1965

Brian had stopped touring with the band by this album, and he devoted much time to perfecting his Phil Spector obsession here. This album is a precursor to the Pet Sounds sound, with its rich production.

Don't Hurt My Little Sister: They hadn't gotten around to singing about windchimes yet, but this song is a great progression from the Surfin' days. Great, soaring vocal arrangement.

She Knows Me Too Well: Beautiful vocals and an interesting chord progression highlight this personal song. This is the kind of music Brian would perfect in 1966.

Brian Wilson:
Vocals, bass

Carl Wilson:
Vocals, guitar

Dennis Wilson:
Vocals, drums

Mike Love:
Vocals

Al Jardine:
Vocals, guitar

1965

Most of the tracks lack the polish or well-crafted hooks of the best Beach Boys music from previous albums. The last track is not even a song, but a short conversation between the band and one of its A&R men.

Although the album was simply a stop-gap, it is atleast as good as early efforts like Surfin' and Shut Down. Beatle fans will delight in the Fab 4 hommage, "Girl Don't Tell Me".

Girl From New York City: Not a remake of the famous Manhattan Transfer song, but a Brian Wilson-penned answer tune. Features stripped-down production and raunchy horns. Fun and a tad edgy.

California Girls: This single was most likely put on the album to sell copies, as was "Help Me Rhonda". This song is really the only thing that gives a clue as to what would come next.

Brian Wilson

Carl Wilson

Dennis Wilson

Mike Love

Al Jardine

Bruce Johnston

1966

Brian sweated for months writing and producing the sounds on this album, and the end result is some of the richest, most emotional music ever to be considered pop.

Phil Spector's head seems to hang over this album, as does a little psychedelia. Although it may seem melodramatic or overwrought to some, most of the tunes exude an eerie innocence (for the 60s anyway) that is fairly refreshing compared to today's been-there-done-that ethos.

Wouldn't It Be Nice: First song on the album establishes giddy romanticism common in many Beach Boys songs. Here, the production (with incredible, soaring vocals and booming bass) lifts the song to Wagnerian heights. Great summer love music, and was one of the group's last 60s hits.

Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder): The other side of this album is the somber, heartbroken nature of this tune. As the church organ bassline descends and Brian's falsetto climbs further and further upwards, the band's creed of spirituality in music leaps out of the speakers. Odd for the Beach Boys, there are no background harmonies on this one--just a Brian Wilson solo vocal. Timeless music.

Same as above

1967

This album, obviously different than any other in the Beach Boys' canon, is probably the most difficult to appreciate for the average listener. Most of the tracks are "unfinished", in that they are not produced with the same expertise of previous Beach Boys music.

The album contains a few remnants of Smile, like "Heroes and Villians" and "Good Vibrations", but is generally a big retreat from the ambition of Pet Sounds.

Vegetables: Stripped down version of a song supposed to be on Smile. They sing about vegetables (who woulda thunk?), with only bass guitar and bongo for band accompaniment. Very quirky, but good group vocals save it (and the rest of the album).

With Me Tonight: Bare-basic arrangement and good group vocals. In retrospect, this music is the forerunner to the band's late-60s style of quirky, homemade pop. Apparently, they didn't care if they were played on the radio anymore.

Same as above

1967

Brian and company decided to mine territory previously unexplored. Here, they perform something like R&B, but with that distict Beach Boy naivete. It's grittier than past efforts, as the boys show that they don't mind cracking a few notes to make a point.

This album contains Dennis Wilson's first-ever composition for the band ("How She Boogalooed It"), and marks the transition from Brian's studio-obsessed group to a more democratic, increasingly homey act.

Darlin': This joyful tune is a return to the sunny shores of pre-Sounds pop. A Tamla-style beat, and Carl's soaring lead vocal help this song take off. Vibe is similar to Chicago's "Saturday in the Park."

I'd Love Just Once to See You: Highly idiosyncratic tune by Brian. Simple, sweet accompaniment from acoustic guitar underlies the adolescent fantasy, while simulataneously foreshadowing the kind of music the band would make on Friends and Sunflower.

Same as above

1968

This album is not in the ambitious Pet Sounds vein, nor is it the raw, cathartic music (for the Beach Boys anyway) of Wild Honey. Brian has said that this is his favorite Beach Boys album.

Though highly idiosyncratic, this album will delight Brian Wilson fans, and lovers of quaint, playfully light homemade pop.

Friends: Title track wherein the group (led by a great vocal from Carl Wilson) pays tribute to friendship and happy memories. If that sounds disgusting to you, be wary of this album.

Busy Doin' Nothin': Modest, "tasty" arrangement (bossa-lite) serves a song about (among other things) remembering a phone number. Brian had definitely retreated from the Smile-era grandeur by this point.

Same as above

1969

It appears to be a hodgepodge of tracks recorded at different times, and assembled to fill an entire album's worth of music. Though it doesn't really flow like the best Beach Boys albums, there is plenty of music fans will want.

For the first time, Brian's output on a Beach Boys album seems to give way to the rest of the group, although the highlights are the Smile tracks "Cabinessence" and "Our Prayer", which are both Brian-penned tunes.

I Can Hear Music: Carl Wilson produced this song, and was beginning to take over for Brian in the band at this point. Spector-influenced full sound, and great lead vocal make this a high-point for all concerned. Generally, the album sounds less homemade than Friends, more professional.

Time to Get Alone: Lush, rich production and wonderful group vocals make this song an apex in late-60s Beach Boys music. Though the band was no longer popular, it was not because they couldn't still make great music.

Same as above

1970

The band coaxed Brian Wilson into the studio for one last effort at making a hit, and came up with suprising results. Many fans choose this record as the best from the 70s.

The music is immediately different from that of previous albums, as the band takes advantage of state-of-the-70s rock production. Although it sounds fairly dated, the record exhibits a band many years from resting on their laurels.

This Whole World: Gloriously rocking doo-wop tune from Brian Wilson. Complex chord changes and a great lead vocal from Carl. Had the group been more popular at the time, this song might have been a big hit.

It's About Time: Rock-n-roll, 70s style. Wah-wah guitars, congos, fast R&B-style back beat, and not unlike what Elvis was doing about the same time.

Diedre: Bruce Johnston took Brian's place on the road in the mid-sixties, and penned this sunny piece of bubblegum pop. Pleasant backing vocals, tasty band arrangement, and about as sugary as three cans of cake icing. He would later produce albums for the group, and write "I Write the Songs."

Same as above

1971

The band had been out of fashion for several years, and this album marked the beginning of their 70s homecoming. In later years, they would resort to oldies and cheesy nostalgia, but here they were still full-fledged rock-n-roll artists.

The title track was taken from the aborted Smile project. Brian wasn't taking a large role in the band's tours or record producing. Each member, except Dennis Wilson, contributes music to this record. Even manager Jack Rieley co-authors two tunes, and sings on one!

Long Promised Road: Carl Wilson's gently rocking ode to perseverance. Gone are the falsetto backing vocals, surfing guitar, and any sign of the beach. This is basically 70s L.A. singer-songwriter fare, but with the band's typically optimistic prose and emotional performances.

'Til I Die: This is arguably Brian's greatest production with the Beach Boys. His obviously damaged emotional state had not hindured his ability to make beautiful records. Complex chordal structure, vocal arrangement, and lyrics. This was basically the last time Brian Wilson dared to approach the emotional and spiritual ambition of Pet Sounds.

Same as above

adding,
Jack Rieley:
Vocals

1972

If Brian's involvement with the previous album was slight, he was virtually nonexistant here. However, Carl and the rest of the band had been edging their way towards independence since Wild Honey, so the album is not the complete wash many music critics (and Beach Boys fans) claim. It is rather mellow, and arguably sounds less like what most people consider the group's signature sound than any other album.

The most notable difference in the band at the time was the addition of two members of the South African band The Flame, Ricky Fataar and Blondie Chaplin. The duo beefs up the ensemble sound considerably, and even writes tunes in a sort of Badfinger-meets-The James Gang mode -- more evidence that this version of the band was a far cry from its mid-60s heyday. They do give the band's soul and country experiments a little more credibility, and if only for a year or two, the Beach Boys were full-fledged classic light-rockers.

You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone: Leadoff track immediately tells us that this isn't your father's Beach Boys. Jack Rieley supplies the usual self-analysis-as-lyrics, and Brian Wilson himself manages to concoct a Southern-fried (with banjos, steel guitar, etc.) up-tempo rocker. Carl sings, Ricky drums like crazy, and if you don't smell the down-hominess, you must be like almost every other rock critic out there. Actually, if you want to do the math, this song could be linked musically to "Heroes & Villians" with its Old West touches, and complex vocal breaks.

Hold On Dear Brother: The second of two Fataar-Chaplin tracks, this is a country-rock waltz. Strong lead and group vocals, more pedal steel, and it all adds up to a remarkably sturdy great, lost Eagles tune. It, however, sounds nothing like the Beach Boys. Oh well.

Cuddle Up: At the time, brother Dennis was probably just as out-there as Brian, but that didn't stop him from writing. In fact, this was probably his most productive period with the band, and oddly, he was specializing in a kind of hyper-romantic (melodramatic?) orchestral torch song. Daryl Dragon (of Capt. & Tenille fame) was helping out with the arrangements, but the delicate, wounded cooing was all Dennis.

Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine

Ricky Fataar:
vocals, drums

Blondie Chaplin:
vocals, guitar

1973

Although the results didn't quite match the strain and considerable financial setback of the recording, Holland refined the sound of the previous album to a degree that the general public began to take notice. The album inched into the top 40, and was awarded Rolling Stone's Record of the Year, as voted on by noted rock music critics. However, the overall sound is similar to So Tough, albeit more surefooted and slightly less convoluted.

Packaged with the album was Brian's "Mt. Vernon & Fairway: A Fairy Tale". For anyone wondering what the reclusive pop-genius was up to at the time, this little ditty should suffice. It's seemingly an autobiographical piece, about a young prince's fascination with the music of a 'magic transistor radio', and his adventures with the 'Pied Piper'. Jack Rieley narrates the story, over very whimsical music, reminiscent of those children's records that instruct you to turn the page at the sound of the bell. This is the farthest Brian ever got from pop music, and many fans, even generous ones, have a hard time listening to the piece. As Tom Petty says, "Very Brian."

Sail On Sailor: This magnificent track, sung by Chaplin, was written by Brian with assistance from several others, including old friend Van Dyke Parks. Reportedly, Parks literally had to take Brian to task just to finish the piece, such was the state of Brian's emotional haze. Anyways, the song is a definite highlight of the mid-70s Beach Boys, as a soulful shuffle about persistence.

California Saga: Comprising "Big Sur", "The Beaks of Eagles", and "California". This is really the brainchild of Mike and Al, who, contrary to popular belief, could come up with decent stuff now and again. Think of it as a hippie's testament to the West Coast. The first part is fine roots rock in waltz time, owing as much to The Band and Dylan as to the California sound. The middle part, and probably the most controversial to fans, is a spoken word piece based on a Robinson Jeffers poem. Here (and elsewhere), we get a taste of the Boys' ecological agenda. It's not as bad as it sounds, largely due to the textured instrumental arrangement, and Al's ultra-sincerity. The final section, "California", is closer to an old-style fun-in-the-sun track, with group vocals and a catchy chorus. It even steals the bass line from "California Girls", foreshadowing the nostaligia act the band would soon become.

Carl Wilson

Dennis Wilson

Mike Love

Al Jardine

Ricky Fataar

Blondie Chaplin

1977

Shacked up at his Bel Air house, staying in bed for most of the day, Brian certainly had time to write a lot of music during the 1970s. Some of this music made it on to Beach Boys releases in one form or another, much of it was intended for various releases that never quite made it, and some of it has never seen the light of day. His music during this period, while not as conceptually ambitious as during the Pet Sounds era, was the most personal and idiosyncratic of his career. The music on this album will probably surprise anyone only familiar with the classic Beach Boys tunes, as the instrumentation is sparse and keyboard-heavy, and the singing (especially Brian's) is rather ragged.

While some fans were doubtlessly disappointed with this release, many consider it a minor masterpiece. Although Brian's voice may have felt the effects of one too many cigarettes, his songwriting was as unique as ever, and the sheer giddiness of the songs was like a breath of fresh air after the more AOR and soft-rock leanings of other Beach Boys albums from the era.

Solar System: Another doozy. This is a waltz, similar in spirit to earlier songs such as "Time to Get Alone" and "Be Here in the Morning", but more whimsical, innocent. Again, no fancy wordplay here, it's a tune about the planets. Nobody would think twice if it were on a children's record, but because it's Brian Wilson, it's got a little more quirk.

The Night Was So Young: One of the more fleshed-out songs on the album, this shows that romance was still on Brian's mind. A tender Carl lead vocal over an intimate (but minimal) arrangement with some fantastic group harmonies at the chorus. A decade earlier it might have been a classic, but at this point, it was more of a curio.

Brian Wilson

Carl Wilson

Dennis Wilson

Mike Love

Al Jardine

1995/96

While Wilson's solo output has been uneven and sparse, this set of tunes sees him atleast more relaxed than on previous (or current) releases. However, for anyone expecting the return of Pet Sounds, beware. The music here is largely fluff. Although Wilson's singing and producing don't seem to have lost much, his songs don't pack the emotional punch of yore. Paley sympathetic production often recalls mid-60s Beach Boys and Spector-isms, and ultimately, this music is fun, if not timeless.

Interestingly, these songs seem to have been a point of contention in the Wilson camp, with Brian's wife believing them too raw for release, while Paley contends they are the stuff of genius. Brian has since sued to get out of his contract with Imagination producer Joe Thomas, so perhaps some of this will actually see proper release.

You're Still A Mystery: This track, along with one other on the set, features the Beach Boys in perhaps their last recordings with brother Carl Wilson. The song is reminiscent of mid-70s Brian tunes, replete with minimal instrumentation, simple hook, and just enough of a clever vocal arrangement to warrant repeated listening. Actually, this is one of Brian's best choruses in a while, and the band sounds great (even Mike Love!).

Marketplace: Mega-inconsequentiality. This song is about, of all things, the marketplace. As in, where Brian buys his groceries. Before you cry 'emotional collapse,' there are some nicely complex harmonies here, but wouldn't it be nice if his reach would dare to approach his grasp? These days, you take what you can get, and be glad that he's on the road and out of bed.

Wilson, Andy Paley

with
The Beach Boys