13th July - The Beach Boys' All Summer Long

Artist – Album: The Beach Boys – All Summer Long

Released:  13^th July 1964

Sounds Like: We’ve been having fun all summer long

Sometimes the listening circumstances seriously affect how much you appreciate an album. A Sigur Rós effort, for example, is best served on a bright but frosty morning. Joy Division are great when the sky is blanketed in metallic coloured grey clouds, whilst it’s best to listen to Metallica when the world has turned apocalyptic. The situation for today’s album – driving around in my little car with my friends through a sun scorched city – was perfectly suited to the Beach Boys’ All Summer Long.

The belting classic of ‘I Get Around’ notwithstanding, the album doesn’t contain too many of their well known songs, but don’t let that put you off. As is the norm with the Beach Boys at their best, all of the songs here are instantly memorable and enjoyable: play it through once to love it, play it through twice and you’re already singing along.  The very best are the sunny ‘Girls on the Beach’, the sumptuous doo-wop cover of The Mystics’ ‘Hushabye’, the insanely catchy hot rod anthem ‘Little Honda’ and the nostalgic title track, which perfectly encapsulates the late September evening feeling whilst looking back on a wonderful summer.

The record isn’t perfect – there’s the 50’s pastiche ‘Do You Remember’, which wins the Albumaday... No-Shit-Sherlock Line of the Day© "Elvis Presley’s the king, he’s the giant of the day", and the god awful comedy bit ‘Our Favourite Recording Sessions’. ‘Wendy’ , which for the most part is a beautiful and elegantly sad song, is seriously let down by a horrific, clinky organ solo.

Fortunately the misses are in the minority, and the imperfections really just make it all the more endearing. Seriously, it’s great!

Albumaday... rating: 8/10

1.       I Get Around – 2:14

2.       All Summer Long – 2:08

3.       Hushabye – 2:41

4.       Little Honda – 1:52

5.       We’ll Run Away – 2:02

6.       Carl’s Big Chance – 2:03

7.       Wendy – 2:21

8.       Do You Remember? – 1:40

9.       Girls on the Beach – 2:28

10.   Our Favourite Recoding Sessions – 2:00

11.   Don’t Back Down – 1:52

Listen to ‘All Summer Long’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2smDXr13EJE 

16th May - The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds

Artist – Album: The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds

Released:  16^th May 1966

Sounds Like:  Quite possibly the greatest of them all

Well, I suppose I couldn’t avoid the discussion forever – just what is the greatest album of all time? Way back when, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was the default answer. Today though, experts are just as likely to plump for Revolver as their go-to The Beatles answer.  Modern(ish) music fans might be more likely to cite Nirvana’s Nevermind or Radiohead’s OK Computer, whilst the uncouth amongst you may well just say Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols. Snuggling up to that top bracket there’s also Elvis Presley, London Calling and Dark Side of the Moon. And sitting squarely in the midst of this gallery of greats is Pet Sounds, today’s choice.

Today’s ‘also released’ could feasibly have been up for contention, as Bob Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde is also one of the finest records of the sixties. But honestly Pet Sounds just blows it out of the water.

Bursting straight in to things with the exuberant ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’, the listener is swiftly pummelled into sweet submission. The pace is slackened on ‘You Still Believe In Me’ but the track stands as a good study in the Boy’s strengths – interesting, beautiful harmonies; naive, charming lyrics; and captivating, lush orchestration. The rest of the album continues to flit between the two styles – joyous, up-tempo romps and slow, gorgeous ballads. There’s not a dud note to be found. And right smack in the middle is ‘God Only Knows’, very likely to be the greatest two minutes fifty ever recorded. It is simply without equal.

I think, for me, the same can be said for the album as a whole. It is unequalled. Although... we are only 137 days in, I wonder what the next 198 days hold in stock...

p.s. possible contender for the worst album cover of all time??

Albumaday... rating: 10/10

1.       Wouldn’t It Be Nice – 2:25

2.       You Still Believe in Me – 2:31

3.       That’s Not Me – 2:28

4.       Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder) – 2:53

5.       I’m Waiting for the Day – 3:05

6.       Let’s Go Away for Awhile – 2:18

7.       Sloop John B – 2:58

8.       God Only Knows – 2:51

9.       I Know There’s an Answer – 3:09

10.   Here Today – 2:54

11.   I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times – 3:12

12.   Pet Sounds – 2:22

13.   Caroline, No – 2:51

Listen to ‘I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times ‘: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR7_TbMIVnA

Also released on the 16^th May:

1966: Bob Dylan – Blonde on Blonde

8th March - The Beach Boys' Today!

Artist – Album: The Beach Boys – Today!

Released:  8^th March 1965           

Sounds Like: What everyone imagines being a teenager in the 60’s was like

Today! is the missing link in the Beach Boys catalogue, the connection between the early surfer pop of ‘I Get Around’ and ‘California Girls’ and the complex symphonies of Pet Sounds and ‘Good Vibrations’.

Kicking off with ‘Do You Wanna Dance?’, the initial impressions are that this is a typical 60’s party album: great fun, but hardly anything revolutionary, particularly when you consider that the Beatles would go on to release the experimental folky masterpiece Rubber Soul and Dylan would give us the electric Highway 61 in the very same year.

But, starting with ‘When I Grow Up (to Be a Man)’, we start to hear a switch in depth and sophistication of the songwriting. As with the Flaming Lips in recent years, The Beach Boys (or Brian Wilson) writes songs that sound both naive and incredibly wise, like when the Dalai Lama was still a baby. They’re still great fun, replete with unparalleled vocal harmonies, but they’re also lyrically rewarding; simple but deep, personal but universal. The second half of the album is devoid of hits and dominated by ballads, each more luscious and tender than the next. Honestly, ‘Please Let Me Wonder’, ‘Kiss Me, Baby’ and ‘In the Back of My Mind’ are as good as anything on the aforementioned Beatles album.

And then they ruin it with the tiresome mock interview ‘Bull Session with the ‘Big Daddy’’. Smooth move Ferguson, that’s why you only get 9 out of 10.

Albumaday... rating: 9/10

1.       Do You Wanna Dance? – 2:19

2.       Good to My Baby – 2:16

3.       Don’t Hurt My Little Sister – 2:07

4.       When I Grow Up (to Be a Man) – 2:01

5.       Help Me Rhonda – 3:08

6.       Dance, Dance, Dance – 1:59

7.       Please Let Me Wonder – 2:45

8.       I’m So Young – 2:30

9.       Kiss Me, Baby – 2:35

10.   She Knows Me Too Well – 2:27

11.   In the Back of My Mind – 2:07

12.   Bull Session with the ‘Big Daddy’ – 2:10

Listen to ‘Kiss Me, Baby’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzAHc0NrpS0

Also released on the 8^th March:

1999: Stereophonics – Performance and Cocktails