What if the Beach Boys had recorded "That Lucky Old Sun"?

[coco1997]

Hypothetical question: What if the BB had recorded "TLS" in the mid-late 70's? How do you think it would have been received? Also, whom do you think would have taken the lead on each of the songs?

I can definitely hear Carl singing "Morning Beat," Mike on "Good Kind of Love," and Dennis on "Midnight's Another Day." What do you guys think?

[phirnis]

I can definitely imagine Al Jardine singing lead on both Live Let Live and California Role. Have to say though that I can hardly picture TLOS as a 70s record.

[Sheriff John Stone]

ANY Brian Wilson solo album with Beach Boys' vocals would've been better received.

I can picture a song like "Good Timin" or "It's A Beautiful Day" on TLOS.

[punkinhead]

I could see Brian sticking to some of the songs that really are about himself like Oxygen to the Brain, Midnight's another Day, and Goin Home. But I could see a good shared mike love vocal with goin home. Al on Live Let Live and California Role is a good call.

Jack Rieley on narrations. 

[Magic Transistor Radio]

I think that Mike could've written just as good of lyrics for TLOS! It is just a matter of Brian not wanting to work with Mike.

[TdHabib]

I think that Mike could've written just as good of lyrics for TLOS! It is just a matter of Brian not wanting to work with Mike.

I don't mean to be controversial about this but I think Scotty's just as good a lyricist as Mike.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

I think that Mike could've written just as good of lyrics for TLOS! It is just a matter of Brian not wanting to work with Mike.

I don't mean to be controversial about this but I think Scotty's just as good a lyricist as Mike.

That's exactly what I said!

[Wrightfan]

Interesting idea. Let me try and take a crack at a lineup:

1. That Lucky Old Sun-Mike Love on lead.
2. Morning Beat-Brian
3. Narrative: Room with a View-Al
4. Good Kind of Love-Al
5. Narrative: Venice Beach-Denny
6. Live Let Live/TLOS reprise-Carl
7. Mexican Girl-Mike
8. Narrative: Cinco de Mayo-Mike
9. California Feelin'-Al
10. Narrative: Between Pictures-Brian
11. Oxygen to the Brain-Brian
12. Narrative: Drive down Rodeo (made up track)-Carl
13. It's a Beautiful Day-Carl
14. Narrative: Looking up at the stars (made up track)-Brian
15. Midnight's Another Day-Brain

[Jason]

Are you serious?

[Wrightfan]

Are you serious?

Are you talking to me or about the idea of the Beach Boys doing TLOS?

[Jason]

I was addressing the whole thread.

Perhaps I should bold it? Or italicize it? Underline it? Put a strike through it? Make it glow? Put it in shadows? Make it move?

[Dancing Bear]

...

[SurfRiderHawaii]

David Marks singing "California Role"

[Wrightfan]

I was addressing the whole thread.

Perhaps I should bold it? Or italicize it? Underline it? Put a strike through it? Make it glow? Put it in shadows? Make it move?

Ooh! Moving text!

(Sits and watches it all day.)

[Jon Stebbins]

This is another one of those "what if my dog pooped gold nuggets?...kind of threads. I mean if you really want to put some serious thought into this...TLOS is totally informed by the '60's, '70's, '80's, 90's, '00's...by Brian's past catalog...by Landy, David Leaf, Joe Thomas, Melinda...and all of ours and the media's post 90's perceptions of Brian. Its a reaction to the post BWPS market. Its not a retro sounding record and the compositions are completely conscious of the now. This record could not have happened in the '70's. What if Brian had written Little Deuce Coupe yesterday instead of in 1963? Maybe Jeff would have sang the high part...and maybe the car would have been a hybrid. Sorry...but actually considering this kind of stuff puts me in a cynical mood. I think what I'm trying to say is, for me, the premise is too flawed to take seriously.

[SurfRiderHawaii]

This is another one of those "what if my dog pooped gold nuggets?...kind of threads. I mean if you really want to put some serious thought into this...TLOS is totally informed by the '60's, '70's, '80's, 90's, '00's...by Brian's past catalog...by Landy, David Leaf, Joe Thomas, Melinda...and all of ours and the media's post 90's perceptions of Brian. Its a reaction to the post BWPS market. Its not a retro sounding record and the compositions are completely conscious of the now. This record could not have happened in the '70's. What if Brian had written Little Deuce Coupe yesterday instead of in 1963? Maybe Jeff would have sang the high part...and maybe the car would have been a hybrid. Sorry...but actually considering this kind of stuff puts me in a cynical mood. I think what I'm trying to say is, for me, the premise is too flawed to take seriously.

Agree Jon!  I'm not a fan of these kind of threads either.  Like what if the Beatles had put "All Things Must Pass" on Abbey Road.  It is all so hypothetical now.

I'd much rather think what the present day Beach Boys would do with TLOS live in concert.   I think TLOS would have been a much bigger commercial success as a Beach Boys album but that didn't happen.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Just trying to have a little fun, a little friendly discussion, talking about the music. It is a BEACH BOYS message board.

[grillo]

Sheriff, don't you know that having a lighthearted discussion about something so sacred could only lead you straight to hell?

[Sheriff John Stone]

Sheriff, don't you know that having a lighthearted discussion about something so sacred could only lead you straight to hell?

  .............>

[grillo]

Exactly.

[lance]

Unlike Brian Wilson 88, I don§t think that TLOS would have been better with the other Boys...it is too self-consciously "solo", it is too autobiographical for anyone to sing it other than Brian Wilson. IMHO. It just doesn't work as a Beach Boys album. It works as an album from the ex-leader of the Beach Boys.

[The infamous Baldwin Organ]

I can see the Beach Boys in 2008 singing the vocals on TLOS. It is essentially a 'Brian' album no matter what, but...remember Pet Sounds?

It would just be good to hear them trade verses again. My opinion, of course.

[lance]

But Pet Sounds was not self-referential, and thats what I mean. The concept of the Beach Boys having broken up is somehow IN the album itself.

NOw, Im not saying the rest of his output wouldnt benefit from other lead vocals, whether from his current band or other Beach Boys...I just think that that albums works better with Brian singing the leads.

[Aegir]

Southern California makes no sense with Carl and Dennis still alive.

[Autotune]

This is another one of those "what if my dog pooped gold nuggets?...kind of threads. [...]  I think what I'm trying to say is, for me, the premise is too flawed to take seriously.

Jon, you're right in asserting that LOS is a product of the now. In every respect. From that point of view, the initial post makes no sense.

But there is another, subjacent element that could be inferred from this whole topic: that Brian Wilson’s solo music is Beach Boys music sung by others. Now that could hardly move a number of die-hard BW fans: after all, Brian is the Beach Boys and all that…  But it is still a sour reminder of their wrongness to some superfan-authors that to this day preach about Brian having within himself this incredibly innovative, ultra-original, never-ending cascade of masterful genius music that an evil environment insists in dampening.

There’s never been any of that. In the then and in the now, BW’s music, solo or not, is beach boy music.