Post by B.E. on Nov 27, 2019 4:28:02 GMT
Kapitan beat me to it, but I want to expand on that.
I agree 100% that MANY of the Beach Boys albums could have been improved upon. Unfortunately, albums were viewed differently back then (especially by Capitol, it seems). At the time, it didn't hurt the group. But, in retrospect, the Beatles get all the credit for having stronger albums front to back. With a little tweaking and a little more vision, that could have been the Beach Boys! On a song by song basis, I stand by my opinion that there are few (if any) game changers to be found. As much as I love "I Do" and "All Dressed Up For School", for example, those are middle of the road songs on their prospective albums. The Beach Boys were climbing without them and, on their own, wouldn't have greatly impacted their careers (their albums were already charting top 5, so...). Where I think SJS has a very strong argument, is if all those changes were made. If the "filler" were removed from their '60s albums, the Beach Boys would most likely be held in even higher regard now (and would have been for decades).
To address your individual examples:
- I'm not much of a "Guess I'm Dumb" fan, but I'm willing to cede to popular opinion.
- I honestly don't think Wild Honey would be considered better. Again, those are middle of the road, quality-wise. It's not like you're adding a "Good Vibrations", because that truly would get people's attention and instantly raise the bar.
- Adding "Lady" would just be too much Dennis, IMO. "Forever" was the better choice. Maybe there's a version of "Soulful Old Man Sunshine" in an alternate universe that has some chart success and helps sell Sunflower? I don't know, I'm pretty skeptical. There was a lot of great music on that record, what did it matter?
- "4th of July" is unremarkable (and incomplete), IMO. I don't think Surf's Up is more successful, then or now, as a result of its inclusion.
- I don't think "Hard Times" or "We Got Love" improve Holland. I'd have preferred "Carry Me Home" be released. I'd like to think that they could have won over fans and changed a few minds (about the Beach Boys) with that subject matter. Though, again, these aren't game changers (on their own).
- Okay, this one really got me thinking, because 15 Big Ones was so highly anticipated. People were paying attention! I think "Good Timin'" could have approached 'game changer' status (at least, in the near-term). Though, really, there needed to be more of that. Much more. Brian's original music just wasn't commercial enough at that time to change their fortunes then or their legacy now.
- Oh, I'd be a bigger fan of MIU if it included "Our Team" and "Winter Symphony", but that doesn't make it "better". It bumps it up some diehard's album rankings, but it wouldn't have changed anything for the group. Now, "Almost Summer", is another that could have modestly changed the group's fortunes in the very near-term, but, again, in the long run, what would it have changed?
I think Kapitan's Paley suggestion is a good one. It comes at a crucial time for the group. It kind of feels like that was their last chance to be an active, creative force, but they decided to give it up. That's part of their story that could have been rewritten. There was no one song that could have done it, but an album (or two) could have. We don't have to guess what it could have sounded like. We know.
I agree 100% that MANY of the Beach Boys albums could have been improved upon. Unfortunately, albums were viewed differently back then (especially by Capitol, it seems). At the time, it didn't hurt the group. But, in retrospect, the Beatles get all the credit for having stronger albums front to back. With a little tweaking and a little more vision, that could have been the Beach Boys! On a song by song basis, I stand by my opinion that there are few (if any) game changers to be found. As much as I love "I Do" and "All Dressed Up For School", for example, those are middle of the road songs on their prospective albums. The Beach Boys were climbing without them and, on their own, wouldn't have greatly impacted their careers (their albums were already charting top 5, so...). Where I think SJS has a very strong argument, is if all those changes were made. If the "filler" were removed from their '60s albums, the Beach Boys would most likely be held in even higher regard now (and would have been for decades).
To address your individual examples:
- I'm not much of a "Guess I'm Dumb" fan, but I'm willing to cede to popular opinion.
- I honestly don't think Wild Honey would be considered better. Again, those are middle of the road, quality-wise. It's not like you're adding a "Good Vibrations", because that truly would get people's attention and instantly raise the bar.
- Adding "Lady" would just be too much Dennis, IMO. "Forever" was the better choice. Maybe there's a version of "Soulful Old Man Sunshine" in an alternate universe that has some chart success and helps sell Sunflower? I don't know, I'm pretty skeptical. There was a lot of great music on that record, what did it matter?
- "4th of July" is unremarkable (and incomplete), IMO. I don't think Surf's Up is more successful, then or now, as a result of its inclusion.
- I don't think "Hard Times" or "We Got Love" improve Holland. I'd have preferred "Carry Me Home" be released. I'd like to think that they could have won over fans and changed a few minds (about the Beach Boys) with that subject matter. Though, again, these aren't game changers (on their own).
- Okay, this one really got me thinking, because 15 Big Ones was so highly anticipated. People were paying attention! I think "Good Timin'" could have approached 'game changer' status (at least, in the near-term). Though, really, there needed to be more of that. Much more. Brian's original music just wasn't commercial enough at that time to change their fortunes then or their legacy now.
- Oh, I'd be a bigger fan of MIU if it included "Our Team" and "Winter Symphony", but that doesn't make it "better". It bumps it up some diehard's album rankings, but it wouldn't have changed anything for the group. Now, "Almost Summer", is another that could have modestly changed the group's fortunes in the very near-term, but, again, in the long run, what would it have changed?
I think Kapitan's Paley suggestion is a good one. It comes at a crucial time for the group. It kind of feels like that was their last chance to be an active, creative force, but they decided to give it up. That's part of their story that could have been rewritten. There was no one song that could have done it, but an album (or two) could have. We don't have to guess what it could have sounded like. We know.