Search - Beach Boys :: Today/Summer Days & Summer Nights (+B-Sides)

Pure Genius ---- Brian Wilson Reaching His Peak

paperbackriter | USA | 08/29/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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 !!"

A prelude to "Pet Sounds"

Rhett Brewster | Eugene, OR USA | 12/19/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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"!"