Good Vibrations - 30 Years Of The Beach Boys - Beach Boys (The) > Reviews > The Best of The Beach Boys

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Standard
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Not applicable
Value for Money

Advantages:	All the Beach Boys hits in a boxed set
Disadvantages:	Some people really will hate this type of music

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys" is one of the finest compilations of a major musical artist yet released. Inside, you will find an exceptionally well-chosen selection of Beach Boy hits, album tracks, alternate takes, experiments and other assorted oddities. There are no essential songs or performances missing, although one might quibble about not finding a personal favourite among the extensive track listing. Even then, I'll wager that the compilers at Capitol have second-guessed even the most fervent Beach Boys fanatics. Here is the proof as to why in some circles Brian Wilson is considered a pop music genius on the order of a Paul McCartney or a Stevie Wonder. The sound is terrific, given that the original recordings have some unusual imbalances and are very trebly--no doubt due to Brian Wilson's rumoured deafness in one ear. The tracks are chronologically arranged and neatly contained into aesthetically-pleasing sections. For example, CD #1 contains the surfin' era, CD #2 contains the maturing of Brian's sonic palette, CD #3 contains the later, more esoteric but no less important cuts and CD #4 is a concise encapsulation of the rather spotty 1971-1989 period. There is also a decent, if not terribly enlightening booklet to accompany the recordings. The biggest asset, for Beach Boys fanatics, is a fifth (bonus) disc of alternate mixes of beloved songs where the instrumentation is buried so that only those heavenly harmonies can be heard accapella. This an important American musical legacy and Capitol Records should be commended for this exceptional package. It is a treat for the Fanatic, the Casual Listener or the Pop Musicologist. It ably demonstrates why The Beach Boys have long been a favourite of musicians and songwriters the world over and not just some repetitive surf rock group. This box set helped restore them to critical acceptance with the newer rock critics and firmly entrenches them in the triumvirate of great American rock groups: The Beach Boys, The Byrds and The Velvet Underground.