Perfect Summer Albums

The Perfect Summer CD’s

So I have had a longtime obsession with the idea of perfect summer albums. No time of year, it seems to me, demands a soundtrack as much as the summer: the road trips, the the evening barbecues, the camping trips, the day-long house cleanings, the drives to the beach, the car-washings. It goes on and on.

Winter certainly demands a certain kind of music as well. What is better on a cold, damp winter day than Leonard Cohen and some coffee? And the fall begs for Radiohead, Led Zeppelin, and Low.

Okay... so this is very subjective, even more-so than other claims about great cd’s. so I need your help. Please make contributions or question some of my selections.

I have organized them into three categories: the undeniably great summer cd’s, the deniably great summer cd’s, and the bands/musicians that are great for summer, but may not have a perfect cd for the occasion.

The Undeniably Great:

“Pet Sounds” The Beach Boys
“The Band” by The Band
“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” by The Beatles
“Blonde on Blonde” Bob Dylan
“Deja Vu” by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young
“Pacifico” by The Lassie Foundation
“Harvest” by Neil Young
“Graceland” by Paul Simon
“Doolittle” by The Pixies
“Between the Buttons” by The Rolling Stones
“Spinning Dime” by Rumph unreleased
“Kill the Moonlight” by Spoon
“Illinois” by Sufjan Stevens
“How It Feels To Be Something On” by Sunny Day Real Estate
“Joshua Tree” by U2
“The Velvet Underground and Nico” by The Velvet Underground and Nico
“Violent Femmes” by The Violent Femmes
“Weezer” by Weezer
“A.M.” by Wilco
“Summer Teeth” by Wilco

I think that “Pet Sounds” and “Weezer” are the most consistently satisfying. The Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan can always scratch the itch, so I chose the cd from each of them that felt most summery. “Harvest” is the albatross around my neck: I have spent a life trying to be that good... and failing. “Out on the Weekend” is the first track of that cd and it may be the world’s most perfect song, even more-so in the summer. The incomparable Rumph released “Spinning Dime” about ten years ago. You can’t get it that I know of, so you’ll have to trust me. The Lassie Foundation is a great summer band. If you have never heard “Pacifico” buy it now. Wilco is second only to the Beach Boys for best summer band of all time, so any of their stuff works. They can match all the shades of your summer moods.


The Deniably Great:

“The Doors” by The Doors
“Let Love Rule” Lenny Kravitz
“In the Aeroplane Over the Sea” Neutral Milk Hotel
“Brighten the Corners” by Pavement
“Me› su› í eyrum vi› spilum endalaust” by Sigur Ros
“Solitude” by The The
“The Early Years” by Tom Waits
“Hope” by Palace Songs
“America” by America
“Grown Backwards” David Byrne
“Band of Gypsies” Jimi Hendrix
“Our Endless Numbered Days” by Iron and Wine
“Wish you Were Here” by Pink Floyd
“Disraeli Gears” by Cream

Some sentimental, nostalgia in here (the Doors,Kravitz (before he went his way), Pavement, Cream). Iron and Wine is great, but you have to be a pretty moody person for them to work right for summer. Neutral Milk Hotel is genius for an outdoor party involving water sports. Iceland’s Sigur Ros may seem like a strange summer choice at first, but no band makes scenery seem more important. Put them in when you are driving toward the central coast or something. “Solitude” gets mentioned almost solely on the merit of the cd’s first track “That Was the Day.” The David Byrne album is undeniably perfect for any occasion, so it may not strike you as a “summer cd” as such, but if you do not own it, get it fast. America is a weaker version of CSNY in my opinion, but their self-titled is a fine summer cd: you will of course recognize “A Horse With No Name.”



Notable Mention:

Cat Stevens
Credence Clearwater Revival
Daniel Johnston
Gram Parsons
Neil Diamond
The Cars
The Stooges
Talking Heads
Buffalo Springfield

That Sinead O’Connor song “Nothing Compares to You” is also great for summer. I think Stuffed Animal Baby is a good summer listen as well, but I am biased. Nick Drake works well too, for the long, sad drive in the heat.