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Rating: It is the album that somewhat bleakly decrees the end of the American Dream. The moment is delicate: the death of Kennedy, the political rise of Martin Luther King, the Vietnam War which has only just started and is already terribly stained by killings and bellicose foolishness, Germany offended and divided in two, the insistent air of an imminent European youth protest, the communist revolution of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. Despite a certain political distrust (and a bitter hatred towards social minorities), the Beach Boys cannot, even if they want to, remain indifferent to events that are not only historically fundamental for democracy as a form of social breath but also as a new sensational opportunity for global rebirth. Thus, here is the turning point. After the great success of “Surfin’ USA” and after the half misstep of “Surfin’ Girl”, the Beach Boys published a curiously country album (with typically beat nuances) and, in their own way, redefine the boundaries of pop and beat.
“All Summer Long” is the album that marks the end of the 'cars, women, friends' trend (despite the usual beat ballad, “I Get Around”) and decrees the beginning of the season of reconsideration and melancholy. The Beach Boys change course and wink at the Beatles' catchiness, but with rare exceptions, they neither manage to be convincing nor hit any significant target. Nostalgia is evident in the (almost) sorrowful “All Summer Long”, melancholy is clearly perceived in the splendid “Wendy”, while in “Little Honda” the choruses and small authorial quirks unfortunately dominate.
Capitol (which has produced the Beach Boys since their debut) realizes that something is not going in the right direction and imposes, especially on Brian Wilson, to completely change the musical style. The result is “The Beach Boys, Today!” (1965), an interesting album, definitely better compared to this “All Summer Long”, yet, despite the great resources invested by Capitol, not entirely convincing.
The fame of the Beach Boys, already in 1964 (the year of publication of “All Summer Long”) was waning. The blame, however, if we want to be fair, should not be entirely attributed to the Wilson brothers (who have also struggled very much to completely renew themselves); the blame lies with the country America (I realize it is a complex matter): suppose, if Kennedy hadn't died, if the Vietnam War hadn't occurred, if the Berlin Wall hadn't been built, how much more commercially viable would the Beach Boys have been? Probably very much, and I dare say, they wouldn't have practically ended (artistically speaking) around 1966 (the year of “Pet Sounds”, an overrated album).
Already in “All Summer Long” one can glimpse some very brief, yet not negligible, hints of difficulty or, worse, musical insecurity: “Do You Remember” (but it also applies to “Drive-In”) appears, from the first listen, fragmented and disjointed, the result of reckless musical experimentation that Brian Wilson imposed, as a patriarch, on his brothers Carl and Dennis. Evident then, Brian's intent: to subvert the rules of the game, begin experimenting and, if possible, leave behind the happy childhood and the joy of living and with a strong and determined step, turn towards new perspectives (thus new horizons) to break into the hearts of more generations (the market consisting solely of teenagers does not allow substantial commercial tranquility).
Absolutely brilliant (and undoubtedly kitschy) is the refined cover: a series of photographs (depicting the Beach Boys or, in some cases, couples happily embraced lying on a beach by the sea) that compose, in a very artistic manner, a sort of generational picture that today seems old and outdated but that at one time, in contrast, appeared colorful and fun.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 I Get Around (02:12)
Round round get around
I get around
Yeah
Get around round round I get around
I get around
Get around round round I get around
My kinda town
Get around round round I get around
I'm a real cool head
Get around round round I get around
I'm makin' real good bread
I'm gettin' bugged driving up and down the same old strip
I gotta finda new place where the kids are hip
My buddies and me are getting real well known
Yeah, the bad guys know us and they leave us alone
I get around
Get around round round I get around
My kinda town
Get around round round I get around
I'm a real cool head
Get around round round I get around
I'm makin' real good bread
Get around round round I get around
I get around
Round
Get around round round oooo
get around 'round 'round oooo
We always take my car cause it's never been beat
And we've never missed yet with the girls we meet
None of the guys go steady cause it wouldn't be right
To leave their best girl home now on Saturday night
I get around
Get around round round I get around
My kinda town
Get around round round I get around
I'm a real cool head
Get around round round I get around
I'm makin' real good bread
Get around round round I get around
I get around
Round
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah
Round round get around
I get around
Yeah
Get around round round I get around
Get around round round I get around
Wah wa ooo
Get around round round I get around
Oooo ooo ooo
Get around round round I get around
Ahh ooo ooo
Get around round round I get around
Wah wa ooo
Get around round round I get around
Wah wa ooo
03 Hushabye (02:40)
Oo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo
Ah ah ah ah
Oo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo
Ah ah ah ah
Oo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo
Ah ah ah ah
Hush hush
Hushabye
Hushabye
Hushabye
Oh my darlin' don't you cry
Guardian angels up above
Take care of the one I love
Oo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo
Ah ah ah ah
Hush hush
Hushabye
Oo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo
Ah ah ah ah
Hush hush
Hushabye
Oooo oooo oooo oooo
Lullabye and goodnight
In your dreams I hold you tight
Lullabye and goodnight
Til the dawn's early light
Pillows lying on your bed
Oh my darling rest your head
Sandman will be coming soon
Singing you a slumber tune
Oo ooo oooo oooo ooo ooo ooo
Hush
Hush
Hushabye
Oo ooo oooo oooo ooo ooo ooo
Hush
Hush
Hushabye
Oo ooo oooo oooo ooo ooo ooo
Oo ooo oooo oooo ooo ooo ooo
Ah ah ah ah
07 Wendy (02:16)
Wendy, Wendy what went wrong
Oh so wrong
We went together for so long
I never thought a guy could cry
'Til you made it with another guy
Oh Wendy, Wendy left me alone
Hurt so bad
Wendy, Wendy don't lose your head
Lose your head
Wendy don't believe a word he says
I can't picture you with him
His future looks awful dim
Oh Wendy, Wendy left me alone
Hurt so bad
Wendy I wouldn't hurt you like that
No no no
I thought we had our love down pat
Guess I was wrong
The farthest thing from my mind
Was the day that I'd wake up to find
My Wendy
Wendy left me alone
Wendy, Wendy left me alone
Hurts so bad
Wendy, Wendy left me alone
Hurts so bad
Wendy, Wendy left me alone
Hurts so bad
Wendy, Wendy...
10 Drive-In (01:51)
Ooo wah
Ooo wah
Everytime I have a date there's only one place to go
That's to the drive in
It's such a groovy place to talk and maybe watch a show
Down at the drive in
Forget about the plot, it'll do very well
But make sure you see enough so you're prepared to tell
About the drive in
(Ooo wah)
I love the drive in
(We love the drive in, we love the drive in)
If the windows get fogged you'll have to take a breath
(Oooooooo waah oooo)
Down at the drive in
(Wah wah ooooooo)
Or the cat dressed in white will scare you both to death
Down at the drive in
A big buttered popcorn and an extra large coke
A few chili dogs and man I'm goin' broke
Down at the drive in
(Ooo wah)
Yeah at the drive in
(We love the drive in, we love the drive in)
Don't sneak your buddies in the trunk 'cause they might get caught
By the drive in
(Wah wah wah ooooooo)
And they'd look kinda stupid gettin' chased through the lot
(Wah ooooooo)
Around the drive in
If you say you watch the movie you're a couple o' liars
And "Remember only you can prevent forest fires"
Down at the drive in
(Ooo wah)
I love the drive in
(We love the drive in, we love the drive in)
Down at the drive in
(Ooo wah)
I love the drive in
(We love the drive in, we love the drive in)
Down at the drive in
(Ooo wah)
I love the drive in
(We love the drive in, we love the drive in)
11 Our Favorite Recording Sessions (01:59)
Hey hey come in they come
O.k. boys, take one
Danny and the Juniors set a groove stuck 'em blblblblu shoot
Say shoot
I should
Why don't you say "shoot" quick right as the song
Danny and the Juniors set a shoot stuck 'em down in the bloot, spoot,
fruit, toot
O.k. let's get ready
Let's dub, let's overdub a little a little finger p-
No, no, no Clem no!
By greckins you put a little, little bit, a little finger poppin' on thar
it's gonna be a million-and-two seller
Hey, will you take off that hat? You look like George Washington!
I'll throw you across the river.
You'll throw me across? The what? The Pontiac?
I'll throw you across the river. I threw a silver dollar across, I can
throw you.
When you hear the countdown, everyone shut up because it's awful tight.
Yeah
Let's make it.
2-3-go
Sittin in my ca
Say t-shirts
T-shirts in my car
Sorry
Outside your lawn
Uh
What's wrong?
I broke that tie thing.
Oh thanks!
Ohhh
It's his tie thing
Oh
Yeah
Gee whiz
I have another one, thank you
How much are they?
I have two more.
You do not.
I bought 'em for 99 cents apiece
You, You did?
I know where you can get 'em.
Here we go
For 99 cents
We're on
You got a better deal than I did
I know
Is this mike on?
All the way from Hawthorne California we're flying over Carl Wilson who's
going to jump 600 feet into a two foot cup
Into a damp rag
Come on
Hey look, I'm gonna leave you home
Hey you guys just a second, I forgot my note
Just a second I'm gonna go to the piano
Ahh Ahh
O.k. let's make one Charlie.
You guys ready, let's go.
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