Overrated BB's Related Songs

[Loaf]

Another difference between the Beach Boys and the Beatles is that the Beatles did not have any cringe worthy (as opposed to overrated) songs while the Beach Boys had oodles of them.  To be fair, all of the Beach Boys cringe worthy songs were after 1975, long after the Beatles broke up.

I think that most the BB's cringeworthy songs were before 75. Before Pet Sounds even.

Chug a Lug? Horrendous and embarrassing. Ten Little Indians? The sound of the entire first album is limp. Spirit of America and all those other songs that take 'car loving' a bit too seriously. The line 'Craig Breedlove was his name' makes me want to throw the CD across the room.

Even tracks like Amusement Parks USA i'd consider a guilty pleasure because I like it if no one else is around, but in company i get uncomfortable at the prospect of having to defend the idea that this band is better than the Beatles.

The cover of Times They Are A-Changin is ruined by the boys' immaturity. One thing about the name of the band, "Boys" is right.

[MBE]

Another difference between the Beach Boys and the Beatles is that the Beatles did not have any cringe worthy (as opposed to overrated) songs while the Beach Boys had oodles of them.  To be fair, all of the Beach Boys cringe worthy songs were after 1975, long after the Beatles broke up.

I think that most the BB's cringeworthy songs were before 75. Before Pet Sounds even.

Chug a Lug? Horrendous and embarrassing. Ten Little Indians? The sound of the entire first album is limp. Spirit of America and all those other songs that take 'car loving' a bit too seriously. The line 'Craig Breedlove was his name' makes me want to throw the CD across the room.

Even tracks like Amusement Parks USA i'd consider a guilty pleasure because I like it if no one else is around, but in company i get uncomfortable at the prospect of having to defend the idea that this band is better than the Beatles.

The cover of Times They Are A-Changin is ruined by the boys' immaturity. One thing about the name of the band, "Boys" is right.

I disagree. Nothing before 1975 really makes me cringe because that early stuff works in the context of when it was recorded. Actually Chug A Lug is kind of fun.

[Foster's Freeze]

I think Chug a Lug gets a pass since it was the first album - innocent fun, innocent songwriting. 

[The infamous Baldwin Organ]

Chug-A-Lug is awesome. Anyone is welcome to disagree, but I love it.

[tomstuart]

ANYTHING AT ALL FROM LOVE YOU. This album gets wildly over-rated by fans (and Brian himself). Presumably coz its nice that, following 15 Crap Ones (where it'd seemed Brian had completely lost it), it was nice to discover Brian could actually still write a decent tune. And coming between two of the worst albums of their career, that probably helped its cause too (in much the same way the patchy LA Light Album seems far better than it largely is due to the relief felt that it wasn't another MIU).
 But really, Love You - yeh, The Night Was So Young is very nice, but not a classic; Honkin' Down The HIghway is a rockin' tune; Johnny Carson has a crazy, original melody, and wacky lyrics - but the whole album sounds dated, its consistently badly sung and produced, and the lyrics are almost all awful - no, not kooky and enduring, weird and disturbing. This is the guy who wrote Til I Die. And now here he is singing about snogging roller skating children and rhyming groovy with movie. When Dennis croons about patting some apparent infant and/or girlfriend's butt - is that anything other than extremely bizarre? And the fact that he's singing this over a fairly catchy tune doesn't help matters...
 Maybe its just me, but i don't find this album cute and enduring and so on, as many other BB fans seem too. I find it sad and depressing. I don't find Brian writing in this infantile way appealing at all - the occasional good tune only enthasising what had been lost by this stage. The album is certainly worse than anything pre-15 Big Ones ('novelty' albums such as Stack o Tracks and Party aside).

 So there you go - overrated BB songs? Here's an album's worth.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Awwww, c'mon! How can you go wrong with such heartwarming imagery as a 35 year old Mike Love cooing "We'll do it holding hands. It's so cold I go, Brrrr" to some barely pubescent girl at the local rollarskating rink?

[hypehat]

Despite starting this thread and therefore welcoming the controversial opinions of my fellow boardmembers, i must disagree, Mr Tom/Stuart

Part of the albums charm is that it's extremely bizarre, childlike and slightly unsettling at times. And the synth/incredible basic drumming/good songcraft lurking underneath the croaky voices and mad production is part of the charm.

I also like the mental image of Brian wandering into the studio each day and laying down the tracks to 'Love You' by himself too.

[tomstuart]

Despite starting this thread and therefore welcoming the controversial opinions of my fellow boardmembers, i must disagree, Mr Tom/Stuart

Part of the albums charm is that it's extremely bizarre, childlike and slightly unsettling at times. And the synth/incredible basic drumming/good songcraft lurking underneath the croaky voices and mad production is part of the charm.

I also like the mental image of Brian wandering into the studio each day and laying down the tracks to 'Love You' by himself too.

Hmmm, I dunno. I want to feel that way about Love You, but i just find it depressing... I certainly never ever use anything from Love You when i'm introducing the lesser known BB's work to friends, and when i have they've been like What's happened here...?? I know there's the whole charming image of Brian at work on Love You, but in terms of just the music, its a real big big step backwards from almost everything that'd come before.

[phirnis]

Forget about your friends for a moment and turn up the opening triplet of "Let Us Go On This Way"/"Roller Skating Child"/"Mona" real loud so you can actually feel the synth bass and punching snare drums. If you're a smoker, don't forget to have at least one cigarette each passing song. Always remember these songs came from the same guy who created "Mt. Vernon and Fairway", "Funky Pretty", "You're So Good To Me", and "Busy Doin' Nothin'".

[Foster's Freeze]

I think Love You could be a pretty good LP had some of the lyrics been better.  It's hard to tap your toe to a song who's lyrics make you uncomfortable.

(Suddenly I'm jumping albums and thinking about "My Diane")

[Mike's Beard]

I think Love You is half great and half garbage.

Great~
Let us go on this way
Rollerskating Child
Good Time (should have re-recorded parts to make it fit with production of rest of Love You)
Honkin' down the highway
Ding Dang!
The night was so young
I bet he's nice (actually this one's subline)
Aeroplane

Garbage ~  
All the rest esp Solar system, I wanna pick you up, Love is a woman (worst BB vocal ever!!).

Why the others didn't take the good half and then compose a few tunes between the 4 of them I'll never know. 15BO had already proved having Brian write and produce everything again was a mistake.

[runnersdialzero]

But really, Love You - yeh, The Night Was So Young is very nice, but not a classic

Good song, but I wouldn't say it's even the best on the album.

but the whole album sounds dated

Hr rm, don't know about this. Name some other albums from around this time that even sound remotely similar.

and the lyrics are almost all awful - no, not kooky and enduring, weird and disturbing. This is the guy who wrote Til I Die. And now here he is singing about snogging roller skating children and rhyming groovy with movie. When Dennis croons about patting some apparent infant and/or girlfriend's butt - is that anything other than extremely bizarre?

I never understood these claims. Both totally innocent songs that people take too literally. He isn't talking about fucking a literal child that roller skates, "child" is a term of endearment that I've heard used several times outside of this. He's not talking about pervertedly touching an infant's ass. Songs like these, "Hey Little Tomboy" etc. come from a totally innocent place. And when I say innocent, I mean innocent and harmless, not innocent as in a person doesn't know better.

I don't wanna use the lame, "It's not dirty, you just have a dirty mind," argument, but...

Maybe its just me, but i don't find this album cute and enduring and so on, as many other BB fans seem too. I find it sad and depressing. I don't find Brian writing in this infantile way appealing at all - the occasional good tune only enthasising what had been lost by this stage.

I don't know, though. It was coming from a sincere place, I don't think his mind had degenerated and that's why the lyrics are the way they are. They're very, very Brian, I think. Just as Brian as, say, "Til I Die", just a very different side.

To each his own, though. A few of these claims just didn't sit right with me, though.

[Nicko]

When Brian was healthy in the 60s though, he had always been moving away from childish themes. Even when youth was discussed on the likes of When I Grow Up, it was done in a mature way. Love You certainly does show that Brian wasn't in a good place imo. It also shows that the band weren't in a good place either. Whatever Brian's intentions, the lyrics to Roller Skating Child and I Wanna Pick You Up (plus Lazy Lizzie and Hey Little Tomboy for that matter) are abysmal and if the group had had any confidence left then there's no way they would have agreed to sing some of those words.

[MBE]

ANYTHING AT ALL FROM LOVE YOU. This album gets wildly over-rated by fans (and Brian himself). Presumably coz its nice that, following 15 Crap Ones (where it'd seemed Brian had completely lost it), it was nice to discover Brian could actually still write a decent tune. And coming between two of the worst albums of their career, that probably helped its cause too (in much the same way the patchy LA Light Album seems far better than it largely is due to the relief felt that it wasn't another MIU).
 But really, Love You - yeh, The Night Was So Young is very nice, but not a classic; Honkin' Down The HIghway is a rockin' tune; Johnny Carson has a crazy, original melody, and wacky lyrics - but the whole album sounds dated, its consistently badly sung and produced, and the lyrics are almost all awful - no, not kooky and enduring, weird and disturbing. This is the guy who wrote Til I Die. And now here he is singing about snogging roller skating children and rhyming groovy with movie. When Dennis croons about patting some apparent infant and/or girlfriend's butt - is that anything other than extremely bizarre? And the fact that he's singing this over a fairly catchy tune doesn't help matters...
 Maybe its just me, but i don't find this album cute and enduring and so on, as many other BB fans seem too. I find it sad and depressing. I don't find Brian writing in this infantile way appealing at all - the occasional good tune only enthasising what had been lost by this stage. The album is certainly worse than anything pre-15 Big Ones ('novelty' albums such as Stack o Tracks and Party aside).

 So there you go - overrated BB songs? Here's an album's worth.

Finally someone who agrees with me though I would add that I much prefer Party and Stack. I like Good Time-that's from Brian's prime. I like I'll Bet He's Nice and The Night Was So Young, Ding Dang is fun for what it is, but I can't take the rest. I hold the 1961-74 recordings far above anything that came after (not counting Dennis' solo stuff which was up to old standards).

[BillA]

I kind of lump "Love You" and the songs recorded for "Smiley Smile" together - Moments of brilliance surrounded by gobs of WTF.

"Love You's" greatest failure are the lyrics and the background and harmony vocals.  The tunes are great.  The arrangements and production are different and while I am not a fan of synth music there is someting to be said for trying something new.

[runnersdialzero]

Oh f*** you soulless, humorless people. There's nothing quite like hearing Carl Wilson scream, "TIME TO TURN INTO A GIIIIIIIIIRL".

(Kidding.)

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

"LAST NIGHT I WENT OUT DISCO DANCIN"


I love the idea of a 36 year old, huge bearded Brian Wilson going out to some disco club, checkin out some girl and then being bummed that she goes off with some other guy. But the music was so good, he still had a great time, and he really hopes he gets to see her again the next time he's disco dancing at the club.

So innocent and sweet actually. Most people would write songs about fighting the guy in the alley!

[adamghost]

Which Dennis did:  "Friday Night."

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

So, from a time/place/recording date perspective, can we conclude that while Dennis was out having his "Friday Night" Brian was at home watching "Johny Carson"?

[tomstuart]

But really, Love You - yeh, The Night Was So Young is very nice, but not a classic

Good song, but I wouldn't say it's even the best on the album.

but the whole album sounds dated

Hr rm, don't know about this. Name some other albums from around this time that even sound remotely similar.

and the lyrics are almost all awful - no, not kooky and enduring, weird and disturbing. This is the guy who wrote Til I Die. And now here he is singing about snogging roller skating children and rhyming groovy with movie. When Dennis croons about patting some apparent infant and/or girlfriend's butt - is that anything other than extremely bizarre?

I never understood these claims. Both totally innocent songs that people take too literally. He isn't talking about friggin' a literal child that roller skates, "child" is a term of endearment that I've heard used several times outside of this. He's not talking about pervertedly touching an infant's ass. Songs like these, "Hey Little Tomboy" etc. come from a totally innocent place. And when I say innocent, I mean innocent and harmless, not innocent as in a person doesn't know better.

I don't wanna use the lame, "It's not dirty, you just have a dirty mind," argument, but...

Maybe its just me, but i don't find this album cute and enduring and so on, as many other BB fans seem too. I find it sad and depressing. I don't find Brian writing in this infantile way appealing at all - the occasional good tune only enthasising what had been lost by this stage.

I don't know, though. It was coming from a sincere place, I don't think his mind had degenerated and that's why the lyrics are the way they are. They're very, very Brian, I think. Just as Brian as, say, "Til I Die", just a very different side.

To each his own, though. A few of these claims just didn't sit right with me, though.

Yeh, i see some of your points. I don't hate Love You, it just baffles me though when BB fans constantly sing its praises. For the record, i do indeed have a very dirty mind, but that doesn't change the fact that the lyrics to Roller skating child and I wanna pick you up are creepy, whether its unintentinal creepiness or not.
And i agree 100% with the post where the guy said I like the songs but the lyrics get in the way. It doesn't matter how loudly i turn the volume up on Mona, those lyrics - aaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!!!
(I don't get the Smiley Smile/Love You comparison though - the music on Smiley (my all time 2nd favourite BB album) is light years ahead of Love You.)

[MBE]

But really, Love You - yeh, The Night Was So Young is very nice, but not a classic

Good song, but I wouldn't say it's even the best on the album.

but the whole album sounds dated

Hr rm, don't know about this. Name some other albums from around this time that even sound remotely similar.

and the lyrics are almost all awful - no, not kooky and enduring, weird and disturbing. This is the guy who wrote Til I Die. And now here he is singing about snogging roller skating children and rhyming groovy with movie. When Dennis croons about patting some apparent infant and/or girlfriend's butt - is that anything other than extremely bizarre?

I never understood these claims. Both totally innocent songs that people take too literally. He isn't talking about friggin' a literal child that roller skates, "child" is a term of endearment that I've heard used several times outside of this. He's not talking about pervertedly touching an infant's ass. Songs like these, "Hey Little Tomboy" etc. come from a totally innocent place. And when I say innocent, I mean innocent and harmless, not innocent as in a person doesn't know better.

I don't wanna use the lame, "It's not dirty, you just have a dirty mind," argument, but...

Maybe its just me, but i don't find this album cute and enduring and so on, as many other BB fans seem too. I find it sad and depressing. I don't find Brian writing in this infantile way appealing at all - the occasional good tune only enthasising what had been lost by this stage.

I don't know, though. It was coming from a sincere place, I don't think his mind had degenerated and that's why the lyrics are the way they are. They're very, very Brian, I think. Just as Brian as, say, "Til I Die", just a very different side.

To each his own, though. A few of these claims just didn't sit right with me, though.

Yeh, i see some of your points. I don't hate Love You, it just baffles me though when BB fans constantly sing its praises. For the record, i do indeed have a very dirty mind, but that doesn't change the fact that the lyrics to Roller skating child and I wanna pick you up are creepy, whether its unintentinal creepiness or not.
And i agree 100% with the post where the guy said I like the songs but the lyrics get in the way. It doesn't matter how loudly i turn the volume up on Mona, those lyrics - aaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!!!
(I don't get the Smiley Smile/Love You comparison though - the music on Smiley (my all time 2nd favourite BB album) is light years ahead of Love You.)

Smiley also has great if sometimes off beat vocals

[Mike's Beard]

Mona! God!  Basically the same 20 seconds repeated over and over again for nearly 4 minutes. Still I would rather listen to it 20 times over then be subjected to the slop that is Solar System ever again!  Awful singing, lyrics a gifted 5 year old could top, clunky production... oh did I say bad lyrics? Didn't Landy try to claim a co-write on this stinker?

[Shady]

I always thought Solar System could of been kind of decent with Brian 60's/early 70's falsetto.

[Mike's Beard]

Yeah it would have been awesome with different singing... Plus different lyrics, different tempo, different production, different melody etc etc...

[Shady]

hahaha  , I find it quirky