Despite suffering a nervous breakdown, whereupon he would retire from the road—though he still played shows when understudies Glen Campbell or Bruce Johnston weren’t available—the time spent in the studio crafting all that music only gave Brian a desire to concentrate on only that, working with the best session rats in the best studios, with minimal label interference. (Said label was happy to oblige, seeing as the Beach Boys were about as lucrative as the Beatles in those days.)
It was their ninth(!) LP that can truly be said to be the first real Beach Boys album, as opposed to a collection of singles. While there’s enough of a “fun ‘n sun” influence, overall the songs on The Beach Boys Today! begin to explore the more mature subjects that would set Brian apart from his contemporaries.
That doesn’t happen right away, beginning as it does with Dennis Wilson singing “Do You Wanna Dance”. The production is slightly Spectorized, and it’s infectious. Equally excellent is “Good To My Baby”, with nicely traded lines and a doo-wop tag. “Don’t Hurt My Little Sister” sports a repeated 12-string riff, and a slightly anemic threat coming from a family of brothers. A single from the summer before, “When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)” takes a big leap, based as it is around a prominent harpsichord. The lyrical content only points out how young these guys were (Mike Love’s hairline notwithstanding). Al Jardine shows how well his voice fits in, despite not sharing any genetics, with “Help Me, Ronda”, which you’ll note is spelled differently than the single. This earlier version is a little longer, with some odd fade effects, and would be the one included on Endless Summer. “Dance, Dance, Dance” ends a very energetic side with some intricate changes amid otherwise ordinary subject matter.
Things get more intimate on side two; the songs are a little slower, and just a little sadder. “Please Let Me Wonder” is something of a musical sequel to “Don’t Worry Baby”, but infused with even more uncertainty. “I’m So Young” is another cover of a fifties harmony hit, immediately improved upon with their own “Kiss Me, Baby”, with its sophisticated chords and overlaid vocal lines. Previously hidden as the B-side to “When I Grow Up”, “She Knows Me Too Well” sports Brian’s soaring falsetto over the Boys’ excellent support. Perhaps Brian wasn’t ready to lay his soul so bare, so Dennis the heartthrob emotes his way through “In The Back Of My Mind”; there’s a little too much syrup in the arrangement. The pathos is ruined by “Bull Session With The ‘Big Daddy’”, wherein a local DJ attempts to interview the guys while they’re eating burgers, for the sole purpose of filling purpose, once again, of filling space. At least they stick it at the end of the side.
Today!’s pairing with their next album made it a highlight of Capitol’s excellent 1990 “two-fer” reissue program, with the bonus of alternate versions of two songs. That is, until a change of regime at the label a few years later resulted in the deletion of those value-packed CDs in favor of the albums reissued individually without any extras at all. A subsequent corporate reshuffling copped to the idiotic decision, and the two-fers were put into circulation again. Of course, we should be grateful that this album is still available at all, and its splendor can be easily obtained for optimal context. (Further peeks into the making of the album were included on 2014’s Keep An Eye On Summer digital release.)
The Beach Boys The Beach Boys Today! (1965)—3½
1990 CD reissue: same as 1965, plus Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) album and 5 extra tracks
Once their second lawsuit with Capitol had been settled, they began reissuing their albums. I first encountered this one as part a “two-fer” called “Dance, Dance, Dance/Fun, Fun, Fun”, pairing it with “Shut Down, Part II”, minus the two chatter tracks. A mediocre pressing. Then I found a German import called “Best of The Beach Boys”. This was a complete coupling of both albums . The sound quality was amazing. I’d even argue that it sounded better than the 1990 “two-fer”. Going in order of the singles, “When I Grow Up” was a bold move as the follow up to “I Get Around”. It didn’t sell nearly as much. The problem nowadays is that it sounds more like it comes from a kid of 12 or 13 rather than 16 or 17. Of course, I fell for that harpsichord hook. However, it really was the wrong move for the grandpas to perform this one on their 50th anniversary tour!
ReplyDeleteThe flip side, “She Knows Me Too Well”, shows Brian leaning even more into the insecurity. Very unusual for a male to put it on the line like that in 1965. I like the piano and the lead vocal. He would revisit this theme and improve on it with “You Still Believe in Me”.
“Dance, Dance, Dance” was probably released to compensate for the introspection of that last single. Hooks abound on this album. This time, it comes from Carl’s excellent 12 string guitar riff. “Do You Wanna Dance?” is the third time that Brian out-Spectored Spector. The track is very exciting. Dennis performs his best vocal to date. However, I’m sure that people weren’t used to his voice. Two singles in a row about dancing. A cover of an oldie that might have seemed passe when compared with “Eight Days a Week”, released the same day! Factors which may have contributed to it missing the Top Ten.
The densely produced “Please Let Me Wonder” was the flip. Clearly designed to make the females in the fan base melt. I’m sure that it worked on them, but this male is less convinced. Same with “Kiss Me, Baby”. However, at least one guy was more in touch with his feminine side than I am. Dave Marsh likes it better than the A-side! I first heard this as one of the three B-sides (as well as one non-single song) on Capitol’s first ill-conceived “Best of..” album.
The group had done stuff like "Good to My Baby" and "Don't Hurt My Little Sister" on “SD2”. However, these are improvements in every single way. The lyrics to the latter are eye rolling today, but it does have that lovely, fragile-sounding guitar hook. “Help Me, Ronda” strikes me as an attempt at folk rock. The guitar hook is there. Brian really should have kept his hands away from the faders. The backing vocals are bizarre – no harmonies or falsetto. They sound like chants at a soccer match!
“I’m So Young” is absolutely my favorite on the ballad side, even though they didn’t write it. The echo effect on the bass guitars..the organ chords.. Dennis’s steady drumming..all topped off by Brian’s achingly transparent falsetto. Totally makes up for the obnoxious “We’ll Run Away”. Too bad that Brian didn’t take the lyrics to heart..
Finally, "In the Back of My Mind" shows Brian reaching for something he couldn’t quite grasp. I find the backing track overproduced and lacking subtlety, another throwback to the pre-rock years. I have no doubt that Dennis’s fans loved having their hunky dream date crooning at them, front and center, without those other pesky Beach Boys getting in the way. Maybe it could have used another take or two.
The annoying “Bull Session” totally disrupts the mood. That especially is galling when there were two songs that they could have used. I suppose that “All Dressed Up for School” would have disrupted the balance of the album. On the other hand, the rejection of “Guess I’m Dumb” was a, well, dumb decision. That could have been sandwiched in right before “..Mind”, really firming up that side of the album.
Despite a few misgivings, I recognize that this was an important album for the group, as well as an enjoyable one. It’s to bad that the road to “Pet Sounds” was such a bumpy one.