in my book. ;D 


For what it's worth, this is from a ten-year-old post of mine on the Capitol Board regarding the original version:

I see Derry Weaver was the lead guitarist with The Gamblers, who did the original. If he really was present at the BB session as Badman (and the union log) claims, couldn't he have played lead on the BB's version of his tune?

Curiously, Doe & Tobler state that DW was a pseudonym for Nik Venet, who did the yelping and howling on that track.

And, lo and behold... I found this:

MOON DAWG! - The Gamblers [2:15] (Derry Weaver)
DERRY WEAVER: lead guitar
ELLIOT INGBER [later of The Mothers/Magic Band]: rhythm guitar
BRUCE JOHNSTON [later of...]: piano
LARRY TAYLOR [later of Canned Heat]: bass
ROD SCHAFFER: drums
NIK VENET: dog howls
Produced by NIK VENET
World Pacific single #815 (1960).

Another source credits Sandy Nelson as drummer on #815; and that Leon Russell played piano----as well as Bruce, apparently----which is possible judging from the full, almost Spectorian sound.

'Moon Dog' is a decent cover of the original classic. While I run hot and cold on The Beach Boys' surf instrumentals, this one is all right.

3.

"Moon Dawg" is boring. The melody, performance etc. I'd give it 0, really.

Your ratings for Moon Dawg:
1...2 votes
2...1 vote
3...0 vote
4...0 vote
5...1 vote

Today's song is The Shift.

Aha! Arguably my favourite track on the album. And this was my first ever entry on the now-defunct Capitol Board dd. December 28th, 2004:

I have often wondered why no-one (to my knowledge) has ever mentioned "The Shift" as a pointer to the future. Most reviews quickly dismiss it as "a fashion statement by Brian and Mike" or words to that effect. On the face of it, the main tune is a 12-bar blues (I I I I IV IV I I V IV I V). However, Brian "shifts" the key up a whole tone in bar 3 and back down again in bar 12 (in Carl's solo too). As far as I know this is unique----no-one else has ever done this. Still, we're talking about Brian Wilson so perhaps it's not so surprising after all.

'Nuff said. 5.

Super late to the rodeo, so to speak.
Ratings for songs so far: Surfin Safari -5; County Fair- 2; Ten Little Indians -2; ChugaLug -4; Little Girl -4; 409-4;  Surfin-5; Heads You Win- 2; Summertime Blues-3; Cuckoo Clock -3; Moon Dawg-3.
Based my ratings on a bunch of teenagers (except for Mike) recording their debut in 1962, less than a year after the group formed, with the vast majority of songs bring originals.
Even the worst songs, the ones I rated "2", are redeemed with good harmonies.

The Shift - 2. Maybe I should listen to it again based on John's post about how Brian composed it. The lyrics are a big "ugh" to me though.

1. Throwaway ditty.

A tad better than throwaway. 2.

I gotta remind myself to rate each track on the above scale, I keep forgetting. Was wondering why my scores weren't being counted. Duh.

Your ratings for The Shift:
1...3 votes
2...2 votes
3...0 vote
4...0 vote
5...1 vote

Today we have discussion on the entire 'Surfin' Safari' album.

3 - good start.

Hardly up to the standard of The Beatles' debut but yes, a good start.

In view of the fact that I'll be giving most other albums a 5, Surfin' Safari gets a 4 from me.

When I stop and consider the evolution of Brian's music in a mere 4 years, I'm just flabbergasted. Who could've guessed that the guys who barely bashed out this album would go on to record stuff like Pet Sounds, 'Good Vibrations' and SMiLE only a handful of albums down the road.

On Surfin' Safari the boys sound hungry and eager as they begin to paddle out for the first time.

Certainly an interesting start. 3.

Your ratings for the album Surfin' Safari:
1...1 vote
2...0 vote
3...5 votes
4...1 vote
5...0 vote

Today's song is Luau.
Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=own6EYZIo5Y (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=own6EYZIo5Y)

3 - not bad, better than the worst songs in Surfin' Safari. Again, since I like Dennis' early vocs, it's nice to hear "girls with a hoola". & staccato "lu-lu-lu-lu-luau" is catchy some.

Your ratings for Luau:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...4 votes
4...1 vote
5...0 vote

Today's song is Lavender.

3
Don't care much for the song, but the Boys make the most of it with nice, tight harmonies.

The exquisitely beautiful shortie. It displays BBs ability to combine voices in beautiful way. Favorite "Lost & Found" track. 5. Btw, Dorinda is good name.

Your ratings for Lavender:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...1 vote
4...1 votes
5...3 votes

Today's song is Judy.

Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUCLBqWGfbo  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUCLBqWGfbo)

Nice little diddy, but not a fan of the vocal arrangement on this one. 2/5

Yes, me too give 2. Nice Brian vocal, that's about it.

Btw, really glad "Lavender" got 5's & 4's & no low rating.  Thanks, folks! :police:

Your ratings for Judy:
1...0 vote
2...3 votes
3...0 vote
4...1 vote
5...0 vote

Today's song is Beach Boys Stomp.

What's with people anonymously rating song without posting? Even thread says "Discuss".

1. Boring.

Just to make your day, RR, I gave "Lavender" 4 points without ever having heard it. I heard it later, and regretted not having given it 5 points.

"Beach Boy (singular) Stomp" choogles along very nicely. 5.

Then Watamushi must edit the "Lavender" post. It should be "5...3 votes" & "4...1 vote". Then it gets more 5's as it should. I'm glad you hear the beauty in it.
But I say that we should discuss songs. If you liked "Lavender", you should've said what you think of it, describe etc. & everybody who joined this game should continue posting. Not keep silence.

I give Beach Boy stomp a 4. Maybe more than it warranted but I liked the guitar solo (done by Carl?)
Their stopping, then shouting "Karate!" gave me a chuckle.

I agree about adding a comment when people vote, even if it's just "Nice" or "Boring".

But not all of us have all day to discuss, describe, etc. I think Watamushi must have discovered some extra hours beyond the standard 24. :lol

Edited. Thanks for pointing that out.

As for your opinion on 'discussing songs', of course, I'm looking forward to seeing more of proper discussions on this thread, but not everyone has enough time to make a post in a day. Take a look at the same thread on PSF, then you'll find out I rarely post reviews on songs there. But I vote almost every day. I guess there must be some participants who play the game like me. Even the starter of the thread doesn't post reviews everyday, so why on earth do its participants have to post their opinions when they vote? Let's say, to each their own :)

Having no extra hours is one of the reasons why I can't post my opinion on the song every day ;D

Thank you! & yes, to each their own. Btw, isn't it time (pun intended) to the new LY track discussion?

Your ratings for Beach Boy Stomp:
1...2 votes
2...0 vote
3...0 vote
4...1 vote
5...0 vote

Today's song is Barbie:
the video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dRn3DYydAQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dRn3DYydAQ)

Glad you've understood :)
And that's right, it's high time I had to make the new discussion on LY thread, plus, Al composition thread you've suggested.　(do you remember?) Again, I'll do that soon.

Thanks for listening to my Al idea.

"Barbie" is 5 - terrific Brian lead & backing.

Your ratings for Barbie:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...0 vote
4...1 vote
5...2 votes

Today's song is What is the Young Girl Made of.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nbzSh6wEpo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nbzSh6wEpo)

"WIAYGMO" reminds me of at least one hit of that time, which I can't place right now (I'll keep thinking).

That high-sung phrase, "That's what you are", particularly the inflection of "are", sounds naggingly familiar (a Buddy Holly song perhaps?). That's the hook, at all events.

Sterling, joyous stuff deserving of more than 4 points. :=) 

This is 5 star - fun choon with cool catchy simple guitar riff.

Wow, great stuff. I'll give it a 5.

And love that falsetto that comes out of nowhere.

Your ratings for What is the Young Girl Made of?
1...0 vote
2...1 vote
3...1 vote
4...0 vote
5...4 votes

Today's song is Cindy, oh, Cindy.

Cool! Majority voted "5" for "Young girl made of". Well done, folks.

After listening many artists' covers, this "Cindy" is def the best. The BBs did it a bit differently, added tempo, showed the youthfulness. 5.

Am I in time?!

I haven't discovered a version of "COC" that sounds remotely as upbeat as the Boys'.

Love Brian's falsetto warblings.

5.

Wolf howl & hiccup

Well put!

Your ratings for Cindy, Oh, Cindy:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...0 vote
4...0 vote
5...4 votes

Today's song is Land Ahoy.
Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MF0BBqlGrs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MF0BBqlGrs)

Great early interplay of voices there in the chorus. (I like the flattened seventh in the A chord.) And any song with handclaps during the solo does it for me. 5.

Your ratings for Land Ahoy:
1...0 vote
2...2 votes
3...0 vote
4...0 vote
5...1 vote

Today's song is their Hearts were Full of Spring.

one of my favorite things they have always done, wish the boys did more in this style.
5/5.  Better than the 'freshman' in my opinion.  how Brian worked these intricate things out
at his age, still baffles and excites me.  I'd love an 'accapella' BB/BW album!

Yes, it is baffling how Brian and the Boys could pull off anything as breathtakingly complex as this. I will forever associate "THWFOS" with "Can't Wait Too Long", the following bonus track on the SS/WH 2fer. It's like stepping out of an intimate chamber into a lush green landscape. But I digress. 5.
   

Absolutely! Couldn't agree more! In fact, it's probably the thing I miss most about the BBs after '66.

I love all versions of Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring. I would love to know if there's a story behind the BBs altered arrangement. The early demo, A Young Man Is Gone, and the Andy Williams Show performance are all faithful to the Freshman (as far as I can tell), but starting in 1967 the boys sing that upward swell on the final "full" and continue to sing it that way to this day. The original arrangement sounds like the top voice holds the note while the other 3 parts move downward. The altered arrangement has everyone moving upward (fu^ll). It sounds this way in '67 and Live In London. Then at some point Mike reverted to moving downward while the other three parts swell upward (which sounds great!). I really miss the altered arrangement when I listen to the earlier versions. They sound so pedestrian in comparison.

Anyone else notice this or have a preference? Is there a story to tell? I assume it was Brian's idea.

And I voted 5, by the way.

Your ratings for Their Heart Were Full of Spring:
1...0 vote
2...2 votes
3...0 vote
4...1 vote
5...3 votes

◎Surfin' USA(1963)
1. Surfin' USA
2. Farmer's Daughter
3. Misirlou
4. Stoked
5. The Lonely Sea
6. Shut Down
7. Noble Surfer
8. Honky Tonk
9. Lana
10. Surf Jam
11. Let's Go Trippin'
12. Finders Keepers

[Non-Album Tracks]
The Baker Man
Punchline

Today's song is Surfin' USA.

Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s4slliAtQU (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s4slliAtQU)

Very well-known classic. Easy 5.

Finally. Here it is, ladies and gentlemen, the first truly great Beach Boys song. Damn near everything that makes this band so damn great and iconic is summed up in this single piece of music. The first epic wall of harmonies, the first true Brian Wilson falsetto (on the chorus, my favorite part), a far more epic sound than what had come before, pretty much as powerful and fun to listen to as 'She Loves You', but 'Surfin' USA' came out first. Sure, it was nicked from Chuck Berry, but to me Brian took Chuck's storytelling and melded it with stunning harmonies and a huge dose of California latitude and attitude, thus making it more compelling.

5.

Wasn't this the first BB track to use double-tracked vocals? Whatever, this was the first BB song I ever heard, back in mid 1963. That falsetto Summer_Days mentions made me do a double-take at the time----it was a new sound, no doo wop or Four Seasons-style falsetto, but something else, something special. And the ringing Duane Eddy-esque guitar fanfare that opens it seems to be saying "Take note. The world of pop will never be the same again."

Anyway... :hat

5.  

5,5,5,5,5. If need be, 5 again. This is the best surf song right here! Everybody who did surf songs & the BBs didn't beat this.

"Surfin' U.S.A." is MUCH MUCH MUCH better than 2nd-hand "Fun Fun Fun" ::) which is less groovy, less cool, features bad Mike vocs plus it's boring.

But "Surfin' U.S.A." is cool anywhere you look at. It's the epitome of catchy, shines with positivity - you know, I like positive songs - Mike & Brian sound like team, with the other bandmates adding good background. I liked it immediately after the very 1st listen. Berry-not Berry - who cares? 5,5,5,5,5. :3d :police:

Regarding "Full of Spring" - hm, weird. Didn't know it's in "Lost & Found". When I downloaded that album, there was "Judy", "Lavender" etc. but not that song. It was in the WH 2-fer (free download too).

The demo of "Full of Spring" from this era is on the Good Vibrations and Made in California box sets.

2 people voted 2??? I hope it was a joke.

Fun Fun Fun boring? Wow.
This is what makes these polls so fun - if everybody agreed on how good a song is, now THAT would be boring!
For example, would like to know the reasoning from the person who gave Surfin USA a "3".

 I give this song a 5. Just checked on US Billboard top 100 for 1963 and this song was Number 2 for that year, behind, believe it or not, Sugar Shack.

Ta.

2Silken: I'd give it 2 as well - too sentimental.

Don't worry, SUSA got 8 "5" votes. :3d It's cool like that.

I've never understood the appeal of "Sugar Shack", not then, not now...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHzjfGF6MiU

To their credit, it was members of The Fireballs who did the overdubs on one of Buddy Holly's slow versions of "Slippin' And Slidin'":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOTT_DIclDQ

But I digress (again). ;D

Your ratings for Surfin' USA:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...1 vote
4...0 vote
5...8 votes

Today's song is farmer's Daughter.

Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EUrKOTshIM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EUrKOTshIM)

Oh god. An absolute standout track on SUSA and another perfect BW example of less is more. To quote a Frank Zappa title, "five-five-FIVE"!

By the way, W, you've given points to "Surfin' Safari" (again) instead of to "SUSA". It's a great song, but... :lol

I did see it. Watamushi, edit your post #145. Thanks.

"Farmer's Daughter" - 5. It unfairly gets compared to boring "Lana". The Fleetwood redo is dreadful. People praise it, even saying it beats the BBs. Funny folk.

It starts strangely, I used to double-check what key the song is. Brian with band sing jolly good.

Yes, a 5 plus. One of my 2 faves from this album.
Folk song style lyrics to surf music, with exquisite vocal.
Love it, love it, love it.

With the title track and this song it was plainly clear, just two tracks in, that Surfin' USA was already a big improvement over The Beach Boys' debut. 'Farmer's Daughter' is just beautiful. The vocals are, as would become normal with this band, pure ear candy. Solid tune all around. 4.

Your ratings for Farmer's Daughter:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...0 vote
4...2 votes
5...4 votes

Today's song is Misirlou:
Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=00gmZ7lFkug (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00gmZ7lFkug)

Although Dick Dale's version will always be my favourite, Carl and co make a more than decent job of it.

Most folks seem to object to the "sea of instrumentals" on SUSA, but I can't get enough of 'em!

5.

Edit: Your poll doesn't seem to be working (as the actress said to the bishop)...

5. "Misirlou" is impressive done by school kids. It's got new popularity in "Pulp Fiction", Tarantino said in some interview being Dale fan.

Was going to give it a solid 4 but decided to give it a 5 instead, for the above reason.
Carl had just turned 16 and David was 14.
Rock on!

Thanks! :D

Sorry, I've just unlocked the poll. Thanks for letting me know. Then, vote!!!

As for 'Misirlou, it's a bit lifeless, but the best instrumental they've done at this point. I'd give it a high 3 :)

Inferior to the original but still good. Better than the surf instrumentals on the first album. 3.

Your ratings for Misirlou:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...2 votes
4...1 vote
5...4 votes

Today's song is Stoked.

Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuqKZnuAdoQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuqKZnuAdoQ)

They still have one foot in the pop traditions of the early '60s and that's fine with me. Keep them instrumentals coming! 5.

The power of the instrumentals really comes out in the mono mix!

My favorite surf instrumental on the album along with 'Let's Go Trippin''. Pretty good. 4.

3 - nice try to play sth. bluesy.

Your ratings for Stoked:
1...0 vote
2...1 vote
3...3 votes
4...2 votes
5...1 vote

Today's song is The Lonely Sea:
Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=bi0qPIkQuLY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bi0qPIkQuLY)

Oh god. Say no more. Even the much-maligned spoken section is top-notch. An uncut gem. 5.

Exactly!
5 plus. My favorite song on the album.

'The Lonely Sea' is *g o d d a m n* majestic. Months before 'In My Room', Brian was already exploring inner feelings instead of surfing and racing and miscellaneous juvenile pursuits. I love the fun in the sun stuff more than some people do, but I still appreciate Brian branching out this early in other thematic territory, the kind of stuff that'd lead to Today, Summer Days and Pet Sounds. And I really like the spoken part. Great all around.

5.

4. It's good if a bit slow to my taste.

Your ratings for Lonely Sea:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...1 vote
4...2 votes
5...3 votes

Today's song is Shut Down.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pYU0p6WZhU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pYU0p6WZhU)

Great chord sequence in the chorus, most original in its day. That bass line is unusual too, with its flattened second.

Perhaps Mike's sax solo belongs in the "understated instrumental breaks" topic (well, perhaps not). Still, it's very effective in its simplicity. 

5.

3. I better not play it - with every listen it gets boring & boring & boring etc.

Classic. I still marvel at how exciting and simple-yet-complex the track is. I like that Brian and Roger mention the brand-new Corvette Stingray.

5.

Your ratings for Shut Down:
1...0
2...0
3...2
4...2
5...1

Today's song is Noble Surfer.

I'm glad "Shut Down" got 2 '3's. :) Cool! :3d

"Noble Surfer" is definite 5. Best song in the album.

 :lol :lol :lol  I really like 'Noble Surfer', but best on the album? The title track, 'Shut Down', 'Lonely Sea', 'Farmer's Daughter' and even 'Lana' and 'Finders Keepers' are better. Opinions are fascinating.

I'll give 'Noble Surfer' a 3.

A 4 from me. It's got spunk, I'll admit that, but it's not a favourite.

You're right. Forgot "Surfin' USA". :3d Then "Noble Surfer" is next best. Then "Farmer's Daughter".

Your ratings for Noble Surfer:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...2 votes
4...1 vote
5...2 votes

Today's song is Honk Tonk:
Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEZKU0qUc4w (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEZKU0qUc4w)

Eh. *shrugs*

3, barely.

2. A bit cool, if banal. Many 60s bands played sth. alike.

Way, way better than the dirge of an original. 5.

A weak 2 in my opinion.

Your ratings for Honky Tonk:
1...0 vote
2...3 votes
3...0 vote
4...0 vote
5...1 vote

Today's song is Lana.

I don't understand how anyone can describe "Lana" as underdeveloped or incomplete. It's one of the standouts on SUSA. 5.

I like it now; few years back it would be 1. Today it's 3 - nice little choon.

'Lana' is nothing special but it has some charm. I like Brian's vocal.

3.

Your ratings for Lana:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...2 votes
4...0 vote
5...1 vote

Today's song is Surf Jam:
video:www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPJ7BFU6OGg  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPJ7BFU6OGg)

Their wildest effort so far. Leaving aside "What'd I Say" in Australia, they'd have to wait until "All I Want To Do" for anything else this raucous... 

5.

4. After "Moon Dawg" & "Honky Tonk" at last sth. good.

I like Surf Jam. Carl's sounding great on it. Definitely my favorite instrumental on this album.

Your ratings for Surf Jam:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...0 vote
4...2 votes
5...1 vote

Today's song is Let's Go Tripping.

I give it a solid 4.
I prefer their performance of this on their Concert album.

You need to change the poll, Mr Polly Poller. ;D

I'm not that familiar with the Concert version----I must check it out. Thanks, Elizabeth.

Well, the two Dick Dale covers were obvious choices to fill out the album. But taken all together, the "sea of instrumentals" is very effective, like a soundtrack for surfing.

I'm in a good mood----5. :hat 

Yep. It's faster, catchier, cooler. Carl showed who's the boss. But not in Surfin' USA track. 2.

2Watamushi: Can you fix the song title? It says "Surf Jam".

I've just been listening to the live version. It does sound better. Thanks, folks.

Done. Thanks for pointing that out.

Your ratings for Let's Go Trippin':
1...0 vote
2...2 votes
3...0 vote
4...1 vote
5...1 vote

Today's song is Finders Keepers.
Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4O1r5yPDHag (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4O1r5yPDHag)

Um... you need to add a 5 to the score, W.

1. Sounds like the Boys ran out of musical ideas. ::)  Btw, glad "Let's Go Trippin'" got more "2"s than any other rate. :)

Edited. Thanks for letting me know!

Four Seasons, you better believe it! The chords of the words "finders keepers loser weepers" have the exact "lie" of their counterpart in "Big Girls Don't Cry"----a masterstroke. And Mike's bass lines are a fair imitation of Nick Massi.

A great closer to the album... 5.

I was the 4 on "Finders Keepers"

Seeing this poll over here is like reliving my recent life.

That is what it is like being a Beach Boys fan, right?

Not sure if my ratings will be the same.  The love for
some of these tracks changes from week to week!

One of the most mediocre non-instrumental songs off Surfin' USA. 1

It's all over the place musically and rhythmically. Along with a nod to the Four Seasons to boot.
Give it a 4.

Yes, it must be odd. I've unbookmarked PSF (not out of malice, I hasten to add) so my life is less complicated than yours, Will. :lol   

Your ratings for Finders Keepers:
1...3 votes
2...0 vote
3...1 vote
4...2 votes
5...1 vote

Today we have a discussion on the entire 'Surfin' USA' album.

I'm glad "Finders Keepers" got 3 "1"s. :) Well done.

Surfin' USA album is 4. It's really cool, I'd like to like some of these instras but it's cool as is. The title track here is definitely thousand times better than the t/t in SS.

Everything on SUSA has something to recommend it. Even the slightly underwhelming "Noble Surfer" has a cool solo (on celeste!). And there's a sea of instrumentals to lie back in and soak up. It's a big step forward on all fronts from Surfin' Safari. (Although the first truly great BB album was still to come.)

5.

It just struck me that Brian's spoken bit in "Lonely Sea" is not the only talking on the album----it closes with a spot of mumbling from Mike.

Your ratings for the entire Surfin' USA album:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...0 vote
4...2 votes
5...1 vote

Today's song is The Baker Man.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V__hkWGMfk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V__hkWGMfk)

1 - is there Baker's Day holiday in the U.S.? What's the point?

There's no Baker's Day holiday here. They were trying to do a novelty dance song based on the children's nursery rhyme, "Pattycake, pattycake, baker's man".
I'm no fan of the novelty song genre, but this isn't any worse than most of them.

I give it a 2. Would give it a three but dock it one for the "slap her in the face" lyric.

Your ratings for The Baker Man:
1...2 votes
2...1 vote
3...0 vote
4...0 vote
5...0 vote

Today's song is Punchline.

The music wasn't bad at all. However, the constant laughing got old fast.
Should have had only the occasional laugh at the end of a music session, allowing a guffaw at the end.
I give it a 2.

Your ratings for Punchline:
1...1 vote
2...1 vote
3...0 vote
4...1 vote
5...0 vote

◎Surfer Girl(1963)
1. Surfer Girl
2. Catch a Wave
3. The Surfer Moon
4. South Bay Surfer
5. The Rocking Surfer
6. Little Deuce Coupe
7. In My Room
8. Hawaii
9. Surfers Rule
10. Our Car Club
11. Your Summer Dream
12. Boogie Woodie

[Non-Album Tracks]
Back Home[1963 Ver.]

Today's song is Surfer Girl.

Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfQeM3ut-2I (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfQeM3ut-2I)

Shite, I missed "Punchline". I would have given it 4. I see Nola BB Fan gave it 2, not 1. Perhaps you can add my 4 at the same time, Polly. ;D

"Surfer Girl" is the song that made it clear that the Boys were here to stay. One of their very best ballads, I rate it higher than "In My Room" (in real life, that is, not in this poll). 5, 5, 5.   

At the time I posted, there wasn't a poll for Punchline. Bakers Man was still up there. So that "1" wasn't yours truly.

Now we're getting to some real good stuff again.

Surfer Girl is seemingly such a simple song, and it is - simply great.

A 5 plus for sure.

Very well may be a top 5 BBs song for me. 5.

Not a bad thing at all. It makes one more inclined to comment (and vote)...

Solid 5 for Surfer Girl, one of Brian's sweetest ballads. Love that sweeping falsetto. Love that binaural mix on the 1998 Endless Harmony cd.

Done. Thanks for letting me know!!

Your ratings for Surfer Girl:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...0 vote
4...3 votes
5...6 votes

Today's song is Catch a Wave.

Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFwLp2iM73Q (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFwLp2iM73Q)

I don't see it on lyric sites but my cloth ears have always heard Brian's heart-breaking falsetto in the tag of "Surfer Girl" as "little one". (It wouldn't surprise me if the word "heart-breaking" had been invented for that moment.)

Still on "Surfer Girl"... I love doo wop and this song seems to be taking that style just one step further. "In My Room" is an entirely different matter.

I realize that there are those who don't like Catch a Wave. But I absolutely love it.
The song makes me think of the beach, the fun, the waves (via Maureen Love's harp), the thrill of knowing how to use a surf board so that you can "sit on top of the world."
A song for a more carefree time.

A 5.
This album starts with 3 very strong tracks.

PS. Was listening to a recording of this just now from the soundcheck at the Bossier City show last July - only recorded from the instrumental break to the end. Brian sang lead and sounded like he enjoyed the song. As he should.
(They also sang "Hawaii" which I got the whole recording of. Al and Matt handled that song)

I hear "little one", as well. Who hears otherwise?

Isn't it obvious? I didn't see it being made big question what Brian sings there.

It's not a big question. It's just that it hasn't been in any of the online lyrics I've seen. Odd, as it's an essential part of the song and, even to these cloth ears, not that hard to pick out. :3d     

The lyrics sites don't give details besides V & Ch. Lucky if you see ad-libs in brackets.

That's not true of "SG" where they include the tag ("Girl surfer, girl, my little surfer girl" repeated three times) only they insist that Brian's singing "Well", which is nonsense.

Luckily I just found one that gets it right:

http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/4882/  

As for "Catch A Wave", who in the heck gave it a 1??? Surely it shows Brian in full control of his powers in the studio. It has everything. Listen to the vocals!

Someone (c-man?) pointed out that despite the arrival of Wrecking Crew personnel on this album it's Dennis playing drums on "CAW".

Not to forget Maureen's harp. What a track. 5.  

I gave CAW 1. Dullfest.

Who? :D

Haha. Thanks. I've removed the s. 8)

Your ratings for Catch a Wave:
1...3 votes
2...0 vote
3...1 vote
4...0 vote
5...5 votes

Today's song is Surfer Moon.

Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT2pTH11-oc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT2pTH11-oc)

Wonderful vocals by Brian.
Relaxing song, great to hear on a nice summer's night.
5

What a beautiful, carefree song!

Love the late fifties-style string lines, as in The Chantels' "Look In My Eyes" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L63c2DTpag).

Elizabeth has said everything else.

5.

5. Charming tune. I like old school things, its datedness is plus.

Your ratings for Surfer Moon:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...1 vote
4...2 votes
5...4 votes

Today's song is South Bay Surfer.

I'm glad "Surfer Moon" got 4 "5"s. :)

This next song is 5, with/ without drum start. It brings joy, thanks to joyful vocals. The Honeys did it well but Ginger Blake is my favorite voice.

In my book "SBS" is this album's equivalent of "Noble Surfer"----a bit iffy. But only a bit. 4.

I give it a 4
Hilarious lyrics, surfing to Stephen Foster, from "philly to Alabam"
(And The Honeys version is even funnier)

Your ratings for South Bay Surfer:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...2 votes
4...2 votes
5...2 votes

Today's song is The Rocking Surfer.

5. Fun track. I dubbed it "soccer song" as it sounds like what local sports channel played during matches.

Brilliant instrumental, particularly when it drops a minor third towards the end. Sheer magic!

5.

Your ratings for The Rocking Surfer:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...0 vote
4...0 vote
5...3 votes

Today's song is Little Deuce Coupe.

Little Deuce Coupe was the first Beach Boys song I ever heard. I was a little kid, the year was probably 1976. It's not my favorite Beach Boys song but I always love to hear it. I had my aunt's old Surfer Girl/Little Deuce Coupe 45 and I'm not sure which song I played more, but I wore out both sides. Later in life I became impressed at how well Mike Love  mastered the double-tracking of his vocals. 5 stars.

Your ratings for Little Deuce Coupe:
1...2 vote
2...0 vote
3...1 vote
4...1 vote
5...2 votes

Today's song is In My Room.

Really glad LDC got 2 "1"s. :) As it should.

"In My Room" - 5. 'Nuff said. :3d

Yup, this.
5.

Really, RR.:thud

I first heard "LDC" on French radio in '63. I didn't know what it was at first, because I was expecting the title to sound different. But that chord change at the start of the chorus really floored me! I'm in good company it seems, as Frank Zappa mentioned it as being a pivotal moment in pop.

Fabulous little song. If I'd been around to vote I would have given it 5. :=)

"In My Room" gets a 5 too. If "Surfer Girl" has its origins in doo wop, "IMR" looks to the "white" side of vocal pop.

The chord at "sigh" is pure heaven. And the rest isn't far behind...       

Your ratings for In My Room:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...0 vote
4...0 vote
5...5 votes

Today's song is Hawaii.

3. Nice ditty with cool drumming.

My daughter used to laugh at Brian's falsetto on this one. I just hear Brian right on top of his game. 5.

Your ratings for Hawaii:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...2 votes
4...1 vote
5...2 votes

Today's song is Surfers Rule.

Great to hear Dennis and Brian trading lines. Alan was back by now and plays bass on this and other tracks.

And, of course, there's that great tag with its "Walk Like A Man" falsetto line.

5.   

Your ratings for Surfers Rule:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...2 votes
4...1 vote
5...1 vote

Today's song is Our Car Club.

Was this Hal Blaine's first contribution to a BB track? Steve Douglas is in there too (also for the first time?).

In fact these two players (and the fabulous group harmonies) carry the song. More SG magic. 5.

Your ratings for Our Car Club:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...0 vote
4...0 vote
5...3 votes

Today's song is Your Summer Dream.

2. Nice pretty tune, wouldn't skip if listened to album start-finish. But wouldn't choose it solely to hear it.

According to Jon Stebbins, "David broke out his old Sears Silvertone acoustic" for this one. Was this his last BB session first time round?

Lovely song, great chords. 5.

Your ratings for Your Summer Dream:
1...0 vote
2...2 votes
3...0 vote
4...0 vote
5...3 votes

Today's song is Boogie Woogie.

Your ratings for Boogie Woogie:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...1 vote
4...0 vote
5...0 vote

Today we have a discussion on the entire Surfer Girl album.

If SUSA saw the Boys progressing by leaps and bounds, Surfer Girl was their first truly great album. Brian's officially at the helm, Alan and David are both on board and so is Maureen, with first tentative Wrecking Crew appearances by Hal Blaine and Steve Douglas.

It combines an astonishing degree of maturity, considering their ages at the time, with an innocence and real joy that was not to last long.

Looked at that way, perhaps it's their finest hour. 5.

3. Bad & good songs.

I gave it a solid 4. Not quite there yet, but showing great potential.

Your ratings for Surfer Girl album:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...2 votes
4...1 vote
5...2 votes

Today's song is Back Home (1963 Ver.)

I gave it a 3. Not a bad song.
Hard to imagine the BBs, especially Brian and Mike, "get(ting) up every morning before the roosters."  :-D

Also giving it a three. It's not great, nor is it horrible.

Maybe if they strapped the roosters down and gagged them----or fed them recreational birdseed. :lol

Anyway... Not a song I can often be seen leaping up and down to. 4.   

Your ratings for Back Home:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...1 vote
4...3 votes
5...0 vote

◎Little Deuce Coupe(1963)
1. Little Deuce Coupe
2. Ballad of Ole' Betsy
3. Be True To Your School [Album Ver.]
4. Car Crazy Cutie
5. Cherry Cherry Coupe
6. 409
7. Shut Down
8. Spirit of America
9. Our Car Club
10. No-Go Showboat
11. A Young Man Is Gone
12. Custom Machine

[Non-Album Tracks]
I Do
Be True To Your School [Single Ver.]

I always loved this song and the feeling inside. A 5 from me.

I've never felt entirely comfortable with "Betsy"----probably something to do with those four descending chords at the close.

4.

Your ratings for The Ballad of Ole' Betsy:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...0 vote
4...2 votes
5...3 votes

Today's song is Be True To Your School [Album Version].

I like it as much as the 45 version, maybe more. Those horns are awesome. So are the rising harmonies. And the "Hawaii"-style coda is a masterstroke. 5.

Your ratings for Be True To Your School:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...2 votes
4...0 vote
5...1 vote

Today's song is Car Crazy Cutie.

A great Dion-styled stomper. A little more (ahem) plodding than the original song, The Survivors' "Pamela Jean", but that's alright, we're none of us getting any younger. 5.

Your ratings for Car Crazy Cutie:
1...2 votes
2...0 vote
3...0 vote
4...0 vote
5...1 vote

Today's song is Cherry Cherry Coupe.

I love this lazy, doo wop-fuelled song! It and "Spirit Of America" are the standout tracks for me on LDC.

5.

Your ratings for Cherry Cherry Coupe:
1...0 vote
2...0 vote
3...0 vote
4...1 vote
5...1 vote

Today's song is Spirit of America.

The '50s transported into the '60s. Brian's falsetto wailing is to die for. Mike's bass voice too. But the whole arrangement is top-notch. 5.

Agreed, JK.  I'll give it a 24.

What strikes me especially is Brian's phrasing and control of dynamics.  Vocal qualities that don't get enough study.
His instincts in those areas are unique and superlative.  ("are" in the historical/editorial sense)

The business of going in and out of falsetto also amazes me in this song and elsewhere. But you allude to such.

(Speaking of which, I've been listening to Jason Lytle's latest, "Last Place" (Grandaddy) and digging the same things. 

Your ratings for Spirit of America:
1...0 vote
2...1 vote
3...0 vote
4...0 vote
5...4 votes

Today's song is No-Go Showboat.

Joyous stuff, despite the fact that the vehicle ain't moving fast. Love the interplay of major and minor! The chord sequence of the solo sounds familiar. Might Brian have used it somewhere else? Dang, I must read it up in Lambert's book.

Anyway... 5.

Edit: Lambert points out that Brian used the chord sequence of the solo 15 days later for the bridge in The Honeys' "The One You Can't Have" (here at 0:57):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2sMIhiq7AY

And that the major--minor interplay has antecedents in pop ("My Prayer", "Runaway" "Uptown") but what Brian does with it is quite new. Surprise, surprise!   

Your ratings for No-Go Showboat:
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Today's song is A Young Man is Gone.

A fascinating rewrite of "THWFOS" for the car album. And their first official a cappella release, which immediately set them apart from every other pop band at the time, to say nothing of raising the bar several notches. A 5 from me.

5. No question. I can't get enough of the BBs vocal harmony. I wish they had done more a cappella!

Damn. It's two p's, isn't it----looked it up:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_cappella

One of those words. I confuse it with this place not far from me that has one p...

Still on a cappella/capella...

This source does its level best to clear up the confusion:

https://www.singers.com/a-cappella.html

Your ratings for A Young Man is Gone:
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Today's song is Custom Machine.

A great closer to a great album. Some unusual harmonic progressions in there and a great bass line from Mike. 5.

A great, fun song.
A 5.

One of my favorites from the earlier days. Read somewhere once that the lyrics were supplied by Rich Alarian of The Survivors.

UNDERRATED!!!

I knew it's "a cappella" since I read that word & began posting here. Couldn't resist to brag.

Dreadfully glad "Custom Machine" & some previous got 2 "1"s. :) It went from 5 to this low in 5 years listening to it.

2Watamushi: When's the next song?

Took your advice, D, and gave Last Place a listen. Quite an introspective album in some ways. Good call.

Your ratings for Custom Machine:
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Sorry to be late. Here it is (not actually a song, though):
Today we have a discussion on the entire Little Deuce Coupe Album.

Apology accepted. :police: Would like to repeat - glad to see "Custom Machine" got 2 "1"s. Yahoo! :)

LDC is 3 - nice songs about cars, the very idea to write the album in such vein is cool. It's just among least favorites.

A consistently excellent album, up to and including the closer (yahoo to you too, RR).   

5.

I gave it a 3 but it could have easily been a 4.

I hadn't bothered listening to this album due to reading comments that it was almost a throwaway album. And I've not ever been a car fanatic. But every now and then I'd hear an individual song and think "that's pretty good."
I mean, a love song about a car? Shedding tears over a car getting old? The only time I cried over a car was when my ancient Dodge Colt had an engine fire on the highway. Living paycheck to paycheck at the time, how could I afford to pay for another car? Bwaawaa! :-)

I dock it a point for the repeats of songs, although I feel guilty about that - if those songs weren't in there Brian would have had to write/get more songs, as if he didn't a lot to do already. And a couple of songs aren't quite up to snuff, BTTYS in particular.

The last three songs are great IMHO.

Your ratings for the album Little Deuce Coupe:
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 Today's song is I Do.

I love this joyous song. Those tubular bells! (Frankie Capp?) 5.

This is somehow one of the well-known outtakes in Japan. I like it and it deserves a 4.

Pretty much just guide vocals for the Castells version. Not a bad song but it's nothing I add on my playlists. I give it a 3.

1. Mike at nasal low. The Castells' lead is gracious. It'd be 3. The melody is pretty boring.

Today's song is Be True To Your School [Single Ver.]

Your ratings for I Do:
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I give it a solid 4.

Don't recall hearing it when it came out (do remember the flip side, In My Room).
I'm glad Brian decided to revisit this. The extras added - the Honeys, playing a bit of the HHS Cougars fight song - turn this into a pretty good song.

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◎Shut Down Vol.2(1964)
1. Fun, Fun, Fun
2. Don't Worry Baby
3. In the Parkin' Lot
4. "Cassius" Love Vs. "Sonny" Wilson
5. The Warmth of the Sun
6. This Car of Mine
7. Why Do Fools Fall In Love
8. Pom Pom Play Girl
9. Keep an Eye on Summer
10. Shut Down, Part 2
11. Louie, Louie
12. Denny's Drums

Today's song is Fun, Fun, Fun.

I give it a "5".

This was the song that made me a Beach Boy fan at not quite 7 years of age. Didn't hear Surfin Safari until later.  I thought Surfin USA was okay but no great shakes, and was too young to appreciate In My Room (but that became a favorite soon after).

Thought it was such a fun song. My favorite part of it was the incredible falsetto ending - that blew me away!

Same here. This is probably the first song I listen to as one of the beach boys songs.

Anyway, an absolute classic. A 5.

Your ratings for Fun, Fun, Fun:
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Today's song is Don't Worry Baby.

One of their greatest moments, and one of Brian best leads, in my opinion. On a side note, when I was kid I was constantly having problems with my speakers on my little stereo system (one speaker was always cutting out). So I was always missing parts of Don't Worry Baby. So I prefer this song in mono. Actually I prefer most songs in mono.

5. Agreed, one of their greatest moments. Not sure they reach such heights again, post-1966 (but don't hold me to it...perhaps, Heroes & Villains, Surf's Up, Forever).

By the way, I happened to be re-watching the Denzel Washington movie "Deja vu" a few days ago. I hadn't seen it since shortly after it's release in 2006 and I had completely forgotten how prominently 'Don't Worry Baby' was featured in the movie! A very pleasant surprise, despite the context :lol

A 5 plus.
Brian hit a Grand Slam in this one.
Take that, Spector!  :)

Hey, Watamushi! Add my 1-star rank to "Fun Fun Fun". I'd like it to get bad score. :)

DWB used to be 5; now 4. Sounds of Summer is the best greatest hits collection, good audio in DWB etc.

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Today's song is In the Parkin' Lot.

Done.

Cool! "Fun..." got 2 "1"s, glad! :)

What's with change re: ratings? Why didn't you write "1...0 votes" etc. for DWB? Looks incomplete.

Not to take so much time to post it. I was in a hurry. Sorry, I'll fix it later.

It doesn't take any time to write "1...0 votes" etc., does it? But OK, fix later but fix.

ITPL

Cool song, sounds rushed, awesome harmonies. 3 (and a half).

3.5, which I rounded up to 4.
Wonderful harmonies make this song worthwhile.

Your ratings for In the Parkin' Lot:
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Today's song is 'Cassius' Love Vs 'Sonny' Wilson.

Gave it a 1.
Don't understand why they didn't put this song at the end of a side. Crazy to place it between 1 good and 1 superb song.
If I was playing an LP I'd be bummed, having to get up to skip this thing. Ruins the flow of the album.
And it was the longest track on the album - 3 and a half minutes.

Thanks for listening my request, glad to see good old 1...0 votes etc. I'm used to it.

Easy 5 - "Cassius/ Sonny" is the best speech track. It's real fun to hear, great Al intro etc.

Cassius/Sonny:

I wish they would've stuck it at the end of side 2 like they did with Bull Sessions, just to keep the flow of music happening. But it's funny once or twice. At least they had a sense of humor. I like how they chose Al to introduce it. Maybe some fans were like "hey that doesn't look like David on the far left of the album cover". And then they heard "Hi this is Al, this scene takes place at a typical Beach Boys practice session." Neat. I give it a 2 though.

Your ratings for Cassius Love Vs Sonny Wilson:
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Today's song is The Warmth of the Sun.

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Today's song is This Car of Mine.

TCOM

I give it a 3. I love the block harmonies, and Dennis does a great job singing. But it comes off as being uninspired.

Gave it a 3. I agree that the song seems "uninspired". However I really like the ending.

The ending is very cool, agreed. Probably my favorite part of the song.

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Today's song is Why Do Fools Fall in Love?

WDFFIL

I'm not too crazy for most of the covers they've done but WDFFIL is an exception. Excellent falsetto lead from Brian, great backing track, better than the Frankie Lyman version in my opinion. Great mono track on a stereo album.  :bw

FIVE

Your ratings for Why Do Fools Fall in Love?
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Today's song is Pom Pom Play Girl.

PPPG

Not bad for Carl's first recorded lead vocal. It's a catchy little number. If it's "filler' then it's some of the best filler they've done. 3 and half rounded out to 4.

Your ratings for Pom Pom Play Girl:
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Today's song is Keep an Eye on Summer.

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Today's song is Shut Down Part II.

Hi, PP. I managed to go away for awhile. But I'll soon be back on track (pun intended)...

SDP2

Filler. But it's got a neat groove. Certainly not the best thing they ever recorded though. 2.

2JK: Nobody cares you'd been away. Ha! Just some bitey humor from this BBs fan.

"Shut Down Pt. 2" is in my Top-5 BBs instrumentals. It's got uber-cool guitar playing. 5 duh. So there.

This is the internet, RR. And this isn't a board where people bare their souls anyway (unless they get pissed).

That said, I agree with your review wholeheartedly. A 5 from me too.

As for being filler, MG, I'd say the two terms (instrumental and filler) are mutually exclusive. One or the other but not both. Just my jaded opinion, mind.    

Actually I was holidaying in the Baltics. Lots of Russians there, very convivial, excellent food...

Why not - I'll give it a 5 as well.
Nice that krabklaw uses it as the theme song for the "Brian" shows he's put together.

Your ratings for Shut Down, Part 2:
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Today's song is Louie, Louie.

Who's "Krabklaw"? There's "krabklaw" with lowercase "k". Bizarre to see people change username freely against what the poster in question chose to write it.

1 to "Louie Louie". Boring dreck. They really ruined Richard Berry song.

This invariably gets written off as filler. In fact the Boys start with Richard Berry's original, cross over to The Kingsmen's definitive version and then revert to Berry's at the end. I think they do a great job of it. 5.   

Louie Louie

2. It's not bad or great. I like Motorhead's version way better.

Your ratings for Louie, Louie:
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Today's song is Denny's Drums.

Someone (c-man?) once explained whether it was or wasn't Denny drumming but I can't remember what they said!

My guess is that it is Denny. And how else do you follow the mighty "Louie, Louie"?

5.

Denny's Drums

Sure sounds like Dennis to me. Definitely not Hal Blaine's playing. Sorta neat, nothing special though. 2.

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Today we discuss the entire Shut Down Vol.2 album.

It has some classic songs on it. If I'd been around to vote they would all have got a 5, with two exceptions. Bit of a pity the album version of "FFF" chops off much of the tag. The chat track? OK, it allowed early audiences to hear Al speaking. A 4 for those two then. But a 5 for the album all round. :=)

For starters...it's a much better album than Shut Down Vol.1. Robert Mitchum, eh? Lol.....

Even though SDV2 has some of Brian's most beautiful ballads to date ('64) plus one of their most recognized hit songs, the album has a rushed vibe to it, but that's not Brian's or the band's fault. I'm sure the pressure from Capitol has a lot to do with it.

But either way it's still a better album than most bands could make back in those days (in my opinion). I give it a 4.

I give it a solid 4.
There are a few clunkers in there, but the rest, including several classics and a couple of other good songs, make it a great album.

Your ratings for Shut Down, Vol II:
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◎All Summer Long(1964)
1. I Get Around
2. All Summer Long
3. Hushabye
4. Little Honda
5. We'll Run Away
6. Carl's Big Chance
7. Wendy
8. Do You Remember?
9. Girls on the Beach
10. Drive-In
11. Our Favorite Recording Sessions
12. Don't Back Down

[Non-Album Tracks]
Let's Live Before We Die

Today's song is I Get Around.

Imagine hearing this song when it was released in
1964 (which is when I first heard it). It did things no
other song had ever done before. I couldn't believe
my ears! Pop music would never be the same again. 

(http://johnspencerellis.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/5.jpg)

PP, you've described it as an album in your poll...

Fixed. Sorry and thanks.

5
Love how it starts. Sure it's to let everyone know the first note to sing, but it has an "in your face" vibe that sets the tone for the song.
Great start to a super album.

Well, apparently Brian originally had a slow intro for it but Mike felt this would lessen the impact.

Who knows? It certainly sounds great the way it is--------as you say, "in your face". :=)   

I Get Around

FIVE. A major milestone for Brian as a songwriter and producer. I love the percussive-like harmonies and it's catchy as hell! A++++

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Today's song is All Summer Long.

From the Keep An Eye On Summer copyright release, the session track of this song is both excruciating and hilarious. Take after take someone keeps fucking up, to the point where Dennis says "I hate this g*ddamm song". The irony is that so many takes were dedicated to perfecting the part of a xylophone/marimba - one of the first instruments probably most of us played with in elementary school. Here Brian is the master of any instrument he touches but can't seem to nail down this part!

I absolutely love this song: it's both happy and sad which is Brian's specialty.

All Summer Long

FIVE. I love the happy/sad feeling that rab2591 mentioned. The cheerful vocals are fun to listen to, the song is crazy catchy, the xylophone and piccolo is a great touch, great leads by Mike, awesome sax...just absolutely amazing!

Yes, pretty much what I was going to say. That Keep an Eye On Summer track is hilarious.

Another solid 5.

American graffiti makes it a six! ;D

The minor chord on "long" before the bridge and solo is a wonderful "won't last forever" moment. Everything else has been said. 5.

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Today's song is Hushabye.

Much as I love classic doo wop, I'd say Brian improved on the original a hundredfold with just a few changes. Genius at work. 5.   

I feel like this was the case for most of his covers in the 60s. It's half the voice of his (and the rest of the band) as well as his studio techniques. The distinct Beach Boys vocals had so much to do with it though: Beach Boys Party is lacking any grandios studio tricks yet I prefer all those covers over the originals (except, ironically, their Beach Boys medley which sounds so out of place on that album).

5/5 for Hushabye

5
The 1964 Beach Boys could sing me to sleep anytime!

 :love

Hushabye

Excellent choice of a cover, better than The Mystics version, amazing harmonies. 5!

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Today's song is Little Honda.

One of the Boys' finest rockers. (It must also be one of their fastest songs.)

This version is the one----the vocal backups on the alternative version, while eminently listenable, tend to take away the momentum.

5.   

To each their own. I think the alternate version makes the original seem weak in comparison. That higher register "go little Honda, faster little Honda" gives the song a cool dynamic that seems to be missing from the original chorus.

The guitar sound on this is spectacular...I have always wondered how they got that sound.

4/5

5
Don't know just what was done to produce the guitar sound. Read that Brian told Carl to do something to produce the sound. Carl protested and said it sounded horrible. But Brian said will you just blankety blank do it? Carl said he was amazed by the sound of it on the record.

Found this:
"We had an amp in the studio just so I could listen to it. This was before people started using the cue system so much. The cue system allowed everything to come back through the earphones. Anyway, I would use an amp and a direct box. Almost all the guitar sounds were done through the direct box to the mixing console except for 'Little Honda' or one of those tunes where Brian [Wilson] wanted a buzzy, distorted guitar sound----then we'd use an amp and just crank it. That was before they had pre-amp and the master volume."

Source: http://www.harmonycentral.com/forum/forum/guitar/acapella-29/1778733-

And c-man on "Do You Wanna Dance":
 
"Carl is playing through an amp here, as opposed to the direct-to-console method he had begun to employ at Western around this time; his amp was overdriven to produce a distorted tone similar to the one he achieved on 'Little Honda'."

Source: http://www.beachboysarchives.com/page3

Need I look any further?  :hat

looks good to me!  :)

Five for Little Honda. The energy and the fuzz-tone just rocks! Punky!

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Today's song is We'll Run Away.

Brian's penultimate "anyhow" is worth at least five points in itself. One of the defining moments on All Summer Long.

Absolutely.
Another beautiful ballad by Brian.
5

Love Brian's kinda shouty vocals here. I gave this a 5.

JK, thank you for researching that guitar sound! And NOLA BB Fan, thanks for that anecdote about Carl. I have to agree with him!

We'll Run Away is a definite favorite BB song of mine. This song has a sweetness stemming from Brian's voice, but it has a depth that seems to hit when that organ kicks in (it goes from a sweet little love ballad to a song that commands your attention)...perhaps this was a song written not only to kids but to parents of those in love, a sonic way of describing just how powerful love can be, and that emotions sometimes should overrule logic.

5/5

Nice to see people just say 5 etc. Not "A 5", "A great song", "A real highlight" etc. Seriously, some poster at PS starts every sentence with "a". Extremely obsessed with "a" it's hilarious to read, haha. Dumb habit? Yep.

4 to "We'll Run Away" - good but I usually prefer fast songs. Btw, happy about "I Get Around" being "5" to Smilers. As it must! Agree with the poster below re: "Little Honda" - ASL cut isn't THAT cool like the alt. take. Exactly "go little Honda" etc. is great bit which lacks in album's LH.

We'll Run Away

FOUR. Nice song. I dig the Hammond organ and the perfectly double-tracked vocals by Brian.

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Today's song is Carl's Big Chance.

Carl's making the most of his big chance but it's those droning saxes that really lift this track. What a fabulous sound!

I'll give this one a 5. ;D

Carl's Big Chance

FOUR. I like the plunky sound of the guitar and bass. It's probably my least favorite song on All Summer Long but it's still a cool tune. Rockin'.

I hear more than one sax on that pedal note. It sounds too smooth and round for a single instrument.

The best place to check is where they begin, here at 1:12:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc6aarP60cw

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Today's song is Wendy.

5
REALLY cool intro, great driving beat, and (in the mono version) a cough thrown in to boot.
Classic.

One of the great pop intros! Followed by a fantastic song I can never get enough of. Definitely a 5.

5/5 - so if the harmonies weren’t incredible enough that organ solo in the middle eight hits the spot every time. Was that Brian trying to emulate the Beatles a little? I think he succeeds with flying colors on that one.

Wendy

FIVE. Amazing harmonies, excellent uncheerful lead by Mike, just a beautiful song. Count me in as one of the can't-get-enough-of-it people.

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Today's song is Do You Remember.

Perhaps not the strongest track on the album (well, definitely not the strongest track on the album!) but it's still too good (and too entertaining) to be called filler. 5. 

Give it a strong four - it's cool little rock and roll.

4
Like how they honor rock and roll pioneers.
There were lots of songs of this sort later on. But were there any before this?

Do You Remember

FOUR. Great rocking fun.

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Today's song is Girls on the Beach.

I love Dennis’ solo vocal in this. He had such a unique voice yet it flowed perfectly with the rest of the band.

4/5 for me, somewhat cheesy lyrics but their harmonies are spot on as usual.

For me this is the hidden gem on ASL. Here, Brian took '60s group harmonies about as far as they could go. Not only is there a modulation from "verse" to "chorus", but the third verse itself modulates halfway through. Astonishing! Hats off to the other Boys, who had to sing it----what a feat! And that beautiful, wistful tag. Wow. 5.

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Today's song is Drive-In.

Basically I like "Drive-In" because I'm a sucker for sleigh bells! (Although these are hard to hear on YouTube.) And that vertiginously long stretch of dead air! The goofy double-tracked mumblings are pretty cool too. 5.  

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Today's song is Our Favorite Recording Sessions.

I like it. Said this before, but all three "talk tracks" have something to recommend them, and in the case of "OFRS" it's Brian's note, which he forgets. The note he then plays on the piano is the first pitched note we hear in the next and last track on ASL, "Don't Back Down".

5.

The fact that this was the first of the three that I heard may have some bearing on why I like it...

It's tracks like this that make me wonder what it was like to buy these LPs when they first came out. What was it like being a teenager, dropping the needle on this brand new record, hearing hit after hit, then hearing a talking track? I think it would've been cool as hell: here are guys almost my age being as goofy as I am in school, only they're recording this goofy stuff on a major record.

In that context I think these tracks can be appreciated more. But it is still filler and you have to ask yourself: if there weren't talking tracks (and instead, decent songs put in their place) on these albums how much more appreciated would they be today?

3.
I like the ending for the reason John K notes above.
And as rab2591 stated, I as a kid loved the records that included band members talking, goofing off.

OFRS

3. Less forced than Cassius vs Sonny, perhaps? It's amusing, although I wish they put it at the end of the record.

It's quiet here without RR. Well, everyone can't be online all the time (although I do my level best, lol).

Your ratings for Our Favorite Recording Sessions:
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Today's song is Don't Back Down.

The mono version is definitive, as it's gentler on the tag. In the stereo version, the tag fades way too soon.

"DBD" feels absolutely right in its position at album's end, after the talk track. (In that respect, I disagree with Mike G.) 

A great end to a consistently good album, one of the Boys' best.

5.

5
Love the punkiness.
Wish, however, that it was a little faster. Heard a cover of this with a speeded up tempo, wow.

Don't Back Down

5. Punky indeed! Love everything about this short rocker, the fuzz-tone, the great lead by Mike, the forceful backing vocals, and the over all catchiness. I'm a punk rock fan and I always wished The Ramones would've covered this song (I know the Queers covered it but I never liked them...)

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Today we have a discussion on the entire All Summer Long album.

Pure perfection of their surf/hot rod era, except for OFLS. 5.

One of their purest albums. Pretty well flawless, I'd say.

5.

Your ratings for the album All Summer Long:
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Today's song is Let's Live Before We Die.

Cool jam! Is there a vocal version somewhere?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAOhxzZ2x_g

5.

4
Had never heard this before.
Listening to the first part, I was going to give it a 3, but then it got a lot more interesting in the middle section.
Found myself humming a tune to it, sort of combining TWGMTR and a couple of other songs.
Yes, I'd also like to know if Brian had put a melody/vocal to this yet.

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After All Summer Long we're supposed to do the Christmas Album, but to me it's pretty weird to discuss Christmas songs in the middle of summer, so we'll discuss Today! next. We'll save Christmas album for the Christmas.

◎The Beach Boys Today!(1965)
1. Do You Wanna Dance?
2. Good To My Baby
3. Don't Hurt My Little Sister
4. When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)
5. Help Me, Ronda [Album Ver.]
6. Dance, Dance, Dance
7. Please Let Me Wonder
8. I'm So Young
9. Kiss Me, Baby
10. She Knows Me Too Well
11. In the Back of My Mind
12. Bull Session with "Big Daddy"

[Non-Album Tracks]
All Dressed Up for School
Karen

Today's song is Do You Wanna Dance.

The recent stereo mix of this song is my favorite version. The guitar riff during the chorus really pops in this version, Dennis has some great reverb vocals. The bass is powerful but doesn't drown out the rest of the music.

Dennis is perfect for this lead - kinda punk rock before that was even a thing. I implore anyone here who hasn't heard the recent Live In Chicago 1965 album to check out track 2 on disc 2...the guys absolutely nail this song.

5/5, perfect way to start off an album, especially Today!.

Do You Wanna Dance?

FIVE. Dennis is note perfect. So is his double tracking on the vocals. Best rendition of this song. (The Ramones definitely have the 2nd best version).

This is one of several versions I like. That said, none of the others comes close to the tidal wave of sound in the chorus of this one. And the solo is sublime. A great start to the album.  5.   

You ratings for Do You Wanna Dance?:
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Today's song is Good to My Baby.

I love the percussion and guitar playing in this one. Mike’s bass vocal is perfect for this track too. I’m putting it at 4/5 just relatively based on the rest of the album...Brian sets the bar so high that a gem like this isn’t even one of the best on the album.

Good To My Baby

FIVE. Great everything here. Mike's bass vocal, Brian's awesome lead, rockin' guitars, catchy as heck. (I loved hearing this live in 2016.)

Ill give it five as well. In a way, it's the album's Cinderella. It's kind of dwarfed by everything going on around it but it's a magnficent track in its own right. The opening bars are pure BW genius! 

Ha! Is it joke? "Good To My Baby" "dwarfed by everything"? It's the best track in album! I listen to it & add to playlists which isn't case even for the beautiful "She Knows Me Too Well", favorite Side B song.
5 5's it gets.

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Today's song is Don't Hurt My Little Sister.

Another beauty that deserves to be better known.

5.

DHMLS

FOUR. Great song, not as outstanding as the rest of the rockers on Side 1 but it's still a great upbeat tune with cool guitar, great lead and harmonies.

Exactly how I feel with the same rating.

Happy to read this. It's laughable to say "Goot To My Baby" is "dwarfed by everything" - "Don't Hurt My Little Sister" is THE Today's nadir, duh! It's boring, boring songs must get 0, rounded to 1.

:lol

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Today's song is When I Grow Up (To Be a Man).

WIGU(TBAM)

FIVE. Man am I a sucker for a harpsichord. And I love that complex drum pattern just as much as I love Mike and Brian's leads. Oh, and the song is super catchy. It's a 5 all the way.

As Mike says, the song has everything. Was that Brian's first use of a harpsichord, I wonder...

Kudos for the Boys on getting the intro right second time around on Ready! Steady! Go! in '64. Most bands of the day (and perhaps ever since) wouldn't have nailed it in a hundred tries.

This is one of those defining moments in pop history where Brian upped the ante not only in his work with the Boys but generally.

To quote FZ, "Five-Five-FIVE"!

Brian actually used a harpsichord in 'I Get Around', very prominent on the recent instrumental and false start versions from KAEOS and MIC sets. I'm not sure if he used it prior to that, however.

5/5. That tag is friggin brilliant and criminally too short....at the same time, I wonder if that was the point: something so beautiful as this tag, like life, seem to pass by so quickly. So many elements with harmony and instrumentals go on with this track, it's a definite favorite.

1stly, very glad DHMLS got 2 1's. :) Yahoo!

"When I Grow Up" - 4. Could be 5 way back when. Still good. Btw, like Brian's laughter when he doesn't make it fast to get in sync with Al, Carl & Mike to mic. That pseudo-intro's hilarious, as well as when Carl bops head as if to repeat Dennis' drumbeat during middle 8.

5
Have come to really appreciate this song over the last few years.
Listening to a Billboard top 40 countdown for a certain week during the fall of 1964, I noticed just how different this song sounded compared to the others on the list. The only other one that sounded "different" was She's Not There by the Zombies.
The harpsichord was still not much in use for pop music at that time. And the harmonies are so unusual for pop.
Wonder how people felt about that then. And when they flipped the record to play the B side, oh my! Wow! But we'll get to that classic later.

Love watching their performance of it on Ready Steady Go.

Also love listening to the vocal track. And what can I say about the outro? As the years are counted, Mike sings "Won't last forever", followed by the simultaneously sung "It's Kinda sad" and "Oh, no".
It's a different vibe from a lot of other songs geared to teens, which talk of finding the right guy or gal and living happily ever after.

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Today's song is Help Me, Ronda [Album Ver.].

Really hard to rate this one. After hearing the final version (that was on Summer Days) this one seems rather thin sounding, the outro (with the volume change) is more jarring than anything. It's a phenomenal idea for a song, and I'm really glad Brian saw more potential in it - because the mono single version is unearthly good.

3/5

Edit: Watamushi, thanks for keeping up with this thread, really nice to go back to listen to these songs and read the opinions about them.

I gave it a 5, 4 being reserved for real sub-par stuff (whatever that may turn out to be).

The h-less version has a more floating, down-homey quality closer to stuff on Al's Postcards than to anything else on Today!. Like the album version of "BTTYS" it has fine qualities of its own. The dramatic fades in and out remind me of The Goons' 1956 UK hit "The Ying Tong Song" but I can live with that. It makes a great transition between its two vastly different neighbours.

I echo Rab2591's sentiments. Watamushi is the business! ;D

My pleasure!

Another "Hurrah!" for Watamushi  :)
This thread is making me revisit songs I've skipped over in the past, including this track.
Listening to Help Me Ronda again, there is a lot to like if I can put the later version out of my mind, particularly in the instrumental track.
I'll rate this a 4, as the background vocals aren't quite as polished.

LOL, the later version just came on the radio.

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Today's song is Dance, Dance, Dance.

My favourite song on side one of Today! (my favourite on side two being "I'm So Young").

This is about as upbeat and joyous as it gets. It's also a classic example of Brian's judicious use of percussion (tambourine, castanets) as opposed to Uncle Phil's kitchen-sink approach (fabulous in its own way).

(http://s3.amazonaws.com/static.graphemica.com/glyphs/i500s/000/009/012/original/2164-500x500.png?1275323174)

DDD

FIVE. I love that opening bass riff, the energy, the group harmonies... Makes me wanna rock out! Absolute 5!

5! The 2012 stereo version on a sound system is one of the best things to ever listen to. The highs are crisp and the lows are deep and man does it rock.

Didn't the boys do a version of this one in a Nashville studio on an east coast tour prior to recording the final version? I think it's on the KAEOS copyright set. Very stripped down but it's great to see (like Help Me Rhonda) the transformation and evolution of a song to its final form.

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Today's song is Please Let Me Wonder.

Hey, Watamushi,

Add "2" for DDD - can't stand it by now. Ta.
PLMW - 2. Dislike it.

"Please Let Me Wonder" opens the door on a lush musical landscape entirely new to pop.

It also features another classic less-is-more instrumental break.

Certainly deserving of a five in my book.

Done!

5. No question. PLMW is an all-time favorite of mine. I never tire of it.

First song Brian wrote on marijuana...and I feel like it's his first truly mellow song. I mean, 'Lonely Sea', 'We'll Run Away', etc are mellow, but his mellow songs up to this point had obvious inspiration from prior artists. Whereas PLMW is like in a whole new world of mellow, an atmosphere Brian kinda invented for this specific song.

Anywho, I give it 5/5. The album from here on is just incredible.

PLMW

FIVE. One of the sweetest lead vocals by Brian. A very angelic song. Beautiful.

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Today's song is I'm So Young.

5
That outro, wow.

I'm So Young

FIVE. Love those amazing lush harmonies!

I love the percussion during the chorus, mixed with that reverb heavy guitar/bass(?). I think there's a single or alternate version of this song that is really heavy in the bass - not as good as this version but it sounds fantastic in its own way.

5/5

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Today's song is Kiss Me Baby.

My favorite on this album. Heartbreakingly Beautiful. An easy 5.

Yes, a five for me too. Stunning vocal work and a gorgeous backing track.

And how dare they tamper with Mike's flubbed double-tracked "wo (wo) baby" in the stereo version. Oddly, they left in the wrong "wo"! ;D

Another 5! Incredible, stunning work. It doesn't get much better than this. I LOVE the vocal arrangement. One of my all-time favorite, in fact. Must be a top 10 BBs song, no? I think it's one of their finest moments. The entire group shines on this song.

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Today's song is She Knows Me Too Well.

Happy to see KMB to get "1". :) To say it's boring is being too kind to it.

"She Knows" is 5. Pure beauty, melodic & fitting backing track.

Surely the word heartbreaking was coined for this song. Brian's vocals in the chorus (and the fade) can't fail to melt even the hardest of hearts.

One fantastic ballad after another----what a side!

(http://www.charbase.com/images/glyph/8548)

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Today's song is In the Back of My Mind.

Kicking myself for not commenting on 'She Knows Me Too Well' - my favorite from this era. It's like a matured 'Don't Worry Baby', the tracks for this song on the KAEOS set are a must listen for any fan. 5/5

As for In The Back Of My Mind...5/5. The arrangement alone is one of the most beautiful compositions Brian ever put together, and I cant believe the backing track hasn't been officially released for this yet. For real, of all the countless compilations we've gotten in the last couple years, you'd think a gem like this would come out. That being said, thank you to whoever first booted this track, what a moment that must've been to be one of the first to hear that backing track in ages...now we all get to enjoy it regardless of its exclusion from official sets.

Edit: also wanted to comment on the mono vs stereo versions of the song, both are good but I'll always be partial to the double tracked Dennis version.

5
Exactly. Was so miffed that there wasn't a 1965 release such as the excellent Keep an Eye on Summer for 1964. Desperately wanted to have a copy of this instrumental track. Hopefully the one online will be able to stay up - I listen in awe to it at least once a week.
Brian was 22 years old. Wow.

Getting Dennis to sing "ITBOMM" was a masterstroke. Those last couple of sung lines! That string tag! The entire instrumentation is a work of genius.

But (big but)... how on earth do you follow this? Wait for the next exciting episode to find out! ;D   

(https://archive.org/services/img/roman-five-temporary-tattoo.jpg.cf)

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Today's song is Bull Sessions with 'Big Daddy'.

1....

Said it before, but all three talk tracks have something to redeem themselves. In this case, it's the question of how to follow "ITBOMM". You have to follow it with something, but not another ballad. An instrumental? Maybe. But "BSWBD" fits the bill splendidly. Don't knock it, enjoy it for what it is: a fascinating time capsule.

(http://www.i2symbol.com/images/symbols/roman/roman_numeral_four_u2163_icon_256x256.png)

BSW"BD"

Out of the three talk tracks they did, this is my favorite one. Makes me hungry for burgers and fries. I'm glad it's at the end of the album and not smack in the middle of a side like the other two were. I give it a two and a half. Round it to three.

Mike is spot on: makes me hungry for burgers and fries. It's nothing special, but it's also kind of a maturing of their filler talking tracks. Here they are with a journalist goofing off, there is Brian's wife getting him food. It's a perfect way to end the album, imo.

4/5

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Today we discuss the album The Beach Boys Today!

Definitely one of ten BB albums I'd take to the moon (or have in my padded cell, lol).

The utterly natural combination of a rockin' A-side and a ballady B-side work fantastically well.

All good stuff.

(http://s3.amazonaws.com/static.graphemica.com/glyphs/i500s/000/009/012/original/2164-500x500.png?1275323174)

Your ratings for the album The Beach Boys Today!:
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Today's song is All Dressed Up for School.

Someone gave 'Beach Boys Today!' a 1 ??? Explain yourself!

I give All Dressed Up a 4. I always enjoy listening to this song. It's a shame it wasn't released until 1990. I guess it was too important the world receive 'Bull Session with Big Daddy' instead.

Hope I didn't accidentally do that - meant to give Today a 5

All Dressed Up - 4

We're doing All Dressed Up For School from 1964 now? Well ok then.

THREE. It's not bad but the songs Brian recycled parts of it for are much better (Heroes & Villains, Marcella, Goin On, I Just Got My Pay). I usually skip this song. Not one of my favorite rarities.

I like it. It has a lot of things going for it, beginning with the opening "Louie Louie" riff. Great group harmonies, with some nice bass touches from Mike.

5.

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Today's song is Karen.

Fluff really. The Boys approach it with considerable gusto.

4.

Karen

Meh...

TWO

"Hey that's Karen!" Sounds like it was written on the spot.

3
Fluff. But not bad for a TV theme song.
Shows just how popular they were back then, doing this, plus music for some beach movies.

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◎Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)(1965)
1. The Girl from New York City
2. Amusement Parks U.S.A.
3. Then I Kissed Her
4. Salt Lake City
5. Girl Don't Tell Me
6. Help Me, Rhonda [Single Ver.]
7. California Girls
8. Let Him Run Wild
9. You're So Good to Me
10. Summer Means New Love
11. I'm Bugged at My Ol' Man
12. And Your Dreams Come True
[Non-Album Tracks]
Graduation Day
Monkey's Uncle

Today's song is The Girl from New York City.

It was Cab (In Essence) who astutely pointed out that "TGFNYC" contains some of the seeds of "Good Vibrations" (and, I suspect, one seed of "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go").

Actually it took me a while to get to appreciate this fine song (like much on SDASN, if the truth be told)...
   
I'll give it a 5.

One thing I’d never noticed until now is that the vocals (excluding Mike’s deep background stuff) are very reminiscent of what they’d later do on ‘Wild Honey’ - very RnB if you ask me, and unlike anything they had vocally done prior.

I give it a 3 out of 5. Nearly every album prior had started out with a hit (‘I Get Around’, ‘Little Saint Nick’, ‘Do You Wanna Dance’, etc) but Summer Days starts off with this obscure track that doesn’t even have a remotely memorable middle-eight. That being said, Brian’s falsetto wail is damn cool, and the twangy guitars are a great addition to their sound, I just wish the song itself were a bit more memorable.

5
Love the r&b vibe. Super instrumental track, good vocals by Mike, and Brian's falsetto.
Makes me wanna get up and dance. Happy stuff.

TGFNYC

FIVE!

It might not be everyone's favorite song by them, but it's definitely one of my favorites. Often I will include it on a playlist or a mix cd. Catchy, energetic, great lead by Mike, awesome soaring falsetto by Brian. Totally rocks! Probably my favorite of the lesser known songs from '65.

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Today's song is Amusement Parks USA.

APUSA

Honestly not a favorite of mine. It's like County Fair Part 2 (and I actually prefer County Fair). My least favorite song from the Summer Days LP (yea, that means I like I'm Bugged At My Old Man better...)

Still though, the vocals are great and it's cool to hear Hal Blaine as the carnival barker.

THREE.

Count me in this camp too. Though I’ll rate it 2/5. Coming off of their mature Today! album this song feels like The Beach Boys went from being young adults finding their way through the world to going back to being 12 year olds. At the same time I know they’re just goofing off and having fun, my only main gripe is that creepy laughing that goes on in this track. Makes me skip it every time.

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Today's song is Then I Kissed Her.

This song is worth 5. I think Al sings better than anyone who was produced by Phil Spector during 62-66―maybe except Tina Turner.

TIKH

FOUR.

It's a great version of the song with Al in excellent vocal form. A rather faithful cover (minus the lyrics of course). Not one of my all time favorites, but a great song regardless. It certainly sounds great after putting up with the two-minutes and thirty-two seconds of Amusement Parks USA.

I LOVE THEN I KISSED HER

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Today's song is Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake City

FIVE.

A favorite of mine. Definitely deserving of more exposure. I absolutely love the backing track. Excellent vocals. Mint!

5/5

The backing track on this is outstanding. The sax playing in the second verse knocks it out of the park.

5
On my iPod I have it so that Girl from New York City and Salt Lake City are played back to back.
Wonderful, fun songs.

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Today's song is Girl Don't Tell Me.

Girl Don't Tell Me

FOUR

Good song, very Beatle-y. I don't play this song too often, or add it to mixes usually. When I was a kid in the '70s my parents bought Endless Summer for my birthday and I always seemed to skip playing GDTM. But I don't dislike it, I do like it. Just not enough to give it a 5. Now the next song is a different story...

5
When Brian sings this in concert, he introduces it by saying that he wrote it for John Lennon.
Unusual song for The Beach Boys at this time. No harmonies or fade out, relatively spare instrumentation.
And Carl singing lead. He's a seasoned veteran in the group by this time, 18 years old.

This song really brings down Summer Days - boring melody with ear-attacking lead. Being kind, chose the vote "1" but in fact, 0.

NB glad to see "Then I Kissed Her", definitive version with Al vocal, to get 2 "5"s & no "1"s/ "2"s. :) Al's MUCH better singer than Crystals could EVER be! :) :3d

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Today's song is Help Me, Rhonda.

Cool to be 1st to give HMRh 5!  :3d Join, you Al fans out there!

Perfect in every way. Al’s lead is fantastic, Mike’s bass vocals are perfect.

The alternate single version (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kN_t2gPpGDs) isn’t at all better, but pretty cool that Brian had different vocal ideas for the chorus.

5/5

Rhonda

FIVE

Absolute classic! And very possibly the first BBs song I ever heard in my life.

5
I really liked the instrumental track for the version on the Today album, but the vocal track (the harmonies, not Al's singing) was only okay.
Glad that Brian realized that this song should be revisited. Turned a good song into a Classic.
Rock on, Al!

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Today's song is California Girls.

5
On the morning Sirius 60s channel CG is frequently played. Without fail, the DJ talks throughout the intro. Grrr! There oughta be a law - stop yapping for a few seconds and listen to beauty and genius.
I listened to the instrumental outtakes. Took the Wrecking Crew over 40 takes to get this down.

I can't seem to vote for it for some reason. Definitely a five.

One of the best structured songs ever. That intro! That tag! The bit in between ain't bad either. ;D

Mike's doo-wop intro to the tag is sheer genius. Which other band would have done that in 1965? ::)


Edit: I seem to have voted now. But who in the name of Beelzebub gave it a one?? :o

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Today's song is Let Him Run Wild.

I've never understood Brian's aversion to the original SD(ASN) version...

What a stunning arrangement! I believe "top of his game" is the expression.

(https://www.photoshopgurus.com/forum/attachments/free-photoshop-requests/69457d1480265659t-quick-edit-logo-even-if-you-don-t-know-roman-numerals-_5bec474d275dbdf8fdb071f30fc978f4-png)

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Today's song is You're So Good to Me.

This was very popular in the London clubs at the time. And with me. Oh, the memories. One of the Boys' most uplifting songs.

I had this dream in September of 2014, when I "spent a rather restless night trying (in vain) to work out how Kevin Leslie could somehow have been responsible for the Leslie'd guitar sound on 'You're So Good To Me'." :lol  

Five.

I know that The Beach Boys have some polarizing songs, but California Girls?

That puzzles me, too.

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Today's song is Summer Means New Love.

Lovely little instrumental. For years, I was put off SD(ASN) because it was such a mixed bag (same, as it happens, with 20/20...)  It was only when I discovered that was its strength that I got to like it (20/20 too, folks). It's a fantastic collection of widely diverse but consistently great tracks. Anyway...

A five.

2Watamushi: Add next "5" from this poster to YSGTM.
3 to SMNL - bit sugary sugar with little goodies.

Done :-D

I've been gone a few days....
The ones I missed...
California Girls FIVE
Let Him Run Wild FIVE
You're So Good To Me FOUR

SUMMER MEANS NEW LOVE
FOUR
Charming little number, not one of my favorite Brian instrumentals though.

I love Brian’s move toward these chill instrumentals. ‘Let’s Go Away For Awhile’ was probably the pinnacle of these types of tunes, but this sure is a great step in that direction.

The remake of this for NPP with vocals is really perfect in its own way.

5/5

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Today's song is I'm Bugged at My Ol' Man.

1. That's that.

I'm Bugged At My Old Man

THREE

Musically it's trash but it cracks me up every time. And I listen to it a lot more often than, say, Amusement Parks USA. And I've enjoyed annoying people with this song. Probably not worthy of such a high score but either way it's a 3 from me  :p

I gave it a four, which is my lowest vote in this poll. It's the equivalent of the talk tracks on the other three albums and they all got a resounding four.

It's just the Boys having some fun----and who would deny them that? ;D

I love I'm Bugged At My Ol' Man! No one will ever convince me otherwise. It's a fun song! I've played it for a few people and they all got a laugh out of it. Who can't relate to it on some level? My dad used to threaten to cut my hair in my sleep all the time :lol

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Today's song is And Your Dreams Come True.

And Your Dream Comes True

FIVE

A magical one-minute-and-seven-seconds!

This song melodically depicts the best state - California. Therefore, it's 5.

Magical's the word. Up there with "Our Prayer".

5.

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Today we discuss the album Summer Days.

It took me a while to appreciate it but I got there in the end---and how!

5.

Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)

This album is full of some of my favorite pre-66 BB songs (Let Him Run Wild being a major favorite). Released less than four months after Today!, I'd say 1965 was a great year to be a Beach Boys fan even if the Beatles had already conquered the world. Strange how it wasn't released in Britain until after Pet Sounds came out.

What a year! There's this book I've been recommended: 1965: The Most Revolutionary Year In Music by Andrew Grant Jackson, which looks worth investigating. 

As for SD being released after PS in Britain (this eluded me at the time or it's a memory thing), that would partly explain Capitol's decision to release "Then I Kissed Her" between "GV" and "H&V" in the UK.

Something about two wrongs not making a right...

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Today's song is Graduation Day.

Add the new "5" to Summer Days. :3d

1 - with beautiful vocals it may be, it's dull. Even shortie "Mama Says" is better than it.

Added 8)

Graduation Day

FOUR

Great vocal expertise (but not one of my favorite covers. I like the way they did The Things We Did Last Summer better.)

4
Guess I'm just a sentimental fool LOL

BTW, for "graduation songs", my favorite is the song, Graduation Day, sung by Stark Whiteman, which has been played on our local stations every May for as long as I remember. That one brings on the waterworks  ;D

If only more people would be back in ten minutes. ;D

I think it's lovely. Just imagine hearing that at a pop concert in 1964!

5.

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Today's song is Monkey's Uncle.

Like the other TV title theme (whose name I can't even remember) this is basically fluff. Uh-huh.

4.

Monkey's Uncle

I really like Monkey's Uncle but I don't think it deserves a 5, so I'm giving it a FOUR because it's catchy as heck. I love the "whoa whoa whoa-whoa-woah" part and Annette sounds great despite being a singer I don't particularly care for. Great fun! I'll take this song over the dreadful "Karen" anyday.

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◎Party!(1965)
1. Hully Gully
2. I Should Have Known Better
3. Tell Me Why
4. Papa-Oow-Mow-Mow
5. Mountain of Love
6. You've Got to Hide Your Love Away
7. Devoted to You
8. Alley Oop
9. There's No Other Like My Baby
10. Medley:I Get Around;Little Deuce Coupe
11. The Times They're a Changing
12. Barbara Ann
[Non-Album Tracks]
Ruby Ruby
Satisfaction
Blowin' In the Wind
The Little Girl I Once Knew

Today's song is Hully Gully.

(Baby) Hully Gully

FOUR

The best part of the song is the band chorus, in my opinion. Not bad. Nice fun.

I must confess to being fairly apathetic towards Party!. But I shall do my best.

Apparently this is Mike on lead. I'm impressed! I love all this late fifties, early sixties vocal group stuff and they do the song proud. They are by no means the only act to cover The Olympics' 1959 song but it sounds good to me.

5.

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Today's song is I Should Have Known Better.

ISHKB

FOUR

Amusing cover by some famous group. Not bad. Fun stuff.

This!

They should've known better, alright!

Just kidding. It's alright.

3/5

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Today's song is Tell Me Why.

Once again, a four. Innocuous, but hardly spectacular.

Tell Me Why

FOUR

Same as I said about the last song. Amusing cover, not bad. It's fun. Not worthy of a 5. Nothing on Party is getting a 5 from me. It's my least favorite 60s era BBs album. I like it, just not as much as the others (from the '60s).

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Today's song is Papa-Oow-Mow-Mow.

Papa Oom Mow Mow

THREE

Sounds better on Beach Boys Concert. Can't figure out why they decided to put it on another album. It's ok.

This is more my type of cover! Great growling from Mike and wild wailing from Brian. Lovely stuff.

5.

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Today's song is Mountain of Love.

Mountain Of Love

FOUR

Mike did a great job (the released version is something like the 13th take). The Harold Dorman version is better but the BBs did good on it. Fun  :)

3. Not bad.

I don't know the original so I don't have the problem of comparing it.  That said, I must have heard Johnny Rivers's version at the time...

I like this. It's my kind of song.

5.

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Today's song is You've Got to Hide Your Love Away.

4. Cool lead by Dennis. Beats John easily. It's boring song which the party noises with BBs vocs brought coolness, freshness & new colors.

YGTHYLA

FOUR

Dennis sounds great on a Beatles cover that I usually don't pay any attention to when I listen to the Beatles.

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Today's song is Devoted to You.

Missed "YGTHYLA". Never mind.

Brian and Mike do a wonderful job on this Everly Brothers song. Heart-warming is the word. A five for sure.

YGTHYLA

FOUR

Probably the best thing on Party.

Mike, today's song is 'Devoted to You'!

Oops, I listed the wrong song title. Don't know why I did that. Thanks for correcting me. I meant to type Devoted To You, not YGTHYLA. I don't where my head is today  :P

Still however....Devoted To You is probably the best part of Party, in my opinion. Four...

4.
Version without the fake party sounds - a solid 5.

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Today's song is Alley Oop.

Well five, obviously. A great doo wop song the Boys are really having fun with. :=)

To complete the circle: Dante & the Evergreens' cover was almost as successful as The Hollywood Argyles' original. "Dante" (Donald Drowty) later formed Dante and His Friends who first recorded "Little Girl (You're My Miss America)"...

Alley Oop

FOUR

Love the way Mike pronounces the word "dinosaur" (dino-saw-wah). And his "whoaaa.....er, grizzly bear" always cracks me up. Great fun doo-wop stuff, very catchy. And it's always fun to hear the BBs having a good time and goofing off.