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JIF
11-05-2012, 05:28 AM
I know some members of Genesis are, as well as Paul McCartney. What about anybody on this site? I have the cd version of Pet Sounds with the mono and stereo versions, the albums Sunflower and Surf's Up on one cd, and the current remasters of Today and Smiley. I had previously dismissed The Beach Boys as stupid surf rock, boring pop, or slagged them for using studio musicians on their records in lieu of the band on some songs. I believe The Beach Boys from Today on to be one of the artists that laid the groundwork for "progressive rock"(some of the songs by this group sound very orchestral). What do you all think?

Scott Bails
11-05-2012, 08:10 AM
I wouldn't call myself a "fan," per se, but I've always like the hits. But as I've learned more about music and read more about its history, I've become more curious about their deeper tracks.

I've only ever owned compilations, but one of these days I'm going to dive head first into their catalog and find out what they're really all about.

Chain
11-05-2012, 09:26 AM
No

CybrKhatru
11-05-2012, 12:28 PM
Yep. Took me a long time though.

Hearing "Surf's Up" on a Central California radio station about 10 years ago was the catalyst.

3LockBox
11-05-2012, 12:50 PM
Not really, but the song Feel Flow is one of my all-time fave songs

JIF
11-05-2012, 07:46 PM
I wouldn't call myself a "fan," per se, but I've always like the hits. But as I've learned more about music and read more about its history, I've become more curious about their deeper tracks.

I've only ever owned compilations, but one of these days I'm going to dive head first into their catalog and find out what they're really all about.Well, there's no time like the present since most of their titles have been recently reissued. Best Buy has the new remasters for $9.99.

Progbear
11-05-2012, 08:05 PM
I know some members of Genesis are, as well as Paul McCartney. What about anybody on this site? I have the cd version of Pet Sounds with the mono and stereo versions, the albums Sunflower and Surf's Up on one cd, and the current remasters of Today and Smiley. I had previously dismissed The Beach Boys as stupid surf rock, boring pop, or slagged them for using studio musicians on their records in lieu of the band on some songs. I believe The Beach Boys from Today on to be one of the artists that laid the groundwork for "progressive rock"(some of the songs by this group sound very orchestral). What do you all think?

Your reaction to them sounds like mine. I was prodded to turn around on my opinion of them when I heard “Surf’s Up.” What a gorgeous, tear-jerkingly beautiful song. Going back and hearing older songs with fresh ears (“Good Vibrations” in particular) was an eye-opening experience. I wouldn’t go so far as saying they laid the groundwork for prog, but the way they took their vocal harmony pop to new and exciting places makes their music very much worth hearing. I like a lot of their stuff and it’s unfair to dismiss them as a vapid surf novelty song mill based on their early hits.

-------------
MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")

"It is not an obscenity to be free. It is a divine right." --Annette Peacock

N.P.:“Five Suns I”-Guapo/Five Suns

saatuk
11-06-2012, 12:41 AM
I wouldn't say a 'fan', but I quite like Surf's Up and Sunflower. If I was a fan I think I would have bought a CD rather than just the vinyl, since I don't play LPs all that often.

Troopers For Sound
11-06-2012, 06:24 AM
Massive fan of Pet Sounds, Smiley Smile, SMiLE, Friends, Surf's Up and Holland....plus a few bits and pieces on Wild Honey, 20/20 and Sunflower. Have never ventured in to the late 70's albums though.

Matt.

3LockBox
11-06-2012, 08:59 AM
Their post-Pet albums are spotty as all get-out, but it doesn't mean there aren't gems to be found, all the way through '72. Still, if you never really liked the band, I can't point to any one album, or song for that matter, that would win anyone over. But, if at any time you've found yourself enjoying the ratio hits but grew tired of them, then by all means, get over to YT and check out their lesser known material when they could afford the good dope.

Scott Bails
11-06-2012, 09:24 AM
Well, there's no time like the present since most of their titles have been recently reissued. Best Buy has the new remasters for $9.99.

Yeah, I'm thinking it may be time to make the investment.


I wouldn’t go so far as saying they laid the groundwork for prog, but the way they took their vocal harmony pop to new and exciting places makes their music very much worth hearing.



This is kinda what I'm hoping. I'm so in love with Moon Safari right now, I think I'd probably be very receptive to some of the BBs lesser-known stuff.


Their post-Pet albums are spotty as all get-out, but it doesn't mean there aren't gems to be found, all the way through '72. Still, if you never really liked the band, I can't point to any one album, or song for that matter, that would win anyone over. But, if at any time you've found yourself enjoying the ratio hits but grew tired of them, then by all means, get over to YT and check out their lesser known material when they could afford the good dope.

This is a great idea - I always forget to use YT to explore bands. The "spottiness" is what I'm afraid of - whether I'd have the patience to separate the wheat from the chaff.

mkeneally
11-06-2012, 01:31 PM
Very hardcore fan of many eras, and I find something to love and just about every album, and listen with interest even to the stuff which is clearly not so inspired because I'm so interested by the band. The "Smile Sessions" box last year tripped off a months-long re-igniting of interest in the first fifteen years of their work, and they were all I listened to for months while I was finishing up the Wing Beat Fantastic album - I think their influence is pretty strong on that record. Of the new remasters I've only picked up the Smiley Smile reissue with the new, first-ever stereo remix - just got it a few days ago and I enjoyed the remix a whole heck of a lot.

3LockBox
11-07-2012, 10:05 AM
I've heard the SMiLE reissue and I'm afraid it was the same reaction as when I heard Pet Sounds for the first time 15 or so years ago - underwhelmed. Yes, I understand Pets had an enormous influence on a lot of music I like, but save for a few songs, I find I'm less than engaged. I even find some of it sonically objectionable.

gpeccary
11-07-2012, 10:45 AM
Like some above, not a hardcore fan by any stretch. Read Wilsons bio Catch a Wave, and became extremely intrigued. I bought pet sounds, smile and listened to them with very different ears. Wilson was and still is a genius indeed. He influenced and challenged legions of musicians. Its not particularly something i go to often, but i certainly appreciate and honor the work they did. I also bought their new one as well, I dug it.

Progbear
11-07-2012, 03:52 PM
This is kinda what I'm hoping. I'm so in love with Moon Safari right now, I think I'd probably be very receptive to some of the BBs lesser-known stuff.

I highly recommend the Sunflower/Surf’s Up 2-on-1. Except for “Got to Know the Woman” and Bruce Johnston’s dismal “Tears in the Morning,” I find Sunflower to be wall-to-wall good, arguably their best post-PS album and definitely their best album of the 70s.

Surf’s Up is definitely more patchy, but the tunes by Carl and Brian are all superb. And “Disney Girls” is one of Bruce’s nicer tunes, high praise from me considering I generally dislike his writing (the man’s responsible for the execrable “I Write the Songs,” after all). Plus you get the title track, one of the most transcendent tunes of all time.

-------------
MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")

"You can take the war out of the soldier, but you can't raise that soldier from the dead."
--Shona Laing

N.P.:“El absurdo y la melodía”-Ave Rock

HealthyNational
11-08-2012, 10:47 AM
Tickets for their April 4, 2013 show @ Westbury go on sale this Saturday, November 10.

3LockBox
11-08-2012, 11:56 AM
I highly recommend the Sunflower/Surf’s Up 2-on-1. Except for “Got to Know the Woman” and Bruce Johnston’s dismal “Tears in the Morning,” I find Sunflower to be wall-to-wall good, arguably their best post-PS album and definitely their best album of the 70s.

Surf’s Up is definitely more patchy, but the tunes by Carl and Brian are all superb. And “Disney Girls” is one of Bruce’s nicer tunes, high praise from me considering I generally dislike his writing (the man’s responsible for the execrable “I Write the Songs,” after all). Plus you get the title track, one of the most transcendent tunes of all time.

-------------
MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")

"You can take the war out of the soldier, but you can't raise that soldier from the dead."
--Shona Laing

N.P.:“El absurdo y la melodía”-Ave Rockpretty much agree with this assessment of both albums, but would add Add Some Music To Your Day and Its About Time and keep Tears In The Morning. Not that any of its terrible. Their main missteps were attempts at social/ecological vommentary. And while Surf's Up is patchier, it does contain their most underappreciated gems like the aforementioned title track, Feel Flow, Long Promised Road and Til I Die. Disney Girls (1957) sounds like a song they would have done several years earlier and kinda doesn't fit, but isn't bad.

East New York
11-12-2012, 10:36 PM
Yep. Took me a long time though.

Hearing "Surf's Up" on a Central California radio station about 10 years ago was the catalyst.

That was definitely one of the best moments in my music fandom. I'll never forget the way in which you and I sat in the car and lost our minds over it. It was one of my Edith Bunker-like moments of illumination: ".....ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!" :D

mogrooves
11-13-2012, 12:41 AM
What do you all think?

Pre-Pet Sounds era for me, particularly Today and Summer Days (and Summer Nights). Caught them in '66, right around the time "Good Vibrations" came out....

rapidfirerob
11-13-2012, 11:34 PM
Basically, not.

arj
11-14-2012, 05:23 AM
Yes. Only in the last few years. God Only Knows has been in my top few songs since a telling episode of that show with Kevin Arnold though. Saw them live earlier this year and was very impressed by the harmonies and the fragile beauty of the voices. The harmonic choices of Brian Wilson are what really sell it for me.

Wisdomview
11-14-2012, 09:32 AM
Yes, up to about the mid '70s.

Zeuhlmate
11-14-2012, 01:26 PM
Smiley Smile is great, and even proggy too.

yogibear
11-18-2012, 06:50 PM
for me i was a fan of their best tunes and not of the early albums that were very hit and miss with one hit and then 3 or4 average or junk songs. so imo they did not compare or compete with the Beatles were so much more consistently great. so I was a fan of their hits comps and maybe "pet sounds" and also the tune "good vibrations" which to me a their very best tune.

progeezer
11-18-2012, 07:52 PM
Anyone who grew up listening to Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, The Hi-Los, The 4 Freshman etc. (hip parents:)) has to more than appreciate how Brian took those jazz harmonies and adapted them to a rock context.

In addition to the deserved appreciation for "Surf's Up" in this thread, I have also thought at times about having "Til I Die" (a song that gives me goosebumps every time I hear it) played at my funeral (as yet unscheduled:)).

Arkangel3
11-22-2012, 12:19 PM
Always have been, ever since I was a little kid. I learned to sing and in harmony by listening to these guys. I lost touch in my teens but my interest in the band was re-awakened one night when I was partying with a friend at the beach and he threw on a bootleg of SMiLE and I was absolutely knocked away when he said it was the Beach Boys. I became a SMiLE fanatic, getting copies of every version of the boots I could...and then the re-release of Pet Sounds just made me appreciate them even more. Their later stuff is hit or miss, but I REALLY like "Holland" a lot. I pretty much will listen to them any time, anywhere. :)

bill g
11-23-2012, 12:46 AM
I always have been too. First time I heard 'God Only Knows' as a little kid, I think I almost cried. A whole lotta emotion there, very well arranged. And an outdoorsyness. There are some fine songs on the new one too, such as the title track and 'Shelter'. But my favorite song of theres it probably 'Child is the Father of the Man'. Wow, just blew my socks off when I first heard it, which was at work after hours, someone put on Smile and I had to go hide I was so affected by it.

PeterG
11-23-2012, 04:25 AM
Never a fan, never liked the hits, never a fan of the surf, turf, hot rod period, nor was I ever a fan of the cult that worshipped at the temple of Brian Wilson, Pet Sounds, Smile, Smiley Smile etc.

The only albums I like are the more rock-group based albums (with less of the Brian Wilson influence): Wild Honey, Friends, Sunflower.

Superfly
11-23-2012, 08:49 AM
Originally, back in the 60's, I wasn't a fan of these guys at all. That rinky dink surf stuff just didn't turn me on. Give me Steppenwolf, Give Me Cream or Hendrix, But somewhere along the line, I'd keep hearing Sloop John B. on the radio...and it would just click into place. Maybe it's because my grandfather used to take me fishing out in a boat, but I started really lovin' that song. Eventually, some time in the 90's I became obsessed with surf rock guitar music, sunshine pop, and eventually ended up buying Pet Sounds. No, I know that's not a surf guitar album. :p So now I AM a fan of the Beach Boys, Particularly the Sunflower/ Surf's Up era. Holland is quite spectacular as well.

It's so strange how you'll hear something for years, and never really like it...then one day somehow it just makes sense, and you wonder why you never liked it from the start. It always makes me laugh when people behave like their opinions are solid and unchangable. Who knows...maybe one day I'll learn to like _________!

kenneth8446
11-26-2012, 10:02 PM
I always used to associate the Beach Boys with an older generation. I have fond memories of listening to them at a particular family party in the mid to late 70s at my late Aunt's while much beer and rye (it was the 70s) was consumed. I remember some dancing, can't remember if it included me but what I particularly remember is the layers, the textures of the sound and how wonderful it was.

Fast forwark to ten years ago when I first bought Pet Sounds and realized how much there was beyond the hits that I had not yet discovered. I now own about a dozen of the 1960s discs with the latest one being Sunflower. There is true artistry there. There is also some cheesy and obvious filler on the early 60s discs, However, they are not alone in that for the era. I am glad that I can appreciate it today for what it is (when it is great), great, often beautiful music blending Chuck Berry and barbershop harmonies.

JIF
01-17-2013, 10:51 PM
Anyone who grew up listening to Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, The Hi-Los, The 4 Freshman etc. (hip parents:)) has to more than appreciate how Brian took those jazz harmonies and adapted them to a rock context.

In addition to the deserved appreciation for "Surf's Up" in this thread, I have also thought at times about having "Til I Die" (a song that gives me goosebumps every time I hear it) played at my funeral (as yet unscheduled:)).Wow, Geezer!! You're the first person I know that described The Beach Boys as a "rock" band. I always thought that they were a pop band, and I hated them when I thought that pop was a dirty word. Btw, what do people think of their new cd? Got it the other day at Target. I was going to start a different thread for the new cd, but I'll use this one(since it's still here).

80s were ok
01-17-2013, 11:03 PM
new cd is pretty meh- and with that line-up already broken up, even more meh

JIF
01-17-2013, 11:16 PM
new cd is pretty meh- and with that line-up already broken up, even more mehSorry, but since your screen name is "80s were ok", I don't trust your opinion. ;) I would value what you say if your screen name was The '60s Are Groovy. Go listen to Kokomo. Sorry to be so rude, but I was looking for the positive feedback that I saw on the old PE about That's Why God Made The Radio. When I start a thread about The Pet Shop Boys, feel free to contribute, since that is your area of expertise. ;) Btw, it's pretty silly to base your opinion on a cd because the lineup broke up. That's like hating Close To The Edge, because you didn't get to hear it played live with Bill Bruford on drums.

Lopez
01-18-2013, 10:23 AM
Since hearing Pet Sounds in it's entirety about 15 years ago, I've become a big fan. Have read several biographies and have been really intrigued by their history. Guess it's like wanting to know the bad stuff celebrities do. Have the SMiLE box set and it's just amazing. I even like what I believe is their biggest-selling hit ever, "Kokomo." The voices of angels.

Dan Marsh
01-18-2013, 11:11 AM
Love the Beach Boys, wish I could have seen the tour last summer but it was too expensive for my pocketbook.

Now that it is back to Mike Love and crew, forget it.

progeezer
01-18-2013, 11:19 AM
Love the Beach Boys, wish I could have seen the tour last summer but it was too expensive for my pocketbook.

Now that it is back to Mike Love and crew, forget it.Me too and can't stand Love.

Jordan - Until they started getting pretty sophisticated (Pet Sounds), stuff like "Surf & Safari", "Surfin USA", "I Get Around" as well as their early covers of Chuck Berry were pretty much your basic (other than the harmonies) rock n' roll.

Jefferson James
01-18-2013, 11:38 AM
Huge fan since about 1987 or so; I grew up hearing all the pop/surf hits and pretty much took the band for granted, always preferred Beatles, etc.

In '87 I saw a documentary about Brian Wilson, the band, the acid, the weirdness, the success, the struggles with Murry Wilson, the mental health issues, the artistry. I was fascinated and started digging into Pet Sounds and beyond, and I was hooked.

I can totally see how this band can be dismissed as being cheesy pop, but there's a sincerity underlying everything as evidenced by the emotionally brilliant vocal arrangements; someone mentioned "Sloop John B" above and this is a perfect example. It's a great little pop song but the musical and vocal embellishments are jaw-dropping.

If I want massive, full-body chills, all I have to do is hear the opening chords of "California Girls" and I get all weepy and jello-flavored. The outro of that song also brings me to my knees -- I think it's stucking funning.

No one -- NO ONE -- can twist a melody or write an unorthodox chord change like Brian Wilson. He is a living God of Music(tm) to me. His story is compelling and the music speaks for itself.

"Wouldn't It Be Nice" might be the best song I've ever heard on any given day.

mogrooves
01-18-2013, 12:37 PM
I prefer the earlier stuff, particularly Today and Summer Days (And Summer Nights). Except for a few songs, neither the acclaimed Pet Sounds nor Smile floated my sloop, so to speak.....

bill g
01-18-2013, 12:47 PM
I for one thought the new album was quite good. There are 2 tracks I found weaker, the aforementioned 'Bill & Sue' and 'Beaches in Mind', and the Mike Love track was so so. The rest of the album I think is great. The title track, 'Shelter', and the 3 last three tracks especially.

progeezer
01-18-2013, 01:28 PM
I for one thought the new album was quite good. There are 2 tracks I found weaker, the aforementioned 'Bill & Sue' and 'Beaches in Mind', and the Mike Love track was so so. The rest of the album I think is great. The title track, 'Shelter', and the 3 last three tracks especially.X2!! I don't think anyone expected it to sound half as good as most of it did.

JIF
01-18-2013, 03:15 PM
Me too and can't stand Love.

Jordan - Until they started getting pretty sophisticated (Pet Sounds), stuff like "Surf & Safari", "Surfin USA", "I Get Around" as well as their early covers of Chuck Berry were pretty much your basic (other than the harmonies) rock n' roll.Thanx Geezer, for your input. Thought that they were originally pop garbage like The Four Seasons and The Association.

kristi
01-18-2013, 09:46 PM
I listened to my 8 track of Endless Summer for months on end many moons ago - my favorite and enduring Beach Boy album is Pet Sounds. Classic.

rcarlberg
01-18-2013, 11:31 PM
In the beginning the BB were more popular in the US than the Beatles, with the whole image of the clean cut surfer dudes being a big part of the appeal for teenage girls.

About 1966-1967 Brian Wilson really came into his own as a songwriter and studio whiz, and he started turning out very beautiful, very progressive, very harmonically advanced stuff ("Surf's Up", Pet Sounds, SMiLE). Unfortunately other members of the band didn't want to mess with the formula that had served them so well for 3 years, so they sabotaged Brian's growth and dreams, and intentionally relegated the BB to an oldies act when Brian knew that the music world was undergoing a revolution (viz. Sgt Pepper, Satanic Majesties, etc.). I just finished Dominic Priore's great book on Brian and it's heartbreaking to think what the BB could have been, had Mike Love and the others not been afraid to innovate.

Some of the work they did during 66-68 is astonishing in its harmonic maturity, its breath and depth of vision, and willingness to advance the boundaries of the 3-minute pop song.

Alas, they ended up singing the early stuff for smaller and smaller crowds as music passed them by. Eventually they became Ronald Reagan's favorite rock band, which he touted as examples of "clean cut Americana." If only he knew the tons of coke and pills going up their noses!

Anyway, the whole story is heartbreaking. They had lightning in a bottle and let it go.

80s were ok
01-18-2013, 11:33 PM
Sorry, but since your screen name is "80s were ok", I don't trust your opinion. ;) I would value what you say if your screen name was The '60s Are Groovy. Go listen to Kokomo. Sorry to be so rude, but I was looking for the positive feedback that I saw on the old PE about That's Why God Made The Radio. When I start a thread about The Pet Shop Boys, feel free to contribute, since that is your area of expertise. ;) Btw, it's pretty silly to base your opinion on a cd because the lineup broke up. That's like hating Close To The Edge, because you didn't get to hear it played live with Bill Bruford on drums.

Thanks for your concern but I'm a huge Beach Boys fan and I stand by my OPINION on this album. Remember Jif - opinions can't be right or wrong, they are opinions. But I won't trust your opinion either since most of the time your postings seem like they are written by a 12 year old.

JIF
01-19-2013, 01:32 AM
Thanks for your concern but I'm a huge Beach Boys fan and I stand by my OPINION on this album. Remember Jif - opinions can't be right or wrong, they are opinions. But I won't trust your opinion either since most of the time your postings seem like they are written by a 12 year old.Your review of "meh" sounds like it came from the mouth of a 12 year old. Many people have raved about this release. What left you cold about it? Do you even give it a chance?

progeezer
01-19-2013, 01:57 AM
C'mon, as 80s said (I'm paraphrasing), never delude yourself into thinking that your opinion is somehow more valuable than anyone else's. That's a good way to alienate people fast.

Another way to put it is "everyone listens with different ears".

JIF
01-19-2013, 03:09 AM
C'mon, as 80s said (I'm paraphrasing), never delude yourself into thinking that your opinion is somehow more valuable than anyone else's. That's a good way to alienate people fast.

Another way to put it is "everyone listens with different ears".Like I said, I would value his opinion if he used more the "meh". That word just pissing me off cause it was used by the people that would make fun of me when I asked them why they would make fun of me. It also reminds me of a Rolling Stone review that I read where a "professional critic" reviewed an album by using one word: shit.

Superfly
01-19-2013, 09:50 AM
Another way to put it is "everyone listens with different ears".

It's true...I keep a bunch of other peoples ears in a jar and I use a different pair for each day of the month. :bad

80s were ok
01-19-2013, 10:08 AM
Your review of "meh" sounds like it came from the mouth of a 12 year old. Many people have raved about this release. What left you cold about it? Do you even give it a chance?

Yes, Jif, I listened to it four or five times. I just didn't do anything for me, ok? Is that good enough for you? And like I said, I'm a huge Beach BOys fans with a crapload of there albums, most signed by Bruce and Mike and one signed by Briand and I even had coffee with Randall Kirshmall and the Cowsill who is in the Beach Boys touring band. Does that make my opinion more valid?

JIF
01-19-2013, 09:13 PM
Yes, Jif, I listened to it four or five times. I just didn't do anything for me, ok? Is that good enough for you? And like I said, I'm a huge Beach BOys fans with a crapload of there albums, most signed by Bruce and Mike and one signed by Briand and I even had coffee with Randall Kirshmall and the Cowsill who is in the Beach Boys touring band. Does that make my opinion more valid?What didn't you like about the latest Beach Boys cds?

meimjustalawnmower
01-19-2013, 10:30 PM
Yes, Jif, I listened to it four or five times. I just didn't do anything for me, ok? Is that good enough for you? And like I said, I'm a huge Beach BOys fans with a crapload of there albums, most signed by Bruce and Mike and one signed by Briand and I even had coffee with Randall Kirshmall and the Cowsill who is in the Beach Boys touring band. Does that make my opinion more valid?
Man, they must see you coming from a mile away with that big-ass bag of stuff to get signed. :lol

JIF
01-22-2013, 05:53 AM
In the beginning the BB were more popular in the US than the Beatles, with the whole image of the clean cut surfer dudes being a big part of the appeal for teenage girls.

About 1966-1967 Brian Wilson really came into his own as a songwriter and studio whiz, and he started turning out very beautiful, very progressive, very harmonically advanced stuff ("Surf's Up", Pet Sounds, SMiLE). Unfortunately other members of the band didn't want to mess with the formula that had served them so well for 3 years, so they sabotaged Brian's growth and dreams, and intentionally relegated the BB to an oldies act when Brian knew that the music world was undergoing a revolution (viz. Sgt Pepper, Satanic Majesties, etc.). I just finished Dominic Priore's great book on Brian and it's heartbreaking to think what the BB could have been, had Mike Love and the others not been afraid to innovate.

Some of the work they did during 66-68 is astonishing in its harmonic maturity, its breath and depth of vision, and willingness to advance the boundaries of the 3-minute pop song.

Alas, they ended up singing the early stuff for smaller and smaller crowds as music passed them by. Eventually they became Ronald Reagan's favorite rock band, which he touted as examples of "clean cut Americana." If only he knew the tons of coke and pills going up their noses!

Anyway, the whole story is heartbreaking. They had lightning in a bottle and let it go.The other fact that stalled the band's career was Brian's mental state.

meimjustalawnmower
01-23-2013, 05:29 PM
The other fact that stalled the band's career was Brian's metal state.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seZUBNjK3UY

GuitarGeek
01-23-2013, 07:34 PM
I always liked songs like All Summer Long, Fun Fun Fun, Wendy, Catch A Wave, Be True To Your School and In My Room. Of course, those are all from their earlier sort of "swinging teenage combo" years, before Brian started writing more sophisticated songs. Of course, I also dig stuff like Good Vibrations, God Only Knows, etc, though I never really owned any of those records, except for a compilation or two (or three).

One song that I still really like, but I imagine nobody else around here will, is the title song from their 1980 album Keepin' The Summer Alive:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IeECunaeNI

And if you're thinking it sounds like a BTO reject, that's probably because Randy Bachman co-wrote it with Carl. Most of the rest of that album I don't really remember, apart from a cover of Chuck Berry's School Days (which had the rather clever addition of the intro of the Be True To Your School intro).

80s were ok
01-23-2013, 07:48 PM
The other fact that stalled the band's career was Brian's metal state.

well, personally I thought Brian's thrash album was a decent direction for the band. He even wanted to have Testament open up for the Beach Boys, but alas, Mike Love wouldn't have it.

JIF
01-23-2013, 07:51 PM
well, personally I thought Brian's thrash album was a decent direction for the band. He even wanted to have Testament open up for the Beach Boys, but alas, Mike Love wouldn't have it.You might want to get your eyes checked. I wrote mental, not metal.

80s were ok
01-23-2013, 07:54 PM
You might want to get your eyes checked. I wrote mental, not metal.

um, you mean you went back an edited your post. Thats fine and all and I was just having a little fun with the misprint...but please...don't pretend it didn't happen.

JIF
01-23-2013, 07:59 PM
um, you mean you went back an edited your post. Thats fine and all and I was just having a little fun with the misprint...but please...don't pretend it didn't happen.Well, I don't think it was funny. Making fun of someone's mental or physical state is never a good thing. I feel bad for Brian. Having an abusive father and a quack for a doctor probably didn't help. You should've just left that one alone, '80s.

meimjustalawnmower
01-23-2013, 08:20 PM
Great! Now Duncan's gonna come back and tell us that Brian Wilson jokes are off limits.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RW8PFJTJJY

(Apologies to Steve. They just dropped it right in my lap, man. I couldn't help it. ;) )

80s were ok
01-23-2013, 08:29 PM
Well, I don't think it was funny. Making fun of someone's mental or physical state is never a good thing. I feel bad for Brian. Having an abusive father and a quack for a doctor probably didn't help. You should've just left that one alone, '80s.

actually I wasn't making fun of Brian, I was making fun of...oh forget it.

GuitarGeek
01-23-2013, 09:02 PM
Oh yeah, I forgot about that Belushi/Akyroyd skit. I don't know what that was originally done for, but I remember seeing it in the early 80's on one of about a million Beach Boys TV specials I remember seeing.

progeezer
01-23-2013, 09:19 PM
No apology necessary, Tom. I'd never seen that before & I'm still laughing.

Humor is always the best medicine when things get too serious. Brian obviously thought so too.

Rand Kelly
01-26-2013, 07:34 AM
Oh yeah, I forgot about that Belushi/Akyroyd skit. I don't know what that was originally done for, but I remember seeing it in the early 80's on one of about a million Beach Boys TV specials I remember seeing.

It was part of The Beach Boys: An American Saga video,which is one of the greatest things you can ever see about them. Brian does his interview lying in his bed at 300+ lbs. Pre-Landry of course and out of the blue the CHP show up outside his house,only to discover it's Officers Ackroyd and Belushi of The Surf Police. I was ROTFLMAO on first view. But there is a boatload of BB's info in the video and Brian talks at length about Smile and his prediction that it will be shelved forever. Now we have the Smile Sessions Box Set which I still have yet to purchase. In 1977,Brian came downstairs and pretty much singlehandedly wrote,recorded,played damn near everything,and produced Love You,one of my favorites. Some think it's corny and Brian's voice is almost as bad as George Harrison's on Dark Horse due to smoking,but still Love You has an endearing quality of a misunderstood genius who had been written off as having left his gift in 1966 and he really stepped up to the plate to help out his band who were going nowhere without Brian. Love You was a commercial flop then,but today it is regarded with much love from many fans. After Love You,they did that awful 15 Big Ones and then went on the Brian's back(but nowhere mentally ready) Tour and once again the band imploded eventually. In 1988,Brian started his solo career with 'Brian Wilson'(love this album even though half of LA is on it) and he was back on track from then on. It never really hit me until I bought Today and heard (She's Not) The Little Girl I Once Knew what this guy was capable of. I love his music.

Enid
01-28-2013, 10:24 AM
I first heard them in 64' along with the Beatles, Stones and Kinks. For those who haven't the mind set for that specific time period...please take into consideration that we were without psychedelic music and progressive rock. I am not saying that the Beach Boys were completely lack-luster , I am merely stating that it was much easier to appreciate their music naturally. This is all aside from the fact that some folks despise early 60's songs having to do with the subject matter of hot rods, surfing, and girls on the beach. They came across cheesy and cornball due to some of the chord progression they chose to construct and approach in their harmony vocals. This particular detailed aspect of their composition is only present during certain ballads and a few of the rock n' roll songs they wrote revolving around cornball subjects such as an amusement park or a guy sitting in his room or on the beach with a broken-heart.

I believe what they did in fact write on albums like Pet Sounds , Smile, Wild Honey, Smiley Smile, Friends, 20/20, Sunflower, Surf's Up and Holland was a bit obscure in nature regarding the melodic chord voicing and spiritual but! almost demented lyrical content. Carl Wilson and Dennis Wilson wrote some oddball songs and when I first heard them I not only had the impression that the beach, fast cars, and beach girls had vanished, but that the music had a very original sound and it reached the bizzare level of "The Fire Tapes" or the writing of "Wind Chimes" ("Smile version") in which case for me..it does compare with the great works of the Beatles. I made observation for years over oddball detailed sections of their songs. A particular section of the song "I Would Love Just Once To See You Naked" is way reminiscent of Syd Barrett's "Vegetable Man". Their vocal style which may have originally derived from a 50's sound later turned into a progressive style. I've heard them harmonize around the tri-tone "Devil's Interval" , (so called), and they influenced artists like Jon Anderson and 10CC regarding their inventive vocal harmony style ...so in that sense what they did contribute to the world of musicians/vocalists changed music as a whole. If you don't like the Beach Boys music ..it would be ignorant or even moronic to dismiss the fact that much has been borrowed, stolen, and emulated from them by artists who took their ideas and did something else with them instead of creating their own.

Their more artistic side developed when Brian Wilson decided to observe the music of J.S.Bach, using sound effects, hiring a lyricist, drug consumption, bizzare personality...because some of Brian Wilson's work was disturbing like CAN or Syd Barrett. What he contributed to Holland was strange like Smile. Yet he was pegged as the beach king or whatever? Actually..he was a deep person and wanted to develop music through the usage of a string quartet or horn section. He was conducting the rehearsals and running the show himself. Other members of the Beach Boys followed in his footsteps. This activity all took place during a first time development of the rock musician combining the talents of an orchestra or horn section..to create something new and somewhat original in rock. The Moody Blues and the Nice had experimented with that writing concept in 66' and I believe the true Brian Wilson was an innovator in that time period. The early period! Before Procol Harum and ELP became famous for using an orchestra and prior to the idea itself becoming so incredibly cemented into the minds of rock fans. As a result.. they forgot all about Brian. He was still a "Surf King" to most people and that's because his original image was weight on the public's minds and mentality. He was screwed by his own destiny to be appreciated as an artist who perhaps innovated others to create new styles of music that incorporated his ideas. It was too early in the game for him to decide on being a different type of artist. These were the times when The Doors were not allowed to say "higher" on national T.V....I believe apart from his drug usage and any other spiritual torment derived from his upbringing ..he was in hell with the record company, people around him that protested against his change or...friends who simply didn't understand an avant-garde approach to things in general. He was faced with the ultimate nightmare and it's easy to understand why he is not remembered as an artist that changed the style and overall approach to composition in rock music.

Lopez
01-28-2013, 01:28 PM
Humor is always the best medicine when things get too serious. Brian obviously thought so too.

I agree. That video is brilliant. Definitely tongue in cheek. He's even riding the board backwards.

yogibear
01-30-2013, 04:13 PM
one thing i didn't like about them was the fact that when they played live they had a hard time duplicating the sound/vocals they did in the studio. So to me they were a boy band who had some hits but couldn't do it live very well. Now the Beatles on the other hand seemed much more together and rehearsed as they were better sounding vocally.

philsunset
01-30-2013, 04:37 PM
To me the first masterpiece of Brian's was the All Summer Long album. It beautifully captures a time period and at the same time is reminiscent and saying goodbye to it.

JIF
01-30-2013, 05:01 PM
one thing i didn't like about them was the fact that when they played live they had a hard time duplicating the sound/vocals they did in the studio. So to me they were a boy band who had some hits but couldn't do it live very well. Now the Beatles on the other hand seemed much more together and rehearsed as they were better sounding vocally.Can't believe you called The Beach Boys "a boy band". Could a "boy band" record Good Vibrations, God Only Knows, or In My Room? Btw(in regards to your opening statement), Queen couldn't reproduce to operatic Bo Rap section live. So, are they a "boy band"?

meimjustalawnmower
01-30-2013, 05:22 PM
It was part of The Beach Boys: An American Saga video,which is one of the greatest things you can ever see about them. Brian does his interview lying in his bed at 300+ lbs. Pre-Landry of course and out of the blue the CHP show up outside his house,only to discover it's Officers Ackroyd and Belushi of The Surf Police. I was ROTFLMAO on first view..

First of all, Brian never, ever weighed 300+ lbs. He was over-weight for sure, but not that much. The Akroyd/Belushi skit was done in 1976, the same year that Brian also appeared as a solo performer on SNL, and also during his "treatment" by Landy.

GuitarGeek
01-30-2013, 05:24 PM
one thing i didn't like about them was the fact that when they played live they had a hard time duplicating the sound/vocals they did in the studio. So to me they were a boy band who had some hits but couldn't do it live very well. Now the Beatles on the other hand seemed much more together and rehearsed as they were better sounding vocally.

That's because The Beatles vocals were easier to pull off in concert, whereas I think Brian tended to come up with vocal arrangements without thinking about how they were gonna pull it off onstage.

I think that happened with a lot of bands. Bands like The Association, Boston and Queen (who compounded the problem with extensive overdubbing) I think all had difficult vocal parts. That's probably why you don't see too many Boston or Queen tributes, because nobody can do those vocal harmonies justice.

Another one is Blue Öyster Cult's (Don't Fear) The Reaper, where Buck Dharma did all the vocal harmonies himself. Then when they played the song in concert, they were never able to get them to sound as nice as they do on the record.

GuitarGeek
01-30-2013, 05:26 PM
Queen couldn't reproduce to operatic Bo Rap section live. So, are they a "boy band"?

Queen couldn't reproduce most of their records live, at least not so that they would sound the way they did on the records. Yeah, they could come up with a respectable arrangement, but you didn't get the big lush overdubbed vocal harmonies and guitar "orchestra" things that kinda defined their studio sound.

80s were ok
01-30-2013, 06:59 PM
one thing i didn't like about them was the fact that when they played live they had a hard time duplicating the sound/vocals they did in the studio. So to me they were a boy band who had some hits but couldn't do it live very well. Now the Beatles on the other hand seemed much more together and rehearsed as they were better sounding vocally.

oh the ignorance...almost making me sick.

JIF
02-01-2013, 08:47 PM
Massive fan of Pet Sounds, Smiley Smile, SMiLE, Friends, Surf's Up and Holland....plus a few bits and pieces on Wild Honey, 20/20 and Sunflower. Have never ventured in to the late 70's albums though.

Matt.When you say SMiLE, do you the shelved original version re-recorded by Brian in '04(the one that was released as The Smile Sessions by The Beach Boys)? I'd like to hear more opinions on this. Also(don't know if this has been talked about before), but did Brian want to use sessions musicians in lieu of The Beach Boys because the band couldn't get behind stuff like Pet Sounds and Smile?

GuitarGeek
02-01-2013, 09:20 PM
but did Brian want to use sessions musicians in lieu of The Beach Boys because the band couldn't get behind stuff like Pet Sounds and Smile?

I think they were already using studio musicians even before Pet Sounds. In the first place, it was common place (and probably still is) for "bands" to use uncredited studio rat deputies on their records. A big deal is made of the fact that The Monkees didn't play on their first couple albums, but neither did most of the other bands who were recorded in LA at the time. And there's stories of Jimmy Page playing on the early singles by The Who and The Kinks, a studio drummer playing on the first Beatles single (or was it the album version of Love Me Do that the studio guy played on?), and on Mr. Tambourine Man, the only one of The Byrds who did anything besides singing was Roger McGuinn.

And years later, you had bands like Aerosmith, Kiss, Cheap Trick, The Tubes Chicago, and Alice Cooper using studio guys to on extent or another. I once heard it suggested that She's A Beauty by The Tubes is essentially "Toto pretending to be The Tubes" (actually, the line I heard was that it was the whole album, though I suspect it was just the "singles" they did that on).

Another thing about The Beach Boys was, since Brian had stopped touring at that point, when the other guys would go on the road, he'd stay at home and write songs for the next record. It's conceivable that he could have taken that to the extent that he organized recording sessions using the doppelgangers, and then had Mike, Carl, Dennis and Al overdub their vocals once they got home after the most recent string of concerts.

progeezer
02-01-2013, 09:38 PM
Brian Wilson & The Wondermints have sounded better than the Beach Boys (even WITH Brian) for years.

philsunset
02-01-2013, 09:49 PM
Absolutely. Brian couldn't have had a better band than The Wondermints and Poi Dog Pondering, musical acolytes.

yogibear
02-09-2013, 08:33 PM
Can't believe you called The Beach Boys "a boy band". Could a "boy band" record Good Vibrations, God Only Knows, or In My Room? Btw(in regards to your opening statement), Queen couldn't reproduce to operatic Bo Rap section live. So, are they a "boy band"?well they mostly didn't play their instruments very well and on record has session musicians play the songs. they were adored by many females who loved their records. they played live and had a hard time duplicating the sound from the albums/ singles on a live stage. sure they came up with some killer song but again it was mostly Brian Wilson and his mad scientist way of making pop music.

JIF
12-22-2013, 10:05 PM
Bump!! I got Friends on vinyl today. Any fans of this Beach Boys album me?

Rand Kelly
12-23-2013, 10:05 AM
Bump!! I got Friends on vinyl today. Any fans of this Beach Boys album me?

I like Friends a lot. Not too hot about Mountain Of Love,but the rest of it is pretty good. In Oct. I saw Brian play with Jeff Beck and there were 17 musicians on that stage. WOW!!! They need to release a dvd of that tour.

JIF
12-27-2013, 04:43 PM
I got Holland on vinyl last night for a place called Port Of Sound. Btw, does anyone know how to take the skip out of vinyl?

JJ88
12-27-2013, 04:52 PM
If it's a scratch, no chance.

'Friends' is an album that sounds better now than I suspect it did at the time, surrounded by more heavyweight fare like 'The Beatles', 'John Wesley Harding', 'Electric Ladyland' etc. It doesn't have anything mind-blowing on it IMHO, but it's a very nice, mellow listen.