Review – Best of the Beach Boys, Vol. 2

We spent January 2025 listening to and pondering over the 1967 compilation album, Best of the Beach Boys, Vol. 2. As we listened, we found ourselves dreaming about what it must have been like to spend carefree summer days in the 1960s, catching waves along the coasts of California with the surf-rock stylings and delicious harmonies of the Beach Boys. This album is chalked full of hits like 409, Surfin’ Safari, California Girls and many more memorable standouts from the band’s catalog.

It’s pretty clear to us how influential the Beach Boys have been, both then and as the years have progressed. We had fun speculating about how the group’s fantastic harmonies have gone on to influence later artists across genres from 90s boy bands to modern K-pop artists. Lyrically, the music is pretty bubble-gum and saccharine, however the band does occasionally demonstrate some depth.

Despite the age of this album, we all found that their music was still enjoyable to listen to, with some tracks getting more appreciation than others. With a greatest hits album, the expectations from fans are higher, so the lack of any filler tracks isn’t surprising.

Overall, we think this is a solid album from a fantastic band, and the songs can appeal across generations and international borders.