If you could go back in time and change anything about any Beach Boys song...

[Digory Kirke]

Do something different with the end of Breakaway - the ending has always seemed inconclusive to me.

[Mark H]

Put 'I Went To Sleep' at the end of Friends and move 'Transendental Meditiation' onto 20/20, it would make Friends perfect!

Also I agree they need to remix CATP properly, i.e make Blondie audible on Here She Comes!

[Puggal]

Surf's Up would have been so much better if they rerecorded it from scratch in 1971. I hate the fact that they used the original piano demo to provide the backing for over half of the song. It was laziness on their part, and it makes the song feel underproduced.

[runnersdialzero]

Surf's Up would have been so much better if they rerecorded it from scratch in 1971. I hate the fact that they used the original piano demo to provide the backing for over half of the song. It was laziness on their part, and it makes the song feel underproduced.

Laziness? It was done out of necessity. "Surf's Up" '71 sounds just as good or better than the rest of the album, to me.

And, from what I recall, they DID try re-recording it from scratch in 1971, but the results (however far along they were) were deemed inferior to the original tracks.

[EgoHanger1966]

Surf's Up would have been so much better if they rerecorded it from scratch in 1971. I hate the fact that they used the original piano demo to provide the backing for over half of the song. It was laziness on their part, and it makes the song feel underproduced.

I feel the opposite. I wish they would have used MORE of the original demo/'66 recording - i.e Brian's voice on the first part instead of Carl's. And no bygones.

[Cabinessenceking]

All those songs that Desper erased as Brian's behest? Could he have just PRETENDED to erase them?

Which songs are these? From what sessions? Please tell me all about this, I am blank in this field! 

[runnersdialzero]

That is a good point, I often wonder what Brian would have achieved back then if he had the technology available now ?..

He would have lost his fuckin' mind.

[Ziggy Stardust]

Let Dennis Wilson sing on Sail On Sailor, i mean i love Blondie Chaplin but this is an outstanding Beach Boys song and it would have been great to hear one of the Wilson on it, Carl would have seem to clean, but i could be wrong, he was outstanding on I Was Made To Love Her.

Put Carl Wilson voice on A Day In The Life Of A Tree, i like Jack Rieley voice but once again, great song and would rather hear a Wilson on it, would really fit Carl's voice.

Smiley Smile's version of Vegetable : why ? sounds so.. empty, i mean of course in best case scenario, Smiley Smile would'nt have happened and SMiLE would have came out instead, but if we stick to the real scenario, then why did they do such changes to such a great song ? the SMiLE version is perfect.

Put some Dennis songs more often on the albums! jesus christ, that guy was talented as f*, A Time To Live In Dreams, anyone ?
this was made in 68 and never made it on any albums, AT ALL ? what.the.hell.

Record Your Imagination and That Lucky Old Sun with The Beach Boys, and Love & Mercy with them, Carl doing the lead with Brian.

Record "That Same Song" with gospel choir  that they used on their TV special. And that Dennis used on River Song.

I like the album's version, but that's very true. would have been much better.

[Sound of Free]

All those songs that Desper erased as Brian's behest? Could he have just PRETENDED to erase them?

Which songs are these? From what sessions? Please tell me all about this, I am blank in this field! 

Desper said he recorded a lot of Brian songs in the early 70s with the Boys on the road that Brian would make him erase, meaning Brian and Steve would be the only ones who ever heard them.

[Mr. Cohen]

Burn the entire Keepin' the Summer Alive album.

Actually, I was listening to that album last night and was struck by how similar it is to That's Why God Made The Radio. "Goin On" is that album's "That's Why God Made The Radio".  "Some Of Your Love" would definitely fit on the new album, as would "Santa Ana Winds", and you've got the obligatory Joe Thomas tropical arrangement with "Sunshine". I think the songs on the new album are on the whole stronger, but comparing the two is not out of the question.

Now, if I could go back and change anything, I'd have the BBs give "Kokomo" the Smiley Smile treatment!

[Ziggy Stardust]

Now, if I could go back and change anything, I'd have the BBs give "Kokomo" the Smiley Smile treatment!

I wonder how would that be possible... (by that, i mean i can't picture Kokomo having a more experimental/weird vibe or structure to it) interesting thought tho.

[runnersdialzero]

Added an extra verse to, oh hell, "The Baker Man" or "Barbie" or something that warned the band of all horrible things in their future so they could be avoided. And then none of those things would happen and all the potential lessons learned from those experiences happened anyway, somehow.

[Phoenix]

Hands down, if I had to choose only one, my answer would always be the one I thought of the second I read the title of this thread:
Level the volumes on the instrumental break/piano and guitar solo in "Help Me Rhonda"!

If I could choose two, the second would be to leave ALL the actual Smile tracks in the can.  Smiley Smile is what it is but no digging in the vaults for 20/20, Surf's Up, "Do It Again", etc.

And my third wish from the genie would be to release something similar to Holland instead of 15 Big Ones and flat out LIE and tell everyone Brian produced it.  And if that wasn't an option, make the Endless Summer Revival tours FAREWELL tours and call it a day.  Then, once Brian doesn't feel under the gun to make a "come back album", take things as they come and come back strong, for real.  And if that's STILL too much to ask, just have the band throw in the towel after the breakup on Al's birthday and come back after taking several years off.

That said, several people have listed some other great examples.  Ones I particularly agree with include

Get Dennis to take the lead on Don't Talk
Mix the honkytonk piano in the chorus of I Just Wasn't... higher.
Put the acapella Ol' Man River at the start of 20/20
Pat Mike on the shoulder in 1975 and say "No-one cares that you're bald"

Have 15 big ones rerecorded or remixed so everything is mixed properly and the songs doesn't sound like they were made in one take.

Have [an actual Beach Boy] take the lead on A Day in the Life of a Tree.

They shoulda released the 4/4 (slower) version of Big Sur. I really like that thing.
Re-mix and re-master the Carl & The Passions album.
Loose the long spoken word disertation on "Beaks Of Eagles" on Holland.
Release the studio version of We Got Love on U.S. copies of Holland.

Include WIBNTLA on Surf's Up

Record "That Same Song" with gospel choir.

Encourage Brian to finish "Can't Wait Too Long" and slap it on the end of WILD HONEY.

Do something different with the end of Breakaway - the ending has always seemed inconclusive to me.

[Chris Brown]

Surf's Up would have been so much better if they rerecorded it from scratch in 1971. I hate the fact that they used the original piano demo to provide the backing for over half of the song. It was laziness on their part, and it makes the song feel underproduced.

I feel the opposite. I wish they would have used MORE of the original demo/'66 recording - i.e Brian's voice on the first part instead of Carl's. And no bygones.

According to Desper, they did indeed try flying in Brian's voice for the first movement, but given the technology of the time, the speeds couldn't be matched well enough.  Thus the next best option was to record a new lead vocal over Brian's existing instrumental track.

[runnersdialzero]

I'd agree with keeping Smile in the vaults only if they had finished it from 67 (after Smiley Smile) to 73 or 74.

I gotta wonder, though - why Dennis on "Don't Talk"?

[Cabinessenceking]

'Our Sweet Love'
should have a different title and lyrics to match the good music (was listening to the bootlegged backing track, so good!). Woulda made Sunflower a stronger album imo.

[I. Spaceman]

I'm really glad Brian Wilson and the rest of the group wrote and produced their material. All I can say after checking out this thread.

[EgoHanger1966]

'Our Sweet Love'
should have a different title and lyrics to match the good music (was listening to the bootlegged backing track, so good!). Woulda made Sunflower a stronger album imo.

Our Sweet Love is perfect in every aspect, IMO.

[Ziggy Stardust]

Oh yeah, change the whole lyrics of Endless Harmony, cute melody and all, but jeez those lyrics are EMBARRASSING.

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

Surf's Up would have been so much better if they rerecorded it from scratch in 1971. I hate the fact that they used the original piano demo to provide the backing for over half of the song. It was laziness on their part, and it makes the song feel underproduced.

I feel the opposite. I wish they would have used MORE of the original demo/'66 recording - i.e Brian's voice on the first part instead of Carl's. And no bygones.

According to Desper, they did indeed try flying in Brian's voice for the first movement, but given the technology of the time, the speeds couldn't be matched well enough.  Thus the next best option was to record a new lead vocal over Brian's existing instrumental track.

...Which Brian tried in '71....

[Phoenix]

I'd agree with keeping Smile in the vaults only if they had finished it from 67 (after Smiley Smile) to 73 or 74.

I gotta wonder, though - why Dennis on "Don't Talk"?

I never in a million years would have thought of it myself but damn.  Brian does an unbelievable job and to be honest I probably have it no other in the end but I'd at least tell Brian to TRY it with Dennis on lead.  That would be one Hell of a bonus track! 

Another reason is tho I'm not the biggest Dennis fan out there, he was sorely under represented on Pet Sounds.  He has no stand out parts and the only part he contributed that I can even think of is the cupped mouth vocals on "Wouldn't It Be Nice".

[SG7]

Easy, make the Hawthorne CA version of Little Girl I Once Knew what was released. So much better.

[runnersdialzero]

I'd agree with keeping Smile in the vaults only if they had finished it from 67 (after Smiley Smile) to 73 or 74.

I gotta wonder, though - why Dennis on "Don't Talk"?

I never in a million years would have thought of it myself but damn.  Brian does an unbelievable job and to be honest I probably have it no other in the end but I'd at least tell Brian to TRY it with Dennis on lead.  That would be one Hell of a bonus track! 

Another reason is tho I'm not the biggest Dennis fan out there, he was sorely under represented on Pet Sounds.  He has no stand out parts and the only part he contributed that I can even think of is the cupped mouth vocals on "Wouldn't It Be Nice".

As cool as it'd indeed be to have a Dennis vocal for the song lying around for release on the 97 box set or something, he would've had to have sung it an octave lower or something for it to sound okay. Still, interesting though.

And yeah, shame he appears so little on that album. Has it ever been stated why?

[seltaeb1012002]

As cool as it'd indeed be to have a Dennis vocal for the song lying around for release on the 97 box set or something, he would've had to have sung it an octave lower or something for it to sound okay. Still, interesting though.

True. He probably didn't practice falsetto as much as Brian...

....HOWEVER, in this video he does the BEST Brian whine I've ever heard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I0v2bVX8j4 1:49

[runnersdialzero]

As cool as it'd indeed be to have a Dennis vocal for the song lying around for release on the 97 box set or something, he would've had to have sung it an octave lower or something for it to sound okay. Still, interesting though.

True. He probably didn't practice falsetto as much as Brian...

....HOWEVER, in this video he does the BEST Brian whine I've ever heard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I0v2bVX8j4 1:49

Holy sh*t - nice! Dennis definitely had a pretty good (if rarely used) upper range, I only said the "octave lower" thing because I don't know how well he would have pulled it off so consistently as that song requires.