Re-appreciation of the Little Deuce Coupe LP

[donald]

I  have gone years without listening tp this album in it's entirety.  What a pleasant re discovery.  I had thought at some point of this album being a lot of filler and multiple use of excuses to do more car songs.  Not filler.  Maybe a lot of car songs.  But a prime example of classic BB sound and BW and the band at its sonic best.  All good.  It's on the twofer with All Summer Long and I think it outshines that album.  These songs stand and are rock solid and stand the test of time as well as later non surf/car songs.  I think seeing the Scott, Mike and Bruce band doing Ballad of old Betsy do this last year stuck in my brain.   After too many years of over listening to PS, 20/20/ Smile, and Holland, it is a treat to go back and really appreciate this great, maybe best, early album.  Thanks for reading.  I just had to share this with someone who would understand and appreciate.
Here's to perpetual rediscovery of the Beach Boys!

[Jason]

In recent memory, Little Deuce Coupe found its way into my playlists. It is better than what I remembered it being. It's probably the best example of their rock 'n roll sound mixed with the harmonies.

[DSamore]

For sure. This album is leagues above many of the earlier ones. Solid BW tracks the whole way.

[Nicko]

I partly agree and partly disagree.

I think the album is full of quite good songs and hangs together better than a lot of other early albums. But it does have 4 old songs on it...

Shut Down Volume 2 and All Summer Long have songs which better anything on LDC imo but also have terrible filler. But if they had 4 old songs on them then they would probably seem superior to LDC.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

The album never did much for me. It's actually my least favorite of the early albums. I don't know why, but it just sounds like "product" to me, with nothing really catching my ear. "All Summer Long", though, to me is near-perfection.

[Mr. Cohen]

I love it. It shows Brian mastering the original BB sound, which he would later start to tweak with All Summer Long, incorporating the sounds of the Wrecking Crew more. The harmonies would never sound so carefree again, with wonderful harmonies all over the place on songs like "No-Go Showboat".

[oldsurferdude]

Cherry Cherry Coupe has  an interesting vibe to it but  Car Crazie Cutie is the gem of the set-Listen to it turned up while you're drivin-then throw on Shut Down 2 from the album-seems to add a few horses to the 'stang.

[tomstuart]

Yeah it's easy to dismiss LDC what with so many of the tracks having been released previously - but some of the new material on it is great! No-Go Showboat and Custom Machine have got amazing harmonies and chord changes, Spirit of America features such a beautiful vocal from Brian (it could almost be a little worrying really, I mean a guy feels THIS passionately about his car!), and Cherry Cherry Coupe is insanely catchy. And I prefer the version of Be True to Your School on here to the single version - no cheesy cheerleader-like backing singing.

HOWEVER, I'd say that Shut Down Vol 2 is even more overlooked. Ok, so it's got an awful album title and one or two terrible filler tracks, but its also got:
Dont Worry Baby and The Warmth of the Sun - arguably brian's two greatest early ballads.
Fun fun fun - even with the way-too-soon fade, it's still great!
Why Do Fools... - along with I can Hear Music, one of there greatest ever cover versions.
In The Parkin' Lot and Pom Pom Play Girl - both feature fantastic chord changes and really nice lyrics by Mike.
Shut Down Vol 2 - fantastic, very catchy little instrumental, an early sign of Carl's great talent.
Keep an Eye on Summer - not on a par with the other ballads on the album, but still great. David Leaf's faint praise on the sleevenotes is totally misguided, it's a fantastic tune.

Hell, I even like This Car of Mine!

[Alex]

Step on the gas it goes... WAH WAH WAH WAH!! You can look but don't touch my custom machine!!!

Everything is chrome, man...even my jack!!

[donald]

Yeah it's easy to dismiss LDC what with so many of the tracks having been released previously - but some of the new material on it is great! No-Go Showboat and Custom Machine have got amazing harmonies and chord changes, Spirit of America features such a beautiful vocal from Brian (it could almost be a little worrying really, I mean a guy feels THIS passionately about his car!), and Cherry Cherry Coupe is insanely catchy. And I prefer the version of Be True to Your School on here to the single version - no cheesy cheerleader-like backing singing.

HOWEVER, I'd say that Shut Down Vol 2 is even more overlooked. Ok, so it's got an awful album title and one or two terrible filler tracks, but its also got:
Dont Worry Baby and The Warmth of the Sun - arguably brian's two greatest early ballads.
Fun fun fun - even with the way-too-soon fade, it's still great!
Why Do Fools... - along with I can Hear Music, one of there greatest ever cover versions.
In The Parkin' Lot and Pom Pom Play Girl - both feature fantastic chord changes and really nice lyrics by Mike.
Shut Down Vol 2 - fantastic, very catchy little instrumental, an early sign of Carl's great talent.
Keep an Eye on Summer - not on a par with the other ballads on the album, but still great. David Leaf's faint praise on the sleevenotes is totally misguided, it's a fantastic tune.

Hell, I even like This Car of Mine!

I've never dismissed SD VII.  WOTS is worth the price of admission all by its self..  Just sayin a recent thorough listening to the whole LDC lp led me to a new and elevated appreciation of an album I had previously dismissed as filler between some car song hits.  A sonic marvel for fans like myself who may have not listened to it as a whole piece for a long time.  Too easy to get lost in what came after...ya know?

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Love this album. Play it all the time. Love all of the cuts. Betsy and Custom Machine my faves.

Shut Down II is a monster too. This Car of Mine is da bomb. All those early albums are just terrific. They cure what ails you.

[donald]

As Bruce said, Mike got it right down to the ground  (wirh a little help from BW       )   That stuff stands and is solid...like the Beatles best early stuff.  Before hard drugs and insanity and the psychedelic phase shift hit both bands.   Give me "Things We Said Today" and "Warmth of the Sun".  I feel young and untainted when I listen to this era.

[Sheriff John Stone]

 Give me "Things We Said Today" and "Warmth of the Sun".  I feel young and untainted when I listen to this era.

Kind of related....Lately, VH1 Classic has been showing a lot of Paul McCartney - Good Evening New York City, Live At The Roundhouse, In Red Square, and a recent interview with some DJ (Zane?).

IMO Paul still sounds great, still witty, still a great musician. But, he's also starting to show his age a bit. Well, last night, VH1 Classic showed A Hard Day's Night, and, as I watched Paul, it was the first time it seemed like "another time". I guess it was. Paul seemed, I don't know, like another guy. OK, continue...

[lance]

I think this album obviously suffers in estimation because of the four(or is it five--too lazy to count) previously released tracks. If you approached it without that knowledge, it probably is there best  pre-All Summer Long album.