bubs's best beach boys
research following a week+ of borderline exclusive jamming |
| 25 |  | The Beach Boys
Today!
Please Let Me Wonder: kicks off Today's incredible side B (as well as this list!) with some of the smoothest melody writing and vocal work on any Beach Boys song |
| 24 |  | The Beach Boys
Pet Sounds
I Just Wasn't Made for These Times: I generally tried not to just fill this up with only Pet Sounds cuts but obviously they are all incredible. This has one of my favorite arrangements of Brian's on the album and I fuckin love the way his vocal melody dances around and then hits the tonic. |
| 23 |  | The Beach Boys
Surf's Up
(Wouldn't It Be Nice to) Live Again: Deeply unfortunate that Dennis yanked 4th of July and this over a dispute regarding wanting this track as the closer, because that would absolutely have been the wrong spot for it. Still one of his very best vocal performances and that flute jam could go on forever |
| 22 |  | The Beach Boys
Friends
Little Bird: Dennis out here making his writing debut with one of the most smartly written songs harmonically in their whole discography. Dude glides through tonal centers like it's nothing |
| 21 | | The Beach Boys
Today!
In the Back of My Mind: I concede from my middle school band days in which I thought I did not like the oboe. The oboe rules and it sounds phenomenal here. As does Dennis |
| 20 | | The Beach Boys
Pet Sounds
Caroline, No: This is probably the peak of Beach Boy smoothness between tonal centers. Brian flows between centers of Ab to F# to C# between the verse and chorus so effortlessly |
| 19 |  | The Beach Boys
Surfer Girl
In My Room: Probably the first amazing Beach Boys song and a lovely precursor to the side B of Today, this song is nothing short of gorgeous and it's harmony game is strong enough to stand up against anything in their discog. |
| 18 |  | The Beach Boys
Holland
The Trader: Carl I love you. Shoutout this song pulling off such a smooth yet unexpected shift into a second section. Better yet, shoutout both parts for featuring some of Carl's absolute finest vocal work ever |
| 17 |  | The Beach Boys
Sunflower
At My Window: One of my favorite songs Jardine has ever written but it was absolutely the right call having Bruce take the lead. Matches his gentle and gorgeous voice perfectly, and the blend of Brian's backing vocals, accordions, and flutes make this one of the most disarmingly gorgeoud 2 minutes in their discog. |
| 16 | | The Beach Boys
Friends
Busy Doin' Nothing: one of the chillest displays of Friends's chill vibes. Had no idea I needed Beach Boys goes bossa nova in my life but those oboes and clarinets are immaculate |
| 15 | | The Beach Boys
Sunflower
Forever: Dennis's songs on Sunflower otherwise carry the most bite of anything on that album which only make this beautiful and tender ballad shine brighter. Dude sounds unbelievable on it too. Fuck John Stamos |
| 14 |  | The Beach Boys
The Smile Sessions
Wonderful: Really not a fan of the Smiley Smile version at all but the one that's just Carl + harms + horns + harpsichord is beyond stunning and one of Smile's finest moments |
| 13 | | The Beach Boys
Holland
California Saga: All three parts are incredible but "Big Sur" takes the lead by a hair. Who woulda thought a Mike Love led country track would be one of the most moving tracks in their discography. It's kinda tragic that it's Mike's first time writing a full track since Endless Bummer immediately sent him back into "don't fuck with the formula" mode. You coulda pushed that envelope instead of shamelessly cash in on nostalgia! Smh all my homies hate Mike Love. Jardine, who is not a loser, also majorly kills it on Beaks of Eagles |
| 12 | | The Beach Boys
Surf's Up
Feel Flows: Carl's voice is so good to me man absolutely the best singer in this band. Vocal writing is very fully formed and satisfying for being one of his first ever songs too. The sound of this track is so rad too the pianos and Moogs snd organs blend so nicely to give it this rad warbly kinda aquatic feel to me. Shoutout that crazy ass flute part that just keeps exploding while that distorted guitar is just bending away too that's of their coolest instrumental bridges. Like I guess it's a guitar solo but the flute absolutely steals the fuckin show there |
| 11 | | The Beach Boys
Pet Sounds
I'm Waiting for the Day: God I love that little coda so much. That moment where it's just the winds before the timpani hits back in and that descending bass line drops in *chef's kiss* |
| 10 | | The Beach Boys
Sunflower
Our Sweet Love: Carl's voice is so good [2]. That lil chromatic vocal run makes such a lovely transition from G as a center to that immaculate E centric chorus that magically sets up "At My Window" in context, while also just all around being one of their most gorgeous moments standalone. I love that the bass line is constantly on the 5th when Carl sings the title until the very last repetition where it drops down to the tonic. That's the fuckin magic man |
| 9 | | The Beach Boys
Surf's Up
4th of July: Makes me feel like I'm staring up at the sky at night in like a giant open field or something. Carl's voice was the right choice to send this over the edge (much as I love you Dennis) and he gorgeously soars over the spacious and sprawling production before it all drops out to a slowed down lone piano and flute outro that sends goddamn chills throughout my body every time |
| 8 | | The Beach Boys
Sunflower
Slip on Through: The shock throwing Sunflower on the first time only knowing Pet Sounds with no idea what Dennis sounded like and getting hit with a verse that borderline felt unrecognizable, as a chromatic bass line and horn section set an unsettling backdrop underneath his lower register. This turned into the stupidest fucking grin ever when the chorus hit and he launched into a power house of a hook where the dude flies a goddamn octave up like it's nothing. Shit is an exhilarating moment every goddamn time it hits and the contrast between it and the verse only further launches it into the stratosphere. Probably the most fun I have listening to a Beach Boys song |
| 7 | | The Beach Boys
Surf's Up
A Day In the Life of a Tree: Man this song is devastating. That Jardine outro man. Fuck I'm not crying. Closing trio of this album is one of the most special runs there is. |
| 6 | | The Beach Boys
Pet Sounds
You Still Believe In Me: This was my favorite for like the entire time I was just casually a fan of Pet Sounds but hadn't really dug any further, probably because I am just particularly susceptible to anything in B major. That said it's also just got some of the most gorgeous melody writing Brian's ever done, with that intro/outro melody especially being the magic and the money. This also is one of the greatest displays for me of what makes Pet Sounds so fuckin sick like damn they really throw a bike bell and a bike horn on here and it not only seamlessly gels alongside the harpsichord vibes but somehow elevates them!?!? Next level shit |
| 5 | | The Beach Boys
Sunflower
Cool, Cool Water: One of the biggest upgrades of any Smile era track they were working on, this track sees Brian and Mike's voice being used practically like instruments. The sparseness of the track deeply enhances it's surreal quality too with very little to support Brian and Mike. They remarkably build around the trippy as all hell "Love to Say Dada" with a faster opening section and a slower back half that makes it feel like the jump between approaching water on land vs descending into the goddamn ocean. |
| 4 | | The Beach Boys
Surf's Up
Til I Die: Heavy stuff dropping this after "Tree" in the sequence but lyrically this would probably be number one. Really pulled off what Brian wanted shit absolutely makes me feel like I'm staring into the endlessness of the ocean |
| 3 | | The Beach Boys
Sunflower
All I Wanna Do: It's ridiculous how ahead of it's time this song is. God knows the amount of dreamy indie pop songs I've heard that sound exactly like this, but not in 19 goddamn 70! I probably loop this one like 5 times before I can move on it's vibes are immaculate and the "my love is burning brightly like moon and stars shine brightly" melody lives in my goddamn head you could bottle that up sell it as a drug and bankrupt me I'm addicted to that shit |
| 2 | | The Beach Boys
Surf's Up
Surf's Up: The best Smile era track gets it's proper due wrapping up an all timer run. Coming after two of the darkest songs in their discog, I honestly have no idea what the hell this song is about but I'll be damned if it's lyrics aren't fuckin beautiful, and only make this song feel all the more surreal following "Tree" and "'Til I Die". Compositionally it's jawdropping, really fluidly pulling off it's shifts with great control between the full band introduction, the desolate piano middle section, and the vocal laden climatic coda, and Brian pushes this all over the edge with his strongest vocal performance on an LP (as someone who has not heard 20/20, 15 Great Ones or anything after Love You but lmao). Jardine too is a major star of the show here and he really helps send this song to another other level singing that phenomenal "children's song / did you listen as they play / their song is love and the children know the way" melody. Fuck man what an album closer |
| 1 | | The Beach Boys
Pet Sounds
God Only Knows: Not really sure what to say about this that hasn't been said so I guess I'll just keep it at this being probably the best song I've ever heard. |
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