Brian Wilson: The Essential Album Guide

SURFIN' SAFARI (1962)
Key Tracks: "Surfin' Safari," "Chug-A-Lug"
Quick Take: Brian Wilson formed the Beach Boys in 1961 when he was 20, with his two younger brothers, Carl and Dennis, their cousin Mike Love, and neighbor Alan Jardine (who was replaced on two early albums by another childhood friend David Marks). The group's first recording, the crude doo-wop anthem "Surfin'," became a regional radio hit and drew the attention of Capitol Records. Capitol put out Surfin' Safari in 1962, which also contained the hit title track. Listening to the Beach Boys' early material is a thrill — you can hear Wilson's confidence and abilities grow with each new song, as he crafts increasingly daring instrumental arrangements, drives the group's sunny vocal harmonies into unexpected, often magical places, and develops ingenious ways of using the studio to make his music come to life.