The Beach Boys - All Summer Long (Capitol 1964) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

The best pre-1965 Beach Boys album featured their brilliant number one single "I Get Around," as well as other standout cuts in the beautifully sad "Wendy," "Little Honda" (one of their best hot rod tunes, covered by the Hondells for a hit), and their remake of the late-'50s doo wop classic "Hushabye." The nostalgic "All Summer Long," another great production, seemed (whether intentionally or not) like a sort of farewell to the frivolous California beach culture that had supplied the lyrical grist for most of their music up to this point, with a longing, regretful chorus that was totally at odds with the bouncy arrangement. Other relatively little-known treasures are the sumptuous ballad "Girls on the Beach," with some of their best early harmonizing, and "Don't Back Down," with uncommonly anxious lyrics. Richie Unterberger AMG

Notes: My copy of this album is something of a hybrid: a circa 1971 MFP stereo re-issue LP, in an original Capitol mono sleeve (don’t ask!). This MFP re-issue has been pressed from the original UK Capitol stampers as can be seen from the matrix numbers: ST1 2110-B8 and ST2 2110-B11. The first two tracks are fake stereo, the rest are true stereo with the exception of ‘Our Favorite Recording Sessions’ which is mono. This was the last Beach Boys album (excepting compilations) to feature true stereo material until ‘Friends’ in 1968. This is the first of what will be an intermittent and fairly random Beach Boys series. Summer’s almost here, hope you enjoy!

Track listing:

A1. I Get Around
A2. All Summer Long
A3. Hushabye
A4. Little Honda
A5. We’ll Run Away
A6. Carl’s Big Chance

B1. Wendy
B2. Do You Remember?
B3. Girls On The Beach
B4. Drive-In
B5. Our Favorite Recording Sessions
B6. Don’t Back Down.

Arranged and produced by Brian Wilson