When did The Beach Boys die?

[SurferGirl7]

After 1985 

[busy doin nothin]

However, one could also say the same thing about the Beatles, and no one would dispute that as a functioning, presently existing group, the Beatles died in 1970.  As for the Beach Boys, I think they "died" in that sense in 1985.  And I for one am sure glad they lasted 15 years longer than the Fab Four, because they gave us some absolutely extraordinary music in those 15 years. 

You could say that the Beatles as a functioning group died in 1968, but that's another story. To me, the Beach Boys represent, in a way, a geographical area and a lifestyle. The Beatles represent the four personalities contained therein. The Beach Boys touring today still mean something, I think. Once John was gone, like on the anthology, I recall hearing the rest described not as the Beatles, but as the 'Remaining' Beatles.

To me, this is the very problem with the fact that a group known as "the Beach Boys" is still out there touring.  If Ringo went on tour with George Martin and Billy Preston calling themselves the Beatles, that would be about the same thing.

If you can't have the Beatles without John Lennon, you certainly cannot have the Beach Boys without Brian Wilson.  And Dennis and Carl are at least as integral to the Beach Boys as George Harrison to the Beatles -- I would submit more so.  The idea of "The Beach Boys" existing now without the participation of a single Wilson brother is a desecration.

The Beach Boys, to me, do not primarily represent a geographical area and a lifestyle -- although that is admittedly one small aspect of what they represent.  What they truly represent is the beautiful music of Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Carl Wilson, Al Jardine, Mike Love (and Bruce, Ricky, Blondie, VDP, et al.).  Brian is responsible for at least 2/3 of what the Beach Boys ever accomplished musically, and the group simply cannot exist without his active involvement, which ended in the mid-80s.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

With Denny.

[Emdeeh]

I think this is a meaningless question, because I tend to take things like this literally and the majority of the individual BBs are (thankfully) still among us.

Now if you want to ask me when they broke up, I'd hafta say 1998 -- with Carl's demise and Al's departure.

[Surfer Joe]

I would think any date before their biggest #1 hit in 1988 would be off the table by definition and it's hard for me to consider a band dead that still sells enough albums each year to put it on a Billboard chart while the majority of the members are still alive.  I would say they are only between new music albums [hopefully] but I also agree with "H".

Edit: I guess anything before 1995 would be off the table, anyway....  Maybe the thread should be retitled, "When did you quit liking the Beach Boys' new albums"?

Cam, good to see you back here- your points are well made as always; agree and disagree. Wish you'd post more.

[Sheriff John Stone]

When did the The Beach Boys die? As far as I know, they're not dead yet. As a matter of fact, they're probably coming to a theater near you soon!

Now, if you ask the question - When WILL The Beach Boys die? -  the answer is simple. When Mike Love retires or dies. That's when The Beach Boys will die.

You may not like Mike Love, but he has become the "voice" of The Beach Boys. And you may reject the current configuration of The Beach Boys , but they are a functioning band. It might not be to the standards of the past, but they are still entertaining millions of people.

I'll admit that The Beach Boys are on life support, and regardless of what I just typed above about Mike, all it would take is for Brian Wilson to announce that he'd like to "get the guys back together and record another Beach Boys' album", and you'd be amazed how fast Brian, Mike, Al, Bruce, and maybe David could get together.

Lawsuits, what lawsuits...

[shelter]

Why did the Beach Boys die with Dennis Wilson? Even before his dead, they did a lot of shows without him and even made several albums that he had very little to do with.

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

1983 with the premature death of Denny (tho honestly can you picture a 60 year old Dennis?  I can't...)

Dennis looked 60 in his last few years. We've all seen the footage of Brian shouting "My brother DENNIS!!!!" and then RUNNING off the stage with youth and speed in his step. Brian was THIN, animated, wild, youthful. Dennis looked old, sounded older than Father Time and could probably not run like Brian did. So sad to watch. Dennis' life was lived by the lyrics he sings in "Little Bird". He didn't worry about the bad things and lived with fun in his heart.

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

A world with no Beatle members alive, and no Beach Boys members alive will be a very strange world indeed.

[Cam Mott]

When did the The Beach Boys die? As far as I know, they're not dead yet. As a matter of fact, they're probably coming to a theater near you soon!

Now, if you ask the question - When WILL The Beach Boys die? -  the answer is simple. When Mike Love retires or dies. That's when The Beach Boys will die.

You may not like Mike Love, but he has become the "voice" of The Beach Boys. And you may reject the current configuration of The Beach Boys , but they are a functioning band. It might not be to the standards of the past, but they are still entertaining millions of people.

I'll admit that The Beach Boys are on life support, and regardless of what I just typed above about Mike, all it would take is for Brian Wilson to announce that he'd like to "get the guys back together and record another Beach Boys' album", and you'd be amazed how fast Brian, Mike, Al, Bruce, and maybe David could get together.

Lawsuits, what lawsuits...

Sheriff, you're my kind of guy.....if only I'm weren't married.....and hetero.....you too SJ.

You damn straight they would come runnin' but I can appreciate Brian still wanting some distance from something he might associate with his brother/s [if that's an issue for him].  I think it would be good to reconnect with his ol' pals and family; those relationships can get more important as they become scarcer, hopefully it will happen before it's too late.

[Dr. Tim]

Here is what I said on a similar thread elsewhere, with edits:
My problem with topics like this is we kick around issues which are fundamentally unknowable. It's what the author Umberto Eco calls "sublime recapitulation". While the fascination is certainly understandable, esp. if you're a fan and want to know all there is to know about the band, its members and its music, many of the critical events that get bashed about here (and the Grey Board, so to speak) went down some forty years ago. We surely know now that no one's memory is that good and some gaps will never be filled in. To pick two examples which have filled up a lot of server space, maybe it's equally true that Mike vented his spleen at Van Dyke Parks or what he disliked about "Smile" one day behind closed doors, then knuckled down and gave the material his all on another. (The man has been known to have a temper and to nurse a grudge or two).  For his part, Brian's emotional memory now to the day he dies is, as he says, that Mike hated "Smile". He may be wrong but you'll never shake it out of him, try and he'll go vacant on you.

As for what the show-goers know or care about, I think the fans know more than we give them credit for about the history, though they may not be into the minutiae like the posters here are. But they know what they're buying, they hear a good show, get what they want, so no one loses.

So that's why I tend to stay out of topics like this one. Except this time. And I'll probably be sorry I didn't keep my mouth shut.

[peteneatneat]

1973

[Daniel S.]

When did the The Beach Boys die? As far as I know, they're not dead yet. As a matter of fact, they're probably coming to a theater near you soon!

Now, if you ask the question - When WILL The Beach Boys die? -  the answer is simple. When Mike Love retires or dies. That's when The Beach Boys will die.

You may not like Mike Love, but he has become the "voice" of The Beach Boys. And you may reject the current configuration of The Beach Boys , but they are a functioning band. It might not be to the standards of the past, but they are still entertaining millions of people.

I'll admit that The Beach Boys are on life support, and regardless of what I just typed above about Mike, all it would take is for Brian Wilson to announce that he'd like to "get the guys back together and record another Beach Boys' album", and you'd be amazed how fast Brian, Mike, Al, Bruce, and maybe David could get together.

Lawsuits, what lawsuits...

 I think it would be good to reconnect with his ol' pals and family; those relationships can get more important as they become scarcer, hopefully it will happen before it's too late.

If it's going to happen it better be this decade. I mean do you think the Beach Boys will put out another album when they're in their 70's? Right now they're in their 60's, so they're already pushing it.

[Sheriff John Stone]

When did the The Beach Boys die? As far as I know, they're not dead yet. As a matter of fact, they're probably coming to a theater near you soon!

Now, if you ask the question - When WILL The Beach Boys die? -  the answer is simple. When Mike Love retires or dies. That's when The Beach Boys will die.

You may not like Mike Love, but he has become the "voice" of The Beach Boys. And you may reject the current configuration of The Beach Boys , but they are a functioning band. It might not be to the standards of the past, but they are still entertaining millions of people.

I'll admit that The Beach Boys are on life support, and regardless of what I just typed above about Mike, all it would take is for Brian Wilson to announce that he'd like to "get the guys back together and record another Beach Boys' album", and you'd be amazed how fast Brian, Mike, Al, Bruce, and maybe David could get together.

Lawsuits, what lawsuits...

 I think it would be good to reconnect with his ol' pals and family; those relationships can get more important as they become scarcer, hopefully it will happen before it's too late.

If it's going to happen it better be this decade. I mean do you think the Beach Boys will put out another album when they're in their 70's? Right now they're in their 60's, so they're already pushing it.

In the worlds of Brian Wilson and Mike Love, you NEVER know what's gonna happen - when , where, why, or how! But you're right, it would be better if it happens sooner than later.

I have no false illusions about this new Hallmark CD - it's motive is purely $$$$$ - but it's close to what I'd like to see happen. Have Mike contribute his one best song, same with Al, same with Bruce, same with David(?), choose two good oldies, and have Brian (with collaborator) fill in the remaining 6-7 songs.

Of course it's understood that you'd need an outstanding producer to unify the sound so it doesn't sound like a bunch of solo tracks under the guise of The Beach Boys.

[endofposts]

It's happening, per Al Jardine:

http://www.therockradio.com/2006/04/beach-boys-planning-reunion-gig.html

[Daniel S.]

Let's just hope it doesn't fall apart like it has so many times before.

[SurferGirl7]

Too good to be true personally.

[voxnut]

Sorry- I'm slow on the uptake here, but I think any band dies when your fans care more about what you've already done than what you are currently doing and the band goes along with this. The purpose of the band shifts to become a jukebox in order to meet payroll rather than a creative entity.

When did this happen for the Beach Boys? For me, I would say around 1974 when they caved into nostalgia even though I'm not really a fan of much post '67 stuff. I think all the records after Endless Summer came out were largely phoned in and calculated to give a minor update to the "fun in the sun" deal. At least the first time around you could believe it, in the 70's it just felt hollow and a parody.

As usual, feel free to disagree...
Dean

[Surfer Joe]

I'm much less interested in a reunion than I am in anything that gets Dr. Tim and Cam to post more.  Speak up, guys!  Two much-needed voices on this board.

[Dancing Bear]

The Beach Boys died when David Leaf entered the picture.

[Cam Mott]

The Beach Boys die when BRI says they are dead.

[Dr. Tim]

Well I got the new Hallmark CD.  Buy three cards and they give it to you cheap.  First ten songs are Mike & Bruce live, a pretty good representation of their more-or-less current live show ("Wouldn't It Be Nice" and the like).  A decent listen, but with a few clams here and there.   The solo cuts are a bit schizoid.  Brian's is the Gary Usher co-written  "The Spirit of Rock & Roll", it's a mid-temp rocker, OK but not spectactular, like a lot of GIOMH.  Al's "PT Cruiser" is a re-write of [insert name of favorite BB car song].  OK too, but obviously trying to sound retro.  Mike's "Cool Head and Warm Heart" starts out with an "Our Prayer"- like choral intro (not arranged by Mike), then turns into a soft ballad not unlike "Meant for You".  Shallow but pleasant.  If he can keep that going he may be on to something.  Maybe Chuck or someone can start a review thread on this CD...

Otherwise, as for the topic at hand, I refer the honourable gentlemen to the reply I gave some moments ago...

[Sheriff John Stone]

The Beach Boys died when David Leaf entered the picture.

No, that's when they got acid reflux...

[I. Spaceman]

The Beach Boys die when BRI says they are dead.

There's a difference between dead and "dead", man.
Are the Platters dead? They're still touring, you know.

[Cam Mott]

Hmmmm?  Not following you, Ian my man.