All Summer Long (Album)
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All Summer Long was released in 1964 and was the sixth album officially released by The Beach Boys.
All Summer Long was a giant step forward for Brian Wilson in terms of songwriting, production and arranging. While it was a typically uneven early period Beach Boys record in many respects, the astounding variety and complexity of the album's many gems easily outweighed the handful of harmless, amusing filler tracks.
Side One kicks off with the stellar "I Get Around," a 60s classic that remains startling in its complexity and audacity. Brian's answer to the threat of Beatlemania, "I Get Around" represents the apex of the Beach Boys' fun-in-the-sun singles output, the period just before Brian became obsessed with the loftier pursuits that led to Pet Sounds and SMiLE. The title song, despite its unrepentantly silly teenybopper lyrics, bouncy marimba and randy sax, somehow can't shake a slightly ominous tone that prevails in the chromatic harmonies that warn "won't be long 'til summertime is through." The remainder of Side One showcases the Beach Boys' untouchable diversity: "Hushabye," a Doc Pomus cover, shows off the group's radiant block harmonies; "Little Honda" is rife with quintessential Mike Love bravado, backed up by a propulsive fuzzed-out guitar and call-and-response vocals on the chorus; "We'll Run Away" is Brian in all his falsetto-laden melodramatic glory. Side Two, while slightly more uneven, does feature its share of distinct highlights: "Wendy" is a transitional Brian Wilson composition, hinting at the harmonic complexity of The Beach Boys Today! and Pet Sounds, while remaining firmly rooted in the teenybopper mode. The gorgeous "Girls On The Beach" expands on the lushness of "The Warmth Of The Sun", reaching even greater heights of otherworldly harmonies and heavenly modulations. The album closes with the slightly off-kilter "Don't Back Down," a song that sits squarely between the surf-and-sun past and the relentless experimentation to come. In fact, All Summer Long itself is poised between these two distinct, fascinating eras and is a bona fide transitional masterpiece in its own right.
Produced by: Brian Wilson
Track Listing
Track 1: "I Get Around" (Brian Wilson)
- Lead vocal: Mike Love and Brian Wilson
- Released as single: Monday May 11th 1964
- Peak US Chart Position: #1
- Peak UK Chart Position: #7
- Backed with: "Don't Worry Baby"
- Recorded: Thursday April 2nd 1964
Track 2: "All Summer Long" (B. Wilson)
- Lead vocal: Mike Love
- Recorded: Wednesday May 6th and Thursday May 7th 1964
Track 3: "Hushabye" (Doc Pomus/Mort Schuman)
- Lead vocal: Brian Wilson and Mike Love
- Recorded: April 1964
Track 4: "Little Honda" (B. Wilson/Mike Love)
- Lead vocal: Mike Love
- Recorded: Tuesday April 23rd 1964
Track 5: "We'll Run Away" (B. Wilson/Gary Usher)
- Lead vocal: Brian Wilson
- Recorded: Tuesday April 30th 1964 and Monday May 18th 1964
Track 6: "Carl's Big Chance" (B. Wilson/Carl Wilson)
- Guitar instrumental
- Recorded: Monday April 29th 1964
Track 7: "Wendy" (B. Wilson)
- Lead vocal: Group and Mike Love
- Released as single: Monday 21st September 1964
- Peak US Chart Position: #44
- Backed with: Don't Back Down
- Recorded: April 1964
Track 8: "Do You Remember?" (B. Wilson)
- Lead vocal: Brian Wilson and Mike Love
- Recorded: Wednesday May 6th 1964 and Monday May 18th 1964
Track 9: "Girls On The Beach" (B. Wilson)
- Lead vocal: Group and Dennis Wilson
- Recorded: Tuesday May 19th 1964
Track 10: "Drive In" (B. Wilson)
- Lead vocal: Mike Love
- Recorded: April 1964
Track 11: "Our Favorite Recording Sessions" (B. Wilson/Dennis Wilson/C. Wilson/Mike Love/Alan Jardine)
- Assorted talking
- Recorded: May 1964
Track 12: "Don't Back Down" (B. Wilson)
- Lead vocal: Mike Love and Brian Wilson
- Released as single: Monday September 21st 1964
- B-side of: Wendy
- Peak US Chart Position: #44
- Recorded: Monday April 29th 1964