If you were compiling a BW songbook...

[mr_oleary]

...which tunes do you think would be essential to include?  They don't have to necessarily be his best songs, but just ones that exemplify his compositional ability.


I'll throw out God Only Knows, and I don't think I need to explain to the people here why that is such a great song.


What would you add?

[mr_oleary]

Another less obvious one: 'Good Time'

I think the chorus exemplifies how Brian can translate specific mood into musical form.  Similar to the chorus of Little Girl I Once Knew and Til I Die

[LetHimRun]

The Little Girl I Once Knew.

[lee]

Please Let Me Wonder, She Knows Me Too Well, Time To Get Alone, Busy Doin' Nothin' and I Went to Sleep.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

My Solution, Mt Vernon and Fairway, Johnny Carson, Shortnen Bread and Rio Grande

[mr_oleary]

My Solution, Mt Vernon and Fairway, Johnny Carson, Shortnen Bread and Rio Grande

Definitely Rio Grande.  You could spend a long time analyzing that song.

[Quzi]

This Whole World, I Just Wasn't Made for These Times and Surf's Up are surely the obvious answers here, but I'll throw in a curveball and say "I'll Bet He's Nice". All of those different synths going off in their different directions creates a truly mindblowing texture. It's up there with the best Brian arrangements for sure.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

My Solution, Mt Vernon and Fairway, Johnny Carson, Shortnen Bread and Rio Grande

Definitely Rio Grande.  You could spend a long time analyzing that song.

Despite mental illness and an abusive doctor, Brian was able to make something akin to SMiLE!

[Summer_Days]

'The Warmth of the Sun'
'Kiss Me Baby'
'In The Back of My Mind'
'Let Him Run Wild'
'The Little Girl I Once Knew'
'Wouldn't It Be Nice'
'Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)'
'Let's Go Away For Awhile'
'God Only Knows'
'Caroline, No'
'Good Vibrations'
'Surf's Up'
'Cabinessence'
'Time To Get Alone'
'This Whole World'
'Til I Die'
'Mt. Vernon & Fairway'
'The Night Was So Young'
'Melt Away'
'Rio Grande'

[Dunderhead]

Another less obvious one: 'Good Time'

I think the chorus exemplifies how Brian can translate specific mood into musical form.  Similar to the chorus of Little Girl I Once Knew and Til I Die

Good Time is a great choice, and I think Had to Phone Ya is another one that's less obvious but worthy of inclusion.

Sometimes I make mixes for a hypothetical "new American songbook" with stuff from Brian, Nilsson, Newman, Van Dyke Parks, Gene Clark, Arthur Lee etc. It's a fun thought experiment, Brian has so many great songs though it's always hard to find room for the others.

[The Shift]

Chuck in Our Sweet Love too. Fine tune.

[Dunderhead]

Chuck in Our Sweet Love too. Fine tune.

I was just listening to the instrumental of that, couldn't agree more.

[cablegeddon]

My Solution, Mt. Vernon and Fairway, Johnny Carson and Rio Grande

Johnny Carson is one of those Brian's not-so-famous songs that show his skills as an original composer. The melodic structure & the overall arrangement are what it's called "groundbreaking", and not only for 70s imo.
.

It sounds lke an ABBA song and some other 70s music I can't put my finger on.....that song is a footnote

[Cabinessenceking]

When You Wish Upon A Star - Surfer Girl

[filledeplage]

My Solution, Mt. Vernon and Fairway, Johnny Carson and Rio Grande

Agree with your examples, except My Solution that I hadn't heard yet, unfortunately. Johnny Carson is one of those Brian's not-so-famous songs that show his skills as an original composer. The melodic structure & the overall arrangement are what it's called "groundbreaking", and not only for 70s imo. In fact, the whole LY record sounds very inventive & fresh, just JC seems to be the most of the rest. That's a rare case when I don't disagree with Allmusic's track reviews.

Besides, I would name as examples of Brian's specially unique compositional ability Wild Honey, Heroes & Villains, Wouldn't It Be Nice (one of the most joyful songs I've ever listened to! It is just loaded with positivity!), Sloop John B (no wonder why it wasn't hit by other artists until The BBs redo it & sing. Brian turned typical folk traditional into the wondrous masterwork!), Love & Mercy (BW cut), Warmth of the Sun (because of the chord changes), In the Back of My Mind, Little Saint Nick (by this song Brian showed that he CAN write the Christmas hit beating The Beatles' "Christmas Time (Is Here Again)" which I think didn't succeed in charts. And to me it's very dull. Not as catchy as Little Saint Nick) and, of course, one of the grooviest singles of the 60s decade I Get Around/Don't Worry Baby.

Yes, Love and Mercy...I sort of thought it might be included in the set list.

Just a wonderful way to say "farewell" to the audience...

But just about everything has a Beach Boys stamp on it.  The group's vocal dynamic makes that inimitable "sound."

[Magic Transistor Radio]

My Solution, Mt. Vernon and Fairway, Johnny Carson and Rio Grande

Agree with your examples, except My Solution that I hadn't heard yet, unfortunately.

Here you go

http://youtu.be/Gek_4Pqce2Y

[Letsgoawayforawhile]

Add Some Music To Your Day.

[SufferingFools]

Thanks, Magic Transistor Radio! Now, after hearing it, I realize what many of you meant by saying it is similar to Happy Days. The same downbeat monotonous voices in both. It's a big plus point for My Solution, similarity with Happy Days, because the latter is my favorite track on Imagination. I like Brian's "kind of an in-joke" narration & that the song has some hints of psychedelia. So, the conclusion is I love it! Seriously, it's great!

Do you have My Solution in MP3, btw? If so, can you share it?  

I think one of the options at SaveTube.com is to download an MP3.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

My Solution, Mt. Vernon and Fairway, Johnny Carson and Rio Grande

Agree with your examples, except My Solution that I hadn't heard yet, unfortunately.

Here you go

http://youtu.be/Gek_4Pqce2Y

Thanks, Magic Transistor Radio! Now, after hearing it, I realize what many of you meant by saying it is similar to Happy Days. The same downbeat monotonous voices in both. It's a big plus point for My Solution, similarity with Happy Days, because the latter is my favorite track on Imagination. I like Brian's "kind of an in-joke" narration & that the song has some hints of psychedelia. So, the conclusion is I love it! Seriously, it's great!

Do you have My Solution in MP3, btw? If so, can you share it? 

Or actually Happy Days sounds like My Solutions since it came first    I do have it, but I am so technologically challenged I wouldn't know how. But I'm not sure if this breaks any board rules talking about sending an MP3 on this public board But I'm no expert on that either.

[SG7]

Ding Dang

[Dunderhead]

Ding Dang

Is Ding Dang a good song or not? I can never make up my mind. Sometimes I love it, other times, not so much...

[Alex]

Hey Little Tomboy 

[SG7]

Ding Dang

Is Ding Dang a good song or not? I can never make up my mind. Sometimes I love it, other times, not so much...

Does it treat you so fine then hurts you so bad?

[hypehat]

Wonderful. That's possibly the most technically mental song composition wise.

[Smilin Ed H]

LOts of stuff. Lots of stuff that I haven't put on my BW songbook compilation, but that's because I didn't have versions (or good versions) of the songs covered by other people.  Here's my Songs of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys comp:

01.   Surf’s City – Jan and Dean
02.   The Lonely Sea – Steve Almaas and Ali Smith
03.   Farmer’s Daughter – Fleetwood Mac
04.   Surfer Girl – Paul Simon
05.   Go Away Boy – The Pearlfishers
06.   In My Room – Paul Westerberg
07.   He’s A Doll – The Honeys
08.   Don’t Worry Baby – Ronnie Spector
09.   Guess I’m Dumb – Glen Campbell
10.   Wouldn’t It Be Nice – Saint Etienne
11.   You Still Believe in Me – Ron Sexsmith
12.   Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) – Linda Ronstadt
13.   God Only Knows – Elvis Costello and the Brodsky Quartet
14.   I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times - Aimee Mann and Michael Penn
15.   Caroline, No – Glenn Frey
16.   Wonderful/Look (Song For Children)/Child Is Father Of The Man – Rufus Wainwright
17.   Wind Chimes – Katrina Mitchell and Bill Wells
18.   Wake The World – Epicycle
19.   Anna Lee, The Healer – The High Llamas
20.   Busy Doin’ Nothin’ - Camping
21.   Time To Get Alone – Redwood
22.   Fallin’ In Love/Lady – Lush



01.   All I Wanna Do – June And The Exit Wounds
02.   Big Sur – The Secret Goldfish
03.   A Day In The Life Of A Tree – Matthew Sweet
04.   Wouldn’t It Be Nice To Live Again – Adam Marsland’s Chaos Band
05.   Disney Girls- Art Garfunkel
06.   Surf’s Up – Vince Gill, David Crosby and Jimmy Webb
07.   Sweet Mountain Of Love – Eddi Reader
08.   Only With You – Norman Blake
09.   Carry Me Home – Primal Scream
10.   Sail On Sailor – The Bluetones
11.   Winter Symphony – Hong Kong in the 60s
12.   Stevie - Saint Etienne
13.   Still I Dream Of It – Ed Harcourt
14.   I Wanna Pick You Up – The Wondermints
15.   You And I – David Marks
16.   Angel Come Home – Mick Fleetwood’s Zoo
17.   Soul Searchin’ – Solomon Burke
18.   Love And Mercy – Golden Smog

And, yeah, I cheated by including David Marks, but it's such a good cover...