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Aug 29, 2016 Web Exclusive By Matthew Berlyant

Before they were signed to Capitol, The Beach Boys entered Hite and Dorinda Morgan’s home studio in 1961 and recorded nine tracks ranging from songs that would go on to become beloved classics in their canon (particularly “Surfer Girl”) and other well-known ones like “Surfin’” to utter obscurities like “Lavender,” “Judy,” “Beach Boy Stomp (Karate),” and “What Is a Young Girl Made Of” that were only released decades later on collections like the 1991 compilation Lost and Found 1961-2, a set that consisted of 21 songs from these sessions. The sessions ranged from September 1961 to March 1962, all well before their May 1962 Capitol deal. This new collection ups the ante with no less than 62 tracks from these sessions, 41 of them previously unreleased. Although they’re all enjoyable and fascinating from a historical perspective as a look at the very beginnings of one of the greatest American bands in history, ultimately this collection is really just for Beach Boys die-hards. In fact, the different takes of each song (nine each of “Surfin’” and its eventual B-side “Luau”) start blending together and this 2-CD collection feels like their version of The Stooges’ 1970: The Complete Fun House Sessions. In other words, this would be an endurance test for some, albeit a highly enjoyable one. (www.thebeachboys.com)

Author rating: 6.5/10