The Beach.

I think this would have been perfect, or as perfect as possible while providing continuity.  I love the so-called fun-in-the-sun stuff, but I agree that their name (and Mike Love) was limiting and cost them some credibility, as foolish as that may be.

Marketing is everything- their output of great albums was consistent from '63 thru 73 and ya cant blame their name for any forks in the road- thats asinine.

'The Beach Boys' is a terrible name, and it really damaged the group's reputation from 1965 onwards. ('The Pendletons' and 'Carl and the Passions' would have been even worse -- too redolent of 50's doo wop.)

I mean,  most of the names of bands formed in the early 60's came to sound a bit dated later in the decade -- Gerry and the Pacemakers, Paul Revere and the Raiders, the Four Seasons, even the Beatles. But the name, 'the Beach Boys', unlike most of those other names, seems too tied down to a particular fad : surfing.

The Beatles were allowed to go from "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" to "Tomorrow Never Knows" without people holding the naivete of those earlier songs against them, in a way that the Beach Boys weren't. 'Surfin' USA' and 'Little Deuce Coup' always loomed too large in the mind of the public, even while they were producing 'Heroes and Villains' -- and for that, I blame the band's name.

Would the Boys have better withstood the battering that their reputation and image underwent in the late 60's, if the group name were 'the Kingsmen',  or 'the Ventures', for instance?

YOU COULDN'T BE MORE WRONG BUDDY! That is one of the most ignorant stupid things Ive ever heard in regards to the BBs. Dolt.

 

Gotta say that looks cool - I think I should get a cut of the tattoo artist's takings for the original suggestion! 

Nice work my friend...

THATS AWESOME! I have the Wild Honey bee too on my left shoulder. I gotta get better pics but I have a half sleeve of beach boys album artwork.

As far as I'm concerned the Beach Boys didn't "lose popularity" in the late 60s, it just "shifted" from the US to the UK. Pet Sounds, Smiley Smile, Wild Honey, Friends, 20/20, Sunflower, Surfs Up, and Holland ALL sold VERY WELL in the UK; who gives a sh*t if Americans had their head up their ass at that time; Vietnam and the hippies f***ed sh*t up.

If anyone has an in-depth to add please email me personally- joshthekook@gmail.com

/Josh

I like what you did with the songs. I don't like the zodiac symbols and the picture. What do the zodiac symbols have to do with the songs?? How can there be a picture without Brian?? I guess that was the way it was going to be so it doesn't matter.

That's the back of Smile! The zodiac signs are part of the picture. What don't you get???

I've been very much into punk rock for the last 15 years or so, I've played in several punk bands, wrote for punk fanzines, collected records, went to hundreds of punk rock gigs, etc. And although there are definately some punk rock bands that were influenced by early Beach Boys (Ramones, Queers, Travoltas, Descendents), in my mind The Beach Boys are pretty much the opposite of punk rock. Some years ago I was in three punk bands at the same time, and I had a show or a rehearsal about five nights a week. That when I started listening to The Beach Boys, it was kind of an antidote for my punk rock overdose. Punk rock was rawness, aggression and energy, The Beach Boys were beauty, sunshine and calmness. So to me personally, they're two entirely different worlds.

That all depends on what punk bands is  definitive to you. That would be the Ramones; and the Ramones made some beautiful brilliant pop music. All the other bands you mentioned- the Queers, Travoltas etc. followed suit- the Beach Boys crossed with the Ramones. Keepin' that spirit goin!

LOVE YOU IS PUNK TO ME.

Both albums have their moments but neither one are "essential listening" as far as the Beach Boys go. The last good album was Love You. After  that it's ehhh

Everything should be looked at for the context of that time. The Beach Boys made consistently good albums from '62 thru '72 without question; Surfin Safari was good, Surfin USA was great, Surfer Girl-great, Little Deuce Coupe-fantastic, Shut Down Vol2-decent, All Summer Long-great, Today-phenomenal, Summer Days-brilliant, Pet Sounds-stupendous, Smiley Smile-great, Wild Honey-great, Friends-good, 20/20-great, Sunflower-great, Surf's Up-good, Holland-good.... after that is where it starts to taper off- 15 Big Ones was a great album but half covers so some people felt a little ripped off I guess, Love You was great and like I said and I think most would agree after that it gets really hit&miss.

? ? ?

How is this even a debate??? They NEED Foskett!!! Brian and Bruce can't hit those notes and haven't been able for some time. Foskett does a phenomenal job and anyone that denies that is a fuckin idiot! I've been a Beach Boys zealot my whole life, but reality is beyond obvious- they are old as hell and without the support of the backing band they'd sound like crap! I'm not talking sh*t I'm stating the obvious, so I reiterate- HOW IS THIS A DEBATE???

This is my list-
Surfin Safari, Surfin USA, Surfer Girl, Little Deuce Coupe, Shut Down Volume 2, All Summer Long, Today, Summer Days, Pet Sounds, Smiley Smile, Wild Honey, Friends, 20/20, Sunflower, Surf's Up, Holland, 15 Big Ones, Love You, MIU, Light Album, Keepin the Summer Live, The Beach Boys, and TWGMTR.

I didn't count the Christmas Album, Party, Stack-o-Tracks, So Tough, Still Cruisin, Summer In Paradise.

I'm gonna leave it up to whoever to figure out why. I wanna hear opinions////////////////

How did Sunflower miss the cut? Oh, I forgot, they can't give the Beach Boys 4 albums! Even though every Beatles album is on there!

Yeah! f*** rolling stone, what a joke!! The Beatles get too much goshdarn credit-
The Beach Boys should have Pet Sounds, Smile, Today, Sunflower, Little Deuce Coupe, 20/20, Surfin USA and so on..

The best concert I've ever been to in my life! And the best I will ever see. I saw the Beach Boys in '94 on my 9th birtday. Then saw Beach Boys Family & Friends 5 years later, Mike and Bruce at a few times after that, Brian twice (2nd time with Al) and now recently the 50th reunion.

One of if not the proudest thing in my life is collecting, and witnessing the brilliance of the Beach Boys. 20 of my 26 years I've been a fanatic/aficionado.

Last year I met kindred spirit Eric Aniversario-  much respect!

I've been tryin for years and no reply-

Tryin to start a Beach Boys/Jan&Dean tribute band.

I'm a drummer; need guitarist/bassists/singer.

/Josh
joshthekook@gmail.com
facebook.com/kookadams

This thread is STUPID! Why would you wanna change anything about their songs??? They are the way they are and that's  that! It's  history, you can't change it.
They did whatever  they did for whatever reason so who cares about what could've been?


S T U P I D !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


The Beach Boys were/are the greatest, most important, memorable, popular band in the history of contemporary music; every and any other band is pale in comparison! Especially the Beatles!

rateyourmusic.com & epinions.com

/josh

Hell yeah! I have that shirt!!

I love the Beach Boys & I love Black Flag!!

In this day and age who knows sh*t about anything anymore? The reunion, the tour, the album is a goshdarn milestone for christ sake! Naysayers speak out of jealousy and their opinions are hogwash. There are a handful of Beach Boys albums that haven't gotten the greatest reviews and it don't mean they're not amazing albums; critics get paid to criticize and push their horseshit on the masses. As a youth who's spent the majority of his life absorbing and dissecting the Beach Boys I find it amusing seeing what idiocy people spew out. The legends are dieing off more and more and as true music zealots we gotta preserve the greats while we still got em!
~BEACH BOYS FOREVER!~






facebook.com/kookadams

I don't see it as something that needs an explanation. They made more memorable great songs than any other group in history, the harmonies and arrangements were amazing and no other can compare. Rock n' Roll at its finest; it never got better than the Beach Boys, the Ramones were the closest.

I'm a drummer lookin to start a Beach Boys/Jan&Dean tribute band. I'm lookin for someone who can sing and play guitar and/or piano.

/Josh

facebook.com/kookadams

joshthekook@gmail.com

Beach Boys, Ramones, Jan&Dean, Queers, Surf Punks-

The Ramones

1. Beach Boys
2. The Ramones

Two greatest bands in history

I 2nd that! amen!!

I know a bunch of you are friends with me on here, but if you aren't familiar with this page please add it, I started it a couple years ago-

http://www.facebook.com/groups/155818774481744/

I JUST WASN'T MADE FOR THESE TIMES - page created by me- facebook.com/kookadams

/Josh

Anything from '62 thru '73; and '77.

Haha, love tumblr. The finest beards in rock!



What record is that? 15 Big Ones? Can't be Love You.... can it?

THATS ENDLESS SUMMER, that pic is from 1974!