The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys Today!

I'm a defender of early Beach Boys but I can recognize that there's a distinct moment when the Beach Boys finally broke the mold and started masterfully creating flawless pop masterpieces in a seemingly effortless style. That moment, of course, is The Beach Boys Today!

But unlike previous records, this is where we really see the genius of Brian Wilson start to shine through. On tracks like "When I Grow Up" we see the Boys start to experiment with different sound pallets and while it ... read more

Finally. The moment where The Beach Boys became the musicians we know them as today. The album where Brian Wilson releases all of his creativity, proving that The Beach Boys can be more than just surfer bros and car lovers. The moment where The Beach Boys started releasing genuinely great material.

The Beach Boys Today is unquestionably The Beach Boys' first major classic. Sure, Surfin' U.S.A. and Surfer Girl are seen by some to be the first couple of classics due to the many famous tunes on ... read more

Not my favorite Beach Boys album. However, it’s made clear on here how much they have matured with their sound. On this record they really go from Beach Boys to Beach Men. It’s not too enjoyable, but it’s pretty meaningful and significant.

Moving away from anything resembling surf or a hot rod tune, all but 2 songs are about mature topics like growing up, relationships and heartbreak. This album would lay the template for what eventually would become Pet Sounds. That’s not to say that this album is Pet Sounds lite as songs like “Please Let Me Wonder” or “She Knows Me Too Well” not only equal many of the songs on that aforementioned album, but remain some of the Brians most sophisticated ... read more