Shut Down Volume 2 – THE BEACH BOYS***

Fun Fun Fun/Don’t Worry Baby/In The Parkin’ Lot/Cassius Love Vs Sonny Wilson/The Warmth Of The Sun/This Car Of Mine/Why Do Fools Fall In Love/Pom Pom Play Girl/Keep An Eye On Summer/Shut Down Part II/Louie Louie/Denny’s Drums

The Beach Boy's fifth album Shut Down Volume 2 fared less well than their three 1963 releases. The disappointing showing was probably due to the arrival of The Beatles and the British Invasion. Contains the US No. 5 hit single Fun Fun Fun. Although it contains some classic Beach Boy tracks, there is rather too much filler. (US:13)

"Shut Down Volume 2 starts strongly with the two American hits and contains another outstanding track Warmth Of The Sun and covers of Why Do Fools Fall In Love and Louie Louie. It is a fine album in its own way but not quite as strong overall as Surfer Girl."

"All in all, there is a great sense of fun and freedom captured in these grooves, with something considerably more substantial beginning to peep through."

"Shut Down Volume 2 is ostensibly a collection of hot-rod and car related songs, some re-cycled, some new, intended as a rebuke to Capitol Records for including their song Shut Down as the title track on an ill-chosen hot-rod compilation without their acquiescence. In practice the subject matter was far wider than that."

"Shut Down Volume 2 isn't quite as good overall as Surfer Girl, but its best songs are among the best the band has ever done. In fact Don't Worry Baby is not only their best song, but one of the ten best from the 60s."

"The album's a mixed bag from the sublime to the ridiculous and back again, but with such artistic highs and such fun how can you help but love it? A treasure."

"This could have been a great album, but too many weak tracks keep that from being the case. As far as filler goes, this album is one of the biggest offenders in The Beach Boy's catalogue."

"The overall result is that Shut Down Vol. 2 is easily the most 'tormented' album out of The Beach Boys' early period, the one where the misbalance between filler and genius is not just obvious, it's actually screaming."