The Smiley Smile Message Board

First of all, hello everyone! I hope this topic finds you well.

I’ve been a little concerned for the community element of the board after seeing the events of the past couple of weeks unfold. In the past, I’ve personally witnessed a group that I formed fall apart due to missing the point and focusing instead on minute details that had no significance without the original intention, and I’m slightly afraid that’s what’s been happening here. So many people are arguing over this board member or that board member, this mod or that mod, or even this band member or that band member. This is my first major post here, but I’ve been lurking since 2011, so I have a fairly clear idea of how this place operates and has operated under various states of news and band activity. Through it all, I’ve always been the most interested in topics pertaining to uncovering new information on The Beach Boys, dissecting the songs and their recording, revealing previously unknown influences on the songcrafting process, and discussing the subjective pleasures of the music.

Since most of my Beach Boys knowledge comes from this board, I can only really contribute the final type of topic. Over the past few days I’ve sat down and listened to every song from every released studio album of The Beach Boys from Surfin’ Safari through MIU and recorded my thoughts on every single song as well as the albums as complete units. This is an attempt at unifying the board in some way; by laying down my thoughts, I hope to stimulate discussion stemming from my viewpoints on the music as well as other people’s reviews. I really want to see similar exercises done by as many members here as possible. Everyone on here came into the world of The Beach Boys at a different time and carried their own musical, intellectual, and emotional backgrounds in with them. I want to see how first-generation fans view the albums just as much as current-generation fans. How cool would it be to have a central topic on the forum devoted to every poster’s opinions (at the time of writing, at least) of every single song! Even if that does not become the case, I hope to learn plenty of new things about my favorite band in the process. And that’s what it should all be about on here, right? Celebrating the joy of The Beach Boys’ music. Going through their catalog again and giving every song a chance has reinvigorated my passion for their music immensely. Even the songs I’ve been somewhat down on in this write-up, such as “South Bay Surfer,” I’ve actually caught myself humming over the past few days. I would’ve extended by reviews all the way to That’s Why God Made the Radio, but I haven’t yet listened to LA all the way through yet and want to save that experience for a later time, I have finals next week, and I’m leaving for a month-long vacation to Japan this upcoming Friday.

For some background on me, I’m a 19-year-old guy from Michigan currently attending university for computer science, Japanese, and game design. I began listening to music seriously in 5th grade (I was 11) with bands such as The Turtles, The Monkees, and The Beach Boys. I’ve since grown to like a variety of bands in a variety of genres from all decades, but my favorites still firmly reside in the 60s and 70s. I don’t know how to surf, but I do like to go to the Great Lakes. I’ve visited California twice, and enjoyed both occasions. My primary enjoyment of The Beach Boys seems to come from their harmonies, but really every aspect of their music is appealing to me. I’m a decent singer and can play guitar and piano at a rudimentary level, but I would not call myself a musician. I have a few friends in my circle that also appreciate the music of The Beach Boys, although not to the extent that I do. I generally pride myself on a quality vocabulary and excellent grammar, but with projects such as these, those tend to fall by the wayside. My apologies in advance to anyone reading this for both those shortcomings as well as its length!

Surfin’ Safari
I think this is a fun album to listen to. I don’t remember who said this, but someone on the board a while back compared the humor of Surfin’ Safari and Smiley Smile; locker room humor versus stoned humor. That’s an apt comparison, I think. There’s a certain level of naivety and innocence on this album, even more so than their other early records. Maybe it’s because there isn’t a ballad on here? Regardless, I find myself turning to this LP more than any other pre-Today! album.
Surfin’ Safari – A classic. I liked it on Sounds of Summer and Endless Summer (my first CD and first LP compilations, respectively). Mike’s voice crack around 2/3 of the way through “cracks” me up. He sings the song excellently otherwise.
County Fair – I had heard “Amusement Parks USA” and “Palisades Park” before this song, so I was delighted to hear another fair/park-themed tune from them. This one has the funniest lyrics for sure. I often find myself singing Mike’s part on the tag without noticing.
Ten Little Indians – Maybe not the most politically correct song these days, but it’s still fun to listen to. I like the middle section when they break down in a quasi-chant; almost a precursor to “Do You Like Worms”!
Chug-A-Lug – My favorite song on the album!! Man alive, I love singing “Give me some root beer!” Is there any fan art out there of Mike Love drinking root beer? I can imagine there were some submissions to the fan club back in the day. The lyrics paint such a funny image; I wish someone made a collage of every guy doing their spelled-out activity in the song!
Little Girl – A pleasant enough song. I like the sound of Dennis’s voice on this one, and I like singing his part. And the backup parts, I guess. It’s not too difficult of a song to sing, so I enjoy it for that alone.
409 – Another classic. I like singing Mike’s part.. “Giddy-up giddy-up giddy-up four-oh-*NINE*” Dennis sure was prominent in the harmony stack on this album; you can hear him quite clearly.
Surfin’ – I personally prefer the original, non-sped-up version of the song. Is there a consensus as to why they sped it up for the LP? My favorite version of the song is the “Aloha From Hawaii” one, definitely.
Heads You Win – This is a decent song, although not my favorite on the album. The harmonies aren’t that strong, Mike’s higher vocal isn’t that great, and the melody isn’t really noteworthy.
Summertime Blues – This is a funny song. I prefer The Who’s version (John Entwistle’s growl is always welcome to me), but this one is fine too.
Cuckoo Clock – This one’s in a similar boat as “Heads You Win” for me. It’s okay, and I can appreciate Brian’s emulation of a cuckoo clock, but it’s just not that strong of a song to my ears.
Moon Dawg – The “dawg” howling is pretty funny, and the guitar sound is cool. I think their best surf instrumentals were on Surfin’ USA, though.
The Shift – Again, it’s alright, but nothing too special.
After typing that out, I prefer Side One to Side Two by a longshot. It’s a short album, though, so it’s not a big pain to sit through the whole thing (not that any 60s-70s Beach Boys album would be a pain to hear anyway!).

Surfin’ USA
“Surfin’ USA” and “Kokomo” were the first two songs that I purchased by The Beach Boys way back in 5th grade (on Amazon .mp3 – I cringe at the bitrate), so I’ve always had a soft spot for the titular track of this record. I don’t really listen to this album as much as Surfin’ Safari, but looking at the track list, there are more songs that I like. My lack of listening is probably due to not owning this album on any physical format except 8-track; something I should rectify.
Surfin’ USA – I love this song. It may not be groundbreaking like Pet Sounds or Smile, but it totally personifies summer and being in warmth. I love blasting The Beach Boys in my car with the windows down when warm weather rolls around (sometime usually in April), and this song is a great one for that. I could put this on repeat for quite some time, singing a different part every time (including the instruments).
Farmer’s Daughter – Not too bad of a song. Brian’s falsetto is much better here than on the previous album. Then again, can it match Mike’s stellar version on Shut Down Volume 2?
Misirlou – What a great surf instrumental!! Absolutely shredding guitar. This song is a running joke in my circle (often referred to as “Mister Lou”), as the thought of a super-young David Marks playing such immaculate guitar is crazy (…unless I’m mistaken and Carl played it. In that case, whoops. He was still pretty young, though).
Stoked – Another great one. The way the song starts is funny—*STOKED.* Listening to this and the other songs on the album reminds me how much I love surf guitar, and gives me a chance to breathe from the more progressive/psychedelic musical leanings I take on from time to time.
Lonely Sea – My first encounter with this song was on the MiC boxset. I wish I would’ve heard it earlier, honestly. I love it; a beautiful ballad from early on in their career.
Shut Down – A staple of the greatest hits compilations. I suppose I’m a fan of “409” and “Little Deuce Coupe” over this song, but it’s still great.
Noble Surfer – This sounds Jan and Dean-y. That’s not a bad thing, mind you. I think it’s the way the melody plays out and/or Mike’s tone of voice. The toy piano-sounding organ (or whatever it is) in the middle is pretty funny.
Honky Tonk – This one’s kind of a standard number, but I like it. Not everything has to be Misirlou.
Lana – I forget about this song, but Brian’s part is really good! I should listen to this one more often.
Surf Jam – Back to that surf instrumental energy! It’s so much fun to listen to. I have two 2LP compilations of surf music from the Sundazed record label, and I really should listen to those more often. Do you think Mike played the saxophone on this song? Probably not, and I’m probably forgetting an invaluable online resource for this sort of thing, but it’d be cool if he did.
Let’s Go Trippin’ – Yet another classic instrumental. This was 1963, so what were the connotations of “tripping” at that time? Going on a trip to the surf? I sound like an old guy deciphering slang, but I’m curious as to what it meant back then. There’s certainly some irony to the statement even three years down the road.
Finders Keepers – A strong finish to the album, I think. Brian seems to be channeling his inner Four Seasons on the “FINDERS KEEPERS LOSERS WEEPERS” part.
You know, I guess I like this album more than Surfin’ Safari, but I listen to that album more than this one. I should really buy this on a physical format sometime soon.

Surfer Girl
I like this album, but I think I listen to it even less than Surfin’ USA. I own it on CD and record, too, so there’s not much excuse. I guess it’s just easier to listen to their first two albums, as they’re more fun.
Surfer Girl – Yet another greatest hits song. I like the version they did on “Aloha From Hawaii” (both rehearsal and live performances). I like this one too, and since it has that studio polish, it has to be my favorite.
Catch A Wave – This was among my favorites on Endless Summer back when I used to spin that a lot. These days I still love it, and the lyrics are hilarious: “They’ll eat their words with a fork and spoon” is a Mike Love lyrical highlight for me. I wish he’d write stuff even like this rather than the self-referencing rut that he’s fallen into. They’re cheesy, sure, but still quite appreciable.
The Surfer Moon – A step forward in instrumentation. I prefer “Lonely Sea” a bit, but this one’s really good too. Is that Brian harmonizing with himself??
South Bay Surfer – I’m going to be honest, I think this song is mediocre. The singing isn’t really good, and there’s just not much interesting or catchy going on.
The Rocking Surfer – This has a nice organ, and the guitar plunks along quite nicely.
Little Deuce Coupe – Another album, another car song. I like it. I think the lyrics are solid and have just the right amount of authenticity; Roger Christian did a good job with Brian. Mike sings them quite well, as he did for all of their early hits; “There’s one more thing I’ve got the PINK SLIP DADDY.”
In My Room – Holy smokes. This is a classic among classics, Brian’s first complete knockout. The world’s absolute introduction to the angelic harmony stack of the Wilson’s + Love (Al and Bruce, you’ll come later). This song still knocks my socks off, and I’ve been listening to it for years. So, so beautiful.
Hawaii – This song is really fun. I like the live version from ’67 (albeit in a severely truncated form), as well as their Kona Coast rewrite so many years down the road. I haven’t been to Hawaii yet, but when I get there, I’ll be one of many cheesy Beach Boys fans to sing it as I get off the boat/plane.
Surfers Rule – Dennis’s voice is a little rough, but I think it’s kind of cool. The namecheck of the Four Seasons is an interesting cultural note. Years before rappers were dissing each other in America, The Beach Boys were callin’ out the singers of “Big Girls Don’t Cry.”
Our Car Club – That bass and sax combo makes the track a great fit for slow cruising (preferably with your car club). I like it.
Your Summer Dream – I forget about this song too. It’s pretty, even if it’s just Brian singing (I think?). They didn’t have too many solo vocals (as a recent thread, “The rarest type of Beach Boys song” (??) revealed).
Boogie Woodie – The piano and organ are cool, although it’s not the strongest finish to a strong LP.
Honestly, I like “Catch A Wave”, “Hawaii”, and “In My Room” more than most of the rest of their early material. I suppose my only reason for not listening to this record as much is because I have the thought implanted that there’s a lot of filler on it. However, there’s really not, and I would only classify “South Bay Surfer” and “Boogie Woodie” as mediocre at worst. I need to put this into heavier rotation!!

Little Deuce Coupe
Speaking of filler… Only half kidding, as I recognize the concept of the album. Still, it goes to show what the record industry could get away with back then. I’ve only listened to this album through all the way once or twice, but I’m familiar with the songs. I need to get a copy of it on record that doesn’t skip…
Little Deuce Coupe – I was going through all of The Beach Boys’ albums with a friend to introduce him to their catalogue some months ago, and this was around the time he caught on to their habit of starting the album with the title track. I hadn’t directly noticed it before, but it’s kind of funny. They’d stop after this album, though.
Ballad of Ole’ Betsy – I first heard this performed by the reunited Beach Boys at DTE Energy Music Theatre in 2012, with a classic MC Mike introduction. I really like the song, and the lyrics paired with the sad music is an interesting juxtaposition.
Be True to Your School – This is the version that I became familiar with first, as it was on Endless Summer (for whatever reason—was that one ever figured out?). The single version, with the “cheerleaders,” is superior in my eyes. I certainly don’t mind this version, though; it’s just a great song overall. I’m not the blind-devotion-to-an-institution kind of guy, but I can respect the culture behind the song.
Car Crazy Cutie – I’ve had little experience with this song, but listening to it now, I like it. I like the doo-wop nature of it. I wonder why doo-wop hasn’t fallen back in favor in the mainstream; vocals deserve much better than how they’re showcased these days (with some notable exceptions, of course).
Cherry Cherry Coupe – I’ve also hardly heard this one, but it really cooks!! That “go, cherry cherry coupe now” chant is so cool!!! I need to listen to this song more. I need to listen to a lot of this earlier material more! There’s so much vocal work going on in this track.
409 – I feel like I’ve heard this one before…
Shut Down -- …Man, this déjà vu is killer…
Spirit of America – This song is good, although it’s really really similar to Ballad of Ole’ Betsy. I don’t quite understand the logic there… It has similarities to many other songs, and as my sister said when this came on, “This sounds like every 50s song ever.”
Our Car Club – I swear I hadn’t heard “Spirit of America” before, but I’m getting that “I’ve totally heard this before” feeling again…
No-Go Showboat – Another song I haven’t heard too much of, but really really like. Such excellent harmonies!!!!
A Young Man Is Gone – I think this song, in any configuration, is among the most beautiful that The Beach Boys have ever done. This is definitely the most pristine version that they put out, but the lyrics detract from it just a bit. I understand it fitting into the car concept with James Dean and everything, but the original lyrics were so much prettier. The Aloha From Hawaii version comes close to this version due to the inclusion of Brian, and the Good Vibrations boxset version is great too, but it’s tough. Disregarding all of that, though, the way The Beach Boys weave through each other is immaculate.
Custom Machine – It’s pretty good. I like the “step on the gas” transition. And, if you can believe it, he has stereophonic speakers! We really take things for granted these days…
For real, this is a solid album. The concept is kept throughout, even with a bunch of repeat tracks. I should and will listen to this more.

Shut Down Volume 2
I listen to this album, or at least many of its songs, a decent amount. The highs on this record are higher than they had hit previously (and kind of wouldn’t hit again until Today!), but the filler is disappointing. Why didn’t they wait until this album to do a “Their Hearts Were Full of Spring” cover?? Why didn’t they bust out “Land Ahoy”?? Anything??
Fun, Fun, Fun – And again, another greatest hits song. I really liked that Jimmy Fallon cover he did recently—it was up my alley in terms of humor (“Hamburger stand now!”). Once again, Mike delivers a killer lead vocal, and the lyrics invoke excellent Southern California summer imagery.
Don’t Worry Baby – Once again, Brian hits it out of the park. I love listening to Phil Spector’s productions (I have the first three CDs of the Back to Mono set and listen to them somewhat frequently), but I think Brian surpassed him with this one. The harmonies, the drums, everything, are out of this world. The lyrics don’t quite match the heights that the sounds achieve, but they don’t really detract from the song.
In the Parking Lot – I really like the intro, and its juxtaposition with the verses is cool. The “Doo Ran De Ran”s are cool too.
“Cassius” Love vs. “Sonny” Wilson – This is funny. I still crack up at their cheesy humor despite hearing it many times. “Man, at least I don’t sound like my nose is on the *critical list*!!” A classic in its own right.
The Warmth of the Sun – Somehow 50 times better than even “Don’t Worry Baby.” I can’t think of a better falsetto that Brian ever did. He came close on many other occasions, but this is my favorite. The lyrics are pretty too. It’s just a great all around package, and it’s probably in my Top 10 (or Top 20 at the least).
This Car of Mine – A good song. Dennis’s voice is rough, again, but it’s endearing in its own way. “This little car means a heckuva lot to me.” That has a nice ring to it.
Why Do Fools Fall in Love – This song has a great production to it. It sounds really big, the voices are great, it’s cool. I love singing along to it (can’t get close to Brian’s falsetto quality, but whatever).
Pom Pom Play Girl – Carl’s first lead!! It’s a cool song; I like the drum on the “Ra ra pom pom playgirl” part. The background vocals are just overall cool, and the lyrics run off Carl’s tongue well.
Keep An Eye On Summer – A good song that I don’t listen to enough. It’s sort of in the same vein as “Graduation Day” and other school-themed songs, which I can appreciate.
Shut Down, Part 2 – I think the beginning is funny with the blaring saxophone, but it’s not that noteworthy of an instrumental besides that. It sounds reused. What a weird name for a song, and a (nearly) title track at that.
Louie, Louie – Not the best version of the song I’ve heard. It just seems like it belongs on an earlier LP, especially stacked up against material like “The Warmth of the Sun.”
Denny’s Drums – A cool concept, but again, it seems a little outdated in comparison to Side One.
If they had replaced the last three songs with something else, it could’ve been a Today!-level classic album. It still contains some of their best early material, though. And honestly, the last three songs are still fun to listen to. I should get off my high horse and career-segmenting and just enjoy the tunes for what they are.

All Summer Long
Another one that I don’t listen to enough. I wish I would—This and Surfin’ USA are the best personifications of summer in my eyes.
I Get Around – Of course it’s a classic! It’s a lot more in-depth than a surface listen would let on, as well. And wow, it’s really fun to sing. I like the “shred” video on YouTube, too, even though I know some here don’t; it’s all in good fun!
All Summer Long – I liked this one on Endless Summer too. The xylophone (marimba? Vibes? I don’t know percussion very well) is a nice touch, and the lyrics again are endearing.
Hushabye – Wow, those are some excellent vocals. Stellar. How did they do it?? Why is it not being done anymore???
Little Honda – This is so propulsive!! So much fun to listen to, like “Surfin’ USA”, with the windows rolled down and driving fast. This is one to show anyone who thinks The Beach Boys were weenies.
We’ll Run Away – Almost a prelude to “I’m So Young,” and probably written in that song’s vein. I like the organ in it; they had a pretty distinctive early career organ sound. The harmonies, as usual, are stellar.
Carl’s Big Chance – What a hilarious name for a song! I wonder how Carl felt about it. As an instrumental, it’s pretty good, although they were able to accomplish much more complex material at this point.
Wendy – Another Endless Summer classic. The ambiance of the beginning is quite striking, and yet the organ in the middle is almost comical. I like the song.
Do You Remember? – I dunno, this song is kind of lame. It’s okay, but it’s kind of cheesy. …Much like a lot of their self-referential work post-70s. If it had different diffrent lyrics,
Girls on the Beach – If this had come out instead of “Surfer Girl,” I think it’d be regarded as one of their best early songs. It’s really good, and is only really let down by being somewhat of a rewrite of “Surfer Girl.”
Drive-In – This song is really propulsive too! I like the early version of “Little Saint Nick” that this was lifted from, and I like this song. The lyrics are really funny too. That Smokey Bear reference gets me.
Our Favorite Recording Sessions – Trying to recapture the lightning in the bottle of “Love vs. Wilson,” but falling short. It’s still kind of funny, though, particularly the George Washington line. If only they knew Mike’s future hat escapades… The transition into “Don’t Back Down” is pretty nifty (the transition on “LvW” was great too—I forgot to mention it).
Don’t Back Down – A good way to end not only the album, but their streak of surfing songs. I’m not the biggest fan of Brian’s grunt in his falsetto, but whatever. It’s a great song.
Besides “Do You Remember?”, I really like every song on this album. It’s a great one!

Beach Boys’ Christmas Album
I really only listen to this between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so it doesn’t get much time from me. It has some good songs, though.
Little Saint Nick – The single version is much better. Why would they release this version on the album?? But anyway, I really like the song, “Christmas comes this time each year” notwithstanding.
The Man With All the Toys – This song has an interesting sound to it. The sporadic “Ha!” background vocals are the biggest culprits, although that implies the song is bad. It’s a good song.
Santa’s Beard – This is among the first Beach Boys songs I remember hearing. My mom was driving me to my grandma’s house when I was a young child (probably under six years old), and this came on the radio. I somehow knew it was The Beach Boys even then, and I remember she turned the station when they started singing “That’s not really Santa Claus” to protect my youth. I wonder how I knew it was The Beach Boys? Maybe I listened to them in a past life or something… Anyway, I like the song. The lyrics are delivered well by Mike.
Merry Christmas Baby – This is a good song! It hardly sounds like a Christmas song, but it doesn’t really matter. The harmonies sound a bit out of tune in the middle, but still better than I could do!
Christmas Day – What?? Ale Sardine gets a vocal? It’s about time! The song itself is adequate; nothing too special. Pleasantly catchy. Al’s best days were beyond this song, for sure. The trembling church organ is cool.
Frosty the Snowman – An excellent rendition of a great Christmas song! I like the instrumental accompaniment on all of the songs that follow. The sound may have a certain outdated stigma about it, but I still enjoy it. Brian would be using some of these sounds to great effect on Pet Sounds and Smile.
We Three Kings of Orient Are – Another vocal gem from The Beach Boys. I was one of the three kings in a preschool play, so I thought the connection was cool when I first heard it.
Blue Christmas – Great instrumentation, but Brian isn’t the one who should be singing this song. His voice is too pristine; it should’ve gone to Dennis.
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town – I like this cover too. The part after they sing the title verse is a little cheesy, but it can be forgiven. The harmonies are wonderful, and Mike’s voice is really funny for some reason.
White Christmas – No matter how many colors of Christmas they think of for this album, it won’t make up for the wrong choice of vocalist. …No, just kidding. This song is really good, and Brian does a great job with it.
I’ll Be Home for Christmas – Why don’t more people listen to this album during Christmastime? Play this all over the radio! The harmonies are phenomenal!
Auld Lang Syne – Yet *another* great harmonic blend by The Beach Boys on this album. Dennis talking over it wasn’t really needed, but I can understand the angle they were coming from. My favorite use of this recording was in the Alternate BWPS mix of Surf’s Up where this was placed after the “Auld Lang Syne” lyric. That threw me for a loop in the best of ways when I heard that. Thank you so much to the author of that mix!!!
This album is fantastic! I hardly listen to it due to its seasonal nature, which is a shame. I guess it’s a Yuletide treasure due to its underexposure.

The Beach Boys Today!
The first of the “second phase” of their career, or maybe their third phase. Do we even need to segment them into phases? This is just a fantastic album. The album cover is kind of a put-down by comparison, but that’s a problem for more than a few of their LPs.
Do You Wanna Dance? – Man, this is another one of those “cooking” songs. Brian was really nailing production by this point. It’s so big, yet still warm-sounding! Whenever I make CD compilations of Beach Boys music for my car, this one almost always winds up in the tracklist. An excellent Dennis lead.
Good To My Baby – Two hot songs in a row. That guitar riff is excellent. I remember someone on the board said this was their last guitar-based album, at least composition-wise, which I can totally see. It’s tough for me to separate “Do You Wanna Dance?” and this song.
Don’t Hurt My Little Sister – Not quite as thrilling as the previous two, but definitely not bad. I like Mike’s part(s); I think his “element” was in delivering those early songs. His voice has such a unique personality, matched only by Jan Berry from Jan & Dean. He was still great at singing into the 70s, but there was something about the union of the lyrics, music, and melodies of the early stuff that really worked for Mike.
When I Grow Up – Out of all the greatest hits material, I think this is actually my least favorite. I’m not sure why; I love the harpsichord, and it’s not a bad song. Maybe it’s just not as fast-paced as songs like “I Get Around” and “Surfin’ USA,” yet not as pretty and slow as “The Warmth of the Sun” or “In My Room.” The tempo spoils it for me? I don’t know. The subject matter is cool for a song from 1964, though (that’s when it was released as a single, right??).
Help Me Ronda – The version that I was first introduced to, but definitely the inferior version. The two redeeming qualities I see are the cool bass harmonica and the funny volume shifts during the fadeout. Other than that, Brian was right to retool the song for Summer Days.
Dance, Dance, Dance – Back to the fast-paced stuff! This is another classic. It wasn’t on Endless Summer, but it was on Sounds of Summer (same with the other dance song on this LP). As others have said, this is a great send-off to their early stuff before getting into the heavy stuff of Side Two.
Please Let Me Wonder – Heavy stuff indeed. Brian opened with this song in at least part of his 2013 tour (I traveled to Ohio to see him), and for some reason, it crushed me when I heard him sing it. I hadn’t paid a *bunch* of attention to the song before; my favorite from Today! had been “Kiss Me, Baby.” But after that, “Please Let Me Wonder” has become one of my favorite Beach Boys songs. Man, it’s so beautiful. Hearing the instrumental and acapella mixes have only enhanced my adoration of this song, as there’s so much going on in it. I love the way the the organ, guitar, and tambourine bounce off of each other in the middle, for example. A true masterpiece.
I’m So Young – Even if it is a cover, it’s so pretty. John K pointed out Dennis’s excellent part near the end to me that I had forgotten about. Dennis was pretty prominent on this album. Not much new to say about this song that can’t be said about “Please Let Me Wonder,” or really any of the songs on Side Two.
Kiss Me, Baby – I don’t know why I became infatuated with this song above the others on Side Two. I remember getting the 45 of which this song is the B-side a few years back, and I was super excited to hear it in record format. It’s a beautiful song, though. Mike’s subtle “kiss alittlebit, fight alittlebit” backing vocals are great.
She Knows Me Too Well – They’re all classics on this side. Brian’s falsetto is wonderful on this track. Holy cow. I’m not the biggest fan of the lyrics, but it’s okay. The music makes up for it by far.
In the Back of My Mind – I’ll be honest, I like the 1975 version just as much as the 65 version. The instrumentation is better on this one, and I like Dennis’s vocal, but the intrigue, pain, and soul of Brian’s blown mid-70s voice is equally appealing. It’s a good song no matter how you slice it.
Bull Session with Big Daddy – I usually just turn the album off after the previous song, but this is funny to listen to every once in a while. “Dick Rising.” *cue Beavis and Butthead snickering*
Besides “Bull Session,” I suppose, their first all-killer-no-filler album. I listen to it quite frequently.

Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!!)
This was the first Beach Boys studio album that I purchased, and it was on record. I’m glad I started with this one, as I’m not sure I would have softened up to it had I started with “Today!” or “Pet Sounds.” I had already heard six of the songs due to Endless Summer and 20 Golden Greats (which I found at an antique mall despite being a British album), but it was my favorite for quite a while. It’s a fun album, and just as much of a summer personification as Surfin’ USA or All Summer Long.
The Girl From New York City – Baby, does this track fly! The saxophone really helps, but there’s something unique about the way Brian made tracks with hardly any drums feel so rhythmic. Mike’s “YEEAAAUH YEEAUH” is near the top of my favorite Mike vocal moments. Brian’s falsetto is fun to (feebly) imitate, too.
Amusement Parks USA – What a crazy song!! I like showing this to people, especially when the spoken word parts come in. Not to mention the crazy laughing (Brian, right?)!! I don’t think I recall it being mentioned on the board, but I absolutely *love* the part where the bumper cars hit each other in time to the beat (right after “hurry hurry hurry folks!”). When it comes to thematic trios within The Beach Boys’ discography, the fair/park trio is my favorite.
Then I Kissed Her – I liked this song on 20 Golden Greats, and I like it here. It’s a great Al vocal. You know, thinking about it, The Beach Boys may have had more Top 20 hits in Britian with Al leads than any other vocalist of the band. Is this true?
Salt Lake City – The uptempo songs just keep coming on this album! The part where the saxophone is isolated and then doubled is so cool, and was even cooler (warning: sacrilege) on my duophonic LP. Apologies to the duophonic haters out there! As for the subject matter, I really do wonder why they chose Salt Lake City as the ultimate summer subject. I can understand the novelty of a lake filled with saltwater in the middle of the continent, I guess…
Girl Don’t Tell Me – It’s pretty good, although I don’t like it as much as I used to. It does derive pretty heavily from “Ticket To Ride,” but that isn’t really ridicule. I think the line “your shorts *MMM* they sure fit real fine” is funny.
Help Me Rhonda – Here we go!! Al Jardine, ladies and gentlemen. You know, one of the Beach Boys. Well, you may not know him, but you’ve heard him! The “unsung” vocal champion of the group!! This version is great. A classic! Yeah!
California Girls – I think this was my favorite song by them for a decent period of time. Maybe not anymore, but it’s a true piece of art. Listen to that track! Listen to the vocals on the chorus! The intro alone is beautiful. The song slides from verse to chorus in the coolest of shuffles, adding extra layers every transition. As a bonus, we can hear Bruce on the fade! Another underrated vocal asset of The Beach Boys.
Let Him Run Wild – This is another Endless Summer one, but similar to When I Grow Up, it’s not a favorite of mine. The track is fantastic, and the singing isn’t bad, so I struggle to see why I don’t really care for it. It’s probably the tempo. Darn tastes, ruining my perception of a good track… At least I don’t think Brian’s vocal is “wimpy.”
You’re So Good to Me – Hehe, this is a fun track. Simplistic, for sure, but fun. It was an excellent choice for their Lei’d In Hawaii concerts. Try uttering all of the “lalala”s of the chorus in one breath; it’s kind of tough.
Summer Means New Love – This is a quality instrumental, and a foreshadowing of “Pet Sounds” for sure. A little more simplistic, but come on, we don’t want to listen to Stockhausen while cruising around in the summertime! (or do we?)
I’m Bugged at My Old Man – This is a funny song. I like the melodramatic delivery, I like the lyrics, and I like the solo piano. I like the It’s OK TV special version too, coughing and all.
And Your Dreams Come True – Beautiful, and a foreshadowing of Our Prayer. A foreshadowing of Brian’s modular recording methods, too. …You all know this stuff, of course.
This may not be my favorite Beach Boys album anymore, but it’s still a solid listen the whole way through. I’d argue there’s no filler, not even “Old Man.” It’s a funny song. I listen to this LP a lot too, and like throwing it on for the nostalgia and the quality tunes alike.

Beach Boys Party!
I don’t really listen to this, but it’s a fun listen when I do. I bought the “Uncovered and Unplugged” set when it came out, but for some reason, I’ve yet to listen to it. Who knows why; I sure don’t. In the meantime, I’m listening to the “Covered Up and Plugged In” version.
Hully Gully – A fun song. The bongos are cool. They seem to be having a good time. A nice singalong.
I Should Have Known Better – I’ve liked singing this farther back than me ever hearing this version. They seem to be liking it too. I forgot the bongos were a recurring theme; that’s cool!
Tell Me Why – I like singing this one too. I’m glad The Beach Boys and I have similar singalong tastes!
Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow – If this isn’t *the* Mike Love classic, I don’t know what is. I picture him in full “Monster Mash” dance mode. Mike is such a dork, or was. He kind of seems like an old dork now (a little more bitter; maybe a callous dork). The 1:15 mark is the pinnacle of their career. But for real, it’s hilarious!! Brian is getting in on it too by the end.
Mountain of Love – This is a nice song. Breaking out the harmonica was a solid choice. Why do people dislike this album so much? It’s not serious, but why does everything need to be serious? We don’t have to worry about it destroying their credibility anymore; subsequent releases do a much better job of it. It’s just a fun album of The Beach Boys singing some favorites in a casual setting. Innovative in its own right!
You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away – I often think that Dennis didn’t have any lead vocals between Today! and Friends, but there’s this song (and “You Were My Sunshine”, but that wasn’t released for a couple more years). HEY! Dennis does a great job with this song. HEY! If they were somehow able to take off the Party noises, it’d probably at least equal John Lennon’s version. HEY! What? They *did* take off the Party noises?? HEY!
Devoted to You – This song was my formal introduction to the Everly Brothers, which I am quite grateful for. Another great harmony group (duo, I guess) with solid songs. The close harmonies of Mike and Brian are very pretty. Brian still manages to yell “SHUT UP AND GO HOME” right at the beginning, which is funny.
Alley Oop – I think this song was pointed to in a faraway “Shortenin’ Bread” thread as the origin of that riff. I struggle to hear the connection (is it the chord changes?), but it’s still a catchy song. Mike’s campy singing is funny. It’s a funny song in general.
There’s No Other – I like the original Spector production, and I like this version. It’s a pretty song. I’ve learned this one for myself on guitar (which really isn’t that tough, and credit goes to surfermoon.com for these tabs and the tabs of “Devoted To You”).
I Get Around / Little Deuce Coupe – Kinda dumb, or at least cheesy. “Ruby Baby,” the “let’s oink awhile” version, would’ve been a better one to include. This isn’t so bad, though. You get to hear Mike freestyle rap… to acoustic guitar and bongo accompaniment. Whoever said “Let’s do Luau!” was a real joker.
The Times They Are A-Changin’ – Poor Al. He gets to sing a folk number for once (this is before Brian crushed Al’s lifelong dream of singing “The Wreck of the Jon B” on a record), and the Party-goers shout “RIGHT!!!!1!!!!!” and “Glug” over it. I wonder if Bob Dylan ever commented on this version.
Barbara Ann – “Scratch it Carl, scratch it!! Right over there, a little lower, softer...” This may have been the first Beach Boys I ever heard. I think it’s a fun song, and it still resonates with people today (in a Minions “banana” version, but whatever!). “Bababa, you don’t know how to sing.”
I should listen to this album more often! It’s a lot of fun, and doesn’t take itself seriously. If more people listened to this on the board, I think it’d be a chill place. If you ever get in an argument, just listen to Beach Boys Party!

Pet Sounds
Woah nelly. How to talk about this album? I listened to it for the first time in spring when I was 15. It still carries a wistful, melancholic, spring-y feel to it, although I’m able to recognize a lot more of the beauty in it than I was able to before. As for mixes, I started out on the late-90s Mono/Stereo combo CD, then graduated to the Carl and the Passions mix. I’ve fallen back on the stereo mix lately to mix things up, although “You Still Believe In Me” is still a must-listen in mono. I’ll be buying the deluxe set and maybe the stereo LP when it comes out.
Wouldn’t It Be Nice – This went from “I’ve heard this a bunch of times on greatest hits” to “holy smokes this song is a masterpiece of masterpieces.” Again, hearing the instrumental track and acapella track really helps the appreciation for songs (for me, at least). I’ve done that for all applicable Pet Sounds songs, and I like them that much more because of it. The way the harmonies kick in on the second verse wipes me out…
You Still Believe In Me – This album has shown me how amazing “orchestral” or “symphonic” instruments can be, particularly in new contexts. The clarinet on this song (I hope it’s a clarinet; I’d look like a fool if not) is great, but the real knockout is the “I wanna crah-ah-ah-ah-ah-y” section and its bombastic vocal followups. Even the bike horn is amazing!!
That’s Not Me – I’ve loved the sounds of teh 12-string electric guitar for about the same time I’ve loved Pet Sounds, and that’s largely due to this song (and also my introduction to The Byrds around the same time). The sound the guitar makes in this song perfectly encapsulates the meaning of the lyrics. Mike proves his versatility as a vocalist.
Don’t Talk – Such a beautiful song. Brian’s voice is unlike any other (closest candidates being Carl and Al). It sure is amazing that he went from arranging songs like “Surfin’” and “Carl’s Big Chance” to this. What a progression!
I’m Waiting for the Day – One of my absolute favorite songs. The flutes, the oboe (or bassoon??), Brian’s fantastic and dynamic vocal, Mike’s bass vocal, everything else in the song… The instrumental bit is fantastic! The strings and the way they swiftly fade out under the drums after being isolated, Brian belting out the tag… Everything!
Let’s Go Away For Awhile – This was among the first Beach Boys 45s I owned (besides some German pressings), and I used to play it often before getting on the bus to go to school. It’s a very relaxing song. I remember reading somewhere that Brian said at one point this was his greatest musical accomplishment. It certainly is magnificent. The call-and-response of the drum and timpani is great.
Sloop John B – A greatest hits song, but an immaculate one at that. How do people think that this doesn’t fit on Pet Sounds? It’s so complex, certainly more so than California Girls. It’s summery/Beachy, but it’s still wonderful. Where would people have wanted it otherwise? On Party?? I like the “Let’s Go Away” to being on a boat dichotomy.
God Only Knows – Carl transformed into a whole different vocalist somewhere between Beach Boys Party! And Pet Sounds. I don’t pay as much attention to this track, which is a darn shame. It’s so well-made. Maybe it’s because of the repetition of “Pawl McDonald’s sed this iz his #1 track from the Botch-elle Boys” all the time. The Beatles are great musicians, and I enjoy all of their albums, but why does one man’s tastes define how good a song is??
I Know There’s An Answer – The return of the son of “Help Me Ronda”s bass harmonica! I like both “Hang On to Your Ego” versions out there as well as this song. Another fantastic usage of woodwinds, and just an interesting sounding track on the whole.
Here Today – This one also really blows my mind. How amazing the chorus is! I’ve heard people complain about the lyrics before, but I think they’re delivered well by Mike. They’re certainly a step in a more serious direction compared to “eat their words with a fork and spoon.” And how about that instrumental bit? Amazing! It think it was Bruce that said this was Bach influenced? Or maybe it was just Bruce talking about his darned camera in the background… Either way, this track is really wild.
I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times – When people say this album is a psychedelic classic, they must mean the unique sonic textures or beautiful sounds. This song is the only one that approaches what the public would kind of consider “psychedelia.” But even then, there are still woodwinds and such. I suppose “When I’m 64” is lumped in with Sgt. Pepper, so this can be “traditionally” psychedelic. It really doesn’t matter, though, as genres often do little to help the music behind them. This song is far-out, and using a state-of-the-art instrument is a cool way of expressing how ahead of the times you are (or how ahead Lorren Daro is, depending on your point of view).
Pet Sounds – I *LOVE* this track. “Let’s Go Away” used to be my clear favorite instrumental from the album, but I’m not so sure now. The horns/saxophones chug away while also harmonizing (maybe there are some woodwinds too; I should really be trying to find the sessions for these songs!!), the percussion is surreal and all over the place, wow. It’s amazing.
Caroline No – Another pretty song. The water jug at the beginning is cool, and their next (released) album would use another jug on its second track (played by one Algonquin Q. Jardine, if I’m not mistaken). Whatever piano Brian’s using is sweet, and the way his voice and the saxophone play off of each other for a bit is really cool (I just noticed it, actually). The song fades out, the train roars by, and Banana and Louie (“Dub dub dub, me gotta go”) start barking. Now *that’s* how to end an album, “Boogie Woodie.”
I can’t really say much about this album that hasn’t been said by someone else over the past 50 years. I really like it, I think it’s amazing, the cover doesn’t suit the music, and I can’t wait to see Brian play it in person this fall!

Smile
I guess it’s out of release order, but it wouldn’t make sense to talk about it between Summer in Paradise and That’s Why God Made the Radio. I first tuned into Smileysmile.net when I heard about the 2011 release, probably by following a Google link. I’ve been lurking ever since (until recently)! Smile changed my perception of so many things, made me hear and feel music in so many different ways, got me to *want* to eat healthy, etc. A life-changer, basically. I’ll be going off of the 2011 tracklist, but my personal favorite mixes are Old Master Painter’s 1966 mix, SonicLiveNoise’s 1967 mix, and the Alternate BWPS mix. There are others out there too; so much creativity involved in the process of combining the unfinished puzzle pieces! (note: I’m trying to go through the songs as I first heard them back in 2012, which is kind of tough)
Our Prayer – I had heard this from 20/20, but it works so much better here. I would lay down on my bed almost every night the first summer I got the album, put the album on the record player, turn the lights off, and smile as this came on. What a beautiful acapella piece. “Our Prayer” indeed.
Gee – This was the first new piece of music I experienced with Smile, and it’s pretty cool. Weird that a psychedelic masterpiece would have a doo-wop song in it. Then the end of the song came in, and the way the horn flutters at the end was really interesting.
Heroes and Villains – I had heard Smiley Smile first (I think??), and I had Sounds of Summer and 20 Golden Greats, so I was quite familiar with this song. Still, when cantina came on, I had to smile again. What in the world *is* this??? Laughing? Now they’re imitating sirens!? That’s crazy! In hindsight, they really should’ve used the “Part One” mix; this version is too similar to the released version, just with more Smile-ish parts thrown in. Anyway, the ending; that intrigued me in the same way as “Gee”s ending. The chug of the strings and drum, and the ascending harmonica with descending strings, and the *melting strings*!!
Do You Like Worms? – It wasn’t until this song that my mind was completely blown away. I had never heard and have never heard since anything that sounds even slightly like “Do You Like Worms.” The titanic thump of the intro is amazing, and the Indian chant in the chorus is amazing. What really got me though was the second round of the intro with the “bam be doo dah, AUM be dah dah” vocals. It still perplexes me even now. How does one think of something like that when there’s absolutely *ZERO* precedent for anything like it in the slightest!?!? Holy moly! The siren reprise at the end gave me another smile too.
I’m in Great Shape – A short one, but given my absorption of this album’s material, I pondered every lyric a bunch. The sound is, again, out there and unlike anything else.
Barnyard – I remember trying to draw a picture based on this song (and sadly failing). It’s such a cartoony track. Those animal noises are crazy!! The album even at this point was an overload the first time hearing it; an absolute barrage of foreign sounds.
Old Master Painter/You Were My Sunshine – My grandmother had a plush duck with “You Are My Sunshine” programmed into it, so I was happy to make that connection to that album. The juxtaposition of the lyrics into something sad is quite cool. I really like the melting strings again, and I think this was their original place (as if anything on Smile has an “original place”). The fade gave me a brief chance to breathe on this rollercoaster of an album.
Cabinessence – I had already heard this on 20/20 as well, although I wish I hadn’t. I still don’t give this track the time of day it deserves due to overexposure (how is that possible? After all the times I’ve heard “Surfin’ USA,” I still love it), but it’s such an intense and thought-provoking track. The way the cello moves in the chorus is scary, almost. It’s kind of a sinister track, or at least a nighttime sort of thing. The tag is amazing, and so imagery-laden. I can picture the cornfield every time I hear the song, the fuzz bass bringing out the hot sun (but the overall picture is still somehow dark).
Wonderful – I guess I had heard this before from Smiley Smile, but the backing vocals amazed me. They reminded me of the old Nickelodeon show Rugrats from my youth, as that show (I’ve since researched) used weird vocal synthesizers for a lot of its music. The Beach Boys were pulling off those sounds in 1966!!
Look – This song segues very well from Wonderful, even though it more than likely would not have been on the album. I’ll admit to having never heard Brian Wilson’s 2004 Smile, despite owning the CD, so I don’t know what the finished song sounds like. I remember being very excited to hear Good Vibrations referenced by the music, and it was once again able to make a smile creep up on my face. This music is quite moving for being mostly a backing track with a little bit of backing vocals.
Child is the Father of the Man – Speaking of moving backing tracks, whoa nelly. I since think they should have used Brian’s 1966 edit, but I was still impressed by this version. It’s so atmospheric and moody, so blue-hued! It’s an excellent pairing with “Surf’s Up.”
Surf’s Up – To break away from my “first experiences” for a second (I had heard this a bunch from the titular album), I had mentioned earlier that I had taken my friend through the Beach Boys catalogue. When we finally reached Smile, and we reached this song, the significance of this track and all of the meaning the title carried was fully clear to him. What a journey The Beach Boys took from “Surfin’” to “Surf’s Up.” It totally should have ended the album, regardless of Brian’s concert necessities. This is such a beautiful piece of music, with equally beautiful and perplexing lyrics. “A children’s song…” The innocence and childlike wonder of The Beach Boys are perhaps their most redeeming qualities (besides the voices, of course).
I Wanna Be Around / Workshop – I think I laughed the first time I heard this. What a hilarious turn of events after The Beach Boys’ potentially most deep and profound song! I don’t remember if I noticed it the first time, but the way the drill sound slides into the cymbal sound at one point is so, *so* cool.
Vega-Tables – Again, I’m pretty darn sure I heard Smiley Smile first. To go from that version of Vegetables to this version of Vega-Tables was exalting. I mean, that percussion! All of the vocal effects! The “Mama Says” sections!!!! (I hadn’t heard Wild Honey yet) I was sure there was an extended weed metaphor with the coughing after the first “Mama Says” section, the “I threw away the candy bar and I ate the wrapper” section, and the druggy second “Mama Says” section. I don’t really care about that kind of thing anymore, but I could totally see Brian doing it. Also, in the coda, I swear the first percuss three percusses (is that a term??) are of a soda can or beer can being cracked open, and the rest of them are echoes of that (emulated, of course). Just a little fan theory. On another note, it was this song in particular that made me start to eat healthy fruits and vegetables, and also got me into the habit of spelling vegetables incorrectly.
Holidays – This is a fun song, what with the slide whistle and xylophone and everything. But even a fun song on Smile is a far-out song elsewhere. This song is still amazing. They really shouldn’t have imported the “whispering winds” section of the Smiley Smile “Wind Chimes,” though. It doesn’t fit well in hindsight.
Wind Chimes – If I had to break down and pick a favorite song of all time, it’d most likely be this. From the first time I heard it, it has elicited a more powerful emotion in me than I’ve ever experienced with a piece of music before. The tag, specifically. I initially thought the tag must be “Fire,” since that was the track everyone said has bad vibes. But no, the tag of “Wind Chimes” gives me a surreal sense of anxiousness and fear. I’m by no means an anxious guy, and rarely even get angry. I don’t have any phobias (minus a strange aversion to the sound of Velcro). That’s why this track is so interesting. It’s able to give me a feeling that I don’t usually get while still being a piece of music I respect immensely. The vocals, the clarinet, the percussion, all line up in a perfect way. I really want to devote a separate thread for discussing the track; I guess I’ll take my thoughts over to the thread in the Smile section.
Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow – In hindsight, of *course* this is fire! What a powerful track. I’m on the fence as to my preference for the “Fall Breaks” vocal fly-ins. They work well, but they’re not vintage, but neither is the “Surf’s Up” tag, uhhhh… It’s a solid instrumental that elicits the concept of fire very well.
Love to Say Dada – Like the simultaneous discovery of calculus by two different men, John Lennon and Brian Wilson both had a giggle by initialing their songs with LSD. The water chant at the beginning may not be Smile vintage, but it did a good job of cooling me down after the previous two tracks. I really like the “wah wah low wah”s, although the pith-shifted scat singing is kind of weird. It’s a nice, kind-of calm track to slow things down a bit. The “Our Prayer” reprise was another smile-inducer for me.
Good Vibrations – Of course I had heard this a million times before. However, when it came to the “hum-de-dum” section and the proceeding prolonged fadeout, I was floored one last time by the album. If there was any way of making a perfect song perfect-er, they did it.
My joy from Smile largely derives from the discovery of something new around every musical corner that I experienced the first time I heard the album. I was hardly prepared at all, but that turned out for the best. Every time I hear someone’s new creative mix of the album that spins a certain section in a new way, I’m given another smile-inducing moment. That’s what the album is all about to me; exploring new territory, opening your mind, and smiling at the findings. I’m eternally grateful to everyone along the way who made this album possible, as it impacted my life in a way nothing else has.

Smiley Smile
This album gets so much flack for not being SMiLE. Sure, it’s not 1966 SMiLE, but it was Brian’s Smile at the time. The “Smiley,” “stress-free” Smile. I can dig that. It’s still a beautiful album. I have many positive experiences of putting my crackly record copy of this album on on scorching hot summer days with a pillow over my face and the window open. The buzzing organ and sparse arrangements compliment that feeling really well. Alternately, staring at the cover for the entire duration of the album (just under half an hour) was equally entertaining. I remember conjuring up future plans for animated masterpieces set to both Smile and Smiley Smile in those days; it really is animated music.
Heroes and Villains – The organ brings a different vibe to the song than the earlier arrangement. The acapella Dixie breakdown in this version is more or less on par with previous versions; it’s mind-blowingly impressive regardless. My favorite part of this version compared to all the others is when the song cuts Mike off after “sunny down snuff I’m alright by the heroes a—“ It’s the first introduction of humor in a really funny (yet pretty) album!
Vegetables – Just a bass, a jug, some vegetables, and voices? Oh, and a water glass. Are you kidding me?? …But it works *so well!!* The “toot toot” into the jug is so playful. I like the Hawthorne Blvd extended mix of the song, as it continues the crunching and segues into whistling, but the truncated version is fine by me too! The brief SMiLE section at the end is a tiny little look into a mystery that would be contained for 45 more years (to the non-bootlegging public) (minus the Good Vibrations boxset, I guess). This song has such an atmosphere of its own. I can feel myself beaming into a hot summer day just typing this. *slams glass on the table* “Ah, yeah!”
Fall Breaks and Back to Winter – This track is kind of dark in its own way. Linking in to the cover, this track elicits in me a strong image of a shady grove in the forest, the kind with leaves and branches mostly covering the sky, but a few stray light beams coming through and lighting up the forest in a murky yellow. The laughing accordion or whatever is pretty funny too, as is whatever is going “HUH HUH HUH.”
She’s Going Bald – What a hilarious track! Quite the transition from “He Gives Speeches.” I remember one of the first threads on this forum I spent hours pouring over was the one detailing the mechanism by which The Beach Boys sped up their vocals for this song (and slowed down the Rovell sisters for “Wonderful”?). That was a great read, and I’m tempted to go and read it again. Anyway, this song sure is fantastic. It’s super goofy, but I can appreciate it. The “made a beeline to her room” section is funny, and I love the hard edit into the “nothing upside your head” section.
Little Pad – I love it, love it, love it! “Do it!” The laughing at the beginning is infectious, and the ensuing humming equally so. The stereo edit of this track got the snap timing all wrong; Brian paced the songs out on this record so dee-lih-bur-ate-ly. It is cool to hear the humming in stereo, though, so I can forgive them. I can picture a little pad in Hawaii by the sea *sawing noises* every time.
Good Vibrations – What’s there to say, a classic single. Despite liking The Beatles first and all that, I still associate the Capitol swirl with this song’s 45 more than anything else. “Good Vibrations” is like a pop culture entity all its own. There’s nothing else like it. Non-imitable. …Although apparently Todd Rundgren’s cover version is pretty good.
With Me Tonight – OOOh goodness, this track is pretty! The “GOOD!” is hilarious and impeccably timed, and the harmonies through the whole track are amazing! Carl’s vocal is excellent. This has to be one of their best songs, just has to be. But they hardly say anything, right?? Doesn’t matter, it’s amazing. “For sure.”
Wind Chimes – It’s a totally different trip compared to the other version. So subtle and understated, just like the rest of the album. I really liked the piano that Brian tracked that can be heard on the Unsurpassed Masters of this album (or so I’ve been lead to believe by all the crooks of the world, that is), but he even took that out and inserted an organ drone in its place (the piano very briefly fades in for a couple notes). I think something should be said for this track actually using wind chimes in it, and there’s some symbolism in the way they disrupt the experience with the laughing accordion-thing again. And that tiny, gentlest of breezes tag…
Gettin’ Hungy – AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Brian’s greatest prank of all time. I swear you can hear that organ coming from three grooves away. It has such a distinct sound, and the “wake up in the morning” section has its own distinct, humid feeling to it as well. What a trip that they released this as a single and played it live in Hawaii. I love that live version, by the way. Almost better than the original. They absolutely hammer the bass.
Wonderful – Another almost spooky track. Carl practically sounds back masked going forward. It’s still really pretty, though. I like it. There are a lot of strange sounds weaving in and out of volume. I hadn’t realized that the “hey baboreebah” section was related to the Smile “Vega-Tables” tag as well as “Gee” until last summer, but let me tell you, that blew my mind all over again.
Whistle In – A strange chant to end the album. A dorky sort of pun, but that’s just my kind of pun. I could listen to an extended mix of this ala “Meant For You” on MiC.
This album excels in subtlety, mood, and humor. It was a triumph, even if it was looked down upon on release and continues to receive flak from many. Maybe disappointing in the face of the original promise, sure. I can understand that. But taken as its own thing, it’s a masterpiece.

Wild Honey
Going even lower-fidelity, Brian decided to record their next album inside of a beehive. I don’t know how he fit that heavenly-tuned piano in there, but it sure sounds great!
Wild Honey – I listen to this song a lot. How come it wasn’t a bigger hit? It’s *powerful!* Carl means business with this one! I can’t even come close to singing this song; hardly anyone can (although both touring bands do a good job with it)! The oscillating theremin or tannerin and that funky-as-heck piano really set the groove, as the drums (not bongos) hardly do anything (in a good way). What a fun-kee song!!! That glittering-then-buzzing organ in the middle. Wow! That bassline. Wow! “SOCK IT TO ME WILD HONEY!!” Wow! Should’ve been a #1.
Aren’t You Glad – This is where the familiarity dies down a bit and the true vibe of the album sets in. For me, it’s an early-morning early-fall kind of album. The beauty of a new day when it’s not quite cold outside yet, but the leaves are starting to turn is conveyed very well with this album (in my opinion). “Aren’t You Glad” is just the sweetest of songs, sung in a great style by Mike. Gentle, and obviously glad! The buzz of the organ is like the gentle buzzing of a honey bee. The melody plops along so nicely. It’s a nice, nice song. The drum after “I’ve got a heart that just won’t stop beating for you” (great lyric) is the nicest drum I’ve ever heard. The Beach Boys imitating horns after the chorus (the first time), only to be followed by a singular horn note that quickly fades out? How nice!
I Was Made To Love Her – I didn’t know Carl was born in Little Rock, but that notwithstanding, this one heckuva funky track! It may be a bit repetitive, but Carl really knocked his songs out of the park with this LP. The bass isn’t slouching one bit, and the piano perhaps trumps all. What in the world did Brian do with that piano? It needs to take over the radio; all stations, all genres! Even talk shows! “Alex Jones Falls Into Brian Wilson’s Wild Honey Piano.”
Country Air – We’re back to the sweet-sounding Boys. What exactly would you call what (Carl?) does at the beginning? It doesn’t quite seem like humming, but it’s not grunting for sure… Oh! But those sounds in the chorus! That really weird buzzy-crackly sound afterwards! The kinda-horn-sounding-kinda-Mellotron-sounding backup instrumentation. There are all sorts of vocal fidgets going on here too, almost like stifled giggles.
A Thing Or Two – Fun-kee to the max! Bruce makes his lead vocal debut with the four words “A thing or two.” These days, he’d like to tell that mic stand a thing or two… “Outta sight bay-bay!” That bassline is killer. That strange twirly guitar line is funny. The way their voices coalesce to say “KEEP ON TELLIN’” is great.
Darlin’ – I was obsessed with this song for awhile when I got 20 Golden Greats. It’s an excellent song, and was rightfully a hit. That brass, that piano, that bass, that Carl vocal. It’s all so great! Again, not everything needs to be Pet Sounds immaculate, and I’m personally glad they spent their years exploring different genres and textures (well, up to a point). When did “outta sight” fall out of favor in the English vernacular?
I’d Love Just Once To See You – I was thinking about this song just this morning. What a lovely song! The ending lyric is quite funny, of course, but the whole thing is delivered so gosh-darn well! I love the slice of life aspect couched in some excellent guitars and breezy harmonies (once again recorded inside of a beehive).
Here Comes the Night – How were these six white guys from Southern California suburbia allowed to bring forth this much funk onto the world in 1967??? Holy smokes! Everything about this track is fantastic. The way the voices syncopate (hear that, Al?? Sink-oh-payte) in the chorus is so cool, and to be finished up by an organ that sounds like the Windows 3.1 shutting down sound is just perfect. And that. Bass!
Let the Wind Blow – The name says it all. After Mike breathes the title lyric, the Boys tumble their harmonies through the wind. The stomp in the middle, organ, piano, syncopated vocals, and all, is great. The way the organ shimmers afterwards with some excellent guitar accompaniment is great. I’ve honestly never given this song this amount of attention before. For such a deep album cut, they put so much attention into it, particularly factoring in their waning popularity. The Beach Boys were in a tier of their own.
How She Boogalooed It To Me – This track exists in a nation by itself. What in the world is it?? Did he just say “In the corner, a Manson?” Maybe not, but this song is crazy. Those handclaps may be the missing link in the Smile saga. Or the coordinates to Jimmy Hoffa, who knows. What in the world.
Mama Says – An interesting vocal exercise to finish off the album. Better suited to being housed in “Vega-Tables,” I suppose, but still pretty here.
You know, I gave Wild Honey more attention here than I ever have before. This album is a masterpiece!! Screw public opinion, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Allmusic, et al. This album is a masterpiece.

Friends
I’ve loved this album since I got it in 2011. It’s so calm, relaxing, and I already finished “Meant For You” typing this sentence. The Steve Desper remaster is amazing; thank you Mr. Desper!! Your work is a treasure to us all.
Meant For You – A great little into to the album. I definitely prefer the MiC version, but this one isn’t any less pretty.
Friends – I only truly appreciated this song after hearing the acapella mix recently. Holy smokes, there’s a lot going here! “I loaned you money when the funds weren’t too cool.” How can you not love that!?!?!? This song is so gosh-darn friendly, so *nice.* It may be nicer than “Aren’t You Glad.” It probably is, but they wouldn’t want to get in an argument about it.
Wake the World – Another all-too-brief song, that’s nonetheless amazing in its beauty and kindness. The organ isn’t buzzing *too* loudly, just enough to make you happy. The tuba is in the same boat. No one is here to displease you. They’re just trying to be friends. And the lyrical matter is quite pleasant and conversational, too.
Be Here in the Mornin’ – A clear favorite back in the day, but now it’s too tough to say. Those bells are nice, and that extremely high voice by ??Al Jardine?? Is impressive. I like someone’s “Alright” in the second verse, as well as the Leslie-fied chorus the second time around. The isolated organ in the right ear is pleasant, and whoever murmurs really quietly in the middle, I heard you. Dennis gets a nice sighing part there at the end, and it sounds good and suits him well.
When A Man Needs A Woman – Brian sings this with such joy. I can feel glad for him. Man alive this album sure does have a lot of background sounds. The subtle “yep” after the first chorus. The bass on this song is really throbby, but again, not in a bad way at all. The baseball diamond organ is great too. And that trash can drum in the left ear towards the end. What an album!
Passing By – There’s so much going on here, but in a trademark Friends calm kind of way. I’m just now noticing a part in the right ear that is either a guitar or an organ (probably the latter). I wonder how long it took him to record this song. The buzzing almost-synthesizer is quite cool; I’ve always liked that. And that key change (I think it is, anyway) at the end, oh man… Strolling off into the sunset on the back cover of the album.
Anna Lee, The Healer – I bet Anna Lee uses the bass noises of this song just as much as she uses her hands. Mike is *right there*, if you haven’t noticed. It’s amazing how great recording technology was back in the 60s; something many people these days don’t realize. The engineer has a large hand in that, of course (*tips hat again to Mr. Desper*).
Little Bird – The cello and banjo combo in my left ear is crazy. Dennis’s lead is great; where have you been, Dennis!? The harmonies, and once again friendly nature of the lyrics are so, so welcome. I’m loving the “Child is the Father of the Man” riffing.
Be Still – A nice, chilled-out tone poem. Not much to grasp onto in terms of instrumentation and effects, but that’s totally okay. Subtlety is not a bad thing.
Busy Doing Nothing – Probably my favorite these days. Yet another thank you to Mr. Desper for revealing that super-strange guide vocal on the right! This song turned me on to bossa nova (once I took the time to look it up), which I’m thankful for. This track is so breezy and calm. I love driving with the windows down on really hot days, a hardly-buttoned Hawaiian shirt on, and sing all of the hilarious lyrics to this song. I really dig the lyrics to this song. The detail is exacting; it’s so cool! The instrumentations are all so cool! It’s just a great song.
Diamond Head – There’s a song by the same name from the Japanese band The Plastics from 1980. It’s a pretty funny song. Have any of you ever heard it? I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. As for this song, as with the rest of the album, it’s extremely relaxing. I don’t know how they crafted the buzzing sound in the right channel; I guess it’s probably an organ. There are a lot of peculiar sounds in this track. I think they work great as analogies to ocean noises. And, there’s a cool cameo at the 2:20 mark of The Boys still building their little pad!!
Transcendental Meditation – I remember a thread some time ago likening this album to running into a friend and spending a day with them, and after you’ve parted ways around the time of “Diamond Head,” the friend comes back and turns you on to TM. Or maybe that was my own take on it; if the author of that post sees that, please do let me know! Maybe they were going for representing the stunning impact meditation can have by blasting you in the face with it. I think of it more as  irony; this should be the calmest song based on the lyrics, but it’s the opposite. It’s funny!
Man, I love this album. Among my favorites of all time (right up there with Smile, Pet Sounds, and Smiley Smile). It sets such a mood, and doesn’t let up. Brian still has a joke up his sleeve with the final track, but that’s okay by me. It’s really difficult for me to feel anything but friendliness and happiness when I listen to Friends.

20/20
And now, sadly, back to albums that I don’t listen to very often. Maybe it’s the stupid unifold sleeve design of the record, but it’s probably just the hodgepodge nature of the album and the two Smile tracks at the end. But it’s a shame—I LOVE this era of The Beach Boys.
Do It Again – One of my other all-time favorite Beach Boys songs. It may be a callback, but it’s done so well by 1968 Brian Wilson. The horn emulation on the chorus is priceless, and the drums are super cool. This track has been sampled and riffed from a whole bunch, from ABBA to Air. I love the groove the track sets and the classic Mike Love vocal overlay. The Workshop sounds at the end are funny, particularly “Ow!”
I Can Hear Music – I find myself pairing the first two tracks of this album almost exclusively these days. The songs are both wonderful, and were had decent chart presence for their times. I’ve actually heard this song on the radio before, for what it’s worth. My favorite part of this song is after the “I can hear music hold me tight” breakdown, when they strum the guitar back in along with their vocals. The whole song has gorgeous harmonies, though.
Bluebirds Over the Mountain – A very strange song. I used to think it was too cheesy, but I’ve became more appreciative of it. Who does the “aaaah”s in the left and right channels? Is it Brian? I would assume no, since it’s a Bruce production, but who knows. The song is well recorded, and I like Mike’s vocal these days, but my favorite part by *far* is the fade. The wonderful harmonies followed by that oh-so-ominous rising string part.
Be With Me – One of my favorite Dennis songs. He was on a roll from 68-73 or so, even if he wasn’t always singing his songs. The horns and strings are very welcome to my ears, as is the great percussion. Dennis sings the song very well. The vocal towards the end is humorous. I thought the demo on MiC was interesting, as I didn’t know it was out there. Man, this is a great song. He just made it really well. If it had been on Pet Sounds, I bet it would’ve been considered a classic. Food for thought.
All I Want To Do – How weird for Mike to sing lyrics like this. They must have been quite desperate to regain popularity. The track cooks, it’s probably their hardest track, yet still has some cool horns. I love the story behind this song’s “ambient recordings.” The Beach Boys, man!
The Nearest Faraway Place – I used to give this track a lot of flak too for being too cheesy, but it sounds fine to me now. Pleasant and relaxing, in fact. The Beach Boys’ last instrumental. I like it! Bruce did a good job, and shows off his underutilized talent. I wonder why Carl wanted to kick him out of the band…
Cottonfields – Yeah, sure, Al’s version is better. The vocals on that one are super cool. This version is no slouch, though. The piano sound is pretty cool, same with Al’s echo effect. In the beginning of the song, at least. The percussion in the right and rhythm guitar in the left is a pretty cool effect that I hadn’t noticed before.
I Went to Sleep – A nice Friends-esque song. Very relaxed. “Some group was playing a musical song.” If that’s not a relaxed lyric, I don’t know what is. The lyric is almost concerning, and certainly foreshadows Brian’s withdrawal from the forefront of the band (which actually kind of already happened with this album).
Time to Get Alone – This is a really pretty song. I don’t listen to it enough. Little lead vocal spots for Carl, Brian, and Al! The different piano/harpsichord sounds play off of each other in a really cool way. And who can forget the “DEEP AND WIDE” part? Classic! This is one well-produced album.
Never Learn Not To Love – Sure, the song has dubious origins, but whatever. It’s a great song. The title is weird, but that’s okay. The backwards cymbals are a really cool way to start the song. Brian’s on the song. The flutes or recorders are pretty. The sleigh bells are pretty. The fuzz bass and horns/saxes are cool. Again, if some of this Dennis material had been on a higher profile record and/or been made by Brian, I *know* it would garner more respect. In this case, the whole Manson thing drags it down in the public eye a bit too I suppose. It’s a shame; it’s a great song.
Our Prayer – I like hearing this in stereo, and the overdubs are nice. I wonder who does that ultra-high part at the end. Bruce? Brian?
Cabin Essence – A shame they made it two words on this release. At least the stereo separation is worth it. And, if they hadn’t completed it here, there would be no lead vocal or truck driving man. So thank you, Carl. I appreciate it. Once again, *no one* else on the scene or on any other scene, regardless of the time period, was doing anything like this. Another plane of existence.
Another album that I should listen to more often. I think it’s just the Smile tracks at the end that turn me off from this, as they don’t really belong. Would it have been so gosh darn difficult to put “We’re Together Again” and “Old Man River” on instead (finishing the latter)? Or finish “Walk On By”? Those are three of the best bonus tracks I’ve ever heard to a CD. I like them more than all of 20/20 except the Smile stuff and the first two tracks (well, “Walk On By” is a few slots lower due to length, I suppose). Enough woulda-coulda; 20/20 is a great album.

Sunflower
Here’s an album that I listen to a bunch! My love for this album has only increased since hearing it in 2011. I used to find a lot of the songs cheesy, but whether I stopped thinking that or fully embraced the dairy, I love this album now. I’m listening to the 1970 LP, by the way.
Slip On Through – Was Dennis on fire or was Dennis on fire?? The acapella mix on MiC gave me a whole new way of looking at this song. It’s so impressive! The percussion towards the right sounds like a higher-pitched “Do It Again”-style of modulation. That’s so cool! The harmonies are immaculate as usual and is especially usual for this album. There’s so much going on in this song, so many effects and instruments. Mr. Desper is a master. This song sounds amazing! And the way it slides along, like the coolest rock and roll inchworm of all time. “Believe that I do love you love you love you love darlin’ I love you!”  What superb backing vocals. This is probably one of my favorite Beach Boys songs.
This Whole World – Welp, this is just as much one of my favorites. Like the one-two punch of “Do It Again” and “I Can Hear Music,” “Slip On Through” and this song are inextricably paired to each other. I can’t handle the “AUUM-dop-diddit”s; they’re amazing! The acapella breakdown, oh man! The mix on MiC, again, revealed the true beauty of the song to me. It’s amazing! I wish they would release that extended mix mentioned in that Brother Rarities thread a couple years back.
Add Some Music to Your Day – The harmonies, man. Even with Brian’s brass-ified vocals, the harmonies are out of this world. When they finally break into the “Add some music (every way)” chant, whoa nelly! The lead vocal trading is really cool. I swear Dennis sings the “I close my tired eyes” part, although I guess it could be Brian. I used to think the ice cream part was Brian, but now it sounds more like Al to me. They were good at sounding similar. Another reason the blend worked so well!
Got To Know the Woman – A grooving song that’s kind of funny. Dennis’s lead knocks it out of the park. The backing vocals are great too, both the gospel-choir-sounding women and Mike’s “mm-mm-mm-MMM-MAH-MMM-MAH-MOW”s.
Dierdre – I used to think this was pure cheese. Sorry, Bruce, I was really singling you out! This is a good song, honestly. It’s really pleasant and friendly. The cool spiraling organ during the “DIIIERRDREEEEE-*EEE*” vocal block is cool. There’s a lot going on in this song, some of which I’m noticing for the first time. All of the guitar in the center, and more flute than I had noticed before. The fact that it was turned into such a dark, twisted track in Earthbound for the Super Nintendo is amazing.
It’s About Time – If there’s any cheesy track, it’s either this or the followup. But really, besides the sort-of forced-sounding lyrics, this song rocks! The drums are everywhere! And man, Brian is on almost all of these songs. It’s a welcome return, although sadly short-lived (darn the masses and their tastes). Listen to that guitar shred in front of those harmonies!
Tears in the Morning – Yeah, I guess it’s still a little cheesy. Nevertheless, the track sounds really, really good. Bruce is channeling that wavering “Nearest Faraway Place” vibe to a degree, with plenty of accordion and “doodledoodledoodledoodle”s. The strings sound great. The unreleased version is better, and I don’t know why they didn’t use it, but it’s okay. Bruce, you’re a good producer/composer!
All I Wanna Do – Used to be my favorite, and while I guess it’s not now, it’s not any less amazing. What an amazing sound to be crafted in the year 1970! Again, a testament to how advanced recording was even then. Mike is able to channel that “Aren’t You Glad” level of gentleness to a remarkable degree. Listen to those drums roll over the stereoscape, and Mike’s voice echoing in the coolest of ways! Mr. Desper, you cannot be commended enough! The harmony stack in the background rolls along with the weaving synths (or synth-esque instruments) so well, so calmly. There’s a super-powerful fuzz bass, but it only adds to the serenity of the track somehow! “My love is burnin’ brightly! Like the moon and the stars shine nightly!” That’s a fantastic line; what a rhyme.
Forever – This version comes out on top due to the Beach Boys vocals, but I really like the Spring version as well. I really enjoyed the deconstruction thread posted on this song recently; that’s my favorite type of literary criticism. As for the song itself, the vocals are b-e-a-you-tiful. Brian’s “na-na-na”s in the fade are my favorite out of them.
Our Sweet Love – Why don’t more people like this album? Has it even gone gold?? I guess it’s an uber treasure for all of us fans to enjoy. Brian and Carl are uttering the greatest of “doo doo doo”s I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing on this track. The strings are gorgeous. I like the acapella w/strings mix on MiC. If there’s one and only one project that can be done for The Beach Bos in the future, it’s having Steve Desper go through and make surround remixes and remasters of this album and Surf’s Up in a deluxe format with backing tracks, vocals-only mixes, bonus tracks, extended mixes, liner notes, poster, sunflower seeds, the whole thing! Please UMe, please! I’ll pay as much as you want for it!!!!!!!!
At My Window – I used to think was kind of cheesy too, but nope! It’s fantastic, and quite endearing! “He came to my *whispers* window!” How pretty this song is. Bruce’s voice should be restricted by the FDA—it’s too sweet!
Cool, Cool Water – Listen to the ethereal background in the first section. Wow! The scat singing works much better here than grafted onto Love to Say Dada. And how about that calmest of rocket ships blasting off into the ocean in the water chant? The greatest instrument I’ve ever heard is the collective voices of The Beach Boys. Well, that Moog (both farty bass and drip-drop versions) is pretty up there in my favorites too. The lyrics in the final part are so smile-inducing. I can really picture myself in the activities they lay out. I had never noticed Mike’s (I think it’s his) super-echoey background part until now; it’s really cool! And how Brian doubles himself on “From the mountains on down to the sea.” This song is a real treat.
Well, this album is a masterpiece. It deserves more love than it gets from the public. The Beach Boys will forever be overshadowed by their own stereotypes and myths. Tis a shame…

Surf’s Up
This goes hand in hand with Sunflower for me, probably due to originally having it on 2fer. “Cool Cool Water” and “Don’t Go Near the Water” line up surprisingly well, though. Two sides of the coin, all of that. People on here have gone into it much more in-depth than I can, so I’ll save it.
Don’t Go Near the Water – I love the strange sounds on this song. It propels itself along in such a weird, yet effective way. The lyrics are important to take into consideration, and although we’ve thankfully gotten away from a lot of the pollution of those days, we still have a long way to go. I just noticed for the first time a guitar (I think) part in the right channel. That was so cool! Again, I’m listening to the original LP version, which I haven’t busted out in a while. The ending is the best part for me. Wow, that’s pretty!
Long Promised Road – I listen to this song a fair amount (Greatest Hits Volume 3, personal compilations, boxsets, this album, etc). Who’s doing the “na-na-na”s on the second verse? I seem to remember Marilyn being mentioned in the past. The synths on this song are great and farty, as is the twirly organ in the first titular verse section (well, it’s not farty, but whatever). My favorite part, of course, is the solo. Everything coalesces wonderfully! The guitar isn’t too showboat-y, doing just enough to enhance the song. Very interesting poetry from Jack Rieley.
Take A Load Off Your Feet – This song also has really interesting noises. I like Brian’s cameo on the first half of the first verse. I want to hear it spread over four plus speakers! I do hope to spatialize this album to surround at some point; my setup is not yet conducive to it. The dish noises are so cool, same with the roof tile noises. They were still innovating long after their popularity declined; they were the bomb!
Disney Girls – Yet *another* Bruce song that used to fall on deaf ears. Boy oh boy, how my opinion has changed! This song is so beautiful. I wish I would’ve appreciated it more when they broke it out for C50. That “wowowow” effect is cool, and the harmonies (including one Brian Douglas Wilson) sound great!! Bruce delivers this song wonderfully. It’s a shame he wouldn’t have another one with them for years.
Student Demonstration Time – Whatever, I really like this song. Say what you will about Mike Love, he had a great voice that added many needed elements to their songs. This song was topical for its time, and I remember some posters on here saying they felt The Beach Boys were on their side because of it. It can still apply today, although protests aren’t happening and/or being covered by the media in the numbers of the 60s and 70s. The rotating siren effect is super cool, and Dennis’s drumming is powerful (it was his last performance on that instrument for quite some years, correct?). This song is overall very well done, right down to the megaphone. I like Mike’s brief-yet-shining moment on falsetto towards the end (“Love vs. Wilson” notwithstanding).
Feel Flows – Oh baby, what an ethereal song. Right up there with “All I Wanna Do.” The backwards echo effect is really cool, and almost harkens back to Carl’s vocal on Smiley Smile’s “Wonderful.” What a pretty, pretty song! The flute is great, and Brian’s sustained note in the background is great too. It would’ve made a great companion piece to “Live Again” (darn your pride, Dennis). Once the instrumental segment finishes and the slamming piano is revealed, followed by those “weew weew” synths, oh man.
Lookin’ At Tomorrow – The phasing effect is pretty cool, and more importantly, Al gets a whole number to sing for the first time in a while! I guess he lifted it from someone else’s tune, but I don’t mind. Al’s voice is great. It’s a quaint piece that’s done well.
A Day in the Life of a Tree – What a heartbreaker. I sympathize greatly for the Jack Rieley-played tree. Brian really nailed the mournful nature of air pollution with this song. But with an almost cheerful-sounding pipe organ! He’s the master. The tag, man, the tag really gets to me. I don’t think it would’ve been the same sung by anyone else (although if a Dennis-sung version does indeed exist, PLEASE let us hear it!!). I remember eagerly reading through the tireless debate on here as to which Beach Boy sings at the end; it’s totally Al, everyone. Come on. No contest.
‘Til I Die – What a masterpiece. This is one of Brian’s greatest statements. It’s so touching knowing the story behind it. The way it was used in Love and Mercy, too, absolutely crushed me. I’d say this is their saddest song, but even still, it’s so pretty. So gorgeous. It’s well-made and well-engineered. I’ve always loved the X-Files sound in the background of the “leaf on a windy day” section. And once again, the tag slays. It’s so gosh-darn pretty.
Surf’s Up – I like Brian’s 1966 vocal much better, but I cannot complain about this version. It would’ve remained unfinished otherwise, so another big thank-you to Carl. That ultra-high part when they sing “dominoooooo” is really impressive; I can’t even get close to it. The subtle Moog additions to Brian’s piano part are interesting. Why didn’t they add in the originally envisioned strings instead? Was Brian that uncooperative? He gave them the lyrics for the tag, after all. Another thing: **What is the sound in the left channel, the faint, distant-sounding sound that starts a little over halfway through Brian’s piano part? It’s so enticing. I can hear it during the fadeout of the tag, too.** Anyway, the tag. Brian Wilson, king of tags. So pretty. It finishes the song in the perfect way, even if it’s not 1966 vintage.
This album is great, and I’ve thought that since the first time I heard it. One of their best (well shoot, I think a lot of their albums are among their best after doing this exercise). It’s a shame they didn’t put Dennis’s songs on there for one reason or another, but I still like the songs provided a whole bunch.

Carl and the Passions
I don’t listen to this very often. I’ll be honest, it’s because of the two Blondie and Ricky songs. They’re not bad, but it just doesn’t feel like that much of a Beach Boys album to me. It *is* a Beach Boys album, though, and one I enjoy, so I’m just making up excuses.
You Need A Mess of Help to Stand Alone – For example, this song is sweet!! Carl’s grunting faux-grizzly voice is funny, but fitting for the track. The moment the drums kick in to announce the second verse, and then the harmonies turn on, that’s sweet. The banjo is cool too, and adds a nice element to the song. The fiddle, too. The piano and guitar sound great too. The track is good! “She don’t know a thing…” Is Brian a backup vocalist? It sounds like him saying “she don’t know it.” I remember his So Tough vocal spots being a hot topic back in the day.
Here She Comes – I don’t usually listen to this song, so this is interesting to hear. The harmonies don’t quite sound like The Beach Boys (understandably), but the track still sounds cool. The way the organ plays out along with the central piano is good, and the drums are played quite well. Same with the guitar. It doesn’t quite strike me in the way that their other material of the era does, but I can appreciate the groove it sets. The groove at the end as its fading is pretty cool.
He Come Down – Quite interesting lyrically. Definitely the most blatant advertisement of Mike’s TM passion of their career. It’s okay, though, because that adds an authenticity to the gospel nature of the song. It is kind of funny; gospel being used to propagate transcendental meditation. The song itself is very fun to sing, and it’s really easy to get into. They all do a great job singing it. The piano asserting itself back into the song after the gentle breakdown is super cool. The coolest part is the “Yes I belieeeeeee-EEEEEE-*EEEEEEEE*” section. Brian on the bass vocal? In 1972? Sweet!
Marcella – Really groovy! (In terms of having a groove) The sound on the chorus in the background, the almost synthy sound (but not the harpsichord flourishes), is really interesting. I wonder what it is… There’s a lot going on in the song, which I totally appreciate. The live versions with the spiraling intro are cooler in that regard, but they pale in comparison to this one’s studio polish. Dennis’s vocals on the chorus are a nice little surprise too. And the tag is pretty long, but I like listening to it, so it’s fine.
Hold On Dear Brother – The other Blondie/Ricky song. To start, I like Mike’s bass vocal part right at the beginning in the right channel. The country aspect of the song isn’t my favorite (Sweetheart of the Rodeo is about as country as I’m comfortable with right now), so I can’t fully appreciate the song. Blondie’s voice isn’t the best in this particular cut either, so I suppose I just don’t really like this song that much.
Make It Good – This song gets a pretty weird amount of flak from a lot of fans. I think the words are very pretty, the instrumentation is lush, and Dennis delivers the whole thing great. He may be slightly inaudible/unintelligible at times, but the music is so grandeur and emotional. He did an excellent job with it. The pros heavily outweigh the cons.
All This is That – The Beach Boys performed this at C50 when I saw them. It’s a great, relaxing song. I like the 90s rehearsal version too, cheesy synths/funny vocals and all. The vocals on this are wonderful and calming. I just noticed a little piano plinking away deep in the background for the first time (I think it’s a little to the right of the stereoscape). Carl’s vocal on the tag is great. A highlight of the album; I think it would have fit quite well on Sunflower.
Cuddle Up – This song is so pretty and emotional. I realize my frequent adjective use is troublesome, but it’s tough when dealing with consistently quality music like The Beach Boys have in their catalog. The piano, Dennis, the strings, the backing vocals, it all builds so well from subtle and understated to grandeur and climactic. Dennis knocks it out of the park with this one, and it’s probably the best song on here. “Marcella” and “Mess of Help” are great rocking numbers, but Dennis really knew how to tug at the heartstrings in a way that Brian used to be able to.
This album is quite hodgepodge-y, and sadly isn’t quite up to snuff in my eyes to their previous albums. The highs are still quite high, though, and it’s enjoyable to listen to. It is by no means a bad album. It’s really good!

Holland
I used to replace the lightbulb in my room with a green light to put this album on (vinyl). It’s so atmospheric and laid back, right down to the cover. Of course, it is absolutely *required* to play the “Mt. Vernon and Fairway” EP with it, and I always did it by putting on the record, turning off the lights, and throwing myself under the covers (in my teens, but trying to capture the childlike nature of it in my listening space). The LP isn’t complete without it, for sure.
Sail On Sailor – This song has a sweet groove, heightened by the background harmonies and organ. The weird instrumentation in the left channel is really cool, too. I’ve talked to a guy in his 40s who said The Beach Boys were too “wimpy” for him, but he liked this song. It’s an interesting opinion. This song does seem to have some popularity despite not being one of their early hits. The song is sung well, played well, and has a deserved place in Brian’s setlists these days. I look forward to hearing the Carl version that Mr. Desper has.
Steamboat – This song chugs along in such a steamboat-y, dreamy, hazy way! I can really appreciate that. It fits the laid-back and chill nature of the album really well. The percussive noises are out there, and I love Dennis’s bass notes (partially copped from “Live Again,” if I’m not mistaken?). Carl sings it really well. I totally love the distant, fuzzed-out guitar solo; it reminds me of the guitar work on Pink Floyd’s Atom Heart Mother album.
California Saga: Big Sur – The 4/4 version is fantastic (and inexplicably unreleased), but I like this version a lot too. One of my college friends, when I mentioned The Beach Boys, said he has this specific song on rotation. I thought he had meant “California,” but it was this song! The Beach Boys can appear in the most unlikely of places, it seems. As mentioned with “Steamboat” (and also applies to “Sail On Sailor”), this song is very laid-back. I really dig the harmonies that set in a while into the song. So pretty. Mike did a quality job with this song, both in writing and delivery. I like the ambient nature of the opening piano notes (kind of the “Saga” theme, in a way). Mike and Al could be progressive and non-regressive when they wanted to be (or when the money was there? I’d like to think the former).
California Saga: Beaks of Eagles – I like the song, including the poetry. I think the backing track would be a sweet release, as it’s amazing and so atmospheric, but I really don’t mind the poetry over it. The song paints such a wonderful picture, something akin in my mind to the Hudson River school style of painting. I have one of those paintings hanging in my living room (a reproduction, obviously), and they do a good job of showcasing the majestic beauty of the American wilderness. Me being an American gives me a bias, totally, but there’s just something so endearing about the Western wilderness of America. That Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion programming in our genes, who knows…
California Saga: California – As much as I like the previous two songs, my favorite part of the saga is the transition from “Beaks of Eagles” to “California.” It takes such a turn towards exaltation! Their love, passion, and excitement for California comes across so clearly with that transition and the ensuing energy of the track. The single version is totally better, but I like the album version anyway. And I don’t even mind that it’s kind of a redone “California Girls.” It’s a great song, a fun song to sing along to, and once again has wonderful imagery! They did a great job with this album, let me tell you!!
The Trader – “Hi!” Following in the lines of “Good Time” and “Celebrate the News.” The cuteness of it showcases the seeming innocence of the settlers’ initial intentions (or not, whatever). After that, Carl slaughters that innocence in a wonderfully crafted song about our genocide of the Indians (genocide is a debatable term in that instance, but I’m in the camp that leans towards that use). It’s a really pretty song, particularly the second half, although I personally enjoy the energy of the first half more (and enjoy the Moog throughout more than both). The Beach Boys have never had such consistent imagery in an album, except perhaps for Smile (and that was much more abstract than this album, which isn’t a bad thing).
Leaving This Town – I used to skip over this one, but I don’t anymore. It’s my favorite of the Blondie and Ricky songs for sure. The Moog solo is cool, and the tag is super cool. It’s not a bad song at all. The piano and vocals of the main verses sound good, and the percussion is done well. I like the way the song builds itself up to the “Let me knoooooooow” line. …Did I hear Bruce on backing vocals? Surely not, I must be imagining things. I do like his voice, and I know he was on all of their albums from So Tough onwards in some capacity except for MIU, so I can hold on to a sliver of a possibility…
Only With You – A gorgeous song written by Dennis and sung immaculately by Carl. That opening synth-piano combo is so mood-setting. I’ve had the song stuck in my head all this morning (before listening to the album), although it was Dennis’s solo version. I think the tag on his version adds a better element to it, as do the extra backing vocal bits (the “baby baby baby” and “spend my life with you” bits, specifically). Carl does sing it so well, though. It’s tough to decide which one I like more. And why do I need to decide anyway?? They’re both great! The strings are so subtle on this version that I often forget they’re there.
Funky Pretty – A totally sweet song! The synthesizer blips, bloops, chirps, and farts are so, so, so cool! The 70s synthesizers, particularly the Moog, have such intriguing tones. One can only imagine how a 1972 Smile would’ve sounded… Can you imagine a “Do You Like Worms?” with a Moog bass?? Anyway, has anyone ever thought about this song’s connection lyrically to “Solar System”? I’d say this song is sung much better, but they both have that planetary/astrological slant to them. I could do without the “Greasy-oh-see” part, but whatever. I get too immersed in the synths to care. And that tag, wow! So catchy! Brian was still coming up with great things, just not as frequently.
Mt. Vernon and Fairway: A Fairy Tale – I love this thing. I want to build a glowing transistor radio for my children that broadcasts this and other magical music to them at nighttime (when I have kids eventually; it’s down the road). Jack Rieley did a fantastic job narrating; his voice is calming and perfectly suited for narration. Brian did a fantastic job writing this and scoring it. The sound effects are super cool; I’ve always liked the foot plodding sound for some reason. This fairy tale gives me ASMR (those relaxing head tingles; look it up, it’s an interesting subject). The music that Brian wrote for this is almost as magical as the Smile music, even if there are only small snippets. The fate of this piece, relegated to a separate EP, is also quite Smile-esque. I can appreciate the analogy the story has with Brian’s situation (it’s relatively blatant). One of the biggest mistakes they made was not letting this be the main piece of the album. Granted, I do like the album as it is. I *so* want to hear the Brother Rarities alternate Fairy Tale, and any other unreleased bits surrounding this. It has a magic all its own. And “I’m the Pied Piper” is the proto-“Ding Dang” / “Rollin’ Up To Heaven”!! Immensely appreciable. This whole piece is immensely appreciable. I love it. Brian’s Pied Piper voice is quite funny. “This, he said, disbelieving, the young prince, so loud, that two of his brothers overheard him!” (I have absolutely no idea how to punctuate that, and how about that direct analogy to their late 60s situation??)
Holland is a fantastic album-and-a-half, one of their better ones for sure. I can’t understand the 2.5-star rating from Allmusic. It actually deterred me from listening to this album for much too long. Mainstream music reviews are stupid. I love Holland!!

15 Big Ones
Wow-wee, what do we have here? This sounds a bit different to Holland, or any of their previous music. Goodbye, progressive Beach Boys… But they’re not finished making quality music! I enjoy listening to this album. The songs are (for the most part) catchy and interesting to hear. That being said, out of *all* the material they had, for an album such as this to result is mind-bogglingly stupid. Even if it used all of the same tracks, there were better mixes of songs on here than they released! What were they thinking!?!?! Another classic humongous folly in their history.
Rock and Roll Music – Exhibit A. This song is soggy, flaccid, and lame! Or at least compared to the MiC mix. And let’s say that mix isn’t totally vintage; the “hot mix” was infinitely better! WHY DID THEY USE THIS VERSION???? The only redeeming quality for me is the Moog bass, but come on. I listen to the MiC mix very frequently, so I’m a fan of their version, just not this version of their version. Why are the falsetto backing vocals pushed to practically mute in the background? Why did they cut the extra verse? And a bunch of other stuff? It perplexes me.
It’s OK – Again, the MiC mix, or even the single version, is so much better! This song doesn’t have as huge of a quality gap, though. As it is, I really like the song. It’s extremely catchy, and Dennis’s bass vocals are sweet. “*YEEEAUH*” The harmonies do sound different to their previous blend, but they still sound good. An excellent summer song, and one that I love to drive around with with the windows down.
Had To Phone Ya – This is a good song. The backing track is really interesting, and I like the vocals. The “you YOU you YOU” breakdown is a little rough, but whatever. I like the part when Marilyn picks up the phone after Brian’s anxious anticipation; it’s well-done. The surprise fans must have had to hear Brian, though… (and I’ve read some fans’ accounts of that on the board over the years)
Chapel of Love – I like the synth strings, and I like Brian’s voice. I like their mid-to-late 70s voices, I’ll be honest. Brian’s was at least partially a put-on, I’m convinced, but I think Brian’s comment on having laryngitis while recording this is interesting to think about. His (low in the mix, again) falsetto on here sounds almost like his early 70s self. I think this a fun song, and I wish the backing vocals were higher up in the mix. I prefer this version to the original.
Everyone’s in Love With You – I think this song is kind of weenie, but it’s decent enough. It seems heartfelt from Mike, so I give him some credit. I would have preferred “Mony Mony,” “Ruby Baby,” et cetera et cetera, but again, whatever. It’s not the worst track in the world, and is actually kind of pretty in its own way. I really like the backing “mmm” harmonies ala “California Saga: Big Sur.” The flute is nice too. Maybe this track isn’t so bad.
Talk To Me – This song is odd. I’m not sure what kind of sound they were going for; it sounds pretty muddy to my ears. As always, I like the synths. Carl is in drunken-voice mode, which again, I like in its own way. Is there some secret meeting the three Wilsons had around 1975 or 76 where they agreed to all make their voices purposefully less quality? I guess Dennis couldn’t do much about his, but Brian sounded fine on MIU, and Carl didn’t have any actual damage. I think about it periodically.
That Same Song – Another fun song that has grown on me. The gospel choir version is super, super cool, but I like this one too. The organ sounds are almost Smiley Smile in nature! The sax, piano, and “dauwm”s help to make the sound really happy and bouncy. For some reason, I like this song a lot better than “Do You Remember?” Maybe it’s because they had already activated nostalgia mode on here, whereas they still had a lot ahead of them in 1964.
TM Song – What a funny song! I think I recall discussions of a lengthened argument out there somewhere; I hope to hear it someday. It’s like the “Vega-Tables” arguments!! The backing track is really cool, too; another Smiley Smile-esque organ. This is a quirky and endearing song! The grammar isn’t too cool, but I’ll let it slide. “YOU KEEP OUT OF THIS!”
Palisades Park – “Oh my God! It’s cooking so bad I can’t *stand* it!” Dennis speaks the truth. This is far and away the best version of the song I’ve heard. It does indeed cook so bad I can’t stand it! The way layers are added every verse/chorus until the solo propels the song further and further into its groove. Probably my favorite song on the album. Carl’s practically breaking out his “Mess of Help” vocals. I love singing along to this one. Long live the fair/amusement park Beach Boys song trio!!
Susie Cincinatti – I like the “Add Some Music” B-Side version and MiC version more, but this is still a catchy little tune. I forget that Al made this often (and actually forgot it was on this album for some reason—I haven’t listened all the way through in a while); has anyone found a similar song to this yet (like “Raspberries, Strawberries” to “At My Window,” etc)? If not, it’s a nice original form Al! I always love hearing his leads. And Brian’s brassy circa-1970 is a sound all its own!
 A Casual Look – I love the doo-wop vocals!! The low sax is great too. This and “Running Bear” have a similar instrumentation to them, although the latter is still sadly unreleased. Mike and Al sing the lead well. It’s a fun track, and one I sing along to a lot!
Blueberry Hill – Not quite up to snuff to the other covers, I think (except maybe “Talk To Me”), but once it breaks away from just Mike and the bass/percussion (which is a cooler section than I remember it being, to be truthful), it’s pretty cool! It has a fun, lilting groove to it. I like this album, and I realize that many aren’t a fan of it due to its regression in innovation from Holland, but if you take off the goggles of expectation, there’s a lot to enjoy on here!!
Back Home – Three versions of this song from three radically different time periods; I love it! There are hardly any Beach Boys songs like that. All three versions are great, although my favorite is the 1970 version (which seemed to be used to some capacity as a backing track for this one, at least on the chorus). Brian’s voice is rough, but I like it! The song has a good groove to it, and the lyrics are fun.
In the Still of the Night – Another contender for favorite. Dennis’s vocal is great, and I like Brian’s falsetto part too. Not quite as clean as before, but still distinct. And those backing vocals! And the way the piano and bass synth combine almost like Brian was doing with “Old Man River” back in the day. This album had a lot more cool sounds, continuations, and callbacks than people give it credit for. I like singing this one a lot, which I realize is a common theme for songs on this LP!
Just Once in My Life – Yet another great one. The production is fantastic in a uniquely 15 Big Ones way. Carl and Brian both sound so rough on here compared to any previous vocal performance (this album included), but it totally works! I have to wonder where the bootleggers got the backing track to this one and why it didn’t come with any other backing tracks from the era (“TM Song,” please!!), but I’m glad we have a chance to hear this backing track. It’s really cool! This was a great way to end the album. As a sidenote, it got me into The Righteous Brothers, so another thank you to The Beach Boys for broadening my horizons.
15 Big Ones is such a better album than people give it credit for. They were breaking out unused ideas from 1963 to Smile to 1968 and beyond! If it were taken for its own thing rather than a huge nail in their viability coffin, I think people would really respect it. That and putting superior mixes of the first two tracks on.

Love You
Oh yeah!!!!!!! I love this album! When I first bought it sometime in the summer of 2012, I didn’t like it. I thought it was lame. For some reason, I came back to it in 2013, and I fell madly in love with it! I fall in line with the “genius in simplicity” school of thought on this album that has been discussed very well on this forum, so I won’t regurgitate that information. Beyond that, though, and really at the heart of it, the first side contains songs more catchy to me than anything else I’ve ever heard. “Honkin’ Down the Highway,” “Let Us Go On This Way,” “Mona,” and all that have a totally 100% unique sound. Who else but The Beach Boys in 1977 would have the audacity to put out an album like this? The synthesizers are beyond heavenly, and are used to fantastic effect for both the upbeat and slower songs. Love You is one of my favorite albums of all time, and I just can’t bring myself to not like it!!!!!!!
Let Us Go On This Way – What a way to begin the album! Carl’s drunken “HEY!” surrounded by the brain-melting drone of the synthesizers set up the insanity that is this album perfectly. Brian’s voice once again sounds like his early 70s self; further evidence of his vocal affectations (unless it’s just someone that sounds like Brian). The lyrics are so absolutely cheesy; I love them! This album brings a smile to my face and makes me laugh unlike any other album.
Roller Skating Child – Picturing these middle-aged, hairy, greasy men singing twisted teenaged songs is beyond hilarious to me. The grooves set are beyond comprehension—they hardly use any drums, yet the songs are propulsive beyond belief! The percussion instead comes from the layers of keyboards, organs, synths, claps, and backing vocals. “We’ll even do more when your momma’s not around! Well oh my oh gosh oh gee…” Genius, pure genius.
Mona – Listen to that track! The saxes, the bells, the drums (no cymbal or hi-hat, mind you), the oscillating piano, the synth, et cetera! Wow!! I love Dennis’s voice on this. The lyrics are great. This album is great. “I know you’re gonna love Phil Spector!”
Johnny Carson – The *AUDACITY* they had to make this album! The sheer gumption! Holy smokes! Who in the world in 1977 was writing anything like this? I can only laugh at the insanity of it. “When guests are boring he fills up the slack.” “Who’s a man that we admire? Johnny Carson is a real live wire!” Every lyric is a humorous treasure. That organ breakdown, too; it’s something else, and suggests a method to the madness.
Good Time – I like the song. I think the extra additions to the song from the Spring album made the song better, but I like Brian’s voice on this song anyway. The lyrics, despite being from much earlier, are still already venturing towards Love You cheesiness. The backing track is also quite intriguing, and there’s definitely a solid groove there (not as mind-numbing as the other songs on Side One, but still). The horns are great, the harmonica is very Sunflower-era Beach Boys; it’s good stuff.
Honkin’ Down the Highway – But forget that, we’ve now arrived at the pinnacle of Al Jardine’s singing career! Oh my absolute goodness, this song is a masterpiece! Listen to that groove! Listen to Al! “Takin’ one little inch at a time now; till we’re feelin’ fine now; I guess I got a way! With! GURRRLZ!!” This song is so funny, and so rhythmic! The synth solo in the Billy Hinche version was cool, and I sing it over the middle section, but whatever. It’s hard for me to think of a song I like more than this one, at least when I’m wrapped up in its tantalizing groove. Thank you so much to whoever made the 30 minute mix on YouTube.
Ding Dang – Speaking of immaculate grooves! I love Al’s “vocals as punctuation marks” comment on the song’s Wikipedia page. It’s so true! “Rollin’ Up To Heaven” is one of my all-time favorite songs, and this song is an excellent precursor to that. I hope Micky Dolenz releases a twelve-hour tape of Brian on one of his night-long grinds of the song someday; it’s hypnotizing!
Solar System – What a funny song! The synths are fantastic, and the lyrics are cheesy and ultra-simplistic. “The constellations are stars that form animals” is a rib-tickler. This is the part of the album that I start to really, really appreciate the backing tracks crafted by Brian (and finished by Carl). Again, there’s a method to the madness here, a method used by the man who has Pet Sounds and Smile under his belt!
The Night Was So Young – What a pretty song. Delivered by a drunken-voiced Carl, and backed up by a raw electricity synth, it’s great. My favorite part of the song is the “It’s three o’clock; I go to my sink; I pour some milk; and I start to think…” lyric, but really, it’s a solid song. Quality instrumentation that sounds unlike anything else. 15 Big Ones was the training ground for all of the far-out synths on this album.
I’ll Bet He’s Nice – I love this version, and I love Brian’s raw demo. Both amazing in their own ways. On this version, listen to those bloop-bloops play off of the tink-tinks, buzzes, and squelches! And all three Wilson brothers lend their 1977 best to the track. The way the harpsichord hammers on is crazed, and the harmonies are amazing. Bruce is utilized well here (that’s right, Bruce. I hear you! You can’t hide from me!).
Let’s Put Our Hearts Together – Totally rough vocals, but very endearing. The backing track is really pretty, particularly on the second verse with that added synth bit slightly towards the left. The concept of the song is quaint, although I think it was one of the main cheese detractors from my initial listen. No matter, because I love the song now! I love singing along with Brian’s part (and failing to imitate Marilyn’s). “We’ll leave each other never.” Only on Love You, folks!
I Wanna Pick You Up – I can understand where people come from when they think this song is kind of creepy. However, in the frame of reference that is Love You, it’s kind of cute. That drum modulation is too great for me to think poorly of the song anyway! The extra synth bit in the left channel on the second verse is again wonderful. I like Dennis and Brian trading vocals. The “pat pat” part at the end always gets a laugh out of people when I play the album for them. The ending harmony is great. Did Mike really hit that low note that strongly? If so, cool!!
Airplane – I like singing this whole album, and this song is no exception. Once again we hear Brian’s falsetto intact (but a little worn). The song is pretty, and Mike does a good job singing it. There’s not much I can say about the backing track, lyrics, et cetera that I haven’t said (somewhat rudimentarily, for sure) about other tracks, but I do like the contrast of the tag with the rest of the song. It’s catchy and repetitive.
Love Is A Woman – “Tell her she smells good tonight!” Brian knows how to get the ladies! (or Mike Love, if the song really is just a joke) What a funny way to end the album. I love it.
This album is a total masterpiece. The instrumentation was forward-thinking, while the lyrics were absolutely regressive to the point of childishness. I love that dichotomy, though, and the rhythm is immensely enjoyable by itself. I cannot complain about anything on this album. I love Adult Child as well, although I won’t review it here.

MIU
Another album that receives more flak than it deserves. It may not be Love You, and has even less interesting things to offer than 15 Big Ones, it’s still a really catchy album! Poor Al; I have to give him credit with this one. There are some really good songs on here.
She’s Got Rhythm – Maybe not the best song on the album, but it’s catchy and contains a Brian Wilson falsetto (which is surprisingly more shrill than the previous two albums). I like the sound they were going for; the saxes are used well, as is the cool-sounding piano and sleigh bells (likely influenced by their simultaneous Christmas recordings).
Come Go With Me – It wasn’t until recently that I started to fully appreciate how super-catchy this cover is! Totally my favorite version of the song. Listen to that Wall of Als (how often can you say a song has that??) absolutely nail it! This is so much fun to listen to and sing along to, although I always get caught up in the different “come come”s and “dom dom”s. A pretty good problem to have, I’d say.
Hey Little Tomboy – Out of all the tracks from Adult Child, why did they release this? It’s crazy. I love the song, don’t get me wrong, but… The Beach Boys make some strange decisions, that’s all. The lyrics are hilarious, particularly the way Brian delivers his solo lines. It’s a shame they took out the spoken-word parts at the end. They should’ve given the public a one-two punch of this track and “Lazy Lizzie.” I guess the record buying public wouldn’t have cared anyway, but it’s a funny thought!
Kona Coast – I don’t care if it’s a rewrite of “Hawaii;” it’s fun and performed/produced well! I think one of the other main reasons I don’t like their later nostalgia trips is due to Mike’s purposeful vocal regression (which this song doesn’t fully boast, I think) and the terrible 80s/90s productions. MIU sounds great, though! And it’s nice to hear Brian on falsetto again in a recognizable slot.
Peggy Sue – This is another fun cover song done well. I really don’t have anything to say other than I like listening and singing along to it.
Wontcha Come Out Tonight – One of my favorite Beach Boys songs of the 70s. I’m not sure exactly what it is about it. The groove is nice in that “Honkin’ Down the Highway” “Ding Dang” kind of way, but it’s definitely more laid back than that. The backing vocals are super-catchy, and Mike delivers one of his last fantastic leads in normal Mike Love mode. Brian’s voice is even better, and really showcases how well he could still sound. The horns and sax are utterly fantastic. It’s less one single factor for this song than everything culminating together in a fantastic sound. Excellent job with this one, guys!!
Sweet Sunday Kinda Love – This is another drunk-ish Carl vocal (but not as much as, say, “The Night Was So Young”, now that I’m listening to it and not going off of memory). As said, I don’t dislike that sound, and I think the song is pretty and catchy.
Bells of Paris – Maybe it’s a tiny bit cheesy, but Mike’s vocal is great (all of the vocals are). Where did this voice go, Mike? You didn’t have to devolve into a parody of yourself. I even like it when you sing in French. Come back, Mike Love of old! Actually, “Cool Head Warm Heart” was fine, so I know you still exist.
Pitter Patter – I love this song! I do wonder why they didn’t use the thunderstorm version, but it’s okay. This song has a nice little groove to it, and the vocals are excellent as usual for this album. An album with heavy Al presence is an album I like. They weren’t afraid to use this bass pattern on many of their songs in this era.
My Diane – I love it! It’s so soulful. “Everything is wrong and nothing is right; I want you back with all of my might.” Those are excellent lyrics. Dennis did a great job singing them; the yearning definitely resonates.
Match Point of Our Love – Sort of cheesy in a disco kind of way, but I like disco! Brian sounds great. The lyrics are totally ham-fisted, but I don’t mind it. The song is pleasant.
Winds of Change – I like this better than many people seem to. Al, Mike, and Brian sing this well, and I love the tag. It’s not a bad song, just a little generic-sounding.
Similar to some other posters, I throw this album on more often than most of their other albums. It’s pleasant-sounding and doesn’t need much emotional investment. I wish Al would’ve produced more albums. I wish Al would just do more in general!

...Well, that formatting isn't pretty, but if you still have the desire to read my ramblings, I think copying and pasting it into a word processor such as Microsoft Word would make it look a lot better (that's what I typed it in). I do hope to see others' reviews and discuss the nuances of it all!!!

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php?board=4.0

Thank you, sockittome. I have ventured to the review section of the board before and have spent hours reading through each album's thread, and I did contemplate posting these there individually. However, I envisioned this topic as more of an opportunity for an overall reevaluation of the discography than for individual album reviews. I think there's a different outlook that develops when all of the albums are listened to together in order rather than listened to in isolated spurts. For me, it put The Beach Boys' timeline into a better perspective that made more sense from album to album.

Of course, if posting a topic such as this is out of line or not as conducive to discussion in this section of the forum, I totally understand, and can take the reviews to their individual album boards.

Keep going Cody, this is what the board is truly about! 8)

Thank you! SMiLE Brian, I'd love to see your reviews. Sockittome's, too. I do realize everyone's schedules are different, and I probably have more time than many on here, but I do think the experience of going through the discography is worth it. It certainly reminded me why I love The Beach Boys so much!

Yeah I need to breakout all my twofers and listen track by track. I was lucky to find the 1970s ones for cheap at FYE.

Very cool idea!  I had thought of doing something similar, but I kind of got off track in listening to the albums.  I had been buying the original LPs one by one each month.  I made it to Friends, but 20/20 was proving to be very difficult to find for a reasonable price.  Same for the mono version of Smiley Smile, so I kind of gave up lol.  With this thread I think I'll start looking again.  Of course I could just listen on the computer, but I always end up getting distracted.  :P

After posting reviews in this thread I think it would be a good idea to copy these in the album review threads, along with adding your star rating. 

Also, that's cool that you're 19.  I'm 20, but haven't been listening to music as long as you have.  I first got an ipod when I was 13.  I think the first Beach Boys songs I "acquired" were I get Around, Wouldn't It Be Nice, Barbara Ann, Good Vibrations, and a couple others I'm probably forgetting.  My dad always had on the oldies station, so I was pretty familiar with all of the hits.  However, I didn't really become a serious fan until 2012.  Fast-forward a couple years later and I have close to 500 of their recordings (including the SMiLE Sessions and MiC boxset). 

Cool idea; I see so much complaining on the board about "I don't like this song or that album", it's nice to see mostly positive comments. And it brings to mind a question for all the Smiley Smilers here: how many hours in a typical day or week do you have for seriously, concentrated music listening? I'm not counting just having the radio on while you surf the net, background to doing household chores; I like to have a time during the day when I can just sit down by the stereo, and focus on the music. Tonight, I was listening to Beach Boys Party and Pet Sounds, probably 2 hours total. Some days I might only get an hour, other days, none at all. I read a lot of the posts here about people listening to their BB's collection, and lots of other music as well, and I wonder "how do they have time to keep up with all of that?" A week and half ago, I decided I would listen to all the BB's albums in order, and I'm only up to PS; it's probably gonna take me 3 more weeks to get through them all. How do you make time for listening to all this music and not miss out on the rest of life? I've been neglecting my own music this past week, I need to get back to it.

Lean Back Now Listen, really enjoyed your reviews - Interesting that you only went to MIU (when I was ONLY 14 and already a big fan), no doubt we all look forward to your views of L.A. (Light Album) and beyond.
Would love to hear what you think of P.O.B.  

Wow, that's really cool! I have Friends and 20/20 as well as Sunflower and Surf's Up (both from one of my local record stores), and I found a new Smiley Smile and Wild Honey at Tower Records in Shibuya last year, but I've never even seen any other twofers. Really cool that FYE had them! I remember seeing Friends on vinyl there last year when the reissues came out, and a new Carl and the Passions on the shelf at a local bookstore that also carries records. Surreal! I anticipate your reviews when you have the time to do them.


I totally get you! I've ran into most of the original LPs a few times, but I've never found a mono Smiley Smile (mine is tragically duophonic). One of my local record stores has had an original 20/20 for $15 for probably 6 months now. It irks me that no one has bought it! They have Friends for the same price. I've seen Sunflower a few places and bought an extra copy in New York for $10, and I bought a standalone copy of Carl and the Passions to augment my two Pet Sounds-included copies while in Japan for I can't remember (under $20, though). I'm still holding out for an original pressing of Pet Sounds, but I may just go for the stereo remaster coming out in June. As for listening to the albums on the computer, I have the same experience. Vinyl commands more attention for me, especially when the cover is one I could stare at for a long time. If you do end up scoring more albums on vinyl, I look forward to your reviews! I'm not sure how prolific record stores are in your neck of the woods, but I've sometimes had to venture an hour or two out of my way to find the good stuff (and I've resorted to ebay on occasion).

I think I'll post all of these in the review section once I get through That's Why God Made the Radio and perhaps a few solo albums. I suppose it would be a shame to not utilize that board space as well, seeing as how it was made for that purpose.

Nice to see a similarly young fan on the board! I had a generic .mp3 player that I augmented with a CD player and cassette player until I got my first record player in 2010. After that, I forsook digital media besides computer listening for more than a few years. It wasn't until this October when multiple cassette players of mine all broke down that I switched to the new Sony Walkman A-17 (196GB of storage with .flac capability). It makes walking around campus with music much less of a hassle! My mom and dad both had a passing interest in the oldies, but tended to play newer stations. It was through my grandparents and my own exploration that I got into this kind of stuff. But, as long as a fan gets there, that's the important thing!

Was there a specific album or era that really kicked you over the edge in 2012, or was it more the hype surrounding the reunion? For me, getting the Friends/20/20 and Sunflower/Surf's Up twofers in 2011 took me from greatest hits admirer to a big fan. I actually got Pet Sounds the following spring, which is kind of backwards to the usual introduction to the albums!


Thank you! Be warned, I got a little... "excited" around the time Party rolled around. I was really getting into the groove of their progression as a band, and I only kind of settled down after 20/20.


Thanks a bunch! My flight to Japan next week is around twelve hours (with a fourteen hour layover in Shanghai [the plane tickets were quite cheap, so it's fine by me]), so I think I'll have plenty of time then to review the rest of the discography. I plan on throwing in at least P.O.B., Brian Wilson '88, and Spring as well (all of which I really enjoy).

If you've already spoken to this in the past, please feel free to disregard this, but what was it like being a fan at that time? If you were already big on them in 78, was it the big "Brian's Back" hype that initially peaked your interest, or perhaps Endless Summer? What were your thoughts on the varying vocal and instrumental qualities of the three new-era LPs (15 Big Ones, Love You, MIU)? Which was your favorite at the time? I know my views on music were a heckuvalot different when I was 14 compared to now (granted I'm really not that far removed), so I can imagine tastes have changed since then.  It's also an intriguing thought that they were in the same place then as, say, The Flaming Lips were when I was 14 (at least in terms of career longevity). A band of 15 odd years has a lot of different connotations than a band of 50 years.

Lean Back Now Listen...... thank you for sharing all of this!!

You've made be go back and listen again to a lot of stuff....  :banana

I'll second a request for you to review L.A. (Light Album) ......  :rock

There's definitely hope for the future when a young someone so unflaggingly enthusiastic and breathlessly articulate (in your own special way, of course!) pops up as a breath of fresh air on a chat board that is often notorious for its high concentration of carbon dioxide.

Looking forward to you powering thru the rest of the LPs and on into the solo efforts.

That's a very interesting question! I usually walk from the commuter lot on campus to my classes, which gives me around 15-20 minutes each way from my car to listen to music without much distraction. I try to pay attention while walking, although my mind drifts from time to time. I've gotten into The Kinks and Randy Newman among other music this way. I do throw on music while I surf the Internet, which I really don't pay attention to unless I really try (and at that point, I'm not devoting enough mental faculties to what I'm looking at). There aren't many occasions that I sit down with just the music and listen to it these days. These types of write-ups are the closest I usually get. It really is tough to devote that much time to music, but I think it's worth it. I can only imagine how much less time I'll have with a full-time job...


Haha, I love the banana! It takes a special sentence to merit a banana followup. I'm glad I sparked some relistening! Were there any particular songs or albums that you thought of in a different way due to being removed from them for a length of time? I usually like songs a lot more after hearing them for the first time in a while.

I will! I actually bought LA on record in 2014 at an antique mall during a Japanese exchange program (it was the Michigan half, though). The Japanese students thought it was funny every time I found a Beach Boys record, I'd let out a small exclamation ("Beach Boys!!!"). They had Friends and Sunflower there, which was amazing to me at the time. Looking back on it, that was the best collection of Beach Boys albums for sale I've ever seen, although the prices were too high on all but LA for me to bite. Long story short, I still haven't gotten around to listening to the album. I have been really, really digging "Lady Lynda," though. I started listening to it as a result of the recent thread on the subject, and man alive, did Al do a great job! What a fantastic song! I've loved "Baby Blue" and "Angel Come Home" since I first heard them on the Good Vibrations boxset, and "Good Timin'" is a good song too. I look forward to the rest (even a serious listen of "Here Comes the Night (Bruce Johnston on the Beat Remix)")!


Well thank you! This place has been my homepage for nearly five years, and I've probably spent hundreds of cumulative hours reading it (on vacations, during classes, everywhere), so I thought it was about time to join the board. I think I relied on certain adjectives to carry my thoughts too much, but I suppose my points got across in some way. I'll have to look back on my writing in six months and see if I still understand what I'm saying.

I look forward to that process as well! I listened to disc five of MiC today because I was hankering some "Soul Searchin'," and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the two 2012 songs! I've only listened to That's Why God Made the Radio through a couple of times, so we'll see how a devoted listen will enhance my perspective of the album. The live tracks were super fun to listen to as well; I may have to do a listen of the live albums after I return from Japan! I don't own Knebworth, but I have Concert, London, and In Concert.

Lean Back Now Listen, I appreciate how much time and thought you have put into these reviews. There was a time, decades ago, when I could soak up everything a song had to offer on 2 or 3 listens. Now I am older, and as I said, so easily distracted. But my music collection was a lot smaller 20 years ago, too. I like to keep up on some new music, but it seems to take so long for any of it to sink it now. And I don't want to neglect the old stuff, either. Before I started going through the Beach Boys albums last week, I had been on an Everly Brothers binge. Some of those albums I have listened to dozens of times; others, only a couple times since I bought them. I don't have a long commute - if I did, I think that would be a good time to listen to music. I had a long drive for a job interview a couple months ago, and listened to several Squeeze albums on the way there and back.

You're goin' places, LBNL, I can guarantee that  ;)

I see, I see. I can somewhat understand your situation (minus the length of time of musical appreciation, of course). I already have an amassing pile of LPs I've bought that I still need to listen to, going back to my Japan trip last year (I found a lot of harder-to-find American albums, if you can believe it) and beyond. I too like finding new, current music to listen to and new artists to support, but it really only seems to come in spurts when I have a lot of time (Thanksgiving and Christmas vacations, for example). I usually just find my way back to the 60s and 70s to artists that have been proven worth the investment (although they don't always gel with me, they're generally a safer bet). I bought The Everly Brothers' first two albums a few months ago, and I should give them another listen sometime. I still have 50s jazz albums, Black Keys albums, and Japanese progressive albums to listen to. As my collection gets larger, it seems like I have less time to listen to the albums I buy! To think of the lack of time I'll have in two decades, holy cow. I feel for you! Music is a demanding, yet ultimately rewarding, passion.

It's cool that you're going through The Beach Boys' albums too! I hope you find sufficient time to squeeze them all in. As for the band Squeeze, I haven't heard of them before, although their first album cover is something else! I'll have to listen to them. I like some of those other new wave bands like Talking Heads, Blondie, and DEVO, although I may be talking apples and oranges. Those extended trip opportunities are always a treat, in my book; excellent listening opportunities.


Haha, thanks! I may have to go bed, if anywhere; I didn't realize posting replies was such a process! Fulfilling, though, and an excellent chance to correspond to fellow fans.

I had a nice visit with Smiley Smile and Wild Honey tonight. Those albums can always put me in a good mood.

Totally! Tracks like "Little Pad," "With Me Tonight," and "Aren't You Glad" have a special kind of happiness and relaxation about them. They were still making great music during that time period, that's for sure. I love the good-natured humor and sparseness of Smiley Smile and the perpetually smiling and soulful qualities of Wild Honey. I think they're kind of strange albums, but definitely not in a bad way. There's something to appreciate and settle into in every song, warranting frequent listens for me (and they're both under half an hour, which makes that easy).

EDIT: I forgot to ask; do you have any opinion of the "Lei'd in Hawaii" concerts of August 25th and 26th, 1967, or the "rehearsal" tracks that circulate with them?

LBNL,

Welcome aboard.  I like seeing new young fans like you and the Cincinnati Kid on board here.   

I'm glad to see that people born in the 1990s are discovering the music of The Beach Boys. 

Thank you! I suppose my more or less self-introduction to them would be considered an outlier among people of approximately my age, as I think most kids get the appreciation from hearing oldies stations played by their parents or grandparents. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, and having a base familiarity with their sound from occasional radio appearances was crucial to my later fandom, but when this generation becomes old, how will the oldies still be broadcast? It's an interesting dilemma. There's another chunk of people that are introduced to groups such as The Beatles and The Beach Boys through publications such as Rolling Stone Magazine and Pitchfork. I don't put much stock in those types of commercial music criticism organizations, but if they're able to turn on younger people to quality music, then I suppose they're doing some good. I know a solid group of my peers are at least familiar with The Beach Boys in a peripheral sense, but there aren't very many that I've met who've listened to an entire non-greatest hits album through in its entirety (or really listen to many albums at all in their entirety). Pet Sounds is the most common listen if any, which is cool, and I always try to direct them to other solid albums such as Sunflower, Today!, and Smile if I get the chance. I actually turned one of my friends on to The Beach Boys by playing Love You in the car while he was riding in it. You never know who could end up being a fan of the band, and if more people were exposed to a larger portion of their catalog, I think places such as this would be a lot more populated.

I turned my wife into a pretty big Beach Boys fan when we were courting. 

I hope you get a chance to see Brian's band or Mike's band, or better yet, both.  Seeing the C50 band is really what got me to delve into the catalog. 

I hope for a similar outcome with a girlfriend/wife down the line!

After browsing the setlists from the Mike and Bruce tour thread, and having printed out the date months ago and stuck it on my wall, I think I'll be buying tickets to see Mike and Bruce on August 21st. I already have my ticket for Brian's September 30th performance, so I suppose I'll be seeing both bands this year! I really enjoyed the C50 performance that I saw, and it'd be cool to see them reunited again, but I suppose with both bands touring, it leaves more opportunity to hear the music performed live by original members (and fantastic backing bands). What an interesting time to be a Beach Boys fan!

Sounds like a good plan, seeing both bands.  That way, you get a really nice variety of different songs, and will get to see at least five Beach Boys (maybe six since David Marks sometimes plays with Mike & Bruce in the summer).

That's what I'm thinking! I haven't seem Mike and Bruce in four years compared to seeing Brian and Al last November, so that'll be an especially welcome show. It would be sweet if Dave joined them! Of course, I can't wait to see Pet Sounds performed either! This'll also be my first time seeing Blondie live, and from all accounts, he does a fantastic job.

Blondie wasn't with Brian and Al last when you saw them?  That's too bad, he knocked it out of the park both times I saw them on the NPP Tour.

I had very low expectations for the late 60's albums when I started buying them in the 80's, because of writers like David Leaf. They wrote about them like everything was a disappointment after Pet Sounds. I don't hear them that way at all. I like the stripped down sound. I still think David Leaf's Beach Boys book is one of the best, but he really wasn't interested in anyone except Brian. He took that bias into his comments about the albums. Okay, tonight it's going to be Friends and 20/20.
I haven't heard much of the Hawaii stuff. Won't surprise me if we get a proper release for that stuff in the near future.

I think they had more with Carl. If you accept them to be equal co-lead vocalists on "Break Away".

Carl: God Only Knows, Good Vibrations, Darlin', I Can Hear Music, Break Away (and Good Vibrations reissue if that counts.)
Al: Then I Kissed Her, Break Away, Cotton Fields, Lady Lynda.

I didn't realize that his book pushed that opinion as well (I haven't read it, but I plan to at some point). I was aware of his liner notes for Smiley Smile, though, which wasn't the coolest of moves to make. I thankfully got into Friends - Surf's Up before even Pet Sounds, but I was turned off of their 72 stuff and beyond due to the review sites such as Allmusic, Metacritic, et cetera. It took me longer than it should have to truly appreciate their later work such as 15 Big Ones. And songs that I originally enjoyed on Sounds of Summer, such as "Getcha Back," I was told to enjoy less because they came out of a certain era. It was really easy for at least me to fall victim to stereotyping certain albums, eras, or decades as objectively worse than others. All Beach Boys albums have merit to some degree, and I'm glad I cast aside that way of thinking, because I like the band that much for it. I can respect fans' opinions of things, but I feel they would enjoy the discography that much more if they set aside their prejudice and listened with a new perspective. I'm glad you were able to take in the late 60s albums and enjoy them despite popular criticisms. I hope you find Friends and 20/20 to be quite enjoyable as well.
Ah, okay. I think that whole project is a cool re-visitation of the early songs with a Smiley Smile spin (with some new numbers thrown in, too). I would buy a release of that stuff in supreme quality such as featured on MiC, even if were to be a digital-only release! Of course, I would prefer a super-cool deluxe set mixed with a multiple-disc Smiley Smile and Wild Honey a capella, instrumental, and bonus track package, and maybe a lei thrown in for good measure, but whatever is fine.


Thank you for that! I probably should have done the research myself when I was typing it out, but I guess I left stuff like that in for others' fun (or realistically, my own laziness). That stack of hits seems like such a contrast to the US's perception of "The Beach Boys sound," which is usually Mike or Brian. Al and Carl have excellent leads, and I'm glad at least the British record buying populace appreciated them. Then again, Carl had some quality leads make it big over here too, so maybe I'm largely speaking for Al. Anyway, it's an interesting breakdown, and I wonder what some of the other countries that aren't listed on Wikipedia's charts on the discography page had as hits (Japan, Brazil, etc).

Smiley Smile acapella would be amazing! And as I get older, I pay less and less attention to critics. There are even a few songs on Summer in Paradise I like. It's not totally without merit, even if the production is awful and the songs are weak - it does have Carl and Al singing on them.

I think so too! The singing on the album is just as amazing as Warmth of the Sun, In My Room, Our Prayer, etc in its own style. The humming on "Little Pad," for example, or the entirety of "With Me Tonight." They were able to do a stereo release of the album, so I'd think acapella wouldn't be too out of the question. The Unsurpassed Masters sessions for Smiley Smile have a wealth of sweet alternate takes too, and one can imagine there's more in the vaults than that stuff that we haven't heard yet (or maybe not, who knows).

Yeah, some of my favorite albums are rated poorly by critics. Pitchfork rated Wild Honey a 3.5/10, and cited "How She Boogalooed It" as one of the only redeeming songs! I don't think it's a bad song, but what a crazy claim to make, particularly when dismissing the rest of the album. As for Summer In Paradise, I haven't listened to that one in a few years. I do enjoy listening to "Summer of Love," regardless of the sheer quantity of cheese, self reference, and sleaze it's covered in. I frequently mimic Mike's "YEEAAAUH," and it's just kind of a catchy song anyway. There were a few other songs I remember enjoying; I look forward to hearing the album again in a few days. The more Carl and Al vocals (and Bruce, and Mike when he's not a pastiche of himself) the better.

f*** Pitchfork

Also, in response to your opening post, good to see another fan of SMiLE Wind Chimes! One of Brian's finest compositions for sure!

"Boogalooed" is easily my least favorite track on Wild Honey; "Aren't You Glad" is one I could listen to endlessly. And who ever sang wordless lyrics better than the Beach Boys? "Little Pad", "With Me Tonight", "Country Air", "Our Prayer". Sam Phillips once said "music is the closest thing to heaven on earth", and that's what those songs sound like to my ears.

Haha, that's a good summation!

The whole song is just so amazing! The Carl verse section's percussion strikes such a mood with the unique vibes/marimba/xylophone beat and all of the subtle accompanying flourishes. The way the track strains when he tries not too look at his wind chimes is done so well. And BAM, the tag hits with such an immense force. I've never had a song give me an emotion besides happiness, sadness, or excitement (or occasionally make me laugh or appreciate its beauty). Wind Chimes pulls it off easily and repeatedly, though. The screaming clarinet (which I originally thought was a voice in the mix, but became much more apparent when I listened to the backing track) and the slightly dissonant vocals of the tag purvey anxiousness to my ears.
I've mulled over the message Brian was trying to relay to the listener with that song for awhile; I believe some people on the board have said it was about avoiding thinking about life's mortality (listening to the sounds of the wind chimes without actually looking at the chimes themselves). Or perhaps it's a general statement on the difficulties of furthering an understanding of something or someone beyond a surface level. Even if he was simply making an ode to the lovely sound of the wind chime, it's still a fantastically-executed track!


Mine too, although I still like the groove it has, the organ solo, and that cool handclap sound they crafted for it (with every fourth clap sounding different to the preceding three). It's a funny little song. It doesn't quite match the quality of the rest of the songs on the album, though. "Aren't You Glad," on the other hand, whoa nelly. THAT'S a track. It's very lo-fidelity, yet has some nice understated horns. Everyone singing on the song does a fantastic job, and the piano/buzzing-organ combo sounds great. And, par for the course of the album, the bass is great too. And as I stated in my review, the drums do a fantastic job of backing up the friendliness of the lyrics (however much sense that makes). What a great song!
The Beach Boys made wordless vocals into their own language, whether with their countless doo-wop expressions or the "aaaa"s, "oooooooo"s, and "mmmmmmm"s of the songs you mentioned (and many, many more). I can't imagine anyone but The Beach Boys pulling off most of those sounds. Sam Phillips hit the nail on the head with that statement.

I just ended up throwing on Wild Honey again because of this; what an album!! I love it.

Wild Honey is an incredible album!  You've got some serious modern (for the times) instrumentation with organ, keys, guitar, percussion, etc. and some great soulful vocals.  However, with the lofi mono production and mix, I feel the Beach Boys missed an opportunity to be taken seriously and climb back on top after that Smiley Smile debacle.   

Fair play on reviewing all the albums---quite an achievement to say the least! 

I can see where you're coming from with that. There are so many odd sounds going on in the not-so-distant background, such as the weird buzzing in "Country Air." Then again, Pet Sounds had its fair share of background noise/talking, although it was a whole different thing compared to Wild Honey.


Hey, thanks! I finally arrived in Japan, so I'll be posting the reviews for the remaining albums that I crafted while on the plane.

Here's round two of the album reviews. I made these on a flight from Chicago to Shanghai (which was then followed by a 15-hour layover and a flight to Tokyo), and while I was going strong for the duration of these reviews, I sadly became too groggy to review any solo albums, so those will come later. However, I had a lot of fun exploring the latter half of The Beach Boys' career. It was much better listening than I originally anticipated, and I've came away with a heightened appreciation for many songs.

L.A. (Light Album)

I have not yet heard this album all the way through. I bought it on vinyl back in 2014, but for one reason or another, I just never got around to listening to it. With 12+ hours at my disposal, though, now is the time!! I’ve liked what I’ve heard from it thus far, so hopefully that holds up!
Good Timin’ – I’ve known this song for many years due to its inclusion on Sounds of Summer. It’s a very sugary song, but I think it’s catchy and sung well. There are a lot of “oooh”s and “aaaahs” on this one. I think I works! The falsetto hook is probably my favorite part of the song.
Lady Lynda – I got into this song after reading the thread created on it a few months ago. This song is fantastic! I think it’s Al’s finest moment as a song crafter. I don’t care if it partially relies on Bach (which is a cool incorporation in my book), it’s still a fantastic tune. The sounds coalesce together wonderfully, from the harpsichords to the gently strummed guitar to the heavenly backing vocals to the strings to the bells and everything else. Al’s lead is fantastic. The beat is super, super catchy in a disco-ish way. This should’ve been a hit in America too! Listen to that acapella section!
Full Sail – The first song I’m hearing for the first time (or, if I’ve heard it long ago on YouTube, I’ve forgotten). The song is kind of quiet for listening on an airplane. The strings are nice, as are the vocals (backing and otherwise). I really, really like the bell-ish synthesizer in the left channel. Not a bad song; it just kind of drifts along (like the name implies?).
Angel Come Home – I’ve heard this one many a time from MiC; I love it! It’s an extension of Pacific Ocean Blue with Beach Boys involvement. Dennis’s vocal is great and passionate, and the ambiance of the track is lends itself to the lyrical concepts. I like the backing vocals too (the particular intonation of their voices when they sing “ANGEL”…“COME HOME” is strangely catchy). And the “comacomacoma”s, too. Great stuff. A totally solid track!
Love Surrounds Me – I’ve never heard this before. Dennis really gave this album some solid tracks! The squelching synths are a highlight for me, of course. They sort of remind me of Wish You Were Here (by Pink Floyd). Anyway, it’s a quiet song, so I can’t hear the details as much as I’d want to currently. From everything that I can hear, though, the song is really good! The groove is just right, and I haven’t heard a vocal that I didn’t like. The slide guitar is a really interesting inclusion.
Sumahama – Interesting, since I’m currently en route to Japan (this being my third trip over there). As an aside, I haven’t seen much Japanese music from really any decade mentioned here. It’s too bad, since there’s a lot of quality stuff out there. Anyway, hearing Mike’s voice after so much of everyone else was a little jarring. It’s not bad, though; I like the various sounds of the backing track, the backing vocals, and Mike’s lead. Another aside: “Beach” in Japanese is “sunahama,” not “sumahama” as far as I know. A mistranslation, or more likely an alternate pronunciation or something. Mike doesn’t do that bad of a job with the Japanese pronunciation compared to the average American! I commend Mike for the cultural exploration, and I’d say this track is better than “Belles of Paris” (maybe just my own language bias, but I like the backing track better too).
Here Comes the Night – I tried listening to this once a few years ago only knowing what I had read here and the Wikipedia page, and I shut it off after a few minutes. Too much negative prejudice going in, I suppose. Never a good thing, in my book. Listening to it now, it has a lot of really cool sounds. It honestly sounds like the stuff Yellow Magic Orchestra was putting out around the same time (their 1979 album Solid State Survivor in particular). I wonder if Bruce or any of the other Beach Boys knew of their existence? But yeah, I think this is a pretty cool track. If they had released it a couple years earlier, in the height of disco popularity, I think it would’ve done a lot better. I think it grooves pretty well. I personally think the original 1967 track grooved a lot harder, but this one is a synth oddity all its own. And what about that monkey screeching around 6:30?!? Crazy!! I have the 7” single, but I can’t remember if I’ve heard that (I got it for “Baby Blue”). To think The Beach Boys released a ten minute song on one of their albums (not counting the three different parts of “Califronia Saga”) is crazy! …Anyway, this is a cool track. It’s glimpsing into a universe where The Beach Boys ventured into new-wave-styled electronics beyond Love You and almost into techno rather than becoming a nostalgia act. I mean for real, why do people rip on this track?? It’s sweet!!!
Baby Blue – Such a lovely song. I’ve been listening to this since I got the Good Vibrations boxset a couple of years ago. It’s an absolute classic. I’ve put it on many of my CD-listening-in-the-car compilations. I love the Carl and Dennis combination. Every sound works in this track’s favor. I don’t quite understand the complaints about Bruce’s production; it may be slick, but I don’t think that detracts from the songs at all. Much like “Angel Come Home,” the ambiance of the instrumentation really sets the scene for the lyrics. The barren, lonely, longing feelings of the singer come across well. You can see how Dennis took the “Cuddle Up” emotional wave and progressed it into the late 70s with songs like this. He was a master in his own way.
Goin’ South – Another song I have not yet heard. Like “Full Sail,” it’s very laid-back. I don’t think laid-back means “boring;” this track does what it does well. The vocals are nice, and the instruments are done well. I’ll admit the song isn’t the most engaging thing in the world, and I personally have a difficult time with saxophones sometimes, but it’s not a bad song.
Shortenin’ Bread – What a really strange way to end the album! I definitely prefer the Adult/Child version by a country mile, but this one cooks in its own way. The syncopation of Dennis’s vocal wasn’t present in the other version, and I usually overlay that onto the original when I listen to it. If this was their way of interjecting some Brian onto the album, wouldn’t it have been funny if they had put “Drip Drop” on instead? It’s an equally jarring transition of energy/vibe, and it would’ve been funnier. But whatever; “Shortenin’ Bread” is sweet.
Well, I really enjoyed this album! I can see why certain fans rate it so highly. It has a slower overall feeling to it, but I don’t think it’s “boring” as some people claim it to be. The group nature of it is pretty nice too. I will definitely be listening to this when I’m not around the noise pollution of an airplane. It was a solid addition to their catalog, Brian participation or not. Should they have given up the opportunity to work on Pink Floyd’s The Wall for this? Heck no!! Is this still good anyway? Yes.

Keepin’ the Summer Alive

I’ve heard this before (although I only bought it within a year ago), and I wasn’t too impressed. I enjoyed some songs, but others seemed lame. I’ll see if/how a dedicated listen changes that.
Keepin’ the Summer Alive – For starters, I like this song. Sure, they reused the bass vocal of “Louie Louie” of all songs, but that “BAW BAW BAW” backing vocal is pretty cool. All of the vocals are done well, I think. The melody isn’t too bad, and the song keeps its rhythm going pretty well throughout. It’s interesting that Carl co-wrote this song, though; usually his songs had more substance. I guess it’s a summer concept record or whatever, and I certainly don’t mind the summer topic, but one can tell it’s a regression from their mid-period stuff (again, that doesn’t mean the song is any less quality).
Oh Darlin’ – I’ve listened to the Brian-sung version of this a lot. I really like the song! The instrument additions to this version are interesting. I like the accordion/horn/harmonica/rubber ducky or whatever; I think it really adds to the groove of the song. I like the rawness of Brian’s vocal more than Carl’s sweetness, but that doesn’t mean he sang it poorly. It’s a really good song, I think. This version definitely sounds much more finished, especially with the extra few verses filling in the gaps. I really love the way they say “da-ha-ha-harlin” and “fa-ha-ha-haund you;” it’s probably my favorite part of the song.
Some of Your Love – Holy recycling of riffs! I can’t keep track of all their own songs they’re ripping off! The “Kiss Me Baby” throwback goes over the line of cheesiness, but if it weren’t for that, I’d say this song was very enjoyable on its own merits. It has that nice low saxophone rhythm to it with plenty of great backing vocals. But come on, did they really need to reuse so much?
Livin’ With A Heartache – Not a bad song! That up-down-up-down piano is cool, and Carl’s vocal is really nice. The backing vocals are good. The guitar sounds are cool too. I suppose there’s nothing mind-blowing to say about this song, but I enjoy it enough. It is kind of long at four minutes, though.
School Days – I have Ten Years of Harmony and have listened to it a couple of times, but I don’t remember the differences between the single version of this song and the album version. It’s not bad, and I can always appreciate an Al vocal. The backing vocals are excellent and very diverse in sound (within the doo-wop  confines, I think). Again, not too bad!
Goin’ On – I like this song! I’ve been listening to it since the Good Vibrations boxset. The vocals are on par with many of their other greatest hits (and Brian finally makes a return!!!!!), and the melody is really great. The instrumentation and modulation, particularly in the fade, really works too. It’s just a solid track; definitely one of their best in the 80s.
Sunshine – Out of all the songs on this album, I have the least experience with this one. The horn section and percussion remind me of mambo. It’s not bad, and I like the perpetual backing vocals. Is Brian doing the falsetto in at least some of the parts? It kind of sounds like it. I guess I don’t have too much to say on it, but it’s really not bad.
When Girls Get Together – I wonder why they pulled this one out of the vaults out of everything they had… I like the song, for sure, and I have since I heard it on the various “Landlocked” boots. I like that Hawaiian-style guitar in the middle. The track has an interesting overall sound to it, and the concept of the song is kind of funny (especially for a band called “The Beach Boys”).
Santa Ana Winds – I like the version that appears with “Lookin’ Down the Coast” (I think on the California Feelin’ bootleg??). This version isn’t bad, and the spoken word intro isn’t the worst. I like the sound of the song, and I love Al’s voice. Mike totally slipped off the nasality deep end, though. He didn’t have to do that; his voice was still fine. Why? Was it the perceived expectations of the fans? It wasn’t necessary, whatever the case. It’s okay, though; I think the song is really good anyway. It has a nice harmonica, too.
Endless Harmony – This seemed like a short album. Maybe it was just the smaller tracklist and the lack of a 10+ minute disco single in the middle. I like the instrumental intro; it has a magical, childlike feeling to it. Once Bruce starts up, though, I think the song falls apart in a cheese crumble. It’s “Do You Remember?” all over again, but without even the groove of that song. Was the 1972 version this cheesy? And goodness gracious, when the “We sang ‘God bless America’” bit kicks in, you realize how much they’ve given up on lyrical integrity. Remember Carl objecting to the draft? The song “4th of July?” “The Trader?” Goodness, what a turnaround. At least the harmonies are nice in that section.
The last song kind of leads a poor taste in my mouth, but as a whole, the album isn’t as bad as many make it out to be. Obviously it’s a regression to their pre-Today! lyrical content, and the creativity/innovation is largely gone as well, but there are still some solid songs on here. I would still have to say that this is their lowest point up to 1980, though. Dennis was missed and will continue to be missed.

Still Cruisin’

The other album I haven’t heard all the way through. I already know the old songs, “Kokomo,” and “Wipe Out,” but I don’t recall having heard anything else. We’ll see how it goes!
Still Cruisin’ – Mike’s vocal in the beginning was fine! He didn’t have to ruin it… Not that he ruined the song; it still sounds good. Carl and Al sound good, and I dig Mike’s “come on let’s cruise” backing vocal. I like the guitar sound they have too. Not too bad of a song, honestly.
Somewhere Near Japan – Some cool synthesizer noises, very much in that stereotypical Japanese vein (but they still sounds good). I need to read up on the history of this song again; was Mike aware of the drug innuendo of this song? If so, why did he let it slip by? Whatever. Carl, once again, sounds pretty darn good. Mike isn’t overdoing it too much, really. I think the song sounds good. The vocal modulations are interesting, and the guitar is quality. I love 12 string guitar. Al comes in hot with yet another good vocal. Wouldn’t it be something if Al delivered a *bad* vocal?
Island Girl – Another tropical-sounding song ala “Sunshine.” It’s okay. At least their vocals are good. Mike’s vocal sounds good! That steel drum solo sounds really interesting, and much unlike a lot of other steel drum I’ve heard for some reason. Now that the song is growing towards a close, it’s sort of grown on me. The vocal hooks are strong, and there’s a lot to dig into.
In My Car – This is not the song “Let’s Go To Heaven In My Car.” It’s has that “wall of Brians” element to his solo material, but with other Beach Boys sometimes singing! I like it a lot. The overly-heavy guitar is cheesy in a “Metal Beach” sort of way. Al’s lead almost dipped into the “Kona Coast” melody for a second there. This song has a lot of odd and interesting sounds in it, which I really respect about Brian’s first solo album. The lyrical content maybe isn’t the best, but I can appreciate it more than the rest of this album thus far. I guess I’m just partial to solo Brian, and this sounds like that.
Kokomo – This was the first Beach Boys song I ever bought along with “California Girls!” As such, it has a special place in my heart. I remember having a Muppet Babies VHS tape as a kid, and Kermit sang this on the beach. I still think of that when listening to this occasionally. Disregarding all of that, though, this song has a really great sound to it, and it’s really catchy. Carl’s part is fantastic! The whole song is a celebration of catchiness, and it deserved the success it got. Did other songs they made in the 60s and 70s deserve it more? Sure, but you should be glad The Beach Boys got another chance at the charts! I love this song, and I don’t care that so many people within the fanbase dislike it. It’s great stuff! “Give me a tropical contact eye…”
Wipe Out -- ……This song is funny. There sure is a lot of Brian on this track! I’m definitely not a fan of rap to any significant degree, but I like the humor of some of the 80s stuff (sure, that may not be what rap was originally intended for [talking about pertinent issues in discrimination and economic hardships, etc], but I’d rather hear fun stuff like this than mindless stuff pertaining to gloating about the excesses of wealthy and/or violent living). The Fat Boys are definitely funny. The backing vocals are good. The beatboxing part at the end is pretty cool too. Not a bad song.
Make It Big --  The drum sound was made big! I definitely didn’t expect Mike’s “why dontcha” bass part from “Wontcha Come Out Tonight” to make an appearance. The song isn’t too bad, but I guess I liked the other songs on the album more.
I’ve heard the last three songs plenty of times, and they’re great. Wouldn’t It Be Nice sounds weird and really muddy. I can hardly hear some of the background instruments.
This album wasn’t too bad, although the contrast between the first three fourths and the last fourth is crazy. I understand that Mike was trying to craft a movie song concept album, but I think they could’ve put some other 80s songs on there such as “California Dreamin’” and “Rock and Roll to the Rescue” to round it out. As it is, none of the songs offended.

Summer in Paradise

I’ve heard this through a few times, and I’ve listened to other songs individually more times. I have the USA version. Here goes:
Hot Fun in the Summertime – This isn’t so bad. The “baum baum baum baum diditt” backing vocals are nice, and I love Mike’s low bass “YEEEUH” stuff from this era. Mike’s voice isn’t so self-referential on this, either! Carl had developed a soulful quality to his natural singing voice at this point in the game. The modulation on the vocals is weird. This song wasn’t bad.
Surfin’ – Hmmm… an interesting choice for a cover. The instrumentation is comical for a song this simplistic. The singing is kind of melodramatic in parts, if that makes sense. Carl sounds good, but it’s just too much of a joke to be taken seriously. It’s also too long.
Summer of Love – “YEEEAAUH!!” I love this song. It’s hilarious! Every lyric is a laugh. The song is legitimately catchy too, but if people are drawn to the childish, borderline creepy lyrics of Love You, they should give this song another chance. It has a lot to offer. “GURLZ R ALWAYZ REDDY” It’s a love thing, everyone. The effects used in this song, record scratch and all, enhance the humor tenfold. I LOVE this song. I can’t believe I haven’t put it on a compilation yet.
Island Fever – I like the guitar. Honestly, I like this song in general. It sounds good. Mike’s slowly indoctrinating me into his nasally ways, and I don’t mind his voice in this song so much. This album is so obviously electronically produced, but I really don’t have much negative to say about that fact. There are some cool sounds on this song, and the vocals aren’t bad. I actually like this song a lot more than most of the songs on Still Cruisin’!
Still Surfin’ – Hm……. Maybe I spoke too soon for this album? Well, actually, the backing track is pretty cool… But ugh, these references… The schmaltz… Should I like what’s going on here? I like that shift to double-time (or whatever) sometimes. I dunno, I guess I like this song… Who’s doing that “Getcha Back” falsetto part in the background?
Slow Summer Dancin’ – Okay, drums, we know you’re there. Tone it down a bit, please. …Woah, hey Bruce! Long time no listen! And hey, Al’s here too! This song is inoffensive, and I like the “over and over again; one summer night” part. It’s nothing too special, but not bad. I like the ending bit.
Strange Things Happen – The backing track sounds interesting. This song isn’t too bad, to be honest. As of right now, this album isn’t turning out to be “litter-ull-lee the wurst album 3v3r!!!” like many fans say. The lead vocal trading is pretty cool here. The drumming is crazy-artificial, but they didn’t have a permanent drummer as part of the main lineup anymore, so I can permit that in my mind. There are some crazy effects going on in these songs if you listen carefully.
Remember “Walking in the Sand” – Haha, this song is crazy. “REE-MEM-BUH.” The icicle synthesizers in the background are cool. Imagine *yourself* walking in the sand, and Mike’s booming modulated voice appears echoing all around you. What would you do? Carl sings well. The organ part that shows up a couple of times is totally out of left field. This album is strange.
Lahaina Aloha – There goes that guitar, being all 1990s near-the-ocean-sounding. The accordion adds to that feeling too. I had to chuckle at the homogeneity of the drums; they sound so similar between the songs! Carl sings great again. How does he do it!? Mike sings well, too. Tit for tat, I think he sings better on this album than any since LA. Carl’s part in the chorus is catchy. A good song. A really good song!
Under the Boardwalk – Man, this album has its own brand of humor. The beginning is so primitive music programming technology, and then here come the best harmony singers of all time. They sing well here, for sure. Ha! That handclap. Classic. I like when they sing “under the boooardwalk” together. Another song that isn’t bad. I think this album had Mike’s best bass vocal work, honestly.
Summer In Paradise – Well, I like the live version on MiC (and I think the UK version of the album?) a lot better. This version isn’t bad, though. Once again, I love the 12 string guitar. How could McGuinn be so not busy as to join The Beach Boys for the recording of this album? Crazy. If they were to have toned down the references a bit, I think the lyrics would’ve been pretty respectable. The hook on the chorus is pretty good. I wish Bruce sang lead here like the live version, though. Sigh… Maybe I’ll have to acquire the UK version sometime and give that a listen.
Forever – Ugh. Sitar, heavy guitar, John Stamos? Ugh. At least Carl still sounds good in his part. But come on. Maybe it can be taken as a joke. “Surfin’” is kind of a joke anyway. Yeah, okay. A joke song. Ha! What a clever ironic twist on the trend of remaking old songs with new people. Good one! …Honestly, it’s not the worst, but they didn’t need to put it on the album. It was just unnecessary.
Returning to “Summer of Love” so as to not spoil my opinion of the album too much, I didn’t mind this at all. I think it’s and interesting and frequently funny album. Definitely not the worst thing ever released (which is impossible to gauge anyway). I think, decades from now, when the people who were around for The Beach Boys’ actual history are all gone, this and other later albums will have a better chance of being looked upon favorably. I feel a lot of people view these albums in the context of ruining their legacy at the times of their releases, or being regressions compared to the albums around them. Taken as their own things, I haven’t found any album to be “bad.” Some I like more than others, nut they all have their enjoyable moments for sure.

That’s Why God Made the Radio

I haven’t listened to this very much. I remember enjoying a few songs, and of course I’ve listened to the title track and “Isn’t It Time” many times, but we’ll see how a fresh listen goes.\
Think About the Days – An interesting beginning to the album; very melancholy. Not bad. Kind of going for an “Our Prayer” approach, I suppose, but trying to capture the mood of growing old.
That’s Why God Made the Radio – Catchy. Once agin, there’s some “Kiss Me Baby” derivation going on with the chorus. Not “Some of Your Love” level, though, and I like the song. Jeff Foskett doesn’t sound like Brian, but I don’t mind too much. It’s interesting to hear The Beach Boys’ blend in 2012. They’re old! Al obviously sounds the best, but you can still pick out Mike and Brian. And Bruce is in there too, right?
Isn’t It Time – This is listed as “Isn’t It Me” on my Walkman for some reason. Hehe. Mike’s bass background vocal sounds kind of weird, sort of Rugrats-esque. Al sounds immaculate! It’s a catchy song with intriguing percussive elements. Jeff Foskett sure is prominent in the vocals. This song is so interesting.
Spring Vacation – “Good vibration!” …….Whatever, it’s not the worst song. The chorus’s melody, not the lyrics, is kind of lame to me. It just seems too generic to me. “Harmony boys are what we believe in.” The “hallelu-hu-hu-huoou-yuh” part is cool, and David plays some guitar, but I think the melody just isn’t up to snuff.
The Private Life of Bill and Sue – The lyrical concept is interesting and kind of funny. Once again, though, the chorus sounds generic. The “ba-dee-ah-dee-ah-dee-ah” backing vocals are cool, but I’ve heard that tempo and everything before. Not from The Beach Boys, I guess, but still. The song isn’t too bad, as the vocal performances are good. I like the barry sax too. Hmm, maybe the chorus is alright. It’s done well. Yeah, I guess the song isn’t that bad.
Shelter – I wish they would’ve used Matt Jardine. Jeff doesn’t do an inherently bad job; he isn’t a bad singer, but he just doesn’t really blend. Anyway, David’s guitar sounds pretty good. The song isn’t bad, I guess. Not mind-blowing.
Daybreak Over the Ocean – That intro was great! The percussion in Mike’s solo part is really strange; I like it! It sounds like they put a sample of a kid licking an ice cream cone in there. Innovative! Honestly, I like this song a heckuvalot more than the past few. The harmonies are great, and there are actual cool things going on in it! Mike does a good job singing the song too, I think. It’s a great song! It builds up well, has a variety of sounds, and contains excellent vocals.
Beaches in Mind – Hmm… You know, I was skeptical, but once again, there are some really interesting sounds going on in the background. The harmonies are good again, too. What in the world was that rattling harmonica sound at around one minute in? Crazy stuff! This and the previous song have been my favorites thus far, which is funny, since they’re probably the most “regressive.” There it is again, just before the two-minute mark! That weird sound, this time in the middle channel. Is it heavily modulated guitar? Whatever it is, cool!
Strange World – I’m not a fan of the particular piano style. Too Billy Joel-ish or whatever for me. The drum and “bum-bum” combo is pretty cool, though. Something about this song makes it seem like it belongs in a movie soundtrack, maybe to a Dreamworks movie. Is it the strings? The piano? The song isn’t bad. I don’t really like the pedal steel in this context. The song would work in a movie, I think.
From There to Back Again – Ooh, some woodwinds! And of course, Algonquin Q. Jardine! This is a pretty song. And some strings show up! Not bad, not bad. Goodbye Al, I appreciated your vocal. The transition to the tag sure is interesting. Not bad!
Pacific Coast Highway – Good stuff! The beginning bombast kind of reminded me of “Pacific Ocean Blue.” And shoot, it’s already over!
Summer’s Gone – This is pretty good too. I can appreciate the “looking back at the career / getting old / sunset” stuff going on with this album, and there are interesting sounds going on in this song anyway. It’s pretty, and done well. If this ends up being the end of The Beach Boys’ studio album discography, they could’ve done worse than this song.
Man, where was Bruce? I missed him. The album wasn’t bad, though. I think a lot of it would’ve been better if it hadn’t been produced by Joe Thomas, honestly. My least favorite songs on the album I think were Brian-centric ones. They just weren’t as interesting sound-wise, and didn’t have stellar, on-par Beach Boys harmonies. Maybe not, because the last three tracks were great, and the two singles were good too. And the first track. It wasn’t a bad album, it just had a

He's very high in the mix on parts of "Spring Vacation," I enjoy hearing him singing "wish that it could go on forever - long as we can, all stay together," but yes, no real lead.
Enjoyed your positive reviews again, like you I tend to enjoy just about everything to varying degrees.
I have been singing "Some of you love" and "kiss me baby" in my head just now though and I can't really see a similarity. I can certainly hear KMB in
"That's why God made the radio" however, which I had not noticed previously.

Brian mastered the Wall Of Sound, you've mastered the Wall Of Text  :lol. I kid, great read!

Going through all the albums again, I realized there's very few places where I can hear Bruce's voice in the harmony stack. The tags of "California Girls" and "God Only Knows", "Bluebirds Over the Mountain" (his voice doing the "baby" at the end), "Add Some Music to Your Day" (his solo), ...well, that's all I can think of, other than the songs he sings lead on. He really was the phantom Beach Boy.

Oh, I didn't notice him on there! I'll have to take another listen with that in mind.

Thank you! It's just more fulfilling to like this stuff than not, I feel. Why hate certain aspects of the music just to hate it? As for "Some of Your Love," I was just referring to the fact that Carl actually sings the lyric "Kiss Me Baby" at one point. The melodies of the song remind me more of "It's A Beautiful Day," "Wontcha Come Out Tonight," and "Be True to Your School."

Haha, yeah! It's certainly quite a handful of text. Thanks!


Yeah, I get you. In addition to the songs you mentioned, I can hear him on the tag of "I'll Bet He's Nice," the super-high part of the "columnated ruins domino" part of "Surf's Up" (I think?), and some of the ultra-high parts of the countless "Heroes and Villains" sections (I remember "Mission Pak" being pointed out as Bruce at his highest). There are a couple I'm more than likely forgetting, but even with those songs added to the list, that's a really short list! I suppose the concerts were where it was at for him in the stack, at least up until 1972.

I forgot "Surf's Up". He had a great voice, but I suppose his place in the stack was usually Brian's place.

Bruce is also very prominent on the Smile version of Wonderful too. His voice is a perfect compliment to the song, imho.

LB,

I've been enjoying reading your reviews.  It's always nice to get fresh takes on the music. 

If I could offer one piece of constructive criticism it would be.....

Spacing, especially between paragraphs or to separate individual songs. 

Just makes it easier to read.

 :)

Thank you!

Yeah, I realize the spacing is pretty ugly. I typed up all of these reviews in a word processor and copy-pasted them here. When I insert them into individual album review boards, I'll tidy up the spacing and make it all look much better. That'll have to wait until June, though, since my time is pretty taken up here in Japan! I do look forward to reading through everyone else's reviews, especially since I haven't read those boards in a few years.

So, you're in Japan, not "Somewhere Near Japan"?

:)

Haha, yes! Currently in Kyoto. I've been to more than a few stores that sell either records or CDs, and there has been plenty of Beach Boys representation. I've seen some crazy greatest hits compilations as well as plenty of studio albums. Multiple copies of Smiley Smile (CD) at Tower Records Kyoto-- that was cool! Of course, just lots of great music in general, and all in fantastic condition. They keep their belongings in great shape over here, yet used merchandise goes for much less than in America. The best possible scenario for me!