BEACH BOYS/LITTLE DEUCE COUPE T 1998 (-65) UK MONO

My favorite Beach Boys period for albums is between 1967 and 1973 - starting with "Wild Honey" and up to "Holland". Never been much for surf music. The arctic harbours where I grew up wasn't right for the sport and when I heard their earliest stuff the music just sounded like endless variations of Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen". So the first three albums - Surfin' Safari, Surfin' USA and Surfer Girl - didn't catch my attention, but this did due to one track - the a capella "A Young Man Is Gone". It was so sad and beautiful at the same time I couldn't stop listening. Far from Beatlemania or dirty R&B, but serious and heart-breaking. I was amazed getting something like that from a rock'n'roll band. There's two more good slow songs on the album - "Ballad Of Ole' Betsy" and "Spirit Of America" - with magnificent vocals all the way. Unfortunately the rest is like surf rock, only with car themes this time, but three out of twelve isn't totally bad. The mix and audio of this mono is top notch. Never heard an original stereo, but as I understand that had separate mixes, made by studio engineer Chuck Britz. Premiere US 1963 on Capitol with same number. First UK 1965 with label as shown here and laminated flip/back cover. (BÅB)