Customer Reviews

Today/Summer Days & Summer Nights (+B-Sides)

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4 star:		(2)
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Absolutely the best two-fer in the Beach Boys' catalog, "Today/ Summer Days and Nights", is sheer testimony to the genius that is Brian Wilson. This is Brian and the Boys flexing their musical muscle in 1965, going head to head with the Beatles, preparing to shatter the boundaries of pop music with the release of "Pet Sounds" the following year.

It is interesting, in hindsight, to hear the band's rapid development on tracks such as "Let Him Run Wild" and "When I Grow Up". The sophistication of these songs, as well as the startling single "The Little Girl I Once Knew", utterly confused the teenyboppers back in '65. In retrospect, however, it's obvious that Brian was headed for higher ground. Side Two of "Today" (tracks 7 -11) is practically a preview of "Pet Sounds". The lush orchrestration and mature lyrical themes of "I'm So Young" and "Kiss Me Baby" far exceeded anything the band had ever attempted. Side Two's crown jewels, however, are the ballads "Please Let Me Wonder" and "She Knows Me Too Well". Melodic and hauntingly beautiful, both songs would have fit perfectly on "Pet Sounds".

Other highlights include "California Girls" -- so familiar now it's often considered the Boys' signature tune. Listen, however, to its semi-classical introduction and try to imagine how innovative it must have sounded in 1965. Heck, it's hard to imagine any current artist attempting to tackle such an ambitious musical interlude! Equally cool is the Beatlesque "Girl Don't Tell Me" which features Carl Wilson's first lead vocal (stellar of course..) and some killer drum fills. The hooky "You're So Good To Me" is the hit single that never was. (Just about every Beach Boys album contains one of those!) Casual and hardcore fans alike will get a kick out of comparing the album cut "Help Me, Ronda" (note the strange spelling) with the remake "Help Me Rhonda" which reached #1 on the singles chart. If nothing else, the startling transformation of "Rhonda" proves how hard Brian was willing to work in order to perfect his craft.

"Today/Summer Days and Nights" is a remarkable document of a band just reaching its artistic peak. Like Dylan's "Highway 61" and the Beatles' "Rubber Soul" (which ironically inspired Brian to tackle "Pet Sounds"), "Today" was a mere springboard for better things yet to come. However, the thrill of actually hearing an artist developing the confidence that leads to such greatness is a rare experience indeed. This is a must for any serious music fan. Great Stuff !!

"The Beach Boys Today!" may very well be the best album the Beach Boys ever recorded. Not as special as "Pet Sounds," it also features a greater variety of music. Ranging from the "hit sounds" of "Dance, Dance, Dance," to moody, passionate ballads such as "Kiss Me, Baby" and "In The Back Of My Mind," this record manages to encapsulate everything that made the Beach Boys such a great band all those years ago. The only clinkers are two: the original "Help Me, Ronda," which is totally slaughtered by the later single version, and "Bull Session With Big Daddy," which, coming after five straight ballads, seriously shatters the mood (and is boring after the first time you hear it). Without those two tracks, there would have been no question about this record's greatness; as it is, it's still a contender.

"Summer Days" just isn't as groundbreaking, and most of the songs aren't as good either, but they do measure up to the high standards set by previous "Fun in the sun" albums like "Surfer Girl" and "All Summer Long." It's still pleasing to the ears, and "Let Him Run Wild" is one of the best songs in the Beach Boys' whole catalog; it's more obviously sophisticated in its melody and arrangement than the entire previous album. Brian's recent remake (on "Imagination") in no way measures up to this one.

To round out the package, we have a handful of very good bonus tracks. For now, this CD is the one to get, until the material is reissued again; it belongs in the collection of every serious fan of modern pop and rock.

If for no other reason, than the value and economy of all the great music, plus well-done liner notes, you can't go wrong buying "Today"/"Summer Days (and Summer Nights)" - a wonderful two-fer featuring more Beach Boys magic just prior to "Pet Sounds."

Wilson's creative genius and production skills are growing in leaps and bounds as can be heard on, well, the entire album - but although some of the songs are very moving and emotional ("She Knows Me Too Well," "Kiss Me Baby," etc.) we still get some fun stuff here ("Dance, Dance, Dance," "Help Me Rhonda," "And Then I Kissed Her," etc.), and some music that's just downright silly ("Amusement Parks USA," "I'm Bugged at My Old Man,") - nevertheless, its all great.

There just isn't enough great Beach Boys music with Brian Wilson at the helm - as the dominating force of the group before he gave up the production reins, and eventually any interest and input in the Beach Boys whatsoever. I guess every artist must have a "rise" and "fall," but this cd tracks Wilson and the Beach Boys on their way up to the apex of 1966/67 - the peak of the Boy's commercial and creative success ("Pet Sounds," the "Good Vibrations" single, and the unreleased "SMiLE"), and let me tell you, its a very enjoyable ride.

This is their best non-Pet Sounds CD and a great precursor to Pet Sounds. Many of the themes explored on Today and Summer Days are the roots of the ideas on their classic. Brian's music becomes more personal and incredibly complex here. Wonderful addition of bonus cuts and track by track annotation. This was part of one of the best reissue sets ever produced domestically and some Einstein just had to delete every last one of them.

This is excellent, & the fidelity is terrific! I'll admit, on "The Little Girl I Once Knew", there's a 'pop' on the first bit of 'dead air' that was eliminated on the box set version, & while it's cool the box set made that 'correction', it's still an issue that borders on irrelevant--this is a great sounding CD. The packaging, from the great notes & photos, to nicely putting 2 albums on 1 disc with bonus tracks, is impeccable. It's basically a dream come true release. Granted, some of the tracks on this CD aren't really good, yet everything here's worth hearing (even if some tracks don't demand countless listens), & there are classics in spades whether it be the hit A-sides, or lesser exposed tracks. There's a previous review claiming "In The Back Of My Mind" to be one of the duds--no way. This is a marvelous emotional ballad. It's probably the Dennis Wilson vocal that turns them off--it tends to seem people either love or hate his singing performance on this song--but I think by & large, he did a great job. From upbeat rockers like "Good To My Baby", "Dance Dance Dance", & "You're So Good To Me", to lush & emotionally gripping ballads like "Please Let Me Wonder", "She Knows Me Too Well", "In The Back Of My Mind", "Let Him Run Wild" (the alternate mix has a great, slightly mellower vocal), & the instrumental "Summer Means New Love", to other affecting gems like "Girl Don't Tell Me" & the bouncy "The Little Girl I Once Knew", these are all brilliant tracks, & despite the co-writes on most of them, the credit for their creation belongs almost exclusively to Brian Wilson: soaring melodies & vocal harmonies, rich instrumentation--simply essential, 100%.

A great piece of work. Very deep and underrated album by the pop genius, himself, Brian Wilson. With every track, on these two great albums, you see a young man grow into the man who eventually write and produce, arguably, the greatest record ever made: "Pet Sounds"!

This two-album package represents the finest compilation of Beach Boys music, during the period when the band was actively competing with the Beatles for the top slots on the pop charts.

Looking back, it must have been rather daunting for other songwriters of that era to mount a challenge to the two reigning pop kings of the early 1960s, Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney.

Although there are a few duds on this collection (most notably, "In The Back of My Mind" and "Amusement Parks USA"), most of the tracks are vintage Brian Wilson classics. From the heartache of "Please Let Me Wonder" to the emotional and direct "Let Him Run Wild" and "The Little Girl I Once Knew," the listener hears the Boys at the peak of their powers.

Soon, with the release of "Good Vibrations," "Pet Sounds," and "Smile," the blue-water-at-sunset innocence of the Beach Boys would disappear forever. But listen with satisfaction to music that evokes the sounds of summer like no other, before or since.

This is truly an amazing album. The fact that it includes 2 complete digitally remastered albums, including the original cover art and liner notes, is good value, but it also has 5 bonus tracks, which for the avid fan, are 'must-haves'. The 24 page booklet is packed with track-by-track notes, photos and a 3 page essay. This double album has it all in typical Beach Boy style...personal words, haunting melodies, stunningly complicated backing tracks and vocals of intricate beauty. And the production was years ahead of any other recordmaker. Brian Wilson was just pure genius.

The last two BEACH BOYS LPS before their masterpiece are filled with hits that everyone familiar with the group remembers.I don't even have to mention the songs ,since they are so well known.Bonus track I DO is lots of fun.The PHIL SPECTOR influence is reaching BRIAN WILSON deeply, not always for the better.A few fillers keeps this record from being a classic, but it certainly comes close.True fans of the guys should get it anyway ,because it's worth it.

Beach Boys Today is an excellent combination of harmonies,lyrics,and sounds It contains a unique version of Help Me Rhonda on Acoustic Guitar and Harmonica. Summer days contains the same combination and it has a song called Your Dreams Come true as well as the hits Help Me Rhonda and California Girls. Both albums are a must for Beach Boy Fans.