My current Beach Boys fixation

[Genuine_Indian_Guru]

If the truth be told....I really like 'Do it Again'.

[EwaldK]

They really showed that they were so much more than Brian Wilson then.

not much, sorry Rick, but Brian was 85% of that pie.
Who else in that band even held a candle to Brian's genius?
Don't even say his name....and I hope your not thinking it.

Hmmmm, Mike Love?

Actually Brian did use writer companions, like Van Dyke Parks and Disney Girls was written by Bruce Johnston.

[jgkojak]

A great little video of a song about Mike Love- not suitable for children...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18Ua3pPr2gY

[chris]

i'm going to side with the guru on this one. in spite of the songwriting contributions of the others after 67, brian wilson was the beach boys. however, since we are talking post brian songs...sail on sailor is as good as it gets.

[jgkojak]

Sail on Sailor was Van Dyke Parks and Brian:

When the Beach Boys submitted the original version of Holland to Warner Brothers in October 1972, the album was rejected by the company for lacking a potential hit single. After discussion among Warner executives, an associate, Van Dyke Parks, said that he had a tape of a song that he had cowritten with Brian Wilson entitled "Sail On, Sailor." Warner then told the Beach Boys to drop what the company perceived as the weakest track, "We Got Love," and replace it with the Wilson-Parks tune. The song eventually featured contributions (some dating back from 1971) from Ray Kennedy and Tandyn Almer, and underwent some lyrical revision from Beach Boys manager Jack Rieley.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sail_On,_Sailor

[linclink]

I just saw Brian Wilson in Niagara Falls on 7/8/09. A 90 min. show (a bit shorter than the recent 2008 set lists), and he was AMAZING. The band was a slightly smaller unit than what he usually uses, but they were/are great. It was my 2nd show...saw him do 75-90 min. opening for Paul Simon in 2001- an even better show!
He has a new album due out Sept. 2nd, "That Lucky Old Sun", and it looks like it might be the best thing he's done since his first solo album back in '88 (not counting the wonder of wonders that is "SMiLE"- which is a towering achievement, but a re-recording, finishing, of older material- & no, BTW, it wouldn't have overshadowed Sgt. Pepper, but it would be right up there with it)
There is a video about the new album on his website, and you can search youtube for "Southern California", "Midnight's Another Day", "Going Home" (I think the last two are on the same video)- just make sure you search the title with the words "Brian Wilson" and you can see/hear some great new ones. He did "Going Home" and closed with "Southern California" at the show I saw...both fantastic versions. Blessings!!

[Lazarus_2]

You're saying if Smile was released back when in Sgt. Pepper's time it would still not
be as good as Sgt. Pepper?

I beg to differ.
If it was finished with the same or greater quality than its' current-form today,
it would of completely smooshed SPLHCB.

To have followed up Pet Sounds with Smile would've been teh greatest one-two
punch in rock n roll history.

[RickStark79]

You're saying if Smile was released back when in Sgt. Pepper's time it would still not
be as good as Sgt. Pepper?

I beg to differ.
If it was finished with the same or greater quality than its' current-form today,
it would of completely smooshed SPLHCB.

To have followed up Pet Sounds with Smile would've been teh greatest one-two
punch in rock n roll history.

If "ifs" were fifths, we'd all be drunk.

Smile and Pet Sounds wouldn't even have been the best 1-2 punch in Beach Boys history

[linclink]

You're saying if Smile was released back when in Sgt. Pepper's time it would still not
be as good as Sgt. Pepper?

I beg to differ.
If it was finished with the same or greater quality than its' current-form today,
it would of completely smooshed SPLHCB.

To have followed up Pet Sounds with Smile would've been teh greatest one-two
punch in rock n roll history.

If "ifs" were fifths, we'd all be drunk.

Smile and Pet Sounds wouldn't even have been the best 1-2 punch in Beach Boys history

I'd never heard that "if's & fifths" quote. Hilarious! Anywho, on to The Beach Boys...
1) I still prefer Sgt. Pepper to any & every version of "SMiLE", and I am crazy about "SMiLE"... but then again I prefer The Beatles to The Beach Boys. My preference for both "Revolver" & "Rubber Soul" is oddly more narrow, and about as slim of my margin of preference for "Pet Sounds" over "SMiLE". And I couldn't choose between Sgt. Pepper, Rubber Soul, & Revolver. ALL THESE ALBUMS ARE GREAT!!!
2) I DO agree that "Pet Sounds" & "SMiLE" wouldn't have been the best Beach Boys 1-2 punch, but... not by a whole lot. There are loads of great albums they did...both before (well at least "Today" & "Summer Days & Summer Nights") & after.
3) I think that Brian Wilson's version of "SMiLE" is (with the exception of "Good Vibrations" which is truly great, but just not quite as great as the original- and I much prefer the lyrics of the BB's version) is at least equal to, and often superior to, The BB's version(s) in the 60's. And yes I'm including all the unreleased stuff, which I am very, very familiar with.
Keep an eye & ear out for the "Purple Chick" bootleg of "SMiLE" where they've doctored up a BB's 60's version with Brian's solo album running order.
1) ********NEW BEACH BOYS ALERT PART I*******: NEWSFLASH: The new Brian Wilson "That Lucky Old Sun" is simply amazing!!!!! BONUS TRACKS ALERT: There are 3 bonus tracks on the version you get at BestBuy (2 of then with Carol King- a cover & a different, but very similar, version of a highlight song on the album & then another great original) & then there are two different bonus tracks on the version you download on itunes (both new original tracks & no Carol King).
This album is, by far, his best work since 1988's great, but production challenged, "Brian Wilson". On TLOS the production sounds more like what the production was on "SMiLE" (BTW I count "SMiLE" as more of a work from the 60's). It doesn't have a bad track on it, and has 7 full length original songs that I think are absolutely stellar (and 3 that are merely very very good). The narratives by Van Dyke Parks (and he co-wrote one song too- a great one) are short, but great. Just for the record here, I think his voice is still terrific. The band he is with now is the equal of the amalgamations of The BB's and the wrecking crew cast that he worked with in the 60's. Working on "SMiLE" has energized him in a fashion similar to Macca with the Anthology series. If you dig Brian and/or The Beach Boys then run, don't walk, to get this at either BestBuy (which is where I got it, for about $10-11) or download it from itunes like NOWSVILLE!!!
5) ********NEW BEACH BOYS ALERT PART II******* NEWSFLASH: The not quite as new (but still pretty darn new) re-issue of Dennis Wilson's only solo album "Pacific Ocean Blue" also contains a second disc of his never released second solo album "Bambu" (named after the rolling papers ) as well as some other extra unreleased tracks from "Pacific Ocean Blue". You are certainly getting over two albums worth of material here, and really pretty darn close to three.
"Bambu" is similar to "SMiLE" in it's mythic quality amongst certain corners of The Beach Boys world. Both of them followed absolute triumphant albums (Pet Sounds & Pacific Ocean Blue), both were touted by their creators as being better than those earlier triumphs (well maybe at best, but at least close & near to same level), and both went unfinished because of personal decay.
I've had both of the Dennis albums here on downloaded bootleg versions for a couple of years now. (and do still get the "Bambu" bootlegs because there are very different versions of songs there sometimes). Dennis really truly blossomed much in the same way George Harrison did, and after a certain point truly became Brian's equal. on BB albums, and then released a jaw dropping solo work that had to come out because the band was in such disarray. By being Brian's equal I mean during the albums that they were both writing on. I love Dennis but don't know if he quite ever reached the levels that Brian did in the 60's... but if he didn't (and I'm saying I don't quite know on that one) then he was awfully darn close. The BB really, by necessity, evolved into truly being a band writing wise. A lot of folks still consider "Pacific Ocean Blue" both the best solo work by a Beach Boy, and the last great work anyone in the band ever did. I'm saying I think this, just that many do, and...it is that great. That it is worthy of praise on that level, that I can say I agree on/to.
These albums were really from the mid-late 70's, and if you listen to them around the time of the last great gasp for the BB as a band, "Love You" (really close to a Brian solo album) you hear some amazing creative sparks from those two Wilson brothers; firing up at the same time in very different fashions. Too bad they weren't able to join forces back then, because the results would have been incredibly different, but almost White Album like in the breadth of ground, and weirdness that was covered. Sadly personal demons, and having Mike Love around (I can't even imagine what he'd be like if he didn't meditate- argghhh!. What a piece of work he is ), kept this from occurring. Mixing up some of "Pacific Ocean Blue" and "Bambu" with The BB "Love You" would make for one interesting mid-late 70's double album that never was. Blessings!!