Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)

Trivia

Released on Capitol on July 5, 1965
Top chart position #2 in the USA.
Top chart position in the UK was #4.
Produced by Brian Wilson
Brian, Carl, Mike and Dennis are on the cover-Al is missing, apparently he had 'flu when they shot the cover.

Review

Summer Days can be seen as the Beach Boys classic "pop" album. While the group's previous effort Today was noted for its innovative use of the studio and "confessional" lyrics, Summer Days can be seen as a more up-tempo effort that is best known for the two massive hits, Help Me Rhonda and California Girls. Although much of the first part of the album is fairly lightweight and pop-oriented, this section does include the excellent Beatles pastiche Girls Don't Tell Me..

The second part of the album does include two further milestones on the route to Pet Sounds, the lush instrumental Summer Means New Love and the ornate and lyrically deep Let Him Run Wild. And Your Dream Comes True is also a beauiful a-capella closer that captures the magic of summer and the mid-60s Beach Boys. However, the overall effect of this album is a bit of a holding operation- but it shows Brian and the Beach Boys as masters of the pop scene and has some key songs, so it should certainly be part of any collector of 60's classic pop.

Rating