Music review: The Beach Boys – ‘1967: Sunshine Tomorrow’

The Beach Boys have always held a warm place in my heart.
As a youngster growing up in Western Pennsylvania, I became infatuated with the California lifestyle the vibrant band represented. With the promise of an abundance of perfect waves to catch, surfer girls to steal your heart, boss cars to drive up and down the strip and an endless summer of nothing but fun, fun and more fun, Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Al Jardine and Mike Love quickly became my adopted West Coast brothers through music.
At the end of each week, I would take my small allowance from cutting grass and purchase another Beach Boys’ album from the local record store to add to my collection for some more California dreaming.
As a lifelong fan, I can proudly declare that I own the entire discography of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers and can boast to seeing them perform at least 25 times over the years, so I’m always excited when the band releases some new material or additional tracks from the musical vault.
Being recently inspired from listening to the 50th anniversary edition of the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” with its remastered tracks and collection of outtakes, “1967: Sunshine Tomorrow” offered high expectations. I will state up front that this release is for the true fan only. With 65 tracks and nearly 2 hours and 40 minutes of listening bliss, casual fans of the band can be satisfied with any of the greatest hits collections available to get their Beach Boys’ fix.
After the sessions for “SMiLE” were abandoned in 1967, the Beach Boys would push on to record and release “Smiley Smile” and “Wild Honey” the same year. This latest release mainly focuses on the wonderful material included on these two albums such as “Heroes and Villains,” “Fall Breaks and Back to Winter,” “Aren’t You Glad,” and “I Was Made to Love Her.” Included are remastered alternate mixes, stereo and mono track versions and instrumentals.
The set also features some live material from various cities, including a recording of “Darlin'” from a Pittsburgh appearance.
Highlights for me include a mellow cover of “With a Little Help From My Friends,” the long version of the quirky “Vegetables” and a breathtaking mono mix of “God Only Knows.”
As we approach the middle of summer, it certainly seems appropriate to return to a simpler time when the Beach Boys were America’s band and experiencing the warmth of the sun was just a song away.