Most overrated, most underated

[MBE]

Let's discuss which album you like that most people don't. and which one most people like that you dislike.  Please be constructive and not put each other down for differing tastes. I think what we should do here is perhaps help others understand the appeal in work that presently eludes them.

I like MIU for it's singing and production beauty. I don't think it's GREAT but I do think it's something I can play for anyone without any hesitation. All of the other post 73 group albums have moments that make me cringe. Another I kind of like is 15 Big Ones. Not that it is superb either but it's the last time it felt like the group were all in the same room togeher. Nice collective feel on it. 


I dislike Love You, I just don't get it. Sure Good Time being from my favorite Beach Boys era is a great song, I cannot argue with The Night Was So Young or Ill Bet He's Nice either. Both are strong enough melodically to overcome the roller rink ogran. I sumize that a lot of people like this because it's the last album Brian really directed. If this material was producued or writen by Mike or Al I don't think it would have the affection it does have. I don't like the lyrics, am luke warm about the melodies and I can't get past the vocals.

Looking forward to other people's views that go against what is  popular or unpopular..

[mikeyj]

Well it all depends Im not sure 100% which albums people do and dont like. But according to what I think people do and dont like I actually really like L.A. (Light Album) whereas most people (I think) dont. I too also like 15 Big Ones. There is only one song on each of those albums that I really cant stand and that is Here Comes The Night and TM Song respectively. Other than that though I really enjoy both albums. Of course there not my favourites but I still can easily listen to them and I think many people overlook these albums wrongfully as they dont full give them a chance (just my opinion). I do however really like Love You as it just has this really nice charm to it. I cant explain it though. There is no album that everybody seems to like that I really dont like. Since Ive heard all of the bands stuff there isnt much that I dont like from Surfin' Safari through to L.A. (Light Album). Of course the odd song or two but generally I like all the stuff and at the worst I find most songs atleast bearable (with exception to a few songs as I mentioned). As far as the later stuff I still find the majority at least bearable but generally I dont enjoy them as much with occassionaly some songs I just absolutely cant stand (and of course some songs that I quite like - such as Somewhere Near Japan) I mainly just like those albums for Carl and Als singing - mainly Carl though.

[shelter]

Overrated: I don't like Wild Honey at all.

Underrated: I think that Still Cruisin' isn't nearly as bad as most people say it is. It's MUCH better than the other 80s/90s albums.

[mikeyj]

Overrated: I don't like Wild Honey at all.

Im just interested... what dont you like about Wild Honey. Im not having a go at your opinion Im just curious as to why you dont really like it?

[No. Fourteen]

Overrated, I'm gonna go with SURF'S UP.  Looking at the tracklisting, it's hard to find much fault with it.  But I'm not too big on DGNTW, ...Feet, STD(hmm, never abbreviated that one!), LAT, or ....Tree(I'll bet to the dismay of many!).  And while I do think they did a great job with Surf's Up(in the context of being a SMILE leftover, it has a tacked-on feeling to it), I think I'd rather see the album end with 'Til I Die.  And the whole Riley/"conscious" nature of the album doesn't wear very well for me, though I do appreciate the cohesiveness of the sound.  I remember talking to the cashier at a record store a few years back, (when that Sub Pop 45 came out circa Pet Sounds box -  1996?), and he was talking about how he bought a vinyl copy of SURF'S UP every time he found one in good shape.  He had 4 of 'em.  Maybe I haven't had a listen to a good vinyl copy....


Underrated, I'll say PARTY!.  For a "stopgap" album, I think it's a great concept, and a fun listen.  An album you don't need to wait for the right time to listen to.  May even get you out of a bad mood!
A little bit of group interaction between songs, and it sounds like their really enjoying it.  And probably were, next to the work they were doing on PET SOUNDS. 

[Smilin Ed H]

Underrated - Surf's Up (by some people ) and Party.
Overrated - MIU (as it is by some, but not by me!)

[Roger Ryan]

I agree with some of the posts here: "Love You" and "Surf's Up" are overrated. A handful of good songs and overall great production on the SU album can't save these releases for me. "Surf's Up" in particular should have been a much stronger album, especially considering the quality of the songs that didn't make the cut.

Underrated? For me, it's "Carl & The Passions: So Tough" I hated this record when I first heard it (in 1976), but upon returning to it about seven years ago, I found that I like virtually every track.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

This might anger a lot of people. But I have listened to Pet Sounds so much, that I don't really like it anymore. I still think its a great album, but I listen to other stuff now.

You can probably tell by my name that I am a huge fan of Mt Vernon and Fairway. I consider that to be a part of the Holland album in a way. Holland, I think, is one of their best albums.

[My3kGT]

Hi guys, my first reply on this board.

Most overrated:  Love You.  It has a quirky charm about it, but ultimately it's the work of a very ill man being forced to do something he really didn't want to do and it shows.

Most Underrated.  The Beach Boys (1985).  The production may be a bit sterile at times, but I think this album has the band making solid, comtemporary music with a minumum of weak or embarrassing moments (i.e., no "Johnny Carson" or Tree songs) to make you ask, "What were they thinking?"

[the captain]

Overrated: Sunflower. I know it is a favorite of many people, but to me it is a better example of excellent engineering and production than anything else. There are a few songs I love (This Whole World is among my 5-10 favorite BB songs ever), but plenty I don't much care for. It is one of the first albums where I believe there were better available, recorded songs they could've used and improved the album.

Underrated: Surf's Up. I like several of the songs many fans don't (DGNtW, Feet, Tree). The only one I don't like is SDT, and I don't even dislike that track--I just hate that siren and the lyrics.

[Glenn Greenberg]

Most overrated: LOVE YOU

Most underrated: Too many to choose from!  I'll say that the albums that most deserved to be hits but weren't are WILD HONEY, FRIENDS, and SUNFLOWER.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Most Overrated - Sunflower
The first 3-4 songs blow me away. Tremendous. Then it sinks into mediocrity for a couple of songs, makes a comeback with "All I Wanna Do" and "Forever", and ends slightly boringly (is that a word?). Other than the water chant, "Cool Cool Water" doesn't excite me. How many songs (or minutes) of songwriting did Brian Wilson contribute to this album? "Deidre" - OK, "It's About Time" - forced, "Tears In The Morning" - OK, "Our Sweet Love" - recycled, "At My Window"- only the ending redeems it. Don't misunderstand me, it's not a bad album, it's probably a good album. But a classic, no.

Most Underrated - Today
Second best album only to Pet Sounds, but this album rarely appears on "all-time" greatest albums lists. Brian was operating an extremely high level on this album. Every song is good, most are great. Fast songs, slow songs, fun songs, tear jerkers, complex arrangements, good cover versions - this album has it all. How many hits came from this album - 3,4,5? With the possible - and I stress possible - exception of "In The Back Of My Mind", there is not one bit of slippage, and a different lead vocal might've rectified that. If - and the only if - if you could take out Bullshit With Big Daddy and replace it with "Guess I'm Dumb", oh my...

[Beach Boy]

Most overrated: "Friends" (besides the first 2 songs nothing that blows me away) and "Party" (I am not really interested about a fake party album with covers only).

Most underrated: "Keepin' The Summer Alive",  which has some wonderful love songs - "Goin' On", "Livin' With A Heartache" and "Oh, Darlin'" - and the others are powerful or have a nice melodie. "Carl And The Passions" has some really nice tunes, I only dislike "Here She Comes".

[the captain]

Most Overrated - Sunflower
The first 3-4 songs blow me away. Tremendous. Then it sinks into mediocrity for a couple of songs, makes a comeback with "All I Wanna Do" and "Forever", and ends slightly boringly (is that a word?). Other than the water chant, "Cool Cool Water" doesn't excite me. How many songs (or minutes) of songwriting did Brian Wilson contribute to this album? "Deidre" - OK, "It's About Time" - forced, "Tears In The Morning" - OK, "Our Sweet Love" - recycled, "At My Window"- only the ending redeems it. Don't misunderstand me, it's not a bad album, it's probably a good album. But a classic, no.

Oh my gosh, I never thought I'd see the day when someone else said that. I'm not alone after all!

[the captain]

P.S., you're fired from Beach Boys fandom. Pack up your things and get out of here by 5:00.

 

[Eric Aniversario]

Underrated:

1. LA Light Album...my 2nd favorite of all time, right behind Friends.  The background vocals on every track (except Goin' South, which doesn't have any) are beautiful.  The lead vocals on each track are pretty solid, and you get 2 1/2 lead vocals from Dennis, which were his last officially released ones.  Every song is a gem in its own way, and even the weakest track "Shortenin' Bread" is cool in its own little quirky way.  And yes, I love HCTN!

2. Friends...my favorite album.  It's appreciated by fans a little bit more than LA, but I still think that it is a pretty much unnoticed gem that sits on CD racks unused for too long.  This album takes me away for 30 minutes and leaves me, and I'm sure other listeners as well, at peace.

3. Carl & The Passions-So Tough...definitely underappreciated.  This album was my first glimpse into the post-Surf's Up, pre-15 Big Ones Beach Boys, and I felt like a whole new world was opened up to me in terms of my fandom.  Every song is a keeper, and each track is like a well-kept secret, hidden from 99.9% of the world.

4. Summer In Paradise...yeah, the drum machines are a little annoying to some, and the lyrics are very trite and cliche at times.  But it's a very enjoyable listen, at least to these ears.  "Summer Of Love" is a cheesefest, but it never fails to put a smile on my face because it's so funny.  Other tracks like "Hot Fun In The Summertime", "Still Surfin", and "Island Fever" are much-played classics at my house.

Overrated:

1. Holland...there are some really great songs on here, but the songs don't mesh well together.  The structure of the album seems really disjointed and awkward.  Perhaps the three-part California Saga would have been better at the end of side 2, and maybe another song could have been added to the lineup (9 is kind of a weird number).  "Funky Pretty" was much better live.

2. Endless Summer...not so much overrated by serious fans, but really by the general public.  A more responsible compilation would have included a second disc with later tracks (which probably would have been impossible considering the different record labels).

3. 15 Big Ones...I know that many people don't like this album, but even with the few fans that it has, I still think it's overrated.

[MBE]

Eric actually the California Saga does come at the end of side one. The vinyl version may be more to you liking because it flows better with the Fairytale seperate from the LP. Love these opinions, glad everyone is being respectful. I have come to realize that every album will have people who love them as well as those who dislike them.

[Sheriff John Stone]

P.S., you're fired from Beach Boys fandom. Pack up your things and get out of here by 5:00.

I took a chance mentioning Sunflower as overrated, but I didn't have the guts to stand up for my most UNDERrated - 15 Big Ones!

[tpesky]

Overrated- Brian Wilson's Smile-sorry the Smile stuff just never did it for me, outside of Surfs Up, Wonderful, Heroes,. (Please don't hit me)

Underrated- wow this one is tough cause with knowledgable fans, its hard to get an underrated album.  I am gonna say 85 or Still Crusin..if Still Crusin had been finished...easily their best work in a LONG time. Great vocals...lots of lead sharing. and 85 as well. Carl and Al make these albums worth it

[the captain]

Eric actually the California Saga does come at the end of side one.

You might want to double-check Eric's post--he said maybe California Saga would have been better at the end of side two.

[melissalynn]

I've always thought 'Surfs Up' was over-rated. I LOVE a few tracks (Til I Die being my favorite), but overall...it's just not my cup of tea. Some of the album just seems forced to me...and some of the tracks are well...just mediocre, IMO.

As far as under-rated...I'm going with '20/20'. Sure, it seems to be just kind of 'thrown together'...SMiLE remnants, etc...but there really are some hidden gems on there. I'm pretty sure that very few people will agree with me...but I just love that album. My second place for 'under-rated' is 'Carl and the Passions'.

[Black Tiger]

Overrated: Sunflower. I have never understood the adulation for this one. There's not a single melody on there that is memorable to me, nor the lyrics. The backing tracks are "nice."

Underrated: Summer Days!!  All the pre-PS praise is usually heaped on Today, but I find this one to be superior, in terms of production, and it's the one I turn to most often. It has the better Rhonda/Ronda and no Bull Session with Big Daddy! Let Him Run Wild trumps everything.

I think the sound of both the drums and the bass on Wild Honey are incredible, and quite underappreciated.

[MBE]

Eric actually the California Saga does come at the end of side one.

You might want to double-check Eric's post--he said maybe California Saga would have been better at the end of side two.

Oops sorry

[No. Fourteen]

Underrated- wow this one is tough cause with knowledgable fans, its hard to get an underrated album.  I am gonna say 85 or Still Crusin..if Still Crusin had been finished...easily their best work in a LONG time. Great vocals...lots of lead sharing. and 85 as well. Carl and Al make these albums worth it

I don't think I've ever read a good account of the Still Crusin' project.  Had they initially  planned on it being a full album of new material?


Surf's Up is a popular one in this thread, one way or the other!

[phirnis]

Underrated: Summer Days!!  All the pre-PS praise is usually heaped on Today, but I find this one to be superior, in terms of production, and it's the one I turn to most often. It has the better Rhonda/Ronda and no Bull Session with Big Daddy! Let Him Run Wild trumps everything.

Agreed. Summer Days is easily one of the freshest sounding records ever, by anyone. As a cohesive album experience, it's totally underappreciated by most people.