In the Autumn of 1965, Brian Wilson was composing and preparing The Beach Boys' legendary Pet Sounds album. 1965 also saw the release of two top-five charting albums (The Beach Boys Today! and Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)) which both show Wilson's maturing as a songwriter and a producer. By the middle of the Summer Capitol had been hounding the band for a new album to release for the Holiday shopping season. However, the band didn't have anything prepared. So, Brian Wilson came up with the idea of recording an album where the band sounds like they're just hanging out at a party with their friends and just performing acoustic cover versions of some of their favorite songs. The only instruments heard are acoustic guitar, bass, tambourine and bongos.
The album contained covers by Bob Dylan, The Everly Brothers, Phil Spector and three songs by The Beatles. Plus the novelty songs "Alley Oop", "Hully Gully" & "Papa Oom Mow Mow". The band's cover of "Barbara Ann" from this album was rush released as a single by Capitol when the bands' non-album single "The Little Girl I Once Knew" stalled at #20 on Billboards single charts. Apparently, "The Little Girl I Once Knew" was taking too long a time, slowly building momentum, in becoming a hit for the label's liking. "Barbara Ann" reached #2 on the charts. Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean sings co-lead on the track with Brian Wilson.
To add a party atmosphere to the album, the bands recorded an ambient track of just chatter, clinking of glasses and general party noises which pervades the entire album. Capitol record has just released Uncovered and Unplugged, which is the album without the backround ambient track and just the band playing and singing in the studio. The vinyl version is a beautiful reproduction of the album with labels faithful to the original mid-60's Capitol label. And the CD contains two discs of the album itself and virtually all of the outtakes as well. Including versions of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", "Ticket To Ride" and "California Girls".
The album itself is unwittingly a virtual snapshot of the pre-Pet Sounds Beach Boys. How they were and never would be again.
Highly recommended for the Beach Boys connoisseur and for maybe a listen for the Beach Boys novice as well.
Here's The Video Review:
Special Thanks to Dave Rerecich of T.V. Games.
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