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   My girlfriend and I attended Sunday night's concert at Mohegan Sun, and about half-way through the first set she turned to me and complained that "every song sounds the same". While I bit my tongue over that, I tried to explain to her that The Beach Boys discography is tremendously vast and contains many different genres. I then told her that they would be playing some of those types of songs in the second half of the setlist. However, when the boys DID play those songs that didn't have their usual cars/girls/surfing sound, she was extremely bored/went to the bathroom/snacks. What gives? (Although, I think she enjoyed All This Is That, because during the performance she asked me what the name of the song was; which for her, usually means that she likes what she hears). I want to send her some songs that will open her eyes to some of the bands best songs/albums. But I also don't want to scare her off. I remember one time "Be Here In The Morning" came on in the car and she instantly asked me to change the song, (and that actually hurt haha, has this ever happened to anyone here?). I basically want to give her a CD that if I hadn't told her it was The Beach Boys, she'd have no idea who it was. Here's my idea for it, any recommendations?

Meant For You
Add Some Music To Your Day
I’d Love Just Once To See You
All I Wanna Do
Be Still
All This Is That
Sail On, Sailor
The Trader
Feel Flows
Let The Wind Blow
Country Air
Cabin Essence
Surf’s Up
Only With You
Make It Good

Easiest solution ("My Solution"..) would be to find a new one. Girlfriend, that is. But in case you have grown attached to her for some reason, you might want to keep her, in which case she should be able to appreciate the Beach Boys. Which would lead us back to your initial plan.

You already have a pretty good track list there. I'd ditch "I’d Love Just Once To See You", "Be Still", "Let The Wind Blow" and "Make It Good" and add "Aren't You Glad", "Little Bird" and "Slip On Through".

EDIT: Maybe also ditch "Sail On Sailor" (since she has already heard that one at the concert) and add "Marcella".

I would add Dennis's "Thoughts of You" from POB. Very few women I've ever met can resist that song. It's so intense.

Agreed with Kirk.

Though personally I wouldn't even make a Beach Boys mix. She sounds particular. Maybe it's just me, but it's odd that she'd complain about a concert put on by The Beach Boys (even non-fans appreciate their sound and have a blast at their concerts).

I would put a few of those songs on a mix CD (of different bands that she likes) for the car, but I wouldn't make an entire disc of these tunes.

Maybe add in some lesser-known early stuff? Warmth of the Sun, Let Him Run Wild, some non-hit stuff from Pet Sounds...She's Not the Little Girl and No-Go Showboat are great fun and musically sophisticated. True, no beards were involved in their production, to my knowledge, but sometimes we can get so wrapped up in insisting that the BBs are a serious musical force that the things that captivated us in the first place can get lost. Good luck!

That's grounds for divorce.

My wife seems to respond to “Only With You”, “Sail On Sailor”, “Wind Chimes”, “This Whole World”, “You’re So Good To Me” and “Forever.” She tends to sing along with them when I play them in the car.

If I were in your situation I'd probably pick these 15 tracks if I was trying to show the breadth of the Boys' catalogue without repeating tracks she would've already heard live.

Meant for You
River Song
I'll Bet He's Nice
Wild Honey
Feels Flows
Devoted to You (Hawthorne)
Let Him Run Wild
She's Goin' Bald
Diamond Head
Somewhere Near Japan
It's About Time
Good Time
Cabinessence
All I Wanna Do
Thoughts of You

I guess it's not the most accessible mix, but I'd wager no one would come back from it saying "they all sounded the same!!!"  :lol

My suggestion. All very Accessible material for anyone!
 I think a girl would like this (not too outrageous fan material). Good luck  ;)

All Summer Long
Hawaii
Catch A Wave
Don't Back Down
Let Him Run Wild
You're So Good To Me
California Girls
That's Not Me
Wouldnt It Be Nice
God Only Knows
IJWMFTT
Caroline No
Heroes And Villains
Surf's Up
Good Vibrations
Country Air
Wild Honey
I Can Hear Music
All I Wanna Do
Cool Cool Water
Add Some Music
Celebrate The News
Day In Life Of Tree
Til I Die
Feel Flows
You Need A Mess Of Help
All This Is That
On My Way To Sunny California
Had To Phone Ya
Just Once In MY Life
The Night Was So Young
I Bet He's Nice
My Diane
Love Surrounds Me
Getcha Back
Where I Belong

I remember going to see Jackson Browne and this woman in front of me moaned to her boyfriend/husband all the way through the first half.  They left at the interval.  He ought to have put her in a cab and returned for the rest of the show. Hell, I would've paid for the cab just to shut her up.

TRUE STORY:

A girl - like me, a Brit - was interested in me several years ago when we were both working abroad in the same hotel. I wasn't all that interested - she really wasn't my type - but she kept on and on at me - in the end I got in the habit of being quiet when in my room so she wouldn't know i was in there. I was constantly going out of my way to avoid her. Anyway, then one day i'm listening to the Beach Boys, the door to my room was open and she walks by. 4th Of July was playing. She asked what it was, and when i said the Beach Boys she laughed and found it funny i was listening to such an old band. Well, naturally i had to show her how wrong she was, so i compiled a tape (yes - a tape! This was 2003, folks) and gave it to her the next morning. Later that day i'm walking passed her room - and i hear Cuddle Up playing. So i gave her door a knock, curious to see what she thought of the tape. She opens the door - and she's crying her eyes out! I mean really crying hard. 'It's all so beautiful' - her exact words. Suddenly she seemed a bit more my type after all. We ended up going out for almost three years. True story.

I can't remember the exact tracklisting but i do know the following was on it:

Good Timin'
Baby Blue
All I Wanna Do

(those were definately the opening three tracks - she adored Baby Blue!)

Where I Belong
Cuddle Up
Dont Worry Baby

My advice - keep it soppy! And don't be afraid to get a good dollop of Dennis at his most romantic in there.

Great - and accurate - post!

Well, then I would really re-think your choices (with the songs or the girl)

sheknowsmetoowell - I would've dumped her before she'd even finished saying "every song sounds the same"! Just kidding, though I am curious as to why you took her to the concert if she wasn't a fan.

Ah, the classic "every song sounds the same."

Almost everyone can say that about a band/artist they hardly listen to.  You tell me you're going to watch The Black Keys (whom I adore) or Lady Gaga (whom I also like) in concert for the first time and not have trouble distinguishing between each song being played?  It's overwhelming all at once but only some time with the material gives you some clearer perspective.

Damn, brother. If you paid for her entry (assuming tickets to this show were as pricey as the one I attended) and she couldn't at least feign a good time and stay in her seat without nitpicking, then you've got a whole 'nother problem to deal with than her not digging your favorite band. The suggestions given so far seem pretty on-point to me though.

It's posts like these that make me appreciate my own girl that much more! Despite not being nearly the fanatic I am, she sang along to quite a few tunes at the show and was captivated by IJWMFTT.  :)

I rarely attempt to win folks over on the Beach Boys (or anything else, really), mostly because I have a feel for what they like and, as childish as it may sound, it does kinda hurt when I try to show someone something I love and they're not into it.

I sent a friend several songs months ago. She said she mostly wasn't into the typical car/surf songs they're known for, so I tried to steer her elsewhere, trying to cover all their various sounds and styles while keeping the quality level up, and she still wasn't very receptive. Can't win 'em all over, I guess :'(

In my opinion, the biggest mistake many BB fans make in outreach is hesitating to include big hits, instead aiming for deep cuts to demonstrate the band's diversity. I think this is misguided -- when I'm being introduced to bands where the goal is to make me a fan, the first thing I want to hear is their very best work, even if I've already heard it in passing.

Listening to "Good Vibrations" or "Wouldn't It Be Nice" in the car, on TV, or in the background on Pandora (which are probably the only contexts where many non-fans know the group) is not the same thing as taking the time to listen to these songs intently on someone's recommendation. All kinds of details come up on a dedicated listen and deeper appreciation is aided by some passing familiarity. Don't be afraid to make a CD with five songs from Pet Sounds. If someone can't afford 15 minutes to listen to *that*, there's no way you'll sell them on anything else.

you know, in the past I´ve tried to share the beach boys music with people I love, thinking that surely they will eventually get how awsome it is, even tried to trick them into liking it, by not mentioning right away that is is the BBS, but it often lead to the kind of experience you mention; the hurt when they turn it off or express dislike. Nowdays, I actually prefer to keep the music to myself and not try to open people´s ears to it, it just doesn´t work. however, hope you have a different response and the compilation choices seem good, but just don´t put too much hope into it.

you should add imo :

Breakaway
'Til I Die
Wild Honey
Here She Comes
Love Surrounds Me
This Whole World
I'll Bet He's Nice
Friends
Bluebirds Over The Mountain

Put "Lazy Lizzie" on repeat while she's in your car and cruise around around a middle school on the weekend. She'll see the raw sexual energy of Brian music and become a fan.

But seriously, there is no way you can make your girlfriend like the Beach Boys. Trust me! None of my girlfriends have ever liked the Beach Boys. They seem to be more a dude's band.  They were kind of chauvinistic and creepy, and that seeps into the music on some level that girls seem to pick up on. Don't get me wrong, there are exceptions out there. Some women appreciate Brian and the BBs for there sheer musical creativity and emotional honesty. But that's not something I'd expect out of my girlfriend.