"The Beach Boys' 1986 version of “California Dreamin’” is a seriously underrated gem. They took a folk-pop standard and gave it that warm, polished, late-period Beach Boys treatment, with richer production, those impeccable harmonies, and a slightly rockier edge that suits the mid-80s vibe. Carl Wilson’s lead vocal is especially soulful; he was in great voice during that era, and you can hear the emotional weight he brings to lines like “All the leaves are brown…”. Al Jardine complements him perfectly, and having Roger McGuinn reprise his signature 12-string Rickenbacker sound was a brilliant touch. It ties the song back to the jangly Byrds-influenced sound of the original era while still feeling fresh. It was recorded for Mike Love’s side project but ended up credited to The Beach Boys, and released during a period when they were having a bit of a commercial resurgence (thanks in part to “Kokomo” a couple years later). Though it only reached #57 on the Billboard Hot 100, it’s aged really well and holds up as one of their stronger covers in their catalog. Fun fact: the music video even featured McGuinn, John Phillips, and Michelle Phillips, which gave it a nice passing-of-the-torch feel between the two iconic California acts.Definitely a version that deserves more love. Great song, great voices, great arrangement."
