The Beach Boys Today!

good album

Hey, I listened to The Beach Boys today
Oh great, which album?
The Beach Boys Today
Yes I know that, BUT WHICH ALBUM

Fantastic harmonies, glorious production but............ this hasn't evolved much from earlier efforts. It's not a bad thing, but why the inclusion of this album specifically?

I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5.

When we got “Pet Sounds”, I very specifically mentioned that when my brain still thinks of The Beach Boys, it conjures up the poppier stuff, like “Surfin’ U.S.A.” or “Good Vibrations”. The entire first half of this album has finally scratched that itch; the first 6 tracks here are that poppier, doo-wop version of the Beach Boys sort of getting it all out there for the people who like it. I’m a total sucker for it, so I think they all work; certainly heavy on the repetition, and not the most compelling from a lyrical point, but in terms of a kind of infectious, joyful energy, it’s just there in spades. It’s nothing special, but it’s fun, especially once some key changes start to enter in.

The last 5 tracks (because I cannot possibly call that nothingburger of a burger-filled interview a “track”) act as a really strong precursor to the expanded effort on “Pet Sounds”, and while it’s certainly more of a prototype here as opposed to the swirling, meticulous & laborious work Brian Wilson put into “Pet Sounds”, I think it’s just as effective in terms of bridging the gap. The harmonies from the group are on full display, and when they enter the ears like that, it’s just blissful. Past that, the lyricism just feels more concrete, giving a bit more of a storytelling edge. They’re (thankfully) not trying to be Bob Dylan or anything, but it’s just slightly more mature, and it feels far more adjacent to the folksier side of pop/rock that would come into vogue for the latter half of the 1960s.

Realistically, the only reasons I’m at a 4.5 instead of a flat 5 are because of two things: the “school dance” vibes of the first 6 tracks wearing just a little thin, even with how fast each track is, and the interview being… well, totally fucking useless. Maybe a little fun, if you want to know their lunch orders, but it’s the most pointless “bonus” track I think we’ve gotten on the list. Regardless, it’s an easy enough bump up to a 5. I’m sure there’s a lot more that could be said here, but I think at its core, it’s just a nice album. It’s a good blend of the doo-wop Beach Boys & the critical “Pet Sounds” acclaim, and if nothing else, it’s a fun, breezy 27 minute record (again, not counting the last "track").

This is the third & final Beach Boys album on the list, and that’s a straight 15/15; good picks for the list, and clearly, I need to listen to more of them. Maybe not the Mike Love era, though. Once again, thank you Brian.

She Knows Me Too Well is creepy as hell - “I’m jealous and abusive but she understands that I only act like that because I love her so much.” Yikes. Other than that, this is a fun midpoint between the early singles and the more ambitious Pet Sounds.

eh

The Good: It is only for today
The Bad: what if we like it and want to listen to it tomorrow?
The Ugly: listening to them yesterday…

If there is anything to learn from this album then it is to show the importance of choosing a good name for your band…
If Elvis Presley could have recorded any style of music, people would’ve accepted it.
The Beach Boys should stick to beach kind of music… not that ‘50s rock n roll classics are beach worthy, just not what one thinks about…

Also, note that I am not a beach boys fan.

I listened to the album. Appreciated the fact that it wasn’t too long, while bobbing along to several tracks.
That’s it. Probably will not play that album again… and if the album that is going to presented to me now is not pleasing, I will go and listen to The Idiot by Iggy Pop again, which is quickly becoming a top-10 all time favorite for me…

3*

Nice 60s pop

They were good. A lot of teenage angst but in a different time

Them and The Beatles were the thing in the 60s. It was all about these 2 bands. Because they were different. Was it that good? No, but everyone copied them. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

I know other people love them. But I don’t. And this is early on where they really don’t stray from the formula. So it’s alot of the same.

Oh shoot, just saw we all got The Beach Boys today because Brian Wilson died. Sorry my man, RIP.

Wow for timing, RIP Brian Wilson. I enjoy their vocals, but their lyrics are basic.
Highlights: do you wanna dance, dance dance dance

RIP Brian Wilson

he passed away yesterday, nice this album coming up today

Good surf rock. Yeah!

Oh, Today!? The day after Brian Wilson’s death? That's convenient.
I have as much passing familiarity with The Beach Boys as any active music fan my age. That's to say: I am aware of their hits, saw the cameos on Full House, have heard them praised countless times for their influence, and only partially blame them for the Tate-LaBianca murders.
To me, The Beach Boys have always been the quintessential "We have The Beatles at home" band. The waspy goody two-shoes appearance and falsetto harmonies quickly get cloying, and somehow make The Beatles’ Ed Sullivan performance feel edgy.
I’m sure Pet Sounds will be on this list because that's always cited as their most influential album, so knowing this is (at most) their 2nd most influential album doesn't help my opinion of it. If I'm apathetic about side 1, I'm actively disinterested in side 2. (Sorry Brian, Rest In Peace)

Increasingly sophisticated production and songwriting. Early hints of where Brian Wilson was heading as a composer. Still retains the exuberance of the early recordings. Transitional.

Ok

rip :(

RIP Brian Wilson, composer of teenage symphonies to god.

This was a pleasant surprise. No surf songs. Spectoresque in its production at times. But as the 1001 book says "...containing what is easily the worst track in this entire book ..", at least in the modern era we can block a track. Definitely an album I'll come back to.
RIP Brian.

Well, I guess I finally have to admit, I just don’t get the Beach Boys. The only reason I’m going to give this another listen or two is because I’m desperately trying to understand what I’m missing.

Alright, three listens and it’s growing on me for sure, but still not sure it lives up to the hype I’ve heard surrounding Brian Wilson and the band.