The Beach Boys

When I first heard Paul McCartney go on and on about how important The Beach Boys were to him, I said to myself, "That surf band?" I was surprised when I got into them a little more and heard Pet Sounds and Smile and realized what he was talking about. Of course, they're still fun, fun, fun.

see Brian Wilson

Information: The Beach Boys
Suggested first purchase: Pet Sounds
Suggested best of: Sounds of Summer

The Beach Boys' Christmas Album (1964) -- Pretty fun Christmas stuff. It's no Phil Spector's Christmas or anything, but it's good. B

Pet Sounds (1966) -- Some people (apparently even Brian Wilson himself) treat this album like it's some kind of message from God, but I don't see it that way. Even though it's way advanced music, I still don't see how it's as moving as all these people say it is. They describe Pet Sounds the way I describe Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. That said, I don't disagree that it's a brilliant and important album, even if it doesn't affect me much personally. B

Smile (1967) -- There wasn't a real release, so I have some kind of "this is what it would have been" version someone put together. Of course you can get the Brian Wilson version now. I think it's better than Pet Sounds, closer to the spiritually signifigant album people say it is. B

Ultimate Christmas (1998) -- Every Christmas recording out there from The Beach Boys: the complete 1964 album, the unreleased one from the 70s, and other stuff thrown in. It gets a bit messy, but that's part of what Christmas is about. B