Track Listing

1. Good Vibrations
2. California Girls
3. I Get Around
4. Wouldn't It Be Nice
5. Surfin' Safari
6. Fun Fun Fun
7. Surfin' USA
8. Help Me Rhonda
9. Don't Worry Baby
10. When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)
11. Little Deuce Coupe
12. Dance Dance Dance
13. Little Honda
14. Do You Wanna Dance
15. Surfer Girl
16. Then I Kissed Her
17. God Only Knows
18. Caroline, No
19. Sloop John B
20. Barbara Ann
21. Heroes And Villains
22. Do It Again
23. Darlin'
24. Wild Honey
25. Break Away
26. Rock And Roll Music
27. I Can Hear Music
28. Cotton Fields (The Cotton Song)
29. Lady Lynda
30. Kokomo

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #813 in Music
• Released on: 2001-07-09
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
The cynical may question just how many Beach Boys greatest hits albums are enough. Non-cynics, however, will appreciate what makes The Very Best Of... unique. This is the first single-disc collection to feature such a large cross-selection of hits from the group's entire career, spanning 1962's "Surfin' Safari" through to 1988's "Kokomo". All 30 tracks, spanning several label changes are probably now as identifiable as the national anthem to anyone with radio or TV access. The fact that the tracks aren't in chronological order helps make for a fresh listening experience, as does the crisp digital sound. And yet these songs--even those that are more than four decades old--always sound strangely fresh and will likely remain so as long as there are beaches, young people and that symbolic season of freedom and dreams. Perfect for those casual fans not yet ready to spring for the individual albums, The Very Best of the Beach Boys is, in many ways, a better representation of this legendary band's art than Elvis' 30 No 1 Hits and the Beatles' 1 were of the King and the Fab Four. --Bill Holdship

CD Description
"Definitive" best-of collection for the perennially popular60s surf-pop group, released to coincide with their 40th anniversary. Features all their best-known hits including 'Good Vibrations', 'Surfin' USA', 'I Get Around', 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' and 'Kokomo'.

Customer Reviews

The strongest collection of their hits
So many of their songs are well known, and not just to those who were raised on this music, but to people of all ages. Part of the reason may be that surf music is inextricably linked with the sixties - you won't find any modern equivalent.

Here you get the classic songs they wrote themselves - California girls, Fun fun fun, Good vibrations, Little deuce coupe, Help me Rhonda, God only knows, Darlin', I get around and Wouldn't it be nice to name just a few - together with songs that they covered in their own unique way - Do you wanna dance, Then I kissed her, Sloop John B and Cotton fields.

There have been plenty of compilations of their music down the years and will be many more. Given the number of classic songs they recorded, picking just thirty inevitably means that some great songs get left out. Yet, this compilation is as good as any you are ever likely to find. For absolute perfection, I would have preferred In my room or Bluebirds over the mountain (perhaps the best two songs not included) to Caroline no, but this is a minor quibble.

Summer in a CD
I was aware of the more popular Beach Boys songs, such as the fantastic "I get around" or the sombre "God only knows", though this CD is a real testament to the abilities of the band and the vast range of music that they could produce. It is easy to picture people cruising around on hot summers days with this music playing, whilst it is just as easy to picture people slow-dancing to some of the other songs.

The CD has a distinctly "summery" feel to it. I cannot help but smile to myself when I am listening to this music during the morning commute. What a real, real shame that bands today don't manage to produce music that is as softly brilliant as this. Somehow the music manages to make me feel so much younger and happier just listening to it. Now thats something pretty amazing to say isn't it?

On a technical aspect, since these songs have all been recorded some time ago, they have been superbly remastered and compare excellently to more recent songs that have found their way onto my MP3 player.

All over, a complete winner for me.

Unimitable
Faultless harmonies, beautiful melodies, effective lyrics, rockers, ballads, weepies.

This album has it all, in spades. And then some.

Some may grumble over track choice, but this disc offers a fairly comprehensive and concise history of the East Coast outfit.

The Beach Boys were never what you could call "An Album Band" like the beatles (Pet Sounds excluded).

But their singles - Good Vibrations, I can Hear Music, Do it Again etc. - rank amongst the most heavenly pop of all time. This disc is a perfect showcase for most of them.

Purchase this, then Pet Sounds, then Surf's Up and it's all you'll ever need.