The Beach Boys – “1967 – Sunshine Tomorrow” [Album Review]

There seem to be three schools of fans of The Beach Boys. The first is people who simply like the hits about surfing, cars, the beach and perceived California living from the 1960s. The second would be comprised of deep-digging music listeners who are aware of the band’s complex history, its familial issues, and the lesser-known yet still-rewarding output of the late 1960s through the early 1980s. The third kind picked up on the Beach Boys as a result of its random pop culture appearances (e.g. Full House, collaborating with The Fat Boys, having “Kokomo” on the Cocktail soundtrack), initially familiar with the group as already-middle-aged musicians.

I personally am in the second category. I have read books about The Beach Boys, beyond watching films and going deep into the catalog. As much as I love Van Halen or KISS, The Beach Boys is arguably the American band. Sure, there are a lot of cringe-worthy clunkers in the catalog — hits included — but the songs that are great are, well, great. It is a shame that rivalries within the band often get more attention than the music itself, which started coming out well over 50 years ago.

Speaking of “50 years,” for the past few years, The Beach Boys have been releasing previously-unreleased content every year that is from exactly 50 years ago. This is not just for anniversary purposes, but to also prevent this material from going into the public domain of the States. In other words, if it did not get a proper release, within a 50-year window of creation, anyone would be able to exploit it. Therefore, these releases help copyright these recordings, and a lot of it has been very interesting.

Check out the band’s song “You’re So Good To Me” (Audio/Live/1967).

The latest Beach Boys release from Universal Music is Sunshine Tomorrow. If you are a Beach Boys completist, or are interested in their creative process, this is essential listening. On August 25 and 26 of 1967, The Beach Boys — minus Bruce Johnston, but with Brian Wilson on organ for his first concert appearances with the band in more than two years — recorded two concerts and rehearsals in Honolulu for a prospective live album to be titled Lei’d In Hawaii. For one reason or another, that album never panned out and a lot of those recordings were left unreleased until 2017. Worts and all, you hear a lot of the Beach Boys classics, including songs from Pet Sounds. Another highlight of the collective is hearing a rehearsal take on “The Letter” by The Box Tops, which was the band of Alex Chilton years before forming Big Star.

So why would previously-unreleased great material from one of my favorite bands get only an 8 out of 10 in its rating from PureGrainAudio? Simply because there is too much of it. When you listen to 1967 – Live Sunshine on Spotify, you will notice that it is comprised of 109 tracks. It would have benefited from a serious of shorter releases. Or at least not having the same song placed several times throughout the release. But on the bright side, there seems to be more coming from the Beach Boys archives soon, and 1968 and 1969 were interesting years for the Beach Boys.

Listen to the group’s song “Darlin'” (2017 Stereo Mix).

1967 – Sunshine Tomorrow Track Listing:

* = track previously released on 1967 – Sunshine Tomorrow / all other tracks previously unreleased
01. Heroes And Villains – Rehearsal / Live In Hawaii / 8/25/67
02. God Only Knows – Rehearsal / Live In Hawaii / 8/25/67
03. Good Vibrations – Rehearsal / Live In Hawaii / 8/25/67
04. The Letter – Rehearsal / Live In Hawaii / 8/25/67
05. You’re So Good To Me – Rehearsal / Live In Hawaii / 8/25/67
06. Hawaii – Rehearsal / Live In Hawaii / 8/25/67
07. All Day All Night – Rehearsal / Live In Hawaii / 8/25/67
08. California Girls – Rehearsal Take 1 / Live In Hawaii / 8/25/67
09. Surfin’ – Rehearsal / Live In Hawaii / 8/25/67
10. Sloop John B – Rehearsal / Live In Hawaii / 8/25/67
11. Wouldn’t It Be Nice – Rehearsal / Live In Hawaii / 8/25/67
12. California Girls – Rehearsal Take 2 / Live In Hawaii / 8/25/67
13. The Letter – Rehearsal / Live In Hawaii / 8/25/67
14. Hawaii – Live In Hawaii / 8/25/67
15. You’re So Good To Me – Live In Hawaii / 8/25/67
16. Surfer Girl – Live In Hawaii / 8/25/67
17. Surfin’ – Live In Hawaii / 8/25/67
18. Gettin’ Hungry – Live In Hawaii / 8/25/67
19. Sloop John B – Live In Hawaii / 8/25/67
20. California Girls – Live In Hawaii / 8/25/67
21. Wouldn’t It Be Nice – Live In Hawaii / 8/25/67
22. Heroes And Villains – Live In Hawaii / 8/25/67
23. God Only Knows – Live In Hawaii / 8/25/67
24. Good Vibrations – Live In Hawaii / 8/25/67
25. Barbara Ann – Live In Hawaii / 8/25/67
26. The Letter – Rehearsal / Live In Hawaii / 8/26/67
27. Hawaii – Rehearsal / Live In Hawaii / 8/26/67 [new edit & mix]
28. You’re So Good To Me – Rehearsal / Live In Hawaii / 8/26/67
29. God Only Knows – Rehearsal / Live In Hawaii / 8/26/67
30. Help Me Rhonda – Rehearsal / Live In Hawaii / 8/26/67
31. California Girls – Rehearsal / Live In Hawaii / 8/26/67
32. Good Vibrations – Rehearsal / Live In Hawaii / 8/26/67
33. Heroes And Villains – Rehearsal / Live In Hawaii / 8/26/67 [new edit & mix]
34. Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring – Rehearsal / Live In Hawaii / 8/26/67
35. The Lord’s Prayer – Rehearsal / Live In Hawaii / 8/26/67
36. Hawthorne Boulevard – Instrumental / Live in Honolulu / 1967 *
37. Hawaii – Live In Hawaii / 8/26/67
38. You’re So Good To Me – Live In Hawaii / 8/26/67
39. Help Me Rhonda – Live In Hawaii / 8/26/67
40. California Girls – Live In Hawaii / 8/26/67
41. Wouldn’t It Be Nice – Live In Hawaii / 8/26/67
42. Gettin’ Hungry – Live In Hawaii / 8/26/67 [new edit & mix]
43. Surfer Girl – Live In Hawaii / 8/26/67
44. Surfin’ – Live In Hawaii / 8/26/67 [new edit & mix]
45. Sloop John B – Live In Hawaii / 8/26/67
46. The Letter – Live In Hawaii / 8/26/67 [new edit & mix]
47. God Only Knows – Live In Hawaii / 8/26/67
48. Good Vibrations – Live In Hawaii / 8/26/67
49. Heroes And Villains – Live In Hawaii / 8/26/67
50. Barbara Ann – Live In Hawaii / 8/26/67
51. Barbara Ann – Live In Detroit / 11/17/67
52. Darlin’ – Live In Detroit / 11/17/67
53. Country Air – Live In Detroit / 11/17/67 *
54. I Get Around – Live In Detroit / 11/17/67
55. How She Boogalooed It – Live In Detroit / 11/17/67 *
56. Wouldn’t It Be Nice – Live In Detroit / 11/17/67
57. God Only Knows – Live In Detroit / 11/17/67
58. California Girls – Live In Detroit / 11/17/67
59. Wild Honey – Live In Detroit / 11/17/67 *
60. Graduation Day – Live In Detroit / 11/17/67
61. Good Vibrations – Live In Detroit / 11/17/67
62. Johnny B. Goode – Live In Detroit / 11/17/67
63. Barbara Ann – Live In Washington, D.C. / 11/19/67
64. Darlin’ – Live In Washington, D.C. / 11/19/67
65. I Get Around – Live In Washington, D.C. / 11/19/67
66. Surfer Girl – Live In Washington, D.C. / 11/19/67
67. Wouldn’t It Be Nice – Live In Washington, D.C. / 11/19/67
68. God Only Knows – Live In Washington, D.C. / 11/19/67
69. California Girls – Live In Washington, D.C. / 11/19/67 *
70. Wild Honey – Live In Washington, D.C. / 11/19/67
71. Good Vibrations – Live In Washington, D.C. / 11/19/67
72. Graduation Day – Live In Washington, D.C. / 11/19/67 *
73. Johnny B. Goode – Live In Washington, D.C. / 11/19/67
74. Help Me Rhonda – Live In White Plains, NY / 11/21/67
75. Barbara Ann – Live In White Plains, NY / 11/21/67
76. Darlin’ – Live In White Plains, NY / 11/21/67
77. Surfer Girl – Live In White Plains, NY / 11/21/67
78. Wouldn’t It Be Nice – Live In White Plains, NY / 11/21/67
79. God Only Knows – Live In White Plains, NY / 11/21/67
80. California Girls – Live In White Plains, NY / 11/21/67
81. Wild Honey – Live In White Plains, NY / 11/21/67
82. Graduation Day – Live In White Plains, NY / 11/21/67
83. Good Vibrations – Live In White Plains, NY / 11/21/67
84. Help Me Rhonda – Live In Pittsburgh / 11/22/67
85. Barbara Ann – Live In Pittsburgh / 11/22/67
86. I Get Around – Live In Pittsburgh / 11/22/67
87. Darlin’ – Live In Pittsburgh / 11/22/67 *
88. Surfer Girl – Live In Pittsburgh / 11/22/67
89. Wouldn’t It Be Nice – Live In Pittsburgh / 11/22/67
90. God Only Knows – Live In Pittsburgh / 11/22/67
91. California Girls – Live In Pittsburgh / 11/22/67
92. Wild Honey – Live In Pittsburgh / 11/22/67
93. Good Vibrations – Live In Pittsburgh / 11/22/67
94. Johnny B. Goode – Live In Pittsburgh / 11/22/67
95. Graduation Day – Live In Pittsburgh / 11/22/67
96. Sloop John B – Live In Pittsburgh / 11/22/67
97. Help Me Rhonda – Live In Boston / 11/23/67
98. Barbara Ann – Live In Boston / 11/23/67
99. Darlin’ – Live In Boston / 11/23/67
100. Surfer Girl – Live In Boston / 11/23/67
101. Wouldn’t It Be Nice – Live In Boston / 11/23/67
102. God Only Knows – Live In Boston / 11/23/67
103. California Girls – Live In Boston / 11/23/67
104. Wild Honey – Live In Boston / 11/23/67
105. Good Vibrations – Live In Boston / 11/23/67
106. I Get Around – Live In Boston / 11/23/67 *
107. Sloop John B – Live In Boston / 11/23/67
108. Graduation Day – Live In Boston / 11/23/67
109. Johnny B. Goode – Live In Boston / 11/23/67

Record Label: Capitol/Universal Music Enterprises
Run Time: 5 hours 50 minutes
Release Date: December 8, 2017