Should I get into The Beach Boys? From what I've heard I really, really like them. Are they good enough to dedicate the time and money to finding and paying for a full CD? If so, where should I start since I've heard very little by them?

Pet Sounds is an essential CD, not only for the Beach Boys but for popular music in general.

They are really good. You must know that their Pet Sounds LP is one of the best albums in history, so... There's a funny album they made just before that one called Beach Boys' Party with some covers from the guys.

You can read something about them here (there are links to their albums and reviews):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beach_boys

Hmm. May have to look into that. I heard Good Vibrations at about 12:30 last night and as I fell asleep I appreciated something I'd never noticed before--The complexities in the chorus.

The Beatles were my favorite band of all time, until I really discovered the Beach Boys.

The Beach Boys made some really amazing albums. Pet Sounds is to my opinion essential in everyone's collection, and they have several albums that are almost as good. The thing is: they also released a whole lot of worthless junk. So be warned, and inform yourself before you randomly start buying their albums. And another thing: most of their stuff sounds nothing like their well-known surfing and car hits.

These are some sites that have excellent reviews of all Beach Boys albums:
http://www.adriandenning.co.uk/beachboys.html
http://www.beachboys.com/
http://www.allmusic.com

But if you don't feel like reading all that: most Beach Boys albums have been re-released on '2fers', which are mid-price CDs that each have 2 complete albums and some bonus tracks. These ones are strongly recommended:

Friends + 20/20
Today! + Summer Days (And Summer Nights!)
Sunflower + Surf's Up

Surf's Up contains many of those surfing and car hits. I like that album quite a bit.

Quoted from Biscuit_Power

The Beatles were my favorite band of all time, until I really discovered the Beach Boys.

The Beach Boys made some really amazing albums. Pet Sounds is to my opinion essential in everyone's collection, and they have several albums that are almost as good. The thing is: they also released a whole lot of worthless junk. So be warned, and inform yourself before you randomly start buying their albums. And another thing: most of their stuff sounds nothing like their well-known surfing and car hits.

These are some sites that have excellent reviews of all Beach Boys albums:
http://www.adriandenning.co.uk/beachboys.html
http://www.beachboys.com/
http://www.allmusic.com

But if you don't feel like reading all that: most Beach Boys albums have been re-released on '2fers', which are mid-price CDs that each have 2 complete albums and some bonus tracks. These ones are strongly recommended:

Friends + 20/20
Today! + Summer Days (And Summer Nights!)
Sunflower + Surf's Up

Great.

Get Pet Sounds.

Well we are surley living in an age when a person ponders buying a "Whole Cd" are they really worth it? The "Beach Boys" are an American institution from a musical standpoint. The "surf" music embodies summer itself and Brian Wilson wrote some of the best songs of all time during the 60s! So start out with the greatest hits of the surfing song era. One of the most overlooked lps of all time is "Surf's Up! Prehaps the best example of a wide variety of  musical styles on this lp! Ecology is the main thrust with "Don't Go Near The Water" a stunning "Surf's Up" song along with Student Demonstration Time, the "Welfare Song" etc! This was the Beach Boy's crowning moment that was lost on everyone who could not shake the old surfing music style the Beach Boys had become know for! "Holland" is another great example of classic harmonies built over melodic synthsiser music! You can buy a double cd that has Surf's Up and Sunflower on it then try to find "Holland" and your trip into the best American band of all time will be complete!

Please don't take this wrongly but how old are you that you have not been exposed to all the Beach Boys Summer surfing songs??? I can understand not knowing "Sunflower" "Holland" and "Surf's Up" most non Beach Boy fans lost track of them after Good Vibrations ect. This band is known "WORLD WIDE" for over 40 years???

Quoted from Mairi

Surf's Up contains many of those surfing and car hits.

That's not true... Surf's Up is from 1971 and has, despite the title, absolutely nothing to do with surfing or cars. It mostly has songs about the environment and the title track is a Smile leftover.

But it could be you've got a compilation that also happens to be called Surf's Up...

I'd go for the Boxed Set (4 CDs with a bonus CD with lotta Pet Sounds tracks).  All four of those CDs have amazing stuff on them (and not all Brian, too).

I have to say the Beach Boys Boxed Set is the best boxed set of any group I've ever bought (as a boxed set I think it's better than the Velvet Undergrounds).

Anyway.  Yes, get into the Beach Boys.  You won't regret it.  

Pet Sounds is the only one I have, I dont really like any of their other stuff, too girly for my likings

Quoted from apple_sauce

Please don't take this wrongly but how old are you that you have not been exposed to all the Beach Boys Summer surfing songs??? I can understand not knowing "Sunflower" "Holland" and "Surf's Up" most non Beach Boy fans lost track of them after Good Vibrations ect. This band is known "WORLD WIDE" for over 40 years???

14. I've heard them a lot on the radio but I own no albums.

Quoted from ma_tt2

Pet Sounds is the only one I have, I dont really like any of their other stuff, too girly for my likings

Yeah, I don't get the big appeal beyond a few great songs. I HATE all the surf stuff with a passion. And surely they are not THE greatest American band? I mean I can think of more than a few bands that were just as important if not a bit more important than the Beach Boys. The Doors, Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, Jimi Hendrix....Man, it's slim pickings isn't it?