And so, gentle readers, my Beach Boys retrospective comes to and end with chapter 34. I have reviewed all the Beach Boys' studio albums in order plus a few others along the way. I am sure that there will be further chapters concerning the Beach Boys and it is my hope they well be positive. Maybe there will be a reunion album or concert. Hopefully it will not surround a death or more lawsuits.
The Beach Boys remain one of the most beloved groups in American rock and roll history. Many of their songs are now part of the American consciousness.
Recently my grandson had a kindergarten project to find a song to sing along to while performing an accompanying skit. He chose "Surfin' USA." Talk about a chip off the old block.
So what are my five suggestions for essential Beach Boys listening?
1) If you would just like to sample the Beach Boys I would suggest the Endless Summer album. It covers many of their early surf hits and can be found cheaply on Amazon. If you want to dig a little deeper there is always the 1993 box set Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys. Right now the easy way out is to just pick up a copy of their 2007 compilation album The Warmth Of The Sun which is still in print and is very good.
2) All Beach Boys collections and sounds run through Pet Sounds. The textures and creativeness of Pet Sounds remain cutting edge over 40 years after its release. Play this album with your headphones firmly in place. It is essential listening.
3) My third recommendation is All Summer Long. I mentioned in my review that it is the Beach Boys album I have played the most times. It is just a joyful album of eternal summer. When I listen to All Summer Long I am 15 years old again and life is simple and I am sure that summer will last forever.
Article comments
1 - Curt
I enjoyed the reviews but wish you would have reviewed the best of their four or so live albums, The Beach Boys In Concert.
2 - Jesse Jackson
In the summer of 1977 I had just graduated High School and was walking through the mall in Lake Charles Louisiana. I happend to see an 8Track Tape of Endless Summer in the Music Department at Montgomery Wards. I picked it up and put it into my tape player (I had a 1972 Pontiac Ventura). I was blown away. I've had several great first musical moments, hearing Sara Hickman live in a small bar in Dallas, seeing Bruce Springsteen in concert the first time, seeing Brian Wilson perform Pet Sounds live, watching Linda Ronstant and the Neville Brothers perform together but no musical moment will ever beat my first experiance hearing of hearing Endless Summer. thanks for the reviews, they have brought back many happy memories.
3 - JC Mosquito
A nice series, done with lots of love for one of America's great pop music institutions. Thanx for your insights and reminders.