15 Big Ones

[ComicList]

Discuss, review and rate 15 Big Ones, released July 1976.

[Luther]

With the exception of "Just Once In My Life," I can't even tolerate the covers. The originals are so-so, although I like Susie Cincinnati, Back Home and Had To Phone Ya. This album is maybe a 2. Far worse than what came before and after.

[Irwin M. Fletcher]

This album is a lot of fun, except for Brian's vocals (I prefer the gruff Dennis). Shame they didn't use the "hot mix" of "Rock and Roll Music", a far better effort. The other originals are very well done. Some of the covers are absolute merda, but Just Once In My Life is sublime.

[I. Spaceman]

The originals are great, except for TM. The covers are pure unvarnished shite, except for Just Once.

[donald]

Just Once In My Life.  A gem in a pail of garbage.

[SurferGirl7]

It's not one of my favorites for sure. Rock and roll music.... why did that thing could have existed? They could have put Talkin' About American Girls and at least it would be funny rather than painful. I do like Everyone's In Love With You though.

[APPLEI]

one of the big disapointments in the history of music!
it could've been so much better

[Mitchell]

3... It's Ok.

[Chris D.]

why did that thing could have existed?

I don't know what that means, but I do know it was all worth it for that video of Mike in the gold suit singing it live.

[analogdemon]

Ya know, I really sit on the fence with this one.  On one hand, the covers aren't very good.  Chapel of Love is almost unlistenable today.  Maybe these tracks sounded OK in 1976, but they just don't stand the test of time very well.  That said, there are some gems.  Back Home, It's OK, Had To Phone Ya and That Same Song are all great, in my opinion.  I'm not going to vote because my rating of this album varies between 1 and 3 and changes almost daily.  That said, out of all Beach Boys albums, this one gets the least spins.

[monkee knutz]

Between this & LA- which is the Cleveland Steamer of BB LP's? 
About 5 good tracks between both LP's. They're both pretty foul.

[I. Spaceman]

There'a lot of really great stuff on both LP's, but this one is far lesser of an effort.

[Jeff Mason]

I didn't care for Rock and Roll Music or It's OK until I got GHV3 -- the single mixes make all the difference and are far superior to the album tracks.  It made me like It's OK which I had thought to be nuclear sludge before I heard it.

[Glenn Greenberg]

I give this a 2, same rating I gave LOVE YOU.

I kinda like "It's OK," "Back Home," "Had to Phone Ya," "Susie Cincinnati," and "That Same Song."

Brian and Dennis sound awfu throughoutl, Mike's "Everyone's in Love With You" is one of the very worst songs I've ever heard, and most of the covers sound like bantha poodoo.

[Howdy Doody]

I do not dig this album very much but it has moments.  1 stars out of 5.

[Smilin Ed H]

I wish they'd gone for a complete oldies job.  A lot of people don't get it in the same way they don't get World Gone Wrong and Good as I've Been to You.  I like Had to Phone Ya and Susie Cincinnati, and Back Home has a great retro groove that really fits the record.  Everyone's in Love and TM are drippy and It's Okay is a  desperate faux attempt to rekindle the summer is fun vibe.  That Same Song sounds much better with the Double Rock Baptist Choir!  I'd like to have heard Sea Cruise, On Broadway, Peggy Sue and Come Go With Me here.  I know the singing isn't up to everyone's standards and I'm not exactly a fan of Talk to Me/Talahassie Lassie (and I'd rather they'd gone for the other version of Rock and Roll Music), but it could've worked.  THEN they could've got back to the main plan (okay, after Love You) - of course, by that time the booze, drugs and intenecine struggling had taken hold and we were left with a kind of half and half LA followed by the dreck of KTSA.

[JoeP]

You would think that that they would have put out something great doing some oldies and new "oldies" but the production is crap and it's not fun. Come go with me is better than anything on here.

[Carl LaFong]

I gave it a good 4. It is unpretentious, sometimes mediocre, yes, but not incompetent. The voices of Bri and Denny have a particular charm, although you can hear Mike losing it to nasality on Everyone. Highlights:
It's OK
Had To Phone You
Just Once In My Life
In The Still Of The Night

and yes, the sleeve is awful. Montreal Olympics, anyone?

[petsite]

Hey, first day back posting and I just wanted to stir things up!

I really do like 15 Big Ones. Not all of it (I could do without A Casual Look and the TM Song). But there is something there that had been missing from earlier LPs. Brian's presence can be felt. And to paraphrase Jon Stebbins about  Brian's talent, even his uninterested talent beats anyone elses laser like focus. Having just recently pulled this CD from the back of my collection, I've been playing it non-stop in my car for days.

What does everyone else think? Is it time for the funny farm?

[Irwin M. Fletcher]

Yes.