Free Republic

A deep dive into one of the most beloved pop albums ever.The Beach Boys were probably the last group on earth expected to start a musical revolution. After all, they had built their renown as clean-living all-American kids delivering harmonized hymns that worshipped surfing, girls, and hot rods – the holy trinity of Californian teenagers in the early 60s – over a rocking backbeat that bore a tangible trace of rock and roller Chuck Berry‘s musical DNA. And yet, in May 1966, the Hawthorne-hailing group – consisting of the Wilson brothers Brian, Carl, and Dennis, together with their cousin Mike...

Now that it’s nearly over I’ve finally figured out why it hasn’t seemed a proper summer: not enough pet sounds. No, not the barking and meowing kind,the woofer and tweeter type. Specifically, Pet Sounds, the Beach Boys masterpiece that audiophiles have been talking about reverentially for 55 years. You're halfway through the album when you hear it — a heavenly harmony of instruments that features a harpsichord, organ, bass clarinet, string bass, sleigh bells, and a wonderful French horn. This is the intro to God Only Knows. While the music itself is the output of The Wrecking Crew, the legendary...

Nearly four decades after it was initially slated for release on Capitol, Brian Wilson's "lost" Beach Boys masterpiece "SMiLE" will finally be heard by the record-buying public. A newly recorded version of the album is to be released Sept. 28 worldwide by Nonesuch Records. The new "SMiLE" was produced by Wilson and features the pop icon's 10-member touring band along with the Stockholm Strings and Horns ensemble. Wilson first revisited the project in November 2003 along with lyricist Van Dyke Parks and keyboardist Darian Sahanaja, reviewing the original 37-year-old tapes with the intent to prepare a version of the album...