The Bitch Boys
Rockadelic
Out Digging 13,993 Posts
Rather than totally hijack the over rated thread I thought we could discuss here.....
The Beach Boys were a pop band??????marketed towards teens and pre-teens and ???accepted??? by those parents who were outraged by those long-haired Beatles. And make no mistake, when both of these bands became popular they were the Justin Bieber/Hanna Montana???s of their day. Screaming 12 year olds filling Shea Stadium and buying ridiculous amounts of merchandise from dolls to trading cards, I don???t think anyone will argue for the musical genius of ???She Loves You(Yeah, Yeah, Yeah) or ???Fun, Fun, Fun???.
The problem with the Beach Boys is that they were not a very original pop band. As early as 1958 Jan Berry was on the west coast using multiple harmonies and singing about the west coast teen lifestyle. It was Jan, who hooked up with the Beach Boys some 5 years later who influenced, and some might say invented, what was to be known as the Beach Boy sound.
.
Capitol records played both ends against the middle and won. They had the outrageous, long-haired Beatles and the clean cut wholesome ???All-American??? Beach Boys and both found a large audience. The biggest difference between the two bands is that the Beatles grew musically and their audience grew along with them. Brian Wilson admittedly was always chasing the Beatles, trying to keep up with his label-mates even though it was his solo genius, vs. the three headed monster of Lennon/McCartney/Harrison. And all of his attempts to follow the path that lead us down Sgt. Pepper road on a Magical Mystery Tour fell woefully short. Yes, he wrote some beautiful songs??????Caroline No??? and ???In My Room??? being as good as anything on Rubber Soul, but overall he was left in the dust which apparently just added to already existing mental shortcomings.
In my mind there are two kinds of Beach Boys fans. Those who like the mindless fun of their early hits which undeniably captures a place and time in our country???s history that was significant and exclusively American. And those who recognize Brian Wilson???s disturbed genius that post-hits showed glimpses of what could have been. I respect the appreciation of both but let???s keep the band in perspective as a pop band and little else.
The Beach Boys were a pop band??????marketed towards teens and pre-teens and ???accepted??? by those parents who were outraged by those long-haired Beatles. And make no mistake, when both of these bands became popular they were the Justin Bieber/Hanna Montana???s of their day. Screaming 12 year olds filling Shea Stadium and buying ridiculous amounts of merchandise from dolls to trading cards, I don???t think anyone will argue for the musical genius of ???She Loves You(Yeah, Yeah, Yeah) or ???Fun, Fun, Fun???.
The problem with the Beach Boys is that they were not a very original pop band. As early as 1958 Jan Berry was on the west coast using multiple harmonies and singing about the west coast teen lifestyle. It was Jan, who hooked up with the Beach Boys some 5 years later who influenced, and some might say invented, what was to be known as the Beach Boy sound.
.
Capitol records played both ends against the middle and won. They had the outrageous, long-haired Beatles and the clean cut wholesome ???All-American??? Beach Boys and both found a large audience. The biggest difference between the two bands is that the Beatles grew musically and their audience grew along with them. Brian Wilson admittedly was always chasing the Beatles, trying to keep up with his label-mates even though it was his solo genius, vs. the three headed monster of Lennon/McCartney/Harrison. And all of his attempts to follow the path that lead us down Sgt. Pepper road on a Magical Mystery Tour fell woefully short. Yes, he wrote some beautiful songs??????Caroline No??? and ???In My Room??? being as good as anything on Rubber Soul, but overall he was left in the dust which apparently just added to already existing mental shortcomings.
In my mind there are two kinds of Beach Boys fans. Those who like the mindless fun of their early hits which undeniably captures a place and time in our country???s history that was significant and exclusively American. And those who recognize Brian Wilson???s disturbed genius that post-hits showed glimpses of what could have been. I respect the appreciation of both but let???s keep the band in perspective as a pop band and little else.
Comments
Not an OG mix like the title says, but somebody with access to the masters broke it down so you can really hear the different parts. Incredible:
I always felt like I could hear the anchor of the group and thier image pulling Wilson down into crazy, there is some beautiful stuff, no f that, amazing stuff on the unfinished smile album bootlegs that have always been in circulation. I was not a fan of the redux. That said, thier output is towered by the beatles tenfold.
I wish I could go back in time and have the original smile album greenlighted
I stated this in the Brits thread and got nothing but agreement so I suggest you stay out of my trench.
I have to admit, Pet Sounds is a mind fuck. The production is innovative ( IT WAS DONE ON A 4 TRACK FOR CRISSAKES!), the arrangements are gorgeous, and the harmonies -- amazing. Sorry, but it deserves the hype... not only as a great recording but as a groundbreaking record.... the inevitable inspiration for SGT. Peppers.. which I would dub the GOAT.
This track gives me goose bumps.
If Todd Rundgren was dead he'd be spinning in his grave.
Utter garbage.
Krist. Based on the screen grab youtube used, I thought it was going to be a clip of them actually singing this and almost wet my pants.
I got halfway through it. Sounds like Seals & Craps.
What I thought about both bands back in the 70s when they were beloved by 12 year old girls of all ages was, "They sure seem to spend a lot of time working on their beards."
Raj, have you ever heard the extended string and vocal harmony intro for Good Vibrations that was meant to transition out of Blue Hawaii on the smile bootlegs? I get chills ever time i hear that. And for the record i don't like good vibrations, but god damn that intro is facemelt.
chills (at least for me)
Pet Sounds/Smile era Beach Boys is in a lane all it's own and deserves the hype.
p.s. I hope I don't become as bitter as Pelvic Dust when I'm older.
THIS.
Perfectly put Day, this is why i am yet to explore, but looks like illl have to soon.
I hear it in the Marcos Valle stuff of the early 70s.
This is where I stand.
Still can't get past the Cunningham-ness of the Beach Boys. Their earliest things like "Surfin USA" may as well be the Lettermen with Fender Jaguars. I do like some of their (for lack of a better word) "progressive" stuff, but I won't go past that.
Reportedly there were copies of The TAMI Show for years that had the Beach Boys' segment edited out. I don't think I would have missed them, even though that flick made even the acts I didn't like look good.
I hope you get smarter, because if you think I'm bitter you don't know bitter from peanut brittle.
CO SIGN
Yes! After a period of obsession with Pet Sounds/Smile one really ought to dig into that mid-period:
# Wild Honey (1967)
# Friends (1968)
# 20/20 (1969)
# Sunflower (1970)
# Surf's Up (1971)
Although I don't remember how necessary 20/20 is. It's been a while.
Friends may be my favorite? :grin:
20/20 is great. i would DEFINITELY add Smiley Smile to that list, and maybe Pet Sounds, although it's easily my least favorite of the bunch. i don't really understand the hate on ANY of the albums on the list above.
i also think the Beach Boys are overrated.
I would suggest adding the following to your list:
# Holland (1973)
you sound like you hate rock music
haha not at all - i love the Beatles, i was a real stan as a teenager. But i don't think any of their albums start to finish are amazing, and I think Pet Sounds is far more consistent than any of them. i think Rubber Soul is the most consistent of their albums tbh.