What kind of material should the band have released instead of "15 Big Ones"?

[Quzi]

Some very interesting scattered musings, however, I have a different take on Dennis not being the savior in the early 70's.  There was a brief flash where it was happening, and ironically you can see it in The Mike Douglas Show footage, where they perform "Never Learn Not To Love"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I0v2bVX8j4.  I say it’s ironic because to my memory, it was the trial, the threats & the aftermath of his involvement with Manson which caused control to slip through his fingers.  You can see in that footage, (& perhaps even more so in that damn missing David Frost Show!), how there was no stopping his stepping to the forefront at a certain point. I mean, nobody questions that practically from the gate, he was absolutely the most charismatic part of their show.

Which is not to say he ever for a moment thought he could be the showman that Mike was, and he became all the more aware of that once he injured his hand, and was forced out front with Mike. I really believe his discomfort in that role contributed a great deal to his drinking. Also, as far as setting his sights on his solo career, he wasn’t any different than Mike & Brian releasing a single, or Brian putting out “Caroline No” as a solo. While there were examples of him pulling tracks, for the most part his material was as available to The Beach Boys as Lindsey Buckingham’s works in progress are often adopted by Fleetwood Mac. 

I also subscribe to the theory that his discomfort as a frontman and the Manson incidents stopped him becoming a "Mike" for the band in the late 60s. In my above post I was mainly speculating as to why Dennis didn't "save" the band in a songwriting capacity from '74-'76 (which I still think that ultimately boils down to his respect for Brian and solo aspirations.)

The way I see it is Dennis contributed 25% of the material on 20/20 and Sunflower, a pretty fair claim in a band with so many songwriters. Even with this quantifiable stake of control in the band at the time, Dennis still had a drive to do things alone, evident by the release of "Sound of Free" in 1970 and his attempt a solo album in '71/'72.  It gives a little less credence to the theory that Dennis was only attracted to a solo career in '76 after being forced to because of band politics - it'd been on the guy's mind for a while.

[Nicko1234]

...This is that goofy-and-weird definition of "Brian Wilson-sounding", which excludes basically all his hugely successful albums before 1967, is it?  :-)

The reason I'm not keen on the stuff round that time is because it sounds like Brian malfunctioning, in a way which none of the previous albums -- even quirky ones like "Friends" -- do.  Even "Smiley Smile", which sounds like they're all off the planet, doesn't sound like he's flailing for something and not reaching it.

Cheers,
Jon Blum

I agree as well. I think it's apparent from all the reports at the time that Brian didn't want to be producing this album and it shows with the lackluster arrangements, productions and mixes.

[Jay]

I used to be appalled by 15 Big Ones. Couldn't believe what a drop-off from their earlier material it was. But I actually came to really like it. It has so many touches that are just so obviously "Brian", which one couldn't say about a great deal of the few albums before it.

But regardless, when the group released this album, they were riding a wave of popularity that they hadn't since the 1960s and no doubt, they squandered it. While 15 Big Ones is fun and raw and goofy and hoarse, that was not what the public wanted. Shoot, I'm not sure any of group themselves (besides Brian) even wanted that. What could they realistically have done at this point to capitalize on the success of Endless Summer? Well one would think they'd let every member submit their best material and just fashion a cohesive album out of that (and add a few covers since Brian was definitely diggin' those at the time). And with the following tunes (all of which were likely at least considered for the album), it seems they really could have had a commercial and critical hit. And who knows what that woulda meant!

"Good Timin'"
"California Feelin'"
"It's OK"
"Ding Dang"
"River Song"
"Everyone's In Love With You"
"Susie Cincinnati"
"Angel Come Home"
"Just Once In My Life"
"Palisades Park"

There you go. Ten songs. Not amazing, but definitely a good collection with a few songs that eventually became hit singles ("Good Timin'" and "It's OK"). Shame they didn't put something like this out.

Take out Palisades Park and possibly Ding Dang, replace them with Go And Get That Girl and Sherry, She Needs Me, and you've got a great album. 

[phirnis]

...This is that goofy-and-weird definition of "Brian Wilson-sounding", which excludes basically all his hugely successful albums before 1967, is it?  :-)

The reason I'm not keen on the stuff round that time is because it sounds like Brian malfunctioning, in a way which none of the previous albums -- even quirky ones like "Friends" -- do.  Even "Smiley Smile", which sounds like they're all off the planet, doesn't sound like he's flailing for something and not reaching it.

Cheers,
Jon Blum

I agree as well. I think it's apparent from all the reports at the time that Brian didn't want to be producing this album and it shows with the lackluster arrangements, productions and mixes.

He called it his favorite BB album as recently as 2012 so there must be something about it that he really likes. Being back in the spotlight made him nervous perhaps but the backing tracks he produced for this album sound like he was quite into it.

[Gabo]

music that sounded like their 1963-1966 heyday i guess... too bad that was impossible by 1976

[Magic Transistor Radio]

I am very disturbed by 15 Big Ones, but quite charmed by Love You. The Adult/Child material is somewhere in between. 

To me, Love You captures the magic of Smiley Smile/Wild Honey/Friends era. Music that sounds half assed, but very creative at the same time. 15 Big One's doesn't do anything for me. Although, I would be interested in hearing the backing tracks.

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

...This is that goofy-and-weird definition of "Brian Wilson-sounding", which excludes basically all his hugely successful albums before 1967, is it?  :-)

The reason I'm not keen on the stuff round that time is because it sounds like Brian malfunctioning, in a way which none of the previous albums -- even quirky ones like "Friends" -- do.  Even "Smiley Smile", which sounds like they're all off the planet, doesn't sound like he's flailing for something and not reaching it.

Cheers,
Jon Blum

I agree as well. I think it's apparent from all the reports at the time that Brian didn't want to be producing this album and it shows with the lackluster arrangements, productions and mixes.

He called it his favorite BB album as recently as 2012 so there must be something about it that he really likes. Being back in the spotlight made him nervous perhaps but the backing tracks he produced for this album sound like he was quite into it.

Source? Not that I think you're lying, but I recall reading somewhere that he considered Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) his favorite. Perhaps he changed his mind, I guess.

[alf wiedersehen]

Every Beach Boys album has been Brian's favorite at some point.

[Jim V.]

Every Beach Boys album has been Brian's favorite at some point.

I'm not sure about every album, but I'm pretty sure at some point he was even saying Carl and the Passions and Holland were two of his favorites, surprisingly.

[halblaineisgood]

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[halblaineisgood]

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[shelter]

I love the double album idea. If 15 is some sort of crazy mess, imagine what a spectacularly crazy mess a crushing dose of it would've been!

It could have been a cool double album if it would've had only originals on one disc and only covers on the other.

[bgas]

I love the double album idea. If 15 is some sort of crazy mess, imagine what a spectacularly crazy mess a crushing dose of it would've been!

It could have been a cool double album if it would've had only originals on one disc and only covers on the other.

Hmmm...   It's Deja Vu all over again

[JK]

It could have made a stunning single----"It's O.K." b/w "just Once In My Life".