| 1. Radio Edit |
| 2. Jessy Remix |
| 3. Heaven - The Candleflip Bootleg Mix Dj Sammy & Yanou Feat. Do) Including Cd - Rom Video |
Boys of Summer,DJ Sammy,Ministry of Sound/Data,Dance
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Sounds Of Summer - The Very Best Of The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000093BDX Release Date: 2003-06-10 |
Tracks:
- California Girls
- I Get Around
- Surfin Safari
- Surfin U.S.A.
- Fun, Fun, Fun
- Surfer Girl
- Dont Worry Baby
- Little Deuce Coupe
- Shut Down
- Help Me, Rhonda
- Be True To Your School
- When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)
- In My Room
- God Only Knows
- Sloop John B
- Wouldnt It Be Nice
- Getcha Back
- Come Go With Me
- Rock And Roll Music
- Dance, Dance, Dance
- Barbara Ann
- Do You Wanna Dance?
- Heroes And Villains
- Good Timin
- Kokomo
- Do It Again
- Wild Honey
- Darlin
- I Can Hear Music
- Good Vibrations
Amazon.com
The cynic may question just how many Beach Boys greatest hits albums are enough. Everyone else, however, will appreciate what makes Sounds of Summer unique. This is the first single-disc collection to feature such a large cross section of hits from the group's entire career, spanning 1962's "Surfin' Safari" through 1988's "Kokomo." All 30 tracks, spanning several label changes, were Billboard Top 40 hits and are probably now as identifiable as the national anthem to anyone with radio or TV access. The fact that the tracks aren't in chronological order helps make for a fresh listening experience, as does the crisp digital sound. And yet these songs--even those that are more than four decades old--always sound strangely fresh and will likely remain so as long as there are beaches, young people, and that symbolic season of freedom and dreams. Which is to say that the title here passes the "truth in advertising" test. Perfect for those casual fans not yet ready to spring for the individual albums, Sounds of Summer is in many ways a better representation of this legendary band's art than Elvis' 30 No. 1 Hits and The Beatles 1 were of the King and the Fab Four. --Bill HoldshipAmazon.com
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More from The Beach Boys
The Warmth of the Sun |
Pet Sounds |
20 Good Vibrations, The Greatest Hits |
Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys |
Endless Harmony |
Endless Harmony DVD |
Customer Reviews:
The Very Best of the Beach Boys.......2007-07-27
Summer music is here --- again!.......2007-06-14
Don't Worry, Baby is a personal favorite but it's the mono version. However, listening to it on a nice set of speakers makes it sound like it's in stereo. I would have liked "Warmth of the Sun" included in this collection but hey, 30 of the best Beach Boys songs on one CD, I'm not complaining!
The perfect Beach Boys collection for casual fans.......2007-06-14
However, since this CD contains only the band's "top 40 singles", serious fans will find this collection a little less appealing since some of the Beach Boys' best music {including many good recordings after 1966} never made the top 40. Several of these songs such as "Let him run wild", "Catch a Wave", "Warmth of the Sun", and "Girls on the Beach" are not included in this otherwise excellent collection. Much of this worthy lesser-known material has just been reissued on the new highly recommended compilation "The Warmth of the Sun".
This is only a minor issue of course since "Sounds of Summer" is surely one of the most comprehensive greatest hits collections ever released by any band. ALL of the Beach Boys hit singles are here on one disc, which makes this an essential CD for every Beach Boys fan.
Must have.......2007-06-13
Great Seller.......2007-06-12
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Today/ Summer Days (and Summer Nights)
The Beach Boys Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00005A1N2 Release Date: 2001-03-13 |
Tracks:
- Do You Wanna Dance
- Good To My Baby
- Don't Hurt My Little Sister
- When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)
- Help Me, Rhonda - (LP version)
- Dance, Dance, Dance
- Please Let Me Wonder
- I'm So Young
- Kiss Me Baby
- She Knows Me Too Well
- In The Back Of My Mind
- Bull Session With "Big Daddy"
- The Girl From New York City
- Amusement Parks U.S.A
- Then I Kissed Her
- Salt Lake City
- Girl Don't Tell Me
- Help Me, Rhonda - (single version)
- California Girls
- Let Him Run Wild
- You're So Good To Me
- Summer Means New Love
- I'm Bugged At My Ol' Man
- And Your Dreams Come True
- Little Girl I Once Knew, The - (stereo track, single version)
- Dance, Dance, Dance - (stereo, bonus alternate take)
- I'm So Young - (bonus track, alternate take)
- Let Him Run Wild - (stereo, bonus track, alternate take)
- Graduation Day - (bonus track, studio version)
Amazon.com essential recording
Put simply, this is the Beach Boys at their mid-'60s prime. Ironically, the band's greatest evolutionary leap was spurred by its leader, Brian Wilson, who decided to drop out of the band's live performances after a December 1964 nervous breakdown to concentrate on honing the Beach Boys' studio sound. With Wilson's productions gaining a significant new depth and confidence (note the innovative modulations on "Dance, Dance, Dance"), the first half of Today seems a logical, upbeat step forward from its predecessors. But it's the album's second act that steals the show, setting the stage for the triumph of Pet Sounds. Indeed, it's easy to imagine gorgeous, introspective tracks such as "Please Let Me Wonder," "She Knows Me Too Well," and "In the Back of My Mind" intertwined with the best of Sounds. Set against that standard, the follow-up, Summer Days, feels like a step backward, despite the presence of another Wilson world-beater production, "California Girls," and the band's second No. 1 single, "Help Me, Rhonda." Ever pressured by commercial concerns, Wilson and the band created what was in essence the true follow-up to the All Summer Long album. Still, there's a level of musical sophistication to tracks such as "The Girl from New York City," the Phil Spector tribute "Then I Kissed Her," and especially "Girl Don't Tell Me" and "Let Him Run Wild." Reissued (with 24-bit digital remastering) in a long out-of-print twofer edition to mark the band's 40th anniversary and Lifetime Achievement Grammy, this set features several bonus tracks as well as the insightful notes of David Leaf (The Beach Boys and the California Myth). Bonus cuts include the spectacular "The Little Girl I Once Knew" and revealing outtakes of "Dance, Dance, Dance," "I'm So Young," and "Let Him Run Wild," along with a studio version of a song previously only available on the Beach Boys Concert collection, "Graduation Day." --Jerry McCulleyCustomer Reviews:
The Beach Boys at their Best.......2007-07-02
The Bridge to "Pet Sounds".......2007-03-01
Side 2 of Today is a Masterpiece and so is I'm Bugged at my Old Man.......2007-01-30
Summer Days is fun and the last blast at surf/amusement park stuff, I'm Bugged at my Old Man is worth the price of admission, you have to hear it to believe it. Also contains the great "Let Him Run Wild" that for some odd reason didn't make it onto the Box Set "Good Vibrations", so a BB fan will need this CD.
Simply the best.......2007-01-18
Two great albums :].......2007-01-16
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Endless Summer
The Beach Boys Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000002UB9 Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
- Surfin' Safari
- Surfer Girl
- Catch A Wave
- The Warmth Of The Sun
- Surfin' U.S.A.
- Be True To Your School
- Little Deuce Coup
- In My Room
- Shut Down
- Fun, Fun, Fun
- I Get Around
- The Girls On The Beach
- Wendy
- Let Him Run Wild
- Don't Worry Baby
- California Girls
- Girl Don't Tell Me
- Help Me, Rhonda
- You're So Good To Me
- All Summer Long
- Good Vibrations
Amazon.com essential recording
Brian Wilson's brilliance manifested itself in the euphoric, cheerfully square, sun-and-fun stuff heard here early on, before it got darker and more complicated. Endless Summer runs from the beginning of the Boys' pinstriped career to 1965, right before the melancholy of Pet Sounds, but also includes the inescapable "Good Vibrations." You can hear a few hints of adolescent sadness and fear--"Help Me, Rhonda" is essentially a kids' sing-along about a wrenching emotional rebound, and the shadow of death is hiding somewhere in "Don't Worry, Baby"--but Wilson is mostly concerned with the cars, waves, and girls that made up the Boys' public image, and his ingenious arrangements (coupled with the group's inimitable harmonies) make everything go down as smoothly as lemonade. --Douglas WolkAmazon.com
Brian Wilson's brilliance manifested itself in the euphoric, cheerfully square, sun-and-fun stuff heard here early on, before it got darker and more complicated. Endless Summer runs from the beginning of the Boys' pinstriped career to 1965, right before the melancholy of Pet Sounds, but also includes the inescapable "Good Vibrations." You can hear a few hints of adolescent sadness and fear--"Help Me, Rhonda" is essentially a kids' sing-along about a wrenching emotional rebound, and the shadow of death is hiding somewhere in "Don't Worry, Baby"--but Wilson is mostly concerned with the cars, waves, and girls that made up the Boys' public image, and his ingenious arrangements (coupled with the group's inimitable harmonies) make everything go down as smoothly as lemonade. --Douglas WolkCustomer Reviews:
Forget the rest. Get the best!.......2007-07-18
Classical Beach Boys........2007-07-16
Beach BoysEndless Summer.......2006-08-18
Flawed but timeless.......2006-07-26
The LP/CD release is notorious for having stereo versions of the singles, and also incorrect versions of "Be True To Your School" and "Help Me, Rhonda." The gold DCC release fixes this by substituting the actual single versions, but it still has stereo versions of some of the singles (which is not bad at all.)
If you can snag the gold CD, especially if it is a bargain, go ahead and get it, otherwise don't even bother with this disc. Get the double disc "Greastest Hits" from Razor and Tie instead.
Sidetracked.......2006-06-22
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Little Deuce Coupe/ All Summer Long
The Beach Boys Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00005A1MX Release Date: 2001-03-13 |
Tracks:
- Little Deuce Coupe - Beach Boys
- Ballad Of Ole' Betsy - Beach Boys
- Be True To Your School - Beach Boys
- Car Crazy Cutie - Beach Boys
- Cherry, Cherry Coupe - Beach Boys
- 409 - Beach Boys
- Shut Down - Beach Boys
- Spirit Of America - Beach Boys
- Our Car Club - Beach Boys
- No-Go Showboat - Beach Boys
- A Young Man Is Gone - Beach Boys
- Custom Machine - Beach Boys
- I Get Around - Beach Boys
- All Summer Long - Beach Boys
- Hushabye - Beach Boys
- Little Honda - Beach Boys
- We'll Run Away - Beach Boys
- Carl's Big Chance - Beach Boys
- Wendy - Beach Boys
- You Remember? - Beach Boys
- Girls On The Beach - Beach Boys
- Drive-In - Beach Boys
- Our Favorite Recording Se - Beach Boys
- Don't Back Down - Beach Boys
- True To Your School - Beach Boys
- All Dressed Up For School - Beach Boys
- Little Honda (Alternate Take)
- Don't Back Down (Alternate Take)
Amazon.com
Released just one month after the Surfer Girl album, Little Deuce Coupe was, incredibly, the band's fourth album in less than a year. Brian Wilson and the band responded by turning in arguably their most consistent effort to date--and a concept album, to boot. Deuce Coupe expanded the band's subject matter to encompass 1963 America's burgeoning love affair with hot rods, surrounding previously released cuts such as the title track, "409," and others with strong new material (much of it cowritten by Wilson and a DJ, Roger Christian). A highpoint: the a cappella James Dean tribute "A Young Man Is Gone" (a reworking of Bobby Troup's beautiful "Their Hearts Were Full of Spring"), a prime example of Wilson's arranging genius and the band's vocal prowess. All Summer Long was notable not only for racheting up the band's standards and essentially bidding farewell to the surf songs that inspired both their name and reputation, but also for going toe-to-toe with one of rock's most explosive phenomena--Beatlemania--and coming away victorious, with the single "I Get Around" soaring to No. 1 in the spring of 1964. Essentially another loose concept record (revolving around the innocent hedonistic pursuits of an idyllic SoCal summer) that takes its cue from the effervescent title track, it also documents Brian's restless creativity pushing the band toward its performing peak. Bonus takes include the superior single take of band staple "Be True to Your School," alternate takes of "Little Honda" and "Don't Back Down," and the slightly salacious outtake "All Dressed Up for School." Both albums have also been sonically burnished via 24-bit digital remastering. --Jerry McCulleyCustomer Reviews:
Two of their Best.......2007-07-25
A car concept album & a small masterpiece of teenage angst on 1 CD!.......2007-01-30
All Summer Long is highly recommended and Brian's first peak. These 7 songs listed here are ESSENTIAL listening.
Hushabye
Little Honda
We'll Run Away
Wendy
Girls On The Beach
Don't Back Down
All Dressed Up For School
Car songsfor cool kids .......2006-12-10
and parking spaces and gas wars, these songs rule!
I'm not braggin', babe, so don't put me down........2006-09-20
Little Deuce Coupe was the Beach Boys' fourth album. It features a bunch of their car songs. Four of the songs had been on previous Beach Boys albums. Most of the songs are very good. One of the highlights is the moving a capella tribute to James Dean, "A Young Man is Gone".
All Summer Long was the Beach Boys sixth album. It also has a "theme", of sorts, that being "fun in the summertime". It was the Beach Boys best album at that point. It features their first #1 hit, "I Get Around". Other than that, it features a number of other songs that are considered to be Beach Boys classics; including "All Summer Long", "Little Honda", "Wendy" and "Girls on the Beach". No bad songs, although "Our Favorite Recording Sessions", which features outtakes of the Beach Boys messing up, is definitely "filler".
There are four bonus tracks; including the superior single version of "Be True To Your School", the previously unreleased "All Dressed Up For School", and alternate takes of "Little Honda" and "Don't Back Down". Any Beach Boys fan should enjoy this CD.
An EXTREMO good album.......2006-01-02
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Keepin' The Summer Alive / The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00004W55N Release Date: 2000-08-15 |
Tracks:
- Keepin' The Summer Alive
- Oh Darlin'
- Some Of Your Love
- Livin' With A Heartache
- School Day (Ring! Ring! Goes The Bell)
- Goin' On
- Sunshine
- When Girls Get Together
- Santa Ana Winds
- Endless Harmony
- Getcha Back
- It's Gettin' Late
- Crack At Your Love
- Maybe I Don't Know
- She Believes In Love Again
- California Calling
- Passing Friend
- I'm So Lonely
- Where I Belong
- I Do Love You
- It's Just A Matter Of Time
- Male Ego
Amazon.com
Bruce Johnston, not Barry Manilow, wrote "I Write the Songs." And if that isn't enough irony for you, the Beach Boys thought enough of his efforts on 1979's aptly titled, if creatively underwhelming, L.A. (Light Album) that they let him produce the 1980 follow-up, Keepin' the Summer Alive. The resulting effort may have down-graded the band's sorry condition from grave to critical, but it was also a testament to how far the Beach Boys had coasted on their fleeting reputation alone. Johnston wisely brings the band's trademark harmonies to the fore, but in the service of some typically (for the period) lackluster songwriting. Tellingly, though Brian Wilson was ostensibly involved, even the presence of B.T.O.'s Randy Bachman (who cowrote a pair of tracks with Carl Wilson) is more distinct. Still need more irony? The final track of this hollow, haunted de facto paean to the band's disunity is Johnston's schmaltzy "Endless Harmony." Such was the response to Summer that the band spent the next five years on the road, burnishing their reputation as a nostalgia act; at least it kept them out of the studio. Unfortunately, by the time they returned to recording, Dennis Wilson was dead, Brian Wilson had "found" a new collaborator (the infamous Dr. Eugene Landy, his psychotherapist), and the band was at its usual creative loggerhead. But they also had the good sense to bring in hot '80s hired-gun producer Steve Levine to at least synthesize a respectable-sounding Beach Boys album. The single "Getcha Back" is a weird mix of nostalgia and contemporary studio smoke and mirrors; with Brian Wilson's falsetto soaring over the top as it hadn't in decades, it's also the most familiar-sounding band track in years. Levine's efforts at veneer (which include using Stevie Wonder as a sideman/collaborator) gloss over some wobbly songwriting. Brian's profile is higher than it's been since Love You, but his ever fragile, quirky constructions (especially "Male Ego," "Crack at Your Love," and "California Saga") are largely stillborn, thanks to the amateurish lyrical efforts of Landy. Carl Wilson shines throughout; the band's greatest trooper until the bitter end. Both albums are newly remastered on a single disc. --Jerry McCulleyCustomer Reviews:
A Great Comeback Album.......2005-10-16
I think this is a terrific CD. The first album by the group after Dennis Wilson's death, it shows they still had the energy and drive, which put them at the top over 20 years earlier. However, I must warn you- if you cannot bear to hear the Beach Boys outside of the surfing/girls/cars genre of the '60s, which is great, of course, this is not the album for you. You probably won't enjoy it, due to the obvious '80s touch you'll hear. The two songs which come closest to the '60s era are "Getcha Back" and "California Calling"- two of my favorites on the CD. All of the guys get a chance to sing solo, but Carl Wilson is the one who sings the most, and it shows how truly gifted he was, and what a beautiful, soulful voice he had. There have been opinions that some of the songs sound tacky. The only somewhat "tacky" one I hear is "Male Ego", but it will give you a good chuckle. An added plus are Ringo Starr, playing drums on "California Calling" and Stevie Wonder, who plays harmonica and synthesizer on "I Do Love You." If this CD sounds so differently, or unlike the Beach Boys, it's because the band was attempting to try out a variety of music genres within this one album. A prime example is the soulful "It's Getting Late." Yet, "California Calling" is an evident throwback to their '60s roots. This makes me embrace the CD all the more, instead of criticizing it, as some have.
I must admit another reason why this CD is so special to me. This was the first album released by the Beach Boys when I was a teenager, and everytime I hear it, it takes me back to the time of my youth, which I greatly cherish. When most people think of the Beach Boys, they immediately think of the '60s, and the teens of that era. This is an '80s album, when I was growing up, so that makes it a part of my history.
So, if you're looking for something by the Beach Boys that is unique and different, you'll love this CD, too. If you're hooked into the '60s-type music only, then stay away.
The 2nd album redeems this set a bit.......2005-03-25
The common thread between the 2 albums is that "big guns" were brought in on each one to try and push the band back onto the radio. In KEEPIN' THE SUMMER ALIVE's case, it was Bachman-Turner-Overdrive's Randy Bachman (he co-wrote on several songs and adds some guitar). Joe Walsh also guest appears. For BEACH BOYS it was pop hitmaker Steve Levine who tried to put an 80s production veneer on the band and brought along some high profile guests (Culture Club's Roy Hay, Stevie Wonder, Ringo Starr).
HIGHLIGHTS:
The title track for "Keepin' the Summer Alive" was a nicely rocking number with a catchy hook. "Goin' On" was a divorce survivor anthem from Brian with some nice group vocals. (It stalled at #83 as a single). "School Days", a Chuck Berry cover, was the rare GOOD cover from the band in their later years. They tack on a "dear old golden rule days" intro, sound excited vocally throughout, and have a genuinely good arrangement on this. "Some of your Love" is pretty infectious with a honkin' sax intro.
With the 1985 "Beach Boys", the band wanted to be seen as 80s hitmakers and with "Getcha Back" they managed to get back on the radio. The song combined some "Beach Boys sounding" vocal backings with a decent lyric courtesy of Mike Love and Terry Melcher and solid 80s production (yes it has digital drums..what DIDN'T in 1985??) and came up with a hit. The song still holds up well. The other one that made me buy this barely got any airplay but for the life of me I don't know why. "She Believes in Love Again" has a great lyric and SOUNDS even more "Beach Boys" than "Getcha Back". For my money, it's the best track on the disc. Carl's "Where I Belong" also stands out with its declaration that he doesn't need exotic climes as long as his true love's there beside him. It's an understated gem.
PITFALLS:
The affected Italian instrumentation on "When Girls Get Together" take a merely bad song over into awful. "Sunshine" and "Oh, Darlin'" are boring, and "Livin' with a Heartache"'s country twang feels out of place. As far as "Beach Boys" goes, there's plenty of misfires on the comeback. "Passing Friend" is a bland warning about backstabbers set aside by Boy George (who realized it wasn't worth recording). Brian should be ashamed of the lyric for "I'm So Lonely"..I can only hope that his guru Dr. Landy is responsible for some of that dreck. His voice sounds awful here, too. "Male Ego" is included as a 'bonus track' (but didn't appear on the original LP release)..the music is alright but the lyric is terrible. (Sample: "You look nice/What's your name?/You smell nice/What's your name?/I like you/What's your name?")
BOTTOM LINE:
If you just want the sole Top 40 hit ("Getcha Back") that's available on the SOUNDS OF SUMMER compilation. (ASIN B000093BDX) But before you do that, make sure you listen to the samples for "Where I Belong" and "She Believes in Love Again". If you like them, you need to buy this disc instead.
Uninspired and largely uninteresting.......2005-03-10
"Keepin' the Summer Alive" actually isn't that bad of an album, its just that it moves between one uninspired and lackluster song-- the lifeless "Oh, Darlin'" with a horrible bridge vocal by Mike, a dead cover of "School Days" (that did much better live, interestingly enough), and a plodding Carribbean-styled song "Sunshine" are good examples. Add to this digging into the barrel of leftovers and pulling out tracks like "When Girls Get Together" (with horrid lyrics) and "Santa Ana Winds" (with a horrid voiceover) from the early 70s. Top this off with a bad Bruce Johnston self-referential nostalgia piece in "Endless Harmony" and there's not much to look forward to.
For all this dull material, there are a couple really strong tracks-- the title track, cowritten by Randy Bachman and Carl Wilson, is a great rocker, and the song "Goin' On" was Brian reminding us that he's a genius, its really the standout song on the record and sits amongst the best Beach Boys material, but its not enough to save the album.
Sadly, as bad as "Keepin' the Summer Alive" is, "The Beach Boys" is worse. The opener, "Getcha Back" is actually pretty good, it owes quite a bit to Brian's '60s work, though written by Mike Love and Terry Melcher, and Brian's falsetto is great to hear, but the production is a bit clinical and the drums sound artificial.
Unfortunately, the rest of the album carries over that thread, but also adds way too many synthesizers to the mix, giving it a very dated, mid-80s feel, and quite honestly, the synth wash fails miserably for the Beach Boys material. Adding to this are several of Brian's songs have lyrics by Eugene Landy, whose lyrics match the tacky production value on numbers like "Crack At Your Love" and "Male Ego". Add to this a song by Boy George and one of his CUlture Club cohorts ("Passing Friend") and a not-so-great Stevie Wonder song further brought down by a synthesizser wash ("I Do Love You"), and you've a recipe for distaster. Carl's contributions fare somewhat better, but poor production takes what should have been a great soulful song in "Maybe I Don't Know" and reduce it to a synthesized 80s glam pop disaster. Even more horrifying is the bad attempt at a surf glory rewrite in "California Calling", which ranks among the most embarassing of Beach Boys tracks. The only track that seems to really claw its way above the poor production is Carl's beautiful "Where I Belong", which keeps the synths way in the background.
Really, this isn't great for the casual fan, there's not enough material on here to make it worth having.
Tank's on "E".......2004-12-14
Even with support from BTO's Randy Bachman, The Durocs, Darryl Dragon, several LA session musicans that played on the 60's albums and other worthy guests on "Keepin The Summer Alive" the album winds up flat and lifeless. Like "L.A. Light" Bruce Johnson's limp and sterile production work totally sucked any energy out of these songs.
The band didnt help matters much either by writing songs that retread old ground lyrically with barely any memorable hooks. Alan's cover of Chuck Berry's "School Days" was just another attempt to score a Top 40 hit with an 50's oldie, and Carl's collaborations with Randy Bachman didnt break any new ground for him or the band either, though it was interesting for him to try a country-rock sound on "Livin' With a Heartache". Carl did far more inspired work on his later two solo albums.
Dennis was sadly nowhere to be found. The only saviours on this album are Brian's "Goin' On" (a good reflection of what was on his mind in 1980, check the lyrics for proof) and "When Girls Get Together" which was started in the early 70's, yanked off the shelf and finished when Dennis was contractually required to appear on the album. It completely sticks out from the other songs with its huge bass drum and bizzare funeral band arrangment, but is an very interesting song.
By 1985 things were looking up for the group. Despite Dennis' sad drowning, the band had recieved plenty of attention via Ronald Reagan, James Watt and the D.C. 4th of July concert fiasco. Brian had started looking healthy again and CBS had hooked them up with then-hot UK producer Steve Levine, who was scoring huge hits with Culture Club at the time. Even with new British blood behind the board, the band's best vocals in years, and plenty of good ouside help "The Beach Boys" winds up as another hit and miss hodgepodge, but thankfully never sinks to the bottom like "Keepin" did.
"Getcha Back" gave the group a Top 40 hit again with a super catchy hook, an LOUD snare drum sample that was recorded in a racquetball court (no kidding!) along with decent enough high school romance lyrics from Mike. Brian doing his best Billy Joel and Frankie Valli imatations in the background made it fun listening on headphones. The other songs Mike, Alan and Bruce whipped up are listenable thanks to Levine's upbeat programming, but wind up as mere oldies patsches, or come off weak trying to clone 80's pop styles. The outside material by Stevie Wonder and Culture Club just sound like filler b-side tracks they gave away. The use of Ringo Starr on "California Calling" is a nice bonus and gives the album some needed guts.
Carl's songwriting made a big advance with his two solo albums and the tracks he gave to the band on this album are among his finest. "It's Gettin' Late" is a fun R&B-inspired song with a great (some say sampled) vocal intro and wonderful gospel call and response vocals. Its strange it never became a big hit when released as a single, it would have sounded great on the radio at the time. "Where I Belong" is the best track on this CD hands down, a dazzling melody, inspiring words and everyone involved rises to the occasion. The Beach Boys last great recording as a group, period. Had Carl been the true leader of the Beach Boys instead of Mike and united the group again and got them to work hard creating new music, could they have come up with more tracks as amazing as this? Brian chipped in a few new songs, co-written with his shrink. It's a shame CBS tossed the fun "Male Ego" on the B-side of "Getcha Back". It would have been one of the best tracks on the album. Thankfully its the bonus cut at the end of the CD. "I'm So Lonely" tries hard to rock but just doesnt ignite with a dragging slow tempo. On the plus side, Brian's voice sounds much bettter here than he did in the late 70's on these recordings.
The sad thing about "The Beach Boys" is that not only was it the Boys last true album, the album was successful enough to lead the group to further experiment with this kind of all-digital 80's production for thier one-off singles on 4 Seasons, Elektra, Critique, Capitol and RCA. Though the Boys scored a #1 with "Kokomo" they wound up creating some real sonic disasters with Terry Melcher like the theme song from "Problem Child" (never heard it? You don't need too!). Brian was also led down MIDI lane on his first solo album, which featured great songs that could have been better recorded with a real band (like the one he has now) instead of punched in.
This CD, despite uninspired performances and weak songs does deserve to be in your Beach Boys collection, and not so you can complete it. Theres several gems on both albums to be found if you have listening patience.
Summer's End.......2004-04-26
Average customer rating: |
Penny Merriments: Street Songs of 17th Century England
Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0009JMEKQ Release Date: 2005-06-21 |
Tracks:
- The Courtiers Health, Or The Merry Boys Of The Times
- The Country Lass
- The Crost People, Or A Good Misfortune
- The Courtryman's Joy
- Seldom Cleanly
- A Merry Jest Of John Thompson And Jakaman His Wife
- The Seven Merry Wives Of London, Or The Gossips Complaint
- Old England Grown New
- Good Advice To Batchelors, How To Court And Obtain A Young Lass
- Neptune's Raging Fury
- The North Country Lovers
- The Lunatick Lover
- The Downfall Of Dancing
- The Saint Turn'd Sinner
- And Old Song On The Spanish Armada
- The Female Captain, Or The Counterfit Bridegroom
- London Mourning In Ashes
- The Famous Ratcatcher
Average customer rating:
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Summer in Paradise
The Beach Boys , and John Stamos Manufacturer: Brother Records/Ka ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000001YJH Release Date: 1992-08-03 |
Tracks:
- Hot Fun in the Summertime
- Surfin'
- Summer of Love
- Island Fever
- Still Surfin'
- Slow Summer Dancin' (One Summer Night)
- Strange Things Happen
- Remember (Walking in the Sand)
- Lahaina Aloha
- Under the Boardwalk
- Summer in Paradise
- Forever
Customer Reviews:
A Fun Album, and NOT Carl's Last Recordings.......2007-05-26
NOTE: Carl Wilson made another album after this, a great one with Robert Lamm of Chicago and Gerry Beckley of America called BECKLEY LAMM WILSON - "Like A Brother". It was recently reissued with 3 bonus tracks (see Robert Lamm's website).
This is Paradise?.......2007-03-12
Surfers recycle now dont you know
Like everyone from california down to kokomo
We're gonna keep on rockin
And raising world consciousness
We gotta fix this mess
The only mess they need to fix is this album. Sadly, it's the last one that included the incredible voice of Carl Wilson. Try not to remember this as his swan song, please.
All that was missing was Brian - as usual.......2007-02-18
There are several track here worth having if you're a BB fan looking for more stuff you havent heard. Strange Things Happen/Still Surfin'/Lahaina Aloha/Under the Boardwalk are all must haves, Summer in Paradise is good here but sounds MUCH MUCH better on the live version in circulation, and there are several mediocre tracks(Hot Fun in the Summertime, Island Fever) along with some typical Mike Love throwaway tracks("Sum-Sum" Summer of Love).
During the early stages of recording, Al Jardine was "suspended" from the band for a supposedly "severe attitude problem", returning only during the final weeks of production. Historically speaking, it was the only Beach Boys album of new material NOT to chart. A source close to the band once reported the album sold only 1,000 copies when first released(although the band reported it at 145,000 which was possibly the number of albums actually shipped to record stores). As a result of the poor sales, several tracks were remixed for a subsequent overseas release, with lesser results.
What really holds this album back more than anything is the electronic drum machine used on almost every track. This gives nearly every song an over-processed, 80's, demo-type sound and cheapens the proceedings, but not enough to make tha album unlistenable by any means. Comparatively speaking, in my opinion, Summer in Paradise is no worse than Brian's recent Gettin' In Over My Head solo effort.
You might notice while listening that nearly every song on the album has lifted a previous BB/Brian Wilson harmony. This goes right along with Love's lyric on Summer in Paradise "Surfer's recycle, now don't ya know, all the way from California, down to Ko-ko-mo."
But despite the issues described above, Summer in Paradise is a must-have for any real fan or those who just to hear some of Carl's last work. We all love the Beach Boys most for their vocals & harmonies and both are in EXCELLENT form here - even if some of the lyrics are stale.
For Carl fans, don't miss his later CD collabration with Beckley and Lamm titled Like A Brother - Carl's lead on the track I Wish For You is simply magnificent!!
ESSENTIAL BEACH BOYS. LAST TIME FOR CARL........2006-07-04
Summer In Paradise.......2006-01-20
Average customer rating:
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Sights and Sounds of Summer
The Beach Boys Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00026WV4A Release Date: 2004-06-15 |
Tracks:
- California Girls
- I Get Around
- Surfin' Safari
- Surfin' U.S.A.
- Fun, Fun, Fun
- Surfer Girl
- Don't Worry Baby (Single Version)
- Little Deuce Coupe
- Shut Down
- Help Me, Rhonda (Single Version)
- Be True To Your School (Single Version)
- When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)
- In My Room
- God Only Knows
- Sloop John B
- Wouldn't It Be Nice
- Getcha Back
- Come Go With Me
- Rock And Roll Music
- Dance, Dance, Dance
- Barbara Ann (Single Version)
- Do You Wanna Dance?
- Heroes And Villians
- Good Timin'
- Kokomo
- Do It Again
- Wild Honey
- Darlin'
- I Can Hear Music
- Good Vibrations
Tracks:
- Surfin' U.S.A. (live on the T.A.M.I. Show, 1964) [DVD]
- I Get Around (live on the T.A.M.I. Show, 1964) [DVD]
- Surfer Girl (live on the T.A.M.I. Show, 1964) [DVD]
- Dance, Dance, Dance (live on the T.A.M.I. Show, 1964) [DVD]
- Little Deuce Coupe (live from The Lost Concert, 1964 [DVD]
- Sloop John B (promotional video, 1966) [DVD]
- PET SOUNDS (promotional film, 1966) [DVD]
- God Only Knows (live montage, 1967/1968) [DVD]
- Good Vibrations (live on The Ed Sullivan Show, 1968) [DVD]
- Do It Again (live on The Ed Sullivan Show, 1968) [DVD]
Amazon.com
Beach Boys Photos
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More from The Beach Boys
The Warmth of the Sun |
Pet Sounds |
20 Good Vibrations, The Greatest Hits |
Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys |
Endless Harmony |
Endless Harmony DVD |
Customer Reviews:
I'm really not into greatest hits albums, but this is a good deal!.......2006-07-10
And, the DVD is a huge bonus. What a piece of history.
Worth it for the DVD alone! ALL 4 SONGS FROM THE TAMI SHOW!.......2004-08-24
Even with its flaws, a classic..........2004-06-30
The drawbacks are the songs that are missing, which would amount to a whole other CD. Maybe a "rock" CD and a "roll" CD... As a companion (even though there are songs on both) I'd recommend "Beach Boys Classics", a set handpicked by Brian that serves as a great companion to this one, or just get the "Good Vibrations" box set which covers a lot of territory. And "Pet Sounds" should have been in your collection anyway.
This collection is "Fun, Fun, Fun"........2004-06-22
Average customer rating:
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Sounds of Summer
The Beach Boys Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B00009MGOB Release Date: 2003-05-27 |
Tracks:
- Sounds Of Summer Singles
- Surfer Girl
- Don't Worry Baby
- The Beach Boys Medley: Good Vibrations/Help Me, Rhonda/I Get Around/Shut Down/Surfin' Safari/Barbara Ann/Surfin' U.S.A./Fun, Fun, Fun
Album Description
Taken from the 2003 album Sounds Of Summer-The Very Best Of The Beach Boys, this limited edition single includes 3 all-time classics 'Surfin' USA', 'Surfer Girl' & 'Don't Worry Baby' plus the never before released 'Beach Boys Medley'. Capitol.Customer Reviews:
very misleading track list.......2004-04-21
he must get credit for writing reviews.
buyer be warned about reviewers with 1000 reviews to thier credit. it was only a $6 loss for me, but I will be more carefull in future with review-addicts like David Kenner.
Interesting, if incomplete, BB trivia disc.......2003-06-24
Average customer rating:
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Mahler: Symphony No. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand"
Manufacturer: Telarc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000003CXG Release Date: 1991-10-15 |
Tracks:
- I. Hymnus: Veni, Creator Spiritus/II. Final Scene From Faust
- Orchestral Introduction (Poco Adagio)
- Gerettet Ist Das Edle Glied
- Jungfrau, Rein Im Schonsten Sinne
Customer Reviews:
Angels decending from heaven.......2007-06-13
As a life long Wagnerian, I am very familiar with Solti so I purchased his 1972 CSO recording. Solti was usual himself in that album. However, everytime I want to listen to M8, Shaw/ASO M8 is the one I play. Since then I got M2 by Levi/ASO, which was also a killer. I highly recommend that too.
Simply the Best! So Far..........2007-06-12
I bought this recording of Mahler's Eighth..........2004-07-05
Compared to Solti's 70s recording with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Bernstein's 60s recording with the London Symphony Orchestra, it may not be as demanding and potent enough to give goosebumps, but still both the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the all the vocal groups has done a great job, including all the collegiate choral groups from Ohio State and U of South Florida, which I'm sure all the members will never forget and listen to their permanent collaboration with Maestro Shaw. Adding to that, the purely digital sound so clean and polished (this might be the reason the musical quality doesn't seem so demanding... I personally like older recordings because they seem to sound sharper for some reason).
I'm not sure this recording would be THE legend of Mahler Eighth of the nineties, but still it is worth listening. If you're a Shaw fan, especially, hope you enjoy this "lost masterpiece".
To be guaranteed, it's a great choice.
Top Choice.......2003-02-07
That honor has long belonged to Solti's recording with Chicago Symphony. The Solti version has much going for it, including the conductor's Mahlerian expertise, first-rate soloists, and the digitally remastered CD now available. But with its nonetheless aged sonics and compromised choral diction, its overall comprehensibility and emotional impact on the listener diminish in comparison to the Shaw recording.
The latter benefits from impeccable sound engineering and, most importantly, Shaw's unrivalled choral craftsmanship. Here the orchestra and vocalists are more alive, the chorus more dynamic and articulate, the conductor's interpretation equally grand. The only significant drawback of the Shaw recording, as far as this reviewer is concerned, is the quality of the vocal soloists, which, though on the whole are very good, don't quite compare to Solti's. This does very little, though, to detract from the overall impressiveness of this recording. A memorable achievement.
Good performance, great recording.......2001-06-21
Album Review:
- Break My World [CD-single] [Enhanced] [Import]
- Café del Mar, Vol. 7 [Import]
- Café Ibiza, Vol. 9: Best of Baleraric Ambient & Chill Out Music
- Cafe Oriental [Import]
- Cafe Oriental, Vol. 2 [Import]
- Celebrate Our Love [CD-single] [Import]
- Cesaria Evora By [Import]
- Chapter IV & Wait & Dance Remixed [Import]
- Classic and Rare: La Collection Chapter 3
- Closer [Import]
Album Review
High Energy: The Best Of Evelyn Thomas [Import]
Neue Russische Orgelmusik (Modern Russian Organ Music)
Mass for Double Choir / Motet / Pavane
Music CD: Live at the Palm Court Jazz Cafe
Secondhand Lions [Enhanced] [Soundtrack]
Music From the Elder [Original recording remastered]
Songs to Learn & Sing [Import]
Rachmaninov: Paganini Veriations, Corelli Variations, 6 Preludes [Import]
Los Jovenes Mueren Antes De Tiempo [Import]
R. [Explicit Lyrics] [Extra tracks] [Import]