Greatest Beach Boys song??

eeriepadave

brianlux said:

cp3iverson said:

Did everyone see Love & Mercy?  Loved it

For sure!  Love it here too!

It was my favorite (or second favorite movie of that year)

rummy

vito said:

God Only Knows

This and "Sloop John B."
(...let me go home)

Tim Simmons

Don't Worry Baby

willbarclay

1a)Don't worry baby
1b)good Vibrations

drakeheuer14

Wouldnt it be nice

cp3iverson

You Still Believe in Me

brianlux

cp3iverson said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcw1lfANmrc&app=desktop

I’ll pick Surf’s Up. An ironic title to show how Brian Wilson’s life had changed compared to his earlier fun tunes.  What a beautiful haunting tune.  Take the 3 minutes and listen to the guy who blew Lennon and McCartney’s minds so much that they wrote Sgt Pepper to try to compare.  

That’s one uncut studio take.  Best vocals ive ever heard.  The last thirty seconds will take you somewhere. 

Edited to change the title.   And i may change my mind on Brian’s greatest song in the next ten minutes 

cp3iverson said:

You Still Believe in Me

Looks like it took a bit more than ten minutes, LOL.  But I know what you mean.  Sometimes the greatest Beach Boys song is the one I listened to most recently.  A song like "Surfer Girl" can, in the moment, feel like heaven, even if it isn't technically their best number.

cp3iverson

Hahaha. Ive already changed my mind again, Brian.   Im sure you saw them back in the day??

brianlux

cp3iverson said:

Hahaha. Ive already changed my mind again, Brian.   Im sure you saw them back in the day??

Only once, 1965. 

Here's part of what I wrote about that show (I only have the uncorrected proof on my computer, so probably some errors here):

December 29, 1965: The Beach Boys, Jackie Lee and Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels, Circle Star Theatre, San Carlos, CA

            When the Beach Boys finally came out to play, the three of us siblings were super excited.  We were cheering loudly with the rest of the crowd, but at this point my full attention was on The Beach Boys as they took the stage and picked up their instruments.  I’d previously seen the band on television, but this night, seeing the band with their guitars and drums and wearing pegged pants and striped shirts, it hit me full force that at long last I was seeing my heroes in person.  The excitement was about to begin…

            …only something was very wrong.  There were five musicians taking the stage, but no Brian Wilson.  Singer Mike Love stepped up to the microphone, greeted the crowd and told us, “We’re sorry to tell you that Brian Wilson won’t be performing with us tonight, but filling in for him this evening we have the fine singer and bass player, Mr. Bruce Johnston.  Let’s have a big hand for Bruce Johnston!”  Right.  How do you “fill in” for Brian Wilson?  That’s impossible!  Love stated this announcement as though we were in for a special treat that night, but no one in no way could have said those words in such a way that would convince me that we were getting something extra special with this show.  No way.  For me, the let down was huge.  I loved the band, but for me, Brian Wilson was the band.  The sinking feeling I had over Wilson’s absence that night slammed my enthusiasm into the floor. 

            Once again, Linda, if not came to the rescue, at least did her best to boost my spirits.  She said, “Hey, it’s ok, they will be great anyway!”  Her enthusiasm helped buoy my enjoyment of the show at least part of the time, but at those moments in each song where Wilsons’ falsetto voice is featured on the records, on songs like “Don’t Worry Baby”, “Surfer Girls”, and “When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)”, when those moments came and that voice was absent, my heart fell like a stone.  It was a good show with some excellent moments, but without Brian Wilson’s presence, it was not a great show and it was the only chance I would ever have to see my first favorite rock and roll idol.

FrankY59

I’m new to The Beach Boys and am having trouble with Pet Sounds.  Is their something wrong with me?  Why is it recognized as one of the best all time?  I understand the album itself is important in of itself in relationship to the band but why does it fare so great versus almost every other album ever made?

brianlux

FrankY59 said:

I’m new to The Beach Boys and am having trouble with Pet Sounds.  Is their something wrong with me?  Why is it recognized as one of the best all time?  I understand the album itself is important in of itself in relationship to the band but why does it fare so great versus almost every other album ever made?

Pet Sounds is a nearly total leap away from most earlier Beach Boys work.  There are hints of Brian Wilson's genesis as a song writer/ arranger on the album The Beach Boys Today and those changes were fully realized in Pet Sounds.  Having grown up on the more simple surf, car related and ballad songs previous to Pet Sounds, I found that new sound to be challenging back when it first came out.  I finally went back to it year later in my 30's and listened to that record as a whole other kind of music.  It's much more complex and really does often require more attention to detail.  Beautiful as a song like "Surfer Girl" is or as fun as "Fun, Fun, Fun" is, they're also much easier to listen to more passively.

cp3iverson

Re: Pet Sounds.   Its interesting to even try to describe.  Its peak mad-scientist Brian Wilson in the studio.   Some incredibly complex stuff taking place on simple sounding songs.  

A song like God Only Knows sounds like a regular ballad until you study how mindblowing the key changes are.  I read an article once where music professors compared it more to Mozart than 20th century pop music just based on how these songs were constructed

There’s top 10 albums that i just cant get into.  Nothing wrong with that.  Its even harder for me with old albums because “ahead of its time” usually sounds like stuff ive heard since then.  I still havent heard anything like Pet Sounds tho.  Id give it another listen man

cp3iverson

brianlux said:

cp3iverson said:

Hahaha. Ive already changed my mind again, Brian.   Im sure you saw them back in the day??

Only once, 1965. 

Here's part of what I wrote about that show (I only have the uncorrected proof on my computer, so probably some errors here):

December 29, 1965: The Beach Boys, Jackie Lee and Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels, Circle Star Theatre, San Carlos, CA

            When the Beach Boys finally came out to play, the three of us siblings were super excited.  We were cheering loudly with the rest of the crowd, but at this point my full attention was on The Beach Boys as they took the stage and picked up their instruments.  I’d previously seen the band on television, but this night, seeing the band with their guitars and drums and wearing pegged pants and striped shirts, it hit me full force that at long last I was seeing my heroes in person.  The excitement was about to begin…

            …only something was very wrong.  There were five musicians taking the stage, but no Brian Wilson.  Singer Mike Love stepped up to the microphone, greeted the crowd and told us, “We’re sorry to tell you that Brian Wilson won’t be performing with us tonight, but filling in for him this evening we have the fine singer and bass player, Mr. Bruce Johnston.  Let’s have a big hand for Bruce Johnston!”  Right.  How do you “fill in” for Brian Wilson?  That’s impossible!  Love stated this announcement as though we were in for a special treat that night, but no one in no way could have said those words in such a way that would convince me that we were getting something extra special with this show.  No way.  For me, the let down was huge.  I loved the band, but for me, Brian Wilson was the band.  The sinking feeling I had over Wilson’s absence that night slammed my enthusiasm into the floor. 

            Once again, Linda, if not came to the rescue, at least did her best to boost my spirits.  She said, “Hey, it’s ok, they will be great anyway!”  Her enthusiasm helped buoy my enjoyment of the show at least part of the time, but at those moments in each song where Wilsons’ falsetto voice is featured on the records, on songs like “Don’t Worry Baby”, “Surfer Girls”, and “When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)”, when those moments came and that voice was absent, my heart fell like a stone.  It was a good show with some excellent moments, but without Brian Wilson’s presence, it was not a great show and it was the only chance I would ever have to see my first favorite rock and roll idol.

I need to buy your book. Good stuff

PJ_Soul

cp3iverson said:

Did everyone see Love & Mercy?  Loved it

Yes, and while it didn't help me to like listening to their music any more than I already do (not at all, with a couple songs that are exceptions), it really, really gave me a new found appreciation for Brian Wilson as an artist, and for Pet Sounds as art. I think the movie could have been better made, but Paul Dano was fantastic as usual. He's one of my favorite actors. Cusack was good too. I can't fucking believe what the piece of shit psychiatrist quack did to poor Brian Wilson. Omg.

brianlux

cp3iverson said:

brianlux said:

cp3iverson said:

Hahaha. Ive already changed my mind again, Brian.   Im sure you saw them back in the day??

Only once, 1965. 

Here's part of what I wrote about that show (I only have the uncorrected proof on my computer, so probably some errors here):

December 29, 1965: The Beach Boys, Jackie Lee and Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels, Circle Star Theatre, San Carlos, CA

            When the Beach Boys finally came out to play, the three of us siblings were super excited.  We were cheering loudly with the rest of the crowd, but at this point my full attention was on The Beach Boys as they took the stage and picked up their instruments.  I’d previously seen the band on television, but this night, seeing the band with their guitars and drums and wearing pegged pants and striped shirts, it hit me full force that at long last I was seeing my heroes in person.  The excitement was about to begin…

            …only something was very wrong.  There were five musicians taking the stage, but no Brian Wilson.  Singer Mike Love stepped up to the microphone, greeted the crowd and told us, “We’re sorry to tell you that Brian Wilson won’t be performing with us tonight, but filling in for him this evening we have the fine singer and bass player, Mr. Bruce Johnston.  Let’s have a big hand for Bruce Johnston!”  Right.  How do you “fill in” for Brian Wilson?  That’s impossible!  Love stated this announcement as though we were in for a special treat that night, but no one in no way could have said those words in such a way that would convince me that we were getting something extra special with this show.  No way.  For me, the let down was huge.  I loved the band, but for me, Brian Wilson was the band.  The sinking feeling I had over Wilson’s absence that night slammed my enthusiasm into the floor. 

            Once again, Linda, if not came to the rescue, at least did her best to boost my spirits.  She said, “Hey, it’s ok, they will be great anyway!”  Her enthusiasm helped buoy my enjoyment of the show at least part of the time, but at those moments in each song where Wilsons’ falsetto voice is featured on the records, on songs like “Don’t Worry Baby”, “Surfer Girls”, and “When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)”, when those moments came and that voice was absent, my heart fell like a stone.  It was a good show with some excellent moments, but without Brian Wilson’s presence, it was not a great show and it was the only chance I would ever have to see my first favorite rock and roll idol.

I need to buy your book. Good stuff

Wonderful!  If you do, I'll include a million dollar bill, free of charge!   And signed!

https://www.biblio.com/book/one-crowd-my-life-music-fan/d/1122978070

FrankY59

I get it now...let The Beach Boys binge...begin!

cp3iverson

FrankY59 said:

I get it now...let The Beach Boys binge...begin!

Thats awesome man.  When did it click?

FrankY59

cp3iverson said:

FrankY59 said:

I get it now...let The Beach Boys binge...begin!

Thats awesome man.  When did it click?

Just reading about those sessions, with what else was going on in the music scene, what Brian Wilson was trying to accomplish.  

PJWGIII

Based off of all of these comments, it's just becoming clearer to me that Good Vibrations is by far the correct answer. It links everything that The Beach Boys were together.

Ledbetterman10

eeriepadave said:

Heroes and Villains or God Only Knows

Heroes and Villains for me. Jimi Hendrix once described that song as "Psychedelic Barber Shop Music."