The Beach Boys formed in 1961 and quickly gained popularity for their close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting a Southern California youth culture of cars, surfing and romance. The Beach Boys have often been called 'America's Band'. The group has had 36 Top 40 hits in the U.S. - the most of any U.S. rock band - and 56 Hot 100 hits, including four number-one singles. Rolling Stone magazine listed The Beach Boys as number 12 in the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. According to Billboard, in terms of singles and album sales, The Beach Boys are the No.1 selling American band of all time. This book gives you an in-depth look at all the intimate details about each of their albums, including a complete list of every song ever written or recorded by the Beach Boys and a thorough analysis of the meanings and circumstances surrounding the writing and recording of each song. All of the customary song specifications are included (year, recording/release dates, album names, genre, length, label, writers, producers, personnel, instruments played, etc), but the heart of the book details the band's lyrical inspirations, collaborative efforts, the actual recording session drama and what occurred behind closed doors. It delves into the effect of the politics of the day on the boys' music and lifestyle, the critical reception of the music and, most importantly, the sometimes controversial relationship between the Beach Boys themselves. This is a WikiBits book - a compilation of related copyright-free Wikipedia articles and listings that have been crafted into a physical book that you can take with you.
