What might Dennis listen to today if he were alive?

[Pretty Funky]

John Lennon's new album.

[adamghost]

He might have still been listening to new music.  He was aware of the new wave, and his favorite song at the time of his death was "Every Breath You Take" (which was a current hit).

It is much harder to imagine Dennis at 64 than it is imagining him listening to new music if he ever lived that long.

[MBE]

Jack Johnson

I find it hard to imagine that the person that created "Pacific Ocean Blue" would enjoy something as lightweight and hollow as Jack Johnson...

The creator of Pet Sounds enjoys Celine Dion's music...

But didn't Brian also say in an interview that he like her because she has "nice legs" or something of that sort?

That's a good catch. I don't find her attractive but I know a number of men in their fifties and sixties who like her looks.

[the captain]

Even with the Celine Dion correction, it isn't as if Brian has immaculate taste. There is a late 80s interview (in Back to the Beach, compiled by K. Abbott...I forget the interview) when he goes on and on about how great Phil Collins is.

[Jonas]

what do you have against Phil Collins???

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Dennis would listen to Kanye West, Eminem, Nickelback, Buckcherry, Pearl Jam, Pink, and Jason Mraz.

From what I've read, Dennis always enjoyed emotional music. More likely U2 and Cold Play.

[the captain]

what do you have against Phil Collins???

In short, everything.

[adamghost]

Phil Collins, whatever his other faults may be, is an exquisite drummer...

[the captain]

I know. i can't argue that. But hitting adolescence in the later 80s and seeing those damn videos everywhere and hearing those horrid songs all the time ... damn you, Phil Collins.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I recently saw a little clip (can't remember where) and Phil Collins is retiring from music. No kidding. He said that he is dedicated to doing something about the Alamo, either writing a book about it or doing a film about it, or both.

In regard to Dennis liking new music, like I said above, I have no idea what Dennis would be listening to today. But, I am of the opinion that not many "rock and rollers" of his generation (age 64+) listen to a lot of new artists/music. I'm sure some posters will inform me of some, but I don't think there's many, at least if they're honest about it....

[the captain]

But, I am of the opinion that not many "rock and rollers" of his generation (age 64+) listen to a lot of new artists/music. I'm sure some posters will inform me of some, but I don't think there's many, at least if they're honest about it....

That's pretty much my thought exactly.

[Chris Brown]

But, I am of the opinion that not many "rock and rollers" of his generation (age 64+) listen to a lot of new artists/music. I'm sure some posters will inform me of some, but I don't think there's many, at least if they're honest about it....

That's pretty much my thought exactly.

Very true...Brian's musical taste hasn't really changed in 40 years.  The only older artist I can think of who seems to actively seek out new music is Elton John.

[TonyW]

If Dennis were alive today I envisage two possible scenarios:

1: He would be living on the beachfront on the North Shore of Kauai listening to the 60's albums of his live in lover, Dusty Springfield, who he cured of her sexual affliction,

or

2. He would be living in Venice Beach listening Stars & Stripes Vol.2 screaming out "for f#$*'s sake guys why didn't you learn the lesson the first time around?"!   ...   of course the only reason Dennis would listen to S&SV2 was so that he could hear the Lucinda William's version of Forever on which he played drums, was the only Beach Boy who turned up to do backing vocals and, naturally, at the conclusion of the session he nailed her.

[Alex]

Maybe he'd listen to Stereolab...and he probably would've had affairs with both Laetitia Sadier and Mary Hansen (before she died).

[MBE]

The sound of one hand clapping.

[CarCrazyCutie]

I honestly can't imagine someone who was a member of the greatest band ever, grew up in the same house as Brian Wilson, and had the unbelievable musical talents Dennis had even turning on a contemporary "music" station today. IMO 95% of the music from the last 30 years has been trash, much less up to Beach Boys' standards (pre Kokomo anyway ). I really don't see someone who had a hand in Pet Sounds, Sunflower, and POB throwing on U2 or Lil Wayne's latest albums and jamming, lol
 

[Sheriff John Stone]

IMO 95% of the music from the last 30 years has been trash....

You sound like Bob Dylan.....But I like it!

[MBE]

It's funny but I agree with CarCrazyCutie in a way too. Really the only music I like from the mid 70's on is stuff by people who started during the first two decades of rock. Basically between 51-71. Oh I hear a song here or there I like by a newer group (including some of you on here), but I'm adressing the overall popular music scene of the 80's until now. Honestly even most of my favorite artists weren't the same after the seventies. Great albums like Modern Times by Dylan, or LOS by Brian are few and far between really. A big part of it is just the way music is recorded in the last thirty years.

I hope my tastes don't sound too rigid. During the 51-71 period I like all sorts of music. Rock, blues, country, folk, even gospel. My tastes range from Bill Haley to Black Sabbath so there is a lot of diversity in there. I don't know it's just something I cannot describe about how the music of the era gets to me in a way nothing has since. I mean I wasn't born until 1976 but my ears told me what I liked.

[Mr. Cohen]

Oh I hear a song here or there I like by a newer group (including some of you on here), but I'm adressing the overall popular music scene of the 80's until now.

I think there has been just as much as good music over the last couple of decades as in the 50s/60s, it's just that the radio has been overly commercialized. I think in the 90s and especially the 2000s, there has been an explosion of good music, as good as in the sixties, thanks to technological advances making it easier for bands on low budgets to make professional sounding recordings.  The 70s and 80s were kind of bad because you didn't have that, so a lot of the good bands that weren't part of the commercial scene tended to sound garagey, which works sometimes but is limiting sound wise. You're not likely to hear any of this new good music on the radio or MTV, but there are accessible, popular outlets, especially on the internet, where you can find it without much difficulty.

[Jason]

I could imagine Dennis having been into the alternative explosion of 1991-94, IMO the last great time in pop music. Dennis was never "mainstream" and the alternative scene of the late 80s and early 90s I believe could have been of interest to him. I could have understood him getting into stuff like The Flaming Lips and Stereolab and The Verve.

But, he's no longer with us, so I'm sure up there he can hear all the lovely sounds coming from the airwaves. When we're all gone we can have a pint with him and St. Peter and talk about how much Vampire Weekend rox our sox off.

[phirnis]

He allegedly liked The Police's "Every Breath You Take" quite a bit.

[Ed Roach]

He allegedly liked The Police's "Every Breath You Take" quite a bit.

Actually, it was "King of Pain" that he listened to repeatedly.

[Ganz Allein]

Even with the Celine Dion correction, it isn't as if Brian has immaculate taste. There is a late 80s interview (in Back to the Beach, compiled by K. Abbott...I forget the interview) when he goes on and on about how great Phil Collins is.

It gets worse - there's a 1995 Paul Williams interview with Brian where he raves about the Kenny G. Christmas album.  As for Dennis, if he were around today, I don't really see him getting into music from the last couple of decades.  There's been some great stuff in that time but nothing revolutionary or earthshaking (I personally don't consider hip-hop to have advanced music, but that's another story.)  I would picture Dennis kicking back with some classic '50s/'60s rock'n'roll or New Orleans r&b.

[sofonanm]

It's a bit narrow minded to assume that the guy would stop listening to new music and cease seeking it out.

My dad's over fifty and he listens to more new music than I do in my twenties. Then again, all his wife listens to is Best of 60s albums if she listens to anything in particular at all.

Anyway, you never know. Lots of people around in Dennis' day are still making music. He might still relate to those artists and what they're putting out. Maybe Neil Young's limousine rap, "Cough up the bux". 

[sofonanm]

Also - these sort of threads are really just people talking about themselves and their own ideas of who a person was based on fairly limited information and a lot of their own dreaming.