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Post by jk on Aug 23, 2023 19:04:10 GMT
Wonderful to resurrect this thread. It's been a while...
I asked this question down the road apiece, where it provoked a surprising amount of discussion, so now I'm asking it here:
Say you knew someone who was interested in owning just one Beach Boys album. And they asked you to name a typical BB album -- not their best, and not your favourite. Which one would you choose?
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Post by Kapitan on Aug 23, 2023 19:28:08 GMT
I love this thread and hope you won't just ask such questions elsewhere, as I'm sure others here would also all appreciate seeing and answering them. Say you knew someone who was interested in owning just one Beach Boys album. And they asked you to name a typical BB album -- not their best, and not your favourite. Which one would you choose? I think "typical" requires a bit of definition here, largely because the Beach Boys' discography is huge and varied in both style and quality. So anything a person picks won't really be typical in some ways: a 70s album won't sound like a 60s album, but a 60s album won't sound like a 70s album; thank heavens neither would sound like an 80s or 90s album; etc. In terms of style, I think I'd define typical as including songs with various members singing leads and with a good amount of group harmonies, as well as a mixture of rock and roll songs and sweet, possibly melancholy, ballads. In terms of quality, I don't know what typical would even mean. There is a 10 or two in their catalogue, and if I'm not mistaken, I've rated a few albums as low as 3 or so. Am I to just pick an average-score, a 6.5? That seems a disservice to the would-be listener. I'd go more with "typical of their peak" for that reason. (Who would really want a middling selection?) So that said, I would likely pick Summer Days (And Summer Nights).. You hear from Brian, Mike, Carl, and Al. You have summery hits and lesser known gems. You have a cappella music. There's no concept, really: it's just a bunch of Beach Boys songs. I think once you've heard it, you could at least identify somewhat with more or less every other album to some degree.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Aug 23, 2023 20:20:12 GMT
Yes, as Kapitan alluded to above, with the Beach Boys it's hard to even define a "typical album" because the band had so many different styles/sounds/concepts over 62 years (what anniversary year are we in? ). But, I respect the question and it deserves a thoughtful answer. I'll go with All Summer Long because it encompasses the most (?) concepts that the Beach Boys are known for:
Surfing - Don't Back Down Cars - I Get Around, even Little Honda Summer Fun - All Summer Long, Drive-In Love Ballad - Girls On The Beach, We'll Run Away Heartbreak/Loss Of Love - Wendy Cover - Hushabye Instrumental - Carl's Big Chance Reminiscing/Looking Back - Do You Remember? Humor/Comedy Skit - Our Favorite Recording Sessions
All Summer Long has everything, and I didn't have to shoehorn the songs into those categories. I know they/Brian didn't, but it's almost like they planned it out that way...something for everyone.
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Post by Kapitan on Aug 23, 2023 20:24:45 GMT
Yes, as Kapitan alluded to above, with the Beach Boys it's hard to even define a "typical album" because the band had so many different styles/sounds/concepts over 62 years (what anniversary year are we in? ). But, I respect the question and it deserves a thoughtful answer. I'll go with All Summer Long because it encompasses the most (?) concepts that the Beach Boys are known for:
Surfing - Don't Back Down Cars - I Get Around, even Little Honda Summer Fun - All Summer Long, Drive-In Love Ballad - Girls On The Beach, We'll Run Away Heartbreak/Loss Of Love - Wendy Cover - Hushabye Instrumental - Carl's Big Chance Reminiscing/Looking Back - Do You Remember? Humor/Comedy Skit - Our Favorite Recording Sessions
All Summer Long has everything, and I didn't have to shoehorn the songs into those categories. I know they/Brian didn't, but it's almost like they planned it out that way...something for everyone. That was my second choice! The only reason I went SDSN was to get more lead vocalists into the mix.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Aug 23, 2023 20:51:24 GMT
Yes, as Kapitan alluded to above, with the Beach Boys it's hard to even define a "typical album" because the band had so many different styles/sounds/concepts over 62 years (what anniversary year are we in? ). But, I respect the question and it deserves a thoughtful answer. I'll go with All Summer Long because it encompasses the most (?) concepts that the Beach Boys are known for:
Surfing - Don't Back Down Cars - I Get Around, even Little Honda Summer Fun - All Summer Long, Drive-In Love Ballad - Girls On The Beach, We'll Run Away Heartbreak/Loss Of Love - Wendy Cover - Hushabye Instrumental - Carl's Big Chance Reminiscing/Looking Back - Do You Remember? Humor/Comedy Skit - Our Favorite Recording Sessions
All Summer Long has everything, and I didn't have to shoehorn the songs into those categories. I know they/Brian didn't, but it's almost like they planned it out that way...something for everyone. That was my second choice! The only reason I went SDSN was to get more lead vocalists into the mix. Good point, and that deserves serious consideration with this question.
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Post by jk on Aug 23, 2023 21:21:17 GMT
I love this thread and hope you won't just ask such questions elsewhere, as I'm sure others here would also all appreciate seeing and answering them. It's not easy thinking of new angles on our Boys, so this question was quite a find! That's why I'm sharing it here, which rest assured I shall do with all such questions. Ha. SDSN is my choice too! l would add goofy stuff and dazzling arrangements to your list.
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Post by B.E. on Aug 23, 2023 22:18:53 GMT
I agree with SDSN. I think ASL is probably the 2nd best answer, but ultimately I think it’s just too good to be the most typical. SDSN is less thematic/conceptual and rather significantly more uneven. It’s got all-timers, solid album tracks, an instrumental track, an a cappella track, a comedy track..and odder sequencing than ASL. It’s got a LOT in common with the earlier albums without being too surf or car heavy (which disqualifies those albums from being typical albums themselves).
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Post by kds on Aug 26, 2023 0:42:46 GMT
I'd have probably also picked ASL as a "typical" BB album.
So, I'll nominate Surfer Girl. You get two top notch Brian ballads with the title track and In My Room. A semi solo Brian ballad with Your Summer Dream.
Some summery surf rockers with Catch a Wave and Hawaii.
Car songs represented by Little Deuce Coupe and Our Car Club.
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