15 Big Ones

[Sheriff John Stone]

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?

No, petsite, don't go to the funny farm! I need all the help I can get. It ain't easy defending 15 Big Ones.

Let me give you the name of this doctor.  It's Dr. Eugene E. Lan...

[Jeff Mason]

Not much to praise from this side.  It was the biggest mistake of the band's career short of not finishing Smile.  Had a Holland-like album, or heck, even Love You, come out here history would have been different.  This was to be the highest profile album that the band had since Pet Sounds, and it had to be great.  This wasn't great.  I actually find MIU an easier listen than much of 15BO.  Sorry, man...

[Surfer Joe]

Smily Smiler #1 : I say we kill him!
Smily Smilers: [shouts] Yeah!
Smily Smiler #2: I say we hang him, then we kill him!
Smily Smilers: [shouts] Yeah!
Smily Smiler #3: I say we stomp him!
Smily Smiler : [shouts] Yeah!
Smily Smiler #4: Then we tattoo him!
Smily Smilers: [shouts] Yeah!
Smily Smiler #5: Then we hang him!
Smily Smilers : [shouts] Yeah!
Smily Smiler #6: And then we kill him!
Smily Smiler: [shouts] Yeah!
Petsite: [trying to throw voice without moving lips] I say we let him go.
Smily Smilers: [shouts] No!

[Howdy Doody]

Uhhh  Yeah.  Basically weak but a couple killer cuts. 

[I. Spaceman]

Smily Smiler #1 : I say we kill him!
Smily Smilers: [shouts] Yeah!
Smily Smiler #2: I say we hang him, then we kill him!
Smily Smilers: [shouts] Yeah!
Smily Smiler #3: I say we stomp him!
Smily Smiler : [shouts] Yeah!
Smily Smiler #4: Then we tattoo him!
Smily Smilers: [shouts] Yeah!
Smily Smiler #5: Then we hang him!
Smily Smilers : [shouts] Yeah!
Smily Smiler #6: And then we kill him!
Smily Smiler: [shouts] Yeah!
Petsite: [trying to throw voice without moving lips] I say we let him go.
Smily Smilers: [shouts] No!

 

[knewthink]

I have always loved this record.  Listen to the vocals on everyone in love with you.  Forget the words.  I believe they are some of the beach boys best.  brian was into it: at times.  I'll take those times, few as they are up with any of his work .

[Sheriff John Stone]

15 Big Ones Live!

Everybody hated it - the critics, the record buying public, the BB/BW diehards, even the band itself. But look at how many tracks were performed live.

Rock And Roll Music  -  Still performed today
It's OK - Played for about 6 years, I saw the Beach Boys open with it in 1982, still performed occasionally
Had To Phone Ya  -  Don't think it was performed live
Chapel Of Love  -  Don't think it was performed live
Everyone's In Love With You  -  Performed for about 3 years, still performed occasionally
Talk To Me  -  Don't think it was performed live
That Same Song  -  Was performed live/FEATURED on the 1976 TV special
TM Song  -  Was performed live by Al Jardine on the Mike Douglas Show in 1976
Palisades Park  -  I don't think it was performed live, a friend of mine claims she heard it live, should've been
Susie Cincinnatti  -  Was performed live for about 2 years
A Casual Look  -  Was peformed for about a year
Blueberry Hill  -  Don't think it was performed
Back Home  -  Performed for 3-4 years, Brian used to strap on a bass and wail away on lead vocals, was a highlight actually
In The Still Of The Night  -  Don't think it was performed live
Just Once In My Life  -  Don't think it was performed live

Ok, if you're keeping score that's 8 out of 15 songs that the Beach Boys performed live from the 15 Big Ones album. Not too shabby. For a band that was supposedly unhappy with the album, they sure didn't have any problems sharing it live with thousands of paying customers.

Now, petsite, if you're out there, after this gets attacked, you have to chime in with something clever!  
  

[Matinee Idyll]

Just Once in My Life is the sole reason I don't burn Love You onto a single disc, and throw the original away.

Absolutely stunning, superior reading that is...  Almost like "Bull Sessions" at the end of Today, but the other way around...

Everything else on here is crap, but this is supoib.


...Susie Cincinnatti has a neat riff, and some good vocals.

[Rerun]

Can't believe I almost skipped this thread entirely and missed a Pee Wee reference...

I have to say, I dismissed this album entirely for a long time, but eventually buckled down and listened to it on a road trip all the way through, and though far from splendid, I do like a lot of the originals.  I'm in agreement with the majority that the covers aren't too rad, but the originals were pleasantly surprising.

[punkinhead]

nice pee wee reference.
by the way, does anyone have al jardine singing the TM song on Mike Douglas? who's he argue with?

[Ron]

I can't ever figure out why everybody hates "Palisades Park".  I think that's a fantastic cover.  "Palisades Park", "Same Song" and "Back Home" do it for me, the rest I can hardly bear to listen to.  "R&R music" is horrid although I kinda like the crazed out Brianish "ROCK, ROLL, ROCKIN' AND A ROLLIN'" in the background.  I'll have to listen to For once in my life more, I havent' given it much of a chance.  The stuff like "everyone's in love with you' and "had to phone ya' or 'talk to me' are just trash as far as i'm concerned. 

[Sheriff John Stone]

I can't ever figure out why everybody hates "Palisades Park".  I think that's a fantastic cover.   

I love "Palisades Park"; I think it's the best cover on the album. I was always surprised at how rarely it was performed in concert in 1976-77 (if at all) because about 5-6 other songs from the album were...

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

THe mixing and general sound of this album is terrible to my ears. It has none of the warmth and human quality that Love You has. That being said, when the second bass comes in through the centre channel in Rock n Roll music, it's a highlight.

[Zander]

Why oh why didn't they use the version of That Same Song as featured on "It's OK" TV special? it was sooooo superior to the album cut. I quite like the album really, apart from TM Song...

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Any album where the best original song was written by Mike Love (EILWY) has to suck. I gave this album a zero, and I'm suprised more people didn't. I am never a fan of the cover song even if they are done very well (Sloop John B, I Can Hear Music).  These covers are very sloppy. Al's SC also sticks out as one of the better songs, but was one of the worst of the era it was recorded in.

This album to me is 10 times worse then 'Summer In Paradise' and that's saying a lot!!

[MBE]

This album is the last real group album where all five are fully intergrated. Not incliuding any Carl or Dennis songs was a big mistake, but there is a group feeling that never came back. Brian sounds medocre here as does Dennis but their voices on Love You are much worse. I like Rock and Roll Music a lot, I think it has a lot of real oomph behind it. It's OK is terrific. Subject matter aside it is just too upbeat for me to dislike. Great harmony on it too. The rest of side one tanks outside of That Same Song, whch may not be as good as the one for the TV special but still has a lot to offer. Brian makes his new voice work here and stays on pitch. Tm Song has a funny intro. Susie is great as it was recorded in the Beach Boys prime, Back Home is a lot of fun and again Brian makes it work. In The Still Of The Night is good to me. Dennis is a little flat but his voice is clearer then it would ever be again. Not vintage Dennis mind you, but certainly less gruff then any of the POB or Love You recordings. Brian does some good falsetto too. The rest of the LP doesn't work, but I think it is pretty easy to listen to. If one doesn't compare it to what came before, they may get a much bigger kick out of it. That said, it must of been sad to learn that the Beach Boys had gone so far downhill for those who waited 3 years for this.  I still like it more than any other group LP to come after.

[Luther]

Not incliuding any Carl or Dennis songs was a big mistake

You know, Carl and Dennis songs wouldn't have fit, though--and in my opinion, that is one of the worst things about every Beach Boys album from here onward. (I love Love You, but it is an oddball one-off compared to everything else) The progressive--or at least of-the-times--sound they had incorporated over the past few studio albums was gone by this time. Can you even imagine something like Feel Flows or Only With You sitting beside It's OK and Rock n Roll Music? To me, this is the album where Brian started phoning it in (Love You not included), tossing in retro or silly songs. Some of them were nice enough, but it's like he said "retro? Oldies? Fine...here. I-vi-IV-V7. Triplets. Knock yourselves out."

I assume they made a ton of money (Endless Summer and popular tours) around this time, but I wish they'd continued down the path of the previous albums, with the younger two Wilsons seemingly in control, Blondie and Ricky in the band and Brian adding a song or two here and there when he felt like it. I miss you, Jack Riely, you big liar.

[Smilin Ed H]

I've never minded this album (except for EILWY, which is rank), although I can appreciate how disappointing it must have been to hear this after years of waiting for something in the style of Holland.  I actually would've preferred an oldies album, in the manner of Dylan's Good As I Been To You, and they could've saved the other songs for something else (the bin, in one or two cases).  The only oldie I don't like is Talahassie Lassie.  I'd have replaced the other tracks with Peggy Sue, Come Go With Me, Sea Cruise and On Broadway and maybe even Running Bear, all of which are at least as good as most of the other oldies.  In the Beach Boys' canon, it's an oddity and, yeah, perhaps signalled the band was bereft of ideas (although there are some good songs on the remaining albums), but it's quirky and I don't mind it at all.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I can appreciate how disappointing it must have been to hear this after years of waiting for something in the style of Holland.

And yet that wait was only three years! And the band released The Beach Boys In Concert after Holland to help fill the gap. But you're right, that must've seemed like an eternity for diehards. Ah, those were the days, a BB album every year or two...

[mikeyj]

I honestly dont think its as bad as some people make out. Sure, its lightyears away from a lot of the bands output previously (in fact pretty much everything) BUT in saying that there isnt much that isnt lightyears away from the bands earlier output in my opinion. I can understand why people dont like it though. I think its all too easy to listen to this album and then compare it with their previous efforts, which if you do that then yes I think this album really sucks. BUT I think without comparing the album to earlier efforts it is not a bad little album. My favourites are:

It's OK - a fun little song nothing spectacular but still enjoyable when in the mood
Had To Phone Ya - another nice little song
Talk To Me - I actually like this cover despite a lot of people hating it.
That Same Song - although I agree with someone who said previously that it wouldve been better if it had been closer to the GV Tour DVD performance with the choir)
Palisades Park - a pretty good cover
Susie Cincinatti - a pretty decent song when in the mood
Back Home - I really like this song even with Brians really rough vocals which I think suits it better then his higher voice (when it was earlier recorded in the 60's)
In The Still of The Night - I really like this one despite a lot of people hating it. The vocals might not be the best (just like the rest of the album) but I still really like Denny's vocal. The backing vocals at the end are pretty annoying however
Just Once In My Life - simply majestic. Easily the highlight of the album for me. Better than the original for me.

The only song that I REALLY hate a lot is TM Song. Man that is one of the worst recordings ever made. Totally pathetic and the band should be ashamed for including that one. They shouldve just left it off and called it 14 Big Ones at the very least!

Basically the production on this might not be that great, the singing not very good at all (especially compared to previous efforts) but I still think it is easily listenable (with exception to TM song which is just embarassing) and I think at the first few listens it can seem like a piece of junk but once you give this album a chance I dont think its all that bad if you dont compare it to previous efforts.