@@jeremiah5342Then, Adult/Child was kinda like the 70s SMiLE in the sense of being the unreleased follow-up. Then, another 11 years later, that happened *again* with Brian Wilson’s self-titled album and the unreleased Sweet Insanity.
@@Vermonol I like (love) it nearer the end. I think this is an effective alternate sequence... 1. Funky Pretty 2. California Saga / Big Sur 3. California Saga / The Beaks of Eagles 4. California Saga / California 5. Steamboat 6. Trader 7. Leaving This Town (Edit - 4:55) 8. Fallin' in Love (Lady)* (Extra track) 9. Sail On, Sailor 10. Only With You
Screw Netflix . Listography ( and this list in particular ) are my prime viewing after work tonight. Thank you guys for the effort you’ve obviously put into this ( or maybe not an effort being The Beach Boys) 🙏...the Listography army continues to grow 👊🏻❤️
I am a 69 year old woman, a product of 60s,70s....I subscribed to your channel,because of your talk on the beach boys...I listened to every minute,enjoyed your insightful comments....my top 3.. 3.bb today...2 Holland...1 pet sounds...I grew up in an amazing time for music...beach boys to me ,never received the credit they deserved...thank you
It’s one of the most influential and forward thinking records ever recorded. It’s influenced just about every indie artist whether they know it or not.
@@creakyboards8517 Exactly. I listen to both and find Smiley Smile is good if you want something a little easier to digest while SMiLE takes you on a more complex journey. Brian created a work of art so deep it has three different personalities lol
I dunno. Half of it is some of their greatest work ("Feel Flows", "'Til I Die") and half of it is hopelessly cheesy ("Take a Load Off Your Feet", "A Day in the Life of A Tree".) I've also never cared for the fully recorded version of "Surf's Up"; it just sounds too fussy to me. Brian's solo piano version crushes it like a grape.
I've been binging your collective podcasts for a week now and I must say, this 73 year old former DJ and current musicologist is very impressed with you guys. Reviewing an entire band's catalogue is daunting enough, if you are sticking with what you grew up with, obviously late '90's as your formative years. But to take on my era's music, especially the Beach Boys (a top five favorite of mine) pleases me to no end. Such astute and concise evaluations of music from my teens from three individuals who could be the age of my grandchildren (if I had any).... well, that reassures me the 20th Century history of pop and rock and roll will endure through your efforts. Bravo, guys, gemtlemen. .
All 3 of your Pet Sounds comments / summations were superb . Jason’s personal and quite moving tribute to Pet Sounds particularly hit a nerve for me . The importance of this majestic piece of pop art couldn’t have been communicated any better by all 3 of you...true fans, not just stuffy rock historians . Fantastic stuff guys 🙏👊🏻❤️
Kramzer lost me by ludicrously ranking Still Cruisin’ ahead of Friends (what?!?!?) and claiming to hate “Sail On Sailor,” but mostly got me back with a well-argued, passionate argument for Sunflower. And for the first time I most agree with The Man of the People’s rankings. Thanks for the time and effort put into this one.
My list : 29. Summer in Paradise 28. Still Cruisin' 27. Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 26. The Beach Boys 25. Keepin' the Summer Alive 24. M.I.U. Album 23. 15 Big Ones 22. That's Why God Made the Radio 21. L.A. (Light Album) 20. Holland 19. The Beach Boys Christmas Album 18. Surfin' Safari 17. Surfin' U.S.A 16. Smiley Smile 15. Little Deuce Coupe 14. Carl and the Passions - "So Tough" 13. Shut Down Volume 2 12. Surf's Up 11. Summer Days (And Summer Nights) 10. Beach Boys Party! 9. 20/20 8. Friends 7. Surfer Girl 6. The Beach Boys Love You 5. All Summer Long 4. Wild Honey 3. Sunflower 2. The Beach Boys Today 1. Pet Sounds
Love the raw enthusiasm for Pet Sounds at the end...beats reading an article on the music theory for me! Just started listening to the whole discography so appreciate that you released this now. Pet Sounds and (for me) the Smile Sessions are some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard but their discography is truly intimidating, so it's good to have some impression of what to expect heading into each one.
30: Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 - 0.5 29: Summer in Paradise - 0.5 28: Still Cruisin’ - 0.5 27: Keepin’ the Summer Alive - 1 26: The Beach Boys - 1 25: 15 Big Ones - 1.5 24: MIU Album - 2 23: L.A. (Light Album) - 2 22: Carl and the Passions - So Tough! - 2.5 21: That’s Why God Made the Radio - 2.5 20: Little Deuce Coupe - 2.5 19: Surfin’ Safari - 2.5 18: The Beach Boys’ Party! - 3 17: The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album - 3 16: Holland - 3 15: Surfin’ USA - 3 14: Shut Down Vol. 2 - 3.5 13: Smiley Smile - 3.5 12: Surfer Girl - 3.5 11: All Summer Long - 3.5 10: Love You - 3.5 9: Friends - 3.5 8: 20/20 - 4 7: Surfs Up - 4 6: Wild Honey - 4 5: Summer Days (And Summer Nights) - 4 4: Today! - 4 3: Sunflower - 4.5 2: Pet Sounds - 5 1: The Smile Sessions - 5 (21:26) This is probably Jason’s worst take. Good Vibrations, Heroes and Villains, Cabin Essence, Our Prayer, Surfs Up and Cool Cool Water are the worst songs on their respective albums?!?! Are you kidding me?!?
A day in the Life of a tree is such a masterpiece 1. Pet Sounds 2. Surf's Up 3. Sunflower 4. Smile 5. Today 6. Friends 7. Love you 8. Summer Days 9. Holland 10. 20/20 or Wild Honey
Fantastic video, guys! They’re definitely part of my childhood soundtrack. My dad would play one of their cheap supermarket compilations in the car. Pet Sounds aside, I’ve never progressed beyond their best-of’s, yet have always adored their summer-sounding pop masterpieces. There’s too many favourites to mention!
I was one of the ones clamoring for The Beach Boys since you rebooted the channel, and this episode did not disappoint! Excellent work on this daunting task, gentlemen!
Honestly Smiley Smile’s weirdness is what makes me absolutely love it. It’s not quite as good as Pet Sounds or The Smile Sessions, but I still think it’s an incredibly underrated album.
Hello guys. I just wanna throw in my top 5 BB-records before i watch the show. I love this band for the most part. So here we go: 5. Wild Honey 4. Smiley Smile 3. Pet Sounds 2. Surf’s Up 1. Sunflower
i actually did it!! love the beach boys and i was planning to listen to their discography this summer anyway, but i had to REALLY speed through these to finish by the time you guys had this video up. but i managed! great band, i really love a lot of these albums. also i have so much more respect for you guys doing this every single week now. here's my list: 1. Pet Sounds 2. The Smile Sessions (if it counts) 3. Sunflower 4. Surf's Up 5. Today! 6. Smiley Smile 7. Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) 8. All Summer Long 9. Friends 10. Wild Honey 11. Holland 12. 20/20 13. Love You 14. Surfer Girl 15. M.I.U. Album 16. Surfin' U.S.A 17. Little Deuce Coupe 18. Christmas Album 19. Party! 20. Shut Down Volume 2 21. That's Why God Made the Radio 22. Carl and the Passions "So Tough" 23. L.A. (Light Album) 24. Surfin' Safari 25. 15 Big Ones 26. Keepin' the Summer Alive 27. The Beach Boys 28. Stars and Stripes, Vol. 1 29. Still Cruisin' 30. Summer in Paradise i kept my list together here which has a little more info about each ranking (rateyourmusic.com/list/tangerines/the-beach-boys-summer-listening-party/ ). anyway now im gonna actually watch the video LOL. excited to see your rankings!
I do love looking at every album. The Beach also lots of rejected albums from their record labels and were often under pressure to be more pop or more hip or more nostalgic. There was often a real divide in the band over direction during the 70s and when albums didn't sell, they often went in opposite directions on subsequent albums. It's an amazing history. It's also more amazing of what could have been if Brian was a stronger leader
I came home late this afternoon after undergoing some dental surgery and needed to relax and get my mind off it as the numbness wore off and the pain killers kicked in. No need for a movie - your feature length Beach Boys ranking was the absolutely just what I needed! Luv all your ranking vids but this just may have been your best! The Beach Boys discography is a very interesting one in and of itself and your articulate discussions of each album were great to hear. The lengthier discussions and love shown as you got into the Top 10 albums was amazing and Kram’s comments/description of “God Only Knows” gave me the chills. One of the finest songs ever made indeed! And I certainly need to pull out and listen to some of those early-mid 1970’s BB albums again. Masterfully done guys!! Great! How about a Byrds ranking one of these days?
I got to meet Brian Wilson at a meet and greet a few years ago when he was touring Pet Sounds. Been a longtime Beach Boys fan. Pet Sounds is the obvious top choice. One song that didn't get mentioned that deserves more attention is Break Away which was a stand alone single from 69. Cowritten by Brian and Murray Wilson. It barely charted in America but was more successful in the UK. For me it epitomizes everything great about the Beach Boys. You guys should check out the video on UA-cam from BBC Music of God Only Knows. It is a cover version with many different singers sharing the lead with a surrealistic video. I've watched it at least 100 times and it makes me cry. So beautiful. Brian is in it with a tiger on his grand piano. Elton, Dave Grohl, Chrissie Hynde, Stevie Wonder, etc. I really loved That's Why God Made the Radio. It felt like a classic Beach Boys album to me with a nice mix of fun pop songs and more mature material. Recently read Mike Love's autobiography and grew to appreciate him a bit more. He has been somewhat unfairly maligned over the years. Maybe he's a bit of a douche, but not really the villain he is portrayed as. His contributions to the band are quite significant. No ranking from me, but some favorites: Sunflower, 20/20, Today, Wild Honey, Summer Days, Smiley Smile, That's Why God Made the Radio.
Thank you for this presentation of your ranked Beach Boys albums. This was a very good 👍 program and I enjoyed listening to your individual perspectives.
The effort it took to create Pet Sounds and the effect it had on Brian Wilson tells you something of how good it is. It is, as you say, almost impossibly beautiful and perfect in its composition and arrangement. I will acknowledge God Only Knows' greatness. It has the best chord change of all time (I'll make you so *SURE* about it) and, as has been commented in singing about God, Wilson is touched by God. However, I have always thought Wouldn't It Be Nice is even better (and thanks Joe for mentioning it). It is such an incredibly joyous, uplifting song that has the youthful yearning and melancholy running through it that Jason talked about. This contrast affects me even more. It appears, at first, to be a typical Beach Boys hit but, it has such profound feeling behind it, it transforms into a work of art.
Great to see you tackle their discography guys! As a big Beach Boys fan, this was my gateway video to your channel a few weeks ago. I'm with Joe on liking Love You. Tons to like there in the melodies, and the strange synthy production is miles more interesting than anything they did after the early 70s. 1. Pet Sounds 5/5 2. Sunflower 5/5 3. The Beach Boys Today! 5/5 4. Surf's Up 4.5/5 5. Love You 4.5/5 6. Friends 4.5/5 7. 20/20 4/5 8. Holland 4/5 9. Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) 4/5 10. Wild Honey 4/5 11. Smiley Smile 4/5 12. All Summer Long 4/5 13. Surfer Girl 4/5 14. Carl and the Passions "So Tough" 3.5/5 15. Shut Down Volume 2 3.5/5 16. The Beach Boys' Christmas Album 3/5 17. Beach Boys' Party! 3/5 18. Surfin' USA 3/5 19. The Beach Boys 3/5 20. 15 Big Ones 2.5/5 21. M.I.U. Album 2.5/5 22. L.A. (Light Album) 2.5/5 23. That's Why God Made the Radio 2.5/5 24. Little Deuce Coupe 2.5/5 25. Surfin' Safari 2/5 26. Still Cruisin' 1.5/5 27. Keepin' the Summer Alive 1/5 28. Stars and Stripes, Vol. 1 1/5 29. Summer in Paradise 1/5
I really appreciated this video. Good comments overall, even though I am mostly with Joe this time both in his general appreciation of the band and the ranking of the albums. I completely agree that Caninessence is a fantastic song. If I could include The Smile Sessions in my ranking it would be number two even though some tracks are unfinished. The tracks that were re-recorded for Smiley Smile are so much better in their original versions, for example Wind Chimes. But excluding the Smile Sessions my top five would be: 1. Pet Sounds 2. Sunflower 3. Today 4. Surf’s Up 5. 20/20 (or maybe Holland)
"Sail On Sailor" is one of the best Beach Boys songs from the 70's. Thank you John Dubella from WMMR'S Morning Zoo circa 1985 for introducing me to this one.
@@MIKELIN8 That's one I didn't know about. I was mad at Howard Stern because I woke up on morning to hear T Morgan's oldies show on 94 WYSP, and found out it was replaced by Howard. I did have to give some respect to him though as he mentioned my name for being on the "Hey Mom I'm on 94 WYSP" show.
I wonder what Brian Wilson would think about your lists. When he’s been asked about his favourite Beach Boys album in various interviews he often answers Pet Sounds of course, but I’ve also heard him pick Friends and Love You
Finally you’re doing the Beach Boys! It will get some time to get through this video but it will be so much fun. Know all of their albums, and every album up to 1980 really well
Pet Sounds is a truly remarkable piece of art. I didn’t embrace it the first few times I heard it. It took time to fully appreciate and putting it in the context of the time it was made I think even still now many take it for granted, just how beautiful it is and how deep the songs are artistically and compositionally.
Same with my first listen or so years ago. Based on its reputation, I was expecting more raucous hits, but that's not what the album is. It is astonishing.
Pet Sounds is indeed the best album ever made! 💚💛🤍🖤 My top five ranking: 1. Pet Sounds 2. Sunflower 3. Wild Honey 4. The Beach Boys, Today! 5. Surfs Up
Fave Beach Boys albums: “The Beach Boys Love You”, “Wild Honey”, “Friends”, “Smiley Smile”, “The Beach Boys Today” & “Summer Days (And Summer Nights)”!!! xoxo The Clarences
My list : 29. Summer in Paradise 28. Stars and Stripes Vol 1 27. The Beach Boys 26. Keepin' the Summer Alive 25. Still Cruisin' 24. MIU Album 23. 15 Big Ones 22. Surfin' Safari 21. That's Why God Made the Radio 20. LA (Light Album) 19. The Beach Boys' Christmas Album 18. Beach Boys Party! 17. Surfin' USA 16. Little Deuce Coupe 15. Smiley Smile 14. Summer Days (Summer Nights!!) 13. Shut Down Volume 2 12. Carl and the Passions "So Tough" 11. Holland 10. Friends 9. 20/20 8. Surf's Up 7. Surfer Girl 6. The Beach Boys Love You 5. All Summer Long 4. Wild Honey 3. Sunflower 2. The Beach Boys Today ! 1. Pet Sounds
incredible lists you guys have made here. maybe the most underwhelming yet most fitting album cover for one of if not the greatest piece of music ever created.
Great review guys, I'm loving this type of quality, in depth stuff on the BB here on YT, learning so much about this amazing band that I never knew...and of course slowly slowly buying up the vinyl when I can.....I maybe have around 8 or 9 albums now. But none at all between PS and Holland...!! So the best yet to come....cheers, top men
Sun, Surf, and Hot Rods era: 1. Today! 2. Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) 3. All Summer Long 4. Surfer Girl 5. Surfin' USA 6. Shut Down Volume 2 7. Surfin' Safari 8. Little Deuce Coupe Artistic Growth & Experimentation era: 1. Pet Sounds 2. Smiley Smile 3. Surf's Up 4. Sunflower 5. Wild Honey 6. Friends 7. Holland 8. 20/20 9. Carl and the Passions ~ "So Tough" Post Endless Summer era: 1. The Beach Boys Love You 2. That's Why God Made the Radio 3. 15 Big Ones 4. L.A. (Light Album) 5. M.I.U. Album 6. The Beach Boys 7. Keepin' the Summer Alive 8. Still Cruisin' 9. Summer in Paradise Overall ranking: 1. Pet Sounds 2. Smiley Smile 3. Surf's Up 4. Today! 5. Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) 6. All Summer Long 7. Sunflower 8. Wild Honey 9. Friends 10. Surfer Girl 11. Holland 12. 20/20 13. Carl and the Passions ~ "So Tough" 14. Surfin' USA 15. Shut Down Volume 2 16. The Beach Boys Love You 17. That's Why God Made the Radio 18. 15 Big Ones 19. Surfin' Safari 20. Little Deuce Coupe 21. L.A. (Light Album) 22. M.I.U. Album 23. The Beach Boys 24. Keepin' the Summer Alive 25. Still Cruisin' 26. Summer in Paradise Note: I did not rank The Beach Boys Christmas Album, Beach Boys Party!, and Stars and Stripes Vol. 1, as I consider them outside the basic studio album canon.
amazing video as always guys! a bit disappointed to see no one likes smiley smile as much as me. it took a lot of effort for it to click for me, but i think it's really amazing... its very weird and trippy but it absolutely works and i adore it. one of you mentioned wild honey through 20/20 as being virtually interchangeable, but for me i see smiley smile through friends as being really part of a trilogy that all go together, and 20/20 is a bit weaker. part of that may be my love of smile sessions and time i spent listening to that record, so cabinessence feels a bit off and repetitive on 20/20 (but still a perfect song). on the other hand going deep on smile made me appreciate the unique differences on smiley smile even more. also, love your praise of all summer long, couldnt agree more about how great that record is! and the discussion of pet sounds at the end was beautiful, i definitely couldnt have said it better myself.
WAITING FOR THIS ALL DAY, I GOT PET SOUNDS AND SURFS UP ON VINYL LETS GO, here's my current top ten, may change once I do a relisten in the future: 1. Pet sounds 6. sunflower 2. Today! 7. summer days/nights 3. Smile Sessions 8. holland 4. Surfs up 9. friends 5. smiley smile 10. all summer long
Great list. I had an absolute blast watching. Thanks for doing this week after week. Its been one of the best things in the last couple years for me, period. I still go back and forth between Revolver and Pet Sounds. I think Revolver is still my favourite album ever, but Pet Sounds is the greater album overall. Pet Sounds was one of the albums that did thrust me into the world of the LP. Its literally a miracle. Im glad that Sunflower was so high. Its my #2 as well. The healthy disagreements were also highlights, as usual.
Yeah, _Revolver_ edges out _Pet Sounds_ for me, mostly because it's more musically diverse, whereas _Pet Sounds_ is a bunch of songs in generally the same style (even if they're all brilliant).
Do you guys mean the us version of revolver or the uk version cause theyre different the us version only have 11 songs and 3 lennon songs are omitted cause that was capitol records policy with beatles albums from 64 to 66 the uk versions of the same albums always had 14 songs so they killed revolver which was going to be regarded as a serious album as a piece of art where every song was important to the album as a whole but capitol was not ready for that yet and they didn't promote pet sounds very much cause they didn't "get it" if you know what i mean so it only got to number 10 in the charts and sold less than the beach boys greatest hits vol 3
Thank you for your reply Joe. I agree with what you said, I now think my comments should have been addressed to Jason who is normally more consistent with his comments. I love all your passion about music, I have been passionate about music since my first purchase which was the Turtles Happy Together. Keep up the good work. This site is awesome.
So enjoyable guys. Maybe your longest video but it just whizzed by. My favourite has always been Holland was so surprised to see it getting lots of love. Thought nobody knew about it!
Great video! I've been looking forward to this one. I revisited a bunch in preparation for this, so here it goes: 29. Still Cruisin': Just an absolute slog to get through. Make It Big and the title track are some of the most generic songs in their catalog. The only catchy song is Somewhere Near Japan, which was written by John Phillips about his daughter so... 28. Sumer in Paradise: It's as bad as everyone says, with Summer of Love probably being their worst song, BUT I genuinely like Lahaina Aloha, which, despite horrendous production, has a gorgeous hook sung by Carl. 27. Stars and Stripes. Vol. 1: Absolutely no reason for this to exist. Willie Nelson's The Warmth of the Sun is nice, and I like pretty much every version of I Can Hear Music, but the rest of the tracks are pointless, crap, or pointless crap. 26. Keepin' the Summer Alive: Not a single memorable track on here, good or bad. 25. Surfin' Safari: A fine start, but it's rough. Too many novelty tracks. 24. The Beach Boys: Getcha Back is a great song with a great bittersweet view of nostalgia. Without it, it might be bottom 3. California Calling sounds like a Beach Boys parody. 23. 15 Big Ones: They rushed this one out and it shows. The covers are embarrassing (Blueberry Hill in particular), and the originals are forgettable. The only memorable moment is Palisades Park, which Carl hits a home run on. It's OK is an accurate title. 22. L.A. (Light Album): Lady Lynda is quite nice. Here Comes the Night and Sumahama are awful. 21. That’s Why God Made the Radio: I want to like this album more than I do. The overproduction and lack of Carl really hurt it. 20. Beach Boys Party!: I know a lot of people have fun with this one, but it’s not one I find myself wanting to revisit. Barbra Ann is lots of fun though. 19. Smiley Smile: Good Vibrations and Heroes and Villains are brilliant, but they’re both better on the Smile Sessions. The rest of it is just weird and feels unfinished. 18. The Beach Boys Christmas Album: It’s not A Christmas Gift to You From Phil Spector but it’s quite good. I really like the second half. 17. The Beach Boys Love You: It’s interesting. I know some people love this, and I get why, but I have to be in the right mood. Mona is a fun rocker. 16. All Summer Long: Girls on the Beach finally completes Brian’s era of trying to re-write When You Wish Upon a Star. 15. M.I.U. Album: Hey Little Tomboy is the creepiest song of their career. That out of the way, I kind of like this one. Sweet Sunday Kinda Love is a gorgeous Carl vocal. 14. Surfin’ USA: The Lonely Sea might be Brian’s first great song. The rest is still a vast improvement over their debut. 13. Little Deuce Coupe: Beautiful harmonies and fun sounds. A bit too repetitive. 12. Friends: It’s enjoyable, but it’s the least memorable post-Smiley Smile, pre-15 Big Ones. It has a nice enough sound, but the individual tracks don’t stand out. 11. Surfer Girl: And so began Brian’s journey to rewrite When You Wish Upon a Star. In addition to those tracks, Hawaii and The Surfer Moon are some of their best early songs. 10. Summer Days (And Summer Nights): A step down from Today, but Let Him Run Wild, California Girls, and You’re So Good to Me are great Pet Sounds predecessors. 9. Shut Down, Vol. 2: Their surf rock opus. Fun Fun Fun and Don’t Worry Baby alone put this one in the top 10, and Keep an Eye on Summer is a great underrated early tune. 8. Carl and the Passions-“So Tough:” A great rock album with solid guitar work and nice vocals. Blondie and Ricky are great additions but they haven’t quite blended perfectly yet. 7. Surf’s Up: This was one of the hardest ones to rank, because I can’t stand Take a Load Off Your Feet, Disney Girls, and Student Demonstration Time, but the rest is brilliant. I even like A Day in the Life of a Tree, and obviously Til I Die and the title track are masterpieces. 6. Wild Honey: They don’t have a single album like this before or after it, and it’s a fun direction for the band. Carl’s vocals really come into their own here. 5. The Beach Boys Today: The proto-Pet Sounds even though there were a few other albums in between. Brian is at his most Spectorian here, and it’s glorious. 4. Sunflower: Essentially their White Album, with everyone putting in some of their best work, and bouncing around a bunch of different styles. Bruce’s contributions aren’t very Beach Boys-esque but they’re very nice, and This Whole World, Forever, and Our Sweet Love are gorgeous. 3. 20/20: Maybe not their most cohesive album, but oh my are there some brilliant tracks on here. Our Prayer and Cabinessence work better on Smile, but are still great, and Carl’s vocals on I Can Hear Music are jaw-droppingly god. Only The Beach Boys could have a great album where three separate songs are written by convicted murderers. 2. Pet Sounds: What can I say that hasn’t been said? Love, loss, heartbreak, homesickness, it’s all there, and it’s a symphonic masterpiece. There’s just one that means more to me. 1. Holland: An incredibly special album to me that I fall in love with more every time I listen to it. I find Carl to be the best singer in the group, and Dennis to be the best songwriter after Bryan, and they both shine here like never before. Even California Saga: California re-invents their California sound, where they’re in love with the land and the culture instead of just watching the girls on the beach. Blondie and Ricky were the jolt in the arm the band needed, and sadly, they were never this good again. One of my favorite albums of all time, bar none.
Wow. Holland for the win. Didn’t expect that one. But that’s interesting to see. I think you’re the first (that I’ve seen on this channel) to put it that high. - Joe
Well done mes amis! There's no way I could have made it through all the dross so I'm glad you guys did. You've given me some good leads to check out. Cheers!
Imagine if they had combined the best songs from Shut Down Volume 2 and All Summer Long. Without the filler tracks this 12-14 track LP would have been by far their best pre Pet Sounds record and a 5/5.
I am very sad you guys couldn't consider The Smile Sessions--The first 3 sides of the vinyl IS the album. As an album, it is truly gorgeous. I believe a huge case can be made for its inclusion.
A great list. I agree with most of your choices but I've got to say that 1) I really love 'Keeping The Summer Alive' (the 1st BB album I bought), 2) the disco 'Here Comes The Night' is mega! and 3) 'Strange Things Happen' is fab 😃
It always changes, but as of my right now my top ten has to be. 10. Carl and the Passions 9. Smiley Smile 8. 20/20 7. Wild Honey 6. Summer Days 5. Friends 4. Today 3. Surf's Up 2. Sunflower 1. Pet Sounds These are all A/A+ albums (in my opinion) so the ranking is very dependent my mood (Besides the top 4)
You guys are killin' me. No mention of the best songs .. Carl & the Passions- You need a mess of help to stand alone. Sunflower- This whole world. All summer long- Don't back down. Smiley Smile- Wonderful. Friends- Wake the world... I could go on🥵
Surfin' safari is what it sounds like : a bunch of kids. the beach boys were never a garage band. they were a living room band. surfin' usa is a HUGE improvement; a giant leap forward. the lonely sea is one of my all time favorite songs. the first glimpse we get of bw's more melancholy side. to me surfer girl, little Deuce Coupe, shut down volume 2, all summer long, Christmas album, TODAY! (my all time favorite album by ANYONE), summer days/nights, pet sounds, SMiLE! sessions, smiley smile (in the 70's this album was my favorite album by anyone of the previous decade, then i heard TODAY! and the doors's debut), wild honey, friends and 20/20 are all classic albums. i don't really count party! as a studio album. i could live without it. i like most of sunflower. i like much of surf's up. i really can't get into much of carl/passions and holland. i appreciate them more than i actually enjoy them. Mount Vernon and Fairway however is amazing. 15 big ones is/was a HUGE disappointment. the bb recorded it under duress. their label was threatening to sue them for not meeting the obligations of their contract. they owed the label two more records.they went into the studio and attempted to record two albums at once. they were going to record one album of covers and one album of new material, but the clock was ticking and they were running out of time. so they presented what they had recorded thus far as one album to buy them more time. this album should have been either all covers or all new material, not a mash-up. around this time they also recorded their second Christmas album hoping that would fullfill their contract, but the label rejected it. they did not want a Christmas album. it would take decades for this material /their second Christmas album to finally be released. LOVE YOU is my favorite album of the 70's. it is their last truly great, classic album. it was the last time they attempted to move forward. originally love you was to be a solo brian album called brian loves you. special note should be made of nearly every member of the band walked out during love you's recording process not knowing what to make of what brian was doing; dennis and carl MAY have hung around the studio more than the others. after this the bb stopped even atempting to move forward. mike love seized control of the band. they then proceeded to attempt and failed to regain their former, early era glory. i wish they had retired the BB name or retiring from recording after love you. the beach boys are my all time favorite band, but i do not listen to any of their post 1977 love you albums. even bruce says they sound like old men on MIU. l.a. light album has a very few good songs, but everything else post-love you i just wish would cease to exist. still crusin' to me isn't a studio album; just a compilation with left overs. That's Why God Made the Radio is a good reunion album.yeah after 1977 it was over.
This was really hard. I don't usually use star rankings, but Pet Sounds qualifies as 5☆, and I really LOVE a lot of these records. (The bottom four, though, stink). You'll see tomorrow how highly I rank Brian in my pantheon of rock icons. 1. Pet Sounds 2. Today! 3. Sunflower 4. All Summer Long 5. Smiley Smile 6. Summer Days and Summer Nights 7. Surf's Up 8. Surfer Girl 9. Holland 10. Friends 11. Wild Honey 12. Christmas Album 13. Shut Down Vol. 2 14. 20/20 15. Party! 16. So Tough 17. L.A. 18. Beach Boys Love You 19. Surfin' U.S.A. 20. Little Deuce Coupe 21. Surfin' Safari 22 That's Why God Made the Radio 23. The Beach Boys 24. M.I.U. Album 25. 15 Big Ones 26. Keepin' the Summer Alive 27. Still Cruisin' 28. Stars and Stripes 29. Summer In Paradise
1. Smiley Smile 2. All Summer Long 3. Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!) 4. 20/20 5. Surf's Up 6. Christmas Album 7. Pet Sounds 8. Sunflower 9. Friends 10. Wild Honey 11. Holland 12. Today! 13. Surfin' U.S.A. 14. Surfin' Safari 15. Shut Down Vol. 2 16. Little Deuce Coupe 17. 15 Big Ones 18. Beach Boys Love You 19. Surfer Girl 20. Keepin' the Summer Alive 21. Still Cruisin' 22. The Beach Boys 23. M.I.U. Album 24. That's Why God Made the Radio 25. L.A. (Light Album) 26. Carl and the Passions- So Tough 27. Summer in Paradise
18:16 I’m so glad you gave props to the last 3 songs on “That’s Why God Made the Radio.” I love those songs as well: From There to Back Again, Pacific Coast Highway 🛣 and Summer’s Gone. **Note: I also love how some of those songs are incorporated in The Seven Symphonies by the Antwerp Philharmonic Orchestra.**
Such an awesome episode. I find their whole ‘60s and ‘70s output to have something I enjoy. If you haven’t heard Shuggie Otis-Inspiration Information, I suggest it. The original ‘74 album, and then the version with Wings of Love.
Great video guys. Looking forward to your upcoming vid on The Mats. My top 5: 5. Friends 4. Holland 3. Surf's Up 2. Carl and the Passions... 1. Sunflower
No love for Little Deuce Coupe? The Ballad Of Ole Betsy is a sappy love song about a car, but the vocals just send me! It could just be because I grew up with it constantly playing in my house, but I love that album SO much!
My Top 10: 1. Pet Sounds 2. Sunflower 3. Today 4. Surf´s Up 5. Summer Days 6. Wild Honey 7. Surfin´Safari 8. 20/20 9. Holland 10. Love You Greetings from Canary Islands
Surf's Up could have so easily been tweaked just with the two Dennis songs that were cut. Throw Student Demonstration Time on a single somewhere instead to make Mike Love happy.
i only have Pet Sounds ..I need to hear the later 60s and 70s albums .. God Only Knows didn't get me much when I first heard it a long time ago but when it really sinks in after thinking about it and having listened more of it ,that is it ..it has a deep hook down in the soul....
wow! you made me startle when i saw it, I hope you'll do "the kinks" and "frank zappa" too in the future, for the time being thanks for all you're doing
Had Smile been finished, it probably would've surpassed Pet Sounds for me. Even in its unfinished state its one of the greatest musical achievements of the 20th century. If Pet Sounds sounds like music recorded in heaven, Smile was recorded by the Gods themselves.
Wow I like That’s Why God Made the Radio way more than most ppl lol, probably one of my favorites by them even if it’s incredibly produced. just such a nostalgic, but sometimes quite mature album
I'd give a little more credit for BB '85. Most of it sucks, but the high points ("Where I Belong", "I Do Love You", "It's Gettin' Late") do a nice job of blending their sound with '80s technology. It probably should have just been a Carl solo project; he's the only one who seems to really be trying.
It's a very underrated album imo. It was nice to not only hear them on the radio again... But to also see them venture into modern territory... Something they hadn't done since the 70s.
Very interesting to hear everyone's opinions on the whole discography! Lots of valid points, but definitely a lot of hot takes. Love how different the three of you's tastes are tho, as far as what you look for in the Beach Boys. My personal list is: (Counting Smile Sessions, and excluding Christmas Album because I do) 1. The Smile Sessions 2. Today! 3. Holland 4. Pet Sounds 5. Surf's Up 6. Sunflower 7. Wild Honey 8. Friends 9. 20/20 10. Shut Down, Volume Two 11. Love You 12. Smiley Smile 13. Carl and the Passions - So Tough 14. That's Why God Made the Radio 15. Party! 16. Surfin' USA 17. All Summer Long 18. Surfer Girl 19. Summer Days (and Summer Nights) 20. Surfin' Safari 21. 15 Big Ones 22. L.A. Light Album 23. Keepin' the Summer Alive 24. Still Cruisin' 25. Little Deuce Coupe 26. Stars and Stripes, Vol. 1 27. Beach Boys 28. M.I.U. Album 29. Summer in Paradise
The Beach Boys "Love you" is a masterpiece
It's Brian's 1970's Pet Sounds.
@@jeremiah5342Then, Adult/Child was kinda like the 70s SMiLE in the sense of being the unreleased follow-up. Then, another 11 years later, that happened *again* with Brian Wilson’s self-titled album and the unreleased Sweet Insanity.
"I hate Sail On Sailor". That sentence nearly knocked the wind out of me.
I wanted to go through the computer when he said that. - Joe
Are you kidding? Great tune on a one of their best albums sans Brian Wilson
What the hell, Holland is such a classic and that track is great opener
@@Vermonol I like (love) it nearer the end. I think this is an effective alternate sequence...
1. Funky Pretty
2. California Saga / Big Sur
3. California Saga / The Beaks of Eagles
4. California Saga / California
5. Steamboat
6. Trader
7. Leaving This Town (Edit - 4:55)
8. Fallin' in Love (Lady)* (Extra track)
9. Sail On, Sailor
10. Only With You
@@blackmore4 Fallin' In Love fits better on Surf's Up rather than Holland. Dennis wasn't even in the band really at that point.
Kramzer putting Still Crusin’ above Holland, Friends and 20/20 and even putting it that high at all….yeah. That was a whole new low for him lol
Screw Netflix . Listography ( and this list in particular ) are my prime viewing after work tonight. Thank you guys for the effort you’ve obviously put into this ( or maybe not an effort being The Beach Boys) 🙏...the Listography army continues to grow 👊🏻❤️
I am a 69 year old woman, a product of 60s,70s....I subscribed to your channel,because of your talk on the beach boys...I listened to every minute,enjoyed your insightful comments....my top 3.. 3.bb today...2 Holland...1 pet sounds...I grew up in an amazing time for music...beach boys to me ,never received the credit they deserved...thank you
To listen to the three of you rhapsodize over PET SOUNDS was a truly emotional experience. The power of words inspired by the power of music!
I love everything about Smiley Smile, it's such a fun, mysterious album.
My favorite for sure, every song is highly memorable and catchy. it's very chill too
It’s one of the most influential and forward thinking records ever recorded. It’s influenced just about every indie artist whether they know it or not.
Heroes and Villains is my favorite Beach Boys song
people think of it as a neutered SMiLE when in reality the two albums have completely different feels to them.
@@creakyboards8517 Exactly. I listen to both and find Smiley Smile is good if you want something a little easier to digest while SMiLE takes you on a more complex journey.
Brian created a work of art so deep it has three different personalities lol
Surfs up is my favourite, Till I Die and the title track are total masterpieces
I like Feel Flows even more.
Shame Dennis' "(Wouldn't It Be Nice) To Live Again" didn't also make the cut.
Just heard Surf's Up for first time today....it was awesome surprise. Not surprised if it pips Pet Sounds for some👍
@@threestringsomg glad u liked it, for some reason it just hits different than Pet Sounds. Have a great day, bro!
I dunno. Half of it is some of their greatest work ("Feel Flows", "'Til I Die") and half of it is hopelessly cheesy ("Take a Load Off Your Feet", "A Day in the Life of A Tree".) I've also never cared for the fully recorded version of "Surf's Up"; it just sounds too fussy to me. Brian's solo piano version crushes it like a grape.
I've been binging your collective podcasts for a week now and I must say, this 73 year old former DJ and current musicologist is very impressed with you guys. Reviewing an entire band's catalogue is daunting enough, if you are sticking with what you grew up with, obviously late '90's as your formative years. But to take on my era's music, especially the Beach Boys (a top five favorite of mine) pleases me to no end. Such astute and concise evaluations of music from my teens from three individuals who could be the age of my grandchildren (if I had any).... well, that reassures me the 20th Century history of pop and rock and roll will endure through your efforts. Bravo, guys, gemtlemen. .
Thank you!
All 3 of your Pet Sounds comments / summations were superb . Jason’s personal and quite moving tribute to Pet Sounds particularly hit a nerve for me . The importance of this majestic piece of pop art couldn’t have been communicated any better by all 3 of you...true fans, not just stuffy rock historians . Fantastic stuff guys 🙏👊🏻❤️
Pet Sounds is arguably the best album the group made. I also like Today, the Xmas album and the early cars-and-surfing albums.
Kramzer lost me by ludicrously ranking Still Cruisin’ ahead of Friends (what?!?!?) and claiming to hate “Sail On Sailor,” but mostly got me back with a well-argued, passionate argument for Sunflower. And for the first time I most agree with The Man of the People’s rankings. Thanks for the time and effort put into this one.
My list :
29. Summer in Paradise
28. Still Cruisin'
27. Stars and Stripes Vol. 1
26. The Beach Boys
25. Keepin' the Summer Alive
24. M.I.U. Album
23. 15 Big Ones
22. That's Why God Made the Radio
21. L.A. (Light Album)
20. Holland
19. The Beach Boys Christmas Album
18. Surfin' Safari
17. Surfin' U.S.A
16. Smiley Smile
15. Little Deuce Coupe
14. Carl and the Passions - "So Tough"
13. Shut Down Volume 2
12. Surf's Up
11. Summer Days (And Summer Nights)
10. Beach Boys Party!
9. 20/20
8. Friends
7. Surfer Girl
6. The Beach Boys Love You
5. All Summer Long
4. Wild Honey
3. Sunflower
2. The Beach Boys Today
1. Pet Sounds
Not bad though I actually quite like #22 and #26 - Friends I'd put in my top 5
Love the raw enthusiasm for Pet Sounds at the end...beats reading an article on the music theory for me! Just started listening to the whole discography so appreciate that you released this now. Pet Sounds and (for me) the Smile Sessions are some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard but their discography is truly intimidating, so it's good to have some impression of what to expect heading into each one.
30: Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 - 0.5
29: Summer in Paradise - 0.5
28: Still Cruisin’ - 0.5
27: Keepin’ the Summer Alive - 1
26: The Beach Boys - 1
25: 15 Big Ones - 1.5
24: MIU Album - 2
23: L.A. (Light Album) - 2
22: Carl and the Passions - So Tough! - 2.5
21: That’s Why God Made the Radio - 2.5
20: Little Deuce Coupe - 2.5
19: Surfin’ Safari - 2.5
18: The Beach Boys’ Party! - 3
17: The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album - 3
16: Holland - 3
15: Surfin’ USA - 3
14: Shut Down Vol. 2 - 3.5
13: Smiley Smile - 3.5
12: Surfer Girl - 3.5
11: All Summer Long - 3.5
10: Love You - 3.5
9: Friends - 3.5
8: 20/20 - 4
7: Surfs Up - 4
6: Wild Honey - 4
5: Summer Days (And Summer Nights) - 4
4: Today! - 4
3: Sunflower - 4.5
2: Pet Sounds - 5
1: The Smile Sessions - 5
(21:26) This is probably Jason’s worst take. Good Vibrations, Heroes and Villains, Cabin Essence, Our Prayer, Surfs Up and Cool Cool Water are the worst songs on their respective albums?!?! Are you kidding me?!?
"Break Away" was extremely underrated. Should've scored higher than #63 on charts.
I liked that one too. Especially that vocal bit near the end,
A day in the Life of a tree is such a masterpiece
1. Pet Sounds
2. Surf's Up
3. Sunflower
4. Smile
5. Today
6. Friends
7. Love you
8. Summer Days
9. Holland
10. 20/20 or Wild Honey
I'd rank Wild Honey or 20/20.
What a great video for a legendary band. Sure in my top ten bands/artist. They have made my life better.
Just FYI Dennis did the drumming on the majority of the All Summer Long album. Hal Blaine added some percussion
They are the only band that makes me smile and makes me cry. There music has brought me so much I would have to pick them as my number 1 band..
Fantastic video, guys! They’re definitely part of my childhood soundtrack. My dad would play one of their cheap supermarket compilations in the car. Pet Sounds aside, I’ve never progressed beyond their best-of’s, yet have always adored their summer-sounding pop masterpieces. There’s too many favourites to mention!
I was one of the ones clamoring for The Beach Boys since you rebooted the channel, and this episode did not disappoint! Excellent work on this daunting task, gentlemen!
Wild Honey I’ve always loved, especially the piano.
It's great, their Last essential 60s lp. Anyone that denies that it's @ the very least 3/4 bitchin' is a moron.
Honestly Smiley Smile’s weirdness is what makes me absolutely love it. It’s not quite as good as Pet Sounds or The Smile Sessions, but I still think it’s an incredibly underrated album.
The very strangeness of that album makes it a cult classic!
It’s a brilliant album. Even woody wood pecker is soothing to listen to.
Throw Smiley Smile and Wild Honey into a bowl, and shake the ingredients around a bit, and you can make something great, certainly!
You guys rock. Love the honesty and open-ness!
This is one of my favorite list of all time. You guys really know how to describe the music of The Beach Boys. Pet sounds 4 life.
Hello guys. I just wanna throw in my top 5 BB-records before i watch the show. I love this band for the most part. So here we go:
5. Wild Honey
4. Smiley Smile
3. Pet Sounds
2. Surf’s Up
1. Sunflower
Wheres Holland..?
@@fshoaps West coast of Europe (probably #6).
Fair list.
It's great to see you young fellows who weren't around at the start of the Beach Boys recordings have a good video about their albums.
Haven’t watched yet but I can’t wait to see what everyone picked as their second fav behind Pet Sounds.
How do you know Pet sounds is number 1?
@@marksantucci4230 it’s The Beach Boys masterpiece, and I pick sunflower or surfs up
Sunflower is better than Pet Sounds
@@idkyou8188 we all know what happened by now.
i actually did it!! love the beach boys and i was planning to listen to their discography this summer anyway, but i had to REALLY speed through these to finish by the time you guys had this video up. but i managed! great band, i really love a lot of these albums. also i have so much more respect for you guys doing this every single week now. here's my list:
1. Pet Sounds
2. The Smile Sessions (if it counts)
3. Sunflower
4. Surf's Up
5. Today!
6. Smiley Smile
7. Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)
8. All Summer Long
9. Friends
10. Wild Honey
11. Holland
12. 20/20
13. Love You
14. Surfer Girl
15. M.I.U. Album
16. Surfin' U.S.A
17. Little Deuce Coupe
18. Christmas Album
19. Party!
20. Shut Down Volume 2
21. That's Why God Made the Radio
22. Carl and the Passions "So Tough"
23. L.A. (Light Album)
24. Surfin' Safari
25. 15 Big Ones
26. Keepin' the Summer Alive
27. The Beach Boys
28. Stars and Stripes, Vol. 1
29. Still Cruisin'
30. Summer in Paradise
i kept my list together here which has a little more info about each ranking (rateyourmusic.com/list/tangerines/the-beach-boys-summer-listening-party/ ). anyway now im gonna actually watch the video LOL. excited to see your rankings!
The Smile Sessions absolutely counts. It'd be like ranking the Beatles and ignoring Sgt. Pepper's.
@@neesi1570 i completely agree. its truly a tragedy that it went unreleased for so long, but its out now! we have to treasure it!
Nice list but MIU way too high
I do love looking at every album. The Beach also lots of rejected albums from their record labels and were often under pressure to be more pop or more hip or more nostalgic. There was often a real divide in the band over direction during the 70s and when albums didn't sell, they often went in opposite directions on subsequent albums. It's an amazing history. It's also more amazing of what could have been if Brian was a stronger leader
I came home late this afternoon after undergoing some dental surgery and needed to relax and get my mind off it as the numbness wore off and the pain killers kicked in. No need for a movie - your feature length Beach Boys ranking was the absolutely just what I needed! Luv all your ranking vids but this just may have been your best! The Beach Boys discography is a very interesting one in and of itself and your articulate discussions of each album were great to hear. The lengthier discussions and love shown as you got into the Top 10 albums was amazing and Kram’s comments/description of “God Only Knows” gave me the chills. One of the finest songs ever made indeed! And I certainly need to pull out and listen to some of those early-mid 1970’s BB albums again. Masterfully done guys!! Great! How about a Byrds ranking one of these days?
I got to meet Brian Wilson at a meet and greet a few years ago when he was touring Pet Sounds. Been a longtime Beach Boys fan. Pet Sounds is the obvious top choice. One song that didn't get mentioned that deserves more attention is Break Away which was a stand alone single from 69. Cowritten by Brian and Murray Wilson. It barely charted in America but was more successful in the UK. For me it epitomizes everything great about the Beach Boys. You guys should check out the video on UA-cam from BBC Music of God Only Knows. It is a cover version with many different singers sharing the lead with a surrealistic video. I've watched it at least 100 times and it makes me cry. So beautiful. Brian is in it with a tiger on his grand piano. Elton, Dave Grohl, Chrissie Hynde, Stevie Wonder, etc. I really loved That's Why God Made the Radio. It felt like a classic Beach Boys album to me with a nice mix of fun pop songs and more mature material. Recently read Mike Love's autobiography and grew to appreciate him a bit more. He has been somewhat unfairly maligned over the years. Maybe he's a bit of a douche, but not really the villain he is portrayed as. His contributions to the band are quite significant. No ranking from me, but some favorites: Sunflower, 20/20, Today, Wild Honey, Summer Days, Smiley Smile, That's Why God Made the Radio.
I luv 'Break Away' too, it's tough to make a top 10 for the Beach Boys
@@chrismcgovern1647 yes it is
So.................I guess you could say Mike Love is more of a Hero than a Villain? (har-har)
Nice to see LA album getting well deserved recognition. Wild Honey deserves being up with the best albums.
Thank you for this presentation of your ranked Beach Boys albums. This was a very good 👍 program and I enjoyed listening to your individual perspectives.
The effort it took to create Pet Sounds and the effect it had on Brian Wilson tells you something of how good it is. It is, as you say, almost impossibly beautiful and perfect in its composition and arrangement. I will acknowledge God Only Knows' greatness. It has the best chord change of all time (I'll make you so *SURE* about it) and, as has been commented in singing about God, Wilson is touched by God.
However, I have always thought Wouldn't It Be Nice is even better (and thanks Joe for mentioning it). It is such an incredibly joyous, uplifting song that has the youthful yearning and melancholy running through it that Jason talked about. This contrast affects me even more. It appears, at first, to be a typical Beach Boys hit but, it has such profound feeling behind it, it transforms into a work of art.
Great to see you tackle their discography guys! As a big Beach Boys fan, this was my gateway video to your channel a few weeks ago.
I'm with Joe on liking Love You. Tons to like there in the melodies, and the strange synthy production is miles more interesting than anything they did after the early 70s.
1. Pet Sounds 5/5
2. Sunflower 5/5
3. The Beach Boys Today! 5/5
4. Surf's Up 4.5/5
5. Love You 4.5/5
6. Friends 4.5/5
7. 20/20 4/5
8. Holland 4/5
9. Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) 4/5
10. Wild Honey 4/5
11. Smiley Smile 4/5
12. All Summer Long 4/5
13. Surfer Girl 4/5
14. Carl and the Passions "So Tough" 3.5/5
15. Shut Down Volume 2
3.5/5
16. The Beach Boys' Christmas Album 3/5
17. Beach Boys' Party! 3/5
18. Surfin' USA
3/5
19. The Beach Boys
3/5
20. 15 Big Ones
2.5/5
21. M.I.U. Album
2.5/5
22. L.A. (Light Album) 2.5/5
23. That's Why God Made the Radio 2.5/5
24. Little Deuce Coupe 2.5/5
25. Surfin' Safari
2/5
26. Still Cruisin'
1.5/5
27. Keepin' the Summer Alive
1/5
28. Stars and Stripes, Vol. 1
1/5
29. Summer in Paradise 1/5
Very interesting and glad to see you younger folks digging on the greatest American band of all time !
I really appreciated this video. Good comments overall, even though I am mostly with Joe this time both in his general appreciation of the band and the ranking of the albums. I completely agree that Caninessence is a fantastic song. If I could include The Smile Sessions in my ranking it would be number two even though some tracks are unfinished. The tracks that were re-recorded for Smiley Smile are so much better in their original versions, for example Wind Chimes. But excluding the Smile Sessions my top five would be:
1. Pet Sounds
2. Sunflower
3. Today
4. Surf’s Up
5. 20/20 (or maybe Holland)
"Sail On Sailor" is one of the best Beach Boys songs from the 70's. Thank you John Dubella from WMMR'S Morning Zoo circa 1985 for introducing me to this one.
You're talking about John DeBella. Howard Stern's favorite DJ.
@@MIKELIN8 That's one I didn't know about. I was mad at Howard Stern because I woke up on morning to hear T Morgan's oldies show on 94 WYSP, and found out it was replaced by Howard. I did have to give some respect to him though as he mentioned my name for being on the "Hey Mom I'm on 94 WYSP" show.
Sail on Sailor, while a great song, isn't even the best song on the Holland Album. California Saga and Leaving This Town are better.
I wonder what Brian Wilson would think about your lists. When he’s been asked about his favourite Beach Boys album in various interviews he often answers Pet Sounds of course, but I’ve also heard him pick Friends and Love You
He’d appreciate our passion. - Joe
He definitely would!
Finally you’re doing the Beach Boys! It will get some time to get through this video but it will be so much fun. Know all of their albums, and every album up to 1980 really well
Pet Sounds is a truly remarkable piece of art. I didn’t embrace it the first few times I heard it. It took time to fully appreciate and putting it in the context of the time it was made I think even still now many take it for granted, just how beautiful it is and how deep the songs are artistically and compositionally.
Same with my first listen or so years ago. Based on its reputation, I was expecting more raucous hits, but that's not what the album is. It is astonishing.
Pet Sounds is indeed the best album ever made! 💚💛🤍🖤
My top five ranking:
1. Pet Sounds
2. Sunflower
3. Wild Honey
4. The Beach Boys, Today!
5. Surfs Up
Fave Beach Boys albums: “The Beach Boys Love You”, “Wild Honey”, “Friends”, “Smiley Smile”, “The Beach Boys Today” & “Summer Days (And Summer Nights)”!!! xoxo The Clarences
Beach Boys Today has been my #1 Beach Boys album since I first picked it up in ‘65 upon release ✅
Replace Big Daddy with a more fitting substitute & you’ve got a practically perfect album 👌
My list :
29. Summer in Paradise
28. Stars and Stripes Vol 1
27. The Beach Boys
26. Keepin' the Summer Alive
25. Still Cruisin'
24. MIU Album
23. 15 Big Ones
22. Surfin' Safari
21. That's Why God Made the Radio
20. LA (Light Album)
19. The Beach Boys' Christmas Album
18. Beach Boys Party!
17. Surfin' USA
16. Little Deuce Coupe
15. Smiley Smile
14. Summer Days (Summer Nights!!)
13. Shut Down Volume 2
12. Carl and the Passions "So Tough"
11. Holland
10. Friends
9. 20/20
8. Surf's Up
7. Surfer Girl
6. The Beach Boys Love You
5. All Summer Long
4. Wild Honey
3. Sunflower
2. The Beach Boys Today !
1. Pet Sounds
incredible lists you guys have made here. maybe the most underwhelming yet most fitting album cover for one of if not the greatest piece of music ever created.
The Beach Boys ranked worst to Pet Sounds
So, Summer in Paradise to Pet Sounds
can't argue with pet sounds but sunflower is probably the album I listen to most often
I’m loving this channel. I’m glad I found it.
Your videos makes much fun. I think Pet sounds is one of the best Pop Albums of all time. Greetings from Germany
This was fun!! I think next to Pet Sounds Holland has become my favourite! Also please do YES!!!
There's a great video of Brian, Carl, and Dennis singing "I'm Bugged at My Old Man" in 1976. Look it up on UA-cam, it's beautiful.
Great review guys, I'm loving this type of quality, in depth stuff on the BB here on YT, learning so much about this amazing band that I never knew...and of course slowly slowly buying up the vinyl when I can.....I maybe have around 8 or 9 albums now. But none at all between PS and Holland...!! So the best yet to come....cheers, top men
Sun, Surf, and Hot Rods era:
1. Today!
2. Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)
3. All Summer Long
4. Surfer Girl
5. Surfin' USA
6. Shut Down Volume 2
7. Surfin' Safari
8. Little Deuce Coupe
Artistic Growth & Experimentation era:
1. Pet Sounds
2. Smiley Smile
3. Surf's Up
4. Sunflower
5. Wild Honey
6. Friends
7. Holland
8. 20/20
9. Carl and the Passions ~ "So Tough"
Post Endless Summer era:
1. The Beach Boys Love You
2. That's Why God Made the Radio
3. 15 Big Ones
4. L.A. (Light Album)
5. M.I.U. Album
6. The Beach Boys
7. Keepin' the Summer Alive
8. Still Cruisin'
9. Summer in Paradise
Overall ranking:
1. Pet Sounds
2. Smiley Smile
3. Surf's Up
4. Today!
5. Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)
6. All Summer Long
7. Sunflower
8. Wild Honey
9. Friends
10. Surfer Girl
11. Holland
12. 20/20
13. Carl and the Passions ~ "So Tough"
14. Surfin' USA
15. Shut Down Volume 2
16. The Beach Boys Love You
17. That's Why God Made the Radio
18. 15 Big Ones
19. Surfin' Safari
20. Little Deuce Coupe
21. L.A. (Light Album)
22. M.I.U. Album
23. The Beach Boys
24. Keepin' the Summer Alive
25. Still Cruisin'
26. Summer in Paradise
Note: I did not rank The Beach Boys Christmas Album, Beach Boys Party!, and Stars and Stripes Vol. 1, as I consider them outside the basic studio album canon.
I liked the way you break it down, placing their albums into three different categories - before you ranked their discography over all.
Appreciated the love for Surf's Up: the most amazing song the Beach Boys ever recorded.
I really love Friends, sometimes even more than Pet Sounds. And not sure why. Maybe, is the best Beach Boys fragment songs
amazing video as always guys! a bit disappointed to see no one likes smiley smile as much as me. it took a lot of effort for it to click for me, but i think it's really amazing... its very weird and trippy but it absolutely works and i adore it. one of you mentioned wild honey through 20/20 as being virtually interchangeable, but for me i see smiley smile through friends as being really part of a trilogy that all go together, and 20/20 is a bit weaker. part of that may be my love of smile sessions and time i spent listening to that record, so cabinessence feels a bit off and repetitive on 20/20 (but still a perfect song). on the other hand going deep on smile made me appreciate the unique differences on smiley smile even more.
also, love your praise of all summer long, couldnt agree more about how great that record is! and the discussion of pet sounds at the end was beautiful, i definitely couldnt have said it better myself.
For me, Smiley Smile is a masterpiece just as Pet Sounds is. Just the completely different kind.
WAITING FOR THIS ALL DAY, I GOT PET SOUNDS AND SURFS UP ON VINYL LETS GO, here's my current top ten, may change once I do a relisten in the future:
1. Pet sounds 6. sunflower
2. Today! 7. summer days/nights
3. Smile Sessions 8. holland
4. Surfs up 9. friends
5. smiley smile 10. all summer long
Thanks for a detailed analysis! Joe’s analysts of Holland is perfect!
Great list. I had an absolute blast watching. Thanks for doing this week after week. Its been one of the best things in the last couple years for me, period. I still go back and forth between Revolver and Pet Sounds. I think Revolver is still my favourite album ever, but Pet Sounds is the greater album overall. Pet Sounds was one of the albums that did thrust me into the world of the LP. Its literally a miracle. Im glad that Sunflower was so high. Its my #2 as well. The healthy disagreements were also highlights, as usual.
Revolver is the better album. In fact it's not even close.
Yeah, _Revolver_ edges out _Pet Sounds_ for me, mostly because it's more musically diverse, whereas _Pet Sounds_ is a bunch of songs in generally the same style (even if they're all brilliant).
Do you guys mean the us version of revolver or the uk version cause theyre different the us version only have 11 songs and 3 lennon songs are omitted cause that was capitol records policy with beatles albums from 64 to 66 the uk versions of the same albums always had 14 songs so they killed revolver which was going to be regarded as a serious album as a piece of art where every song was important to the album as a whole but capitol was not ready for that yet and they didn't promote pet sounds very much cause they didn't "get it" if you know what i mean so it only got to number 10 in the charts and sold less than the beach boys greatest hits vol 3
@@martinkristensen8398 Yeah, the US bastardizations no longer exist in the CD/post-CD era, as far as I'm concerned.
Thank you for your reply Joe. I agree with what you said, I now think my comments should have been addressed to Jason who is normally more consistent with his comments. I love all your passion about music, I have been passionate about music since my first purchase which was the Turtles Happy Together. Keep up the good work. This site is awesome.
So enjoyable guys. Maybe your longest video but it just whizzed by. My favourite has always been Holland was so surprised to see it getting lots of love. Thought nobody knew about it!
It rules. Hard to believe bow overlooked it is. - Joe
I like the star system you guys have with each ranking, it’s interesting to see which of these albums peak into 4-5 star territory
Great video! I've been looking forward to this one.
I revisited a bunch in preparation for this, so here it goes:
29. Still Cruisin': Just an absolute slog to get through. Make It Big and the title track are some of the most generic songs in their catalog. The only catchy song is Somewhere Near Japan, which was written by John Phillips about his daughter so...
28. Sumer in Paradise: It's as bad as everyone says, with Summer of Love probably being their worst song, BUT I genuinely like Lahaina Aloha, which, despite horrendous production, has a gorgeous hook sung by Carl.
27. Stars and Stripes. Vol. 1: Absolutely no reason for this to exist. Willie Nelson's The Warmth of the Sun is nice, and I like pretty much every version of I Can Hear Music, but the rest of the tracks are pointless, crap, or pointless crap.
26. Keepin' the Summer Alive: Not a single memorable track on here, good or bad.
25. Surfin' Safari: A fine start, but it's rough. Too many novelty tracks.
24. The Beach Boys: Getcha Back is a great song with a great bittersweet view of nostalgia. Without it, it might be bottom 3. California Calling sounds like a Beach Boys parody.
23. 15 Big Ones: They rushed this one out and it shows. The covers are embarrassing (Blueberry Hill in particular), and the originals are forgettable. The only memorable moment is Palisades Park, which Carl hits a home run on. It's OK is an accurate title.
22. L.A. (Light Album): Lady Lynda is quite nice. Here Comes the Night and Sumahama are awful.
21. That’s Why God Made the Radio: I want to like this album more than I do. The overproduction and lack of Carl really hurt it.
20. Beach Boys Party!: I know a lot of people have fun with this one, but it’s not one I find myself wanting to revisit. Barbra Ann is lots of fun though.
19. Smiley Smile: Good Vibrations and Heroes and Villains are brilliant, but they’re both better on the Smile Sessions. The rest of it is just weird and feels unfinished.
18. The Beach Boys Christmas Album: It’s not A Christmas Gift to You From Phil Spector but it’s quite good. I really like the second half.
17. The Beach Boys Love You: It’s interesting. I know some people love this, and I get why, but I have to be in the right mood. Mona is a fun rocker.
16. All Summer Long: Girls on the Beach finally completes Brian’s era of trying to re-write When You Wish Upon a Star.
15. M.I.U. Album: Hey Little Tomboy is the creepiest song of their career. That out of the way, I kind of like this one. Sweet Sunday Kinda Love is a gorgeous Carl vocal.
14. Surfin’ USA: The Lonely Sea might be Brian’s first great song. The rest is still a vast improvement over their debut.
13. Little Deuce Coupe: Beautiful harmonies and fun sounds. A bit too repetitive.
12. Friends: It’s enjoyable, but it’s the least memorable post-Smiley Smile, pre-15 Big Ones. It has a nice enough sound, but the individual tracks don’t stand out.
11. Surfer Girl: And so began Brian’s journey to rewrite When You Wish Upon a Star. In addition to those tracks, Hawaii and The Surfer Moon are some of their best early songs.
10. Summer Days (And Summer Nights): A step down from Today, but Let Him Run Wild, California Girls, and You’re So Good to Me are great Pet Sounds predecessors.
9. Shut Down, Vol. 2: Their surf rock opus. Fun Fun Fun and Don’t Worry Baby alone put this one in the top 10, and Keep an Eye on Summer is a great underrated early tune.
8. Carl and the Passions-“So Tough:” A great rock album with solid guitar work and nice vocals. Blondie and Ricky are great additions but they haven’t quite blended perfectly yet.
7. Surf’s Up: This was one of the hardest ones to rank, because I can’t stand Take a Load Off Your Feet, Disney Girls, and Student Demonstration Time, but the rest is brilliant. I even like A Day in the Life of a Tree, and obviously Til I Die and the title track are masterpieces.
6. Wild Honey: They don’t have a single album like this before or after it, and it’s a fun direction for the band. Carl’s vocals really come into their own here.
5. The Beach Boys Today: The proto-Pet Sounds even though there were a few other albums in between. Brian is at his most Spectorian here, and it’s glorious.
4. Sunflower: Essentially their White Album, with everyone putting in some of their best work, and bouncing around a bunch of different styles. Bruce’s contributions aren’t very Beach Boys-esque but they’re very nice, and This Whole World, Forever, and Our Sweet Love are gorgeous.
3. 20/20: Maybe not their most cohesive album, but oh my are there some brilliant tracks on here. Our Prayer and Cabinessence work better on Smile, but are still great, and Carl’s vocals on I Can Hear Music are jaw-droppingly god. Only The Beach Boys could have a great album where three separate songs are written by convicted murderers.
2. Pet Sounds: What can I say that hasn’t been said? Love, loss, heartbreak, homesickness, it’s all there, and it’s a symphonic masterpiece. There’s just one that means more to me.
1. Holland: An incredibly special album to me that I fall in love with more every time I listen to it. I find Carl to be the best singer in the group, and Dennis to be the best songwriter after Bryan, and they both shine here like never before. Even California Saga: California re-invents their California sound, where they’re in love with the land and the culture instead of just watching the girls on the beach. Blondie and Ricky were the jolt in the arm the band needed, and sadly, they were never this good again. One of my favorite albums of all time, bar none.
Wow. Holland for the win. Didn’t expect that one. But that’s interesting to see. I think you’re the first (that I’ve seen on this channel) to put it that high. - Joe
Brilliant list and brilliant discussion. Glad to see you put Holland at no. 1. It’s truly a timeless classic.
Killer episode fellas! Excellent tips on what to listen to besides Pet Sounds, although, truth be told, Pet Sounds is enough all on its lonesome.
'Keepin the Summer Alive' has a lot of wretched stuff but the title track and Goin' On are gems.
Imma watch it tomorrow, it's almost midnight here haha. But I'm hyped!
Well done mes amis! There's no way I could have made it through all the dross so I'm glad you guys did. You've given me some good leads to check out. Cheers!
Imagine if they had combined the best songs from Shut Down Volume 2 and All Summer Long. Without the filler tracks this 12-14 track LP would have been by far their best pre Pet Sounds record and a 5/5.
I am very sad you guys couldn't consider The Smile Sessions--The first 3 sides of the vinyl IS the album. As an album, it is truly gorgeous. I believe a huge case can be made for its inclusion.
My top 10 BB albums:
10. Summer days & summer nights
9. Surfer girl
8. Holland
7. Wild honey
6. Smiley smile
5. Sunflower
4. Surfs up
3. 20/20
2. Friends
1. Pet sounds
Joe's list is the best, I love seeing Surf's up so high
A great list. I agree with most of your choices but I've got to say that 1) I really love 'Keeping The Summer Alive' (the 1st BB album I bought), 2) the disco 'Here Comes The Night' is mega! and 3) 'Strange Things Happen' is fab 😃
It always changes, but as of my right now my top ten has to be.
10. Carl and the Passions
9. Smiley Smile
8. 20/20
7. Wild Honey
6. Summer Days
5. Friends
4. Today
3. Surf's Up
2. Sunflower
1. Pet Sounds
These are all A/A+ albums (in my opinion) so the ranking is very dependent my mood (Besides the top 4)
You guys are killin' me. No mention of the best songs .. Carl & the Passions- You need a mess of help to stand alone. Sunflower- This whole world. All summer long- Don't back down. Smiley Smile- Wonderful. Friends- Wake the world... I could go on🥵
Surfin' safari is what it sounds like : a bunch of kids. the beach boys were never a garage band. they were a living room band. surfin' usa is a HUGE improvement; a giant leap forward. the lonely sea is one of my all time favorite songs. the first glimpse we get of bw's more melancholy side. to me surfer girl, little Deuce Coupe, shut down volume 2, all summer long, Christmas album, TODAY! (my all time favorite album by ANYONE), summer days/nights, pet sounds, SMiLE! sessions, smiley smile (in the 70's this album was my favorite album by anyone of the previous decade, then i heard TODAY! and the doors's debut), wild honey, friends and 20/20 are all classic albums. i don't really count party! as a studio album. i could live without it. i like most of sunflower. i like much of surf's up. i really can't get into much of carl/passions and holland. i appreciate them more than i actually enjoy them. Mount Vernon and Fairway however is amazing. 15 big ones is/was a HUGE disappointment. the bb recorded it under duress. their label was threatening to sue them for not meeting the obligations of their contract. they owed the label two more records.they went into the studio and attempted to record two albums at once. they were going to record one album of covers and one album of new material, but the clock was ticking and they were running out of time. so they presented what they had recorded thus far as one album to buy them more time. this album should have been either all covers or all new material, not a mash-up. around this time they also recorded their second Christmas album hoping that would fullfill their contract, but the label rejected it. they did not want a Christmas album. it would take decades for this material /their second Christmas album to finally be released. LOVE YOU is my favorite album of the 70's. it is their last truly great, classic album. it was the last time they attempted to move forward. originally love you was to be a solo brian album called brian loves you. special note should be made of nearly every member of the band walked out during love you's recording process not knowing what to make of what brian was doing; dennis and carl MAY have hung around the studio more than the others. after this the bb stopped even atempting to move forward. mike love seized control of the band. they then proceeded to attempt and failed to regain their former, early era glory. i wish they had retired the BB name or retiring from recording after love you. the beach boys are my all time favorite band, but i do not listen to any of their post 1977 love you albums. even bruce says they sound like old men on MIU. l.a. light album has a very few good songs, but everything else post-love you i just wish would cease to exist. still crusin' to me isn't a studio album; just a compilation with left overs. That's Why God Made the Radio is a good reunion album.yeah after 1977 it was over.
20/20 is criminally underrated.
This was really hard. I don't usually use star rankings, but Pet Sounds qualifies as 5☆, and I really LOVE a lot of these records. (The bottom four, though, stink). You'll see tomorrow how highly I rank Brian in my pantheon of rock icons.
1. Pet Sounds
2. Today!
3. Sunflower
4. All Summer Long
5. Smiley Smile
6. Summer Days and Summer Nights
7. Surf's Up
8. Surfer Girl
9. Holland
10. Friends
11. Wild Honey
12. Christmas Album
13. Shut Down Vol. 2
14. 20/20
15. Party!
16. So Tough
17. L.A.
18. Beach Boys Love You
19. Surfin' U.S.A.
20. Little Deuce Coupe
21. Surfin' Safari
22 That's Why God Made the Radio
23. The Beach Boys
24. M.I.U. Album
25. 15 Big Ones
26. Keepin' the Summer Alive
27. Still Cruisin'
28. Stars and Stripes
29. Summer In Paradise
Wow I've been waiting for this one!
1. Smiley Smile
2. All Summer Long
3. Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!)
4. 20/20
5. Surf's Up
6. Christmas Album
7. Pet Sounds
8. Sunflower
9. Friends
10. Wild Honey
11. Holland
12. Today!
13. Surfin' U.S.A.
14. Surfin' Safari
15. Shut Down Vol. 2
16. Little Deuce Coupe
17. 15 Big Ones
18. Beach Boys Love You
19. Surfer Girl
20. Keepin' the Summer Alive
21. Still Cruisin'
22. The Beach Boys
23. M.I.U. Album
24. That's Why God Made the Radio
25. L.A. (Light Album)
26. Carl and the Passions- So Tough
27. Summer in Paradise
Pet sounds at 7 wowwww
18:16 I’m so glad you gave props to the last 3 songs on “That’s Why God Made the Radio.” I love those songs as well: From There to Back Again, Pacific Coast Highway 🛣 and Summer’s Gone. **Note: I also love how some of those songs are incorporated in The Seven Symphonies by the Antwerp Philharmonic Orchestra.**
Such an awesome episode. I find their whole ‘60s and ‘70s output to have something I enjoy. If you haven’t heard Shuggie Otis-Inspiration Information, I suggest it. The original ‘74 album, and then the version with Wings of Love.
Great video guys. Looking forward to your upcoming vid on The Mats.
My top 5:
5. Friends
4. Holland
3. Surf's Up
2. Carl and the Passions...
1. Sunflower
No love for Little Deuce Coupe? The Ballad Of Ole Betsy is a sappy love song about a car, but the vocals just send me! It could just be because I grew up with it constantly playing in my house, but I love that album SO much!
My Top 10:
1. Pet Sounds
2. Sunflower
3. Today
4. Surf´s Up
5. Summer Days
6. Wild Honey
7. Surfin´Safari
8. 20/20
9. Holland
10. Love You
Greetings from Canary Islands
Surf's Up could have so easily been tweaked just with the two Dennis songs that were cut. Throw Student Demonstration Time on a single somewhere instead to make Mike Love happy.
Couldn't agree more about God only knows. It's just perfection. Nothing more can be said to justify its genius.
i only have Pet Sounds ..I need to hear the later 60s and 70s albums .. God Only Knows didn't get me much when I first heard it a long time ago but when it really sinks in after thinking about it and having listened more of it ,that is it ..it has a deep hook down in the soul....
wow! you made me startle when i saw it, I hope you'll do "the kinks" and "frank zappa" too in the future, for the time being thanks for all you're doing
Zappa is way to hard to do
But the kinks I totally agree
Friends was underrated by all. Definitely a top ten Beach Boys album, probably top five for me.
Great video guys… loved it and working my play through the albums… thanks again for your tremendous channel
That was a fantastic discussion.Really love your channel.
Had Smile been finished, it probably would've surpassed Pet Sounds for me. Even in its unfinished state its one of the greatest musical achievements of the 20th century. If Pet Sounds sounds like music recorded in heaven, Smile was recorded by the Gods themselves.
Always thought the Beach Boys were lame, but thanks for clueing me in to the Sunflower hidden gem. Love the channel!
YOURE LAME!! you probably listen to hip-hop & creed.
These guys ranking Love You that low shows that they really don't get Brian Wilson at all. Beach Boys Love You it's a bizarro masterpiece.
Excuse me? I have it at a high 4 stars. I think I get it. - Joe
Joe is the only one who seemed to get The Beach Boys. He seemed in the realm of reasonableness on love you and Holland.
Wow I like That’s Why God Made the Radio way more than most ppl lol, probably one of my favorites by them even if it’s incredibly produced. just such a nostalgic, but sometimes quite mature album
I'd give a little more credit for BB '85. Most of it sucks, but the high points ("Where I Belong", "I Do Love You", "It's Gettin' Late") do a nice job of blending their sound with '80s technology. It probably should have just been a Carl solo project; he's the only one who seems to really be trying.
"I Do Love You" is a quite good mid 80's Stevie Wonder song. Nice harmonica.
It's a very underrated album imo. It was nice to not only hear them on the radio again... But to also see them venture into modern territory... Something they hadn't done since the 70s.
Nice The Beach Boys! My Favorite band. Also Beach Boys Love You is great. Top 5 album for me.
You get it. - Joe
Very interesting to hear everyone's opinions on the whole discography! Lots of valid points, but definitely a lot of hot takes. Love how different the three of you's tastes are tho, as far as what you look for in the Beach Boys.
My personal list is: (Counting Smile Sessions, and excluding Christmas Album because I do)
1. The Smile Sessions
2. Today!
3. Holland
4. Pet Sounds
5. Surf's Up
6. Sunflower
7. Wild Honey
8. Friends
9. 20/20
10. Shut Down, Volume Two
11. Love You
12. Smiley Smile
13. Carl and the Passions - So Tough
14. That's Why God Made the Radio
15. Party!
16. Surfin' USA
17. All Summer Long
18. Surfer Girl
19. Summer Days (and Summer Nights)
20. Surfin' Safari
21. 15 Big Ones
22. L.A. Light Album
23. Keepin' the Summer Alive
24. Still Cruisin'
25. Little Deuce Coupe
26. Stars and Stripes, Vol. 1
27. Beach Boys
28. M.I.U. Album
29. Summer in Paradise