The Beach Boys were formed in Hawthorne, California in 1961. Original group members were brothers Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, and Dennis Wilson; their cousin, Mike Love, and friend Alan Jardine. The Beach Boys’ early music celebrated the carefree lifestyle of California youth: summer sun, surfing, chicks and cars. Over the decades, their style has developed and changed in many ways, as has the face of the group.
Frontman Brian Wilson quit touring with the band in 1964 due to anxiety attacks. For a time, Glen Campbell took Wilson's spot until he left to follow his own growing career. Bruce Johnson took his place and stayed there for some time and contributed his efforts in the studio as well. While the rest of the group was on tour, Brian had the opportunity to build musically and innovate his sound into a much more progressive tone. It was with this newly garnered appreciation of music that the Beach Boys came out with Pet Sounds, so named after a debate over the new sound of the group between Brian and Carl, who said it was made for dogs. The album went on to be ranked #2 of the top albums of the day by Rolling Stone. Paul McCartney has said that it was one of his favorite of all time, with God Only Knows as his personal favorite song and the record as a whole largely contributing to The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Despite the promise of success, things started to fall apart for the Beach Boys and especially for Brian who struggled with mental illness and drug addiction before eventually leaving the group. Dennis Wilson passed away in 1983 as a result of his alcoholism; his brother Carl succumbed to lung cancer in 1998. Legal battles between group members over finances and publishing rights persist until this day. However, Mike Love and later addition Bruce Johnston are still touring under the name The Beach Boys.
The impact that the Beach Boys have had on the rock industry and America is nothing less than substantial. They were around before The Beatles and are still performing today, a testament to their legendary status. On May 16th, 1966, the Beach Boys released one of the most universally acclaimed records in music history. Pet Sounds, the Beach Boys' most celebrated album, garnered little attention when it was released but it is experiencing a revival today, its 40th anniversary year, and the band (which, still exists) is heralding the occasion with special-edition box sets of the album that includes a DVD. Fans can also buy the double vinyl set if the nostalgia hits them just right.
The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998 and will be inducted into the UK Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame in November of 2006
Studio Albums
Surfin’ Safari (1962)
Surfin’ USA (1963)
Surfer Girl (1963)
Little Deuce Coupe (1963)
Shut Down Volume 2 (1964)
All Summer Long (1964)
The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album (1964)
The Beach Boys Today! (1965)
Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) (1965)
Beach Boys’ Party! (1965)
Pet Sounds (1966)
Smiley Smile (1967)
Wild Honey (1967)
Friends (1968)
Stack-O-Tracks (1968)
20/20 (1969)
Sunflower (1970)
Surf’s Up (1971)
Carl and the Passions- “So Tough” (1972)
Holland (1973)
15 Big Ones (1976)
Love You (1977)
M.I.U. Album (1978)
L.A. (Light Album) (1979)
Keepin’ the Summer Alive (1980)
The Beach Boys (1985)
Still Cruisin’ (1989)
Summer in Paradise (1992)
Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 (1996) |
