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THE BEACH BOYS
Greatest Hits Vol's 1 & 2 (Capitol)
Reviewed by Matthew Greenwald
The Beach Boys...ah, yes. The first thing I thought of when I looked at these collections was, "Why the hell are they re-packaging these things again?" Yeah, another in a (seemingly) endless series of 'best of' packages. And with some garish artwork, to boot. Die-hard collectors will be put off to some extent as well, as they probably have this stuff in one form or another on other discs. Two CD's, twenty tracks each - packaged and priced separately - of Beach Boys hits. In the end, if you're just looking for a simple collection of greatest hits, this will definitely do the job. This has been done before, but trying to find some pluses is not impossible.The finest feature of these CD's is the superlative sound quality. From the earliest hits such as "Surfin' Safari" and "Fun, Fun, Fun" to mid period classics like "God Only Knows", "Wouldn't It be Nice" and "Good Vibrations", almost everything here is presented in their original mono mixes. This is a wonderful feature to a very predictable collection. "In My Room", in particular, sounds positively heavenly in mono. Warm, in your face, and graceful as hell, this record is easily one of Brian's greatest early achievements.
The difference between the two volumes lies in the fact that the first CD is almost all of the really huge hits ("Good Vibrations", "Surfin' U.S.A.", "California Girls", Help Me Rhonda", etc.), while the second set contains some slightly lesser-known hits such as "Darlin'", "Do It Again", "Caroline No", "Heroes And Villains" and several others. It actually makes sense from the consumer's point of view to be able to only have to pick up one of the discs if they just want the biggest hits. This disc is only disappointing in the way it ends. After hearing all of these amazing tracks - all from the vintage period of 1961 to 1966 - to end up with "Kokomo" is, to say the least, a let down. The only thing that saves the song is Carl Wilson's awesome vocal on the chorus. It's a shame that one of his last studio recordings had to be this piece of slick...caca.
As a Beach Boys fanatic, Volume 2 is far more interesting as a set. For those not completely familiar with some of the more amazing transformations in the groups' career, there are quite a few here to discover. Probably the most satisfying is "The Little Girl I Once Knew". Recorded after "California Girls" and just before Brian immersed himself in Pet Sounds, this record, in its own quiet way, is one of the most important records Brian Wilson ever cut. Beginning with a gorgeous circular pattern of percussion, 12-string guitar and bass, the song drops into a fantastic shuffle groove with a bass line and sound that Wilson used a year later as the core for "Good Vibrations". Not to be missed, and a welcome addition.
In the end, you don't have much else here that would interest a collector or completist, but you do have some of the finest records from the era, in the form that they were originally intended. If you're interested in exploring the Beach Boys and the genius of Brian Wilson, pick these up; but don't forget a copy of Pet Sounds as well. You'll be off to a fine start.
(C) 1999 - M. Greenwald