Is That’s Why God Made the Radio (the album) among their very best?!

[shelter]

1. Sunflower
2. Pet Sounds
3. Smile
4. Friends
5. Today!
6. Wild Honey
7. 20/20
8. Smiley Smile
9. Surf's Up
10. Surfer Girl
11. That's Why God Made The Radio
12. Holland
13. All Summer Long
14. Love You
15. Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)
16. Shut Down, Volume 2
17. Carl And The Passions "So Tough"
18. LA (Light Album)
19. Little Deuce Coupe
20. Surfin' USA
21. MIU Album
22. 15 Big Ones
23. Still Cruisin'
24. Keepin' The Summer Alive
25. Christmas Album
26. Party!
27. Surfin' Safari
28. BB '85
29. Summer In Paradise

[Matt H]

1.   Pet Sounds
2.   Smile
3.   Sunflower
4.   Friends
5.   Today!
6.   Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)
7.   Wild Honey
8.   20/20
9.   Surfer Girl
10.   All Summer Long
11.   Love You
12.   Holland
13.   That's Why God Made The Radio
14.   Surf's Up
15.   Christmas Album
16.   LA (Light Album)
17.   Surfin' USA
18.   Smiley Smile
19.   Shut Down, Volume 2
20.   Party!
21.   Carl And The Passions "So Tough"
22.   Little Deuce Coupe
23.   15 Big Ones
24.   MIU Album
25.   Still Cruisin'
26.   Keepin' The Summer Alive
27.   Surfin' Safari
28.   BB '85
29.   Summer In Paradise

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

My order

20/20
Friends
Holland
Sunflower
Wild Honey
Pet Sounds
So Tough
Surfs Up
Smiley Smile
Live In London
Summer Days
All Summer Long
Today
In Concert
TWGMTR
Shut Down 2
Surfin USA
Surfer Girl
Little Deuce Coupe
Christmas
MIU
Love You
15 Big Ones
 85
LA Light (Full Sail and Goin' South kill this album for me, along with the vastly inferior  version Shortenin' Bread)
Party
Concert
Surfin Safari
KTSA
Summer In Paradise
Still Crusin
Stars n Tripe

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

So, I put TWGMTR towards the middle. It's not a knock against it, but rather a testament to what I rank above it. I don't rate Today as highly as most others mainly because I don't like 'Don't Hurt My Little Sister' at all (one of the few BB songs I actively hate), and has the inferior version of 'Rhonda'. That talking track kills it for me as well.  I actually think Summer Days is much better, minus 'I'm Bugged At My Old Man' (which I like the 1977 version MUCH better) and 'Salt Lake City'.

[Ziggy Stardust]

Well, if this thread is all about lists now i might as well give it a try, heh :

1. The SMiLE Sessions
2. Pet Sounds
3. Sunflower
4. Love You
5. Surf's Up
6. Carl & The Passions "So Tough"
7. Today!
8. Holland
9. Friends
10. Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)

11. 20/20
12. All Summer Long
13. Wild Honey
14. Surfer Girl
15. Shut Down Volume 2
16. Christmas Album
17. That's Why God Made The Radio
18. Surfin' USA
19. Surfin' Safari
20. Smiley Smile


21. Little Deuce Coupe
22. LA (Light Album)
23. Party!
24. 15 Big Ones
25. Keepin' The Summer Alive
26. MIU Album
27. The Beach Boys (1985)
28. Still Cruisin'
29. Summer In Paradise

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Oh hell, I completely didn't count the Smile box.

D'oh

[Tord]

1. The SMiLE Sessions
2. Smiley Smile
3. Pet Sounds
4. All Summer Long
   Today
6. Surfer Girl
7. Little Deuce Coupe
8. Friends
   20/20
10.Shut Down, Vol. 2
11.Surfin' USA
12.Sunflower
    Surf's Up
14.Party!
15.Summer Days And Summer Nights!!!
16.Christmas Album
17.Surfin' Safari
18.Wild Honey
19.Love You
20.Holland
21.That's Why God Made The Radio
22.15 Big Ones
23.Keepin' The Summer Alive
24.M.I.U. Album            
25.Carl & The Passions "So Tough"   
26.Still Cruisin'
27.The Beach Boys
28.L.A. (Light Album)         
29.Summer In Paradise

[Catbirdman]

5 Stars:
1.   Smile
2.   Friends
3.   Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!!)
4.   Pet Sounds
5.   All Summer Long
6.   The Beach Boys Love You
7.   The Beach Boys Today

4½ Stars:
8.   Surfer Girl
9.   Little Deuce Coupe
10.   Smiley Smile
11.   Holland
12.   15 Big Ones
13.   Sunflower
14.   Wild Honey
15.   Surf’s Up
16.   20/20
17.   Carl And The Passions: “So Tough”   
18.   Shut Down, Vol. 2

4 Stars:
19.   That’s Why God Made The Radio
20.   Surfin’ Safari
21.   L.A. (Light Album)
22.   The Beach Boys’ Party!
23.   Surfin’ USA
24.   The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album
25.   M.I.U. Album
26.   Keepin’ The Summer Alive

HUGE GAP

½ Star:
27.   Still Cruisin’
28.   The Beach Boys

Zero Stars:
29.   Stars ‘n’ Stripes
30.   Summer In Paradise

[B-Rex]

I haven't heard SIP or S&S.  I guess I'm really missing out.  No apolgies for Love You.  I'll count them down

26. Love You
25. 15 Big Ones
24. Surfin' Safari
23. Keepin' the Summer Alive
22. Little Deuce Coupe
21. Beach Boys
20. Still Cruisin'
19. So Tough
18. MIU
17. Surfin' USA
16. All Summer Long
15. Shut Down II
14. Light Album
13. That's Why God Made the Radio
12. Surfer Girl
11. Friends
10. 20/20
 9. Summer Days
 8. Surf's Up
 7. Holland
 6. Sunflower
 5. Smiley Smile
 4. Wild Honey
 3. Today
 2. SMiLE
 1. Pet Sounds

[Ziggy Stardust]

wow

[Exapno Mapcase]

I can't be arsed to do the whole rank thing, but there are three or four songs on it that I love but too much flippant stuff, often courtesy of the painfullly self-referential and downright dumb lyrics or the occasional heavy-handed production, to qualify it as a 'classic'. However, I think From There To Back Again, a least, is a stone cold classic. I'd go with AGD and say it's their best since Holland (excepting Love You). However, because of the lyrics, some tracks wouldn't be amiss on SIP, which is not a good thing.

[Music Machine]

I agree with those that rank it somewhere in the middle. It's not a masterwork but I do think it's their best effort since Keepin' the Summer Alive.

[Ziggy Stardust]

I agree with those that rank it somewhere in the middle. It's not a masterwork but I do think it's their best effort since Keepin' the Summer Alive.

Well yeah that's pretty close to the truth i guess.

[Sav-Man]

Well, TWGMTR is still too new for me to really say if it's "one of their best ever," but I do think that it's their best, most consistent album overall since The Beach Boys Love You.

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

26. Love You
25. 15 Big Ones
24. Surfin' Safari
23. Keepin' the Summer Alive
22. Little Deuce Coupe
21. Beach Boys
20. Still Cruisin'
19. So Tough
18. MIU
17. Surfin' USA
16. All Summer Long
15. Shut Down II
14. Light Album
13. That's Why God Made the Radio
12. Surfer Girl
11. Friends
10. 20/20
 9. Summer Days
 8. Surf's Up
 7. Holland
 6. Sunflower
 5. Smiley Smile
 4. Wild Honey
 3. Today
 2. SMiLE
 1. Pet Sounds

About that... f*** Your Taste.

[Quzi]

26. Love You
25. 15 Big Ones
24. Surfin' Safari
23. Keepin' the Summer Alive
22. Little Deuce Coupe
21. Beach Boys
20. Still Cruisin'
19. So Tough
18. MIU
17. Surfin' USA
16. All Summer Long
15. Shut Down II
14. Light Album
13. That's Why God Made the Radio
12. Surfer Girl
11. Friends
10. 20/20
 9. Summer Days
 8. Surf's Up
 7. Holland
 6. Sunflower
 5. Smiley Smile
 4. Wild Honey
 3. Today
 2. SMiLE
 1. Pet Sounds

About that... f*** Your Taste.

More like taste .

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

[lance]

For me, it's probably in to the top fifteen.

[runnersdialzero]

RANK EM ALBUMS TNHREND

[HeroAndVillain]

I like most of the album, but I just don't like the title track itself. I've noted that a lot of other people like it, but somehow it just doesn't sound real to me. I'm not a BB expert, but to me the song TWGMTR sounds like ersatz BB, while the rest of the album sounds like the real deal.

[myonlysunshine]

I think it's a middle of the road Beach Boy album. It's better than Surfin Safari, Surfin USA (IMO), and every album post-Love You. Might be better than 15 Big Ones too, although I'm not overly sure about which one I'd personally rank higher. However, it can't touch anything from their catalog from 1963-1973 (Surfer Girl through Holland).

[Nicko1234]

I quite like the album but before today hadn`t listened to it in a week or so and hadn`t missed it at all. It`s a very professionally made album which is both a complement and a criticism.

I rank it as a 6/10 album which is about the same as Love You/M.I.U./L.A. but better than the other wilderness albums.

[adamghost]

I think the album has some solid moments, but with stuff such as Spring Vacation or Beaches In Mind (and even Bill And Sue, which is very meh..aaand Strange World doesn't do much to me), all the terrible effects on the vocals and the VERY FLAT production, plus all the guest singers taking a huge spot (Jeff Foskett on the chorus of Shelter, ect) i can't really say it's among their best stuff... but honestly, if you change the tracklist and give it a better sound, i would definitely agree tho that it's one of their best stuff.

VERY FLAT indeed.  I'm glad someone else mentioned this, because I've been complaining about this on my own Facebook page.  You have some wonderful arrangements (and some cheesy ones) and vocal performances that have no definition or dynamics whatsoever.  The mix is so murky and midrangey that I feel like I'm listening to the record through a wall.  I tried to do a little mastering with the car radio, but the tracks themselves all seem to be really processed and compressed.  I know this sounds like sound engineer talk, but it really blows the record for me, which I otherwise quite like.  Put it on next to any other Beach Boys record pre-1980 with the possible exception of HOLLAND and you'll hear what I mean...by comparison, just mushy, no dynamics or depth.  It really bums me out.  Mixed differently it could have been so much more vibrant.

It reminds me of a time I got a file in to my home studio from another place.  The engineer had taken every single track and put a compressor on each one, with the attack and release set to maximum.  Basically squashing the life out of each and every element.   At least that's the way I hear it. 

[SurfRiderHawaii]

This album is a wonderful surprise and an amazing effort for a 50 year old band with a bunch of 70 year olds.

But can't rate it ahead "LA (Light Album)"  or any album before cause no Carl or Dennis in their prime.

A more interesting comparison would be to rate it based on Brian's song writing.  There it moves up the list some.

[adamghost]

The EQ of the album bugged me so much I did a little remaster on "Summer's Gone" in ProTools.  

[edit] so busted.  [/edit]