The Beach Boys

Album cover, Surfer Girl - the Beach Boys

Album cover, Pet Sounds - the Beach Boys

The Beach Boys are an American rock and roll band from Hawthorn, California, formed in 1961 by Brian Wilson, his brothers, Carl and Dennis, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. In 1964 Glen Campbell replaced Brian Wilson when he withdrew from touring to give his full attention to songwriting and record producing. When Glen moved on to devote more attention to his own career, he was replaced by Bruce Johnston.

In 1983 Dennis Wilson died as a result of an accidental drowning and Carl Wilson died of lung cancer in 1998. In 2006 the surviving Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine and Bruce Johnston gathered to mark the 40th anniversary of the album “Pet Sounds” and the double-platinum certification of their greatest hits album, “Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of the Beach Boys.”

The band wore white plants and candy-stripped shirts on stage, their early hits focused on the youthful California lifestyle with harmonizing that made them worldwide pop music stars throughoutan era when most American artist gave way to what was known as the British invasion.

Their first hit, "Surfin' USA", was responsible for exposing surf music, at the time a local phenomenon originated by Dick Dale, to a much wider national and international audience.

The early albums of The Beach Boys are fairly standard rock and roll featuring surf- and drag-themed tunes and various rock and roll standards, played with the typical surf reverb guitar and extensive and surprisingly complex vocal harmonies. With time, Brian, the primary songwriter, became more experimental culminating in the band's acknowledged masterpiece, Pet Sounds.

Their songs were by turns poignant, thoughtful, sensitive and funny, but always realistic and kind-hearted.

* "Wouldn't It Be Nice" - a young man looks forward to married life with his fiancee
* "Surfin' Safari" - the guys are ready to hit the beach
* "Surfin' U.S.A." - same as above
* "409" - boasting about a hot rod
* "Little Deuce Coupe" - same as above
* "Surfer Girl" - wanting to go steady
* "In My Room" - about prayer
* "Be True To Your School" - loyalty to a higher purpose than oneself
* "Fun, Fun, Fun" - what happens to girl who lies to her dad
* Don't Worry Baby - reassurance
* "I Get Around" - group loyalty in the community
* "Wendy"
* "When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)" - probably their best song, about maturity and becoming a responsible husband and family man
* "California Girls"
* "Help Me, Rhonda"
* "Barbara Ann" (45 Version)
* "Sloop John B" - Caribbean folk song
* "God Only Knows" - a song about the omniscience of God
* "Good Vibrations" (45 Version)
* "Our Prayer" (Previously Unreleased)
* "Kokomo" - Kokomo is an allegory for heaven, which is where we want to go
* "You Still Believe in Me" - a song about God's faithfulness
* "You're So Good to Me" - about God's loving kindness