Simple. I'm sure Carl, Mike and Al didn't love the fact that Brian was releasing a solo album but they probably kept a low profile in hope that Brian would be back for one more Beach Boys album. Rocking the boat in the press would give Landy (and Brian) the excuse to keep an even further distance from the band.

That was before Kokomo, of course.

Yep.  I found it funny that Brian turned up on Full House to sing Kokomo with the BB's, and he wasn't even on the record.

Miming to "The Little Old Lady from Pasadena" (why???) at some sort of Super Bowl festivities in 1987.  It turns into a comedy skit in which an old lady drives through the crowd, break dances on stage in front of the boys and then attacks Mike Love at the end.  This had me scratching my head for several reasons.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=al74EMyIATg

But kind of interesting that they performed this song as it is obviously a recording, perhaps this was supposed to be their next single at the time.  After the moderate success of California Dreamin', another cover would make sense.  Wonder why they never did anything with it, aside from the fact that it's not that great.  I know it was a part of their setlists though at that time.

As bad as their judgement could be at times, I can't imagine LOLFP was ever considered as a single for them in the 80's. Seeing this clip, though, I finally figured out where that group shot on the picture sleeve of Happy Endings came from.

Love You, MIU, SIP, S&S, and 15 BO

even made it into the Endless Summer tv series.

No, American Family.

No, I'm talking about the syndicated show the BB's had in the summer of 1989.

Brian will continue touring as long as his handlers want him to.

They couldn't have been too much against it - they did allow Brian do do a solo guest spot in some 1989 concerts - a couple of those songs, In My Car and Love and Mercy - even made it into the Endless Summer tv series.

"TLOS is the best Beach Boys record they never made."

Hell yeah!  I really adore this album, the only bad thing I can say about it is that it's not a full on BBs album.  Because, man, that would have been amazing.  Imagine if instead of TWGMTR (which I also truly love), the reunion album we got had been "The Beach Boys starring in That Lucky Old Sun"... a focused, themed album, nostalgic but modern, happy, melancholy, poppy, deep, silly, meaningful, SMiLEy.   It would've been the Beach Boys truly making ART again, and I think general audiences might've been a little more blown away than the generally positive but totally not blown away reaction TWGMTR generated.

Instead, it's just Brian, which is still perfectly fine. 

And damnit, I love Mexican Girl!  And I love Forever You'll Be My Surfer Girl!! 

Me, too. I used to say the BW88 was his best album, but the production is a bit dated. TLOS may prove to hold up better through the years.

10 years of Harmony was a very nice package covering Lost or misc traks from the era.   I think the band was proud of this comp and disappointed with the somewhat cool reception in terms of sales.

   Yes, it was a fine summary that made a decent case for The Beach Boys as a valid artistic entity throughout the 70's. Generously selected with rarities, classy graphics, lyrics, album credits, the whole nine yards. Deserved better than #156 but The Beach Boys weren't selling many albums in the early 80's. I got my copy as a record club cutout for a very cheap price in Dec 1983. This comp did much to enhance my appreciation of the band.

Just played it again recently. A very good listen, minor complaints - too many songs from MIU, and not enough Dennis. I'd swap Wontcha Come Out Tonight and She's Got Rhythm for Slip on Through and Forever.

I don't want to open up a can of (do you like) worms, but why do so many people hold Love You up to the sky as some high piece of art??? I see why people like it, but let's be realistic - we like this as hardcore Beach Boys fans who want to hear "new" Brian Wilson material. Croaky and raspy voices, simplistic and sometimes dumb lyrics, scraggly harmonies, strange backing tracks. This music is insane. If The Beach Boys had ended on Love You, it wouldn't have done a thing for their "artistic integrity".

I agree with you 100%. I think LA is a much better album to play for Beach Boy "newbies" - it's too bad that 10 minute disco track is on there. Cut it down to under 4 minutes - the single version - and throw in It's a Beautiful Day, and you have one of the best later BB albums.

Why do you care what "newbies" might think of these records?

We were all "newbies" at one point.

For what its worth, it took me four or five listens to appreciate Sunflower, but I loved Love You the first time I heard it.

Sunflower is one album that just gets better on repeated plays, even decades later. Love You just....well, I uh....I uh....it is what it is.

Alex Jones.

No, No, No! That's a guy that never shuts up! We want Brian with someone he'd be comfortable with - a quiet guy that doesn't party, chit-chat, and all that other stuff Brian dislikes. A guy that will just show up and do the show, then go home. I still think Bob is the right guy. He doesn't talk much - doesn't have to, says it all in his songs.

Perhaps he shouldn't share a tour with another musician. How about a comedian of Brian's choice? 

I like that idea. Brian should tour with a comedian, then we'll have world peace.

I thought Sebastian toured with The Spoonful?! That is so weird he doesn't, Sebastian is the band to me considering he wrote and sang all of their best stuff.

John mostly performs as a solo, just him as his guitar. Had a jug band for awhile in the 90's, occasionally teams up with other musicians like David Grisman and Larry Campbell. But I agree, he was the Spoonful to me. John and Zal were the frontmen; Steve and Joe were the rhythm section - but a very good one. Love their segment on the TNT Show.

Reading all this talk about how Brian and Beck did not hit it off because Brian is not a talker, a mixer, reminds me so much of comments I've read by artists that have toured with another songwriting legend from the 60's. So since Brian prefers to keep to himself, and doesn't want to be bothered with unnecessary small talk, I say, let's put him on the road with another quiet guy, Bob Dylan. Maybe they could even do some recording together. I'm not sure how Brian's sweet melodies and smooth harmonies would mess with Bob's scratchy sandpaper and gravel voice, and bluesy 3 chord  wordy style, but I'd sure tune in for a listen.

I don't want to open up a can of (do you like) worms, but why do so many people hold Love You up to the sky as some high piece of art??? I see why people like it, but let's be realistic - we like this as hardcore Beach Boys fans who want to hear "new" Brian Wilson material. Croaky and raspy voices, simplistic and sometimes dumb lyrics, scraggly harmonies, strange backing tracks. This music is insane. If The Beach Boys had ended on Love You, it wouldn't have done a thing for their "artistic integrity".

I agree with you 100%. I think LA is a much better album to play for Beach Boy "newbies" - it's too bad that 10 minute disco track is on there. Cut it down to under 4 minutes - the single version - and throw in It's a Beautiful Day, and you have one of the best later BB albums.

If the billing says "Felix Cavaliere's Rascals", then it is Felix with his own band singing Rascals songs. I saw them a few years ago, and they were excellent. Not to denigrate the contributions of the other Rascals, but Felix was the lead singer on 90% of their hits. The Sebastian-less Spoonful are okay, but nothing I'd go out of my way for. Sadly, John's voice is in pretty bad shape these days, but he is such a great guitarist and entertainer,  I would still go see him if he was in my neighborhood. He's also one of the nicest guys around.

I liked "Warmth of the Sun" with Willie, and enjoyed the Timothy Schmit and Kathy Troccoli tracks, but really, I did not need another album of remakes in 1996. I kept reading in various places that Brian had a bunch of new songs, so where were they? Not on the IJWMFTT soundtrack, not on OCA. That's probably why I overrated Imagination at first -  I was just so doggone glad to finally hear some new Brian Wilson songs.

Good grief, one S&S was enough. It didn't work for the Beach Boys, it's not going to work for the Doobies, either, but it does seem to be a trend lately - get an aging rock star - John Fogerty, Ray Davies - paired up with some youngsters doing the old classics, and thereby - presumably - picking up sales from fans of both.

I'm guessing the above listed titles were intended for the M.I.A. Album.

The Beach Boys had their moment with C50; 2015 will belong to the 25th anniversary tour of Wilson Phillips.

I'll buy this.  I thought they were awesome on the Grammies, and I've never bought their other albums (other than their greatest hits) so now's the time for me to get into them.

Do yourself a favor and pick up their debut album, Chicago Transit Authority.  You won't be disappointed.

Yeah, the early years with Terry Kath and Peter Cetera and Jim Guercio as producer was when they were at their creative peak.  They never really recovered after Cetera left, even if they continue to be a great nostalgia act in concert.

Hmm...sounds a lot like another band we discuss frequently on this board.

I found Jon's and Ian's "The Beach Boys In Concert" especially rewarding, as it does not concentrate on Brian and his struggles, but rather the whole group. None of the other books cover the group dynamics as good as this one. There's little about recording the albums due to the concept of the book, though.

I am reading this one right now, and it is one of the best books on the group, ever. In fact, my mind boggles at the amount of work they did as a live band year after year - many times, doing 2 concerts in separate locations on the same day. And I was surprised to read that there was so much resistance to the new material in the early 70's - stuff all of us die-hards would love to have heard played live.

I think M&B should do a new BB's album, I mean, they ARE the Beach Boys.

Why do people always say Mike would be pumping gas? He would have wound up as a self-serve gas station convenience store clerk some time in the '70s or '80s when stations became self-serve. There was no future in the gas pumping thing so he would have found something, I'm sure. Especially with all those kids to support.

Maybe he would have moved to Oregon.  We don't have self-serve.

Mike is pretty business savvy, he would have ended up owning the station after a few years, and had the high school cheerleaders out every Saturday washing cars.

And he'd pick a new head cheerleader every week. 

I was watching the 1984 DC concert a couple nights ago, and I have to say, Mike's girlfriend at the time was very easy on the eyes.

So is or isn't Brian still making an album with Glenn Beck? I'd like to hear their version of "GOMPS" - "get off my phone you little pinhead, get off my phone!"

Jeff will end up in the M&B band. Or running a self-serve gas station.