csberry

My Beach Boys musical knowledge is focused on their early albums and 45s (which my dad has on vinyl and I grew up playing) and Pet Sounds/Smile with tracks from greatest hits compilations thrown in. The lyrical sentimentality of Today! certainly doesn't match the PS/Smile songs, but is a lot better than the "formula" songs that brought them to popularity. There are things such as the harpsichord on "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" that remind me of other 60's songs, but most of what I hear is the Beach Boys sound.

Songs I knew I liked: "Do You Wanna Dance" and "Dance, Dance, Dance"

Songs I didn't know but now like: I love, love, love "Don't Hurt My Little Sister."

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: This version of "Help Me, Rhonda" is a different version from the single everyone is familiar. There is a tempo difference and I found the audio mixing to be rather bizarre. Someone decided to play around with the audio levels to create more quiet/loud dynamics with the "Help Me, Rhonda" stanzas near the end that really annoyed the heck outta me.