No Winter Short

Overall Album Score: 8.6 out of 10

This is where heaven starts. Everything that the Beach Boys are revered for finally begins to suface in their first must-have album. It's as clear as day that the one thing that sets All Summer Long apart from the other albums is the song production. I mean, once you hear what these guys do in this album, you'll almost never want to go back to the older ones! (But we all know that's not completely true.)

All it takes to prove my point is to take a listen to the opening track "Get Around," which is the first song they did to define "perfection" in the sense they're famous for. "All Summer Long" is another one of the album's best highlights ... it really captures the whole "summer by the beach" spirit. In a composition stand-point, "Hushabye" is probably the most unique song. It begins and ends a ballad, but Wilson flawlessly transitions a light rocker right in the middle of it! It's pretty compelling!

Even what might have been previously considered "throwaway" in previous albums are greatly improved with the production and the enrichening instrumentation. I can't say I was ever a fan of their car songs, but "Little Honda" is a well-performed track. The '50s nostalgia number "Do You Remember" comes off excellently. Even the usual "surf" instrumental track is better, as much as anything, because there's a dark-register accordion in the background (almost done in a sythn-scape fashion ....... sort of).

This is a verrrrrrry fantastic album from these guys. I probably would have been shocked by this if I wasn't already expecting it. (Oh, and they get better, too ... Yes, I'm expecting that also!)

Overall Album Score: 8.6 out of 10 (The songwriting gets a little stronger, but the production makes the whole thing priceless! This is easily among the essential albums of the early half of the '60s.)

Average Song Score: 8.7 (This is more like it! These songs are bliss from beginning to end!)

Album Tilt: 8.5 (A few weak spots, but overall, this is a gorgeous album.)

Artist Rating: 8.5 (A huuuuuuuuge improvement in terms of song production although not always the songwriting.)

Track Reviews

Get Around 10/10

Nothing different than any of their earlier efforts, but somehow this manages to top all of those! I guess that's the story with most of these songs on this glorious Beach Boys album. The melody is brilliant with hooks that prove exactly why Brian Wilson is considered one of rock's greatest songwriters. It's a complex song with not only great harmonies, but it seems they were in control of them in ways they never were before. A perfect pop song.

All Summer Long 10/10

They use a brief xylophone section to introduce this track and even use it within! I thought their instrumentation was geting pretty advanced in Shut Down Vol. 2 but they continue to get better. The melody is so delicious and so are the harmonies that it's difficult to deny that the song isn't another classic! It really captures the spirit of "having fun all summer long."

Hushabye 9.5/10

They're really caring about everything they do now ... a track like this might not have been produced too well in their ealier albums. This song features a piano pounding around at lower registers and a great irregular drum pattern. The more pop-rock bit in the middle was incorporated FLAWLESSLY. The harmonies are beautiful!!! This is the most unique song of the album, but not exactly the best. The creativity dribbles off this one!!

Little Honda 8/10

It's one of the lesser songs, but this is entertaining ... nothing so boring like the average song on Little Deuce Coupe. I still think their car songs are the least compelling, but ... maybe that's just because I was never into cars.

We'll Run Away 9/10

Gorgeous! The harmonies are lovely but somehow not as compelling as the ones in "Hushabye." Nothing at all to complain about here, because I just love soaking up this ballad! The melody is lovely ... even the orchestration is nice. The song sounds pristine and timeless. Such a nice improvement!

Carl's Big Chance 8/10

Another one of the lesser songs. It's a return to the instrumentals ... I was never too impressed with these, but at least this one features some fairly decent guitar noodling. (But, it's a far cry from guitarists like ... um ... Eric Clapton.) The harmonies have a typical '50s pattern, but the steady guitar beat keeps it fun. The saving grace of the song was a very subtle use of an accordion ... it gave the song an atmosphere that, well, wasn't so bland!

Wendy 9/10

This is a mid-tempoed rocker/ballad (it seems). The melody is absolutely wonderful, and it would have been the highlight on another Beach Boys album. The good sound from a high-register electric organ graces us in a little interlude! Beauty!!!

Do You Remember 8.5/10

The Beach Boys pay tribute to their influences. It seems like a throwaway song that's too stuck in the '50s .................... but instead of being stuck in that mentality, they're looking back to it. For some reason it's easier to take that way. This is a fun, toe-tapping number, anyway. It seems too short, though. I guess that means I liked it!

Girls on the Beach 8.5/10

This is a song that has a real treasurable atmosphere and great vocal harmonies... It's another song that I want to soak up just like the sun rays on the beach, I guess! The melody isn't as catchy as the album's best, but ... it's still great. It'll put a smile on your face!!

Drive-In 8/10

I suppose this seems like another throwaway novelty song ... the melody sure isn't among the album's best. Another good example of the improved song production are those jingley sounds in the production that points to Pet Sounds. The goofy lyrics are playful, but it seems so trivial............................

Our Favorite Recording Sessions 7/10

Even the goofy studio dialogue is much better than Shut Down Vol. 2. This is from genuine studio sessions instead of that staged nonsense. That said, this is easily the weakest point of the album ... but it doesn't ruin it.

Don't Back Down 8.5/10

Well, the album doesn't turn into a great conclusion, but I guess 1964 is still well too early to start thinking about the album mentality. This is a perfectly nice pop song though not nearly as compelling as the other songs of the album ....... I like the melody, though. It's hard to dislike it! (That falsetto voice seems screwy sometimes.)

Making comments about this page is better than going to Disney World.