Episode #71: My Top 10 Beach Boys albums

[@johnlorinc2081]

I first became really aware of the Beach Boys after recording Endless Summer on cassette (some whippersnappers might need to Google that) when it aired in full on a Pittsburgh radio station at midnight many moons ago. Yes.....I agree with you on Today! A near-flawless appetizer for Pet Sounds. Great video!

[@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486]

Thank you John!

[@tomtester334]

15 Big Ones is really underrated. I like all of it except the Blueberry Hill cover.

[@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486]

Yeah it’s a bit of a grower but there is some great stuff on there!

[@jdd3786]

Cool video. Here is my list: 10. Surfin' Safari 9. Wild Honey 8. All Summer Long 7. Holland 6. Summer Days and summer nights 5. Love You 4. Pet Sounds 3. Friends 2. Today! 1. Smiley Smile

[@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486]

I know so many people who rank Smiley Smile as number one. Definitely their most under appreciated album. Your top 4 would also be my top 4 although in a slightly different order. Check out my Beach Boys deep dive series for my take on each individual album. 👍👍

[@jdd3786]

@@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486 Cool

[@myopia2020]

@Jeff Whitcher Vinyl Destination Pretty good list!😊No surprise about The Beach Boys Today being so high. I've been a Beach Boys fan for decades - and really need to do my Top 10 (will get back to you on 4-10). My Top 3 have never really wavered: 1) Pet Sounds....2) The Beach Boys Today...3) Sunflower. It would have been so great if "Guess I'm Dumb" was on Today as planned (Mike et al. apparently objected to singing the lyrics. Glen Campbell did a fantastic job with it) and you know what 'song' was removed. Perhaps I'm ranking Sunflower a little too high to offset that its always been criminally underappreciated outside the hardcore fandom. I've never really cared for Bruce or his songs ("Deidre" is, like you say, okay. I'm usually bored to tears by Bruce. Love him or hate him, at least a personality comes along for the ride with MIke's voice and conservatism). I guess I just sort of tune out Bruce's songs. Sunflower would be better without them ("Deirdre" can stay). I love "Its About Time" - perhaps the best guitar solo in the Beach Boys entire discography. 15 Big Ones actually isn't terrible (It included the last batch of decent oldies they would record. The backing track for "Just Once In My Life" is stunningly beautiful--and clear proof that Brian's genius was still lurking in there)

[@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486]

Thanks! That is a solid top 3 songs. Sunflower has definitely grown on me in the last couple years and risen in my rankings. If you liked this video I just did a 17 episode Beach Boys deep dive series you might also enjoy.

[@myopia2020]

@@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486 Awesome! This is perfect timing then. Looking forward to the deep dive series (Have always loved Friends. Still a somewhat understated gem)😊 I've gotten into Lana Del Rey this year (Yes, I get around...haha). It's amazing how often she references The Beach Boys in her songs. ...I just subscribed!

[@mistery-ed7900]

I've known The Beach Boys music all my life but never collected their albums. I have a number of their singles. So, this was educational for me. Now, The Beatles I'll have an opinion on!

[@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486]

Thanks! I will have that Beatles list up shortly....

[@diggerthegroundhog8799]

Great Job. Beach boys fan since 1965 and Smiley Smile is their best album and it is better than Pet Sounds, in my opinion. I did ratings of the top 16 albums (1-10 per song) and Smiley Smile got 9.72. 2. Pet sounds 8.76. 3. Friends 8.5. 4. Wild honey 7.9 5. 20/20 7.9. 6. All Summer long 7.58. 7. Today 7.58. 8. Little Deuce Coupe 7.41. 9. Surfer girl 7.16. 10. Shut down 2 6.83. 11. Surfing USA 6.1 12. Surfin Safari 6.0 13. Surfs up 6.0 14. Sunflower 5.75 15. Party 4.9 16. Holland 4.4. People ask how can I rank Holland and Sunflower so low? Easy. Take away the sentimental value and the fact that each album only has about 4 great songs and there you have it

[@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486]

Great list! I was just talking with my friend Aaron the other day and he said Smiley Smile was his favorite album. Hard to argue with an album that has Heroes and Villains and Good Vibrations on it. I have always thought Sunflower is overrated.

[@stevefleming8742]

Hi jeff Enjoyed the video. I was made in 1971. The beach boys and the Beatles are my favourite bands. Since lockdown I've got my BB albums out again and would agree with most of your picks (it's hard to just keep it to 10) I would personally have surfer girl and 20/20 in there. Steve from liverpool

[@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486]

I agree it’s hard to pick 10 and in hindsight I regret not including 20/20. Such a great catalogue of albums to choose from! Thanks for watching!

[@GoNorthDesign]

Holland (1973) is actually my favourite from their '70s period! I've had it on vinyl for decades now. I weirdly love all the Americana poetry stuff. Do you have the version that came with the mini EP "Mount Vernon and Fairway (A Fairy Tale)"? We've got fairly similar tastes in a Beach Boys "Top 10": Friends, Pet Sounds (obviously), Surf's Up, All Summer Long, Summer Days, Beach Boys Today... all great! I'd slide in 20/20 (from 1969) as well. I haven't been able to get into "Love You".

[@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486]

I have the Mount Vernon and Fairway EP on my CD version of Holland but the vinyl copy I bought didn’t include it, unfortunately. Love You is definitely an acquired taste. I think the lyrics are trite and the synthesizer backing is a little much to carry over for an entire album. 20/20 almost made my list and probably should have but I didn’t want to lean to heavily on their 60’s catalog.

[@diggerthegroundhog8799]

Hello. I am a beach boys fan going back to 1965 and I've watched alot of these and I just keep shaking my head at the inconsistencies. How can you like Sunflower and rank it so high when you dont really like half the songs? I'll tell you how. I did my own survey of my top favorite 15 Beach Boys albums and it comes down to sentimental value. Subconsciously you may like the album cover. Or you may really love two or three songs on the album and the rest you don't care for and it's the two or three songs that carry it to a higher rating. The one album that does not get enough respect is Smiley smile Maybe some people think it's a Brian Wilson album but it's not. I put Smiley Smile at the very top above Pet Sounds.

[@seanpanigel5494]

Why isn't smiley smile on here?

[@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486]

I have to be in a certain mood to listen to that album. The day I made that list I wasn’t in that mood.

[@seanpanigel5494]

@@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486 Oh ok. I love that album. Pet sounds is no.1 tho, absolute masterpiece.

[@hydroy1]

Sorry , being older then you to me all the early albums are true Beach Boy classics , anything after about 72 was flaming garbage as they all took the rock & roll out . All the cars songs were great, even Honda was good but after that Surfs up LP the only song on it good was Demonstration time, the rest was boring put you to sleep music. I have 18 BB albums and only missing 2 more pre 69 I want, then I got everything they produced I want . P/S #1 PET SOUNDS ? REALLY , wow we are sooooo far apart ! lol .

[@waffles6589]

Let me guess your favorite beach boy member is Mike love