Background: Surprisingly, given the success of the TODAY album, Brian Wilson had come under pressure from Capitol Records (and from within the group) to make the next album more upbeat and not so introspective or artistic as the (now much loved) second side of that record. Brian Wilson reluctantly bowed to this pressure and set out in late spring 1965 with the hottest LA session musicians to lay down the tracks for what would become Summer Days (And Summer Nights!) .

Review: An easy boy/girl rework of the Ad-Libs recent hit, The Girl From New York City is a great driving track with some great bass “yeahs” from Mike Love and some fantastic tumbling bass guitar lines. Amusement Parks USA is a fun run through of the US theme parks replete with novelty characters and a nod to Palisades Park at the end. Then I Kissed Her is like the ‘pupil’ showing the ‘master’ what he’d learned. History does not record what Phil Spector thought about this cover of his 1963 Crystal’s hit, but this is a more subtle version than the original and has a great Al Jardine lead. Salt Lake City was written in tribute to the wild reception the group received in that city. The single notes from the vibes during the sax section are so cool, and Mike Love gives some great resonant bass lines especially in the fade. Girl Don’t Tell Me is unusual, as the acoustic guitar is so prominent underlining Brian’s comment that he had written it for his brother Carl to sing. Carl Wilson was a big fan of the Beatles and that perhaps also influenced the form of the song. Help Me, Rhonda is the reworked single version which Brian Wilson laboured over during several recording sessions - including a highly combative one with his ‘over-critical’ father Murry. Featuring a great ‘syncopated’ lead vocal from Al Jardine and ‘spiky’ guitar licks, it was all worth it as it became the Beach Boys second No.1 hit in the USA. The opening notes of California Girls are very special. They convey a sense of anticipation and expectation. Famously Brian Wilson’s first composition following his initial LSD ‘trip’, it is the quintessential Beach Boys classic and is the first Beach Boys recording on which Bruce Johnston sang. With a remarkably ‘big’ drum sound for the time and a prominent bass line, it is another top 3 hit. Let Him Run Wild could almost fit on Pet Sounds. The subtlety and sophistication of that masterpiece is not quite there but it is clear that Brian is developing towards it. Teenage love writ large and with a pounding beat, You’re So Good To Me also features a guitar sounding as if it has been played through a ‘Leslie’ cabinet - a ‘trick’ Brian would use again in the near future on Pet Sounds. Summer Means New Love seems to have been used as another ‘vehicle’ for Brian to hone his skills. He decamped to the larger Capitol studios, which could accommodate an orchestra. You can hear in the use of strings and saxophones how he was working out the balance and textures he would similarly employ (to even greater effect) on Pet Sounds. Even the portamento playing of the french horn would reappear brilliantly in God Only Knows. I’m Bugged At My Old Man may be a humorous take on his relationship with his father Murry, but it is also a message and a disguised statement. A metaphor for the hurt and frustration he felt. And Your Dreams Come True shows what a wonderful blend the Beach Boys had. Only a combination of genes and hours of practise as youngsters coupled with the arranging talent of Brian Wilson could create such timbres.

Summary: Although Brian Wilson bowed to the pressures of making Summer Days (And Summer Nights) less introspective than he would have wished, he used the opportunity to develop his trade-craft to another level in terms of instrumentation and production technique in readiness for the album he KNEW he HAD to make - Pet Sounds.
Therefore this album in conjunction with the second side of the TODAY! Album can be seen as vital steps on the path that led to Pet Sounds, and Brian Wilson’s elevation to the highest echelons of the music industry.

Highlights: Then I Kissed Her, Help Me, Rhonda, California Girls, Let Him Run Wild.

On the TODAY/Summer Days (And Summer Nights) CD Twofer, there are five bonus tracks: The Little Girl I Once Knew was a less successful single than the recent releases, but it represented another evolutionary step for Brian Wilson. The dynamic guitar intro and powerful bass guitar lines with very fine vocals by the entire group make this a stellar track. Dance, Dance, Dance is an early version of the song and it demonstrates how Brian Wilson could refine a track before it was released. In this case the track has a little more ‘edge’ than the final release. As with the previous track, I’m So Young is an early version that features a flute (subsequently discarded) and a bass guitar with a less reverberated sound. Let Him Run Wild is again, an early version of the released track with different lyrics here and there, but largely the same arrangement. Graduation Day is the fantastic studio version of the live rendition featured on the Concert album. The Beach Boys could conjure up a wonderful harmony sound.

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