most generic sounding BB song?

[Wirestone]

It is clearly and indisputably Oh Darlin.

[sockittome]

Getcha Back

This song is so drab and lifeless to me, that when it first hit the airwaves it almost made me a not Beach Boys fan.  The melody sounded so uninspired and typical, it reminded me of something you'd hear in a commercial for a rest home or something.  Part of that could also be attributed to the tempo, I suppose.  I remember thinking, hey at least they could have sped it up a little....

[Eric Aniversario]

Kona Coast and Keep An Eye On Summer

[joshferrell]

most of SIP,even though the songs with Carl singing sounds like the real Beach Boys while the songs Mike sings on sound like a Beach Boys tribute band...also Brians solo versions of "Let him run wild" and "Keep an eye on summer"..all of Stars and Stripes (no wait that IS a beach boys tribute band..lol)....oh yeah John Stamos singing "Forever"

[EgoHanger1966]

It is clearly and indisputably Oh Darlin.

Love that song!

[Mark Howell]

By that I mean something that sounds almost like a parody of themselves and something you'd see on This Is Spinal Tap? IMO, I think In The Parking Lot sounds as generic as you can get. The layered harmonies at the beginning and end, the fast music and Chuck Berry-like guitar in the middle and the "do-ron de ron" harmonies to accompany Mike is almost like a recipe on how to right an (old) Beach Boys song.

Kokomo

Or most that Brian wasn't involved in.

[Phoenix]

Keep An Eye On Summer

Good call!

[Phoenix]

Any song about the beach and/or surfing that Mike wrote after 1968.

[Gertie J.]

By that I mean something that sounds almost like a parody of themselves and something you'd see on This Is Spinal Tap? IMO, I think In The Parking Lot sounds as generic as you can get. The layered harmonies at the beginning and end, the fast music and Chuck Berry-like guitar in the middle and the "do-ron de ron" harmonies to accompany Mike is almost like a recipe on how to right an (old) Beach Boys song.

fiddlesticks,

and

It is clearly and indisputably Oh Darlin.

FIDDLESTICKS.

[The Heartical Don]

By that I mean something that sounds almost like a parody of themselves and something you'd see on This Is Spinal Tap? IMO, I think In The Parking Lot sounds as generic as you can get. The layered harmonies at the beginning and end, the fast music and Chuck Berry-like guitar in the middle and the "do-ron de ron" harmonies to accompany Mike is almost like a recipe on how to right an (old) Beach Boys song.

fiddlesticks,

and

It is clearly and indisputably Oh Darlin.

FIDDLESTICKS.

Is 'fiddlesticks' a synonym for 'the truth' in your neck of the woods?

Then I agree.

[Gertie J.]

no, it stands for 'disagreement'.

[Cabinessenceking]

has to be Kona Coast right?

Getcha Back actually has some charm despite its 80's production. Oh Darlin' coulda been on LA Light without sounding out of place, the KTSA production killed it I feel, and Brian on lead was better (as the demo proves)

[The Heartical Don]

no, it stands for 'disagreement'.

That I was afeard of.

[Gertie J.]

cool to talk with Shakespeare fan. 

[willy]

Two songs from opposite ends of the spectrum of genius but I gotta say either......

Wouldn't It Be Nice......... or......... It's OK.

[runnersdialzero]

Two songs from opposite ends of the spectrum of genius but I gotta say either......

Wouldn't It Be Nice......... or......... It's OK.

"Wouldn't It Be Nice"? How'zat?

[bossaroo]

Do It Again

aside from the killer drum intro and the workshop outro it's total rehash and nostalgia. very Beach Boys by numbers. someone here recently noted how the background parts on the bridge, while beautiful, are pretty standard and not up to Brian's true ability at all.

[willy]

Two songs from opposite ends of the spectrum of genius but I gotta say either......

Wouldn't It Be Nice......... or......... It's OK.

"Wouldn't It Be Nice"? How'zat?

If i was to think of ONE song that epitomises the BBs it would be that song. It has a tinkly-twinkly ice cream cart intro, then it all goes jingly-jangly, bouncy-bouncy, it's happy, it's sad, it's happy again, it has lots of bits, slow bits, fast bits, and massed harmonies and bah-bah bah-bahs a-plenty.

[Alex]

If solo stuff/side project count, I'd say Camp California or Summertime City.

[The Heartical Don]

Two songs from opposite ends of the spectrum of genius but I gotta say either......

Wouldn't It Be Nice......... or......... It's OK.

"Wouldn't It Be Nice"? How'zat?

If i was to think of ONE song that epitomises the BBs it would be that song. It has a tinkly-twinkly ice cream cart intro, then it all goes jingly-jangly, bouncy-bouncy, it's happy, it's sad, it's happy again, it has lots of bits, slow bits, fast bits, and massed harmonies and bah-bah bah-bahs a-plenty.

Same here. For me it is THE totally defining, unmissable BBs song. The BBC morning show used its intro a while ago to accompany a brief item. My heart jumped and I thought: the day's going to be all right.

[runnersdialzero]

There's "defining" and "quintessential" and then there's "generic".

[MBE]

Hmm much of the 1976-96 stuff is pretty generic. I suppose Kona Coast fits the bill. I don't dislike it exactly but it tries to hard to be Hawaii.

[EgoHanger1966]

Do It Again

aside from the killer drum intro and the workshop outro it's total rehash and nostalgia. very Beach Boys by numbers. someone here recently noted how the background parts on the bridge, while beautiful, are pretty standard and not up to Brian's true ability at all.

I like love the song, but a valid argument. Also, the chords are very very similar to Surfin' Safari.

[halblaineisgood]

There's "defining" and "quintessential" and then there's "generic".

Generic good? generic bad?  not sure anymore..

[hypehat]

There's "defining" and "quintessential" and then there's "generic".

Aye, if they'd spent the 70's/80's trying to recapture the glory of WIBN rather than the surf & turf stuff it would have been a very different career. WIBN is kinda without parallel in the catalogue - not many songs with bouncy accordions and two bridges on MIU or 15BO!