Sounds Of Summer: The Very Best Of The Beach Boys

[Shady]

Love the album,

But so many great songs left of,

Warmth of the sun, please let me wonder, All Summer Long for example

[Alex]

Sounds of Summer is what got me back into the Beach Boys for the first time since I was a little kid when my mom used to play Endless Summer (on vinyl-we  either didn't care about cds or were too poor to afford a cd player at the time) over and over again. Sounds of Summer achieved its purpose, but now that I own almost every BB album, I have to admit that Sounds of Summer is severely lacking. A true best of the BBs compilation should take up at least 6 or 7 cds, granted that material is pulled from every single album they released and that both singles and standout album tracks are included.

[lance]

Ha! Knock it if you will, this is the one that got me curious after I bought it on a whim, thinking there'd be a song or two on there I would be able to play to classes.
My five-year-old got so into I Get Around, he played it over and over  and over again. After about a week, I realized I wasn't as sick of it as I should have been. I poked around youtube looking for other songs...found some "smile" stuff...Three months later....here I am.

[Puggal]

I find this record hard to enjoy. The great early hits are intermixed far too liberally with the later day duds, like Rock and Roll Music (which certainly wasn't a #5 hit because of its musical merit). But at at least this collection saves me from having to buy, say, Surfin' Safari. 

3 stars.

[lance]

Surfin' Safari is underrated, in my opinion. I love the innocence and humor of it. I think it was really soemthign new in 1962, too.

[Rocky Raccoon]

While there's no doubt that it's a good collection of songs, the track order is so all over the place that it doesn't really work as a cohesive album in my opinion.  I think Endless Summer or Classics Selected by Brian Wilson are better starting points for a casual fan looking for a good compilation.

I also think it should have been a 2-disc collection as there are some ridiculously glaring omissions (Warmth of the Sun, All Summer Long, Sail On Sailor, Surf's Up, I Just Wasn't Made for These Times...).  Yeah, those songs ended up on the "sequel" album, The Warmth of the Sun, but that album suffered from the same problems as its predecessor, with an equally baffling track order and still leaving out some great tracks.  For example, while Why Do Fools Fall in Love, Then I Kissed Her, and California Dreamin' are nice covers, it's ridiculous to include them while classic Brian Wilson tracks like Wonderful, I Just Wasn't Made for These Times, and Don't Back Down are completely ignored.

In my opinion, the Beach Boys are long overdue for a good, comprehensive two or three disc compilation.  The Platinum Collection import almost got it right with a good concept but failed by once again leaving out great tracks and including songs like Wipe Out, Student Demonstration Time, Sumahama, the Status Quo remix of Fun Fun Fun, and that stupid Beach Boys medley.  I understand it was a big hit but when all of the songs from the medley are on the disc, the medley itself is beyond unnecessary (and it was unnecessary to begin with).

I give Sounds of Summer, Warmth of the Sun, and the Platinum Collection each two and a half out of five stars and no more than that because of their inability to properly compile a compilation worthy of the Beach Boys name.

[lance]

The Platinum collection is also way, way, way too loud. It's like twice as loud as the sounds of summer which is pretty loud itself.

[Ziggy Stardust]

I don't see how it gets so many 5 stars, tracklist is quite terrible at some point... the Platinum version even has Wipe Out and Here Comes The Night (disco).

[Gabo]

4 stars. Lots of great songs, but some latter day duds.

[Disney Boy (1985)]

While there's no doubt that it's a good collection of songs, the track order is so all over the place that it doesn't really work as a cohesive album in my opinion.  I think Endless Summer or Classics Selected by Brian Wilson are better starting points for a casual fan looking for a good compilation.

I also think it should have been a 2-disc collection as there are some ridiculously glaring omissions (Warmth of the Sun, All Summer Long, Sail On Sailor, Surf's Up, I Just Wasn't Made for These Times...).  Yeah, those songs ended up on the "sequel" album, The Warmth of the Sun, but that album suffered from the same problems as its predecessor, with an equally baffling track order and still leaving out some great tracks.  For example, while Why Do Fools Fall in Love, Then I Kissed Her, and California Dreamin' are nice covers, it's ridiculous to include them while classic Brian Wilson tracks like Wonderful, I Just Wasn't Made for These Times, and Don't Back Down are completely ignored.

In my opinion, the Beach Boys are long overdue for a good, comprehensive two or three disc compilation.  The Platinum Collection import almost got it right with a good concept but failed by once again leaving out great tracks and including songs like Wipe Out, Student Demonstration Time, Sumahama, the Status Quo remix of Fun Fun Fun, and that stupid Beach Boys medley.  I understand it was a big hit but when all of the songs from the medley are on the disc, the medley itself is beyond unnecessary (and it was unnecessary to begin with).

I give Sounds of Summer, Warmth of the Sun, and the Platinum Collection each two and a half out of five stars and no more than that because of their inability to properly compile a compilation worthy of the Beach Boys name.

Well said. Hmm, Student Demonstration Time and Sumahara... Wonder who insisted they were included? And yet just one song apiece from Carl and Dennis. Ridiculous!

[bluesno1fann]

A slight improvement over the usual generic BB's compilation.
Still, I wouldn't call it the best compilation. You'd much rather get something like The Platinum Collection or 50 Big Ones.
3 out of 5.

[Mr. Wilson]

5/5  One stop shopping indeed.. Excellent sound , generic cover is lame tho.. Great to give as a present and it was on the charts for years so its a testament  to the greatness to the music.. Couple this with  Brother years cd and leave em in the car player + when some IDIOT  pulls up with loud rap music turn these on and grin   

[KDS]

5/5. 

Back in 2006, when I started to appreciate the music of The Beach Boys, I bought a copy of this on Amazon. 

Upon first listen, I forgot how great some of the songs were. 

This, coupled with Warmth of the Sun make a great compilation and introduction to one of the greatest groups in history. 

[You Kane, You Commanded, You Conquered]

The mastering on this and WOTS is just awful, which is a shame as together they make what is probably the best BB's greatest hits album out of the hundreds available.