All Summer Long Songs Ranked

All Summer Long is the sixth album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released July 13, 1964 on Capitol Records. It was the first LP the group recorded since the British Invasion. The album rose to number 4 in the U.S. during a 49-week chart stay, and was certified gold by the RIAA. Lead single “I Get Around” was issued in May and became the band’s first number one hit in the U.S. The album marked the most complex arrangements on a Beach Boys record to date, as well as being the first that was not focused on themes of cars or surfing. None of the songs are about cars (although one track, “Little Honda”, is about a motorcycle), and the only reference to surfing is in “Don’t Back Down”. Production-wise, the album introduced exotic textures to the band’s sound as exemplified by the piccolos and xylophones of its title track. After All Summer Long, the band did not revisit themes related to California beach culture until the 1968 single “Do It Again”. Here are all of All Summer Long songs ranked.

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12. Carl’s Big Chance

“Instrumental song by Brian and his brother Carl Wilson, as the name implies, is a space for Carl to look like a surf guitarist, and although he once again shows his genius as a guitarist there is a feeling of filling and little creativity to show off, returns something monotonous and inconspicuous.”

11. Don’t Back Down

“Great victim of the disaster of the previous track is this song, which is isolated from the rest of the album, but anyway, this song shows the Brian + Mike duo on fire with their last surf hit from their early days, a song that has all the power of his first albums, but perfected to the maximum by Brian’s instrumental and vocal arrangements that bring us the majesty and vertigo of the waves together with the bravery of a Mike evoking an eternal and immemorial summer”

10. We’ll Run Away

“The level achieved here by Brian Wilson is exceptional, although the composition is joint of him with Gary Usher, the type of ballad is simply infallible and covered in every way, absolute lyrical and melodic beauty, adequate and content instrumental arrangement, voices of accompaniment that takes us to another time, in short, a story in which the edge of the night and an immemorial tragedy are felt.”

See more: The Beach Boys Albums Ranked

9. Our Favorite Recording Sessions

“Following the despicable tradition inaugurated on the previous album with ‘Cassius Love vs Sonny Wilson’, a track is included on this album that are disconnected excerpts from the recording sessions of this album, not even as its predecessor shows an interesting variety of themes, it only shows a kind of joke of the band’s internal humor, perhaps the only thing that could have worked was to have put the last second of this track as the intro of the next song.”

8. Little Honda

“Shouting “GO!” Dennis Wilson’s begins the group’s latest hot rod song, co-written by Mike and Brian to talk about motorcycles, the harmonization of the theme is perfect, with Mike Love leading the charge and one of the catchiest responses in Brian Wilson’s career saying “little honda go faster faster”, all this wrapped in arrangements that give tension and excitement at the moment, leading us to feel the adrenaline of a clandestine motorcycle race in Los Angeles.”

7. Drive-In

“Little is understood a song like this on the album, in turn it suffers from the same as ‘Do you remember?’, It sounds like a backward movement and filling, it is not per se bad, but it does not add up.”

6. Hushabye

“It is a cover of the vocal group The Mystics, a song already in its original version very beautiful, but with a faster instrumentation, while this version – left to the angelic voice of Brian Wilson in its highest parts – although it respects the vocal distribution of the harmony instrumentally modifies it to give it a more introspective sense, while Mike sings the verses. The drums are magnificently recorded, lending the song majesty. It should be noted that it is the only cover on the album”

5. Girls on the Beach

“Intenta seguir la tradición de otras canciones lentas playeras del grupo, sin embargo queda muy por debajo de una canción como ‘The warmth of the sun’ o ‘Keep an eye on summer’, a la cual le sigue los pasos, más aún se nota el autoplagio descarado a ‘Surfer girl’ sin poder superarla ni siquiera por ser Brian el intérprete, lo que evidencia más el autoplagio. La parte cantada por Dennis carece de un sustento relevante.”

See more: The Beach Boys Songs Ranked

4. All Summer Long

“Another song that shows how well connected Mike and Brian are in the composition of this album, the voice distribution is tremendous and catchy and the remarkable use of the marimba makes it a tremendous summery, harmonic and pre-psychedelic moment.”

3. Do You Remember?

“This song is a slight setback in the sense of sound and composition, although it is explicit that it is a tribute to rock and roll, the truth is that the song cannot be equated with the constant genius of this album, however it is necessary to Note that Mike’s voice is the most appropriate in this style, since Brian’s sounds somewhat forced, there is even an absence of his melodies that give the song another look.”

2. I Get Around

“The song that opens the fires is a classic in itself, a composition by Brian and Mike with a set of voices between them that is brutal, obviously with impeccable vocal work from the entire band. Brian Wilson gives it an unforgettable touch with his high harmonies and Mike manages to maintain a classic summery touch of the band, which made it an immediate hit.”

1. Wendy

“A song that conveys the tear of love in the best way, with a constant climax of lamentation by Brian and a sentimental Mike Love narrating the story and highlighting the misfortune every time he says “alone”, this song is also the product of the great synchronicity of the two cousins ​​throughout the album, and a separate mention requires Carl’s treatment of guitars with a western touch with a special style at the beginning of the song and generating the tension for the song. From now on (side B of the album) all songs are by Mike and Brian.”