Today! / Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)

There's a bombshell heading your way. Ready? Here it comes: Pet Sounds isn't my favourite Beach Boys album.BOOM!Summer Days is universally claimed to be greatly inferior to Today! but i think there is a specific reason behind this: Amusment Parks USA. The song stops the album dead in its tracks. Which brings me to another point. Ever noticed that every bit of Beach Boys magnificence is credited to Brian, but whenever there is a drop in quality everybody points the finger at Mike? Well, Mike co-wrote all the original BB tracks on both these albums. So credit were its due: good work Mike. You jerk.Too many great songs to call out any specific examples. That said Girl Don't Tell Me and the alt version of Dance Dance Dance deserve a mention. The former is a particular bit of greatness.Teenage love songs from God, indeed.(By the way, Surfer Girl is really their best one.)

The decision by Capitol records to re-package many of the Beach Boys classic albums in this 'double header' format is inspired. 'Today' (the earlier of these 2 releases) is, for me, the more interesting of the pair - quite simply, the overall standard is higher and Brian Wilson was able to expand his musical horizons beyond the usual surf and sun themes which dominate the first half dozen BB albums. Having said that, there are enough familiar tracks listed amongst the 24 titles on the 2 original albums to more than hold the attention here and the 5 Bonus tracks definitely add some spice to the mix. If you haven't got the likes of 'When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)', 'California Girls', 'You're So Good To Me' and the fabulous 'stop/start' single 'The Little Girl I Once Knew' ~ fear not, they're all here! This is a superb release and I heartily recommend it to Beach Boys fans.

If you like Pet Sounds you'll love this double album combination. Some of the Beach Boys' finest music, along with the big hits there are some achingly beautiful ballads that are as good as anything on Pet Sounds. Worth buying on CD to get the sound quality that's lacking in streaming and the uninterrupted flow that a vinyl can't give.

This is a very enjoyable twofer cd. Today! comprises a host of my favourite BB songs. Summer Days is less familiar but there are gems to be found here too.

I have just finished listening to this (not for the first time) I need my dose of the Beach Boys and hardly a daygoes by when I dont have my fix. What a bargain this c/d is, two of my favourite albums on one c/d for this price!!I would pay 10 times this knowng what is contained, 29 tracks and not a bad one amongst them. Buy, Listen and marvelat one of the god given talents of music.

Great value for money of two albums together.

Early Beach Boys with their typical sound. Great value 2 album on 1 cd set that goes to completing my BB collection cheaply. Sound isn't too bad either considering the age of the recordings and better than some of the same era.

Probably the best 2 albums after Pet Sounds, from the excellent Beach Boys. Contains the hits Help Me Rhonda and California Girls, but also some other gems, including When I Grow Up To Be A Man, You're So Good To Me, and an excellent version of Do You Wanna Dance. Recommended!