As James Joyce famously wrote, "Yes". Yes yes yes yes yes. Here it is, the first great Beach Boys album cover. Jazz labels had been doing great covers for over a decade--why did it take Capitol so long to get going? Whatever the reason, I'm just glad they got there. This one is a home run. .Everything that had gone wrong on previous covers has disappeared here. Nothing looks dreary, everyone looks candid, and a real mood is captured. By breaking up the Boys into various shots and in various situations, the stiffness of a posed Beach Boys shot has been totally removed. Instead, each member has a range of personalities displayed. There are silly hats, hot dogs, and everyone is getting fresh in their own way. For once, the image is king, and in a good way. The text is a perfect compliment to it, but the large collage is the star here.
The patches of orange, yellow and purple are subtle, but they make everything around them look twice as vibrant. Also, the empty backgrounds found in other band shots we have seen before habe been replaced with blue skies and sand. This is a small detail but makes a huge difference. The overall image of this cover is one of confidence. Their identities, for once, seem separate and real. This looks like an actual band of professional adults. The Beach Boys were becoming themselves at this time, and the cover reflects this.
The sun logo next to the title looks a little underenthused, but the rest of the cover manages to cancel this out. It's smiles, laughter, bright colors, and good times. It's just a joy to look at, and a great time capsule of an era. I love it, and I'm sure you do too.
Obviously, this one gets a 5 out of 5 or the coveted Carl Wilson's Beard on the Beach Boys Beard Scale.
It ain't great, but here is a larger version of the cover. The color kinda sucks, but you can at least see the detail. Trust me, it looks fantastic in person.
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