The Smiley Smile Message Board

thinking about his tonight.    Around 30 depending on how you count it.    Can this be sorted  fairly?    Talking about releases of original Material for the first time.    that brings into question a few albums from each band.   thoughts on this?

got to be the Stones...

The Rolling Stones has 22 studio albums (from The Rolling Stones in 1964 to A Bigger Bang in 2004) and The Beach Boys has 29 (from Surfin' Safari in 1962 to That's Why God Made The Radio in 2012). So even if you take out the albums consisting of covers, The Beach Boys have released more studio albums than The Stones.

In reviewing the stones history, and knowing the BB's history, I thought it was close enough to deserve scrutiny.   just off the top of my head, for example, Flowers.   and with the Beachboys, still Crusin.    neither are all original.   This may be a question for someone, like for example, just off the top of my head, AGD.    both bands included old material, sometimes previously unreleased, on subsequent lps.   But when I count  legitimate new lps, new material, I come up with around  28 each.  One considers 20/20 or something like tattoo you as questionable but ligitimate as a "new" release.   I count with that in mind.   still seems to be around the same number.

And then there's also The Rolling Stone's UK vs US discography, where they did the same thing they did to the Beatles, leading to albums like Flowers...

Either way, The Beach Boys still have more, although the average quality of the albums is still up for debate.

Flowers isn't a legitamite Stones studio album anyway, it's a compilation. Always has been and always will be. As for the UK vs US debate, I'm taking the side which the band originally comes from. Hence, why I says 22 instead of 24 Stones albums.

Using their original discographies (i.e. those released in their home countries as they intended), I make it:

Beach Boys - 28 (including Party !)
Stones - 22

So then:   This must put the BeachBoys at or near the top of the list for most studio lps released of any BAND from the rock era releasing largely original material.  surprisingly,   Hardcore BB fan that I have been  for these 5 plus decades,  I don't think this has occurred to me.  I suppose if you count CSNY in all of their configurations and solo work, you would come up with a larger figure but what single band surpasses the BeachBoys?

I was a big Stones fan back in the day.  I REALLY loved the Aftermath album which is where they began to use their own material exclusively...or close to it.  A '66 master-piece album.  Then as the 70s progressed I became less and less interested and wondered why they were still going.  Still every now and then something worked a little better...and A Bigger Bang, I thought, was absolutely great.

The Boys...same deal...a master-pice album in '66, a few decent outings after '74 and then came  TWGMTR...not to mention the release of Smile...and some great previously unreleased standout songs.  Both impressive bands.  Both with a legthy and often distinguished body of work.  Both stocked with a controversial roster.  Both with lost soldiers.  Both with key leaders who somehow pissed on the grim reaper's shoes and still got away.  Both with 'odd' lead singers who egos and conquests would likely compare with accuracy.

And The Stones have Charlie and the Boys have Al.

The Boys have a far more substantial list of solo efforts though.  [and I ain't just talkin' units]

I think Frank Zappa had a few more. :)

Except Frank Zappa is a solo artist, not a band. And The Mothers Of Invention didn't release as many albums as either The Beach Boys or the Stones.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fall_discography (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fall_discography)

My count says Beach Boys 29 to the Stones 24.

Considering that Aftermath or Decembers Children is where to Stones start cuz prior to that they were a cover band. And if say the BBs have 29 then yer counting Still Cruisin, Party, So Tough etc ? Cuz I count more like 24,5.

Why do you mention So Tough? Is it not a Beach Boys album of original and new (at the time) material? Of course So Tough has to be included!

The Stones has 22.


Yeah, agreed with So Tough. plus December's Children isn't a proper Stones album. Even the band members are dismissive of it. And just because an album includes covers doesn't mean it's not a proper album of theirs.

No.   One cannot dismiss cover songs from counting as parts of legitimate studio albums.   the B eatles did numerous covers of American songs on several lps early on as did many Brit Invasion acts.  As did the BeachBoys.    In fact, my firstp  hearing of some of those American classics were on Brit Invasion group lps.  Beatles, Animals, Searchers etc

Don't forget the Stones' "Could You Walk On The Water", unreleased from 1966.

I'd say studio albums count regardless of whether they're covers or originals. Compilations wouldn't. I guess if you're gonna count Still Cruisin' for The Boys you'd have to count Forty Licks, with its 4 new songs (IIRC) for the Stones. I'd count those as EPs I guess.

Except while most of Still Cruisin' consists of original songs, most of Forty Licks consists of songs throughout their career. Like GRRR (which features two new songs), they are generally considered to be compilations.

Ah, well, in that case...

Smile
Reverberation
"2nd Brother Album"
New Album
Adult/Child
Merry Christmas From The Beach Boys

Game, set and match.  ;D

Still Cruisin' - 10 tracks, 3 more than a year old: 70% new.
Forty Licks - 40 tracks, 36 more than a year old: 10% new.

You were saying ?

That they both have 4 songs that don't have studio versions that had already appeared on other albums and that 4 songs isn't a full album. I was under the impression that only 3 songs were specifically recorded for Still Cruisin', added to a hit from the previous year, a hit from '87, 3 way old songs and 2 that had appeared on soundtrack albums. Sounds like a compilation to me.

Still Cruisin' - recorded 1988, single, soundtrack
Somewhere Near Japan - recorded 1989
Island Girl - recorded 1989
In My Car - recorded 1989 (BW solo)
Kokomo - recorded 1988, single, soundtrack
Wipe Out (w/Fat Boys) - recorded 1987, single
Make It Big - recorded 1989
I Get Around - recorded 1964, soundtrack
Wouldn't It Be Nice- recorded 1966, soundtrack
California Girls - recorded 1965, soundtrack

... and yes, I was in error writing "more than a year old": make that "more than two years old".

"In My Car" isn't necessarily "Brian solo" though since Al and Carl both take a lead on it.

According to some dude called John Stone (I think his name was), it necessarily is: John told me it came very late to the album from Camp Wilson and was a big surprise. Carl's & Alan's vocals are obviously later, and rapid, additions.  :)

Im just saying how So Tough isnt as significant as Sunflower, and Holland etc..but Aftermath is indeed the most integral RS album.

Er, okay. But in the case of "which band has the most studio albums" So Tough counts just as much as Pet Sounds. Why? Because it's a studio album. A non compilation studio album.