Who do you like best outside of the five core members

[MBE]

Have fun with this.

[shelter]

This is an easy one: Bruce.

A gifted songwriter, been with the BB for about 35 years, I like his voice and he seems like a very cool guy.

[mikee]

I first heard of and started following the Beach Boys when the Surfin' Surfari single came out so for me David has always been one of the original 5.  To me, back then, Alan was the replacement.  Nowadays I consider them the original 6 just like the surviving 4 do.
I include in "the others"  the great session regulars such as Carol, Hal, and Billy.  They are as much a part of many of these records as anyone this side of Brian.   Carol's remarkable career is particularily compelling to me.  This woman succeeded as a top professional session electric bassist in the 60's, in an extremely competitive environment, with little ado.  There wasn't a lot of nonsense about it as far as I can tell.  She just went a did it and would not be denied.                       

[Beach Boy]

Bruce Johnston

[Peadar 'Big Dinner' O'Driscoll]

Blondie for the sail on sailor lead

[MBE]

I guess I should mention who I voted for. All of them added a lot but taste wise I have to say Blondie (with Ricky close behind). Sail On Sailor, Here She Comes, The Flame LP, Hard Times, and 52 letters are all amazing to me.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

I like Dave. He shook my hand....twice. 

[donald]

Not counting tenure?

A toss up between Bruce and Blondie. 

Throw in tenure, Bruce hands down.  A solid presence and generally nice guy.

[Jonas]

I voted for Bruce, but it's hard not to choose Ricky or Blondie. I love the stuff they've done during their tenure in the Beach Boys. And yes, Blondie's vocal on Sail on Sailor is amazing. And 'Here She Comes'...whew!

[Don't Back Down]

I'd have to say Bruce. Plus he signed my Pet Sounds cd. While signing he asked me "Is Brian's (signature) on here?" haha  (but that's not the reason why I chose him) I enjoy his songs "Deirdre", "Tears In The Morning" "I Write the Songs", and of course "Disney Girls". Also enjoyed some of his stuff during the Bruce & Terry days as well.

[Jon Stebbins]

Every one of those guys is extremely talented. Bruce probably has done the most with his talent...or Glen...although he's not a Beach Boy, never was, and shouldn't be on the list unless we're including sidemen. But Bruce and Glen have had major commercial success, but that isn't a completely fail safe measure of "talent". I'll still go with David because he can play Bach, Segovia, Zappa, Kessell, John Mclaughlin, Van Halen, Chuck Berry, Dick Dale, Robert Johnson whatever. He can write charts, arrange other instruments including symphonic arranging...he's studied with some heavyweights like Vincente Gomez, Alan Silvestri and Madame Chaloff who also taught Miles Davis. He went to Berklee school of music and the Boston conservatory...he collaborated with people like Warren Zevon and played sessions with people like Leon Russell, jim Keltner  and T-Bone Burnett...not to mention Blaine and Campbell.  He's a musician's musician, meaning if you ask other musicians, people who have played with him, they all talk about how "talented" a player he is...and most BB's fans think he can only play three chords. He's very humble and non-assuming, but unlike some of the others...he did not make the most of his talent. When the world thinks you peaked out at 15 its a very hard thing to recover from. I'm sure he's the only guy on the list who already had record contracts with Capitol, A&M and Warner Brothers before he was old enough to drive. Talent is hard thing to qualify. But if we were to throw a musical aptitude test at all of the guys on the list...one that included hands on demonstrations of what they know, and what they can pull off on an instrument...I'd put my money on David to score the highest. 

[Susan]

I"m with Jon.  They're all amazingly talented guys...but David is the only one whose talent i've seen in action, so i pick him.

[smile-holland]

I go for Blondie as well...for me Sail On Sailor makes him the winner in this contest. But the rest is close behind...

[NHC]

I picked Bruce over Dave only because I'm familiar with his work but not David's.  However, when I learned about David's history and accomplishments, it's quite a turnaround from what many might have thought, as another poster said.  Who knew?  I knew he had gone to Berklee, etc., but like most others had no idea how skilled he was and how hard he has worked at it over the years to become such a complete musician, not just that kid from across the street who knew Carl Wilson and had a guitar.  It's great he's finally getting the recognition, particularly among the BB fans.  If you look at Glen, obviously he is a spectacular guitarist, something many don't know because his public reputation is primarily as a singer.  Ricky is a mutli-instrumentalist but not so much in view so he probably doesn't get the credit he deserves (showed up on a Boz Scaggs CD a few years ago on accordian, for example, but you had to read the liner notes to know it).  Blondie's surely up there as a player and singer - that Sail on Sailor vocal -  although is he known more now as a (top-flight) touring sideman for some great acts?  In any event, the Boys did have a knack for getting talent, didn't they?

[Andrew G. Doe]

Toni Tennille.   

[Pretty Funky]

I don't mind being the odd one out....Ricky for his drumming. Maybe the best musician in the group listed. Gave the band a kick in the pants when they needed it early 70s.

[sailonsailor]

Hal Blaine.

[Big Bri]

I'll Second "the other Anonymous"!
Ricky Fataar.His drumming did to the Beach Boys what Chester Thompson did for Genesis,kicked it in the ass and gave the band an aggressive edge.
And then of course Bruce,for singing "At My Window".
Brian

[shelter]

Question about the subject of this topic: aren't "Who do you like best" and "Who is the most talented" two completely different questions?

[Susan]

Question about the subject of this topic: aren't "Who do you like best" and "Who is the most talented" two completely different questions?

Yes.

[Pretty Funky]

I just like the most talented!

[MBE]

Well I meant the poll to be judged on talent not personality or tenure.

[Dunderhead]

Once in a while it's cool to post in an old thread. But I feel like there's been way too much of this lately. This thread is from 2006, if you have something you think would make a good discussion, start a new thread. You don't have to add your thoughts to every old thread in the archive.

[Exapno Mapcase]

Campbell. By all accounts, not my cup of tea as a person, but a great guitarist and a great singer

[Phoenix]

Once in a while it's cool to post in an old thread. But I feel like there's been way too much of this lately. This thread is from 2006, if you have something you think would make a good discussion, start a new thread. You don't have to add your thoughts to every old thread in the archive.

Weren't folks just given the proverbial raft for not using the search function properly?  Seems like it's beeter to add a thought to an old topic than to start a new one many folks have already weighed in on and have sit on the board with just a reply or two, making the mods go through the trouble of merging it with the old thread anyway.

I could be wrong tho.