Boys Boys Boys

Something to remember while listening to the 2020 anthology Beastie Boys Music is that the band never knew what they were doing exactly—they had ideas but not really a plan. At least, not evidently. Listening to Music, the impression is of a band in a state of restless experimentation, true to themselves but so dilated and available to what the world had to offer that they couldn’t stay in place for long. They were magpies, and in their continuous absorption—new and old, white and black, cool and cool-in-waiting—they not only redrew boundaries between hip-hop, pop, and rock, but anticipated a culture in which stewing together your disparate interests could be a gesture of creativity in and of itself.

Made in U.S.A. is a 1986 double vinyl album (or one-CD) compilation of some of The Beach Boys' biggest successes. Released by their original record label, Capitol Records, it marked a brief return to the label, with whom The Beach Boys released one further album, 1989's Still Cruisin'. Featuring a number of their 1960s' classics, in addition to a sampling of their later hits, Made in U.S.A. also contains two new recordings, both produced by Terry Melcher. "Rock 'n' Roll to the Rescue" is a Mike Love/Melcher collaboration, and "California Dreamin'" is a cover of The Mamas & the Papas' late 1965 debut single. Both were released as singles and made the U.S. pop singles chart. A slow seller, Made in U.S.A. reached No. 96 in the U.S. and ultimately went double platinum there, though with other compilations now available, Made in U.S.A. has since gone out of print.