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Press play on any Beach Boys single, anywhere in the world, and you'll be transported to summer in Southern California, the sun on the surf and the warm breeze rustling the palm fronds. The blond five-piece succeeded in crystallizing everything that everyone loved about the 50's scene-surfing, girls and cars. And what else is there, really? Allegedly, they would practice on the Santa Monica beach without any shoes on and there is no denying the sonic genius of lead songwriter Brian Wilson. The group's harmonies couldn't have been tighter and they roll over you like a gentle wave. Just listen to "Surfin' Safari" or "Little Deuce Coup" and try not to smile. And their string of perfect, sunny singles really is unprecedented-"Surfin' USA," "Surfer Girl" and the adolescent "In My Room" were all recorded within the same year. The band matured quickly, and subsequent singles like "Fun, Fun, Fun," "I Get Around," "When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)" and "Dance, Dance, Dance" all showed a level of lyrical maturity not there in their earliest singles. Pet Sounds is the band's sonic masterpiece, and it saw Brian Wilson seemingly channeling music out of pure sunlight. Nearly every track is superb, including the rueful "Sloop John B.," the tender "Wouldn't It Be Nice," "God Only Knows" and the soaring "Caroline No." The album also sparked the single "Good Vibrations," which is one of the few pop songs regarded as a revolutionary step forward for 20th century music and also a totally great tune. Legends abound about Brian Wilson's marathon recording sessions for the song-days to produce three minutes of music-but the theremin-accented tune is widely regarded as a "pocket symphony" and remains The Beach Boy's most enduring legacy.

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