The Boys of Summer

After the soggy 4th, the sun returns, so this is the official start of summer, and of course, the Beach Boys are the forever reigning Kings of Summer. So you've got a Greatest Hits collection or two, but I wanted to point out a few Beach Boys albums you really must own, if you don't already. Note: these are best to pick up in the two-fer mode, 2 LPs and bonus tracks on 1 CD. As great as these albums are, not all the tracks are keepers, so having almost 30 songs to pick from increases the value of each CD.


First up, "The Beach Boys Today!/Summer Days (and Summer Nights!). Brian Wilson's ballad writing took a great leap forward on "Today", and the (formerly) Side Two run of "Please Let Me Wonder", "I'm So Young", "Kiss Me Baby" and "She Knows Me Too Well" is as perfect as moonlight on the beach. Throw in the "Summer Days" gems "Girl Don't Tell Me", "Help Me, Rhonda", "Let Him Run Wild", "You're So Good to Me" and "California Girls", and you've got summer on a platter.


Everyone knows that drugs didn't do Brian Wilson any favors, but he still managed to write some great songs during this period. "Smile" was The Most Famous Album That Never Was, Brian's attempt to top the Beatles after "Sgt. Peppers". It never came out in its original form, but shards surfaced over the years, and "Smiley Smile" was the first release after what was to be "Smile" was cancelled -- some "Smile" tracks, some weirdness; as one of the Beach Boys said, instead of a home run, it was a bunt. Still, you need to hear "With Me Tonight", "Wonderful", "Let the Wind Blow", and especially "Country Air" and "Little Pad". Dylan and the Band got the credit for the whole rustic, return-to-the-roots tone of the era, but these 2 albums are infused with the joy of nature.



"Friends" is probably my single favorite Beach Boys album. I love its homespun charms, its handcrafted feel. Not too much in the way of classic harmonies, but some of the best songs of their post-"Good Vibrations" career. A classic example is "I Went to Sleep", in which Brian portrays a sunny day at the park, sprinklers, birds -- and time for a nap. It has the sweetest melody, and the fact that he could write a song about the joys of snoozing outside -- this is a really left-field comparison, but it reminds me of some of Syd Barrett's gems. Childlike, concise, innocent -- these qualities both Brian and Syd share. Maybe they were too open to the world and drugs cocooned (and eventually shattered) them, but at their best, they were brilliant.