The Beach Boys released an expanded and remastered version of their popular 2003 hits compilation Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys this past Friday.
The updated retrospective features a whopping 80 tracks, 50 more than the original version, and is part of a recently launched worldwide celebration marking The Beach Boys' 60th anniversary.
Founding Beach Boys member Al Jardine marvels at his group's long history and the deep, wide-ranging body of work they created — as exemplified by Sounds of Summer — thanks in great part to the compositional skills of his band mate Brian Wilson.
"Yeah, it's fantastic, really. We were really lucky," Jardine tells ABC Audio. "We were a tight-knit family for a long period of time. And the miracle of the songwriting part of it, being Brian's forte, we just got lucky. And we got so many wonderful opportunities since that first recording to grow with the music. And here we are 60 years later."
The deluxe Sounds of Summer reissue includes 24 new mixes, with stereo mixes of two tracks being made available for the first time.
Jardine says he thinks it's cool when Beach Boys tunes get sonic updates, noting that "it's nice to…have a little slightly different point of view each time you hear it all [again]."
Regarding the decision to release an expanded compilation, Al says, "[W]e're capturing new generations every decade, so it kind of makes sense in a way. Our audience is expanding. We have more folks listening to us now, and enjoying the lesser-known stuff as well [as the summer-themed classic hits]."
As previously reported, the deluxe Sounds of Summer reissue is available now as a three-CD set, as a six-LP vinyl package and via digital formats.
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