Beach Boys ULTIMATE Survivor Winner: GOD ONLY KNOWS

[smilethebeachboysloveyou]

I think "Ultimate Loser" might be a bit too predictable most rounds to be interesting (is there any doubt Today!'s loser would be anything other than "Bull Sessions," or that Sunflower's would be anything other than "Tears in the Morning?").  I think solo albums would make for a more interesting place to go from here.

We have already found all the album losers (they are the first ones voted off). It would begin with rounds similar to Super Survivor. Four threads, each representing an era: 1962-1965, 1965-1969, 1969-1979. 1979-2012.

Ah, that would be more interesting, then.  Still not as interesting as solo albums in my opinion, though.

[leggo of my ego]

Aw I missed the final vote - all sudden you guys sped up?

well the best song won and I would have voted for GOW over GV.

[shelter]

I think "Ultimate Loser" might be a bit too predictable most rounds to be interesting (is there any doubt Today!'s loser would be anything other than "Bull Sessions," or that Sunflower's would be anything other than "Tears in the Morning?").  I think solo albums would make for a more interesting place to go from here.

We have already found all the album losers (they are the first ones voted off). It would begin with rounds similar to Super Survivor. Four threads, each representing an era: 1962-1965, 1965-1969, 1969-1979. 1979-2012.

I thought about that too. Should be fun! It would be interesting to find out what this board thinks is the absolute worst Beach Boys song ever recorded, and which "losers" aren't really that terrible after all...

[beacharg]

                                  God Only Knows

[Emdeeh]

Awesome photo/still above!

[John Manning]

Gosh darn result.

I call "foul" - I have it on good authority that Paul McCartney posts here under several pseudonyms and has cast multiple votes in this last round. Otherwise it's inexplicadicabubble. We woz robbed…

[Shady]

God only knows is the beach boys finest moment . Glad it won

I love these survivors, bring on more!

[pixletwin]

Putting a new batch together now. 

[Disney Boy (1985)]

I had no doubt that GOK wins. Goes to show the wild card idea was useless. And that's right.

Nothing you ever say makes any sense. Useless? Good Vibrations got just 5 votes less than God Only Knows - I struggle to think of any other Beach Boys song which could have run it so close?

[halblaineisgood]

.

[Alan Smith]

I had no doubt that GOK wins. Goes to show the wild card idea was useless. And that's right.

100% bullshit

GOK won on it's on merits, but spare me the rank generalisations.

[pixletwin]

GV was included because it possessed three unique properties in the game that no other song has:

1) The layperson would have assumed from the very beginning that GV would win.

2) The SMiLE Sessions version wasn't the single. Redux doesn't do well on Survivor. That was the context of it's first loss.

3) The Smiley Smile version stuck out like neon against classical architecture. That was the context of it's second loss.

Presenting GV as a wild card sparked things up and made these last 3 or 4 rounds extra spicey. In other words: It accomplished exactly what was intended.

I still think TSS: Surf's Up should have won though. 

 

[drbeachboy]

A demo should never win. Brian Wilson is too good for that to happen.

[pixletwin]

A demo should never win. Brian Wilson is too good for that to happen.

I thought your favorite was the 71 Surf's Up. Does that not contain a (gasp) Brian Wilson demo vocal?

[Dudd]

A demo it may be, but they tried their damndest to have it sound complete on TSS. I doubt what was in place of Brian's demo would have been much more (if anything more at all), and many would agree what's already there is one of his best performances.

[drbeachboy]

A demo should never win. Brian Wilson is too good for that to happen.

I thought your favorite was the 71 Surf's Up. Does that not contain a (gasp) Brian Wilson demo vocal?

Doesn't the 1st half count for something? Besides, it was finished enough to be included on an actual release that wasn't archival.

[Disney Boy (1985)]

I had no doubt that GOK wins. Goes to show the wild card idea was useless. And that's right.

Nothing you ever say makes any sense.

 "Holland was their most mature effort" -as if that's supposed to be a compliment, or something. Nothing you say makes sense , either.

Actually I was quoting the author of 'Dumb Angel' (neither a perfect nor error-free book, but an entertaining and well-written one) who wrote: 'Holland is by far their most mature effort'. I agreed (and agree) with him so I pinched the quote.

[TimeToGetAlone]

GV was included because it possessed three unique properties in the game that no other song has:

1) The layperson would have assumed from the very beginning that GV would win.

2) The SMiLE Sessions version wasn't the single. Redux doesn't do well on Survivor. That was the context of it's first loss.

3) The Smiley Smile version stuck out like neon against classical architecture. That was the context of it's second loss.

Presenting GV as a wild card sparked things up and made these last 3 or 4 rounds extra spicey. In other words: It accomplished exactly what was intended.

I still think TSS: Surf's Up should have won though. 

In fairness to Surf's Up, it was also plagued by certain factors that may have prevented it from winning it all; that, of course, being the question as to what the definitive version actually is.  It gets a little complicated when a song is beloved but the recording of it isn't so straightforward.  I love the Smile version of Wonderful, for instance, but the Smiley Smile is the version everybody knew for the longest time.