An understated masterpiece from The Beach Boys – a record that's probably best known for its inclusion of some key tracks from the Smile sessions – but an album that stands pretty darn nicely on its own! The group are really maturing here – and the mix of Smile-era songs and some of their later ones is really great – a wonderful follow-up to material explored on Friends, and a great hint at the genius to come on Sunflower. The album's essential listening if you dig post-Pet Sounds Beach Boys – especially before they hit their mix of nostalgia and indulgence in the 70s – and titles include the sublime "Cabinessence", plus "Do It Again", "I Can Hear Music", "Be With Me", "All I Want To Do", "I Want To Sleep", and "The Nearest Faraway Place". LP, Vinyl record album

A great early 70s entry from The Beach Boys – and a record that's nicely balanced between mature pop tunes and more experimental moments! The set kicks off with the sublime "Sail On Sailor" – a tightly compressed, wonderfully catchy number that's easily one of the group's greatest of the decade – and other tracks range from gentle ballads to playful numbers to others that explore more spiritual themes. All group members contributed tunes, and helped in production, but somehow we feel the tighter hand of Brian Wilson behind it all. Titles include "Sail On Sailor", "The Trader", "Funky Pretty", "Only With You", "Leaving This Town", and the "California Saga". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Supreme love fest in action – and Brian's back at the production helm. Proof that therapy has some effect on the world – and with the tracks "Roller Skating Child", "Good Time", "Johnny Carson", "Night Was So Young", and "Airplane". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest records of all time – and don't you forget it! Despite the countless lines of type that have been written about this record, nothing does it full justice like an all-through listen – something we're reminded of every time we put this one on the turntable, which is a heck of a lot over the years! Brian Wilson busted his ass making this little gem – and the rest of the world, and the band, were never the same again – awash in harmonies that most other groups tried to match, set to themes of young loss, longing, and frustration that really mark an emotional development – not just in the Beach Boys, but in pop music in general. And although some of the tracks are ones you've heard a million times on oldies stations, they somehow resonate together much more strongly here – taking on new meaning as the smaller elements of each song come into constellation with each other – creating a complicated tapestry of feelings set to near-godlike orchestrations. Titles include "God Only Knows", "Caroline No", "Pet Sounds", "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", and "You Still Believe In Me". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest records of all time – and don't you forget it! Despite the countless lines of type that have been written about this record, nothing does it full justice like an all-through listen – something we're reminded of every time we put this one on the turntable, which is a heck of a lot over the years! Brian Wilson busted his ass making this little gem – and the rest of the world, and the band, were never the same again – awash in harmonies that most other groups tried to match, set to themes of young loss, longing, and frustration that really mark an emotional development – not just in the Beach Boys, but in pop music in general. And although some of the tracks are ones you've heard a million times on oldies stations, they somehow resonate together much more strongly here – taking on new meaning as the smaller elements of each song come into constellation with each other – creating a complicated tapestry of feelings set to near-godlike orchestrations. Titles include "God Only Knows", "Caroline No", "Pet Sounds", "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", and "You Still Believe In Me". Also features bonus tracks "Unreleased Backgrounds", "Hang On To Your Ego", and "Trombone Dixie". CD

A mixed bag record, but with some really wonderful moments – and essential listening as a lead-up to the Pet Sounds album to follow! There's a mix of styles here – some rough rocking numbers that are a bit stiff, mixed with some really amazing tunes that get at Brian Wilson's new sensitivities – tunes like "Girl Don't Tell Me", "You're So Good To Me", "Summer Means New Love", and "Let Him Run Wild" – all complicated in subtle ways, with a great sense of tension underneath. Other tracks include "Help Me Rhonda (45 single version)", "California Girls", "I'm Bugged At My Old Man", and "Amusement Parks USA". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible stuff – and some of the best post-Pet Sounds material you can find by the Beach Boys! We hardly ever see either of these on vinyl anymore – and it's been years since they've been out on CD – so we're extra-pleased to have them back to back on one CD! Sunflower is the kind of record that's easy to pass by when you're first getting into the group, but later on – after digging for gems on records like Wild Honey or Friends, you'll come back to it as a totally solid record, filled with loads of excellent little songs like "Slip On Through", "This Whole World", "Cool, Cool Water", "Tears In The Morning", and "Add Some Music To Your Day". Surf's Up is a bit more spotty – but it's also got some incredible work by the group – including "Disney Girls", "'Til I Die", and "Surf's Up". 22 tracks in all – and a CD that will keep you going long after you get tired of listening to Pet Sounds and Smiley Smile. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A definitive Beach Boys collection that graced many a stereo back in the 70s! LP, Vinyl record album

A groovy little version of The Beach Boys' "Here Comes The Night" – updated to a clubbier style from the original version – with soaring strings, dancefloor rhythms, and a bit of keyboards too! 12-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

The Beach Boys live in London at the end of the 60s – working here without Brian Wilson in tow – as indicated by a postcard addressed to him back home, displayed prominently on the front cover! Despite Brian's absence, the group's still in fine form – harmonically tight, and returning to a number of earlier themes in their songs – singing in front of what must clearly be a hugely enthusiastic crowd, if we're to judge by the applause. The concert was something of a reminder to the group that they had plenty to offer, even through Brian's ups and downs – and in a way, it really set the stage for the reputation and touring the group would do strongly in the 70s. Titles include "Bluebirds Over The Mountain", "God Only Knows", "Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring", "Aren't You Glad", "Do It Again", "Wake The World", "Darlin", and "Wouldn't It Be Nice". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest records of all time – and don't you forget it! Despite the countless lines of type that have been written about this record, nothing does it full justice like an all-through listen – something we're reminded of every time we put this one on the turntable, which is a heck of a lot over the years! Brian Wilson busted his ass making this little gem – and the rest of the world, and the band, were never the same again – awash in harmonies that most other groups tried to match, set to themes of young loss, longing, and frustration that really mark an emotional development – not just in the Beach Boys, but in pop music in general. And although some of the tracks are ones you've heard a million times on oldies stations, they somehow resonate together much more strongly here – taking on new meaning as the smaller elements of each song come into constellation with each other – creating a complicated tapestry of feelings set to near-godlike orchestrations. Titles include "God Only Knows", "Caroline No", "Pet Sounds", "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", and "You Still Believe In Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Early work from The Beach Boys, but Brian Wilson's genius is already starting to show – tucked in between some more obviously poppy numbers that first put the group on the map! The album obviously features the big title hit, but there's some other great gems here that are much lesser known – our favorite of which is "The Lonely Sea", an incredible number filled with sadness and longing, and a real precursor to the Pet Sounds years! Other titles include "Finders Keepers", "Lana", "Farmer's Daughter", "Noble Surfer", "Stoked", "Surfin USA", "Miserlou", "Shut Down", and "Let's Go Trippin". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest records of all time – and don't you forget it! Despite the countless lines of type that have been written about this record, nothing does it full justice like an all-through listen – something we're reminded of every time we put this one on the turntable, which is a heck of a lot over the years! Brian Wilson busted his ass making this little gem – and the rest of the world, and the band, were never the same again – awash in harmonies that most other groups tried to match, set to themes of young loss, longing, and frustration that really mark an emotional development – not just in the Beach Boys, but in pop music in general. And although some of the tracks are ones you've heard a million times on oldies stations, they somehow resonate together much more strongly here – taking on new meaning as the smaller elements of each song come into constellation with each other – creating a complicated tapestry of feelings set to near-godlike orchestrations. Titles include "God Only Knows", "Caroline No", "Pet Sounds", "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", and "You Still Believe In Me". Includes Mono and Stereo mixes of the whole album! CD

Sweet and dreamy early work from The Beach Boys – an album that has their mellow harmonies taking shape wonderfully – as heard famously on the title track! That sublime gem begins the great little set– a record that has a few hits and some even better obscure numbers – the kind of special treasures that make digging through these early albums so great, as we try to piece together the earliest expressions of the Wilson family brilliance. Vocals are great throughout, and titles include "Surfer Moon", "South Bay Surfer", "Surfer Girl", "Catch A Wave", "The Rocking Surfer", "In My Room", "Hawaii", "Surfer's Rule", "Your Summer Dream", and "Little Deuce Coupe". Includes the complete album in both the mono and stereo versions. CD

This set is from a few years later than the first Beach Boys Song Book – and as such, features a groovier sound overall! There's still plenty of strings in the mix, but the arrangements from Mort Garson and Perry Botkin also show some of the growing love of sound used by the group – little instrumental elements, well-shaded musical moments, just the sort of styles that Brian Wilson might bring to his own backings – although with a bit more strings! The tunes are a great mix of Pet Sounds-era tunes and some earlier numbers – and titles include "Caroline No", "Good Vibrations", "Little Deuce Coupe", "God Only Knows", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", "Help Me Rhonda", and "Be True To Your School". LP, Vinyl record album

The Beasties' masterpiece – and one of the original nightmares for sampling opponents everywhere – the cut & paste hip hop classic Paul's Boutique! The Dust Brothers unapologetic way of weaving very famous samples with soul, funk and film score obscurities would steal the show if not for the infectious, boisterous rhymes of the Beastie Boys – they couldn't possibly have cared less about alienating the massive frat boy fan base built with License To Ill, and it's a joy to behold. It's one of those mindblowing pop transformations on par with the Beatles (who the Beasties and Dust Brothers were so brazen to sample several times on this album) and the Beach Boys on the pop maturation scale from earlier hits to later artistry – even if the wild lyrics and deft back & forth rhymes by the Beasties aim to be the goofy antithesis of maturity. From classic rock dinosaurs to soul and disco classics, from the Jaws score to "Dueling Banjos", it all finds it's way into the beatcraft – and both mainstream pop and underground hip hop are better now because of this record. Tracks include "Hey Ladies", "Shake Your Rump", "High Plains Drifter", "Shadrach", "Johnny Ryall", "Eggman", "Car Thief", "What Comes Around", the "B-Boy Bouillabaisse" suite and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant second album from Sagittarius – one of the shining stars of the Millennium universe at the end of the 60s! The album's got a deeper, more cerebral feel than the group's first – nicely spacious at points, kind of taking a cue from post-Pet Sounds Beach Boys, but also bringing in some mellower elements too – all produced with sublime sounds by the great Gary Usher, who also gets a bit of help in the studio from Curt Boettcher. Most tunes were written by Usher – and titles include his famous "In My Room" collaboration with Brian Wilson – plus "From You Unto Us", "Gladys", "Will You Ever See Me", "The Blue Marble", "Lend Me A Smile", "I Can Still See Your Face", and "Cloud Talk". LP features 2 bonus tracks – "I Guess The Lord Must Be In New York City (mono)" and "Navajo Girl (mono)". LP, Vinyl record album

Perfect summer pop! After Murray Wilson was kicked out by his sons, the Beach Boys, he went on to prove to the world that he could create another group that was every bit as good as them. Truth is, he failed, but that doesn't stop the Sunrays from being a fantastic bit of 60's pop surf harmony sounds, noteworthy as much as for their keen attempts to sound like the Beach Boys, as for their failure to not reach the heights that Brian and the other Wilsons did. The songs are totally nutty, too, and the lyrics are more messed up than the Beach Boys' ever were. Our faves include "A Little Dog & His Boy", "Tears In My Eyes", and "Have To Be Myself". Scary proof that Murray have have had more to do with the BB's sound than we all thought! LP, Vinyl record album

A rare full album from The Tradewinds – a wonderful harmony pop group with a Sunshine Pop feel! The Tradewinds have a style that's heavily in a Beach Boys mode – sunny California harmonies on the vocals, and a sort of post-Pet Sounds approach to songwriting – one that makes for some really compelling songs in the set! The group's best known for their "New York's A Lonely Town" hit, but the whole album is great – filled with inventive songs, compelling vocals, and cool arrangements from Jimmy Wisner and Artie Butler – two very groovy talents. Titles include "Mind Excursion", "Bad Misunderstanding", "Only When I'm Dreamin", "Small Town Bring Down", "To Be With You", "Little Susan's Dreamin", and "Huggin In The Hall". LP, Vinyl record album

A 50th anniversary celebration of Italy's Capital Radio in 1968 – a set that combines familiar English rock of the late 60s with a huge amount of Italian pop as well! The mix of modes is great – and the 2CD package goes a long way towards illustrating the way that non-Anglo countries on the European scene were served some of the hipper British and American music of the time, in ways that effortlessly blend with more homegrown efforts of the era. Given that American radio was almost completely closed to non-English language tunes, there's a generosity to the spirit here that's really great – and which goes to show why Anglo rock dominated the globe so much in the following decade. Yet here, the time is 1968, the place the Italian scene – illustrated in a set of 42 tracks by artists who include Equipe 84, Caterina Caselli, Gianno Morandi, The Byrds, Beach Boys, I Dik Dik, I Nomadi, The Who, Lucia Dall, Temptations, The Band, The Rokes, Lugi Tengo, I Camaleonti, Buffalo Springfield, Velvet Underground, Otis Redding, Francoise Hardi, Giorgio Gaber, Fabrizio De Andre, Canned Heat, New Trolls, The Monkees, Serge Gainsbourg, and Mina. Even includes "I Sole E Di Tutti" by Stevie Wonder – an Italian version of "A Place In The Sun"! CD

Includes performances by Joan Baez, Kris Kristofferson, Country Joe McDonald, the Beach Boys, Merry Clayton, and Linda Ronstadt. LP, Vinyl record album

A huge look at the Liverpool scene in the UK – but one that doesn't focus on the generation of the Beatles and Brit Invasion groups – and instead brings some great attention to the city's contribution to the post-punk years and beyond! The package is tremendous – 100 songs in a huge booklet of notes – tracing an evolution from the late 70s years, when Liverpool was as creative and fervent of a scene as other North England territories, like Manchester and Sheffield – but also one that could quickly develop some tuneful aspects too, which no doubt helped the rest of the UK music scene of the 80s find a way to expand in some great global directions! Throughout the whole time covered here, there's a great tension between experimentation and commercial success – one that's covered beautifully by the many tracks in the collection, and also documented in the hefty notes within. There's far too many tracks here for us to list – but let us say that the package is overflowing with work by artists as diverse as Dalek I, The Wild Swans, China Crisis, Pink Industry, Care, Box Of Toys, Deaf School, Big In Japan, Pale Fountains, Icicle Works, Dead Or Alive, The Lotus Eaters, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Mr Amir, Brenda & The Beach Balls, Jegsy Dodd & The Sons Of Harry Cross, The La's, Jactars, Magic Carpets, Barbel, The Walking Seeds, Thomas Lang, Ministry Of Love, Nightmares In Wax, OMD, The Planets, Spitfire Boys, Geisha Girls, Royal Family & The Poor, Public Disgrace, It's Immaterial, The Balcony, The Yachts, Teardrop Explodes, Original Mirrors, The Press Gang, Moderates, Egypt For Now, Those Naughty Lumps, Flock Of Seagulls, Freeze Frame, Echo & The Bunnymen, and many more! CD

A great look at the changing tone on the American scene at the end of the 60s – that moment when Vietnam, social unrest, and many other problems weighed heavily on the country's consciousness – and made their presence manifest in all sorts of pop music as well! We're not talking about the familiar sounds of the Woodstock generation – but instead more mainstream artists who had never touched on politics or social issues before – but suddenly found themselves singing alongside the underground about the bigger problems of the day. This package is a superb look at that moment – put together by the team who've given us the great English Weather and Paris In The Spring collections for Ace – with the same care for choice of tracks, and a wealth of wonderful notes that really get at the nature of these unusual tunes. Titles include "Clean Up Your Own Back Yard" by Elvis Presley, "Wine In The Wind" by Anita Kerr Singers, "Paint Me Black Angels" by Eartha Kitt, "This Crazy World" by Paul Anka, "Questions" by Bobby Darin, "Do You Believe This Town" by Dean Martin, "Cardboard California" by Buddy Greco, "Cherrystones" by Eugene McDaniels, "Save The Children" by Teresa Brewer, "Welfare Hero" by Johnny Tillotson, "What Do We Do With The World" by Bing Crosby, "4th Of July" by The Beach Boys, "Mr Businessman" by Ray Stevens, "Paint America Love" by Lou Christie, "Hitchhiker" by The Four Preps, "Brand New Day" by Della Reese, "Saturday's Father" by The 4 Seasons, and "Southbound Jericho Parkway" by Roy Orbison. CD

Tripped-out sunshine pop from the end of the 60s – the only outing ever from The Golden Gate, a group put together by the team of Billy Carlucci and Reid Whitelaw, who were probably best known for their bubblegum pop work over at Kama Sutra! The sound of this one's quite deeper than any simple pop, though – much headier stuff that clearly draws from the best post-Smile Beach Boys years, and the offbeat Four Seasons experiments of the time – fusing older east coast harmony styles onto a more expansive, ambitious instrumental groove, with really sublime results! Although quite unknown, the album's a true late 60s Sunshine treasure – one that's well worth tracking down, and filled with killer cuts that include "Contrary To Mary", "Ready Willing & Able", "High On A Melody", "Monday After Sunday", and "Diane". LP, Vinyl record album

Prime period B-Sides, live recordings and other rarities from The Jesus & Mary Chain – great stuff from the first 5 or 6 years of their career – creatively up there with their best work ever! As dark-edged as the band is, they've often worn their influences on their sleeves over the years, be it the proto rock rawness of Bo Diddley, the catchy vocal style of early Beach Boys (though layered in razor wire) or the moody freneticism of Can – and they're all the more open with them on this collection,while still sounding like quintessential JMC. Classic! Includes "Kill Surf City", "Surfin' USA", "Upside Down", "Swing (Darklands Outtake)", "Just Out Of Reach", "Head", "Cracked", "Here It Comes Again", "Bo Diddley Is Jesus", "Rider", "Don't Ever Change", "Sidewalking", "Who Do You Love" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Groovy music from the mid 60s – a fantastic follow-up to the other volumes in this excellent series – and like the rest, a tremendous showcase for rare pop gems that we never would have heard otherwise! As the notes are quick to point out, most of these singers are artists who aren't trying to jump on the British Invasion bandwagon – and instead stretch out from earlier male pop modes – mixing bits of rock instrumentation with fuller arrangements and great studio touches – often with currents that seem to point the way towards Sunshine Pop styles to come, and maybe echo modes of The Beach Boys a lot more than The Beatles! The CD has a whopping 35 tracks in all – and titles include "It Comes & Goes" b Mike Berry, "I Can't Stop Myself" by Lemme B Good, "Sunshine Sweetheart" by Kenny Chandler, "When You Ask About Love" by Johnny Peters, "Miss Temptation" by Ray Lynn, "Blue Ribbons" by Peter Ford, "Give Me Enough Love" by Vern McEntire, "Lay Down Your Arms" by Grady Lloyd, "I Could Conquer The World" by Don Charles, "Melony" by Buddy Wayne, and "Just A Boy In Love" by Ray Whitely. CD

There's some shaggy-looking Beach Boys on the cover – part of a great feature that looks at their troubled-but-beautiful musical creations in the 70s – in an issue that also has nice features on The Box Tops and Tangerine Dream too! As with all issues of Shindig, the presentation is great – vintage photos and other images, detailed articles, and the kind of vibe that makes this important music from the past live again! Lots more too – articles on Left Banke, MGMT, King Khan, Stone Poneys, Cornershop, Steve Van Zandt, Chris Darrow, and others – plus record reviews and other news. Magazine

Sunshine Pop from the top of the charts – a great look at some of the best-remembered tunes from this sweet 60s genre! Lots of other Sunshine Pop collections focus on the obscurities of the scene – but honestly, some of the hits really represent the best work of the groups included – the kind of sublime studio magic that few others could match back in the day – catchy pop, but with a darker psych undercurrent – all wrapped up with wonderful vocals and some really groovy instrumentation! There's plenty here you'll recognize – the kind of cuts that always make you sit up and take notice on an oldies radio show, but which you can never remember the artist. Titles include "Younger Girl" by The Critters, "It's Getting Better" by Mama Cass, "I Could Be So Good To You" by Don & The Goodtimers, "She Lets Her Hair Down" by The Tokens, "A Girl Like You" by The Young Rascals, "Darlin" by The Beach Boys, "If You Don't Want My Love" by Robert John, "Morning Girl" by The Neon Philharmonic, "Back On The Street Again" by The Sunshine Company, "Anything Goes" by Harpers Bizarre, "Love" by Mercy, "The Rain The Park & Other Things" by The Cowsills, "The River Is Wide" by The Forum, and "Look At Me Girl" by Bobby Vee & The Strangers. 26 tracks in all – with a great set of notes! CD

One of the strangest ideas for a Christmas record we've ever seen – but a nicely deep concept that certainly wins over our ears! The tunes are both early numbers penned by Murry Wilson – father of the Beach Boys, but done in the days before the rise of that group! "Happy Happy Holiday" is done in a sing-song style that might have fit the Wilson Brothers well, but with maybe more open twanging guitar in the mix. "Teeeeexas" is a country-styled tune – about a homecoming to the Lone Star state – with plenty of steel guitar in the mix. Nice cover too – by Peter Bagge! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A wonderfully groovy set of Christmas tracks – one done in a style very similar to the Get Easy Snow compilations – as you might guess from the title! The selection here is great – with a few perennial favorites, a few rare gems, and a great middle stretch of wonderful bits from some of the grooviest artists of the 60s and 70s – a great antidote to some of the too-played holiday music you might hear during the 12th month of the year! Titles include "Santa Claus Is Definitely Hear To Stay" by James Brown, "Close Your Mouth It's Christmas" by Free Design, "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" by Jimmy McGriff, "Snow" by Claudine Longet, "Black Christmas" by The Emotions, "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" by The Temptations, "Christmas Gift" by Margie Joseph, "Winter Warm" by Bob Crewe Generation, "Snow Flakes" by The Ventures, "Winter Symphony" by The Beach Boys, "This Christmas" by Donny Hathaway, "Children Go Where I Send Thee" by Kenny Burrell, "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" by Ray Anthony & His Bookends, "Swinging Christmas" by Helmut Zacharias, and "Jingo Jango" by Bert Kaempfert. CD

Music from the Beach Boys, Danny & the Juniors, the Everly Brothers, the Newbeats, the Edsels, Curtis Lee, Big Joe Turner, Fats Domino, Shades Of Blue, the Shields & more. CD