Favorite/Best Beach Boys-related book?

[Mikie]

Beach Boys essential reading titles are in bold. Some are out of print now, but definitely worth seeking out. A * denotes highly recommended:

The Beach Boys: A Biography in Words & Pictures - Ken Barnes 
The Beach Boys: Southern California Pastoral - Bruce Goldin 
The Beach Boys - John Tobler 
The Beach Boys and the California Myth - David Leaf   
The Beach Boys: The Authorized Biography of America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band - Byron Preiss *
Surf's Up: The Beach Boys on Record 1961-1981 - Brad Elliott    
The Beach Boys - Dean Anthony 
The Beach Boys Silver Anniversary - John Milward  *
Heroes & Villains: The True Story of The Beach Boys - Steven Gaines  
Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story - Brian Wilson with Todd Gold 
The Wilson Project - Stephen J. McParland  *   
The Nearest Faraway Place: Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys, and the Southern California Experience - Timothy White   
In Their Own Words: The Beach Boys - Nick Wise 
Look! Listen! Vibrate! Smile! (3 issues) - Domenic Priore  
Brian Wilson & The Beach Boys: How Deep is the Ocean? - Paul Williams 
Back to the Beach: A Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys Reader - Kingsley Abbott 
Denny Remembered: Dennis Wilson in Words and Pictures - Edward Wincentsen 
Smile, Sun, Sand & Pet Sounds - Stephen J. McParland 
Add Some Music to Your Day: Analyzing and Enjoying the Music of the Beach Boys - Don Cunningham and Jeff Bleiel  *
The Real Beach Boy: Dennis Wilson - Jon Stebbins  
Dumb Angel: The Life and Music of Dennis Wilson - Adam Webb  *
In The Studio With Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys: Our Favorite Recording Sessions - Stephen J. McParland  *
The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds: The Greatest Album of the Twentieth Century - Kingsley Abbott
Wouldn't It Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds - Charles Granata * 
Rock & Roll Hall of Famers The Beach Boys - Mark Holcomb 
The Beach Boys on CD - Joe Thomas   
Brian Wilson Solo: The Complete Guide to the Solo Works of Brian Wilson - Joe Thomas 
The  Japanese CD Releases of the Beach Boys & Brian Wilson - Joe Thomas 
This Whole World: The Complete Beach Boys Single and EP Cover Collection - Manfred Schmidt and Christian Hascchke   
The Beach Boys: The Musical Evolution of America's Band - Robert G. Anstey 
Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys: The Complete Guide to their Music - Andrew G. Doe and John Tobler 
The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band on Stage and in the Studio - Keith Badman  **
Brian Wilson: An Art Book - Alex Farquharson 
33 1/3: Pet Sounds - Jum Fusilli
The Story of Brian Wilson's Lost Masterpiece, Smile - Domenic Priore  *
Sloop John B: A Pirate's Tale - Al Jardine, il. Jimmy Pickering
Catch a Wave: The Rise, Fall & Redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson - Peter Ames Carlin 
The Lost Beach Boy: David Marks - Jon Stebbins   
Recording the Beach Boys - Steven Desper  *   
Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius - Philip Lambert  *
The Beach Boys' FAQ by Jon Stebbins

** Read at your own risk.

[The Shift]

Whilst we are talking books, I picked up the book I Just Wasn't Made For These Times: Brian Wilson and the Making of Pet Sounds by Charles L. Granata which appears to be the exact same book as Wouldn't It Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of Pet Sounds by Charles L. Granata, anyone know why my version has a different title?

Whilst I don't know about the differences, I just want to add a friend found this for me and it's rather nice - not anything groundbreaking, and his relationship with some of the songs is a bit weird (he keeps slagging off Sloop John B as 'out of place', which is a peeve of mine) but it's a charming read and quite well researched.

Could one be a UK edition and the other a US? I  vaguely remember noticing something similar at the time it came out.

[Paulos]

Whilst we are talking books, I picked up the book I Just Wasn't Made For These Times: Brian Wilson and the Making of Pet Sounds by Charles L. Granata which appears to be the exact same book as Wouldn't It Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of Pet Sounds by Charles L. Granata, anyone know why my version has a different title?

Whilst I don't know about the differences, I just want to add a friend found this for me and it's rather nice - not anything groundbreaking, and his relationship with some of the songs is a bit weird (he keeps slagging off Sloop John B as 'out of place', which is a peeve of mine) but it's a charming read and quite well researched.

Could one be a UK edition and the other a US? I  vaguely remember noticing something similar at the time it came out.

I think you are right, 'I Just Wasn't Made For These Times'...was printed in the UK and now I think about it the difference in titles may be down to the fact that 'Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story' is still in print in Britain and the publishers of the Granata's Pet Sounds book didn't want any confusion with that piece of crap and so changed the title for the UK release.

[PS]

The Leaf book was terribly important to me when it first came out, and it still holds a special place in my heart - I was moved to tears about what seemed like a story that was inevitably destined to be about one of the great tragic figures of our time. Deeply appreciated the Tim White book for the Old Weird America kind of historical insight (well, let's just say this is as close to a Greil Marcus book as we're likely to get). I always reference Inside the Mind of BW for the musical insight. Dom's book was in my toilet reading rack for what seems like half a year. I also deeply appreciate the Barney Hoskins book called Waiting for the Sun, about the LA music scene in general - excellent book.

But the one that warms my heart the most must be the chapter on Brian and SMiLE in Lewis Shiner's Glimpses. I would imagine that many of you shared the same time machine rescue fantasy that I had, that if I could only go back to Laurel Way in late summer 66 (I did, 34 years later, but, paraphrasing, the title of the Phil Ochs' song (and Scorsese movie), Brian Doesn't Live Here Anymore), I could ingratiate myself into the scene, and eventually, after smoking some of that famous hash together, I could tell him who I am and where I come from, and offer him the roadmap, setlist and historical perspective to get 'er done and...so on. Glimpses gave me a glimpse of that fantasy, with a lot of knowing detail and a good feel for what it might have been like to be the "visitor with insight" who offers Brian the key (that great time machine fantasy to alter the timeline, as it were - see The Twilight Zone called No Time Like the Past). When I met Darian during the SMiLE concert DVD rehearsals, I talked to him about this, that in many ways he actually did get to do this, to live out this 'third party' scenario (lo these many years later) with Brian, Van, the insight of all the boots, and the perspective of time, abetted by a deep love of the music. He nodded in agreement, but also humbly dismissed his role in the story, as you knew he would...

Anyone else care for Glimpses as a fictional approach to the telling of the tale?

[Jon Stebbins]

I was so excited about the Leaf book when it came out in the '70's...finally a really in depth book on the Beach Boys. Upon reading it I was was very demoralized, mainly because it gave Carl, Dennis, Mike, Al, Bruce and Dave little credit.  It kind of pissed me off in a way. But i do understand it was a pioneer in bringing an understanding of the genius of Brian to many fans.

The Tim White book was another one I was really looking forward to, but it went in a direction that devoted a majority of its print space and research to genealogy and cultural anecdotes. But again, like Leaf's book, it was important in expanding aspects of the history of the band.

The Heroes and Villains book was a guilty pleasure, it got inside the real band dynamics, but somehow almost ignored the music. That said, it was important in furthering understanding of the BB's history.

One book that really turned me on was Look, Listen Vibrate Smile...I just couldn't get enough of that one. But its mostly an historical archive and not really a "written" book. But Dom definitely caught my passion with that book.

I think Brad Elliot's Surfs Up book was an incredible source. Now much of it has become disposable...but at the time of its release it was like gold.

Carlin's book was another one I had great expectations of...i think the middle of that book, some of the end, are great. He has smoothness to his style that makes it a comfortable read...and there are some definite revelations. I (personally) had a problem with the first third because he casually checks off his endorsement of many of the myths about the genesis and rise to fame of the band that by the time of his published release had been disproven and corrected. But his focus wasn't on '58 to '65...it was on the later periods. He did a good job on those.

There are so many other highly valuable books like AGD's and Kingsley Abbot's and Paul Williams etc... Read them all. You will know more about the band if you do.

On the other end...Badman's in particular is maddening. The format so beautiful, the photos and layout, the potential...but its like a gun that shoots backwards. You do not do yourself, or the BB's any favors by relying on its info. And top of the list of problem BB's books is Brian's "bio" WIBN. Don't bother with this...its a sham.

But to all the authors, especially those who came before me, thank you for giving us a foundation to build on, we are still building, adding, remodeling, restoring and expanding. History is never completely written, it just motivates further research.

[The Shift]

Anyone else care for Glimpses as a fictional approach to the telling of the tale?

Loved it. A very sympathetic work, albeit fiction of course. A fantasy pelled out.
Also turned me on to The Doors, to be honest, as I'd previously only heard a live boot (still one of the best live albums I know tho').

[Slow In Brain]

Gut Feelings - Carnie Wilson 

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

The Badman book is far from indispensable. Way too many errors and misleading entries.

I know, I know, but I still consider it indispensible for all the great pics/info/and for all that it DOES get right!

Problem with that is, you need to know more than the book lays out to know what IS accurate. Which renders it pretty useless except as a picture book.  

Yeah, but not all of us are obsessives over historical facts to the letter. No matter how much we know for sure, we're still watching our own little Beach Boys movie in our heads and the Badman book IS yes, a great picture book with some interesting information. Trust me, I know it's faults, but until something in a similar format comes out that is more accurate, it'll do.

[cablegeddon]

I was a new fan last year so I read Heroes and Villains. Great, great book. I felt like I got all the celebrity/gossip and career stuff.

I read Smile: The Story Of Brian's Wilson's Lost Masterpiece by Dominic after watching Beautiful Dreamer and I thought it was a piece of crap. It was like I got nothing new from the book and it was several hundreds of pages long 

[hypehat]

I was a new fan last year so I read Heroes and Villains. Great, great book. I felt like I got all the celebrity/gossip and career stuff.

I read Smile: The Story Of Brian's Wilson's Lost Masterpiece by Dominic after watching Beautiful Dreamer and I thought it was a piece of crap. It was like I got nothing new from the book and it was several hundreds of pages long 

It's not one of my favourites, but it's totally worth it for the VDP interviews.

[bringahorseinhere?]

has anyone got the 'complete beach boys singles and e.p collection book'

I can't find much information about it, other than two amazon reviews....

I'm a record freak and this book sounds good, and is it really 'complete'?

Thanks,

RickB

[kookadams]

Ive got Heroes&Villains, Nearest Faraway Place, In their own words, Complete Guide, Dumb Angel and Catch a Wave/ I still gotta read Catch a Wave. Ive also got Surf City/Drag City and Dom Priores two books.

[bringahorseinhere?]

yeah I have a few too, but I'm really interested in this single/e.p book, but if its not 'great' ill forget it....

surely one us has a copy and can tell me what is good and bad about the book?

RickB

[metal flake paint]

has anyone got the 'complete beach boys singles and e.p collection book'

I can't find much information about it, other than two amazon reviews....

I'm a record freak and this book sounds good, and is it really 'complete'?

Thanks,

RickB

Although Beach Boys on 45 http://www.beachboys45.nl/index.htm will eventually be more complete, IMHO, "This Whole World" is still well worth getting. But don't just take my word for it

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,4287.0.html

[JK]

yeah I have a few too, but I'm really interested in this single/e.p book, but if its not 'great' ill forget it....

surely one us has a copy and can tell me what is good and bad about the book?

RickB

I saw it in a discount store years ago and bought it for a fellow BB fan who was very keen to have it. If no-one else chimes in, I can put you in touch with him.   

[smile-holland]

has anyone got the 'complete beach boys singles and e.p collection book'

I can't find much information about it, other than two amazon reviews....

I'm a record freak and this book sounds good, and is it really 'complete'?

Thanks,

RickB

Although Beach Boys on 45 http://www.beachboys45.nl/index.htm will eventually be more complete, IMHO, "This Whole World" is still well worth getting. But don't just take my word for it

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,4287.0.html

I can definitely recommend this book. If you love collecting the BB on 45 or EP, this book will make you drool from frustration (knowing you’ll never find all of them). It’s a picture book showing practically all picture sleeves, rubricated by country, with a bit of background info on each country of release. Complete? Almost. My guess is that 98-99% is shown here. It’s not a complete discography. Releases without PS aren’t shown (except for the German Ariola one), but that’s where www.beachboys45.nl takes over.

Expect this book to be a onetime release only. Not many were pressed. It’s a labour of love from a couple of true BB aficionado’s, made for BB fans. Get it while you can.

[Micha]

The Badman book is far from indispensable. Way too many errors and misleading entries.

I know, I know, but I still consider it indispensible for all the great pics/info/and for all that it DOES get right!

Problem with that is, you need to know more than the book lays out to know what IS accurate. Which renders it pretty useless except as a picture book. 

You should write a Keith Badman companion in which all errors are listed.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Nah - I'd make too many errors.  

If you could have just five BB/related books, I'd recommend these:

Catch A Wave - Peter Ames Carlin

The Beach Boys In Concert -  Ian Rusten & Jon Stebbins

The Beach Boys FAQ - Jon Stebbins

Dumb Angel Gazette #3 - Look ! Listen ! Vibrate ! SMILE !! ed. Domenic Priore

The Wilson Project - Stephen McParland

[Jon Stebbins]

If you could have just five BB/related books, I'd recommend these:

Catch A Wave - Peter Ames Carlin

The Beach Boys In Concert -  Ian Rusten & Jon Stebbins

The Beach Boys FAQ - Jon Stebbins

Dumb Angel Gazette #3 - Look ! Listen ! Vibrate ! SMILE !! ed. Domenic Priore

The Wilson Project - Stephen McParland

Thanks...check is n the mail. 

[TheLazenby]

I love "Look! Listen! Vibrate! Smile!", which is a great collection of press clippings from before, during, and after the Smile debacle.

Fittingly, the book is rather fragmented and collage-like, much like the album.