This record made zero sense to me until I took a nap during the day while listening to it. Drifting in and out of sleep at different parts of the album feels like the way it was meant to be heard. Now it's in the top 5 for sure, even Gettin' Hungry which I have a strange affection for, and Woody Woodpecker which manages to take the already terrifying Mrs. O'Leary's Cow and make it even more spooky.

I've begun assembling people's stories about the Sacramento Civic Memorial Auditorium shows that were used for this (and the Live in Sacramento 1964 digital release) so if there is anyone in here who was there, or who knows someone who was there, I would love to hear about it! I'm a graduate student currently living in Sac and I'm basically just trying to capture a snapshot of one night in Sacramento in 1964.

What a unique picture! I've definitely never seen that before.

1. The Trader
2. California Saga (Big Sur)
3. California Saga (California)
4. Steamboat
5. Sail On, Sailor
6. California Saga (Beaks of Eagles)
7. Leaving This Town
8. Only With You
9. Funky Pretty

I've left Mt. Vernon and Fairway out because it's kind of it's own thing. I wish I enjoyed Funky Pretty more, because it's the only song on the album that I skip regularly and it's a shame that Brian wasn't in a place where he could bring more to the main part of the album. Leaving This Town and Only With You are both great, but I personally prefer the slightly faster songs on the first side of the album. Regardless, this is my personal favorite Beach Boys LP and I hope that its stature grows as we near its 50th anniversary.