Good call, AC. Ian (Rusten) used to do this at one time. Good of you to take it up again...

And a Happy New Year to you too!

Thank you!

Without drugs I don't think what he did would've been as extreme. Without LSD, more specifically. But nobody really knows the full extent of their influence and what happened except Brian.

"About a year ago I had what I consider a very religious experience. I took LSD, a full dose of LSD, and later, another time, I took a smaller dose. And I learned a lot of things, like patience, understanding. I can't teach you or tell you what I learned from taking it, but I consider it a very religious experience." - Brian Wilson, 1966

"I did my dose of LSD. It shattered my mind and I came back, thank God, in I don't know how many pieces." - Brian Wilson, 1976

"I took the LSD and that just totally tore my head off. Acid was like everything I could ever be and everything I wouldn't be I came to grips with. You just come to grips with what you are and what you can do and what you can't do and you learn to face it." - Brian Wilson, mid 1970s

"Time can be spent in the studio to the point where you just get so next to it you don't know where you are with it and you just decide to chuck it for awhile." - Brian Wilson on Smile, mid 1970s

"We got stoned and we'd write little 30 second snippets. Or sometimes a minute snippet. But hardly ever more than a minute. We'd be sitting there going 'Where is this stuff?'" - Brian Wilson on Smile, 2011

Starting today (December 31st) I'm going to post everyday what happened that day in Beach Boys history. Most of the information will be from The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary by Keith Badman, which only covers up to 1976 in detail, so if there's anything I miss than that's why (sorry in advance). If anybody knows information that I haven't posted feel free to of course. Also, Happy New Year!

DECEMBER 31st

1961: The Beach Boys play after Ike & Tina Turner in their second live appearance, which took place at the Ritchie Valens Memorial Dance at Municipal Auditorium in Long Beach, California. The event was booked for them by local radio station KFWB. They played 3 songs, including 'Surfin'. They were so excited by their performance that they forgot their drums when they left. It is also their first appearance with the name Beach Boys.

1962: The Beach Boys play the last show of a short tour they'd begun on December 17th. This final show took place at the Gold Rush Festival Auditorium in Stockton, California.

1964: One of their first gigs without Brian and with Glen Campbell, which took place at The Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina.

1965: The Beach Boys play the New Year's Eve Teen Spectacular at the UPS Field House in Tacoma, Washington. Gary Lewis & The Playboys, The Yardbirds, The Beau Brummels, Vejtables, Alexys, and the Mojo Men are also on the bill. Near the end a bunch of fans mobbed the stage and the Beach Boys "leaped off the stage" according to a reviewer.

1966: English music paper Melody Maker names Pet Sounds joint album of the year along with The Beatles' Revolver. They describe the album as ".... huge orchestral paintings that had never been heard before in pop music."

1973: The Beach Boys play a New Year's Eve show at the Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, California.

I'd love a Brother-era rarities and outtakes compilation, or even a Sunflower/Surfs Up sessions box set.

They (the actual Beach Boys) attempted to rerecord the instrumental bits for 'Surfs Up' before eventually deciding that the original was better. Their attempt would be cool to hear.

A collection of Dennis rarities would be cool, to show his "journey" or whatever as an artist. He really bloomed in that period (69/70).

Does anybody have a copy of Lester Bangs review of Love You or know where to find it other than Rock's Backpages?

It would be the grandest historical event in the Kokomization of the Beach Boys thus far. Even though Mike's done so much crap already that's practically ruined his reputation among feeling humans, this might truly be the eternal nail in his coffin.

It's quite amazing that the group who reached the highest highs in all of history are the same guys who more or less could sink to the lowest lows. Thankfully we all know who wrote Pet Sounds and that he could never want this to happen. Heroes and Villains, indeed.

Also it would be cool if someone could compile a book full of Brian interviews throughout the years. I've seen a Lennon on Lennon book and a McCartney on McCartney book at the store recently and I'm sure there's one for Bob Dylan and it'd be cool to see all the things he's said about various things over the years. As good or not as his memory might be these days, I think a collection of all the most in depth interviews he's done would give a more complete picture of his own thoughts on his music (however much he's really talked about it). For someone as amazingly talented and brilliant as he was (and is), he rarely really talks about the music, and never really has in depth as far as I can remember ever reading.

I really can't imagine them recording any new material this year as the Beach Boys. Also, as cool as that would be, I think 'Summers Gone' was about as perfect as a final Beach Boys song as they could come up with.

It'd be great if Brian released a solo album with Al, Ricky, Dave, & his band but it wouldn't be the Beach Boys obviously. Even though Brian is and was always by far the most important member, it kinda wouldn't and couldn't be the Beach Boys without Mike (and Bruce too I guess, though especially Mike). Hell, That's Why God Made the Radio didn't really feel right without Carl & Dennis.

I was taken aback abit by the sort of "I'm old now and I know it" attitude of 'From There to Back Again' through 'Summers Gone' on TWGMTR. It was refreshing to hear Brian and the boys (whoever else wrote it, I can't imagine Mike writing it) facing the feelings of their reality as opposed to pretending they were 18 or whatever getting it off with school girls and endless youth and all that stuff (which seems to be Mike's whole trip and the unholy subconscious reason for that damned hat he has to wear I always felt). It'd be cool if Brian wrote some really personal songs about how he feels now. I feel, and the autobiography I guess is a sign, that he's more comfortable now in his skin than he's been in years because he's accepted the past and maybe (even though he supposedly moved on 20 or so odd years ago) he's finally moved on to living for today. Not the album, of course. But I don't mind if he doesn't really. He deserves to do nothing if he wants to.

It'd be really cool if they could release a Brian's Bedroom Tapes album, or boxset with a neat booklet with information and all that. Even though there's kind of a mystique about those songs rarity (like there was with Smile) there are too many songs from that period that I don't think would ever slip online otherwise and I really need to hear the original demo of 'Til I Die'. That boxset would be amazing.

Yeah, pretty much.

Man, they really hit a low. It just sounds so trapped to me.

Endless Harmony is an awesome song.

That one always gets me. Same, though to a lesser extent, with 'Brians Back'.

Also, 'Summer Means New Love' is their greatest instrumental (even better than 'Lets Go Away For Awhile') and one of the most romantic pieces of music ever recorded, in my opinion.

We have to mention Mike Love and how he wrote "I'm pickin up good vibrations/She's givin me excitations" or else he'll sue this thread.

Not to crap on the song if you like it or anything, but is 'Where I Belong' considered the best song on that album?

Match point of our love
Where I belong
Strange Things Happen
Somewhere Near Japan
Keeping the summer Alive

Thank you, I didn't expect a reply so soon!

I haven't heard any of their full albums past Love You. Of all the albums I haven't listened to, the only songs I've heard from them are:

Hey Little Tomboy
My Diane
Good Timin
Lady Lynda
Baby Blue
Shortenin Bread
Endless Harmony
That's Why God Made the Radio
Strange World
From There to Back Again
Pacific Coast Highway
Summer's Gone

Other than these, are there any good songs I should hear? I've heard mainly nothing but bad things about every record since Love You and so I've stayed away from them for fear of entering the abyss.

This is from an interview with Charlie Rose, around the release of the Christmas album. They're talking about Smile.

Charlie: Smile, and the success of Smile..
Brian: Right.
Charlie: .. Was that the most satisfying thing, for you musically, the fact that this thing that you had worked on so hard for so many years, when it finally came into fruition, Rolling Stone magazine gave it 5 stars. Everybody raved about it; the criticism was overwhelming!
Brian: I haven't told you this yet, I'm gonna tell you now though. We premiered it in London, in 2004, and people at the end of the concert, people stood up and clapped for almost 10 minutes! Almost 10 minutes! That's a long standing ovation, that's a very long standing ovation, 10 minutes. You have to admit that, you know?
Charlie: Did it bring tears to your eyes?
Brian: Nah, not tears. It just brought joy to me. I was so proud. Charlie, I was so nervous to do that show. I was so nervous to do that doggone Smile show in London that I almost had to go to the bathroom and [makes plopping noise], do my thing.

Is there any poll on here or ranking of the best Beach Boys songs? I've searched and haven't found any. If there isn't I think it'd be cool. I'm not the biggest fan of all the polls, but I think with a large amount of people as there are on this board, if they each chose their few favorites maybe, ranking them, a counted official ranking could be pretty cool. I think there'd be some surprises. I don't know, maybe not. I'd like to see it though.

I don't think Van Dyke was being as serious as it might sound. I think Brian was just getting a bit deep into whatever was happening and it manifested itself in weird situations which have been documented, and Van Dyke didn't really know how to make of it. Most of what was happening with Brian was happening in his head, and I don't think Van Dyke was a strong enough person to handle it. "I wasn't a big enough guy" - Van Dyke.

Same with Mike. Even though he is to blame to an extent for the demise of Smile, it is Brian's fault too. Because it was in Brian's mind. That space in Brian's mind was where all this beautiful music and emotion could flow out of, but it's that same space I think that he just became vulnerable to someone like Mike Love showing any kind of negativity about the project.

It's OK & In The Still of the Night

Don't vote Just Once In My Life off. It's such a great song.

Good Time
I think it's a great song, as are all of them on Love You (some are better than others, though), but it really just doesn't fit on Love You. Maybe it would've replaced Student Demonstration Time on Surf's Up in an alternate universe.

I might write a song called "Brupublicans (1971)" to express my nostalgic feelings over the old Bruce.

I would love a song about that. 

"I got tears in the morning now
The old Bruce has gone
He sang on California Girls
He wrote the songs
Moustache or no moustache
It's all the same
But now it's all just business to him
Who's to blame?
Reality is not funny
It ain't fun fun fun
Since the old Bruce went away
And turned into this one"

I was feeling the Mike Love influence, with the whole referencing every old song I could think of 

It would depend what they listen to regularly.

It really does. If it was someone not so sold on Pet Sounds (basically not head over heels over Pet Sounds), then probably Sunflower. If they're obsessed with Pet Sounds, I'd say Surf's Up if it had to be one album. Or the Smile sessions if they haven't heard those. That's a huge part of the story (obviously). Maybe just every album after PS & Smile in chronological order for them to get the full story, to see the transition.

We lost Johnny. That's sad.

Roller Skating Child
Good Time

Sail On, Sailor

It's OK and Palisades Park