Beach Boys - 20 Good Vibrations, The Greatest Hits (Volume 1) [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

The Beach Boys | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 21, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B00001IVJY
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (94 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,149 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #5 in Music > Rock > Oldies & Retro > Surf Rock
  • #16 in Music > Pop > Oldies > Baroque Pop
  • #85 in Music > Classic Rock > Psychedelic Rock

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

The three-volume Good Vibrations series is designed with the hits-hungry fan in mind. Eschewing a strict chronological approach, the best-of sets are arranged according to charting position. Thus the initial collection is laden with the group's trademark tunes, ranging from the California boys' first top 10 charter, 1962's "Surfin' Safari," to their last, 1988's "Kokomo," a stray, post-Brian Wilson success. "Kokomo" is by far the newest selection included here; nothing else dates past 1966's No. 1 smash, "Good Vibrations." With the likes of "Fun, Fun, Fun," "I Get Around," "California Girls," and the incandescent "God Only Knows" rounding out the set, Greatest Hits Volume 1 is the ideal first pick for anyone looking for the Beach Boys at their commercial peak. --Steven Stolder

Product Description

Beach Boys Photos

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars + 1/2 stars...Their Biggest Hits, March 13, 2004

By 

Steve Vrana (Aurora, NE) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Beach Boys - 20 Good Vibrations, The Greatest Hits (Volume 1) (Audio CD)

In 1999-2000, Capitol Records put out three separate volumes of the Beach Boys greatest hits. For the casual fan who didn't want to shell out for the box set GOOD VIBRATIONS, this seemed like a logical marketing decision. Volume I has the highest hit quotient and included all of their Sixties Top 10 hits (with the exception of "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)"). The 12-page foldout booklet is a bit awkward, but it contains a terrific essay by Beach Boy author Brad Elliot, recording information on each song, and great photos (including a couple including one-time Beach Boy David Marks). If you buy all three volumes, you wind up with all thirty-four Beach Boy hits from 1962-1988. [Note: 1981's "Beach Boy Medley" is not included on any of the volumes.] And with a total of 60 tracks between the three volumes, you also get key album tracks and lesser hits. ["Catch a Wave" is the only non-hit from Volume 1, but the song charted for Jan & Dean in 1964 when they changed the lyrics and retitled it "Sidewalk Surfin'."] The only drawback to this CD is its 49:10 running time. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 4 and a half! Nice selection when paired with Vol. 2, August 19, 2000

By 

T.J. (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beach Boys - 20 Good Vibrations, The Greatest Hits (Volume 1) (Audio CD)

As a big fan of the Beach Boys' 60s catalog, I would call this CD, along with Vol. 2, a very reasonable compilation of their 60s work. It's very easy not to skip TOO many of the Beach Boys' greatest songs because many of their early LPs contain a lot of filler and overly repeated themes that might not always be tolerable by the casual listener.

This CD is classic all the way! You got your surf songs (Surfer Girl, Surfin' USA, Surfin' Safari, Catch A Wave), your car songs (Shut Down, Little Deuce Coupe, 409, Fun Fun Fun, I Get Around), then you have the near perfect studio productions from the mid-60s (California Girls, Good Vibrations, God Only Knows, Sloop John B), some more hits (Help Me Rhonda, Barbara Ann, Do You Wanna Dance), etc, etc.

You MUST get Vol. 2 or you'll miss out on so many other great songs!!!

Beware of which pressing of the CD you get. I guess you can't really tell by ordering online, but the new pressings use the original 45rpm single mixes (or mono-version-of-the-LP mixes) and before, several of these songs were in stereo. I'm sorry mono fans, but the stereo versions just sound so much clearer. (I hope someday the LPs "Today" and "Summer Days" from 1965 are remixed in stereo like "Pet Sounds" was recently, because that makes up the bulk of their 60s catalog you can't hear in stereo.)

41 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Why Use The Mono Remixes?, October 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Beach Boys - 20 Good Vibrations, The Greatest Hits (Volume 1) (Audio CD)

I guess that Capitol wanted to go the same route that Motown did and rerelease the mono sinlge mixes of the hits. Actually, in this band's case, this is not an improvement, even though Brian Wilson himself probably intended the recordings to be mono. The mono recordings are very muddy and one cannot hear the details of the songs as well as on the stereo versions. The CD booklet is somewhat improved and the songs have been restored to chronological order. This is a nice try, but it really does not add anything to existing catalog. Capitol faces a monumental task in restoring the Beach Boys back catalogue and I'm afraid that this CD was just treading water. Endless Summer has been deleted as well as most of the original albums.