Good/Poor/potentially confusing Beach Boys album titles

[Please delete my account]

Leaving aside those albums named after a song on the album...

Shut Down Volume 2 - terrible title, "volume 2" is demeaning, and it gives the misleading impression that "Shut Down" was a Beach Boys album.
Today!- Good title, I used to think it was a boring, unimaginative title but I changed my mind.
Summer Days (and Summer Nights!) - Not bad.
Party! - good, obviously
Pet Sounds- great title, well done Mike.
Smile- great
Smiley Smile- A good title in itself, apt also (related to Smile but not Smile), still since Smile eventually did surface in some form I now wish it had been called something else altogether to avoid confusing anyone. 
20/20- poor title. A bunch of digits and a symbol is not eyecatching or memorable and is too much like a catalogue number. Also, it tells you nothing about the music and it wasn't really their twentieth album anyway (compilations don't count).
Sunflower- title a bit boring and wimpy.
Surf's up- I mention this one anyway despite it being a song title- very misleading title for those casual record store browsers who still associate The Beach Boys with surfin'.
Carl and the Passions-So Tough - The most confusing title(s) of all. It doesn't help that it comes with the most confusing of albums. Why two titles? Or is it one title and two band names? Still, "So tough", with its multiple meanings, is a great album title. As Saint Etienne spotted.
Holland- fair enough.
15 big ones- Sounds like it's going to be cheesy and sounds like a hits compilation. 50% misleading, then.
Love you- apt but offputting. When you've heard the album the title makes sense, but suppose you don't buy the album in the first place because you think it's going to be all hippie/TM rubbish?
M.I.U. - neutral, possibly mysterious in a good way, if you don't know what it stands for. Offputting if you do.
L.A. terrible terrible title. 1) second "initials" title in a row. 2) fourth (arguably fifth) unimaginative title in a row. 3) all Beach Boys albums are light albums, at least since the late '60s. 4) Calling your album "Light album" at this point says, "you thought the last album was easy-listening? Wait till you hear this one!" 5) Oh yeah, it's a feeble pun.
The Beach Boys ('85) - not really a title, is it? Were they trying to convince kids in the 80s they were a new band?

Summary: I love the Beach Boys but some of their album titles could have been better.

[GuyOnTheBeach]

I've always thought that as an Album title "Carl and The Passions" gave away much more than it probably intended; if you look far enough into it, it tells that Brian is no longer at the helm as the main force behind the band and that Carl was leading the way, the album is his baby, his passion if you will (as well as being the name of Brian (?) and Carl's high school band)
With this in mind, I always saw the "So Tough" suffix as a comment regarding The Beach Boys post Brian, suddenly they are having to be self reliant, no more premade songs just waiting for their vocals (I know this hadn't been the case for quite a few years before anyway) and little to no guidance from Brian, who was responsible for much of their early success.

Of course, this is just my speculation gathered by looking too far into things, it could also just be an album title

[Theydon Bois]

Sunflower- title a bit boring and wimpy.

The late Milt Jackson wants a word.

[Phoenix]

In my opinion, the worst ones are far and away the two "initials" names.  I don't like Shut Down, Volume 2 either.  I know the story behind it (and even used to own "volume 1") but it's still a dumb name for a Beach Boys album and it's only been made dumber over time.  They've had some other questionable ones over the years but those are the worst.  I guess Smiley Smile would come next.  I've actually had many casual fans ask me what it meant and come away even more confused when I tried to explain the "related to but not Smile" thing.  "Wouldn't a better name had been something like Smirk or Grin?"

[Rocky Raccoon]

Surf's up- I mention this one anyway despite it being a song title- very misleading title for those casual record store browsers who still associate The Beach Boys with surfin'.

I think that was intentional.  It was meant to be sort of ironic.

[sockittome]

Leaving aside those albums named after a song on the album...

Shut Down Volume 2 - terrible title, "volume 2" is demeaning, and it gives the misleading impression that "Shut Down" was a Beach Boys album.
Today!- Good title, I used to think it was a boring, unimaginative title but I changed my mind.
Summer Days (and Summer Nights!) - Not bad.
Party! - good, obviously
Pet Sounds- great title, well done Mike.
Smile- great
Smiley Smile- A good title in itself, apt also (related to Smile but not Smile), still since Smile eventually did surface in some form I now wish it had been called something else altogether to avoid confusing anyone. 
20/20- poor title. A bunch of digits and a symbol is not eyecatching or memorable and is too much like a catalogue number. Also, it tells you nothing about the music and it wasn't really their twentieth album anyway (compilations don't count).
Sunflower- title a bit boring and wimpy.
Surf's up- I mention this one anyway despite it being a song title- very misleading title for those casual record store browsers who still associate The Beach Boys with surfin'.
Carl and the Passions-So Tough - The most confusing title(s) of all. It doesn't help that it comes with the most confusing of albums. Why two titles? Or is it one title and two band names? Still, "So tough", with its multiple meanings, is a great album title. As Saint Etienne spotted.
Holland- fair enough.
15 big ones- Sounds like it's going to be cheesy and sounds like a hits compilation. 50% misleading, then.
Love you- apt but offputting. When you've heard the album the title makes sense, but suppose you don't buy the album in the first place because you think it's going to be all hippie/TM rubbish?
M.I.U. - neutral, possibly mysterious in a good way, if you don't know what it stands for. Offputting if you do.
L.A. terrible terrible title. 1) second "initials" title in a row. 2) fourth (arguably fifth) unimaginative title in a row. 3) all Beach Boys albums are light albums, at least since the late '60s. 4) Calling your album "Light album" at this point says, "you thought the last album was easy-listening? Wait till you hear this one!" 5) Oh yeah, it's a feeble pun.
The Beach Boys ('85) - not really a title, is it? Were they trying to convince kids in the 80s they were a new band?

Summary: I love the Beach Boys but some of their album titles could have been better.

Shut Down Vol. 2--Totally agree, especially since the song "Shut Down, Part II" (wait a minute, 'Part II'?  Why the inconsistency at a time when their albums were named after a song from it?) was an instrumental filler.  Just a bad idea all around.

Today!--Well it's not quite so boring when you consider that the actual title is THE BEACH BOYS TODAY!, letting you know that these guys are current and hip!  It's the cover design that's really lacking in creativity (what's up with the green letterbox??)

Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!)--Great title, and just a little suggestive for it's time!  Great cover photo, too.  This one, along with SURFIN' SAFARI, shows the group in their natural setting, inviting the record buyer to come on out for some summer fun!  Btw, if you'll allow me to be a bit nit-picky, it's TWO exclamation points.  Just sayin'!!

Party!--Again, it's officially BEACH BOYS PARTY!  Pretty much says it.

Pet Sounds--Good title, silly cover....IMO, of course.  Yes folks, it's a pun....I get it.  I'm sorry, but I think the greatest and most adventurous album in the world (released, that is) should have had something a little more artsy on the cover.  Something like the FRIENDS cover would have been perfect.

Smile--Perfect!  End of story!

Smiley Smile--Cool cover, dippy title, again IMO.  I just can't take that title seriously.  Was that an actual phrase people used back then?  I was only 2, so I wouldn't know.  Sock it to me, I remember thanks to Laugh-In.

20/20--I don't really see anything wrong with this title.  Would TWENTY/TWENTY have been more effective.  Ok, maybe not.  As I recently stated in another thread, it's the cover design I find rather lame.

Sunflower--Ok for an album title, but here again the cover design is a bit sad.  All that white framing....BORE-ing!!!

Surfs Up--Yes, totally agree, very misleading.  It appears that the title was a cash-in for the wonderful Smile treasure by the same name.  And to further confuse things, there was a Beach Boys budget comp titled SURFS UP.  It had actual surfing songs on it.

Carl & the Passions-So Tough--Yeah, I don't get this one either.  When you have a fictitious group name as the album title....well, it's so SGT. PEPPERISH.  Meh!  In other words, just because the Beatles got away with it, doesn't mean it would work for anyone else, even the greatest American rock group ever!  And I never understood the SO TOUGH part.  Is that the fictitious album title of the fictitious group?  Uh oh, I think I'm having a dream within a dream.....

Well that's as far as I'm gonna go.  I noticed you didn't mention WILD HONEY or FRIENDS.  As far as I am concerned, those are my two favorite titles AND covers.  Hopefully you didn't include those for the same reasons?  

Oh, I just saw your opening statement regarding song titles as album titles.  Well, my above statement still stands!

[Mikie]

See, I picked up the Carl & The Passions album along with Pet Sounds in a 2 album set in the U.S. in 1973. This was my second Beach Boys album after Gretest Hits Vol. 1. So you can imagine how confusing it was to see a 1966 album with some Top 40 hits on it packaged with an album of new material with no Top 40 hits and a different band line-up with much different faces and much different music. Whaaaaaat??? Couple years later I found out who Carl & The Passions was and the light bulb went on.

But the real confusing album title was Shut Down Vol. II.  I remember when I bought that album and wondering where Shut Down Vol. I by The Beach Boys was. You usually see this kind of title as an example of back to back greatest hits albums. I actually LOOKED for it in used record shops for awhile until I found out it was other artists and instrumentals mixed with older Beach Boys car songs. Again, whaaaaaat? And even an instrumental album cut with the same title in the album? WTF??? It's like, WHY?  Of all the things to name an album. Yeah, there were also a few car songs in Vol. II, but why name it as a 'sequel" to an album released a year previously with car songs exclusively? Plus, in 1964, Brian was starting to move on with new non-surf/car subject matter. I never saw the reasoning behind that album title. It's a title some goofball at the Tower probably came up with - Karl Engemann or Alan Livingston or Dave Dexter. Couldn't have been Murry.....

And then the Capitol butchered re-issues in the 70's with different album titles than All Summer Long, Shut Down II, Today, and Summer Days  with some cuts removed along with different album covers. THAT was a little annoying......and the Pickwick album titles.....

[Please delete my account]

Surf's up- I mention this one anyway despite it being a song title- very misleading title for those casual record store browsers who still associate The Beach Boys with surfin'.

I think that was intentional.  It was meant to be sort of ironic.

Yes, I get it, I just think the irony could be lost on the uninitiated....

Today!--Well it's not quite so boring when you consider that the actual title is THE BEACH BOYS TODAY!, letting you know that these guys are current and hip!  It's the cover design that's really lacking in creativity (what's up with the green letterbox??)

Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!)--Great title, and just a little suggestive for it's time!  Great cover photo, too.  This one, along with SURFIN' SAFARI, shows the group in their natural setting, inviting the record buyer to come on out for some summer fun!  Btw, if you'll allow me to be a bit nit-picky, it's TWO exclamation points.  Just sayin'!!

Completely agreed on both cases. Sorry I missed the exclamation mark.

I was actually going to write something like, "I used think 'The Beach Boys Today!' was a boring title till I realised it was actually the cover design I didn't like", but was trying not to make my post too long.

Yes, "Wild Honey" and "Friends" are great titles.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Beach Boys' Concert and Beach Boys' Party were a little misleading weren't they, considering how much of them was "staged" in the studio. Friends is the most deceiving, considering how the group got along in 1967 and 1968. Surf's Up is the most confusing, not only because of the double meaning of "Surf's Up" which is STILL confusing today, but because there were other better, possible titles like Long Promised Road or Landlocked floating around.

MIU and L.A. (Light Album)? How could a group as huge as The Beach Boys come up with something so bad. Why advertise to your waiting fans that you just recorded and released a "light" album". Geez....

[Chocolate Shake Man]

Pet Sounds--Good title, silly cover....IMO, of course.  Yes folks, it's a pun....I get it.  I'm sorry, but I think the greatest and most adventurous album in the world (released, that is) should have had something a little more artsy on the cover.  Something like the FRIENDS cover would have been perfect.

I see this argument a lot and I understand it but I'm just curious -- what do you think is the most artsy rock and roll album cover before May 1966?

[Cabinessenceking]

SIP had the best cover there ever was

[William Bowe]

Has a "best BBs album cover" poll ever been done here?

[sockittome]

Pet Sounds--Good title, silly cover....IMO, of course.  Yes folks, it's a pun....I get it.  I'm sorry, but I think the greatest and most adventurous album in the world (released, that is) should have had something a little more artsy on the cover.  Something like the FRIENDS cover would have been perfect.

I see this argument a lot and I understand it but I'm just curious -- what do you think is the most artsy rock and roll album cover before May 1966?

Good question, really.  Artsy can mean a lot of things, not just an abstract painting, or whatever.  Look at the cover photo of the Beatles' RUBBER SOUL.  It's just four guys looking at the camera.  But it's the camera angle and lens that creates an interesting effect, making it unique.  That, to me, reflects the vibe of the music on that particular album.  

So my point is that there are so many other ways they could have done the cover to PET SOUNDS that would cause people to take notice and know at first glance that this is something to take very seriously.  I am reminded of Rush's MOVING PICTURES....(oh, I get it!  They're actually moving those pictures!  Hah!)  

[harrisonjon]

I think the exclamation marks were a bad idea in Party! and Today! although I can see how someone flicking through a stack of LPs might be drawn by the punctuation.

[NHC]

"Surfs Up--Yes, totally agree, very misleading.  It appears that the title was a cash-in for the wonderful Smile treasure by the same name.  And to further confuse things, there was a Beach Boys budget comp titled SURFS UP.  It had actual surfing songs on it."

Van Dyke Parks supposedly (reportedly?) said something to the effect  that if they "named that album Surf's Up it would sell a million copies".

[joshferrell]

When I first saw "Shut Down vol 2" I went looking for volume 1 and lo and behold it didn't exist,when I first saw "15 big ones" I thought it was a greatest hits album until I looked at the song line up..

[rogerlancelot]

Has a "best BBs album cover" poll ever been done here?

BBs Best Album Cover (my picks):
01) The Smile Sessions (3D Box)
02) Surf's Up
03) Summer In Paradise (UK Version)
04) Smiley Smile
05) Friends
06) LA
07) Holland
08) Pet Sounds
09) In Concert
10) Wild Honey

[sockittome]

Has a "best BBs album cover" poll ever been done here?

BBs Best Album Cover (my picks):
01) The Smile Sessions (3D Box)
02) Surf's Up
03) Summer In Paradise (UK Version)
04) Smiley Smile
05) Friends
06) LA
07) Holland
08) Pet Sounds
09) In Concert
10) Wild Honey

Here's mine:
1). Friends
2). Wild Honey
3). TSS
4). Surfs Up
5). All Summer Long
6). Summer Days and......
7). Surfin' USA
. Smiley Smile
9). Surfin' Safari
10). Holland

[PongHit]

it's the camera angle and lens that creates an interesting effect, making it unique.

"The 'stretched' effect of the cover photo came about after photographer Bob Freeman had taken some pictures of the group at Lennon's house. Freeman showed the photos by projecting them onto an album-sized piece of cardboard to simulate how they would appear on an album cover. The unusual Rubber Soul album cover came to be when the slide card fell slightly backwards, elongating the projected image of the photograph and stretching it. Excited by the effect, they shouted, 'Ah! Can we have that? Can you do it like that?' Freeman said he could."

[Cabinessenceking]

someone really regards the Summer In Paradise (UK/USA) cover as good? jeez, i didnt think anyone would...

[rogerlancelot]

someone really regards the Summer In Paradise (UK/USA) cover as good? jeez, i didnt think anyone would...

It's much prettier on the eyes than 15 Big Ones.

[metal flake paint]

My vote goes to Bug In

[William Bowe]

I've only been able to come up with seven covers I actually like. I dare say I'm the only person who'll be including C&TP, which is fatally flawed in its failure to accurately represent the music, but I nonetheless think it's a striking design that would have stood a more "nostalgic" album in very good stead.

1. Smile
2. Holland
3. Wild Honey
4. Surf's Up
5. Smiley Smile
6. Friends
7. Carl & The Passions - So Tough

As far as I'm concerned, anything pre-Smile is just hack work by an art department that clearly had nothing invested in the band emotionally. I've got nothing against the covers of 20/20 or Sunflower, but neither is terribly imaginative. There would be a case to be made for including Endless Summer, but I don't find the image all that attractive personally. MIU and BB85 are inoffensive, but a really good cover has to make a statement about the music, and in neither case does the music allow for a statement worth making. The other later covers are bad to disastrous, the worst offender being KTSA.

As for solo albums, an honourable mention goes to the very elegant design for BW88. TLOS is the best of the later BW solo albums. I find the cover of POB a bit boring, I'm afraid - I wish they'd gone for the shot of the title scrawled in beach sand which you see on the foldout for the reissue.

[juggler]

Shut Down, Volume 2 is probably their worst album title.

However, it's my not-so-secret hope that their final album, whenever it comes, is entitled "Shut Down, Vol. 3: Permanently Shut Down." 

[Ron]

I'll just try to remember what I thought when I first saw the album titles.  I'll use the first list since I can't remember all of them off the top of my head.  It's late.

Most interesting is the "So Tough" album... when I first saw that, I thought "So Tough" was a comment on the album's content.  I always thought that was slang for kind of meaning that it was bad-ass.  So if you say an album's "So Tough" you're saying that it's hard, bad-ass rock & roll.  I thought the Carl & The Passions title meant that it was a Carl Wilson solo project, with a few beach boys apperances... kind of like Ringo Starr's first album or something. 

"Shut Down Vol. 2"  The first time I saw this was when I was in that weird phase we all go through when we don't know which songs were Beach Boys songs and which songs were Jan & Dean songs.  So I thought it was a compilation album where they took all the car songs of the Beach Boys, and this was the second compilation of all the car songs of the beach boys.  I had no idea there wasn't a Vol. 1. 


Summer Days (and Summer Nights!) is a fantastic album title.  Many of their albums I see as an extension of their name, like "The Beach Boys Party" and "The Beach Boys Love You".  Both great album titles.  "The Beach Boys Smile".  I know that's not the real name of the album... but hell that's the way it's written, isn't it?  I love it. 

"Smiley Smile" I thought this was the Smile album the first time I saw it.  I mean obviously it is, why would there be two albums named "Smile"? 

"20/20" is a horrible album title.  To this day I have no idea what it means, or why they would choose something so stupid.  I guess it references 'perfect vision'.  Ridiculous. 

"L.A." I have no idea what this means either.  I still don't.  I always think of the Eagle's Hotel California album when I see it.  Is the font the same or something?  Confusing

"M.I.U." I always think of "Missing in Action"... except there's a fucking U there.  It makes no sense, what the hell does it mean? 

"Holland" - I'm your average dumb American, when I think of Holland I think of little wooden shoes.  So that's what I thought of the first time I saw this album.

"Surf's Up" but yet the album cover is really dreary.  It looks like an old decrepit man about to fall off his horse and die.  Very depressing looking.

"Endless Summer" - Awesome album title, even the cover art was great.  I didn't know this was a compilation, I thought it was a cool Beach Boys album where they were going to sing 20 songs about summer.  I wanted to buy it immediately, lol.


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