My favourite BB-album-other-than-PS-or-Smile is Today!. Then it's Surf's Up, then Smiley Smile and Wild Honey, then Surfin' Safari and Surfin' USA, then Summer Days (and Summer Nights!).
There is a lot of wonderful music from the Beach Boys outside of Pet Sounds and Smile. Sunflower is probably the best complete album outside of those two however, I think there is something positive to take from every album they released up to and including Love You. Pretty much a case of avoid thereafter.
I've just given another listen to both Surf's Up and Sunflower, and my judgement haven't changed much one these ones. They're nice, but that's all they do for me. I'll listen to Today! again later (enough Beach Boys for now).
I would Surf's Up highly among the best albums of the 70's and the title track is easily one of the best tracks of the decade. The 3 track suite at the end of the album are some of the best work Brian Wilson has ever done. Smiley Smile is also excellent and I hope it doesn't get forgotten now that the album it replaced is finally out. Few bands have songs as great as "Heroes and Villians", "Good Vibrations", and "Vegatables" and for this album to have all 3 makes it a classic.
meccaleccaVoice of ReasonProfile The Land of Enchantment
My favourite BB-album-other-than-PS-or-Smile is Today!. Then it's Surf's Up, then Smiley Smile and Wild Honey, then Surfin' Safari and Surfin' USA, then Summer Days (and Summer Nights!).
This is pretty much exactly how I feel. it's like Pet Sounds and Smile are the sun, and everything else revolves around them.
I've read that Today! was really the turning point for their approach to music. Brian Wilson was beginning to finally experiment with the production.
"Wilson later disclosed that he had begun using marijuana during December 1964 as a stress reliever, but became a regular user after he realized the profound effect it had on the way he perceived music." _________________ http://jonnyleather.com
It's got Little Deuce Coupe and Shut Down, which are two of the three best Beach Boys tracks of all time (the third is Good Vibrations). It also has Be True to Your School, 409, and less well-known Our Car Club and Custom Machine.
This is one of five BB albums in my 100, and the highest ranked of the original studio albums.
Little Deuce Coupe (1963)
All Summer Long (1964) (this was the one I voted for, as Little Deuce Coupe was unavailable.
The Smile Sessions (2011)
Pet Sounds (1966) (although I'm starting to think it's over-rated)
Endless Summer (1974, a compilation, but I think it's their definitive one)
I've got as far as Pet Sounds in their discography. Today! is the best of the others so far, but not a patch on Pet Sounds. Before today! I struggle to get through whole albums of bubblegum pop.
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Norman Bates
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