The Beach Boys Today!
| The Beach Boys Today! | |||||
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| Studio album by The Beach Boys | |||||
| Released | March 8, 1965 | ||||
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| Studio | United Western Recorders, Gold Star Studios, and RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood | ||||
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| Length | 28:54 | ||||
| Label | Capitol | ||||
| Producer | Brian Wilson | ||||
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| Singles from Today! | |||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Retrospective reviews | |
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| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  |
| Blender |  |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
| The Guardian | positive |
| Rolling Stone | |
The Beach Boys Today!, also known simply as Today!, is the eighth studio album by the American rock group the Beach Boys. It peaked at number four on US record charts and was preceded by the top 10 singles "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" and "Dance, Dance, Dance", along with "Do You Wanna Dance?" which reached number 12.
Shortly before recording began, the group completed their album All Summer Long (1964), intended to be their final statement on beach-themed music. In December 1964, Brian Wilson suffered through a nervous breakdown while on a flight, and was introduced to marijuana as a stress reliever. He then became a regular user after he realized the profound effect it had on the way he perceived music, and resigned from touring with the group to focus solely on writing and producing.
Produced, arranged, and largely written by Wilson with additional lyrics by Mike Love, Today! signaled a departure from previous albums through Wilson's increasingly sophisticated, orchestral approach and the abandonment of themes related to surfing, cars, or teenage love. The tracks on side one feature an uptempo sound that contrasts side two, which consists mostly of ballads. With instrumentation that includes accordions, harpsichords, French horn, tack pianos, mandolins, and sleigh bells, the album showcases adventurous and distinct arrangements, multi-layered Wall of Sound productions, and personal, autobiographical subject matter that would foreshadow future albums such as Pet Sounds (1966).
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