Hey everyone!! We're officially in June, which means we're almost at the halfway point of 2026! Jesus Christ!!!!!! Genuinely though, I hope it's been a good year for you so far, and I hope it stays good to you for the second half.
Without further ado, let's dive into this week's DDD update...
WHERE WE'RE AT NOW
Following Beach Boys Party in late 1965, the Beach Boys kicked off a period of insane creative development, largely thanks to Brian Wilson. Pet Sounds resonated strongly with some folks (especially overseas), and has gone on to become one of the most praised albums of all time. However, the album's initial reception in the US was lukewarm, and sales weren't too hot.
Brian then began work on a massive follow-up called Smile, but to make a verrrrrrry long story short, the album was never released due to internal band struggles, as well as Brian's own battles with mental health and drugs. Parts of it were eventually compiled into Smiley Smile, an album that has its fans but I didn't personally click with.
The following albums - Wild Honey, Friends, 20/20 - all had good moments and some are even considered influential these days, but they didn't land with listeners at the time. By 20/20, Brian had creatively stepped back from the band, and his brothers Carl and Dennis had stepped in in his place.
What we'll see over the next few albums is the band continuing to miss when it came to immediate commercial reception, but hit it big when it came to lasting works of art.
ALBUMS I'VE LISTENED TO
I admit, my DDD listening slowed down this past week. The next main-channel video is about 2000s one hit wonders, and I've spent the past couple days compiling a list and listening to as many as I can. (Right now I'm up to 231 OHWs!) But I still caught up on a few records, all from the 70s.
Sunflower: If 20/20 was Carl and Dennis warming up to play a bigger role in the band's sound, Sunflower is basically them taking over fully. This was their first record on Reprise after being with Capitol since their first album. While it would go on to be their lowest-charting album at the time, man it's a good time! Some gorgeous songs, specifically from Dennis - between It's About Time and Forever, dude killed it. Also, I'd read the song "All I Wanna Do" basically invented chillwave, and I was skeptical, but y'all it basically did. I would not be shocked if it got big on social media out of the blue soundtracking fan edits to Heated Rivalry or the next Ryan Murphy FX show.
Surf's Up: Oooooooooooh. OOOOOOOOOOOH. Y'all I REALLY liked this one. First off, in case you don't know, here's the cover for this album:
Yeah man, surf really is up!! Doesn't that make you wanna hang ten????
This takes everything good from Sunflower and pushes it up. Multiple Boys get to show their stuff - Carl with Long Promised Road, Brian with the title track (held over from the Smile sessions), Bruce Johnston with Disney Girls, Mike Love with Student Demonstration Time (he didn't write the song - it's based on "Riot in Cell Block Number 9" but he provided new lyrics). If any album truly gave me hope for a Beach Boys that could move forward as a collective group, it was this one.
Carl & The Passions - "So Tough": When I do my first listens to albums for DDDs, I take notes. After I finished So Tough, this was my only note: "Need to relisten, left virtually no impression." I understand this one is more of a transitional album - new members with Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar, Bruce leaving, Brian only contributing sporadically. Perhaps I'll enjoy it more when I go back, but after Sunflower and Surf's Up and how interesting they could be, this felt like a regression. The name is cool tho - Carl & The Passions was apparently a name Brian used for a high school band.
Holland: Aw yeah now we're back in business! After a few years of getting the cold shoulder from the US, the boys decided to move over to Europe and ship their whole CA studio with them. The result is a great compliment to Sunflower and Surf's Up, almost like the third part of a trilogy. Mixes in some adventurous songwriting (the three-part California saga) with some bonafide hits. The second half of The Trader is so calmingly gorgeous, and Sail On Sailor (the one true hit of the band's 70s) is simply sublime.
15 Big Ones: So one of the most important albums in the BBs' history is not a mainline album, but rather a greatest hits album. Endless Summer was a 1974 compilation of songs from the early days. Capitol released if after some BBs songs were in the film American Graffiti, and it sold incredibly well. Based on its success, the band decided to pivot back to their original style, Brian came back as a creative force (at least at first 😬), and they ended up with a pretty dang successful album. I'm happy for them scoring a sales hit after striking out for most of the 70s, but man... at what cost? I really didn't care for this one. I'm generally aware that, at some point, the Beach Boys' overall album quality takes a dip. And while it wasn't straight downhill after this (thanks to the next album), this one felt deflating. TM Song is yet another example of why the BBs need to stop writing songs about TM!!! God it's so corny. Brian later said that this album plus another were his favorites by the band. I may go the rest of my life wondering why that is.
The Beach Boys Love You: The other album Brian said was his favorite. But I can see his vision a lil bit more with this one. Similar to Pet Sounds, this one is often considered a Brian Wilson solo album. It's funny too because, the previous album was marketed with Brian's return as a big feature. But honestly, this is really where Brian's presence is most felt. A true return to his songwriting circa Pet Sounds and Smiley Smile, with a heavy dollop of synths across the whole thing. I can't say I loved it (really can't hang with the one song about Johnny Carson), but it's stayed with me since I first heard it. I could see myself warming up to it hardcore over time.
Pacific Ocean Blue: Not a BB album, but a 1977 Dennis Wilson solo album that I've heard many good things about. And now I get to say those same good things - this album is good!! Loved the use of horns, which I don't think have been used much in the BBs' catalog. (Could be wrong though, I feel like I'm missing some big BBs song that has horns as a primary instrument.)
INTERESTING FACTS FROM THIS TIME
Apparently the first version of Sunflower the Boys gave to Reprise (called Add Some Music) was rough. To the point where they were told to come back with something better or their time at the label would be just a brief reprise eyyyyyyyy.
Holland came with a bonus EP that contained a fairy tale narrated by Brian. It's available on streaming with the main album.
I implied it earlier, but Brian's return for 15 Big Ones wasn't really a return. He did engage with the album's making more than the past few albums, but tensions were high between him and the other bandmates. That didn't stop a whole marketing campaign from being pushed though, "Brian's Back!" etc. Mike Love even wrote a song called "Brian's Back" that poked fun at the campaign.
A sore spot of The BBs Love You for some folks is how hoarse the Boys can sound on it. Which makes the presence of Good Time especially jarring - it was over a decade old at the time of release, recorded all the way in 1970.
SONGS TO CHECK OUT
It's About Time: 2:04 into the song. That's it. Thank me later.
Disney Girls (1957): Normally I'd share the title track as it's my favorite song from Surf's Up, but since I shared that last week, here's another highlight. The way Bruce sings "Dis-a-Nee" is gonna be my new vocal stim.
You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone: A nice bluesy opener to the album I had no notes for (not complimentary).
The Trader: Sail On Sailor is the big one, so instead I'll push you to this one. A bouncy first half, combined with one of the most gorgeous sections of any BBs song in the 1970s.
Had To Phone Ya: Perhaps too common a recommendation, but that's likely because it's the real highlight from 15 Big Ones.
Let's Put Our Hearts Together: A lovely duet with Brian and his wife Marilyn.
Time: Horns for day.
And that's it for now! I only have a handful of albums left to check out, and from what I've heard, things are about to get real rough. But I'm looking forward to it all the same, and I hope you are too.
No new main-channel video this week, but since we're roughly at the halfway point of 2026, I'm thinking of putting out a poll to all Patreon members to see what everyone's favorite music has been so far. See you soon for that!