The Beach Boys' sonic tapestry perfectly captured the idyllic notion that was southern California in the 1960s. Their vision of a world perpetually surfing, drag racing and falling in love is what their music was about--and people believed them. They have sold over 100 million albums, and when Paul McCartney heard Pet Sounds, he knew he had to raise the bar on an album The Beatles were then working on called Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Rolling Stone called them the 12th Greatest Artists of all time.

In this book, interviews with the band, collaborators and other musicians are woven together to deliver a unique take on 50 of the group's most precious songs. Carnie Wilson talks about "Our Prayer" while Alice Cooper offers his insights about "In My Room." Al Jardine zooms in on "Help Me, Rhonda." He explains,

"I asked Brian who Rhonda was and he said it was just a fiction. I'm sure there was something down there in the psychology of it, but that one was purely a studio creation. We really didn't get into the meaning of the lyrics. They spoke for themselves. Brian had a very fertile mind and it was perfect for our intents and purposes."