(released March 1965), represented a departure for the group through its abandonment of themes related to surfing, cars, and teenage love,[3] but it sold below Capitol's expectations.

[4] Summer Days thus returned the band's music to simpler themes for one last album, with Brian Wilson combining Capitol's commercial demands with his artistic calling.

Carl Wilson reflected of Summer Days, "There was a time when it was uncool to be into the Beach Boys, and when we did that album, it started to bother us, doing this same stuff, because we thought we were trapped into having to sing about a certain thing.

Johnston would often accompany the group on photo shoots, but he was prohibited from having those pictures published on album covers due to a preexisting contract with Columbia Records.

[16] In a 2011 reappraisal, BBC Music observed that the track listing of Summer Days reads "like a Greatest Hits," and felt the album is unfairly disparaged for being "simply loaded with proud pop songs."

[citation needed] All tracks are written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, except where notedNotes Sourced from Musician's Union AFM contract sheets and surviving session audio, documented by Craig Slowinski.