Beach Boys.

[Ron Thorne]

Jason ... calling Jason Rubin.

Come in, please.

[Harry]

When "Pet Sounds" was released in 1966 I was eleven years old, my older sister had a copy and she played it nonstop. A year later Sgt. Pepper was released (by all accounts hugely influenced by Pet Sounds). If you heard Sgt. Pepper in '67 it was like (for fans of Pop Music at least) nothing you had ever heard before.

To my ears: Pet Sounds holds up better than Sgt. Pepper.

The thing I find "interesting" about The Beach Boys and The Beatles is that I don't currently own any recordings by either group. However when I'm out (usually when shopping) and hear a song by either group, it takes me right back to what was going on in my life at that time.

AND then there's Smile, which to my ears blows Pet Sounds and Sgt. Pepper out of the water!

[steve(thelil)]

The Beach Boys are such an institution that it's very hard to separate any given record from their entire history and the public perception of it. It's hard for me to fathom that someone without a negative bias and/or backlash against the Brian Wilson worship would not think that some of their recordings were genius. (Pete Cherches wretches at the claim that Brian Wilson is a genius. Let's see if he's here/

[Harry]

The Beach Boys are such an institution that it's very hard to separate any given record from their entire history and the public perception of it. It's hard for me to fathom that someone without a negative bias and/or backlash against the Brian Wilson worship would not think that some of their recordings were genius. (Pete Cherches wretches at the claim that Brian Wilson is a genius. Let's see if he's here/

Are you talking about Pete Cherches the poet? Does he post here? I was a fan of The Zone.

In other News: Brian Wilson wretches at the thought of "lifting his right arm" so I guess they're even.

[sozamora]

Are you talking about Pete Cherches the poet? Does he post here? I was a fan of The Zone.

I don't think he's posted here, but he was a regular at JC.

[uli]

Are you talking about Pete Cherches the poet? Does he post here? I was a fan of The Zone.

In other News: Brian Wilson wretches at the thought of "lifting his right arm" so I guess they're even.

I think he is more known for his prose than his poetry.

[steve(thelil)]

This isn't about Pete per se, but I have heard some people voice the thought that since they don't think a board will be for them (say this place or Facebook), they will never post there or even check it out. It's almost as if they dislike the place in advance because they know they might end up liking it and don't want to. WTF's the problem with giving something a try? (said the guy who avoided FB for years and Twitter even longer)

[Gentle Giant]

I first became a BB/BW nut in 1976 at the age of 13. From then until the '90s, being such a fan was not an easy business, as it was considered unhip to like them. But then a slew of young groups came out, all wearing their BW influences on their sleeves, and harmonies a la the Fleet Foxes became hip again, and lo and behold people realized just how advanced Brian was and had always been.

It's almost a given that if you worship and adore Brian, you despise and abhor Mike, and that is certainly true with me. Nonetheless, the BB reunion album of last year, That's Why God Made the Radio, is, to my ears, a nearly unqualified triumph. Brian was absolutely in charge and has the lion's share of lead vocals. Key members of his band handle the falsettos and varied instruments that are part and parcel of their sound. The songs are catchy, in some cases quite deep for the Boys, and feature some really lovely vocal performances (studio-enhanced, perhaps, but who gives a fuck?).

Of course, Mike was a buzzkill and announced before the tour was up that he and Bruce Johnston would be continuing on without Brian, Al Jardine, and David Marks. To me, this was actually the best of all possible outcomes, and Brian is proving it true, back in the studio and heading back on the road. According to accounts, and session photos posted on his FB page, Jeff Beck, Vinnie Colaiuta, and Tal Wilkenfeld have participated in the recordings, along with Al and David, Don Was, and Jim Keltner.

Contrary to all the logic in the universe, Brian Wilson at age 71 is still alive, active, productive, and delivering the goods in his own inimitable way.

[Gentle Giant]

I doubt we'll see Pete here. The BBS is dead according to him. But, he'd certainly be welcome.

As for Smile, it is indeed a fantastic recording. And one that took me completely by surprise since I really wasn't a Beach Boys fan before. It does show beyond a shadow of doubt that Lennon and McCartney on their very best day could only hope to write half as well as Wilson.

That said, I don't think it blows away Pepper. That album is too good to be blown away by anything, IMO.

As you and I discussed, I don't find comparisons between the Beatles and the Beach Boys (especially from 1966 on) all that valid, as Brian was doing something well beyond rock and roll. That said, I also don't get turned on much by Sgt. Pepper. I think Rubber Soul and Revolver kick its ass 10 times around the block. But even if Smile had come out on schedule, it would have been a cult classic rather than a contender for Pepper's crown.

[Monte Smith]

Jason: Who are the groups that came out in the 90s wearing BB/BW influences on their sleeves?

[Gentle Giant]

Jason: Who are the groups that came out in the 90s wearing BB/BW influences on their sleeves?

It would be impossible to assemble a comprehensive list, but attributed mentions on the BB wiki page include Sonic Youth (Thurston Moore was a talking head in Don Was's documentary about Brian), Beck, REM, Radiohead, Flaming Lips, and Weezer. Certainly the Wondermints. The Queers, John Cale, Tears for Fears, and, of course, Barenaked Ladies have written songs about him. Matthew Sweet is a self-confessed Brian-obsessive.

Anecdotally, there was a period a few years ago that seemingly every weekly new-release list from All Music contained at least one or two Brian Wilson name drops in describing the music, vocals, or production of a particular album.

[Monte Smith]

The thought of Sonic Youth is painful without thinking of them being indebted to others. That's depressing. I like the BBs okay.

Love this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYc4DT18EJg

[HenryMc]

There is great Doonesbury cartoon from the aids years where one of the characters was dying of aids and could finally go now that pet sounds was released on cd.

I rate revolver higher than pet sounds but ps was a remarkable album, the true culmination of bw's teenage symphonies to god and one which has stood the test of time.

Interestly considering it was bout 4 to 5 years from surfin' the growth of composition is spectacular.

In the end though god only knows but I think there's an answer


Check out the high llamas, wondermints and some of world party's-output

[BFrank]

Until Pete comes aboard, I'll take his position on the BB.
Never liked them. I find their music cloying and precious, and their too-sweet vocal harmonies are annoying.

FYI, I grew up in SoCal (Santa Barbara), so maybe I over-heard them or something.

[BFrank]

I used to feel exactly the same way, Beefy. To the letter.

I'll tell the oddest part of this story which I didn't mention before. There was a barbershop quartet version of God Only Knows which appeared in the video game Bioshock Infinite. That version of it really blew me away and made me realize how much I actually enjoyed that tune. So I finally sat down and listened to Pet Sounds from beginning to end and just thoroughly enjoyed it.

I'm sure there's something critical I'm missing about them, but at the same time I don't want to spend the time to figure it out.

[Jazzooo]

Keep going, Scott--pick up Let It Be...Naked and hear that album go from one of the Beatles' least impressive works to a slot in my top 3. Basically, two young engineers stripped away all of the un-sanctioned (by the beatles) production touches and overdubs introduced by Phil Spector after the Beatles walked away from the project. What remains is a beautifully-recorded, live in the studio (with the help of Billy Preston) proof that these guys were a terrific band even towards the end.

Loved me some Beach Boys too.

[Ron Thorne]

To followup on what Jazzooo has said regarding Let It Be ... Naked, some of you may want to read some remarks from other Beatles fans who are passionate about this recording, both the "original" and "naked" version.

Click on the link below:

Amazon Reviews

There is also this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmXG4qFiJ8w

[Gentle Giant]

Further to the question of Beach Boys' influence on others, I was thumbing through a recent issue of Time in a doctor's office and saw a Q&A with Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, drummer of the tres funky band The Roots. One of the questions was, "Is there an influence people would be more surprised by?" His answer:

"When people saw my little Beach Boys mixtapes when I was a kid, they'd tease me."

[Gentle Giant]

Jeff Beck touring with Brian Wilson - not two separate acts, together!

"I needed musical help around 1966, and Pet Sounds was dressing on a wound for me with all its amazing melodies," says Beck. "I was floored by it. So were The Beatles. It was outrageously adventurous stuff for the ear."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2013/08/05/jeff-beck-brian-wilson-exclusive-fall-tour-dates/2596367/

[moldyfigg]

Give me the Four Freshmen any day, I hate that beach shit.

[moldyfigg]

Quite smashing my petunias, you little bastards!

[Gentle Giant]

I love it when Hoppy stands out on his lawns and yells at us goddamn kids.

Dagnabbit!

[HenryMc]

slam dunk by clint.....
as Brian Wilson stated the Beach Boys harmony sound came primarily from his love for the four freshman records

[Ron Thorne]

slam dunk by clint.....
as Brian Wilson stated the Beach Boys harmony sound came primarily from his love for the four freshman records

Good thing that Brian wasn't dismissive about the Four Freshman, eh?

[Gentle Giant]

Exactly, Ron.

Eric Dolphy primarily got his sound and approach from Charlie Parker.

Does that somehow diminish his output?

Brian Wilson moved light years beyond "that beach shit" starting with Pet Sounds.

Many would argue it was 1965's Today! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beach_Boys_Today!) that represented Brian's creative shift towards a more personal musical and lyrical vision.