The Beach Boys: ‘Groove’ is in the Heart

Inside the band’s latest box set chronicling Brian Wilson’s mid-70s comeback

March 8, 2026March 9, 2026 David Bash 0 Comments 15 Big Ones, 1977, Al Jardine, Brian Wilson, Brother Records, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Mike Love, The Beach Boys, The Beach Boys Love You, We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studio Years

The Beach Boys 1976. (Image: Max Aguilera-Hellweg)

“They say that Brian is back.”

So sang Mike Love on “Brian’s Back,” a song reflecting the campaign in the mid ‘70s, announcing that Brian Wilson would again be a prominent force in The Beach Boys, both live and in the studio.

From that campaign was spawned three albums, 15 Big Ones, The Beach Boys Love You and Adult/Child, all of which are featured, either wholly or in parts on this box set, which also showcases scads of outtakes, demos, new mixes and instrumental tracks, most of which are previously unreleased.

The centerpiece of this box, and disc 1, is the Love You album, which is presented in its entirety in its original mix. At the time of its release, it was heavily hyped as the first Beach Boys album in many years which contained all original Brian Wilson-penned tracks. As many fans know, Brian had been lying dormant, literally and figuratively, for the previous several years, making only minimal contributions to the band’s albums, so Love You was a breath of fresh air. The reviews were mixed; some writers and fans hailed it for being the most “genuine” album The Beach Boys had done in years, with Brian writing from his heart tunes that were beguiling and charming.

Others were hoping for something as lavish and conceptual as Pet Sounds, and were disappointed, but over the years the album has gained currency among many fans who now see it for what it was, a sincere and heartfelt window into Brian’s re-emerging soul. It’s difficult to resist tracks like “Let Us Go On This Way”, “Johnny Carson,” “Solar System,” and “Let’s Put Our Hearts Together” (featuring Brian’s wife Marilyn on co-lead vocals) for their childlike wonderment of a world devoid of problems, where everything is carefree and new. The melodies on the album are really beguiling as well, and the production, while more bare bones than previous albums, is quite unique in its emphasis on synthesizers plugged directly into the engineering board (one UK band paying tribute to the album called themselves “The Farty Synths”). Unfortunately the album didn’t sell all that well upon release in 1977, but these days you’ll find that those who own it will place it somewhere in their 10 favorite Beach Boys albums, and some would have it in their top five.

The previously unreleased bonus tracks on the first CD are wonderful as well; standouts include “Sherry She Needs Me”, which could have fit on Beach Boys Today and a live version of “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling”, the huge Righteous Brothers hit from 1965. Brian stays true to the original’s Spectorian production; it’s a shame this wasn’t recorded a year earlier, or it certainly would have been one of the best tracks on 15 Big Ones.

What’s really whetted the appetite of Beach Boys fans with this box are the tracks on disc 2, from the previously unreleased album, Adult Child, an album which was submitted to The Beach Boys’ label, Warner Brothers, and was summarily rejected, which is unfortunate as it was quite unique; one might call it their “Sinatra Album”, as songs like “Life Is For The Living” really swing, while “It’s Over Now” and “Still I Dream of It” can easily be imagined with Sinatra singing lead! Some other highlights include Dennis Wilson’s “It’s Trying To Say,” which uses a baseball milieu to punctuate the fun, “Everybody Wants To Live,” which could have fit on their Holland album, and the lively “Lines.” The bonus tracks are lovely, particularly Carl’s “Holy Man,” and “Carl’s Song 1, (It Could Be Anything),” which even unfinished sound heavenly, and the raucous instrumental, “Gimme Some Lovin’” (not the Spencer Davis hit).

The Beach Boys *We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studio Years*, Brother Records/Universal Music Enterprises)

The 15 Big Ones album is showcased on disc 3 in outtakes and alternate mixes, including new, punchier mixes of most of the album tracks. The third CD also features alternate Love You mixes; fans will be particularly thrilled with a mix of “Honkin’ Down The Highway” featuring “sixth Beach Boy” Billy Hinsche singing lead. This disc finishes with “Love You Brian Cassette Demos,” which, while rudimentary, feature Brian singing lead on tracks which had other lead vocalists on the album. Really good stuff!

While the main tracks are on both the vinyl and CDs, the bonus tracks are only featured on the CDs, so you’re gonna need both your turntable and CD player for this one; it’s doubtful the minor caveat will be an issue for rabid Beach Boys fans.

The box includes a lovely and large booklet filled with great photos, interviews with band members, and informative liners by box co-producer Howie Edelson.

As this review is being written, We Gotta Groove is in its second printing, but this one could sell out as quickly as the first. The box is not sold in stores or on most online outlets, so rush over the shop and get yours now!

Kudos to Universal Music, box producers Howie Edelson and James Saez, and everyone in and around The Beach Boys, both living and gone, for a wonderful job!