Jon's new book

[Jon Stebbins]

Why were Pet Sounds, Good Vibrations, Smile, et cetera so acclaimed? Because they took the pop/rock formula and turned it on its head.

This point is emphasized with incredible enthusiasm in the Beach Boys FAQ book! Other points are considered as well.

[Micha]

Would Barbara Ann even have been a hit if it had electric guitar and drums? Maybe not.

hell yes it would, the live version in 1965 with brian is GREAT

No it would not. It is the special sound of the studio version that made it a hit. Is there any 1965/66 single that sounds like that? If there ever was a recording with a happy fun vibe, this is it. Everybody did e-guitar and drums, the instrumentation of "Barbara Ann" and the party atmosphere make it outstanding.

About the guitar or not discussion: As I already said, I prefer guitars to pianos. When I listen to late 1963-1964 BB album tracks I always wish that it was a guitar that plays the rhythm guitar part - alas no, it's a piano playing what should be the rhythm guitar part. But if one claims the late 60s singles would have fared better with guitars on them, I'll just say "Good Vibrations".

If you have your biggest hit with hardly any guitar on it, why, from that point of view, should you go "back" to a guitar sound?

[Howie Edelson]

I don't know. Maybe because all your singles after that were bombs and your LP's barely chart??? Is that reason enough to add a guitar track or two???

[Cam Mott]

I doubt anything would have changed their decline in popularity. The clock just ran out on their uber-popularity, they still maintained a more [much more maybe] modest and long lived popularity.

[Howie Edelson]

Although hindsight is 20/20, there are dozens of things they could've done. One, for instance, would have been to tour with WB artists upon signing with Reprise. Warners had such a distinctive stamp of coolness and quality, that even today you can still discern between a WB "act" and all others. You never felt that with the Beach Boys. Making a double LP -- that too could've helped -- at the very least it would've gotten them coverage. The bottom line is -- their frontman had a comb-over in 1968. Rishikesh connections aside, it's hard to recover from that. But there are MANY, MANY ways that the Beach Boys could've stayed viable.

[Jon Stebbins]

I doubt anything would have changed their decline in popularity. The clock just ran out on their uber-popularity...

C'mon man...you are too smart to actually believe that. To go from Good Vibrations to Smiley Smile in 10 months is like hitting yourself in the face with a hammer.

[Howie Edelson]

And also, let's never underestimate the band backing out of Monterey. Forget any talk of the backlash, which was instantly forgotten -- NO ONE was thinking about the Beach Boys long enough to hold a grudge in June 1967. That performance -- and the film of it -- would've kept them on the map. It defined Simon & Garfunkel's presence on the scene in '67, and would've done the same with the Beach Boys. The six-man lineup (dressed in "street clothes") doing a heavily rehearsed set of tunes a la the Heider sessions, would've done wonders. No one would've been accusing them of "chasing anybody" after that. The saddest thing about the Beach Boys is that THEY blew it -- not changing times or fickle fans. It was the fact that they were/are SO provincial that they could never see beyond the now.

[Ed Roach]

Imagine David Marks returning in '71 and serving as their Terry Kath. It would've been major.

I'm just saying, it coulda been cooler -- and it coulda been cooler REALLY EASY.

Ah, such brilliant statements to read & hear, so early in the morning...
I can almost hear these words rolling off your tounge, my man; wish you'd come back to L.A.!

[Cam Mott]

I doubt anything would have changed their decline in popularity. The clock just ran out on their uber-popularity...

C'mon man...you are too smart to actually believe that. To go from Good Vibrations to Smiley Smile in 10 months is like hitting yourself in the face with a hammer.

Smart has nothing to do with it in my opinion. If I were in control it might have gone different but my feeling is the group wouldn't have done any better gussied up with guitars. At the time I loved Wild Honey, I thought it had everything going for it that would put it over the top with fans. Blued Soul, "Psycho"delic [to me], the most far out B side I had ever heard, didn't make any dif.

[Howie Edelson]

Not "gussied up" with guitars -- but rather intergrating guitars into the musical mix. Big difference. One might even equate it as the difference between the tougher-edged Carpenters tracks and the softer sounding America singles. One is Adult Contemporary one is Classic Rock. Guitars could've proved crucial to getting the band established on early '70s FM radio. As it stands now, "Sail On Sailor" is it. . . barely (and less and less every year.)

When WB was rejecting those '70s albums, rather than saying, "Where's the single?" they should've been asking -- "Where are the GUITARS???"

A great example in how the band could've featured guitar more prominently in the Western/Bellagio era would be how XTC used a Rickenbacker during their "Smiley" pastiche "Pale And Precious."

Imagine "It's O.K." with a blistering guitar track???

[Myk Luhv]

Or "Rock And Roll Music" with an actual worthwhile guitar solo! Oh wait...

[Jon Stebbins]

I doubt anything would have changed their decline in popularity. The clock just ran out on their uber-popularity...

C'mon man...you are too smart to actually believe that. To go from Good Vibrations to Smiley Smile in 10 months is like hitting yourself in the face with a hammer.

Smart has nothing to do with it in my opinion. If I were in control it might have gone different but my feeling is the group wouldn't have done any better gussied up with guitars. At the time I loved Wild Honey, I thought it had everything going for it that would put it over the top with fans. Blued Soul, "Psycho"delic [to me], the most far out B side I had ever heard, didn't make any dif.

You didn't say guitars, you said "I doubt ANYTHING would have changed their decline in popularity." I love Wild Honey too...although it feels like its missing something...hmm.

[Mike's Beard]

Not "gussied up" with guitars -- but rather intergrating guitars into the musical mix. Big difference. One might even equate it as the difference between the tougher-edged Carpenters tracks and the softer sounding America singles. One is Adult Contemporary one is Classic Rock. Guitars could've proved crucial to getting the band established on early '70s FM radio. As it stands now, "Sail On Sailor" is it. . . barely (and less and less every year.)

When WB was rejecting those '70s albums, rather than saying, "Where's the single?" they should've been asking -- "Where are the GUITARS???"

A great example in how the band could've featured guitar more prominently in the Western/Bellagio era would be how XTC used a Rickenbacker during their "Smiley" pastiche "Pale And Precious."

Imagine "It's O.K." with a blistering guitar track???

"Pale and Precious", now there's a great song. The best Beach Boys song the group never wrote.

[Cam Mott]

I doubt anything would have changed their decline in popularity. The clock just ran out on their uber-popularity...

C'mon man...you are too smart to actually believe that. To go from Good Vibrations to Smiley Smile in 10 months is like hitting yourself in the face with a hammer.

Smart has nothing to do with it in my opinion. If I were in control it might have gone different but my feeling is the group wouldn't have done any better gussied up with guitars. At the time I loved Wild Honey, I thought it had everything going for it that would put it over the top with fans. Blued Soul, "Psycho"delic [to me], the most far out B side I had ever heard, didn't make any dif.

You didn't say guitars, you said "I doubt ANYTHING would have changed their decline in popularity." I love Wild Honey too...although it feels like its missing something...hmm.

Right, I opine anything which includes the guitars you opine and digeridoo, cow bell, farty synths and everything they actually did try.

[Jon Stebbins]

I doubt anything would have changed their decline in popularity. The clock just ran out on their uber-popularity...

C'mon man...you are too smart to actually believe that. To go from Good Vibrations to Smiley Smile in 10 months is like hitting yourself in the face with a hammer.

Smart has nothing to do with it in my opinion. If I were in control it might have gone different but my feeling is the group wouldn't have done any better gussied up with guitars. At the time I loved Wild Honey, I thought it had everything going for it that would put it over the top with fans. Blued Soul, "Psycho"delic [to me], the most far out B side I had ever heard, didn't make any dif.

You didn't say guitars, you said "I doubt ANYTHING would have changed their decline in popularity." I love Wild Honey too...although it feels like its missing something...hmm.

Right, I opine anything which includes the guitars you opine and digeridoo, cow bell, farty synths and everything they actually did try.

In the case of Wild Honey a production quality that did those great songs justice might have been the thing to try.

[Cam Mott]

May have or the vibe and look and ethos and nature of the songs and group may have still not caught on with the fans. The not-you-and-me-and-everybody-on-this-board fans I mean.

[Jon Stebbins]

I'll be interviewed live on CKWW 580 AM "Detroit's Oldies Radio Station" tomorrow morning at 8:45 PST (11:45 a.m. EST) and will be talking to DJ Charlie O'Brien about my new Beach Boys FAQ book.
You can hear it streaming live at http://www.am580radio.com/

[Steve Mayo]

got mine ordered today. can't wait to read it......

[Rocker]

And also, let's never underestimate the band backing out of Monterey. Forget any talk of the backlash, which was instantly forgotten -- NO ONE was thinking about the Beach Boys long enough to hold a grudge in June 1967. That performance -- and the film of it -- would've kept them on the map. It defined Simon & Garfunkel's presence on the scene in '67, and would've done the same with the Beach Boys. The six-man lineup (dressed in "street clothes") doing a heavily rehearsed set of tunes a la the Heider sessions, would've done wonders. No one would've been accusing them of "chasing anybody" after that. The saddest thing about the Beach Boys is that THEY blew it -- not changing times or fickle fans. It was the fact that they were/are SO provincial that they could never see beyond the now.

And that was their problem throughout their whole carreere. I really think Derek Taylor and Jack Rieley had the right sense but didn't stay long enough to change very much unfortunately.

got mine ordered today. can't wait to read it......

Same here. I ordered it together with Brian's Disney album. So I should held both in my hands at the end of this month.

[oldsurferdude]

Trippin on this review...
http://psychobabble100.wordpress.com/2011/09/19/review-the-beach-boys-faq/

Looking forward to reading your book, especially the Myke part! Great review, too.

[Mr. Wilson]

Ive allready gone thru the book 3 times and its a fine book.!.. stuff about BW since he started touring in 99 is revealing + disturbing.. And probably the truth..I met David Leaf in 99 + asked him why BW was touring.. He said if BW wants to be a recording artist he has to tour + promote his work.. I guess U could call that being forced.. Also the incident that happened in 99 backstage was i believe in Anaheim..BW came out for 2nd set + apologized to crowd  + said he would try harder..The incident in 07 with Al Jardine touring.. Made me feel sad for BW..... Maybe BW should stop touring + make records if he wants to + chill..Its time to stop pushing him..maybe.. Noticed the 79 incident with Dennis + Mike is recounted but 81 greek theatre incident never gets a mention anywhere.. By anyone + it was mentioned in L.A. Times.. I know i saw it happen + so did 10 000 other people.. I guess John you werent there that nite.. Same thing just different year.. LOVE YOUR BOOK.. BTW i think i met U once..01 CW benefit .. I was the one wearing the Smile tshirt.. El Ray theatre.. cheers Paul

[Jon Stebbins]

Thanks to all above for the orders, and the feedback.

[Sam_BFC]

What is the '81 Greek Theater incident?

[SMiLE Brian]

This book sounds like a great overall read. Definitely will buy this book to learn about the real story of Brian's touring.

[smile-holland]

What is the '81 Greek Theater incident?

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,3878.0.html

and

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,6697.0.html