To some, this CD compilation sounds better than the box set; however it doesn't include the Smile numbers. It covers the early career up to 1965, right before Pet Sounds, but also includes "Good Vibrations."

Track Listing

1. Surfin' Safari
2. Surfer Girl
3. Catch a Wave
4. Warmth of the Sun
5. Surfin' U.S.A.
6. Be True to Your School
7. Little Deuce Coupe
8. In My Room
9. Shut Down
10. Fun, Fun, Fun
11. I Get Around
12. Girls on the Beach
13. Wendy
14. Let Him Run Wild
15. Don't Worry Baby
16. California Girls
17. Girl Don't Tell Me
18. Help Me, Rhonda
19. You're So Good to Me
20. All Summer Long
21. Good Vibrations

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #43151 in Music
• Released on: 1990-10-25
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com essential recording
Brian Wilson's brilliance manifested itself in the euphoric, cheerfully square, sun-and-fun stuff heard here early on, before it got darker and more complicated. Endless Summer runs from the beginning of the Boys' pinstriped career to 1965, right before the melancholy of Pet Sounds, but also includes the inescapable "Good Vibrations." You can hear a few hints of adolescent sadness and fear--"Help Me, Rhonda" is essentially a kids' sing-along about a wrenching emotional rebound, and the shadow of death is hiding somewhere in "Don't Worry, Baby"--but Wilson is mostly concerned with the cars, waves, and girls that made up the Boys' public image, and his ingenious arrangements (coupled with the group's inimitable harmonies) make everything go down as smoothly as lemonade. --Douglas Wolk

Amazon.com
Brian Wilson's brilliance manifested itself in the euphoric, cheerfully square, sun-and-fun stuff heard here early on, before it got darker and more complicated. Endless Summer runs from the beginning of the Boys' pinstriped career to 1965, right before the melancholy of Pet Sounds, but also includes the inescapable "Good Vibrations." You can hear a few hints of adolescent sadness and fear--"Help Me, Rhonda" is essentially a kids' sing-along about a wrenching emotional rebound, and the shadow of death is hiding somewhere in "Don't Worry, Baby"--but Wilson is mostly concerned with the cars, waves, and girls that made up the Boys' public image, and his ingenious arrangements (coupled with the group's inimitable harmonies) make everything go down as smoothly as lemonade. --Douglas Wolk

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Customer Reviews

The Soundtrack Of A Sub-Culture
This is the perfect title for a Beach Boys retrospective. These songs are constants of the oldies-radio format, especially during the summer. All of those sixties-sounding songs (classic, to the point of being nearly cliche) are here: "Surfin' Safari" "Catch A Wave" "Surfer Girl" "Surfin' U.S.A." "Shut Down" "Little Deuce Coupe" "California Girls" "I Get Around" and so on. If it was about Waves, Women, or Wheels and it had perfect harmony, it's probably on this album. And there are just enough songs dealing with semi-adult themes ("In My Room" "Don't Worry Baby" "Girl Don't Tell Me" "When I Grow Up To Be A Man"), that the whole package doesn't get stale. A couple of omissions are "Surfin'" (recorded before the Beach Boys signed with Capitol) and "Surf City," which Brian Wilson gave to Jan and Dean. "Barbara Ann" seems like is should have been here, and the version of "Help Me, Rhonda" that's included here is not the hit single we heard on the airwaves. But considering "Good Vibrations" was added to the CD release, all is forgiven. True-to-the-core fans of The Beach Boys and Surf music will want to go deeper ("Spirit Of America" is another great compilation for this purpose). But if you want just the cream of their output, all you really need to buy are "Pet Sounds" and this album. No matter what you're doing or where you might be, with "Endless Summer," you have the sun, the sand, and the surf (and maybe even a babe)! Who could ask for more?

An all-time classic, not just a greatest hits package
Yes, this is all it's cracked up to be. The Beach Boys were producing tremendous music in the 1970's, much different stuff than what is on Endless Summer. The problem was it wasn't selling!

Along came perhaps the best greatest hits album of all-time in this masterpiece and the group was back in the mainstream. Many people not old enough in the 1960's to become fans were introduced to the band through "Endless Summer". I was one of them.

This album and it had a tremendous impact on me. Prior to purchasing "Endless Summer", I had heard bits and pieces of the Beach Boys' tunes, mostly their hits. The other songs on "Endless Summer" I hadn't heard, like "Wendy", "Don't Worry Baby", and "Girls on the Beach" simply blew me away.

Don't pass this over as simple surf music. The Wilsons, Mike Love, Al Jardine, and Bruce Johnston, wrote some sophisticated harmonies. The singing on this album is tremendous, and if you have any ounce of nostalgia and romance in your life, this album will grab you.

It's not just a greatest hits package, it's a music compilation for the ages. It hooked me on the group forever.

It's like the Beach Boys arranged this collection!
I was there and I can tell you: THIS is a GREAT Beach Boys CD! The mid-sixties belonged to the unusual magic of the Twist, Elvis Presley and Surf Music! Jan and Dean, The Ventures, and the greatest of them all, The Beach Boys. There were good folk music songs back then which also had great harmonies but none better than the Beach Boys! This excellent compilation has just about all of the great sounds of those wonderful years. Thanks, studio guys, for the excellent recording transfer to CD. These songs are correct for a sample of the Beach Boys' dynasty years. I Get Around! Surfin U.S.A! In My Room! Fun Fun Fun! Surfer Girl! Don't Worry Baby! California Girls! Good Vibrations! All originals, all high fidelity! (I would have liked to ride my Honda tonight) If it's been a while, buy this priceless CD and catch a wave!