The sweet harmonies of the Beach Boys are so perfect for close harmony arrangements in the barbershop style. This collection feature some of Brian Wilson's finest songs arranged by some of barbershop's top arrangers. What a great combination!

Songlist: Surfer Girl, Kokomo, In My Room, Beach Boys Medley

The Beach Boys are an American rock band. Formed in 1961, the group gained popularity for its close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting a Southern California youth culture of cars and surfing. Brian Wilson's growing creative ambitions later transformed them into a more artistically innovative group that earned critical praise and influenced many later musicians.

Songlist: All Summer Long, Barbara Ann, Be True To Your School, California Girls, Caroline, No, Catch A Wave, Dance, Dance, Dance, Darlin', Do It Again, Do You Want To Dance?, Don't Back Down, Don't Worry Baby, 409, Fun, Fun, Fun, Girls On The Beach, God Only Knows, Good Vibrations, Help Me Rhonda, Heroes And Villains, I Get Around, In My Room, It's OK, Keep An Eye On Summer, Kokomo, Little Deuce Coupe, The Little Girl I Once Knew, Little Honda, Little Saint Nick, Pet Sounds, Please Let Me Wonder, and more

With the subtitle of "close-harmony arrangements of timeless songs from famous movies," "Circle Of Life" contains orchestrated versions of well-known themes, such as "Wind Beneath My Wings," "Everything I Do, I Do For You" and "I Will Always Love You." Recorded in Holland in 1996 (with the exception of "Kokomo," the Beach Boys song that appeared on "Spirit Voices"), and therefore available only on import, some of the arrangements are innocuous, while others, such as "Live And Let Die" and "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" are merely unlikely. An a cappella version of "The Rose," from the film of the same name, is the CD's winner by a landslide.

Songlist: Circle of Life, Kiss From a Rose, Kokomo, Wind Beneath My WIngs, It Had to Be You, Live and Let Die, The Time of My Life, I Heard IT Through the Grapevine, Everything I Do, I Do It for You, The Rose, I Will Always Love You, Groovy Kind of Love

UR2KAM is Simo Breede, baritone, his brother Tanel Breede, bass, Markus Leppoja, 1st tenor, and Mart Loite, 2nd tenor, and they are young, good-looking barbershop-doo-woppers from Estonia (please no "Estonia when you're driving in your car" jokes!). The liner notes are in Estonian, so we don't know what UR2KAM means, only that the group does all their own very mellow arrangements. There are a number of western pop covers here, sung in cutely-accented English; among our favorites: Jimmy Buffett's "Kokomo," "Sloop John B," "Sealed With A Kiss," "Hooked On A Feeling," "Blue Moon," "Ave Maria," and "Amazing Grace"-which highlights Tanel's smooth, powerful bass. Not in English, but spirited and entertaining: "Paula, sul on poisipea," "Labi saju," Jahikoera armuulg," and "Rajalaul." The CD is fresh and sweet-the guys have a lot of talent, and this is an excellent first effort for them!

Songlist: Intro, K-K-K-Katy, Kokomo, Blue Moon, My Special Prayer, Sealed With A Kiss, Hooked on a Feeling, Paula, sul on poisipea, Ave Maria, Labi saju, Sloop John B, Amazing Grace, Jahikoera armuulg, Rahalaul