Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 2

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Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 2
Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 2 cover
Compilation album by The Beach Boys
Released 24 July 1967
Recorded April 1962 -
September 1965
Genre Rock
Length 28:43
Label Capitol Records
Producer Brian Wilson
Professional reviews
The Beach Boys chronology
Best of The Beach Boys
(1966)		 Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 2
(1967)		 Smiley Smile
(1967)

Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 2 is the 1967 sequel to the previous year's hits package. It was compiled by Capitol Records rather hastily after Brian Wilson had announced the shelving of Smile, the album he had spent the better part of a year toiling on.

Released at a perilous moment in The Beach Boys' career, the appearance of their past glories on Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 2 perhaps helped confirm to the general public that the band was not up to the challenge of the new psychedelic music, spearheaded by The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and The Jimi Hendrix Experience's radical debut Are You Experienced.

Although it is hard to argue with a line-up that includes "I Get Around", "California Girls", "Let Him Run Wild" and "Please Let Me Wonder", those songs were considered old hat in the face of psychedelia, and as a result Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 2 initially flopped in the U.S., only reaching #50. In time, it would go on to sell over two million copies, but it was likely with the reaction to this album that The Beach Boys knew they were in trouble commercially in their homeland.

However, a reworked tracklist, issued under the same title in the UK in late 1967 proved to be another big success.

Like its predecessor, Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 2 is out of print.

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Barbara Ann" (Fred Fassert) – 2:11
  2. "When I Grow Up" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:01
  3. "Long, Tall Texan" (Henry Strezlecki) – 2:30
  4. "Please Let Me Wonder" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:45
  5. "409" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love/Gary Usher) – 1:59
  6. "Let Him Run Wild" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:20
  7. "Don't Worry Baby" (Brian Wilson/Roger Christian) – 2:47
  8. "Surfin' Safari" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:05
  9. "Little Saint Nick" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 1:59
  10. "California Girls" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:38
  11. "Help Me, Rhonda" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:46
  12. "I Get Around" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:12

"Please Let Me Wonder" and "Little Saint Nick" do not appear on the cassette tape version.

Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 2 (Capitol (D) 2706) hit #50 in the U.S. during a 22 week chart stay. In the UK, it reached #3.

[edit] British Version

The British version of Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 2 was released in mid-1967 with 14 songs, instead of the usual 12 found on American albums.

The following songs were found on the British version of Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 2:

  1. "Surfer Girl" – 2:26
  2. "Don't Worry Baby" – 2:51
  3. "Wendy" – 2:22
  4. "When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)" – 2:02
  5. "Good To My Baby" – 2:16
  6. "Dance, Dance, Dance" – 1:58
  7. "Then I Kissed Her" – 2:15
  8. "The Girl From New York City" – 1:53
  9. "Girl Don't Tell Me" – 2:19
  10. "The Little Girl I Once Knew" – 2:36
  11. "Mountain Of Love" – 2:47
  12. "Here Today" – 2:52
  13. "Wouldn't It Be Nice" – 2:22
  14. "Good Vibrations" – 3:35

[edit] Sources

  • "The Nearest Faraway Place: Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys and the Southern California Experience", Timothy White, c. 1994.
  • "Wouldn't It Be Nice - My Own Story", Brian Wilson and Todd Gold, c. 1991.
  • "Top Pop Singles 1955-2001", Joel Whitburn, c. 2002.
  • "Top Pop Albums 1955-2001", Joel Whitburn, c. 2002.
  • All Music Guide.com
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