'The Beach Boys Today!'

After his nervous breakdown in Houston, Brian Wilson decided he would no longer tour with the Beach Boys. He felt that this would give him the artistic freedom to create better music for the group. This also meant that the Beach Boys would contribute less instrumental parts with the bulk of the instruments played by the famous "Wrecking Crew" of studio musicians famous for creating legendary producer Phil Spector's "Wall Of Sound".

The first album to feature this new arrangement, The Beach Boys Today! was released on March 8th 1965. Side One of the LP would feature more up-tempo material while Brian would dedicate side two to strong, powerful ballads with dense arrangements that foreshadowed his later work on the album Pet Sounds.

Side One opens with a cover of Bobby Freeman's late 50s hit "Do You Wanna Dance" sung with great power by Dennis Wilson. Instrumentally it is very dense compared to the more bare bones original version.

Next is "Good To My Baby" a song written by Brian with his cousin Mike Love. Both share vocals on the song with Mike singing the lower bass parts with Brian's incredible falsetto voice doing the high parts.

"Don't Hurt My Little Sister" was also written by Brian and Mike and was inspired by Brian's complicated feelings concerning his then-wife Marilyn Rovell's sister Diane.

"When I Grow Up To Be A Man" is a harpsichord driven song by Brian and Mike from the point of view of a young boy wondering what his future will hold.

"Help Me Ronda" was inspired by a harmonica riff in Buster Brown's 1960 hit Fannie Mae. The version on the album was later re-recorded as a single which became a massive hit , now with an h in the name Rhonda.

As with it's opening track, Side One's final track is also about wanting to dance. "Dance, Dance, Dance" is written by Brian and Mike with younger brother Carl Wilson.

Side Two opens with the romantic "Please Let Me Wonder" written by Brian with Mike Love. It features Brian on vocals asking his lover if "He's who she dreams of. The spoken "I love you" at the end of the song is spoken by Carl Wilson.

"I'm So Young" was written by William H. Tyus Jr. and was most famously performed by Ronnie Spector before the Boys covered it. It is about a teenage relationship that can not end in marriage because the narrator and his girlfriend are underage.

"Kiss Me Baby" is another lovely ballad by Brian and Mike about trying to reconcile after a major fight between the narrator and his girlfriend. Brian and Mike share the alternating lead vocals with Brian's incredible falsetto shining.

"She Knows Me Too Well is another Brian/Mike song about despite how badly the narrator treats his girlfriend, She knows that he really loves her. Carl Wilson performs a guitar solo between the verses of the song.

"In The Back Of My Mind" , The final true song on the album written by Brian and Mike and features Dennis Wilson on the emotional lead vocals. The narrator of the song worries what will happen if his lover leaves him.

"Bull Session With Big Daddy" is a spoken word filler track and the only real flaw on an amazing album.

The Beach Boys Today! was a major artistic step forward for the Beach Boys and a preview of the great things to come.