| The Beach Boys Love You | ||||
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| Released | April 11, 1977 | |||
| Recorded | January 7, 1970 – November 1973 (older recordings) October 1976 – January 1977 (album sessions) | |||
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| Length | 34:50 | |||
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| Producer | Brian Wilson | |||
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| Singles from The Beach Boys Love You | ||||
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The Beach Boys Love You is the 21st studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released April 11, 1977, on Brother/Reprise.
The album was largely recorded in late 1976 at the band's Brother Studios. Originally planned as Brian Loves You, it is essentially a solo project by Brian Wilson, who wrote almost all of the material and played nearly every instrument on the record, including keyboards, synthesizers, and drums. He later referred to Love You as his life-defining work, and his most creatively fulfilling since Pet Sounds (1966). Engineer Earle Mankey described the album as "serious", "autobiographical", and "frighteningly accurate" to Wilson's personality.
The subject matter of the 14 songs ranges from the Solar System and roller skating to adolescent sexuality and babies. Wilson also included tributes to his wife, daughters, and mistress, as well as his idols Phil Spector and Johnny Carson. Although Love You was met with near-unanimous critical acclaim, some listeners found the album's bizarre, childlike quality to be a detriment. The record sold poorly, peaking at number 53 in the U.S. and number 28 in the UK.
Love You has since been recognized for presaging synth-pop and new wave. A follow-up, Adult/Child, was completed by the group, but left unreleased. It was the last album Wilson wrote and produced until his first solo LP, Brian Wilson (1988), and his last that was created without significant interference from outsiders.