1962 through to 1966 : Surf guitars, four or five part complex vocal harmonies. Striped shirts, clean cut image and 'square' haircuts. Dennis is the heart-throb of the group.
1966 through to 1973 : A rockier edge to the sound, mixed with symphonic or art pop. Casual clothes, longer hair, a balding and bearded Mike Love in particular a rather unfortunate visual focal point.
1973 through to 1985 : A lack of direction and cohesion but still able to pull off the odd triumph here and there. Youthful looks disappearing, a middle-aged Beach Boys had a hard time, image-wise.
A Common Misconception
The surf and summer fun image of The Beach Boys was actually something they only really pursued for the first four years or so of their recording career. The albums 1966 through to 1973 concentrated on a wide range of themes lyrically and the music changed to suit. If you've heard 'California Girls' from the early era, that doesn't mean you know what to expect from a Beach Boys album from their artistic peak that ran from 1966 through to 1973. After 1973, we're talking a different thing again, a few throwbacks to their earlier era, but as far as studio recordings are concerned, they never again went back to that surf and summer fun style over the course of a full album.
How To Buy
A great bonus when considering how to begin your Beach Boys collection is the discovery that nearly all of their albums are available as double-sets. So, if you go and buy 'All Summer Long' tomorrow, you'll discover it paired with 'Little Deuce Coupe' on the same CD. 'Sunflower' is paired with 'Surfs Up', and it's these two CDs I suggest you go for first, over and above the more famous and celebrated 'Pet Sounds'. There's always a danger starting with a groups most acclaimed and famous work, especially in the case of The Beach Boys where the average music fan probably couldn't even name an LP of theirs other than 'Pet Sounds'. Get 'Pet Sounds' of course, it is their masterpiece work, but getting it first could result in overly high expectations and an 'impress me' attitude on the part of the listener that may prevent full appreciation.
'All Summer Long' encapsulates the early surf, cars and girls Beach Boys era beautifully, and of their early works, is probably the more consistent and strong. Classics such as 'I Get Around' are mixed in with lesser known, but often equally as great album cuts such as the title track, 'Wendy' and 'Little Honda'. 'Pet Sounds' is the one Beach Boys album on an equal footing with the classic Beatles, Stones etc - as far as the average music critic is concerned. Often voted the greatest album of all time in magazine readers polls, 'Pet Sounds' has adult lyrical themes embracing love and relationships and troubled states of mind. The music is richly orchestrated and the vocal harmonies and arrangements and songs amongst the groups best ever work.
Come 1970, the Beach Boys creative leader Brian Wilson had been stepping back from the lime-light. The groups 1968 'Friends' LP had been the first to showcase other group members compositions and by the time of 'Sunflower' Dennis Wilson in particular was producing classic songs to stand alongside Brian's contributions. Many of the songs on 'Sunflower' are co-compositions and every group member gets a writing credit somewhere. 'Sunflower' is the sound of The Beach Boys at their most democratic and cohesive as a unit and arrived into the market place long after The Beach Boys had enjoyed hit singles and big selling albums but remains a very strong work that easily stands the test of time. Let's put it this way, their 1965 'Party' LP was a novelty item recorded live in the studio featuring covers and laughter, a true throwaway, quickly recorded item that sold by the bucketload. 'Sunflower' struggled to even make the Billboard top 100, but now is acclaimed as one of the groups finest works. In England, 'Sunflower' was/is sometimes even preferred over the more usual choice of 'Pet Sounds' as the groups greatest work.
Download The Beach Boys
A selection of Beach Boys songs to download from the web, also forming a nifty 62 minute CD compilation.
1) Soulful Old Man Sunshine
2) Kiss Me Baby
3) Meant For You
4) Wake The World
5) Do It Again
6) Cabinessence
7) Getcha Back
8) I Get Around
9) Baby Blue
10) Wouldn't It Be Nice
11) God Only Knows
12) Sloop John B
13) I Just Wasn't Made For These Times
14) Heroes And Villians
15) Little Pad
16) Good Vibrations
17) With Me Tonight
18) This Whole World
19) Forever
20) Cool Cool Water
21) Surfs Up
22) In My Room
23) Don't Worry Baby
24) Salt Lake City
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