Should the Beach Boys have just broken up for good? If so, when?

[Mike's Beard]

1977 after the big airport fight. That was when the band really died in a lot of ways, anyway. Dennis should have quit them years before anyway, they completely held him back.

Really? In what way?

The only person that ever really held Dennis back was the person that looked back at him in the mirror every morning.

[Kurosawa]

1977 after the big airport fight. That was when the band really died in a lot of ways, anyway. Dennis should have quit them years before anyway, they completely held him back.

Really? In what way?

Stopped him from touring solo, for one. Held too many of his songs off their albums, for another. Brian was shot, and they needed a new musical leader. Dennis was the only once close to capable because Carl just didn't write enough stuff. Dennis was the best writer they had. He should have quit and went solo after Surf's Up.

[Kurosawa]

1977 after the big airport fight. That was when the band really died in a lot of ways, anyway. Dennis should have quit them years before anyway, they completely held him back.

Really? In what way?

The only person that ever really held Dennis back was the person that looked back at him in the mirror every morning.

I do agree there is some truth to that, but I think the best way he could have fixed himself was to get away from the others.

[Nicko1234]

Stopped him from touring solo, for one. Held too many of his songs off their albums, for another. Brian was shot, and they needed a new musical leader. Dennis was the only once close to capable because Carl just didn't write enough stuff. Dennis was the best writer they had. He should have quit and went solo after Surf's Up.

Well stopping him touring solo happened that very year didn't it? So obviously wasn't long standing issue.

And Dennis was the one who took his songs off Surf's Up. He also had the opportunity to sing the lead on their big attempt at a hit single from the Holland album but decided to surf instead. It would have stood a much better chance of being a hit if it had had a recognizable Beach Boy singing it and he would have had something to perform in concert every night.

As he had the space for between 2 to 4 songs on every album from Friends to Holland I don't think it's fair to say the group were holding him back then. He absolutely should have been involved after Holland and they should have been using a combination of his songs and Brian's songs. If they had though there would have been no POB...