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Poll
Question: Which do you prefer?
The Beach Boys Today! - 77 (74%)
Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) - 27 (26%)
Total Voters: 94

Pages: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 Go Down Print
Author Topic: Twofer polls #8: Today! vs Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)  (Read 70614 times)
buddhahat
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« on: August 02, 2012, 03:22:29 AM »



I love SD&SN - it strikes me as the album where they perfected their archetypal sound in the hits Help Me Rhonda and California Girls. There is also something fantastic about that cover!

Let Him Run Wild is one of my favourite BB songs, and Girl Don't Tell Me is wonderful. I wish The Little Girl I Once Knew had been included instead of maybe Bugged At My Old Man or Amusement Parks.

I do think some of Mike's lyrics (including California Girls) are beginning to sound stale at this point and for this reason I will vote for Today, where the lyrics seem much more timeless. There is also the mini Pet Sounds run of songs from side 2 which weighs strongly in Today's favour for me.

So far there have been few surprises with the polls. I think the only unexpected victory for me has been POB over Love You. This could be another tight one, but I suspect Today will clinch it ...
« Last Edit: August 02, 2012, 03:24:49 AM by buddhahat » Logged

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« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2012, 03:53:21 AM »

Well both rank among their best. SDSN is very under rated by some, but it's an excellent LP. Today though is one of those albums that stuns you whenever you hear it. Have to go with Today but this was close.
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« Reply #2 on: August 02, 2012, 04:06:07 AM »

Ooh, this is a tough one.  Each one has so much going for it.

First off, the "Help Me, Rhonda" on Summer Days is much better than the one on Today.  Summer Days also has "California Girls," arguably one of the most popular songs they ever did, along with Endless Summer classics "Girl Don't Tell Me," "Let Him Run Wild," and "You're So Good to Me" which are the Boys at their best.
Today has some of my favorite Beach Boys songs.  "When I Grow Up," "She Knows Me Too Well," and "Please Let Me Wonder." it really shows Brian's songwriting at its best with beautiful and heartbreaking songs like "Kiss Me Baby." "I'm So Young," and "In the Back of My Mind."  It feels more like an album than Summer Days which seems more like a collection of singles.  Which really isn't a bad thing, that's probably even a compliment, but as an album, it doesn't flow as nicely.  I find it kind of strange that with all the great tracks on that album, they pick "The Girl From New York City" and "Amusement Parks" to open the album when I think both should be complete filler.  Today seems to almost be an unintentional concept album about teenage love and there's just something sublime about it.  Actually, I think the only song on the album that doesn't work is "Help Me Rhonda" which I'm glad was reworked to be the hit song it became.  "Dance, Dance, Dance" feels a little out of place too especially being on the same album as "Do You Wanna Dance?" (which I think fits much better).  And then there's the baffling "Bull Sessions" tacked on at the end.  I actually kind of like it but its existence is a bit puzzling.  Despite these flaws, I still think it's a great album and I'm glad it was recognized by Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums list.  Summer Days is just as essential so it's fitting that they're both on one disc (and I can't imagine listening to Summer Days without "The Little Girl I Once Knew," another one of my all-time favorites) but Today just works better.
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« Reply #3 on: August 02, 2012, 04:49:16 AM »

SD&SN better than today. Today great though. but I think SD&SN is where Brian really struck a new sound.
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« Reply #4 on: August 02, 2012, 04:57:41 AM »

SD&SN better than today. Today great though. but I think SD&SN is where Brian really struck a new sound.

Hey man, don't forget to vote! SD&SN needs all the help it can get at the moment.
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« Reply #5 on: August 02, 2012, 05:16:35 AM »

I love Summer Days... My favourite songs on it are probably what some people would rank as their least favourites (the opening two tracks for instance, i especially like The Girl From New York City). But Today is just a better album - more coherent, incredibly well sequenced. Side one is terrific (Dance Dance Dance fits perfectly to my ears and draws the 'pop' side to a very satisfying close), but Side two is exceptional. Arguably the greatest sequence of songs in their entire catalogue. Please let Me Wonder and She Knows Me Too Well in particular are just staggeringly brilliant! As for Bull Sessions... It's a joke, enjoy it! It's Brian saying 'Hey so that was all just kinda heavy huh? But we're still that fun group you love'. Cue Dick Rising etc.
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Letsgoawayforawhile
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« Reply #6 on: August 02, 2012, 05:45:44 AM »

Both amazing, but I went with Today! easily. Side two is one of the most amazing sides on any record ever. An insight of what's to come on Pet Sounds. Perfect.
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« Reply #7 on: August 02, 2012, 06:12:38 AM »

Summer Days, without a doubt.

Songs don't have to be introspective and sad  to be good.

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« Reply #8 on: August 02, 2012, 06:15:25 AM »

Today!

'Do You Wanna Dance' is one of my favorite songs the Beach Boys recorded, side 2 is just tremendous.

I DO prefer SDSN's cover art though.
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« Reply #9 on: August 02, 2012, 06:34:44 AM »

A very easy one. Today is hands down my favorite pre-Pet Sounds album. And honestly, I don't really like Summer Days that much. Girl Don't Tell Me, California Girls and Summer Means New Love are the only songs on that album that I really like...
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« Reply #10 on: August 02, 2012, 06:41:23 AM »

There's a brilliant five song run on SDASN - Girl Don't Tell Me/Help Me, Rhonda/California Girls/Let Him Run Wild/You're So Good To Me. Unfortunately, the rest of the album doesn't even come close to the quality of those tracks. I voted Today!, which I even think would be a better listen if the tracks were sequenced differently - meaning some fast, some slow/introspective on the same side.
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« Reply #11 on: August 02, 2012, 06:50:44 AM »

There's a brilliant five song run on SDASN - Girl Don't Tell Me/Help Me, Rhonda/California Girls/Let Him Run Wild/You're So Good To Me. Unfortunately, the rest of the album doesn't even come close to the quality of those tracks. I voted Today!, which I even think would be a better listen if the tracks were sequenced differently - meaning some fast, some slow/introspective on the same side.


I love the line between fun and emotion on it. That's definitely part of the charm for me. Like two separate albums in one.
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« Reply #12 on: August 02, 2012, 07:00:18 AM »

Today! fo' sho.
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« Reply #13 on: August 02, 2012, 07:01:15 AM »

Next to "Pet Sounds," "Today" is about as perfect an album as they made.  I only wish the "Summer Days" "Rhonda" existed at that time, and "Bull Session" was replaced with something like "All Dressed Up For School" or another non LP track.
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EgoHanger1966
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« Reply #14 on: August 02, 2012, 07:15:10 AM »

Next to "Pet Sounds," "Today" is about as perfect an album as they made.  I only wish the "Summer Days" "Rhonda" existed at that time, and "Bull Session" was replaced with something like "All Dressed Up For School" or another non LP track.

My alternate Today! looks something like this.

Side One: Dance Dance Dance/Good To My Baby/When I Grow Up/Kiss Me Baby/Don't Hurt My Little Sister/She Knows Me Too Well

Side Two:Please Let Me Wonder/Do You Wanna Dance/All Dressed Up For School/I'm So Young/In The Back of My Mind/Guess I'm Dumb
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« Reply #15 on: August 02, 2012, 07:28:15 AM »

Next to "Pet Sounds," "Today" is about as perfect an album as they made.  I only wish the "Summer Days" "Rhonda" existed at that time, and "Bull Session" was replaced with something like "All Dressed Up For School" or another non LP track.

My alternate Today! looks something like this.

Side One: Dance Dance Dance/Good To My Baby/When I Grow Up/Kiss Me Baby/Don't Hurt My Little Sister/She Knows Me Too Well

Side Two:Please Let Me Wonder/Do You Wanna Dance/All Dressed Up For School/I'm So Young/In The Back of My Mind/Guess I'm Dumb

No offence but that line-up just turns a very well thought out and carefully sequenced album into a mess...
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EgoHanger1966
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« Reply #16 on: August 02, 2012, 07:33:47 AM »

Next to "Pet Sounds," "Today" is about as perfect an album as they made.  I only wish the "Summer Days" "Rhonda" existed at that time, and "Bull Session" was replaced with something like "All Dressed Up For School" or another non LP track.

My alternate Today! looks something like this.

Side One: Dance Dance Dance/Good To My Baby/When I Grow Up/Kiss Me Baby/Don't Hurt My Little Sister/She Knows Me Too Well

Side Two:Please Let Me Wonder/Do You Wanna Dance/All Dressed Up For School/I'm So Young/In The Back of My Mind/Guess I'm Dumb

No offence but that line-up just turns a very well thought out and carefully sequenced album into a mess...

It's all good. I just wanted to see if I could do something a little different with it. It's an album full of great songs, and taking the fast and slow songs and mixing them up just makes me like them even more.
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« Reply #17 on: August 02, 2012, 07:40:43 AM »

Next to "Pet Sounds," "Today" is about as perfect an album as they made.  I only wish the "Summer Days" "Rhonda" existed at that time, and "Bull Session" was replaced with something like "All Dressed Up For School" or another non LP track.

My alternate Today! looks something like this.

Side One: Dance Dance Dance/Good To My Baby/When I Grow Up/Kiss Me Baby/Don't Hurt My Little Sister/She Knows Me Too Well

Side Two:Please Let Me Wonder/Do You Wanna Dance/All Dressed Up For School/I'm So Young/In The Back of My Mind/Guess I'm Dumb

No offence but that line-up just turns a very well thought out and carefully sequenced album into a mess...

It's all good. I just wanted to see if I could do something a little different with it. It's an album full of great songs, and taking the fast and slow songs and mixing them up just makes me like them even more.

True, yes. I just personally love how the album is divided into two distinctive sides. It's something i think they should've tried more often (with a few minor alterations and additions Sunflower can be made into a similarly 'themed' album)
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« Reply #18 on: August 02, 2012, 08:03:17 AM »

Like asking which side of my wang I want cut off Cry you fucking monsters.
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« Reply #19 on: August 02, 2012, 09:11:13 AM »

Two really solid albums, both with many standout and timeless tunes. Summer Days with perhaps 2 of the most popular BB songs in Cal Girls and Jardine's version of HMR plus several other favorites (also fondly recall Brian and his band do a great And Your Dreams Come True in one of his shows this decade). Today perhaps does not include an "all-timer" like Cal Girls but the 1st side is really good all around, rockin with DTWD and DDD plus WIGU, and the 2nd side with PLMW and Kiss Me Baby is a pleasure to listen too.

I went with Today because, to me, from start to finish it is better and gets closer to something like Pet Sounds than any other album they put out. But, you can't go wrong with either one.
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« Reply #20 on: August 02, 2012, 10:23:13 AM »

Today has been my favorite album for as far back as I can remember and that's a long, long time. It's a great listen from beginning to end. Also, one of the only Duophonic LPs that actually doesn't sound too bad.
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« Reply #21 on: August 02, 2012, 10:49:47 AM »

Today! for me. Summer Days is a step forward musically but too often a step back lyrically.
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« Reply #22 on: August 02, 2012, 12:13:41 PM »

Today! for me. Summer Days is a step forward musically but too often a step back lyrically.
You really think that between All Summer Long and Summer Days that they took a step backwards lyrically? We are talking a year here and Summer Days did not really deal with same type subject matter as Today. If you think about it, Today is kind of the odd ball album in terms of subject matter and how it was expressed. The whole album is expressed from a personal perspective, even on some of the fast songs, let alone all of side 2. The band would deal with this on one-off songs like In My Room & Warmth Of The Sun, but never a whole album's worth of songs.
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The Brianista Prayer

Oh Brian
Thou Art In Hawthorne,
Harmonied Be Thy name
Your Kingdom Come,
Your Steak Well Done,
On Stage As It Is In Studio,
Give Us This Day, Our Shortenin' Bread
And Forgive Us Our Bootlegs,
As We Also Have Forgiven Our Wife And Managers,
And Lead Us Not Into Kokomo,
But Deliver Us From Mike Love.
Amen.  ---hypehat
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« Reply #23 on: August 02, 2012, 01:11:07 PM »

In this modern day of playlists I find it increasingly difficult to consider albums as seperate entities.   Was it Ringo or George Harrison who said that, in retrospect, Revolver and Rubber Soul could really be considered parts 1 and 2 of the same "album"?

Rarely do I ever listen to an entire album with the exception of certain pieces such as the suite side of Abbey Road, SMiLE, or perhaps something like Tommy.

Sometimes I miss the days of LP's when lifting the needle was necessary to change songs.
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« Reply #24 on: August 02, 2012, 01:14:53 PM »

Today! for me. Summer Days is a step forward musically but too often a step back lyrically.
You really think that between All Summer Long and Summer Days that they took a step backwards lyrically? We are talking a year here and Summer Days did not really deal with same type subject matter as Today. If you think about it, Today is kind of the odd ball album in terms of subject matter and how it was expressed. The whole album is expressed from a personal prospective, even on some of the fast songs, let alone all of side 2. The band would deal with this on one-off songs like In My Room & Warmth Of The Sun, but never a whole album's worth of songs.

(IMO) I think he means that Summer Days is a step back lyrically from Today, the album previous, and he's right for the most part. There are no songs about amusement parks, or driving to Salt Lake City, or being bugged at your ol' man, on Today.
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