The Smiley Smile Message Board

Yes, folks, I grew up in that godforsaken era they call the era of the cassette.

The very first Beach Boys release I ever got was a budget cassette-only compilation on EMI Special Products called Do It Again, released in 1984.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/360506605960?lpid=82

I think I was lucky that this was my first discovery of the Beach Boys' music in that this is not your average 9-song hits compilation. Indeed, my favorite songs on the collection were "Wendy," "The Little Girl I Once Knew" and the live "Graduation Day," which I particularly loved. This was my very first ticket into a larger world. My next purchase was the 1986 Made in USA CD compilation, where I discovered the wild world of "Heroes and Villains" and could scarcely believe my ears. This is the Beach Boys? My 11-year-old mind was blown.

Did anybody else discover the Beach Boys first on cassette or have this particular comp? Just thought I'd take us on a little nostalgia trip today.

My first Beach Boys albums weren't cassette, and I didn't have either of those. But I relate in that I, too, grew up in the era of the cassette. What that meant to me was that I related my parents' copy (or an aunt's, possibly, somehow migrated to our house over time) of the vinyl Endless Summer was understood (by me...god, I hate passive voice) in the context of Sunkist and David Lee Roth, the latter of which was really what I was most interested in--by far. Being tremendously cool as I hit my teens, and thus not remotely interested in that cheesy Sunkist crap, much less "Kokomo" (though I liked the Fat Boys and thus "Wipeout"), it took me another decade or so to get into the Beach Boys in any kind of serious way. Eventually, somewhere in my mid-college years, I was shocked to read that this Beach Boy was apparently some sort of genius and that this Pet Sounds album was not only good, but [what the f***?] great. Bought it, listened to it, absorbed it, yadda yadda yadda*, wrote this post.

Maybe it's too bad I didn't have that comp with H&V. Might've converted me earlier. On the other hand, I was busy proclaiming the glories of Whitesnake and such at the time.

My first Beach Boys acquisition was on cassette.  A budget compilation called Surf's Up that seemed to have all the right tunes on it (this was back in the mid-80s).  This was my first taste of such tunes as Don't Worry Baby, Catch a Wave, etc.  I played it to death in the car!

My next step was Made in USA on cd, since that was around the time I had made the digital leap.

Ah cassettes! Mix tapes are the best, and still have their fans out there.

I'll take your cassette and raise ya - when Endless Summer came out, I was able to record ES to 8-track (also recorded the Beatles Blue Cover Greatest Hits double). Listened to both 8-tracks constantly while driving around. Truly made the mid seventies an endless summer.

The thing about 8-tracks is they transferred channels after the allotted time per tape (with four channels). If you'd listen to them over and over, the loud CLICK between channels would become a familiar part of the song. You'd get used to it. CLICK.

My first Beach Boys item was also a cassette with this exact same lineup. But it was called something else like "Let's Go Surfin" and had a yellow cover.  I received it as a gift...My mom came home from the store and said, "I got your favorite" and then gave it to me. I was kind of confused, though, because I never remembered expressing interest in the Beach Boys. It was around 1986, and I was about 10 and very into current music. It wasn't until 1991 that I really became a big fan and started purchasing on my own (beginning with Absolute Best Vol. 1). I do remember, though, moving into our newly purchased home in 1988 and playing that cassette repeatedly in the empty house as we waited for furniture to come in. The song I played over and over the most was Surfin Safari. 

My very first Beach Boys release was the 45 of "Barbara Ann", which I bought when it came out at the tail end of 1965. I thought it was a wonderfully joyous racket----I still do. 

(http://www.sergent.com.au/beachboys/greatesthits.jpg)

Long Live the Medley and long live 1981.

We (me and big sister) bought the cassette, then we saved up for the record.  It was a time.

Edit - bafflingly, the collection did not include California Girls, go figure.

http://www.discogs.com/Beach-Boys-Beach-Boys-The/release/726715 (http://www.discogs.com/Beach-Boys-Beach-Boys-The/release/726715)
(http://s.pixogs.com/image/R-150-726715-1347294236-3472.jpeg)


duh-duh-duh,
duh duh,
duh-duh-duh,
duh duh

Not only my first BBs release, but my first cd. Spring of 1993, 11 years old, hooked ever since.

http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/little-deuce-coupe-special-markets-mr0001310120

(http://i351.photobucket.com/albums/q476/marcus1970/TheBestofTheBeachBoysAxis260104.jpg) (http://s351.photobucket.com/user/marcus1970/media/TheBestofTheBeachBoysAxis260104.jpg.html)

My first Beach Boys LP, purchased at Brashs, summer 1988. The best summer of my life!

The first BB release I ever owned was Endless Summer on 8-Track tape. I was a little kid at the time. I remember that the cover/label was so bubbled up from the heat that it peeled off at the track listing. I played the hell out of it too. Then, I think in 1980, my parents gave me a vinyl copy of Endless Summer. Probably that same year I got my second BB LP, Surfer Girl at a store called Zayre.

my introduction and first cassette..... still love the songlist....

(http://thumbs4.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mY5NppM8giq_jVjSzO_eyFQ.jpg)

RickB

(http://ring.cdandlp.com/basic/photo_grande/114769125.jpg)

I don't think I ever saw that alternate shot of the well known picture before!


My first Beach Boys release was the great "Summer dreams" CD.

(http://images.coveralia.com/audio/t/The_Beach_Boys-Summer_Dreams_(Edicion_Italia)-Frontal.jpg?971)


I believe it is still one of the only CDs where you get the original "Cottonfields" mix.

Best of The Beach Boys Vols 1 & 2 on 8-Track.  Then Endless Summer on vinyl.  Then Made In USA on CD.  Then mad obsession.

I confiscated  my dad's 45 of Sufin Safari/409 and my mom's  Beach Boys Concert Lp.  I then purchased Best of the Best Boys Vol 2 on lp. There was not a whole lot available in Columbus at the time at least for a 7 year old in 73. 

My mum was responsible for all of The Beach Boys' cd's in my house - a copy of 20 Golden Greats that skipped inexplicably on You're So Good To Me and Heroes & Villains, i think, and Pet Sounds. I remember being 14 and asking, after some reading about how Pet Sounds and Sgt Pepper were psych masterpieces of pop music in the fucking NME or something, whether I could pinch my mum's copies of both. She said that Sgt Pepper was nice, but Pet Sounds was 'depressing'.

Luckily, I listened anyway.

The first one I bought with my own money was the 72 live album, after seeing BW live (I really wanted a version of Marcella, as I recall). But I got BWPS for my birthday after watching Beautiful Dreamer on the BBC, then I saw BW live.

So either Pet Sounds, BWPS or In Concert.

(http://cdn.americansongwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/thebeachboysthatswhygodmadetheradio.jpg)

On CD.  As it turns out, it was the first and only time I could get excited for new Beach Boys material.   :(

Pet Sounds, on UK cassette, with a revised running order. Summer 1975.

BW88 on tape for 99 cents.
After that, Smiley Smile.

Best of the Beach Boys - then Smiley Smile. I started there cuz it had Heroes and Villains and Good Vibrations. Then I made it to Surf's Up after hearing the legends of the title track...after that Smile...and after that full on obsessive fandom.

What an interesting way to get into the band. It seems like this would scare most people off, but you kept going.

I bought Pet Sounds because of the hype, wasn't all that crazy about it at first, but still interested. Happened to find this board, posted under a different account name some time ago, and simultaneously listened to Sounds of Summer (my grandfather had three copies of the CD, so I gladly accepted his offer to take one as my own). Thought everything was fine, but obsessed with the Wild Honey material. 

Pet Sounds was my first and made me like the band, Sounds of Summer was my second and made me like the band.

Pretty sure I had the same "Do It Again" tape as a youngster in the late 80's.  I listened to one BB tape in particular on my walkman frequently and remember This Car of Mine, Wendy, The Little Girl I Once Knew and the Live Graduation Day being in the track listing, so this comp must be it.

‍

First album I LISTENED to was my elder sisters copy of All Summer Long, which convinced me, a mighty 12 year-old, to go buy the cassette of Best Of Vol.2 (the store had sold out of Vol.1 I recall) - must've been around '73 - and I spent the early teen years absorbing all the great early summer anthems (wasn't really aware of the SMiLE stuff until later) so imagine how thrilled I was when I heard NEW material was coming out in '76 !! And what did we get ? More classic harmonies and fun in the sun, sun, sun ? Nope ! Boy, was I confused with 15 Big Ones. Still, it led me on to other areas to explore so, as Steve Marriott so eloquently put it... mustn't grumble

Pet Sounds on vinyl, around 1995, having seen it top Mojo's Top 100 albums of all time list. Took the plunge soon after and bought the GV box - it raised more questions than it answered, and so a minor obsession was born...

What was the running order?

I started with the 1983 U.K. Best of album on double vinyl.

A great collection (with an even better cover :o ) but with the usual idiosyncrasies of a British compilation. Surfer Girl omitted (as it so often is) but You`re So Good to Me, Country Air and Here Comes the Night (1967 version) included.

(http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/LsQAAOxy6~BR2tN4/$T2eC16Z,!)0E9s37HlHHBR2tN4ik3!~~60_12.JPG)

Summer 1964 I Get Around/Don't Worry Baby, in. New York.  First album Pet Sounds (and Revolver at the same time) August 66 in London.

The CD release of Pet Sounds with the tracks in mono, and then stereo.  About a month or so later I followed that up with the Smiley Smile/Wild Honey two-fee, expecting Smiley Smile to be an album full of "Good Vibrations"-sounding songs.  I think it was during my second listen to that album that I decided I was going to buy every Beach Boys album I could get my hands on.

Yup, the very first full Beach Boys album was on cassette for me.  It was the late 1980s, I was about 10 years old... my Dad came home with the Surfin' Safari album, this version being minus a couple of tracks from the original LP.  I think Surfin' and Cookoo Clock were missing.  I used to listen to it on the family's walkman.  I really liked it, especially that surf instrumental with the dog howling noises.

It wasn't until I was 17 that I found a copy of All Summer Long on LP, and the obsession truly started.

Somewhere in the late 90s, once I had Pet Sounds and heard of Smile (and heard some bits from a Wilson doc, not yet Endless Harmony, not sure which...), I got a French reissue of Smiley Smile expecting the immaculate glory of Surfs Up or Wonderful. Uh wow. I was ... Confused and amused!

(That cd also had bonus tracks like GV sessions, alt H&V maybe etc)

My early fandom was all surprises. If learn a new chapter, think I had it down, get a new cd and be starting over again, befuddled.

Heard and instantly loved the Smiley Smile version of Vegetables on YouTube (what's this cassette thing you guys speak of?) after Steven Tyler named it one of his all-time favourite songs. Then got Pet Sounds which is what ultimately made me a big fan, after 2 or 3 listens I think.

That would be GOOD VIBRATIONS: BEST OF THE BEACH BOYS in the summer of 1975.
Followed by SPIRIT OF AMERICA and then 15 BIG ONES, which was the first "new" release for me..  BEACH BOYS IN CONCERT, HOLLAND, BEACH BOYS LIVE IN LONDON and SUNFLOWER followed in short order.  SUNFLOWER blew me away.

Best of The Beach Boys on LP, followed by Keepin' The Summer Alive on cassette. 

After that, I think, it was Pet Sounds on LP. 

 

Best Of The Beach Boys vol. 2, on Capitol 8-track. Still have it.  :)

My first BB albums on vinyl: Dutch compilations "Definite Album" and "Beach Boys" (Sterrenserie - club pressing, earlier hits)
(http://i61.tinypic.com/28hkjrp.jpg)     (http://i59.tinypic.com/21nfqyb.jpg)

Grabbed them from my fathers collection. 'Definite Album' had the European hits between 1966 and 1970, where the 'Beach Boys' covered the earlier (US) hits from 1962-65.

First 45 was a Dutch pressing of IGA/DWB. Found it at a local fleamarket; cheap but a bit warped. But even if I had to skip the 1st 10 seconds, I was blown away by the B-side (first time I heard it).

After hearing these I tried to find more by the group. went to the library, only to find the BB 1985 album and BW's first solo album. Also borrowad a Milestones 2LP set Sunflower/Surf's Up. But all these didn't hit me at first. Buying Pet Sounds on CD changed all that. And - a bit similar to smilethebeachboysloveyou's story - I bought the SmileySmile/Wild honey 2-fer directly after that. Strangely enough I loved these albums as well! From then on I was definitely hooked.

What I find kinda interesting about these 2 comments is when I first bought Pet Sounds ('83?), it came packaged as a twofer vinyl with Smiley Smile; diving straight into SS right off the back of the Big Green Behemoth, is not such a bad thing then  ;)

Didn't get my hands on Wild Honey for some time after that purchase, tho

Cool thread!

I was 9 in 1987 and first heard Surfin' USA. Straight away I found this in my parents collection:
(http://i58.tinypic.com/2nsqolg.jpg)

This was followed by at Christmas with (http://i60.tinypic.com/scxax3.jpg) then (http://i61.tinypic.com/16gbtxx.jpg). Nearly 30 years on of collecting, I'm now (http://i62.tinypic.com/rwj72x.jpg)  ;D

I started buying the albums, mainly on cassette but I remember finding a 2LP French Best of for £5 in my local Our Price which started my BB vinyl collection. It took me a few years to 'get' Smiley Smile and Holland and I hated the BB85 album but even through my 90s fixations on Nirvana, Suede, the Manics and hundreds of indie bands between, I would always pull out Surfin' USA, Pet Sounds or Today.
As a sidenote, I found Made In The USA on gatefold last week in the £2 bin. The guy let me have it for free as I'd bought LA Woman!!

(http://sound-history.ru/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DSC_8256.jpg)

(http://sound-history.ru/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DSC_8257.jpg)


My first Beach Boys cd was a 2cd set The Look Behind Collection. I really loved a lot of songs. The songs on cd2 were actually pretty terrible sound quality, like lp rips or something. I really loved Heroes and Villains and Fun Fun Fun.
My first real Beach Boys album was Summer in Paradise. I was at a second hand store and they had Surf's Up and Summer in Paradise. Guess which one I picked? You're right. But I really loved SIP except for a few songs (Hot Fun..., Surfin', Under the Boardwalk, Remember Walking in the Sand are pretty terrible).
After that came the Friends-20/20 Twofer and I was so hooked

Reading this, I just realized it was fifty (50) years ago that I bought my first BeachBoys record.  Folks, that is half a CENTURY.  And I still have the record with my eleven year old initials scrawled in red pencil on the label.  Bought several other singles after that but didn't really get into buying BeachBoys LP's until the 70's, long after I  had acquired many other LP's by groups popular in the later 60's.

Once I "rediscovered" the BB's around the time of Surfs Up/Holland etc, I was like a kid in a candy store catching up on all of the lp cuts I had missed.  Discovering Today, Pet Sounds, and 20/20 over a short period of time infected me for life.

I think the first Beach Boys record that I bought was Heroes and Villains. My older bro was a big fan, so I didn't have to buy anything. After he was drafted in the U.S. Army in 1967, I was on my own to keep up with new 45's and later albums. I think 20/20 was my first album purchase on 8-Track no less.

I was about to say that it's strange how many other people here got hooked because of Smiley Smile, but then I remembered the name of the message board.

Endless Summer on 8 track. I slowly started buying the albums on cassette afterwards.

First LP was this Pickwick release, purchased on sale at Sam the Record Man on Yonge St. in Toronto. In the midst of the mid 70's Beach Boy revival.

First 45 was handed out for free at a JC Penney's in the summer of '68! They were also selling Beatle albums up to Pepper at only $1.99 a piece. Picked up Revolver (at the age of 9) and never looked back...

(http://i57.tinypic.com/291dzdj.jpg)

I was lucky. For me it all began with hearing the 1990 Pet Sounds CD reissue.
You know, the one with Dr. Landy's name on the back. As if he earned it.

Anyway, it made me a fan and after hearing that, I quickly bought Endless Summer. This was back when it was still on CD.

I got into the Beach Boys during a time when I had been pretty much done buying cassettes for a few years at that point, but I think that's generally true about most people in 1999. Cassettes were on the way out. I DID buy Made in USA some months later in 1999 on cassette, since I never saw it on CD and it contained a few songs, particularly 'Heroes and Villains', which at that time I still hadn't heard yet.

In the summer of 1974, my older sister bought the Endless Summer album. After I finished blaring Sparks, Kiss, Blue Oyster Cult, The New York Dolls, Slade, Queen, and The Doors, the sounds of summer would filter their way from my sister's record player through an adjacent wall we shared. I admit that at the very beginning I pulled an American Graffiti with "I hate that surfin' sh*t..." It was only a matter of weeks before Endless Summer made its way onto my turntable.

Sunflower / Surf's Up right after I got my first car. The first time I listened to it, I, being horribly inexperienced, got horribly lost and played through it three or four times.

Everyone should have a cool uncle. God knows I have one. 8)

Summer of 1984 said uncle got wind (probably from my Dad) that I was seriously liking the Beach Boys' songs that showed up regularly on a nationally syndicated (U.S.) radio show of the time -hosted by the late Dick Clark- called Solid Gold Saturday Night. Truth is, because of said program, I was violating the rule about not liking your parents' music with utter abandon, but something I couldn't truly define then (or now) really hit me with The Beach Boys. Anyway, said uncle did a compilation on cassette for me that drew heavily from "Endless Summer" and "15 Big Ones".  He also snuck in some Everly Brothers and assorted one-hit wonders from the '60s and '70s on the end of the cassette. Thought my parents would kill me by the first of the following year as I listened to that cassette almost endlessly for several months after I got it. :lol

Attended my first BB concert in March of 1985. It was a benefit show for the Special Olympics and was held in the local symphony hall. Place is made to be favorable to live classical music and, needless to say, having a pop/rock band play in there was awesome. My ears rang for about three days. :-D At some point during the show, Mike Love mentioned that the recording of a new album was wrapping up and it should be released later in the year...

So, technically speaking, the first BB album I actually bought was 1985's "The Beach Boys". Yeah, I know, I know. However, at 14, to see new music from a band that was topping the charts before I was even alive, and one whom I absolutely idolized to boot... well, it made that album go down a whole lot easier. (I like a decent chunk of the album to this day but still wish for better -meaning not Steve Levine- production and arrangements.)

Thus began my five year mission to seek out and acquire all studio and live albums (usually on vinyl because I liked the bigger images and liner notes) recorded by the band, as well as all solo albums by its members. I'd read that many were out-of-print and would probably never see re-release. I lose track of the order now, but "Sunflower", "Surf's Up" and "Holland" became akin to the Holy Grail in terms of actually finding copies of each. :lol Finally tracked all of them down... some were original issues that were used and in G or VG condition, some were the 1980s reissues that omitted a couple tracks... didn't matter to me, just wanted more, more, more of The Beach Boys... the last one I found was "Keepin' The Summer Alive"... just in time for the 1990 reissues from Capitol of their entire catalog to come out. Heh. Bought them all again on cassette because I was worried the vinyl copies wouldn't last forever. :lol (I bought them all yet again in 2000 when the remastered Brother Records/Capitol two-fers came out on CD. I've resisted the latest reissues though, much to my wife's relief. :lol)

 

After 30 years, my wife never says a word to me when buying any Beach Boys product. She has learned to accept that if a CD, book or concert is announced that I will purchase it. It's just a given!

I think this was also my in-road, but on cassette. I can't remember buying it though.

I do remember getting some birthday money at about 12 years old and buying my first CDs ever from WH Smith's. A strangely eclectic mix of albums based on songs I liked from the radio at the time: Tango In the Night by Fleetwood Mac, Prince - Lovesexy, Roll with It by Steve Winwood, Rattle and Hum by U2(shudder) and Made In The USA by The Beach Boys! Definitely the most played from the bunch. Looking back it was great to have no preconceptions of the timeline of songs. I just assumed they were all created at the same time. Heroes and Villains was definitely a highlight, and still my favourite song 25 years later!

Here's the path I took...

1. 20 Good Vibrations - The Greatest Hits - This was the lone Beach Boys CD in my house growing up. For years, until the age of about 14-15, if I wanted to listen to the Beach Boys I listened to this compilation. I'd mainly listen to it in the summer. There wasn't a song I disliked. [circa 1995]

2. Pet Sounds - I discovered Pet Sounds as a teenager. It quickly became my favorite album. Despite this, I still didn't feel compelled to explore further. Just not enough time in the day, I suspect. [circa 2003]

3. Little Deuce Coupe / All Summer Long - A few years later, my brother picked this up. It was nice to have more of their earlier material. I liked it, but I listened to it sparingly. I was focused on other bands at the time.

4. Friends / 20/20 - Another few years later, I picked this up out of the blue. I can't remember why. I don't think I knew anything about it. I distinctly remember listening to both albums and being impressed. Impressed enough to recommend these lesser known albums to people, but apparently not enough to ditch whoever I was listening to and obsess over the Beach Boys. I had Pet Sounds. I had the hits. I had a few early '60s albums, a few late '60s albums. How much more did I need?

5. Party! - This was given to me by a friend. She said she never felt cooler than when she was cruising, blasting this album. She said it was the only Beach Boys album she liked. I thought that was kinda cool. [2011]

These are my first five (or seven) Beach Boys albums, but it should be noted that I was aware of Brian's solo career enough that I picked up BWPS, TLOS, and the Disney album shortly upon release. I don't think I was aware of GIOMH or WIRWFC. I probably just wasn't interested in the Gershwin album at the time.

In 2012 I was aware of the reunion, but I was still something of a casual fan. Ultimately, I didn't see them on tour and I didn't pick up TWGMTR until a year later (when I was buying all of their albums). So, what was I interested in? Pacific Ocean Blue. I can't be sure what inspired me to pick up the 2-disc edition of POB, but I couldn't stop listening to it. Even though Friends and 20/20 had clued me in to the potential quality and diversity of the Beach Boys music beyond the hits, it wasn't that far removed from what I knew. With POB, here's the drummer (!!!), solo, in '77, giving me one of my favorite albums. It was time. I had to listen to it all. At this point I started reading up on the band and by mid-2013 I had bought just about every album. I also remember stumbling upon a blog of someone's Top 200 Beach Boys songs. That's where I heard some of Brian's mid-70s material for the first time, e.g., 'It's Over Now', 'Still I Dream Of It', and 'Sherry She Needs Me'. That blew my mind. As I picked up the rest of their albums, I started with Smiley Smile / Wild Honey.

Surfing USA but it was Surfer Girl that really did it for me.  :spin

First Beach Boys purchase:

I Get Around/Don't Worry Baby US single

First Beach Boys album purchase:

U.K. Pet Sounds

That Pickwick comp was my first BB's album, too. Pretty great selection of songs. I got Endless Summer a couple years later.

"Problem Child" - great song, liked, didn't know who sang, Internet-free back in 2000. Now do & still like.
Via Beatles in 2010 find out usual info about Sgt. Pepper topping the greatest albums list & Pet Sounds being next to it. It made me curious, checked it. Liked it to the point that Sgt. Pepper began to pale in compare with it. Dug the arrangements, think the BBs cooler than Beatles vocally. Check youtube, it leads to BBs' popular songs DWB, IGA, a cappella THWFOS, HMR etc. Like few. Then continue with downloading albums, smb. at Beatles.ru who isn't big BBs fan but appreciates good music by anybody said his favorites - PS & Sunflower. Pet Sounds I downloaded, then went to Sunflower as per that poster. It didn't shine songwise but really liked "At My Window" & "Add Some Music". Due to these songs, I decide that BBs is jolly good band, start checking catalog. Few albums, f.ex. LY, L.A., SIP didn't show in main download site. Went thru plenty different music sites to get them for free. At last, found.

Pet Sounds in September 2000 at the age of 20. It was the 1999 mono/stereo edition with Brad Elliott's liner notes. I really loved it.

Next thing I bought was Smiley Smile/Wild Honey in February next year. I was like WTF. It also made me realise the Beach Boys were so much more than the early hits and Pet Sounds.

Then I bought Little Deuce Coupe/All Summer Long in April, bu it was my fourth BBs purchase, the GV box set in July that really made me a fan. I still think that set is the greatest Beach Boys release ever and the best introduction to any newcomers.

"The Greatest Hits – Volume 1: 20 Good Vibrations" was the first BB release I remember hearing.

As a kid I remember being fascinated by the orange on the CD cover. Still looks so refreshing...

The first record I bought with my own money : "Summer Days And Summer Nights", in 1969 (1,37 $ canadian). Before that, I didn't know that "discontinued" records were sold in record stores !

in '67 I bought Pet Sounds on vinyl, but soon traded it to a friends' friend (don't ask)

I bought stack-o-tracks in '68 and found it fascinating

major part of the reason I got rid of my first PS was I's getting heavily into reel-to-reel tapes, getting a concord deck from allied radio for Xmas '67, so I was on the lookout for pre-recorded reel albums of which many stores sold here

I wanted a beach boys and a beatles tape but all my selections were limited to the 7-1/2 IPS speed (early on I learned 3-3/4 tapes were too inferior).  For the beatles capitol made Revolver @ 7-1/2, and Pet Sounds for the beach boys that speed too (and only those albums, a frustrating situation which did change some years on).  I played the dickens out of both those tapes on my concord, which graduated to a Tandberg 64X before too long.  And listened almost always through headphones (I must be the only person who enjoyed duophonic stereo via headphones, shame on me)

the capitol double disc BB compilation Close-Up would be next and I so regret not getting Friends during the brief time it was a new release.  However when Sunflower came out I was the only one in my gang who bought it new, so it got borrowed out a lot

First time i remember hearing them is my mom had Endless Summer record around when i was a kid in the 80s. I always thought the guys looked weird on the cover. Kind of scared me. Put it on one time and was like "jeez, this music isnt scary at all...its great!" Also my dad had 3 musician brothers and they would sing "surfer girl" in 4 part harmony just like the BB's at family gatherings. Amazing. They all had to sing  together growing up, just like the BB's.  All grew up to be musicians. One of my uncles even sang a couple number 1 hits event in the 80s. Anyways, after learning about the BB they reminded me a lot of my dads family. Although not quite as insane and everyone gets along. haha.

I first became aware of the Beach Boys circa 1992/93, about age 6 or 7, when my mom went on a house cleaning kick for several days and would keep replaying her copy of Endless Summer. She always started it on side 4, so the first BB song I ever heard was California Girls. A short time later I saw this old white-haired guy on Full House, and my mom pointed out to me it was The Beach Boys. I didn't believe her at first, this guy didn't look a thing like any of the dudes on the Endless Summer cover. I realized it was indeed them when the old white-haird Mike Love went into Be True to Your School. The BBs kind of went into the back of my mind after that.

I remember seeing the Kokomo video for the first time on VH1 in the mid 90s, recognized Mike Love right off the bat, I'd only known the Muppets version prior to that.

I also remember seeing the BW Imagination concert on TV, they showed 8 million interviews between all the songs. At the time I would have sworn it was Al Jardine and Glenn Frey in the band (cool), but it was actually Bruce Johnston and Tim Schmidt (talented, but not cool).

In 2003 I bought my first proper BBs CD, it was just Sounds of Summer. Nothing special from a hard core fan's POV but it blew my mind at the time. Prior to this the BBs songs I knew were the ones on Endless Summer, plus WIBN only because it was in so many movies. I actually did think stuff like Beach Baby and The Rain, The Park, and Other Things were by the BBs. I ended up hearing Good Vibrations, Heroes and Villains, Wild Honey, and several other songs for the first time ever. After reading the liner notes I also realized what the hell that "Smiley Smile" that Steven Page (Barenaked Ladies) kept re-listening to was. From there I finally listened to Pet Sounds, then Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE, then lots of googling and downloading until finally coming across my first original SMiLE bootlegs, then the 2fers-SS/WH, Sunflower/Surf's Up, Friends/20-20, CATP/Holland, In Concert, etc. etc. etc. By the end of 2005/early 2006 I was well on my way down the BBs rabbit hole. The advent of Rapidshare/Mediafire/Megaupload, coupled with anonymous blogs opened up a whole world of bootleg goodies for me, being a college kid with fast dorm internet but without a way to buy actual "hard copies" of underground material.

20 Golden Greats on vinyl, like many (most?) in the UK in the 70s through 80s.

Surfin' USA (the album) was my first purchase. Surfer Girl had already found its way into our household as a gift.