The Beach Boys - Sounds of Summer: Very Best of [CD]

There is no one in music more closely aligned with the carefree feel of summer than the Beach Boys, and this collection brings their good vibrations back to the fore with 30 Top 40 singles. Despite the disc's title, only half of the songs here were actually released in the spring or summer, but who could argue that "Good Vibrations" (October 1966) or, for Pete's sake, "Surfin' U.S.A." (March 1963) don't conjure the Coppertone, salt water, and itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny, polka-dot bikinis of a sunny California summer? Heavily anthologized over the years, all of this material is available on numerous Beach Boys retrospectives, so there are no surprises here, although the latter-day numbers stand out as a being a bit more assembly-line than inspired, such as 1985's "Getcha Back," a No. 26 single in its day. The timeless '60s tracks form the bulwark of the repertoire, however, and time has not diminished their appeal one whit, whether it's the youthful exuberance driving 1962's "Surfin' Safari," the cocky attitude energizing 1964's "I Get Around," the tender melancholy informing 1963's ethereal "Surfer Girl" (Brian Wilson's first attempt at songwriting), or the adventurous forays into sound and lyrics that constitute 1967's wondrous "Heroes and Villains." Also, the version of "Be True to Your School" is the great single version, featuring the Honeys providing cheerleader yells. This classic retrospective features four chart-toppers -- "I Get Around," "Help Me, Rhonda," 1988's "Kokomo," and "Good Vibrations" -- and 16 tracks that peaked in the upper reaches of the Top 20. There's no better soundtrack for board waxing or top-down driving -- these tunes capture the spirit of the sunny months, no matter what the season.