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| TODAY! - Notes |
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TODAY! was released in March 1965 in the US, and in April 1966 in the UK. The album entered the Billboard chart in the same month in the US, reached the no.4 position, and would spend fifty weeks on the US chart - it became The Beach Boys’ 3rd Gold album (certified Oct. 1965).
In the UK, TODAY! reached the no.6 position and stayed in the charts for twenty-five weeks.
Prior to the release of TODAY!, the US single When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)/She Knows Me Too Well reached No.9 in October 1964. The single Dance, Dance, Dance/Warmth Of The Sun, reached nos. 8/24 in the US(December 1964)/UK charts respectively. The US single Do You Wanna Dance? reached no.12 in Feb. 1965 with the flip side Please Let Me Wonder
peaking at no.52. In April 1965, Capitol released a re-recorded verison of Help Me, Rhonda, with Kiss Me, Baby on the flip side - the single was The Beach Boys' second US No.1
| TODAY! - The Beach Boys | |
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| CD release date: | June 28th 1994 |
| Record label: | Capitol |
| CD code: | CDP 724382963226 |
| Media format: | CD (remastered, 16 bit) |
| Audio: | mono | Album History |
| First Release Date: | US:3/65 -- UK:4/66 |
| Serial No: | US - T/DT 2269 |
| Chart #pos(weeks): | US - #4(50) UK - #6(25) |
| TODAY! - Review |
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Background: In late December 1964, after a nervous breakdown, Brian Wilson gathers the band together and tells them he has quit touring. This will allow him to concentrate on writing/composing and to extend his studio skills; three months later we get TODAY! - an album of two sides - in an evolutionary sense.
In general, side one appears to be a natural progression from its predecessor, All Summer Long, while the flip-side provides us with a glimpse into the future - the sequencing of the tracks appears to be deliberate.
In the first half of 1965, we see Brian Wilson juggling the forces of the past (conforming to the formula) and the future (individual drive, control and self-expression). Capitol Records releases two singles either side of TODAY! : Do You Wanna Dance?/Please Let Me Wonder and Help Me, Rhonda/Kiss Me, Baby. In early 1965, Annette Funicello sings The Monkey’s Uncle (with the help of The Beach Boys), while Glen Campbell releases Brian’s wondrous Guess I’m Dumb - something is changing; has changed.
With the TODAY! album, Brian Wilson alters course. On the flip side, he leaves the sun and fun behind and becomes introspective and contemplative. With the musical complexity reaching new levels, combined with a richer lyrical content, Brian Wilson produces a denser sound and reaches new personal heights as he expands his limits and masters his trade of writing, composing and producing. Set against a backdrop of drug experimentation and growing self confidence, the future for Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys would prove to be an intoxicating mix of unpredictability, moments of pure genius, of pure recklessness and of inevitable breakdown.
Review: Side one of TODAY! is filled with great pop songs and recognisable Beach Boys classics: Help Me, R(h)onda, Dance, Dance, Dance and When I Grow Up (To Be A Man). Each song is brim-full of fantastic musical nuances, with great lead vocals and harmony arrangements throughout - definitely formula in makeup, but more complex, richer and advanced in production terms. In contrast, the second side is more subtle, and setting aside the last track, the first five cuts set a new and previously unheard mood and tone from Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys. Although the trade mark harmonies remain, the lyrical content and compositional style is different - it couldn’t have been known at the time, but She Knows Me Too Well is screaming Pet Sounds. The vocal leads on the flip-side of TODAY! are amongst the very best recorded by Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys - Kiss Me, Baby , She Knows Me Too Well and Please Let Me Wonder, noteworthy examples.
Highlights: Good To My Baby, When I Grow Up (To Be A Man) + The second side.
©The GV Team 2006
