Beach Boys Concert (Live)

Bruce Beatlefan (April 18, 2008)

For a listener accustomed to a typical concert offering in recent years, the selection from 1964's Beach Boys Concert will strike one as very odd and unsatisfying. At this point the Beach Boys had released six albums, with about a dozen hit singles to choose from, along with some classic album cuts (which were to become concert staples many many years hence).

Rather, however, the record consists of thirteen tracks, only six of which were, at that point, Beach Boys tracks (they were later to record versions of "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" and "Graduation Day"). Conspicuously missing are such recognizable hits as "Surfin' USA", "Be True to Your School", and "Little Honda", being replaced by Dion's "The Wanderer" (showcasing Dennis Wilson and his gamin' ways), and two songs showcasing some lunacy from Mike Love, "Long Tall Texan" and "Monster Mash".

When you get past the odd song collection, you will find the Beach Boys in full harmonies and full fun mode. They do a terrific job covering Jan and Dean's "Little Old Lady From Pasadena", encoring with Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode", and nearly falling apart on "Graduation Day"...but they recover and render a superb harmony vocal. Finally, the six songs associated with the Beach Boys for all time were performed superbly.