Beach Boys Thread

[KingLouieLouie76]

The wikipedia page for Friends got a major overhaul recently (by the same user that did the excellent pages for Smiley Smile and Wild Honey). Looking forward to see it at least get Good Article status if not Featured.

Thanks for pointing this out....His analysis is spot-on!


To answer your question, Mallard.... Yes, in fact they toured the UK each of those four years. In fact, they charted in the UK better which is reflected in those aforementioned Wiki album reviews that AdvertBreak referred to. I've said this before, but in 1966 they were in fact voted in the UK as the best band in the world,even better than the Beatles!

Starting in 1965, any of record label the Beach Boys were affiliated with screwed them over.... Here's one instance... They promoted "Barbara Ann" over this which was the last single they released before "Pet Sounds" came out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFudhpBf0q8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In fact John Lennon praised that track at the time... but the record label always wanted the Beach Boys to remain with the "formula"......

[Mallard No. 22]

Interestingly, 'the formula' records mostly only had top 40 placings in the UK, rather than top ten.

'I Get Around' was the only top ten hit (in 1964). 'Barbara Ann' (1966) started a run of top ten hits that continued until 'Cottonfields' (1970).

[KingLouieLouie76]

First, Happy 76th B-Day to BRIAN!

If you're interested..... An intriguing topic is discuss the Beach Boys' unreleased full length albums... We all know about "Smile", but there's 1970's "Landlocked" and then 1977's "Adult/Child" which would have been the follow-up to "Love You"....

Here's a sampling of the latter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfMejSzf9t8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Mallard No. 22]

Given the stagnation of their USA career by 1970, the non-release of 'Landlocked' was probably not good at the time.

Didn't they change labels around this time?

[KingLouieLouie76]

Given the stagnation of their USA career by 1970, the non-release of 'Landlocked' was probably not good at the time.

Didn't they change labels around this time?

Yes... they indeed changed labels.... It was just again they wanted the Beach Boys to stick or revert back to the formula, but in fact they started recording issue related songs and that helped transition them through..... But yet, everyone insisted on them sounding more commercial than anything else!

[Styopa]

I've long been in a fan of Pet Sounds and Smile - in fact I've long believed Pet Sounds to be the greatest album ever made. But it's only the last few weeks that I've delved further into the Beach Boys work, inspired by some of the suggestions in this thread. And it's fair to say I'm becoming a little bit obsessed! I think one of the challenges coming to the Beach Boys stuff as a newcomer is that beyond Pet Sounds (and perhaps Smile) it's quite difficult to know where to start. With the Beatles for example the run of albums starting with Rubber Soul all the way to Abbey Road are all accepted as bona fide classics - they're a part of the canon. Whereas Pet Sounds comes across as something of an outlier in the Beach Boys body of work, although now having explored the band in much more detail it's easy to hear Brian's writing working up to that sound particularly in the Today and Summer Days Summer Nights albums.

[KingLouieLouie76]

First, I am glad that there is another individual who have fallen onto the spell cast by the Beach Boys! Their songs are so mesmerizing/captivating and I hope to continue to stir you in the right direction....

I must admit I only listen to "Beach Boys Today" frequently as their pre-"Pet Sounds" album, but I do love all their earlier efforts just the same. You mentioned "Smile", but have you ever checked-out "Smilie Smile" which was what they ultimately salvaged out of the long-aborted "Smile" sessions in a more stripped-down/lo-fi form. "Smilie Smile" was promptly dismissed upon its initial release because to several it was a major letdown for what "Smile" was supposed to be. However, I contend that "Smile" was way ahead of its time and wouldn't have done well commercially back then. "Smilie Smile" to me as aged quite well! Then they went on a quasi Blue-Eyed-Soul sound on their next album "Wild Honey" which contains very fantastic tracks, then there is "Friends" which for me personally is their 2nd best album! Those three all tie together very well.

Their 1969 album, "20/20" was inferior to those three aforementioned ones. It was disjointed because this was when Brian stopped contributing new ideas/concepts, but brothers Carl and Dennis saved the day. This album was recorded because they were obligated towards their record company and the album consists of two tracks that would have been on "Smile", "Cabin Essence" and "Our Prayer"..... "Do It Again" the lead-track was written and recorded over a year earlier with Brian and Mike Love trying to recapture their vintage sound and it worked! Then most of the other tracks were taken from "Smilie Smile", "Wild Honey", and "Friends" recording sessions.

They came back along w/Brian with a vengeance on 1970's "Sunflower" and that tied in with it's subsequent release, 1971's "Surf's Up".... 1972's "Carl and the Passions: So Tough" had Carl emerge more, but Brian's contributions really stood-out along w/Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar, two South African musicians they added for that album and it's splendid follow-up, "Holland" which was ended that phase.

They had the ill-fated "Brian is Back" campaign for 1976's "15 Big Ones", Brian was back in full-force but the results were quite disappointing. 1977's "Love You" was supposed to be Brian's first solo album, but it became a Beach Boy album when both Carl an Dennis helped finish it because Brian started relapsing at the time. Their next 3 albums, "MIU", "LA" and "Keepin' the Summer Alive" shared some decent moment, but were just has horrid as most of "15 Big Ones" was because Mike Love and Al Jardine wanted them back w/the pre-"Pet Sounds" formula and it dragged them down beyond belief.... Those were the last three releases before Dennis died and their output since has been hit and miss!

They've had a few other unreleased albums in the vault (other than "Smile" which was finally released in 2011) that are worth checking-out.... I could post other tracks as well, but best to start from "Smilie Smile" and go forward from there....... It's certainly all worthwhile!

[KingLouieLouie76]

The Beach Boys just posted unreleased demos/outtakes/tracks from both "Friends" and "20/20" recording sessions on Spotify and I'm currently in ultimate bliss over this!

[tom_cas1]

I saw your posts in the Beatles Thread and wanted to jump in here. I think Pet Sounds is a great album. That said...I think Smile would have eclipsed it massively if it had been released at the time as Brian had intended.

I was listening to The Smile Sessions box set th other day (on repeat!!) and my god it’s a great album. Exquisite! I think it would have established the band right up there alongside the Beatles in terms of songwriting and production. Brian Wilson was on FIRE. Alas, a shame other members didn’t appreciate his greatness.

[KingLouieLouie76]

I saw your posts in the Beatles Thread and wanted to jump in here. I think Pet Sounds is a great album. That said...I think Smile would have eclipsed it massively if it had been released at the time as Brian had intended.

I was listening to The Smile Sessions box set th other day (on repeat!!) and my god it’s a great album. Exquisite! I think it would have established the band right up there alongside the Beatles in terms of songwriting and production. Brian Wilson was on FIRE. Alas, a shame other members didn’t appreciate his greatness.

Quite honestly I don't listen to the "Smile Sessions" much if at all. I love the direction that Brian went on "Smilie Smile" by going completely lo-fi. He stripped everything down when everyone was trying to copy off of "Sgt Pepper"..... Them and the Kinks to me went in the best direction at the time!

But to me the subsequent albums from 1967-1973 are worth checking out more along w/1977's "Love You"..... You must listen to the outtakes of the "Friends" and "20/20" sessions which is on Spotify and other platforms... Some excellent gems on there! Here's an earlier demo of one of my fave Beach Boys songs and then in its final form 2 years later.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H_Z6-3Hc_k to eventually this...... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVis0FbvJsU

What was your impression of the demo and final product?

[tom_cas1]

Don’t like Smiley Smile that much. Pretty weak compared to the Smile Sessions, in my opinion at least. The sessions box set is how the album would have sounded and the differences are huge, especially Vega-Tables and Wonderful. Completely different.

[KingLouieLouie76]

Don’t like Smiley Smile that much. Pretty weak compared to the Smile Sessions, in my opinion at least. The sessions box set is how the album would have sounded and the differences are huge, especially Vega-Tables and Wonderful. Completely different.

Yeah.... several others share the exact same stance on how "Smiley Smile" is obviously a major letdown compared to "Smile".... But I've managed to somehow distance myself from that. I just think going lo-fi was the best direction Brian could have headed in when releasing any album post 06/01/1967. Their 1968 release "Friends" to me is again very similar to what the Kinks did w/"Village Green Preservation Society" in terms of mixing some nostalgia sound and being contemporary. Also, both bands respective early-mid 1970's albums are similar in how they both explored several other genres/styles effectively.

Did you have a chance to listen to those links from my prior post? Some of the best Beach Boys works were never released (some have been released recently) and still haven't been heard......

[Mallard No. 22]

I find it difficult to choose between those 'All I Wanna Do' versions Louie.

I often like the rawness of demos, but I think the final version here has a flowing completeness.

I think that by the later 60s, the 'wall of sound' production technique was not helping the Beach Boys. I must admit I am not a particular fan of it

[KingLouieLouie76]

I find it difficult to choose between those 'All I Wanna Do' versions Louie.

I often like the rawness of demos, but I think the final version here has a flowing completeness.

I think that by the later 60s, the 'wall of sound' production technique was not helping the Beach Boys. I must admit I am not a particular fan of it

An unfortunate general misconception though. The later 60's Beach Boys wasn't "Wall of Sound" production. In fact, it became low-fi on "Smiley Smile", soul oriented on "Wild Honey", "Friends" on a somewhat nostalgia feel and "20/20" was disjointed because it was the first album that Brian wasn't completely involved in (barely was) but it had an edge to it. Perhaps some tracks here and there might have used some slight method of that, but this is when Dennis had a major influence and then a couple of years Carl took over and they broke away even further from what Brian did with "Pet Sounds" and attempted to do w/"Smile"... Or perhaps you define the "Wall of Sound" differently than I?

That "All I Wanna Do" demo to me was a "holy grail" and to finally hear it was SO amazing! Brian always thought he could have done better w/the final product but I cannot see how honestly... He nailed it! Seems more modern than a track from 1970!

[Styopa]

Don’t like Smiley Smile that much. Pretty weak compared to the Smile Sessions, in my opinion at least. The sessions box set is how the album would have sounded and the differences are huge, especially Vega-Tables and Wonderful. Completely different.

Yeah.... several others share the exact same stance on how "Smiley Smile" is obviously a major letdown compared to "Smile".... But I've managed to somehow distance myself from that. I just think going lo-fi was the best direction Brian could have headed in when releasing any album post 06/01/1967. Their 1968 release "Friends" to me is again very similar to what the Kinks did w/"Village Green Preservation Society" in terms of mixing some nostalgia sound and being contemporary. Also, both bands respective early-mid 1970's albums are similar in how they both explored several other genres/styles effectively.

Did you have a chance to listen to those links from my prior post? Some of the best Beach Boys works were never released (some have been released recently) and still haven't been heard......

I also had some problems getting into Smiley Smile, but (as suggested by Louis above) it really needs to be divorced from Smile to appreciate it. That ins't easy to do when you come to Smiley smile after having hearing the Smile sessions - Smile after all is this huge, intricate, epic song cycle meticulously orchestrated where everything has its place, whereas Smiley Smile aims at something completely different - it sounds lazy and amateurish by comparison. However I started to appreciate it a lot more when I started listening to it on its own merits - as a low key, lo-fi precursor to indie. A wonky, playful, stoner record. It probably shares as much in common with works by the likes of Pavement as it does with Pet Sounds.