Mixtape | The Beach Boys Turn 50

It is funny how a song or even an entire album can evoke certain emotions. When I listen to any Beach Boys tunes, I feel warm. I feel the sun. And I feel content. I want to be in love, or to be loved. Or drive my dad’s car to the shore. There are so many feelings wrapped up in their sound. Simply put, it is the sound of summer.

 

Those perfectly scored harmonies are enigmatic, sweet and addictive to listen to.

The Beach Boys celebrate their 50th anniversary this month, and with that comes a long-awaited reunion and tour, which they previewed at February’s Grammy Awards.

But for a band that has far from a harmonious history, whatever songwriter and lead singer Brian Wilson might have running through his mind at any given time while composing Beach Boys songs, each one can be appreciated in some way. Some are singularly among the most amazing musical pieces written during modern times.

Critics may say: “It’s only songs about surfing and girls and cars.”

But the brilliance of what Brian Wilson contributed to the Beach Boys, even while battling debilitating mental illness during the late '60s to mid '80s, was his use of popular culture as a vehicle to market his talent for writing elaborate harmonies, sound experimentation, and melody composition. He invented techniques that had previously not been pulled off inside a recording studio.

Wilson says it’s spiritual.

“I think it’s like, when people hear music that is spiritual it gets through… I don’t have any power in this world, but I have spiritual power. I think God gave me my music and my talent. I’m trying to get across a feeling of spirituality; I think I have a spiritual influence on people. I think if we put out our hearts and souls in… we’ll get a serious, heart and soul reaction.”

I know my soul reacts when the guitar part breaks in on “Don’t Worry Baby.” And others have noted this exact guitar intro has influenced their music, from Stax recording artist Steve Cropper to T. Rex’s Marc Bolan to even pop-kitsch band MGMT.

In recent years droves of indie bands have grasped onto the Beach Boys sound, taking their pop style and mixing in overdriven psychedelia with cranked up distorted reverb to create songs of the same style, yet of another generation. The Flaming Lips, Best Coast, Spiritualized and even garage-rock stalwarts The Reigning Sound have all held on to the Beach Boys influences, by emulating or assimilating the sound into their own in some way.

The Wilson brothers along with bandmates Mike Love and Al Jardin may not have realized in the beginning that their lush pop songs would influence so many generations. I can only say infinite thanks, because God only knows what our music would be without them.

Check out this week's TwinkleTwinkle Mixtape: 50 Years of Good Vibrations on Spotify.

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Track Listing:  

1. “Our Prayer"
2. "Wouldn't It Be Nice"
3. "God Only Knows"
4. "I'm Waiting For The Day"
5. "Good Vibrations"
6. "Wild Honey"
7. "Don't Worry Baby"
8. "Heroes And Villians"
9. "Feel Flows"
10. "Do You Wanna Dance"
11. "Let Him Run Wild"
12. "I Get Around"
13. "Little Honda"
14. "Fun, Fun, Fun"
15. "You Still Believe In Me"
16. "I Can Hear Music"
17. "When I Grow Up (To Be Man)"
18. "You're So Good To Me"
19. "The Warmth Of The Sun"
20. "Forever"

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Twinkle VanWinkle ponders, creates and discovers cool stuff about music, movies, food, fashion and so forth. Her thoughtful writings and interactives give great advice about healthy food, cooking tips, DIY projects, fashion and more. She’ll teach you a thing or two about music as well. Along with producing dynamic entertainment content for LIN Media, she is a mother, musician and social media fanatic.