Surf's Up: A Beach Boys Podcast Safari

As the editor of fanzine Endless Summer Quarterly for more than 30 years, David Beard has likely interviewed The Beach Boys more than anyone. So it's only right that he would gather some of his best discussions into a great new book, titled All Summer Long: Conversations with The Beach Boys from Surfin' to SMiLE. David joins Mark and Phil to discuss how a writer stays objective when he has a long relationship with a band. He also talks about how he got Brian Wilson to open up; how Brian and Tony Asher wanted other artists to cover songs off Pet Sounds; was it wise to market Brian as a genius; why Beach Boys' Party! Uncovered and Unplugged is one of his favorite releases; the importance of Jan & Dean in the story; the sad passing of Mike's sister, harpist Maureen Love; and his secret wish for Drew Barrymore.

Hear Phil's interview with the one and only Al Jardine! We get the scoop on upcoming shows in which Al will perform Pet Sounds for its 60th anniversary, and a new arrangement of "Cottonfields." Al shares his final conversation with Brian Wilson. Phil reviews Al's recent live show, in which he performs the album The Beach Boys Love You. Phil also shares the story of a rare Al Beach Boys stage shirt he was gifted back in the 1960s. Mark provides a hot take on "Sloop John B." We also talk about Bruce Johnston stepping away from touring and the recent leak of 400 unreleased Beach Boys/Brian tracks. This episode is jam-packed!

Now that The Beach Boys' box set We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studio Years is out, garnering 5* reviews and selling out fast, tune in to part two of our conversation with set producers Howie and James. We ask them what went into the decisions behind which tracks to include and not include. Do The Beach Boys have the best outtakes? Is "Hey Little Tomboy" canceled? What about the unreleased record known to collectors as "New Album"? We note how young listeners digest the catalog without prejudice. James names which of these songs would work best in a movie or TV show. We mourn the what-could-have-beens of Carl and Dennis, and extol the virtues of "Holy Man." And Howie tells us what might be next. You don't want to miss it!

We have the scoop on The Beach Boys' We Gotta Groove - The Brother Studio Years box set, and are joined by co-producers Howie Edelson and James Saez. James describes his engineering approach to these archival recordings that are sacred to the fan base. We review the anchor LP The Beach Boys Love You - embraced by Krautrock and the CBGB crowd? Was Love You the Pet Sounds of the 70s, or the Wild Honey? With Brian and Dennis in full swing, was 1977 the best year of the decade for the band? What were the pros and cons of the 76-77 "Brian Is Back" era? You don't wanna miss it!

Part two of our chat with Brian biographer and friend David Leaf - whose latest book is SMiLE: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Brian Wilson - recorded days after Brian's passing. Here we ask, was it right for The Beach Boys to include out-of-context Smile tracks on albums after the project collapsed, and play them live? David elaborates on his role on the group's 1990s box sets - and the reasons for their delays. We measure Beach Boys fans vs. Brianistas and bemoan the Disney documentary. David recalls the last song Brian requested on David's final visit - you'd be surprised what it is! Have a listen to hear stories the estimable Mr. Leaf has not shared anywhere else.