What is the definitive Beach Boys biography (or is their one?)

[Foster's Freeze]

Wouldn't it be fascinating if the band would (would have) written a "true" autobiography which covered their career in their words?  We've seen books of collected quotes before but I would kill for something like the Beatles did with their "Anthology."

I find that sometimes frustration with the history of the band is that post Brian leaving the road, the details, the people, places and things sometimes seem so all over the place.  So many stories of the tours, the planned albums, the failed albums, the whatever.

Having "The Beach Boys" documented, explained and commented on all in one place by those who are responsible for the history would be nice.

[Jon Stebbins]

Wouldn't it be fascinating if the band would (would have) written a "true" autobiography which covered their career in their words?  We've seen books of collected quotes before but I would kill for something like the Beatles did with their "Anthology."

I find that sometimes frustration with the history of the band is that post Brian leaving the road, the details, the people, places and things sometimes seem so all over the place.  So many stories of the tours, the planned albums, the failed albums, the whatever.

Having "The Beach Boys" documented, explained and commented on all in one place by those who are responsible for the history would be nice.

"True" autobiographies are extremely rare. I think the best BB's biography is a bookcase filed with about 10 or 15 of them, as each has its strengths, and each has its holes.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Well, let's see...

Brian - did his 'autobiography'... except that he didn't actually write a single word of it and later disowned it.
Carl - obviously impossible.
Dennis - ditto.
Mike - not interested, which is a shame. I'd seriously like to read what he has to say.
Bruce - has said that if he does, The Beach Boys will be maybe one chapter.
Alan - we'd all be dead before it was published.
David - has done his, in collaboration with young master Stebbins. Get it, it's really good, and funny too.

Will there ever be an authorised band biography ? Already has been - Byron Preiss' 1979 book. At the time, it seemed pretty damn good, and the illustrations still amaze. But, as Jon says, closest we'll get is a shelf with 20/30 volumes on it.

[Foster's Freeze]

I agree with both of your posts.

The Utopian bookshelf has one Beach Boys bio on it that answers all of our questions.

I bought the Priess book when it came out but I think a lot of that was sanitized.

[Foster's Freeze]

With regards to Mike, I also would be interested in his perspective on things.  I recall on one of the morning shows (Good Morning America?) around the time of the 25th Anniversary he noted that he was writing a book.

He obviously is using the Al Jardine time scale with regards to completion and release date.

Bruce.  No offense to Bruce but one chapter on The Beach Boys and..........?  A chapter on collecting royalties for "I write the songs?"

[BillA]

A big mystery is what Carl really thought of the madness around him.  He alwys seemed to be careful in what he said.  I know he was critical of the band's work ethic when he went on hiatis but he never publically critisized individual Beach Boys (I seem to recall his comment on the 1981 Queen Mary disaster as being "I felt bad for the guys).  The only other negative comment he made was regarding Smiley Smile ("a bunt instead of a grand slam").

[donald]

Time for that CW bio.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Time for that CW bio.

Not a chance. No one worth talking to will say anything. Unlike his brothers, Carl kept his private life private.

[buddhahat]

but I would kill for something like the Beatles did with their "Anthology."

Me too, but not sure how much closer to 'the truth' we'd get (if any such objective truth about a band's career actually exists). I read a quote somewhere recently from someone involved in the production of the Anthology doc who said that each Beatles gave a 'sweetened' version of events for the purposes of the film, but that there were much meaner, more bitchy accounts that hit the cutting room floor. No surprises there, but I suspect if the Beach Boys were to authorise any such 'anthology style' doc, it would be even more cautious and protective of The Beach Boys brand. My guess is you'll get far more insight and depth from an outsider's perspective such as the Peter Ames Carlin book, but of course the Beach Boys' own recollections would be fabulous, however constrained.

[adamghost]

This is a great topic.

There really is an amazing book waiting to be written about the Beach Boys, but I suspect most if not all of the principals will be dead before it happens, because of the litigious nature of the group and the (totally understandable) desire to keep the real dirty laundry out of the public eye.  It's interesting that given the amount that is known about the group, the interpersonal dynamics and reasons various things took place (SMILEY SMILE, anyone?) are still to a large degree shrouded in mystery.  It may well be that things just evolved a certain way chaotically based on the peculiar dynamics of the group and there never was any real plan -- and that's a hard thing to capture on paper.  I think Mike once said it would take a James Michener or somebody to do it justice, and I think he's correct about that.

i think in some ways it's good that there isn't a real Beach Boys biography at this stage.  These are all real people, flawed but for the most part well-intentioned, who have gone through a great deal of pain and stress in their lives coping with a situation that most of us cannot possibly fathom.  I think it would be great for a definitive "warts and all" BBs biography to be made after most of the principals are gone, for history's sake, provided that it didn't merely focus on the bad things but gave us a more fleshed out picture of what went on and the role everybody played....but we do owe the folks that are still with us some measure of peace, I think.

It's hard to pick a definitive biography.  The problems with David Leaf's book are well-documented (e.g. very heavily Brian-sympathetic), but it still seems to get at the heart of the band dynamic better than any other book than I've read.  Carlin's book is probably as good as we can get at this stage in the game, but it still feels like it covers too much ground in too short a time (which is not his fault) and again, it's a biography of Brian, not the band.  The late Timothy White's book is really more of a social history than a bio of the band...it's fascinating if you're willing to go with it, but it isn't really the BBs' story.  

It would be great if someone like Phillip Norman really went for it with the Beach Boys, and just did a very thick and deeply researched book.  But it's true...we know tons about Dennis and Brian, and not so much about Carl or even Mike.  And Bruce's story is a fascinating one...I think the BBs deserve more than a chapter if he ever writes one, but he has done a lot of stuff and seen a lot of history.  I would love a book from him.

[alanjames]

Jon Stebbins "The Real Beach Boy" book is the best book about Dennis.
Can't wait to buy the expanded edition, when it'll be released.

[Chris Brown]

Obviously it isn't about the whole group, but as adamghost said, I think Carlin's book is the best we have right now, with Stebbins' books on Denny and David not far behind.  I for one would also love to see Carl or Mike get similar treatment, but as others have said, the likelihood of either is unfortunately quite small.

[Mark H.]

I would love to read a book by either Marilyn or Dianne Rovell.  A woman's perspective on the band, etc.