My Top 10 Albums for Summer

When the mercury tops the charts, crank up the sounds from summer's best albums and grab the sunscreen. It is going to be a hot one!

Here is my timeless collection of music from several genres, guaranteed to provide the perfect aural backdrop for your favorite summer activity. Set the mood for every occasion from backyard barbecuing to romantic bonfires on the beach, and do not worry if you are clueless regarding Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber. This list unearths music forgotten by our artist of the minute world, but still relevant for sharing the balmy nights of summer with friends and family.

Endless Summer
The Beach Boys

Maybe, this one is a no-brainer, but despite the flack that the Beach Boys receive in our "too-cool" culture, I challenge you to find a person living who will not tap their toes to "Little Deuce Coupe." If you have a Mini-Cooper, this song is for you! Little says it all.

Cars aside, this album packs a huge wave of classic summer hits such as "California Girls," "Help Me, Rhonda," "Surfin' USA," and if you go for the 1980's and later CD instead of retro vinyl, a bonus track of "Good Vibrations."

Trust me. Simply listen to this album and you will feel the sand between your toes.

Little Robbers
The Motels

Warning: I mainly included this selection due to the mega-hit, "Suddenly Last Summer," which topped the charts in the summer of 1983. The title itself conjures up images of Southern nights with Tennessee Williams sipping bourbon on the porch and Elizabeth Taylor emanating rays of sexuality in a black dress. Coincidentally, the band was in the studio recording the album in February of 1983 when the great playwright, Williams, left the stage for eternity.

If you are a fan of The Motels, you may prefer their compilation album, "No Vacancy: Best of the Motels," which includes all three of their chart topper singles, "Only the Lonely," "Remember the Nights," and "Suddenly Last Summer."

Chattahoochee
Alan Jackson

"Yeah way down yonder by the Chattahoochee, it gets hotter than a hoochie coochie...."¹ Having grown up not far from the banks of the Chattahoochee, and writing this article currently in the throes of a hot, humid Georgia summer, I feel a connection with Alan Jackson. First, I must confess. I am not an aficionado of country music, but respect my friends and family who appreciate a good twang now and then. If I were to become a fan, I definitely would place Jackson's album at the top of my summer listening list, if only for the lyrics, "I was willin' but she wasn't ready, so I settled for a burger and a grape snow cone." Country music really captures the poetry of life.

Caravan of Dreams
Peter White

For me, summer means jazz, the smooth kind, and who is more smooth with his nylon string guitar sound than Peter White? Caravan of Dreams is White's classic album featuring the title song and other delectable selections such as "Venice Beach" and "City of Lights." Whether you are cruising in your convertible or relaxing by the pool, White's music is like a good massage. It is forceful enough to affect your musical muscle, yet kind enough to provide the right atmosphere for conversation and romance.

The B-52s
The B-52s

Big hair and big music naturally pair with summer and pineapple lemon shorts. Pop on "Rock Lobster" while you enjoy a dinner of the same and create a Kodak moment. The B-52s rock a heat wave better than any other band, and they have the beehives to prove it. Listen to the music that inspired John Lennon to come out of retirement, and maybe you will discover your own "Private Idaho."

And I Feel Fine...: The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982 - 1987
R.E.M.

Okay, here is another confession. My alma mater is the University of Georgia, located in Athens, Georgia, birthplace of the B-52s and R.E.M.; and yes, I was of tender, impressionable age in the eighties. Therefore, I am an impartial judge, but judge that I am, I must recommend this album for the all-time summer hit, "Radio Free Europe," and my personal favorite of the time, "Talking About the Passion," to which I penned my first attempts at a novel.

R.E.M. is the summer soundtrack for all those kids who steered far from frat and sorority beach parties, preferring to wade into deeper and richer waters.

The Very Best of the Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers

"Catfish are jumpin', that paddle wheel thumpin'..."² You can feel the humidity and mosquito bites just from a listen to the Doobie Brothers' classic, "Black Water." If you cannot handle the heat then you might consider "Takin' it to the Streets," or "Rockin' Down the Highway." This is genuine, bona fide, golden rock echoing from a time when musicians and vocalists did not have to look like a model from Gentleman's Quarterly.

Porgy and Bess
Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

"Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high."³ Two names sum up the excellence of this 1957 studio album, which is regarded by many as the finest jazz rendition of George Gershwin's legendary opera, Porgy and Bess. Ella Fitzgerald alone could fill your summer with haunting vocals, but place the talent of Louis Armstrong beside her and you have the material of dreams. Remember, a summer without George Gershwin is like a picnic without watermelon.

A Midsummer's Night Dream
Britten/Deller/Harwood

This enchanting recording can be enjoyed sans opera cape and in the comfort of your bikini poolside. Featuring the Choirs of Downside and Emanuel Schools and the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Benjamin Britten, this original recording made in 1966, is regarded as one of the finest. The cast includes Alfred Deller as Oberon, Elizabeth Harwood as Tytania, Stephen Terry as Puck, John Shirley-Quirk as Theseus, Helen Watts as Hippolyta, Sir Peter Pears as Lysander, and Thomas Hemsley as Demetrius.

State of Grace III
Paul Schwartz

Long a mainstay of XM radio, Paul Schwartz's State of Grace albums mine the timeless Latin texts of the ancient Church and wrap the sublime words in compositions that soar into realms seldom approached in modern music. I cannot listen to "Agnus Dei" while driving; it engages my heart and soul completely.

So, there you have it, my eclectic mix of summer albums, guaranteed to have you longing for a sunset walk or a convertible and a long stretch of scenic roadway. Enjoy!

¹ Lyrics of "Chattahoochee," composed by songwriters: Jimmy Ray McBride and Alan Eugene Jackson.
² Lyrics of "Black Water," composed by songwriter, Patrick Simmons.
³ Lyrics of "Summertime," composed by songwriter and composer, George Gershwin.