4) I needed a post-'60s album to recommend and I am going with Surf’s Up with apologies to Sunflower. I think Surf’s Up took a few more chances as the Beach Boys were trying to change and adapt to a very different world.
5) Here’s my last suggestion for meeting the Beach Boys as they were meant to be. Go down into the basement or to a garage sale and obtain a record player that plays 45rpm records. Now comes the fun part. Find some Beach Boys 45s and play them on the record player. This was how the music of the Beach Boys originally became popular. Their early single releases were two to three minutes of listening bliss. You have not truly experienced the Beach Boys until you have listened to the original 45s.
I leave the music of the Beach Boys in your hands. They are good company on a cloudy day. Surf’s up.
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.