sockit
The Surfer Moon
Posts: 234
Likes: 181
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Post by sockit on May 23, 2022 22:22:31 GMT
I started becoming seriously interested in the Beach Boys around 1987-88, after hearing I Get Around and The Warmth of the Sun on the soundtrack to the movie Good Morning Vietnam. I hadn't quite caught the CD bug yet, so I was buying most of my music on cassette, mainly to listen to in the car. One day I found a Beach Boys comp on cassette called (oddly) Surf's Up in a bargain bin. It had a pretty good mix of the early hits, so I picked it up, and that held me over until I got into CDs and purchased Made in the USA.
I bought my first actual Beach Boys album(s) on CD when the twofers came out in the early 1990s. I started with Surfer Girl/Shut Down Vol. 2.
My first official BBs single would be a pretty clean 45 of Surfin' on Candix that was bought for me in the early 2000s along with about a half dozen other BBs singles by my second wife. I was back into collecting vinyl again and these were a Christmas gift to me.
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Post by carllove on May 23, 2022 23:59:57 GMT
I missed the question last week - My first Beach Boys related concert was Mike Love and Dean Torrance at The Jetty’s on South Padre Island on March 15, 1983. I was amazed at how white Mike’s legs were in his short shorts. I don’t remember much else as it was Spring Break. The video I posted is from the same tour a couple of days later in Fort Lauderdale. Jeff Foskett was in the band then.
I saw The Beach Boys (minus Brian) on July 2nd, 1986 at Sandstone Amphitheater, with The Fixx and The Moody Blues (which is why I was there). That was prior to the 25th Anniversary tour, unfortunately. The thing that stood out for me was about half way through was when they pulled out on stage together in a Deuce Coupe while singing “Little Deuce Coupe”. The following songs were “The Little Old Lady From Pasadena”, “Hey Little Cobra”, “Shut Down”, “409” and “GTO”. That was pretty cool. The first Encore song was “California Dreaming” which I think they had just released. It sounded wonderful. You’ve all heard that I got to hear Carl sing “God Only Knows” during a trek to the restroom and to get an adult beverage. I’d literally never heard the song before. Still kicking myself over that.
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Post by carllove on May 24, 2022 0:27:31 GMT
The first Beach Boys album I purchased was The Beach Boys Classics Selected by Brian Wilson, on a CD from Amazon in 2015. That was just after I had seen Love and Mercy. It’s a great CD, and I played the heck out of it. It’s the first time I had heard songs that are now my favorites, like “This Whole World” and “Time to Get Alone”. It also has the previously unreleased “California Feelin”, which is actually Brian and his backup band from 2002. It was a great introduction to Beach Boys tunes I had previously been unaware of. I quickly purchased the GV Boxset, and that was all she wrote. My first 45 was this: I blame Feel Flows for this purchase. Prior to the boxset, I really had no idea of the talent that was Dennis Wilson. It was worth every penny.
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Post by jk on Jun 3, 2022 17:37:55 GMT
This week's question (better late than never) is:
What do you consider to be The Beach Boys' finest hour?
For me, it was when "Good Vibrations" was released, arguably the greatest single of all time in the wake of (arguably) the greatest album.
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Post by Kapitan on Jun 3, 2022 17:50:52 GMT
I meant to ask whether we'd get a new question, but forgot. Glad to see the reappearance of this thread.
My answer is pretty boring, probably, or at least predictable: Pet Sounds. It wasn't their biggest seller, but it was and is their greatest album, their lone start-to-finish classic album. The songs are great, the instrumental tracks are great, the singing is great. Great, is what I'm trying to say, here.
Had Smile actually been finished and released in '67, I might have picked that. It just depends on how it would have all been put together and released. I do think most of the keys to that album--"Our Prayer," "Heroes & Villains," "Wind Chime," "Wonderful," "Surf's Up," "Cabinessence," and yes, I'll even say "Vegetables"--are right up there with Pet Sounds, or even better in spots. But it ain't done til it's done, and it wasn't done. Instead, I'd call that moment of non-release one of their lowest hours.
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Post by kds on Jun 3, 2022 17:58:37 GMT
GV is a good pick there.
I think you could pick several moments from 1964-66, but I'm going to go with a slightly less than obvious pick.
The release of the All Summer Long album in 1964. Ever since the Wilsons took a weekend trip to Mexico, The Beach Boys had been building towards something great. And, I feel like the ASL album represents a the peak of the early chapter of The Beach Boys, and remains one of the reasons that The Beach Boys are still widely considered (for better or for worse) the kings of summertime music.
Opening with their ultimate hot rod rocker, I Get Around, the stage is set for the closest to perfect summertime album they'd release. The title track is probably the most summer esque song they ever released, and it's followed by Hushabye, one of their all time great covers.
Songs like We'll Run Away and Wendy offer a glimpse at some of the themes that would be explored on Today, SDSN, and of course, Pet Sounds. While The Girls on the Beach and Don't Back Down still supply those summer rays. I'll even forgive Our Favorite Recording Sessions towards the end.
You're not likely to see this album top a list of greatest, or most important, albums of all time, but when it comes to The Beach Boys, this is a peak, and they're catching a wave (I know that one's a couple albums ago) that they'd ride for the next couple years.
And, as I said before, there's a season why, even though summer themes really only made up a fairly small amount of their catalog, The Beach Boys have been considered the quintessential soundtrack to summer for sixty years, and the All Summer Long album is a big reason.
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sockit
The Surfer Moon
Posts: 234
Likes: 181
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Post by sockit on Jun 3, 2022 23:04:52 GMT
I believe jk nailed it, and in very simple terms. Good Vibrations is definitely the pinnacle of the Beach Boys saga. Nothing like it had been released by anyone before. And I hate to say it, but I don't think anything has equaled it since. Oh, there's been greatness over the years, even by the Boys themselves, but nothing like the near perfect 3:34 of heaven (whatever your personal concept is of that). If in some parallel universe someone had given me a 45 rpm of GV before I had heard any other BBs music and I was given an opportunity to listen to it closely (ideally multiple times), I would have believed that here was a band that could do anything.
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Post by jk on Jun 4, 2022 10:58:40 GMT
Good Vibrations is definitely the pinnacle of the Beach Boys saga. Nothing like it had been released by anyone before. And I hate to say it, but I don't think anything has equaled it since. Oh, there's been greatness over the years, even by the Boys themselves, but nothing like the near perfect 3:34 of heaven (whatever your personal concept is of that). If in some parallel universe someone had given me a 45 rpm of GV before I had heard any other BBs music and I was given an opportunity to listen to it closely (ideally multiple times), I would have believed that here was a band that could do anything. Wow, sockit , this sums it up perfectly! I've always regarded "Good Vibrations" as a stand-alone song, a comet not exactly out of nowhere but utterly unique and not to be repeated. Treading thin ice here but I've never felt "GV" was an intrinsic and musically satisfying part of SMiLE. The circus-like "romp home" at the end of BWPS doesn't sound right at all and just cheapens it in my view. Indeed, my * favourite SMiLE fan mix* leaves it out altogether.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jun 4, 2022 11:14:11 GMT
What do you consider to be The Beach Boys' finest hour? A lot of good responses so far. I'm going to go with the first one that came to mind - and I also admit to maybe micro-analyzing the question. Pet Sounds and SMiLE/ The SMiLE Sessions are my two favorite Beach Boys' albums, and I think their best, too. But, I think they are more Brian Wilson's "finest hour" than the group's, or The Beach Boys' if you will. Yes, there are some semantics and nit-picking going on here.
My choice as the Beach Boys' "finest hour" is The T.A.M.I. Show. The concert was held on October 28 and 29, 1964, and the film was released on December 29, 1964. The Beach Boys performed:
- Surfin' U.S.A. - I Get Around - Surfer Girl - Dance, Dance, Dance
This performance encapsules everything great about The Beach Boys in its purest form. You have the classic lineup of Brian, Mike, Dennis, Carl, and Al. Brian was out front (playing bass), leading the group, and still singing in his clearest voice. Mike was arguably at or nearing his peak vocal-wise. That's the rockin', good-lookin' drummer, Dennis Wilson, that the fans had come to love; he was integral to the band obviously (Dennis was mostly absent from Pet Sounds and SMiLE). And, the one-two punch of Carl Wilson-Al Jardine providing the guitar sound and harmonies. To a large percentage of fans, THIS was The Beach Boys and it didn't get any better than this. You had the Chuck Berry-influenced rockers, the Four-Freshmen-influenced ballad, and a soon-to-be Beach Boys Today! song.
I emphasized the term "purest" above. This was very close to the end of THAT era. Brian's mental illness and drug addiction would soon affect him personally and professionally, and obviously the group. Never again would the live performances be the same. Bruce Johnston, while a positive addition/influence in many ways, would change the makeup of the band both live and in the studio. The recordings would change significantly, too. The Beach Boys' rock & roll was on its way out, being replaced by more pop and lavish orchestration. Like I said above, my favorite recordings continue to be Pet Sounds and SMiLE (and several of the 1965 recordings leading up to 1966), but while Brian's star was rising with those recordings, Dennis, Carl, Al, and somewhat Mike's vocal contributions were limited. Very limited. It was more "Brian's Ballgame" than The Beach Boys.
I hope I don't appear critical. I'm not trying to be. But for the sake of this question, I'm going with the earlier period. I mean, how do you choose one over the other. It's a lot like The Beatles. You have their Beatlemania period (including A Hard Day's Night and Help!), then the Rubber Soul/ Revolver one-two punch, and, oh yeah, Sgt. Pepper's. Did I mention Abbey Road? For the sake of this Beach Boys' question, yeah, I'm going with the earlier period...but not too early.
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Post by Kapitan on Jun 4, 2022 11:17:40 GMT
Good Vibrations is definitely the pinnacle of the Beach Boys saga. Nothing like it had been released by anyone before. And I hate to say it, but I don't think anything has equaled it since. Oh, there's been greatness over the years, even by the Boys themselves, but nothing like the near perfect 3:34 of heaven (whatever your personal concept is of that). If in some parallel universe someone had given me a 45 rpm of GV before I had heard any other BBs music and I was given an opportunity to listen to it closely (ideally multiple times), I would have believed that here was a band that could do anything. Wow, sockit , this sums it up perfectly! I've always regarded "Good Vibrations" as a stand-alone song, a comet not exactly out of nowhere but utterly unique and not to be repeated. Treading thin ice here but I've never felt "GV" was an intrinsic and musically satisfying part of SMiLE. The circus-like "romp home" at the end of BWPS doesn't sound right at all and just cheapens it in my view. Indeed, my * favourite SMiLE fan mix* leaves it out altogether. These two posts made me realize an obvious oversight/blunder in my response. It doesn't change my answer of Pet Sounds, but in naming the highlights of would-be Smile, I somehow managed to omit one of the greatest singles in rock and roll history, "Good Vibrations," which of course was intended to be on it. Seriously whoops on my part.
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sockit
The Surfer Moon
Posts: 234
Likes: 181
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Post by sockit on Jun 4, 2022 14:22:28 GMT
Treading thin ice here but I've never felt "GV" was an intrinsic and musically satisfying part of SMiLE. The circus-like "romp home" at the end of BWPS doesn't sound right at all and just cheapens it in my view. Indeed, my * favourite SMiLE fan mix* leaves it out altogether. Excellent point, jk. I have grappled with that same idea myself. When I assembled my ultimate SMiLE album using mixes from a few different sources, I debated on whether or not to include GV. It's a standalone masterpiece in itself and it does appear to have a different vibe--at least lyric-wise--then the rest of the tracks. It does have a bit of a tacked-on feel at the end of SMiLE, but I ultimately included it because otherwise I would have been stuck with a weak ending, trailing off with an unfinished "Da Da". Apologies everyone, if I'm trailing off myself. I realize this is probably a discussion for a different thread, so I'll leave it at that. Back to the question at hand!
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Post by Kapitan on Jun 4, 2022 14:32:14 GMT
I think every good thread wanders a little, so indulge me for a bit more down this path.
"Good Vibrations" definitely doesn't seem like a natural fit with the other Smile material. For me, musically it feels midway between Pet Sound and Smile, some sort of link. Its edited, modular format is like the latter, but some of the segments themselves feel to me more like the former, especially the verses. And as sockit says, lyrically it's definitely an odd fit. (What other Smile material is about romantic love? "Wonderful." Anything else?)
I know there were bigger issues about finishing and assembling material, but I wonder whether how and where "Good Vibrations" was ever a serious issue back in 1966-67. I wonder if Brian in particular really thought of it as being of a piece with the rest of the material, or if it was more just that of course they'd include a massive hit on the album.
The whole concept album thing always rubs me the wrong way when it's not a clear storyline, because I think people take a loose concept too seriously and try to make a tight one. "Good Vibrations" doesn't fit into a tight concept ... but I don't really think there was one to begin with.
Anyway, there's my additional meandering off the main path of the thread.
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Post by kds on Jun 4, 2022 15:52:33 GMT
Good Vibrations does reprise some of the musical themes from Look / A Song for Children. That's good enough for me.
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sockit
The Surfer Moon
Posts: 234
Likes: 181
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Post by sockit on Jun 4, 2022 16:03:36 GMT
Good Vibrations does reprise some of the musical themes from Look / A Song for Children. That's good enough for me. Oh, I agree completely. Musically it does fit. In fact, as some SMiLE fanmixers have suggested, perhaps GV should have traded places on the album with Surf's Up, which could have made an interesting closer. But then what about the lyrical content of GV? Talk about opening a can of worms!
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Post by Kapitan on Jun 4, 2022 16:05:02 GMT
Good Vibrations does reprise some of the musical themes from Look / A Song for Children. That's good enough for me. Oh, I agree completely. Musically it does fit. In fact, as some SMiLE fanmixers have suggested, perhaps GV should have traded places on the album with Surf's Up, which could have made an interesting closer. But then what about the lyrical content of GV? Talk about opening a can of worms! My personal mixes always had GV close Side One and "Surf's Up" close the album (unless I had "You're Welcome" as a little epilogue). And I still prefer something like that. (The three movements idea never made sense to me and still doesn't.)
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