As a founding member of The Beach Boys, Mike Love has spent an extraordinary fifty-five years, and counting, as the group's lead singer and one of its principal lyricists. The Beach Boys, from their California roots to their international fame, are a unique American story--one of overnight success and age-defying longevity; of musical genius and reckless self-destruction; of spirituality, betrayal, and forgiveness--and Love is the only band member...

When he first started working on Pet Sounds, Brian Wilson said that he was going to write "the greatest rock album ever made." That album, released in 1966, fifty years ago, changed the face of popular music.From conception and composition to arrangement and production, Pet Sounds was the work of one extraordinary man. Turning his back on the protest songs and folk rock of his contemporaries and even on the bright surf sound of his own creation, Brian...

"The Beach Boys blended vocal harmonies, electric guitars and lush arrangements into one of the most distinctive sounds in the history of popular music. Drawing on original interviews and newly uncovered documents, this book untangles the band's convoluted early history and tells the story of how five boys from California formed America's greatest rock 'n' roll band"--

This tells the story behind the making of The Beach Boys ground breaking album Pet Sounds, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Pet Sounds was recorded in late 1965 and early 1966, about a year after Brian Wilson had withdrawn from playing live with The Beach Boys in order to concentrate on composing and studio work. While the rest of the band were out on tour, Brian Wilson worked in the studio creating multi-layered compositions with...