The Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson; their cousin Mike Love; and their friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by their vocal harmonies and early surf songs, they are one of the most influential acts of the rock era. The band drew on the music of jazz-based vocal groups, 1950s rock and roll, and black R&B to create their unique sound, and with Brian as composer, arranger, producer, and de facto leader, often incorporated classical or jazz elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways.

Recorded in the wake of California Music's demise, a supergroup that would have involved Brian Wilson, Bruce Johnston, and record producer Terry Melcher, 15 Big Ones (1976) marked Brian's return as a major force in the group. The album included new songs by Brian, as well as cover versions of oldies such as "Rock and Roll Music", "Blueberry Hill", and "In the Still of the Night". "Rock and Roll Music" peaked at No. 5 in the U.S. Brian and Love's "It's O.K." was in the vein of their early sixties style, and was a moderate hit. The album was publicized by an August 1976 NBC-TV special, simply titled The Beach Boys. The special, produced by Saturday Night Live (SNL) creator Lorne Michaels, featured appearances by SNL cast members John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd.  The album was generally disliked by fans and critics upon release. During its sessions, Brian's production role was belittled as group members overdubbed and remixed tracks to fight against his desire for a rough, unfinished sound. Carl and Dennis disparaged the album to the press while Brian admitted, "[Undoubtedly] the new album is nothing too deep", but remained hopeful that their next release would be on par with the group's "Good Vibrations".  For the remainder of 1976 to early 1977, Brian spent his time making sporadic public appearances and producing the band's next album The Beach Boys Love You (1977), a quirky collection of 14 songs mostly written, arranged and produced by Brian. Brian later called Love You one of his favorite Beach Boys releases, saying that "That's when it all happened for me. That's where my heart lies." Jardine credited Carl and Dennis with having "the most to do with that album ... [they were] paying tribute to their brother." Love You peaked at No. 28 in the UK and No. 53 in the US and developed a cult following; regarded as one of the band's best albums by fans and critics alike, and an early work of synthpop.  Referring to "naysayers" of the album, the underground fanzine Scram wrote, "Fuck [them] ... [the album showcases] a truly original mix of humor and sadness. The original numbers always dance just a step away from the cliche, dealing with simple lyrical themes that make you wonder why they had never been explored before." The A.V. Club - considering the album in "the same vein" as Tonight's the Night (1975), Pussy Cats (1974), The Madcap Laughs (1970), and Barrett (1970) - described Love You as: "something almost desperately optimistic ... Wilson sings frayed songs about roller-skating, road-tripping, and Johnny Carson - like a frazzled man sitting in a corner chanting 'calm blue ocean' over and over. It's a beautiful, noisy, funny, heartbreaking work of art - one not for everybody, yet vital for anyone who wants to understand Wilson's overall worldview."

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