Ten Underappreciated Beach Boys Albums

[the captain]

most people only know Pet Sounds, therefore everything else is underappreciated.

Not really, unless "most people" are under 40....which they are not.

Actually they are, at least in the U.S. A little over 166 million out of just under 309 million is 39 or under, according to the 2010 U.S. census. http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/population.html.  Unless I'm adding wrong, which, being drunk, is possible.

[rocksucker]

He's trying to tell you, quite cordially, actually, that back in the day, Surfer Girl was not an under-appreciated album and neither is it amongst fans today.  It's probably the first fully-realised BB album, one that doesn't rely on isntrumentals (which I kinda like) or weaker songs to beef out a couple of strong numbers. When I saw the title of the thread, I was wondering where you were going with it.  Under appreciated to me would be Carl and the Passions and maybe (just maybe) L.A. and 15 B.O. Even I wouldn't go as far as MIU.

How it sold back in the day isn't relevant to how appreciated it is now though. Same goes for Pet Sounds. Not sure how anyone could sensibly argue that Pet Sounds is under-appreciated in 2011???

Amongst hardcore fans Surfer Girl is indeed appreciated but most music fans will never have heard of it and the same goes for every BBs album other than Pet Sounds and Smile. The exact point of the OP's post.

This was precisely my intention and where I am coming from. Perhaps I should have made this clearer within the article itself, but I was happy enough for it to be left open to interpretation. I'm 26 years-old and mostly deal with 'new' music on my blog, so when I say "underappreciated" I refer solely to its current placement in the world of music at large, not just amongst BB fans.

Most people around my age - even those who are into similar types of music - don't know the Surfer Girl album. I myself only even came round to it recently, despite having been a BB fan for years. I'd just always thought that everything pre-Today! would be mostly throwaway teeny bopper guff and, well, I was very wrong indeed about that. Hence why I decided to write this series of articles. No-one's commissioning me to do this - it's all done in my own time as a labour of love, a celebration of an incredible back catalogue (and of course SMiLE's release) and a genuine feeling that these albums should be reappraised and rediscovered in this day and age, lending it an appreciation that goes beyond the twin factors of contemporaneous sales and a lasting, dedicated fan base.

Without wanting to end this post with a sly dig, I hope that the above clarifies why I was somewhat less than cordial in responding to what came across (and I accept I could be wrong about this) as a haughty and patronising response from Mr Stebbins.

[shelter]

Most people around my age - even those who are into similar types of music - don't know the Surfer Girl album.

But then again, name one album from 1963 besides 'Please Please Me' and 'With the Beatles' that people your age do know? Younger people generally just don't dig 48 year old music. But for a 48 year old album, 'Surfer Girl' certainly hasn't done all that bad. If you walk into a mainstream CD store tomorrow, there's a chance that, apart from the aforementioned Beatles albums, 'Surfer Girl' is the only album from 1963 that you'll find.

[Howie Edelson]

Rocksucker -- Perhaps you should've posted your link with disclaimer that it was written for your music blog which deals primarily with new music and it's ilk. It means (as the fact laid out before for you in the thread) something completely different when you post it  on a hardcore fan board. So if people take exception -- don't get snippy. For better or worse, there are dozens of people here that know EVERYTHING about the Surfer Girl LP (there are some here that were even in the studio when it was recorded.) I'm not saying to NOT post your work, but know your audience.

[joshferrell]

too be honest with you I think ALL their albums are underappreciated by younger people and the casual listener,let's face it how many people are going to know "the surfer moon" or "busy doing nothing" thay may know "sail on sailor" at the most? most casual listeners really only know the hit songs and "pet sounds" so in the case of what he is talking about I would have to say all their albums (for non fans and younger people) are underappreciated..for fans or people who grew up with them in the 60's/70's they aren't..

[egon spengler]

I see where rocksucker is coming from, and though i think it's hard to say Surfer Girl is underappreciated, it's probably in the bottom half of my most listened to BB albums.  i think we're all aware that many people think of the Beach Boys as only Mike Love's, pre-f***ed formula Beach Boys, and dismiss them because of that. on top of that, many people who do recognize the artistic achievements of the band nevertheless have a tendency to think of the early, pre-1964 stuff as silly, throw-away, and antiquated. why listen to the basic chord progressions on Surfer Girl when you can follow the musical labyrinth on side 2 of Today! or Pet Sounds? Surfer Girl is viewed as a relic of a bygone era--great for its time, but subsequently made irrelevant in light of their mid/late-60s work

in a sense, listening to the pre-"groundbreaking" stuff isn't unlike listening to studio sessions... it's interesting to see what Brian had to go through to get to the beloved recording of God Only Knows, but most would rather listen to the finished song than the unused take 6. the Surfer Girl-era music is, for some people, like take -247 of God Only Knows. the "before" that makes the "after" all the more impressive, but not worthwhile on its own.

rocksucker's post is just pointing out that Surfer Girl is more than that. it's as timeless as the music that came after it, and stands up as a great album on its own.

that said, it really irks me to see so many references to "waltz" and 3/4 time in that blog post, seeing as how there's not a single waltz or 3/4 tune on the album  

[rocksucker]

that said, it really irks me to see so many references to "waltz" and 3/4 time in that blog post, seeing as how there's not a single waltz or 3/4 tune on the album  

6/8? 12/8? Help me out here...

[rocksucker]

Rocksucker -- Perhaps you should've posted your link with disclaimer that it was written for your music blog which deals primarily with new music and it's ilk. It means (as the fact laid out before for you in the thread) something completely different when you post it  on a hardcore fan board. So if people take exception -- don't get snippy. For better or worse, there are dozens of people here that know EVERYTHING about the Surfer Girl LP (there are some here that were even in the studio when it was recorded.) I'm not saying to NOT post your work, but know your audience.

I don't mind people taking exception but if they choose to do so in an unnecessarily sarky manner then I'll give it short shrift, whether on the internet or in real life (to put that particular mini-debate to bed).

To be honest, I hadn't figured that a blog post about one person's love of Surfer Girl (which is basically what it is, regardless of the finer semantics of how it's packaged) would attract such opprobrium on a Beach Boys message board. Either way, it's nice to see it stirring debate, even if it is the "ill-informed and naive" ramblings of a noob.

Does that count as "snippy"?

[egon spengler]

that said, it really irks me to see so many references to "waltz" and 3/4 time in that blog post, seeing as how there's not a single waltz or 3/4 tune on the album  

6/8? 12/8? Help me out here...

6/8 or 12/8 are more like it, but i've always just considered them 4/4 with a triplet feel. a waltz is more like Time To Get Alone or I Went To Sleep.

[Iron Horse-Apples]

The Waltz is a dance.

It seems to have become the de-facto term for 3/4 time. Very misleading.

The correct historical term is perfect time. This is because 3 was considered perfect due to it's religious implications (holy trinity) 4/4  time is imperfect time

There is no 3/4 time in Surfer Girl

[rocksucker]

Gotcha, cheers guys. Whatever it is, it's clear that Brian was very taken with it in those early days. Takes some kind of genius to use basically the same rhythmic formula for a bunch of songs and make them all so distinct from each other.

[Iron Horse-Apples]

I've long thought that Brian's assertion that Rubber Soul was a "whole album of good stuff" could be applied to album's like Surfer Girl. There is a bit of filler, but it's quality.

When Brian was given a bit of time to manoeuvre, he'd always make a good album.

[Newguy562]

wid honey is extremely under-rated even with bb fans :/
the whole album is great it just takes sum time 2 sit in.

[rocksucker]

wid honey is extremely under-rated even with bb fans :/
the whole album is great it just takes sum time 2 sit in.

Agreed. "Aren't You Glad" is one of the most quietly majestic songs I've ever heard.

Er...I mean, watch this space

[Autotune]

interesting thread so far.

This goes to show that some authors don't like or want other authors.

Same thing showed up in the Dennis movie thread.

[desmondo]

TODAY

[Howie Edelson]

No. What it really means is "Know your sh it." Working writers have to or they don't work. Before joining a message board with "Hey gang look what I did!!!" know what you're talking about. Extra points aren't given because you really love an album or usually write for people that don't know any better. That's what it means. Plain and simple. "Surfer Girl" was/is plenty appreciated. This blogger boy is obnoxious. (HEAD'S UP: Working writers/authors use their real names.)

[Nicko1234]

No. What it really means is "Know your sh it." Working writers have to or they don't work. Before joining a message board with "Hey gang look what I did!!!" know what you're talking about. Extra points aren't given because you really love an album or usually write for people that don't know any better. That's what it means. Plain and simple. "Surfer Girl" was/is plenty appreciated. This blogger boy is obnoxious. (HEAD'S UP: Working writers/authors use their real names.)

I'm not sure how you can accuse other posters of being obnoxious when you are making posts like that. 

You state that Surfer Girl 'is plenty appreciated' as if that is a fact when it is only your opinion. As other posters have explained, that depends entirely on your perspective. Yours is an entirely worthwhile opinion but so is the one expressed by people who hold a different view. Just how appreciated this particular album is in 2011 is open to debate and is not a factual thing.

It's not a crime for other people to hold conflicting opinions...

[rocksucker]

No. What it really means is "Know your sh it." Working writers have to or they don't work. Before joining a message board with "Hey gang look what I did!!!" know what you're talking about. Extra points aren't given because you really love an album or usually write for people that don't know any better. That's what it means. Plain and simple. "Surfer Girl" was/is plenty appreciated. This blogger boy is obnoxious. (HEAD'S UP: Working writers/authors use their real names.)

My real name is on the article and website URL, genius. And I have no problem with reacting obnoxiously to cantankerous old so-and-sos like your good self. In fact, it's getting more and more amusing, like devout Christians reacting to someone describing the Bible as "a f***in' bangin' read, that".

Oh, and this wasn't a "working writer" piece - I wrote it in my own time, inspired by the music itself rather than any need to document events that I'm sure have already been endlessly documented by the Right Hon. Mr Stebbins and the like. I then posted it on here, not to educate the already-educated or preach to the converted, but to share the love and drum up some hits for my blog in the process. The latter has worked, but the former appears to have been rebuked by an apparent consensus on here (the likes of which I've not encountered when writing about or discussing other great bands) that The Beach Boys are so sacred that to write about them in anything less than meticulously-researched and sourced academic terms should see the author scalded like an errant child.

I'm not an obnoxious chap in the slightest, but I'm always prepared to bite back (in "real life" as well, I might add) so call me what you like and I'll respond in kind. Deal?

Yours, eagerly awaiting your next reply,
Blogger Boy

[rocksucker]

Sorry - accidental double post! Guess I don't "know my sh*t" after all

[Howie Edelson]

My reply (per Stebbins)...

Surfer Girl - On the U.S. charts for 50 WEEKS
Surfer Girl - 9th highest charting Beach Boys album
Surfer Girl - Ties for 4th highest rated Beach Boys LP in Rolling Stone Album Guide
Surfer Girl - Appreciation rating 84%

I don't know what else to say, 'Sucker.

[Nicko1234]

My reply (per Stebbins)...

Surfer Girl - On the U.S. charts for 50 WEEKS
Surfer Girl - 9th highest charting Beach Boys album
Surfer Girl - Ties for 4th highest rated Beach Boys LP in Rolling Stone Album Guide
Surfer Girl - Appreciation rating 84%

I don't know what else to say, 'Sucker.

You really can't tolerate another opinion can you?

The first two of those points are not relevant to 2011...only to the past.

The Rolling Stone Album Guide (I presume it was recent) is but so are the guides from other publications where Surfer Girl doesn't rate a mention. As I've said earlier, biogs of the band have listed which albums are worth listening to and Surfer Girl certainly wasn't included.

And I don't think people have argued that Surfer Girl is generally well-liked by the people who know it. The issue of how many people in 2011 do know it is debatable.

Your opinion is entrenched though so there's not much more to be said about that.

Do you also consider Pet Sounds to be the band's most under-appreciated album in the present day btw?

[rocksucker]

My reply (per Stebbins)...

Surfer Girl - On the U.S. charts for 50 WEEKS
Surfer Girl - 9th highest charting Beach Boys album
Surfer Girl - Ties for 4th highest rated Beach Boys LP in Rolling Stone Album Guide
Surfer Girl - Appreciation rating 84%

I don't know what else to say, 'Sucker.

Haha..."appreciation rating 84%"? Was that figure randomly generated by an arcade machine? Oh and I couldn't care less about Rolling Stone's opinion, or even if Surfer Girl was so beloved and successful at the time that aliens landed on Earth demanding to see the great Brian Wilson so that they could whisk him away for the Greatest Surf-Pop Album in the Universe awards ceremony before delivering back to his home planet through an intergalactic fleet of aircraft lined up in a Guard of Honour formation.

These days - ie. now, the present, the world we currently live in - Surfer Girl is never even considered for 'Greatest Albums Ever' lists beyond the realms of Beach Boys fans (or should I say Beach Boys academics?), thus I deem it to be "underappreciated", that being the particular loose umbrella term which I selected as an excuse to wax lyrical about one of my favourite bands. Mr Stebbins' suggestion of "Ten Beach Boys Albums that aren't Pet Sounds or SMiLE but are still pretty good, even though you don't know anything about them, you inferior specimen" was all well and good but unfortunately it won't fit in the sidebar menu on my blog so I had to go with something a bit snappier.

I don't know what else to say, Parrot Man. I just hope you don't enforce such stringent levels of pedantry on your own children. "Let Them Run Free", to paraphrase a great man.

Yours,
Blogger Boy
(Although, at 26, I'm not sure I constitute a 'Boy' in the eyes of the many any more. How about "Blogger Young Man", "Blogger Mid-Twenties Guy" or, to satisfy The Great Stebbins, "Blogger Homo Sapiens With a Y Chromosome Who is Approaching His Thirties but Still Derives Pleasure from Irking Grumpy Old Gits who Must Surely Have Other Things in Their Life More Worthy of Their Attention than the Semantics of a Blog Post Made by a Homo Sapiens With a Y Chromosome Who is Approaching His Thirties")

Whoo, this is fun!

[smile-holland]

@ Howie and rocksucke:

Different opinions allowed, conflicting opinions ditto. But both please calm down a bit. We've had enough hassle here lately, and I don't want another fuss for no important reason at all. No namecalling (even if the other one started first), and no remarks that could offend others.

[rocksucker]

@ Howie and rocksucke:

Different opinions allowed, conflicting opinions ditto. But both please calm down a bit. We've had enough hassle here lately, and I don't want another fuss for no important reason at all. No namecalling (even if the other one started first), and no remarks that could offend others.

Apologies SMiLE. I'll wind my neck in now.