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Author: Troy Owens

We tell the untold stories of the best artists' worst albums. Did they deserve to bomb? Why hasnt anyone heard of them?
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Genres: Music, Music History

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14 - The Beach Boys: Summer In Paradise (Part Five)
Episode 14
Wednesday, 13 August, 2025

In Part 5, Bryan Hall and I wrap up our track-by-track review of Summer in Paradise and try to make sense of the last half of the album. Along the way, we wrestle with eco-anthems, doo-wop detours, and some baffling production choices. Then we zoom out to ask the bigger questions: What was this album trying to be? What did it mean for The Beach Boys? And how did Mike Love end up both steering the ship and setting it on fire?Is the album a skip or repeat? Listen to find out.Want to rediscover The Beach Boys before this series? I made a playlist to get you all caught up. Listen on Apple Music or Spotify.Listen to Summer in Paradise on YouTube here, or in high quality here. (It's not on any streaming service...)Sources:Book: Good Vibrations: My Life As A Beach Boy (by Mike Love)Book: Catch a Wave (by Peter Aimes Carlin)Video: CNBC "The Real Story" (July '91)Video: Mike & Bruce on Maury Povich (June 14 '92)Video: The Infamous Goldmine Levitation Interview (July '92)Video: Mike & Bruce on MuchMusic (Aug '92)Video: Mike Interview in Finland (June 15 '93)Video: Beach Boys Reunion, Studio Session, and Interviews (1995)Video: John Stamos on Kelly ClarksonArticle: The untold story of 'Kokomo,' the Beach Boys' most annoying songArticle: Low Tide: The Beach Boys Hit Rock Bottom in 1992 with 'Summer In Paradise'Article: The Number Ones: The Beach Boys’ “Kokomo”Article: In 1992 The Beach Boys released Summer In Paradise. It was so bad it took them 20 years to put out another albumArticle: John Stamos Remembers Beach Boys Bandmate Jeff Foskett: 'I Can't Express How He Changed My Life'Article: The Beach Boys 1992 Flop Summer in Paradise Was All About Mike Love, Drum Machines and a Horrifying Foray into Hip HopArticle: John Stamos Is on Mike Love’s SideSend us a textFollow the podcast on Instagram!