Stack-o-Tracks
Stack-o-Tracks is an instrumental album release by The Beach Boys containing backing tracks to fifteen of their songs spanning their career to that point. As it was issued during one of their lowest commercial ebbs in the U.S., Stack-o-Tracks became the first Beach Boys album to fail to reach the US or UK charts. Until 1992's Summer in Paradise, it would remain their only official release to have this distinction.
| Stack-o-Tracks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Remix album by | ||||
| Released | August 19, 1968 | |||
| Recorded | July 1963 – June 1968 | |||
| Genre | Instrumental rock · pop | |||
| Length | 34:37 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Producer | The Beach Boys | |||
| The Beach Boys chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [2] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [3] |
The US versions of the album included a booklet with the bass lines, lead lines, chords and lyrics (to sing along with), whereas European editions contained just the lyrics and a different cover. Stack-o-Tracks quickly disappeared and was out of print for two decades. In 1990, Capitol Records re-issued it on CD, and again in 2001 - both releases without the booklet that accompanied the vinyl edition.
Stack-o-Tracks was only available in Duophonic, or fake stereo.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Brian Willson & Mike Love except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Origin | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Darlin'" | Wild Honey, 1967 | 2:12 | |
| 2. | "Salt Lake City" | Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!), 1965 | 1:58 | |
| 3. | "Sloop John B" | Traditional, arranged by Wilson | Pet Sounds, 1966 | 3:04 |
| 4. | "In My Room" |
| Surfer Girl, 1963 | 2:13 |
| 5. | "Catch a Wave" | Surfer Girl | 2:00 | |
| 6. | "Wild Honey" | Wild Honey | 2:35 | |
| 7. | "Little Saint Nick" | The Beach Boys' Christmas Album, 1964 | 1:49 | |
| Total length: | 15:51 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Origin | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8. | "Do It Again" | 20/20, 1969 | 2:11 | |
| 9. | "Wouldn't It Be Nice" |
| Pet Sounds | 2:11 |
| 10. | "God Only Knows" |
| Pet Sounds | 2:37 |
| 11. | "Surfer Girl" | Wilson | Surfer Girl | 2:16 |
| 12. | "Little Honda" | All Summer Long. 1964 | 1:36 | |
| 13. | "Here Today" |
| Pet Sounds | 3:06 |
| 14. | "You're So Good to Me" | Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) | 1:55 | |
| 15. | "Let Him Run Wild" | Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) | 2:13 | |
| Total length: | 18:05 | |||
Beach Boys' Party! / Stack-O-Tracks bonus tracks
In 1990, Stack-o-Tracks was paired on CD with Beach Boys' Party!, with bonus instrumental tracks. While Stack-o-Tracks was originally available only in mono or Duophonic sound, the CD includes true stereo mixes of several tracks.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Origin | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16. | "Help Me, Rhonda" | Wilson | Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) | 2:54 |
| 17. | "California Girls" | Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) | 2:45 | |
| 18. | "Our Car Club" | Little Deuce Coupe, 1963 | 2:14 |
References
- Unterberger, Richie. Stack-o-Tracks at AllMusic
- Larkin, Colin, ed. (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). London: Oxford University Press. p. 479. ISBN 978-0-19-531373-4.
- Brackett, Nathan; with Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). New York, NY: Fireside/Simon & Schuster. p. 46. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.