Along the same lines as yesterday’s Liz Phair post, I’m featuring The Beach Boys today because I’m surprised I haven’t done so more often.
That’s probably because I just don’t have much to say about The Beach Boys. In fact, I started to write about how when I was younger I didn’t know The Beach Boys were such a big deal, artistically. I thought they were a surf band on a par with The Monkees or some other gimmicky bunch of pretty boys like that.
Then I looked back at the first time I featured a Beach Boys song on the blog (‘Don’t Worry Baby’ way back at Song of the Day #26) and these were my first words in that post: “I remember when I didn’t know The Beach Boys were a big deal.”
Well, at least I’m consistent.
The other Beach Boys song I featured was ‘Kokomo’ (Song of the Day #239) and that was during a week of mindless, happy songs posted in response to criticism that I’d gone too dark in previous weeks.
So that means I’ve gone 923 songs, and two Beach Boys songs, without posting a thing from Pet Sounds! And that despite the fact that I, generally a Beach Boys agnostic, consider Pet Sounds a near-perfect album. How does that happen?
Perhaps a Pet Sounds theme week is in order. For now, I’ll go with the gorgeous ‘I’m Waiting For the Day,’ as fine an example of this album’s genius as any.
That’s when you needed someone
To help forget about him
I gave you love with a brand new start
That’s what you needed the most
To set your broken heart free
I know you cried, and you felt blue
But when I could I gave strength to you
I’m waiting for the day when you can love again
I kissed your lips
And when your face looked sad
It made me think about him
And that you still loved him so
But you know that pretty soon
I made you feel glad
That you belonged to me
And love began to show
He hurt you then, but that’s all gone
I guess I’m saying you’re the only one
I’m waiting for the day when you can love again
He hurt you then, but that’s all done
I guess I’m saying you’re the only one
I’m waiting for the day when you can love again
You didn’t think that I could sit around and let him work
You didn’t think that I could sit around and watch him take you
You didn’t think that I could sit around and let him go
You didn’t think that I could sit back and let you go
You didn’t think…
Meet Me In Montauk 
I appreciate the unique and innovative sound of the Beach Boys, but I must admit that I never find myself in the mood to hear them. I find this song good, though it feels very dated, and it doesn’t grab me in the way a song like “God Only Knows” or even “Good Vibrations” does.
So, in contrast to my comment re Phair, I’m fine with you going 2 and a half more years without circling back to the Beach Boys:)