Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961–1963 is a 2015 book covering the early years of the American rock band the Beach Boys, authored by American writer James B. Murphy.[1] Dissatisfied with the inconsistent and sparse accounts of this period found in prior literature, Murphy spent eight years writing and researching the 436-page book, which includes 12 appendices, 1,100 end notes, a bibliography, and an index.[2]
 | |
| Author | James B. Murphy |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject | The Beach Boys |
| Publisher | McFarland & Company |
Publication date | 2015 |
| Pages | 436 |
| ISBN | 9780786473656 |
Companion album edit
In August 2016, Omnivore Recordings issued an audio companion piece to the book in the form of the compilation Becoming the Beach Boys: The Complete Hite & Dorinda Morgan Sessions.[3]
Reception edit
In his review for the Association for Recorded Sound Collections, Robert Iannapollo deemed Becoming the Beach Boys to be the second-best book about the Beach Boys ever written, behind only Philip Lambert's Inside the Music of Brian Wilson. Iannapollo wrote, "There’s a lot to recommend this book. Murphy’s writing style is engaging and entertaining, not an easy thing to do when delving into the minutiae of music."[4]
References edit
- ^ Sharp, Ken (January 27, 2016). "The Beach Boys beginnings examined through book". Goldmine.
- ^ "Chronicling the Beach Boys". Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. April 13, 2016.
- ^ Marchese, Joe (August 26, 2016). "Review: The Beach Boys, "Becoming The Beach Boys: The Complete Hite and Dorinda Morgan Sessions"". Second Disc.
- ^ Iannapollo, Robert (2013). "Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963". Association for Recorded Sound Collections Journal. 46 (2): 307–309.