The Very Best Of The Beach Boys: Sounds Of Summer

I guess all that matters when you buy a CD is the music, right? The music on this 3 CD set is indeed quite magnificent but such a shame that the poor quality cardboard packaging lets it down. The excellent inlay book was inserted into the wrong side causing the pocket to come unstuck along the glued edges. Minor rant over, let's get onto the actual music.As a huge and long time Beach Boys fan who has practically everything the band has ever released I was looking forward to hearing this comprehensive compilation, not least because of the many 2021 remixes included in this triple CD boxed set. These remixes are generally pretty good but there are one or two tracks that would have probably been better off left alone without any further interference, particularly on Do It Again.The music though is simply brilliant throughout. What's not to like in those magnificent Beach Boy harmonies and Brian Wilson melodies and arrangements. This stunning 80 track listing is a truly comprehensive collection of their best music and the 3 CD set represents excellent value at just £19.99. It’s a wonderful starting point for any new listener who wants an introduction to The Beach Boys and Brian Wilson's music.Overall I think the track listing pretty much covers all the bases across their Capitol Records output, from the early surf and car music through to their hugely successful mid sixties summer period. Brian Wilson really began to shine as he entered a prolific spell of songwriting and production on albums such as All Summer Long and the progression to Beach Boys Today which was the forerunner to the majestic and unsurpassed Pet Sounds. There are also a few tasty morsels from the aborted Smile project included for good measure. The boys were releasing four albums a year at one stage in the early part of their recording career so it's perhaps not surprising that Brian Wilson experienced burn out by the time Smile arrived, or didn't arrive. His periodic absences from the band after that time were sadly missed and must have impacted upon the progression of the group musically.The Beach Boys late 60's and early 70's output has always interested me and there's plenty to hear from that period as well. This compilation has tracks from the charming and delightful Friends album (a personal favourite), the undervalued 20/20, the wonderful Sunflower and the exquisite title track from Surf's Up. Further tracks from the Holland, Carl and The Passions, 15 Big Ones and Beach Boys Love You albums make you realise just how prolific their output was in those 15 years from '62-'77. Although their later recorded material might not have reached the heights of that mid sixties period there is still some worthwhile music to wrap your ears around.This latest CD set is not just a collection of their greatest hits, it's so much more than that. It's a celebration of 60 years of the Beach Boys and whilst they are not the band they once were after the departure of the three Wilson brothers the musical legacy they leave behind is impressive and quite astonishing and probably never likely to be repeated by any other artist or band. There are some really tasty hidden gems included in this boxed set, although I'm still not quite sure why Pom Pom Playgirl and Farmers Daughter were included at the expense of such diamonds as Please Let Me Wonder and Break Away, both of which were deemed not worthy for inclusion into this set for some reason. Perhaps I'm just being a little bit picky here though.So overall this is an excellent and enjoyable compilation covering practically the entire Beach Boys career. If you are a casual fan there are jewels in this set that you will not have heard before so you are in for a real treat. Buy this Sounds Of Summer deluxe compilation along with Pet Sounds and I guarantee they will leave you wanting to hear more of the Beach Boys music, there's plenty of back catalogue to explore. If you want to listen to one track on this compilation that gives you a feel for what this group and Brian Wilson can do then listen to Surf's Up, it's a genuine masterpiece.So, despite the disappointing and poor packaging, I'm basing my review on the quality of the musical content alone and it easily gets a five star rating. Enjoy!

Basic but functional packaging. And the music sounds superb. The new stereo mixes work really well. It's wonderful hearing I Get Around and Good Vibrations in stereo. Mastering is fine - not too loud, and tonally very acceptable. I am well pleased with it.

I had given up buying modern vinyl records because of issues with warps and noise (just as I gave up on these products in the mid 1980s when CD became available) but I took a chance on this set because I was so impressed with the 3CD set's sound quality and the remixes by Mark Linett and Alan Boyd. It's not cheap but the records are flat and silent. Is the audio quality any better than the CDs? Probably not because digital masters have been used but it's a lovely thing to own and I don't have to strain my eyes reading the credits and liner notes. The 3 CD package is cheap and poorly put together but the 6LP package is excellent.

Holder for cds badly made.booklet ripped when removed

If you want to hear the best ever stereo sound quality of ' I get around' then get HARD TO FIND JUKEBOX CLASSICS 1963 -1964 MADE BY ERIC RECORDS IN THE US. On here, the drums and bass sound just brillant with no dull or muddiness - much better sounding than on this current compilation!The rest of the stereo tracks on Cd1 are okay but some still sound too deep and vibratory in places, especially on Good Vibrations and Do it again. Good recordings are - Fun Fun Fun , Help me Rhonda and Darlin, also the Pet Sounds album tracks are good.Given what eric records have achieved with I get around ( track 24 on hard to find jukebox classics 63-64 ) capitol records still need to improve on the sound quality of tbeir track.

Great selection for the 60th. Anniversary of the Beach Boys. Good booklet but card case is flimsy.