Summer in Paradise

The Beach Boys

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 3, 1992)
• Original Release Date: August 3, 1992
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Brother Records/Ka
• ASIN: B000001YJH
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #24,072 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Hot Fun in the Summertime

2. Surfin'

3. Summer of Love

4. Island Fever

5. Still Surfin'

6. Slow Summer Dancin' (One Summer Night)

7. Strange Things Happen

8. Remember (Walking in the Sand)

9. Lahaina Aloha

10. Under the Boardwalk

11. Summer in Paradise

12. Forever

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Beach Boys album that Brian fans love to hate, April 27, 2005

By	Daniel B. Yoe "Miami Dan" (Marietta, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I never really understood the vitriole surrounding this album until I began to visit the Brian Wilson website and came to understand exactly how much many Brian Wilson fans despise cousin Mike Love. It has to be the hatred of Mike Love that drives some of these completely negative reviews, because I really don't think that it's the music on Summer In Paradise that does it. I'm not going to make the claim that this is the best album the Beach Boys ever did, or anything approaching their best, for that matter. SIP pales in comparison to their work on Pet Sounds, Sunflower or Surf's Up, but then again, so do 95% of the albums ever made - by anybody, including the Beach Boys. What I will say about Summer in Paradise is that should be an enjoyable listen for anybody who likes harmonic, breezy musical fare. It has its weak moments, to be sure. The Boys' version of "Hot Fun in the Summertime" is one that I always skip over, "Summer of Love" borders on embarrassing, and while I think that Mike Love's intentions were probably good when he let John Stamos re-record Dennis Wilson's lovely "Forever" from the Sunflower album, the original version is far more powerful. There's a lot of good to be found here, though. "Still Surfin", "Lahaina Aloha", "Island Fever" (which Mike admits is a close cousin to "Kokomo" in the liner notes) and "Strange Things Happen" are all excellent new tracks and there are some fantastic Carl Wilson vocals to be found in there. The title cut, while more powerful in the live version, is also a nifty track, although the ecology-related lyrics (not unusual at all for post-Pet Sounds Beach Boys material) suffer a little from Love's trademark banality (example - "surfers recycle now don't you know, all the way from California to Kokomo" - ouch!). The covers are something of a mixed bag and I seem to be the only one who truly enjoyed Love's version of the Drifters' classic "Under the Boardwalk". Summer In Paradise's greatest fault, in my view, is the lack of participation in the songwriting by Carl Wilson and Alan Jardine. I think that the material would have been greatly bolstered had these two original Beach Boys gotten more involved in the project. My take on Summer in Paradise is that it's an enjoyable, albeit lightweight, effort from the best American band ever to take the stage. It could have, and probably should have been better than it is, but it is nowhere near as bad as some of the 1 star reviews here would have us believe. A second version of this album, with different mixes on several of the tracks, was released in Europe. In my opinion the European version is slightly better than the U.S. If you're not expecting something to top "Pet Sounds", I'll venture a guess that you'll be pleasantly surprised by Summer In Paradise.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The last original Beach Boys album, I fear., January 29, 2002

By	Kendal B. Hunter (Provo, UT United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

First of all, this album is not as bad as critics make it out to be. If you own a lot of the 1970's Beach Boys albums, then you know whereof I speak. In fact, it is an exceptional album, considering most of their post SMiLE fare. I think the main complaint is that there is no Brian Wilson, since he was off doing his solo projects, which I highly recommend, especially his remastered '88 solo album.

This album was one of their best albums. It has superb production, great orchestration, great vocalizations, and so forth. You can actually enjoy the songs. True, many of these songs are throwbacks to the Surfin USA phase of their development. But, by golly gosh darn it, this group is absolutely heaven to listen to! No other group can make me weep, except the Beach Boys. There is something spiritual and innocent to their music-"God Only Knows," "Light Album," "The Lord's Prayer," and so forth.

This music is great! It brings back images, these pastoral images of the California Myth. Hot Fun in the Summertime-yes, a lame title-but killer music and harmonies. "Strange Things Happen" is the half sister to Carl Wilson's "Fell Flows," both having a jazzy improvised segment that is more than astral or ethereal, but very cosmic!

Lahaina Aloha made me fall in love with Maui again. Once again, a pastoral image set in the tropics, with great production and vocalizations by the remaining Beach Boys.

OK, I do have two complaints. The first is the remake of Surfin', which does get annoying after a while-say the third measure, and second, the remake of "Forever" is substandard [expletive deleted]. Get a copy of "Sunflower" and hear Denny Wilson sing it as it really is.

This is the last album Carl Wilson appeared on, and I fear it will be the last original Beach Boys album, period.

(Star and Stripes is not a real Beach Boys album, thank you)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beach Boys Age Well, July 29, 1999

By A Customer

Sure, this is not the best album the Beach Boys have ever put out. But if you quit trying to make this into Pet Sounds, you'll be pleased that you made the trip to Summer In Paradise. Still Surfin' is a great song, and the rest of the album is very enjoyable listening. I have a 12 cd player in my car, and this album stays there all summer long. I hope that the Beach Boys come out with another new album, maybe taking Mike, Bruce, Al, and Brian, and adding in the next generation, now touring with Al in the Beach Boys Family and Friends group. Forget these negative super purist reviews, and enjoy a really fun album! I like this one a lot, and I have EVERY Beach Boys album of consequence (not to mention being a card carrying fan club member). Mike and Bruce are doing a great job carrying on the tradition!