The Smiley Smile Message Board

By that I mean something that sounds almost like a parody of themselves and something you'd see on This Is Spinal Tap? IMO, I think In The Parking Lot sounds as generic as you can get. The layered harmonies at the beginning and end, the fast music and Chuck Berry-like guitar in the middle and the "do-ron de ron" harmonies to accompany Mike is almost like a recipe on how to right an (old) Beach Boys song.

"california calling"

KOKOMO

You knew it was coming sooner or later.

The first that comes to mind is Rock and Roll Music.  Very drab sounding, at least on the album version that I know.

Ew, I can't stand that song.

What other song that came before it sounds like Kokomo?
Don't bash Kokomo just to be a Kokomo basher. You know you really wanna go there, to get away from it all.

California Calling is in line for what the OP is looking for - something that seems like an intentional rehash. Realistically, by the true terms of "generic", "Goin' South" would fit the bill.

Kokomo is generic because any LA group from 1960s could have done it (BBs, Byrds, etc.

Sounds from any toilet, anywhere.

I don't hear it. It's eighties cheese with a sax solo and dated production, but I can't see 'any LA group from the 1960s' doing that. The Byrds? The Turtles? Love? The Doors? Nah. It's not particullarly 60s 'Beach Boys' sounding, either.

I'm just saying that its an (insert group here) type of song. Kokomo sounded like no BBs song before it with few BW halmarks in it with it being a production from Terry Melcher and Co. (IMO)

It's still incredibly generic sounding.

The first message said it, In the Parking Lot. The intro, the groove, the sound, the harmonies, the lyrics, the subject matter... It's America's band alright.

Thats my point ;), it was a soundtrack song that many groups could do beside the BBs. Mike Love needs to realise this and move on with his dormant "today!" style songwriting.

Yeah, I wish!
Or pull out another Let The Wind Blow.

"Surfin' USA" or "Fun, Fun, Fun".

Agreed, this man has talent and his formulamanic "fun in the sun" songwriting annoys me to no end.

Yeah, unfortunately, I don't think he's going to change back.
Never say never with these guys though.
Fingers crossed!

I'll suggest "Good Timin'" too. It sounds like a competent, paint-by-numbers Beach Boys song; pleasant but forgettable and certainly nothing special... because that's exactly what it is.

not very nice thing to say. check.

The OP isn't really asking for the most generic sounding Beach Boys song....it seems like he wants to know the song(s) where The Beach Boys became self-parodies, or at least works which resemble a classic Beach Boys style - but don't stand up to the ones that came before it.

OK, if it's generic, then it's "Surfin' USA" and "Fun, Fun, Fun". If it's parody, which isn't the same as generic, then it's "Kona Coast", "California Calling", and "Desert Drive".

MODIFYYYYEWA

Showing results for MODIFY YEWA


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yewa_clan


.I search I think that  Beach Boy acronym... :-\ :'(

Not initial for Dennis wilson song!!! Runer!!!!!!

Yep. I have been thinking just this since the day it came out. It sounds like a BBs tribute band giving their own 'creativity' a first shot.

And the lyrics... 'In the sixties it was hodad you know'... brrrr...

Rock and Roll to the Rescue, Still Cruisin'

It is clearly and indisputably Oh Darlin.

Getcha Back

This song is so drab and lifeless to me, that when it first hit the airwaves it almost made me a not Beach Boys fan.  The melody sounded so uninspired and typical, it reminded me of something you'd hear in a commercial for a rest home or something.  Part of that could also be attributed to the tempo, I suppose.  I remember thinking, hey at least they could have sped it up a little....

Kona Coast and Keep An Eye On Summer

most of SIP,even though the songs with Carl singing sounds like the real Beach Boys while the songs Mike sings on sound like a Beach Boys tribute band...also Brians solo versions of "Let him run wild" and "Keep an eye on summer"..all of Stars and Stripes (no wait that IS a beach boys tribute band..lol)....oh yeah John Stamos singing "Forever"

Love that song!

Kokomo

Or most that Brian wasn't involved in.

Good call!

Any song about the beach and/or surfing that Mike wrote after 1968.

fiddlesticks,

and


FIDDLESTICKS.

Is 'fiddlesticks' a synonym for 'the truth' in your neck of the woods?

Then I agree.

no, it stands for 'disagreement'.

has to be Kona Coast right?

Getcha Back actually has some charm despite its 80's production. Oh Darlin' coulda been on LA Light without sounding out of place, the KTSA production killed it I feel, and Brian on lead was better (as the demo proves)

That I was afeard of.

cool to talk with Shakespeare fan.  :hat

Two songs from opposite ends of the spectrum of genius but I gotta say either......

Wouldn't It Be Nice......... or......... It's OK.

"Wouldn't It Be Nice"? How'zat?

Do It Again

aside from the killer drum intro and the workshop outro it's total rehash and nostalgia. very Beach Boys by numbers. someone here recently noted how the background parts on the bridge, while beautiful, are pretty standard and not up to Brian's true ability at all.

If i was to think of ONE song that epitomises the BBs it would be that song. It has a tinkly-twinkly ice cream cart intro, then it all goes jingly-jangly, bouncy-bouncy, it's happy, it's sad, it's happy again, it has lots of bits, slow bits, fast bits, and massed harmonies and bah-bah bah-bahs a-plenty.

If solo stuff/side project count, I'd say Camp California or Summertime City.

Same here. For me it is THE totally defining, unmissable BBs song. The BBC morning show used its intro a while ago to accompany a brief item. My heart jumped and I thought: the day's going to be all right.

There's "defining" and "quintessential" and then there's "generic".

Hmm much of the 1976-96 stuff is pretty generic. I suppose Kona Coast fits the bill. I don't dislike it exactly but it tries to hard to be Hawaii.

I like love the song, but a valid argument. Also, the chords are very very similar to Surfin' Safari.

Generic good? generic bad?  not sure anymore..

Aye, if they'd spent the 70's/80's trying to recapture the glory of WIBN rather than the surf & turf stuff it would have been a very different career. WIBN is kinda without parallel in the catalogue - not many songs with bouncy accordions and two bridges on MIU or 15BO!

girls on the beach

Keep an Eye on Summer isn't a bad song, but it could be something a Beach Boys wannabe band might come up with.

Summer of Love!!

Another one that just came to mind is "Bluebirds Over The Mountain"

That song has always reminded me of the Sanford and Son theme song.
Haha.