Rock Band

[Alex]

[QOUTE: Man what vidoes are you watching, everyime I see a youtube vid it's 'man I wish I was born in the 60's' 

But yeah bands will always have haters, but what you should be going by is are the beach boys still relevant in populare culture and are they still selling. And like The Beatles or the Stones, the answer is yes

Not by some random comment on a youtube video]


Well I can tell you one is "I Get Around", not the live version. The one where they're all standing and Carl & Al is sitting in a car. Go look through some of the comments [not just the first page] on that vid and you will see an example of what I mean.

And I dont just go by youtube vid comments, I'm just saying that The Beach Boys are not nearly as talked about or almost "worshipped" like a lot of other bands. I'm glad they're still selling, thats awesome. Makes me happier but I'm just saying for the most part its not "hip or cool" to like The Beach Boys.

Well if you're an indie boy or girl, it sure is...pet sounds is gospel in their language.

Well, it's about time the indie kids started getting into the rest of the BBs catalog, especially SMiLE!!

[the captain]

Well, it's about time the indie kids started getting into the rest of the BBs catalog, especially SMiLE!!

Indie kids have been into Smile for as long as I've been aware of what they were into--it was a big deal in the mid-90s and has been ever since. And maybe everyone else would have been more into it if such an album as The Beach Boys' Smile had been available all these years. It's kind of hard to expect people to get into things that don't exist, or exist illegally and in fragments.

[Pretty Funky]

That game sucks anyway!

So if a game was made that was based solely on the Beach Boys you wouldn't buy it or even play it?

Make it interesting and I would try it. The music with the added sex, drugs, heroes and villains, Landy, Manson, lawsuits etc would be quite a challenge.

[Chris Brown]

That game sucks anyway!

So if a game was made that was based solely on the Beach Boys you wouldn't buy it or even play it?

The Rock Band series has never really appealed to me...why play songs on fake instruments when I can sit down with a guitar or at a piano and play them in real life?  However, the curiosity factor in a Beach Boys version (or maybe even the Beatles version) would probably be enough for me to try it out. 

[CarCrazyCutie]

But if you go through youtube videos, music websites & articles & talk to people in my age group [18-25ish], I can guarantee you that 80% of them will think The Beach Boys are one of the
"lamest" or "nerdiest" bands out there. Especially when comparing them to groups like The Beatles & The Stones...I'm not going to get too in depth with what I think about this topic because the same topic was started in another thread.

You're so right! And I find it so ironic, it's like at some point the "nerdy" image became what cool was and people that would've been considered dorky or really weird and strange pre the mid 60s became what was "it" or "hip". Meanwhile the guys who weren't as "wimpy" like jocks, surfers, guys who were into cars, the outdoors, or guys who could just clean up once in a while became uncool. Totally blows my mind  And the actual music seemed to go out the window and it became all about image. I guess thats how the BBs became lame and square, and the fact that anyone could consider any of them (well, the Wilsons at least) square is too funny

[mikeyj]

The Rock Band series has never really appealed to me...why play songs on fake instruments when I can sit down with a guitar or at a piano and play them in real life?  However, the curiosity factor in a Beach Boys version (or maybe even the Beatles version) would probably be enough for me to try it out. 

Yeah I understand where you are coming from - before I played it I thought it sounded pretty dumb but most of my friends were playing it so I joined in and it is quite addictive - not something I would play all the time but it's good if you are with a group of mates etc. The Beatles game interests me though and of course a Beach Boys game would be awesome - I would definitely buy it!

[Alex]

Or even just a surf music-themed Guitar Hero or Rock Band would be cool!

[The infamous Baldwin Organ]

I worked on a kids product that teachers how to play guitar with surf themed music; the Fisher-Price I Can Play Guitar system. It  used Surfin' USA on one of the catridges.

It's not exactly in the same category as Rock Band or Guitar Hero, but I thought you might get a kick out of it, I sure did.

[carlydenise]

Or even just a surf music-themed Guitar Hero or Rock Band would be cool!

That actually is a great idea!  Toss in some Dick Dale, Ventures, Beach Boys, etc etc. 

[Alex]

Or even just a surf music-themed Guitar Hero or Rock Band would be cool!

That actually is a great idea!  Toss in some Dick Dale, Ventures, Beach Boys, etc etc. 

Surfaris, Gamblers, Trashmen, Jan and Dean, Tornadoes....  And as "bonus levels/tracks", some non-surf themed guitar music from the same era...Duane Eddy, Link Wray, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley...

[atroxi]

Harmonix and MTV just announced this: http://creators.rockband.com/ - where they will release tools so that any artist can chart and sell their music to the Rock Band playing public.

Very interesting idea that may bring some of the suggestions in this thread to reality...!

[Aegir]

Interesting...

[SG7]

I don't think "young people" think they are nerdy. It's just for most individuals  all they know is the surf songs (thanks to Endless Summer) and yes Kokomo (should die a HORRIBLE death. We need to send you Brian Wilson Presents Smile LSG) and that is all they know. I don't know, do you ever hear "Marcella" promoted anywhere or "Busy Doin' Nothin'"?

[Don't Back Down]

I always though "Marcella" would be great on rock band. Especially the "In Concert" version. That would be a perfect fit I believe 

[Aegir]

Even though even a lot of Beach Boys fans don't like this song, I think Student Demonstration Time is the most Rock Band friendly song. It has typical electric guitar/bass/drums instrumentation, contains "riffs" and "licks" and a solo, and most of the song doesn't have overlapping vocals. Keepin' the Summer Alive might work, too.

[Ebb and Flow]

Part of the problem with the Beach Boys and older groups in particular is that Rock Band tracks are made by using master tapes that require a lot of instrument separation.  Though the later material wouldn't suffer much from this, a lot of the earlier, arguably more iconic songs didn't have the luxury of being recorded on a lot of tracks.  Many have multitracks missing or are missing elements entirely.  These would have to be completely re-recorded. 

Since the vocals are probably the most important thing on some of these tracks, I suppose the best idea would be to isolate them from the masters (Which can be done pretty effectively) and then re-record the backing tracks faithfully.  Some of this might have been done for the upcoming Beatles game, though I'm not sure how many tracks they used and how much tape bouncing was done with the early Beatle recordings.  Perhaps they had enough tracks to work with on those.

Of course, some songs (Like Good Vibrations) are missing vocals in a multitrack form, and vocals for that would have to be re-recorded for any sort of Rock Band presentation.

I doubt a Beach Boys Rock Band game will ever be made, but I wouldn't be too surprised if they ever showed up either in a game or via DLC. A lot of bands you wouldn't expect are jumping on board to cash in.

[Amanda Hart]

Part of the problem with the Beach Boys and older groups in particular is that Rock Band tracks are made by using master tapes that require a lot of instrument separation.  Though the later material wouldn't suffer much from this, a lot of the earlier, arguably more iconic songs didn't have the luxury of being recorded on a lot of tracks.  Many have multitracks missing or are missing elements entirely.  These would have to be completely re-recorded. 

Since the vocals are probably the most important thing on some of these tracks, I suppose the best idea would be to isolate them from the masters (Which can be done pretty effectively) and then re-record the backing tracks faithfully.  Some of this might have been done for the upcoming Beatles game, though I'm not sure how many tracks they used and how much tape bouncing was done with the early Beatle recordings.  Perhaps they had enough tracks to work with on those.

Aerosmith did rerecord the songs that are used on their version of Guitar Hero because the masters from their first album no longer exist, and they were so happy with the results that they are now considering those new tracks to be the masters.  I don't know for sure, but I would be certain a similar practice was used from at least some of the Beatles songs, but we'll find out in a few months.

I think Beach Boys songs on a game like this would be unlikely, with the exception of one or two songs like Surfin' USA or Fun, Fun, Fun.  However, I would love to see a song like Surfer Girl show up on Karaoke Revolution, those games are really fun and I think something like Surfer Girl would be a perfect fit.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

That game sucks anyway!

So if a game was made that was based solely on the Beach Boys you wouldn't buy it or even play it?

I might play it, but I wouldn't buy it.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

What if there was a 'keyboard' hero with songs from Love You? That would be interesting.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

A fun alternative to a Beach Boys "Rock Band" would be to actually learn how to play the songs on some real instruments.   

[Alex]

A fun alternative to a Beach Boys "Rock Band" would be to actually learn how to play the songs on some real instruments.   

I've been teaching myself how to play guitar for a few months now, and I've only been able to sort of get a few so far (Summertime Blues-yeah, I know, it's actually an Eddie Cochran song, Surfin' Safari, H&V minus the Cantina section, He Gives Speeches, Vegetables, most of You're So Good To Me)...Brian sure liked to use a lot of odd chords that would be more at home in jazz than in rock and roll, and that would probably be easier to play on a piano than on a guitar. I could imagine Carl and Al, as guitar guys, and as a rock guy and a folk guy, getting pissed at Brian for making them play all those complicated chord changes. Those guys deserve a lot more credit as guitarists. So what if they didn't solo all the time like Hendrix, Clapton, Page, Joe Perry, EVH, Slash, etc.? Playing Brian's music on guitar is sometimes just as hard if not harder than being a stereotypical "guitar god". I find it A LOT easier to play a Buddy Holly, Bo Diddley, or even a Weezer song than to play a lot of Beach Boys songs. Hell, I have a harder time trying to play "Your Summer Dream" than I do Stereolab's "Ping Pong".

[The infamous Baldwin Organ]

I can play their songs on a variety of instruments, and up until Pet Sounds/Smile, they're not particularly difficult. The early ones are very much straight ahead rock.

What always kills me, is that after they stopped focusing on the Surf & Car songs, they're live act really declined until they started using backing musicians. They're are a couple of ideas I've had as to why:

1. Brian was obviously no longer touring.
2. They stopped playing all of the songs way too fast.
3. The newer songs didn't sound as good with just 2 guitars / bass / and drums.

I really think it would have been better to have Al play bass, and have Bruce play a keyboard, even for the earlier 1965 tours.

[atroxi]

The "Rock Band Network" @ http://creators.rockband.com/ has just launched with a little over 100 songs on it.  This is a marketplace that artists can use to get their songs in the game (provided they can find someone to chart it) and make a little bit of money.

So, if anyone knows anyone who might talk to someone who can perhaps convince someone to...oh, work on getting some BB/BW songs up there - that'd be great!     I wouldn't cry if the current touring version of "Marcella" was available to buy and play...

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Here is another idea. How about Vocal Hero. Have 5 different tracks and you have to sing one of the parts. Songs like In My Room and Babarann would be on the easiest level. Our Prayer and Cabinessence on the hardest level.

[Awesoman]

Also legal issues prevent almost anything to come out with The Beach Boys music. The fans suffer. The BB are more harmony driven, Rock Band artists seem to be more music driven artists.

Agreed.  I don't believe a Rock Band game based on the Beach Boys would really work.  For starters, the Beach Boys never really "rocked".