The Smiley Smile Message Board

SOME OF YOU ARE SO IN DENIAL :[

no, some of us just love Carl and Dennis's music as much as we love Brian's, and don't conflate artistic success with commercial success.  It's not called denial, it's called taste.  My taste = different than your taste.  ain't rocket science.   

I think your argument that Pink Floyd (not a big fan personally) just "got better and better" is silly- there was clearly a decline for them some time in the 80s. Plus I don't think you would find too many Zeppelin fans that consider In through the Out Door to be their finest moment. As for the Beatles, to many fans  their peak was the Rubber Soul/Revolver era, so again, I don't think you can just unequivocally state that the Beatles just "got better and better". This does bring to mind an interesting question though- Are there any groups that anyone can think of who just got better and better?

To me Pink Floyd's peak was their first album.

To me Pink Floyd's peak was their first album.

...everything sounded so low budget after smile :( even though i loved it i'm still saddened that he didnt work with the wall of sound and create more mastrpieces

You've not heard an album called Sunflower, I take it.  ;D

While I don't agree that the Beach Boys "lost it" after Smile, I do agree that there was a decline.  The Beatles and Zeppelin were more consistent than the Beach Boys throughout their respective careers.  The Beatles never had one bad album and Zeppelin too until Bonham's death.  I think Friends, Wild Honey, Sunflower, and so on are pretty great albums but I don't think they reach any of the standards set by Pet Sounds or Smile or even the Today! album.  I would certainly argue that the Boys had lost it creatively by 1978.  Pink Floyd lost it after Roger Waters left.

That album was decent :) actually besides wild honey it's my favorite post smile album . :)..None of us fans can honestly say that the post smile material is what made us beach boy fans lol..we all know it's the pre-pet sounds and pet sounds and smile songs that really made us want 2 tap into the beach boys music. and really made us fanatics.

I can. It was the first time I heard "I Can Hear Music" that made me a fan.

Extremely hard to believe  :P it's a great song but you know "Wouldn't it be Nice" or "God only Knows"are the songs that made you a fan mister no need to front. :)

That album was decent Smiley actually besides wild honey it's my favorite post smile album . Smiley..None of us fans can honestly say that the post smile material is what made us beach boy fans lol..we all know it's the pre-pet sounds and pet sounds and smile songs that really made us want 2 tap into the beach boys music. and really made us fanatics.

You have your opinion, other people have their own. There's not some mass denial among the board, relax.

With the exception of 'Today!', I don't prefer any of the 1962-1965 albums over any of the 1967-1971 albums. So I think The Beach Boys did pretty well after 'Smile'.

Smiley Smile and Wild Honey were definitely a "downgrade" after Pet Sounds.

on Friends you actually hear Brian using The Wrecking Crew again. songs like Friends, Little Bird and Busy Doin Nothin are fairly lush productions.

after Friends you've got studio powerhouses like Time to Get Alone and Breakaway.


I really think it was the psychological profession that damaged Brian the most. drugs like thorazine are notorious for robbing artists of their creativity and electro-shock therapy is probably one of the most barbaric and torturous "treatments" ever practiced.

None of us fans can honestly say that the post smile material is what made us beach boy fans lol..

Actually, I can. I used to be the typical casual Beach Boys fan with just a greatest hits comp (liked it) and 'Pet Sounds' (didn't really "get it" yet). It wasn't until I heard the 'Sunflower'/'Surf's Up' 2fer that I became the somewhat obsessed fan that I am now.

So You're the Spokesperson for this board? Chill the f*ck Out!

Yes, since he's just asking you to have a little more respect for other people's opinions (which in your case certainly wouldn't hurt), I do believe he speaks for most people here.

dude... you really need to realize that your opinion is not fact, and is not shared by every other Beach Boys fan.

^ And in this case, Bossaroo speaks for me too.

WTF why? lol...Surf's Up only has two great songs on it..."Til I Die" & "Surf's Up"

Seriously.. pitiful in denial creatures.(Some of you)..(Those who aren't shouldn't take offense.)

Actually, I can. I used to be the typical casual Beach Boys fan with just a greatest hits comp (liked it) and 'Pet Sounds' (didn't really "get it" yet). It wasn't until I heard the 'Sunflower'/'Surf's Up' 2fer that I became the somewhat obsessed fan that I am now.

Are you drunk?

l I never want to see another smiley face ever again.

SOME OF YOU ARE SO IN DENIAL :[

To me Pink Floyd's peak was their first album.

Seriously.. pitiful in denial creatures.(Some of you)..(Those who aren't shouldn't take offense.)

The Beach Boys career rocked after Smile with wild honey and friends. Also, 20/20 is awesome with the hoge-poge of tracks and styles. Sunflower is a great group effort and the unreleased stuff from the sunflower project is also another album. I think surf's up is pretty good, as it being Brian's swansong before the madness of the later 1970s began. But the main seliing point of this era were the rocking live shows which began the process of reviving the band's popularity.

The first beach boys albums I bought were Today/summer days and sunflower/surf's up.

I can. It was the first time I heard "I Can Hear Music" that made me a fan.

That is a valid point about the live shows...as I look back on that time, it seemed as though (in their home - the US) they could never win.  Yet, they toured, and I guess in a way, it was a forum where they could not lose, and at the same time, they stayed in the game, as it were, fighting a battle where they could win!  

So, regardless of the many critics who passed them by, they changed the battlefield from the newspapers, who pay their critics, or who may have been subject to other influences, and to the live context and solidified a live fan base.  Even if some shows we're not sellouts, they showed determination, to keep the music out there. Lots of groups just became discouraged and quit.  It takes a lot to get out onstage and do a great show to half a house!  But those fans, passed the word about what a great show they still put on.  They kept their dignity despite the critics.

To answer the posed question, I never stopped listening, but got into a groove of playing Pet Sounds, Holland/So Tough, Surf's Up, Beach Boys '69, and 20/20...especially when they were out on 8 track, double album...

Some of this belongs a thread below*

To me Pink Floyd's peak was their first album.

Bedtime for you littleguy 562, maybe switch over to the Justin Bieber message boards tomorrow....

I speak for you too.. now calm your ass down! lol

He is attempting to start a sh*t fight.. Why does this board constantly attract people like that? At least with other antagonists they had a little more IP.

You'd better be kidding.

Wish You Were Here and Animals are incredible, masterpieces.

they jumped right into my boobytrap  :lol...

To me the Beach Boys did what a lot of great bands have done. They create their masterpiece and are unsure how to top it. So they go a different direction often going back to basics or changing style. After Sgt Pepper and MagMystTour the Beatles went back to basics for the most part with the WA. Radiohead didn't think they could beat OKComp doing the same type thing so they did KidA/Amnesiac then went back to basics with Hail to the Thief. U2 switched gears with Pop.

Brian went back to basics with Smiley/WH/Friends, which are anti commercial but artistically brilliant. I think the Beach Boys continued to do great things through Holland. Love You was also great in the context of musical genius in rehab. :)

Some of the posters, here, have such passion for a lot of the unnoticed and highly criticized work post Pet Sounds.  That said, sometimes you never know what your real masterpiece is for awhile.  On The Union movie, after Brian is taped for the Elton-Leon CD/DVD, Leon tells how, Brian taught the guys how to sing each part in the studio, going around in a circle, singing, repeatedly until each guy knew his part.  Leon marveled at the technique, which reminded me of old parochial school "drill-and-practice." See this film.  This is a pro (Leon Russell) who sat at the piano and watched Brian train the Boys.

Later, Elton talks about how he had told Michael Jackson about trying to "top" Thriller.  That he could probably do good or great work, but the commercial success (which MJ cared about) might not be replicated.  Elton says he told him that he probably could not do it, and should not let money be a prime motivation.  

Here, I think the fact that it was not released, added to the myth, where it took on a life of its' own. We're looking backwards, now.  

A lot of what was written, post Pet Sounds, was not just for the point of "outdoing" a masterpiece, because, Pet Sounds was one of the biggest. "sleepers" of all time, not unlike Smile, but, being contemporaneous with the social issues of the time.  And the desire for peace which was on eveyone's mind with the war and the 3 assassinations.  

Too bad some of you passionate posters were not 60's and 70's kids.  

We sure could have used the help!   :love

Jokes on you and don't even realise it...Laugh out Loud!

Neither are yours.

i kinda agree (in part)

its basically 2 bands

i love songs like little bird, forever, busy doin nothing, till i die, breakaway etc

however, it has to be acknowledged alot more substandard music here as well, sure theres still some nuggets to be mined but theres alot more quantity of meh on the later stuff.

to be honest outside 'Pet Sounds, Here Today, SMiLE, Sunflower' the beach boys blew hot and cold over the course of an albums length - thats not to say there isnt any music thats incredible because there is, however i think there is a wider sliding scale of great - bad, quality - cheese or whatever you wanna call it

that joke isnt funny..  >:(

Well, I am just rolling on the floor laughing right now.

:lol

No way out of this one by pretending to agree with me.

I won't go back & forth with you anymore ..there's no point so i'm going to end this with an .... ::)

I wish i would've came off the way you did and explained it like this. This is what i meant but i'm not great at explaining myself or typing out my thoughts :[...You are absolutely right if they don't understand this then there is something wrong with this message board.

Extremely hard to believe  :P it's a great song but you know "Wouldn't it be Nice" or "God only Knows"are the songs that made you a fan mister no need to front. :)

May I add that I do agree with you that after Smile collasped, the albums were not as good as PS for a couple of years. I like them all from that period but for me it was only with 20/20 onwards that the 'Boys started hitting the bullseye again.

It would be much quicker for me to post what I don't consider great from 20/20 to Holland.
Bluebirds Over the Mountain and Make it Good = Crap
Take a Load Off Your Feet = average.

Probably most "boomers" on this board came to the Beach Boys with their earliest records.  However I actually came to be a BB's fan after Brian's Imagination.  I know that sounds crazy, but it's true.  And, for people to say "you're in denial" simply for expressing an opinion, well that's showing a little bit of disrespect IMHO.

After I became interested in Brian's solo music, I got into the Boys, but in reverse chronological order.

My point?

Pet Sounds is a beautiful work of genius, but it really is almost a solo album, isn't it?  Strangely enough, I listen post-Pet Sounds, WAY more than Pet Sounds.  Pre-Pet Sounds?  Meh!

Whereas, as a group effort, the Sunflower / Surf's Up period is a career height, as is Wild Honey / Friends.  These sets of albums stand next to anything the Beatles ever did.

So, I am only "sad" for two reasons:

1.) I wish the post-Pet Sounds albums I cited had received more critical approval at the time.  They deserved it.
2.) I wish the Boys had  moderated their intake of certain, ah, substances back in the day, ah.........

P.S.
New Guy, the Byrds got much better after Crosby quit (was fired actually by McGuinn and Hillman) and they added first Gram Parsons and then Clarence White.  Clarence was a better guitarist than Hendrix.

Stand next to anything the beatles did? that's probably the craziest thing i've seen posted on here :p lol..ok let me think of the worst thing the beatles did ..or at least considered a low point..hmmm magical mystery tour(which is my favorite) completely over-shadows anything the beach boys did post smile by a landslide.
i feel that when grams started working with them they became a country group  :-X

Probably most "boomers" on this board came to the Beach Boys with their earliest records.  However I actually came to be a BB's fan after Brian's Imagination.  I know that sounds crazy, but it's true.  And, for people to say "you're in denial" simply for expressing an opinion, well that's showing a little bit of disrespect IMHO.

After I became interested in Brian's solo music, I got into the Boys, but in reverse chronological order.

My point?

Pet Sounds is a beautiful work of genius, but it really is almost a solo album, isn't it?  Strangely enough, I listen post-Pet Sounds, WAY more than Pet Sounds.  Pre-Pet Sounds?  Meh!

Whereas, as a group effort, the Sunflower / Surf's Up period is a career height, as is Wild Honey / Friends.  These sets of albums stand next to anything the Beatles ever did.

So, I am only "sad" for two reasons:

1.) I wish the post-Pet Sounds albums I cited had received more critical approval at the time.  They deserved it.
2.) I wish the Boys had  moderated their intake of certain, ah, substances back in the day, ah.........

P.S.
New Guy, the Byrds got much better after Crosby quit (was fired actually by McGuinn and Hillman) and they added first Gram Parsons and then Clarence White.  Clarence was a better guitarist than Hendrix.

Probably most "boomers" on this board came to the Beach Boys with their earliest records.  However I actually came to be a BB's fan after Brian's Imagination.  I know that sounds crazy, but it's true.  And, for people to say "you're in denial" simply for expressing an opinion, well that's showing a little bit of disrespect IMHO.

After I became interested in Brian's solo music, I got into the Boys, but in reverse chronological order.

My point?

Pet Sounds is a beautiful work of genius, but it really is almost a solo album, isn't it?  Strangely enough, I listen post-Pet Sounds, WAY more than Pet Sounds.  Pre-Pet Sounds?  Meh!

Whereas, as a group effort, the Sunflower / Surf's Up period is a career height, as is Wild Honey / Friends.  These sets of albums stand next to anything the Beatles ever did.

So, I am only "sad" for two reasons:

1.) I wish the post-Pet Sounds albums I cited had received more critical approval at the time.  They deserved it.
2.) I wish the Boys had  moderated their intake of certain, ah, substances back in the day, ah.........

P.S.
New Guy, the Byrds got much better after Crosby quit (was fired actually by McGuinn and Hillman) and they added first Gram Parsons and then Clarence White.  Clarence was a better guitarist than Hendrix.

I think your argument that Pink Floyd (not a big fan personally) just "got better and better" is silly- there was clearly a decline for them some time in the 80s. Plus I don't think you would find too many Zeppelin fans that consider In through the Out Door to be their finest moment. As for the Beatles, to many fans  their peak was the Rubber Soul/Revolver era, so again, I don't think you can just unequivocally state that the Beatles just "got better and better". This does bring to mind an interesting question though- Are there any groups that anyone can think of who just got better and better?

Want to start a Byrds thread in general music?, because the Byrds are another group I would like to talk about.

You'd better be kidding.

Wish You Were Here and Animals are incredible, masterpieces.

Stand next to anything the beatles did? that's probably the craziest thing i've seen posted on here :p lol..ok let me think of the worst thing the beatles did ..or at least considered a low point..hmmm magical mystery tour(which is my favorite) completely over-shadows anything the beach boys did post smile by a landslide.
i feel that when grams started working with them they became a country group  :-X

I feel like you really don't have your own opinions about music, and just repeat what the music media of rolling stone, MTV, and VH1 tell you about the Beach Boys, Beatles and Byrds.

I do!!!!!

Carouselambra: is my favorite thing Zep ever did.

BJL is right, it's all about taste.

"All important" historical context is for the critics.

I feel like you really don't have your own opinions about music, and just repeat what the music media of rolling stone, MTV, and VH1 tell you about the Beach Boys, Beatles and Byrds.

why do you feel that way?

Parroting lines of "all Beatles albums are god", "beach boys done after smile"

Also, it was not just,

The Byrds: 'Hey, Gram Parsons, you wanna join The Byrds?'

GP: 'Yeah! BTW, we're now going to make a country album.'

It was not only the way the individual Byrds were heading (Hillman especially), but also a lot of the LA scene. The Dillards, The Beau Brummels, Gram Parsons himself, Gene Clark (a Byrd, after all) amongst others were all making country/bluegrass albums in 1968/1969, and predating the early 70's LA scene's fixation with country music. It's the way the scene was going, and The Byrds got the enviable chance to go down to Nashville and use the real pros to make Sweetheart.

Noobguy, you are an absolute beatdown.

I think you can be sure had the Beatles continued into the 70's there would have been at least one TERRIBLE album.

why do you feel that way?

It's a fact ..Mame one beatles album that is "bad"...I'm a fan of the beach boys i'm just being brutally honest even though most of you won't agree with me...after smile their music went downhill  :[ even though they had a few gems here and there.

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php?action=profile;u=3626;sa=showPosts (http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php?action=profile;u=3626;sa=showPosts)

Peruse through this and subsequent pages :)

The Beatles were a great band, but weren't perfect. Yellow submarine album sucked, early albums (while good) had filler covers, albums lacked great singles like strawberry fields, "white album" had revolution 9, and "let it be" was pieced together and overdubbed by Phil Spector from hours of session tapes.

i'm not counting Yellow Submarine as an album ...it's just a soundtrack to the film (no cheating mister)
some of the covers...Yikes.."Honey Pie".."Maxwell's silver hammer".."Why don't we do it in the road".."Yellow submarine"..."Octopuses garden".."Yer Blues".."#9"..."maggie may"..."Mr. kite"...and some of those indian harrison songs lol

If Knewb's opinion just happens to follow the economic trajectory of a bands popularity, so be it.

So my point is don't say the Beatles are perfect and never put out clunkers, because all bands do. The later Beach Boys is stuff is great in its own way.

It's a fact ..name one beatles album that is "bad"...I'm a fan of the beach boys i'm just being brutally honest even though most of you won't agree with me...after smile their music went downhill  :[ even though they had a few gems here and there.

For the record, I love both Honey Pies, Yer Blues, and everything "of those indian harrison songs lol".

I think Beatles "For Sale" is really really rather weak despite containing some obviously great songs.

Man, I love Sweetheart of The Rodeo! But then I like country music, so you probably think I have no taste  ::)

i like honey pie , and all the harisson songs too i'm just pointing out their weaker songs .

Also, it was not just,

The Byrds: 'Hey, Gram Parsons, you wanna join The Byrds?'

GP: 'Yeah! BTW, we're now going to make a country album.'

It was not only the way the individual Byrds were heading (Hillman especially), but also a lot of the LA scene. The Dillards, The Beau Brummels, Gram Parsons himself, Gene Clark (a Byrd, after all) amongst others were all making country/bluegrass albums in 1968/1969, and predating the early 70's LA scene's fixation with country music. It's the way the scene was going, and The Byrds got the enviable chance to go down to Nashville and use the real pros to make Sweetheart.

Why do most of you hate bluebirds over the mountain? :[ i like it ..

Perhaps he is only 14.

It doesn't give him the right to tell people to "chill the f*ck out". He doesn't need to say we're all "in denial" for having an opinion.

The more I read his posts the more I think he's a troll: He pisses us off, then he backs away. He pisses us off even more, then backs away....It was amusing, but now it's just plain annoying.

Newguy is like 14 yrs old guys, so give him a break. at least he's listening to good music.

big Byrds fan here as well... I see a lot of parallels between them and the Beach Boys. they were really the only other American band who could compete with the Beatles for a time.

Gene Clark was by far the most talented of the original lineup. such a rare and introspective talent... like Brian. and he got bullied by McGuinn and Crosby a good deal.

Gram Parsons was another rare talent with so much ambition and vision. He came to L.A. and took not only Crosby's slot in the Byrds, but his girlfriend too. Gram also got fired from the band, but within months he had Byrds Chris Hillman and Mike Clarke in his own band and they recorded one of the coolest and most influential albums of all-time with 'Gilded Palace of Sin'. pretty amazing when you think about it.

then Clarence White joined the Byrds. another absolutely amazing talent. I don't know if he was "better" than Hendrix, their styles were at opposite ends of the spectrum... but he was one of Jimi's favorites.

it amazes me how much genius passed through that band, but like the Beach Boys they were led by a lesser talent who eventually went the nostalgic route.

such a shame that Gene Clark never got the recognition he deserved, and that Gram and Clarence both died so young... they weren't anywhere near being finished.

On this we agree.  bluebirds over the Mountain, great tune!

What exactly do you find "weak" about them?

honey pie..when i'm 64..maggy mae it's all granny music lol

So you are 14 then.

honey pie..when i'm 64..maggie mae it's all granny music lol

Honey Pie nauseates me. It's such obvious schtick that I can't even stomach it.

Some excellent points, Bossaroo!

But I disagree about McGuinn being a "lesser" talent.  As a musician, arranger, performer, and occasionally writer, he was a major talent.  He was responsible for keeping the later day Byrds going, and to me the run of Dr. Byrds, Easy Rider, Untitled, Byrdmaniax and Farther Along is a fantastic run of albums.  This are all regularly spun by me.

Plus, McGuinn is not taking the "nostalgia" route, if anything, he is avoiding the nostalgia act.

Well McGuinn's 12 string and Clarence's string bender: a match made in heaven!
 

honey pie..when i'm 64..maggie mae it's all granny music lol

I appreciate the genre/era Paul's aping with that song, but the way he does it is just revolting! But it's still a cute song in and of itself, and it lurks on one of my fave albums ever, but even considering all that, I just can't stomach it.

Maggie Mae is granny music? It's about a prostitute.

I think by "granny music" he means music that sounds like it comes from some far away time and out of old faded black & white pictures evoking images of our grandmothers as young women cavorting on beaches in one piece bathing suits and going to speakeasys.

I meant that the songs he mentioned, even when released, sounded like Paul was aping some long ago time/sound/vibe.

Yes. But then, I still don't see how Maggie Mae fits in.

my age doesnt matter..whether i was 14 or not, age is just a number.

To me Pink Floyd's peak was their first album.

my age doesnt matter..whether i was 14 or not, age is just a number.

In your case it matters a great deal I'm afraid because it could provide a much needed context when reading your posts. I don't mean that to be rude either. Sometimes I find your posts very thoughtful. At other times I find them a bit shallow and erratic. Knowing your age would help us understand you better.

OK, I'm going to go out on a limb here and admit something that I've never said to anybody before. With the exception of Pet Sounds, everything that The Beach Boys recorded, starting with Smiley Smile and ending with Holland, is better than anything that they recorded from Surfin' Safari to Party!.

my age doesnt matter..whether i was 14 or not, age is just a number.

Age is generally immaterial, but attitude, especially on a forum such as this where one can't see facial expressions, isn't. You're sailing very close to trolling territory, not to mention beginning to piss people off with your immaturity, real or feigned. Time to rethink your stance.

OK, I'm going to go out on a limb here and admit something that I've never said to anybody before. With the exception of Pet Sounds, everything that The Beach Boys recorded, starting with Smiley Smile and ending with Holland, is better than anything that they recorded from Surfin' Safari to Party!.

What this thread tells me is that among the BB-fanbase the albums Smiley smile through Holland are overrated and put on a pedestal. Listen the only post PS album that lives up to their legacy is Sunflower IMHO. I listen to Summer days, Party, All summer long and it's a worlds apart from Wild honey, Holland and Friends.

What this thread tells me is that among the BB-fanbase the albums Smiley smile through Holland are overrated and put on a pedestal. Listen the only post PS album that lives up to their legacy is Sunflower IMHO. I listen to Summer days, Party, All summer long and it's a worlds apart from Wild honey, Holland and Friends.

What this thread tells me is that among the BB-fanbase the albums Smiley smile through Holland are overrated and put on a pedestal. Listen the only post PS album that lives up to their legacy is Sunflower IMHO. I listen to Summer days, Party, All summer long and it's a worlds apart from Wild honey, Holland and Friends.

OK, I'm going to go out on a limb here and admit something that I've never said to anybody before. With the exception of Pet Sounds, everything that The Beach Boys recorded, starting with Smiley Smile and ending with Holland, is better than anything that they recorded from Surfin' Safari to Party!.

I know I will be hearing this whole thread again verbatim standing in line for this year's Record Store Day sales.

Meanwhile I will stare off into the distance, claim to know nothing, say I'm just there to pick up "Now That's What I Call Music #42" for the kiddos.

Confirming AGD's point indirectly: it is somewhat amusing to eavesdrop on newly-minted 20-something music freaks arguing over the LP stacks about which BB record is best, or did King Crimson do anything good after "Crimson King", or is post-Gabriel Genesis better or worse than Gabriel-era Genesis, or is Metallica more progressive than Zeppelin, etc. ...

It can be funny and the joke is definitely on me at times, but least we are passionate about wonderful music.

I know I will be hearing this whole thread again verbatim standing in line for this year's Record Store Day sales.

Meanwhile I will stare off into the distance, claim to know nothing, say I'm just there to pick up "Now That's What I Call Music #42" for the kiddos.

Confirming AGD's point indirectly: it is somewhat amusing to eavesdrop on newly-minted 20-something music freaks arguing over the LP stacks about which BB record is best, or did King Crimson do anything good after "Crimson King", or is post-Gabriel Genesis better or worse than Gabriel-era Genesis, or is Metallica more progressive than Zeppelin, etc. ...

We need to at least try to be patient, while they explore the music...and not throw water on their fiery enthusiasm...they are listening to it among the competition of their own generation of music.  They might even be taking heat from their peers, as many of us got, for being fans when it was not potically correct, even if it did not change our status as fans.

The BB canon is expansive enough to accommodate us all.

That album was decent :) actually besides wild honey it's my favorite post smile album . :)..None of us fans can honestly say that the post smile material is what made us beach boy fans lol..we all know it's the pre-pet sounds and pet sounds and smile songs that really made us want 2 tap into the beach boys music. and really made us fanatics.

  i just feel sad when i listen to "Pet Sounds" then i listen to "Friends" :[ it's such a downgrade :/.

I'm probably one of the very few people who have listened to the BB canon straight through, in sequence, from Lost And Found to Stars & Stripes over the course of several weeks (for them as don't know, I was paid to because I sure as hell wouldn't do it for pleasure ;D) and there's an undeniable exponential curve leading up to Pet Sounds just as there's a definite falling off afterwards (and an almighty thud post-Love You). Thing is, the band releasing Wild Honey, Surf's Up and Holland isn't anything like the band that gave us All Summer Long, Surfer Girl and Today, or (thankfully) the band that came up with Summer In Paradise or KTSA. Have The Beach Boys released an entirely worthless album ?  No, although take it from me, SIP comes as close as is humanly possible. Have they ever released a flawless album ? Again, no, although four or five titles* come damn close. Fact is, over the course of a 35 year active recording career, such peaks and troughs are inevitable, just as personal preference is. I happen to think that the 1963-66 period is their absolute peak, but that doesn't mean I can't rate the early 70s stuff highly as well, any more than it means I can be arrogant enough to lay down the law here and baldly state that nothing post-Smile is worth a fart in a colander. That's both your opinion and your loss, which is fine by me, but don't tell me I'm in some way an idiot for going counter to your beliefs unless you want to see the less lovable side of my character. No-one knows it all (not even me - amazing, true, but there it is) and some folk even like the "BA" song, notably one Wilson, B. D., which to my mind shows that even genius has its brain farts. The BB canon is expansive enough to accommodate us all.

[* - OK, since you asked: Surfer Girl, All Summer Long, Today !, Pet Sounds and Holland. YMMV]

Andrew, you are correct, in that there is room for everyone.  But, first, there is a really underrepresented point of view, and that is the woman's point of view.  Even if much is "universal."

Second, what you consider a "learning curve," I completely (but respectfully) disagree.  Even Sir Elton concedes that in order to advance, one must go back to one's roots.  I think there was enormous growth post Smile.  Because America was once a "colony" there is a certain empathy for those under the yoke of a colonial empire.  The Band could not help learning.  Travel is one of the best professors.  I found a profound awareness of this from Holland.  

Third, that, despite your magnificent catalogue work, which I truly respect, that people have not gone pretty much (I don't have all the early stuff.) retrospectively through the work, is incorrect.  Not often, and not for compensation, but, there are plenty of geezers out there, who pull out the old LPs on a Saturday afternoon, and, have a listen. That early era might not be my preferred one, but I am open to it.  

A lot of the work, when listened to by a woman, takes on a different meaning.  Summer in Paradise is one of those with some songs directed to a woman...it is unfortunate it did not have bigger sales. I happen to like it.  A lot.

Honkin' is (in my opinion) a "guy" song.  A woman I know, felllow teacher, talked about this after Al's show in Newport, in September. She, too, holds a graduate education degree, and is a lifer fan.  We discussed the music as sometimes, (as an observation and not a criticism) being almost as written to a "woman/lover" or from a completely male perspective.  

But, you are correct, that there is room for all.   :love

Please read what I posted again, and this time with some comprehension. There is considerable difference between pulling out an old album or two every now and then, and listening to the entire canon 1961-1996, in sequence over a concentrated period of time, in my case roughly five/six weeks. It gives you an unparalleled sense of ebb and flow, of the shift of the artistic focus, and that's something I'd not experienced before. Try it - listen to a BB album every evening, in release order.

As for this - "A lot of the work, when listened to by a woman, takes on a different meaning" - I can only apologise for being born a man and therefore utterly unable to appreciate this facet of the band's creativity. Hopefully it doesn't invalidate everything I've written to date.

"We discussed the music as sometimes, (as an observation and not a criticism) being almost as written to a "woman/lover" or from a completely male perspective." How odd. This has never occurred to me before, even given that the band is formed entirely of male artists. I'll never hear "Girls On The Beach" or "Help Me, Rhonda" in quite the same way again, armed with the knowledge that they were written to a woman from a male point of view. Quite a revelation. I shall have to lie down for quite a long time.

What this thread tells me is that among the BB-fanbase the albums Smiley smile through Holland are overrated and put on a pedestal. Listen the only post PS album that lives up to their legacy is Sunflower IMHO. I listen to Summer days, Party, All summer long and it's a worlds apart from Wild honey, Holland and Friends.

Hey Newguy,

it seems you are unaware of this word, what it means, and how your blatant misunderstanding of it makes you look like a skull of Dick Reising Touche, word filter  :lol.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion

Happy reading!

The Smiley Smile Messageboard

thanks for being honest about this ..you're one of the few that kept it "real". instead of bullsh*t and make it seem like surf's up/holland is their magnum opus lol

thanks for being honest about this ..you're one of the few that kept it "real". instead of bullsh*t and make it seem like surf's up/holland is their magnum opus lol

thanks for being honest about this ..you're one of the few that kept it "real". instead of bullsh*t and make it seem like surf's up/holland is their magnum opus lol

I've been a fan of the beach boys since 2010

Well I've been a Beach Boys fan for 11 minutes and I say you're full of crap

bravo hypehat :lol
______

Ugh. I'm apparently full of sh*t for thinking Friends is one of their best albums. :wall

Can we please ban the troll? Let's keep age out of this for a minute: If any of us got on here telling people that they were full of sh*t, telling people to "chill the f*ck out", telling people they were all in denial post after post (Cohen got banned for just that) we would've been banned faster than Ghost on a Queen forum.

ok ban me then for being obnoxious i've learned quite a few things being on here, as a new & young fan it's been a great experience..

I've been a fan of the beach boys since 2010 and i'mma keep it true and be honest about their body of work..
some of you are blinded by fanaticism...i'm a huge beatles fan but that doesnt mean i'm gonna bullsh*t you guys and say yellow submarine is one of  the best they did. taste is taste but you guys aren't being realistic ...it's sickening..so go ahead and torch me at least i'm not in denial and making sh*t up...now for those who say surf's up/holland is their favorite album that's ok we all have our own favorite beach boys album that's normal and all power to you my fellow bb fans.
i guess it's cool on here to go against pet sounds and make it seem like their un-popular work is really under-rated and better than what we all know is the pinnacle of their career/creativity(pet sounds,smile)

Pound for pound, you cannot beat Brian's or the Boys' work from 63-66, but people grow up in different times and different conditions and it impacts what they like in music. I say "f*ck It", like it all. No matter the era, ther is a lot to like.

You guys are gonna crucify me lol

Newguy,all we're asking for is for you to respect other people's opinions, even if you disagree with them. No-one here is acting like they are full of sh*t except you.

ok i can do that :) ..i've learned so much from you guys...i'm not trynna fight/argue with any of you thought it might seem that way.

Andrew, we can disagree without being disagreeable. 

Something to please bear in mind. There is no right or wrong answer as to what is your favourite Beach Boys album.













Unless you reply Summer In Paradise. In which case you are either having a wind up at the expense of others, deaf, insane, devoid of any music taste whatsoever...... or happen to be called Mike Love.

I've been a fan of the beach boys since 2010 and i'mma keep it true and be honest about their body of work..
some of you are blinded by fanaticism...i'm a huge beatles fan but that doesnt mean i'm gonna bullsh*t you guys and say yellow submarine is one of  the best they did. taste is taste but you guys aren't being realistic ...it's sickening..so go ahead and torch me at least i'm not in denial and making sh*t up...

Nobody needs to attack anybody.  Newguy sees Pet Sounds/Smile as the pinnacle.  That's understandable, and I'm sure that there are many who agree with that point of view.  Mike's Beard likes Holland and Sunflower.  Both fine albums, and I'm sure that there are many who agree with that point of view.  My brother digs the early albums, when the Beach Boys were a garage/surf jam band.  I can see all points of view.  Nobody is wrong.  What moves you, moves you.  Please, all of you (especially Newguy), stop hurling insults at someone or calling them a liar(?) because they have different tastes.  Newguy, your schtick is wearing thin, and I have seen others with your type of personality banned from this place.  Perhaps that's what you're looking for.  Perhaps not.  But stop.  And other folks, don't let this guy rile you up.  I read his posts until I can't stand them anymore, then I skip over them.  I don't come here for this juvenile bullsh*t.

ok i'll stop  :angel:
i dont want anymore problems with you guys..i'm not trynna disrespect you in any way. can we listen to sum bb's and sing a long and get along ?  ;D

You want true "denial and making sh*t up", the Bloo's that way.

And, young man, read my book, liner notes or a few of my past posts here before saying I'm not realistic: I'll wager I've been a BB fan longer than you've been walking, and there are many here who can add some 15 years to that. This is the primo hard-core BB fan forum: we don't suck up, we don't kiss ass. What we do tend to do is rip people like you a new one for being arrogant and impertinent (again, those are my jobs). Compared with the average poster here, you don't know jack. Just because we don't concur with your opinion doesn't make you right and us wrong. Understand that, and you'll last here. Otherwise, not. Have your opinions, but remember that is all they are - an opinion.

Unless you reply Summer In Paradise. In which case you are either having a wind up at the expense of others, deaf, insane, devoid of any music taste whatsoever...... or happen to be called Mike Love.

The underlying premise of the Smile/collapse argument is that the Beach Boys lost their audience beginning in 1967.  That is clearly true for the US.  And I think the fact that the Boys were no longer making hits is the key to viewing Pet Sounds/Good Vibrations/Smile as their peak.

But if you look at the British charts, the story is quite different.  Here are the Boys post-GV singles, with their UK chart peak listed (info taken from AGD's site):

Then I Kissed Her  #4, Heroes And Villains #8, Gettin' Hungry DNC, Wild Honey #29, Darlin' #11, Friends #25, Do It Again #1, Bluebirds Over The Mountain #33, I Can Hear Music #10, Break Away #6, Cotton Fields #5

Does that look like a band in decline?  Check out the UK album charts:Smiley Smile #9, Wild Honey #7, Friends #13, 20/20 #3, Sunflower #29,   Surf's Up #15, Carl And The Passions #25, Holland #20.  Again, that does not look like a band in decline -- at all.  If the Boys had achieved that kind of chart success in the US, their history would have been perceived much differently, and IMO the Smile mythology would have been far less.  The best thing that ever happened to the Smile legend was that Smiley Smile and the subsequent records basically flopped on the US charts.

For whatever reason, the UK public was able to perceive and appreciate the quality of the post-Smile work much better than the US public.  But the quality was there.

 

Then don't post something as condescending as that was (and I know condescending).

If nothing else, there are a few very nice singing performances on SIP, notably Al's contributions. I have never deemed it quite as terrible as most folks here do. Que, Cera, Cera!

the rest of you are obsessed with a group that lost their creatively as they became older and their career went on.

Well i do need to visit the darkness of SIP at least once. :lol

It's a different discussion if they wrote better songs before or after Pet Sounds and Smile, but they were definately more creative post-Smile than they were in 1961-1965. In the early years they basically had two types of songs: upbeat rock 'n' roll and romantic ballads. From 1967 on they tried everything from lo fi psychedelica to groovy rock 'n' roll, and from mystical soundscapes to blue eyed soul. Each album from Pet Sounds on had it's own unique identity, which can't really be said of the pre Today albums.

wow the uk really appreciate the post smile work :] interesting..
i can't believe smiley smile charted so high ...it's so bizarre.. and that sucks that sunflower charted lower then them all and  it was such a great group effort smh i always wondered why the albums/songs that flopped in the us did pretty well in the uk...

Newguy: as I've said before, misstating something, having a fact wrong (no matter how insignificant), or professing an unpopular opinion on this board can be like slathering yourself in honey and climbing into a cage of starving grizzly bears.

Just ride it out and stick to your guns no matter how people might disagree or attack you.

The important thing is you love The Beach Boys and you're finding your sea-legs as a fan. The Beach Boys present a huge learning curve, so be prepared for the forks in the road and understand that us nerds here are so passionate about The Boys that it is indeed personal. But if you want to learn the goods, this is the place!

Before Pet Sounds, the only major sucess they had enjoyed in the UK singles charts was I Get Around and Barbara Ann, so they did not carry the stigma of being a 'fun in the sun surf band' that had pigeonholed them in America. People over here did not want or expect only one type of thing from The Beach Boys.

Erik H, it's the total lack of respect for other's opinions that was bugging people. Not his actual opinion.  :police:

I get that, but I don't really read that from newguy's posts. He just seems young and with an attitude like any other 14 year old.

I've certainly seen much worse here by much more "mature" gentlemen.

I can not believe this thread has lasted 10 pages. :(

I can't believe how many people i pissed off..and this was a good subject so i'm not suprised.

I can't believe how many people i pissed off..and this was a good subject so i'm not suprised.

My musical world would fall down without Smiley Smile, Wild Honey & Friends ... in some ways, I prefer them to Pet Sounds and certainly prefer all of them to Smile

Yes, I treat Smiley Smile and SMiLE as two separate entities. Each are groundbreaking, and I couldn't tell you which I prefer. And as for Friends......as far as I'm concerned that was his pinnacle as a songwriter. I'm talking about the bare-bones of a song, chords, melody, and most importantly structure. This is a guy at the height of his powers, and I think the decline began, for Brian anyway, after Friends, not SMiLE.

i kinda agree (in part)

its basically 2 bands

i love songs like little bird, forever, busy doin nothing, till i die, breakaway etc

however, it has to be acknowledged alot more substandard music here as well, sure theres still some nuggets to be mined but theres alot more quantity of meh on the later stuff.

to be honest outside 'Pet Sounds, Here Today, SMiLE, Sunflower' the beach boys blew hot and cold over the course of an albums length - thats not to say there isnt any music thats incredible because there is, however i think there is a wider sliding scale of great - bad, quality - cheese or whatever you wanna call it

hey there, interesting read this thread (for a variety of reasons )
seems like its cooled alittle on here now so thought id give this comment a bump, it seemed to get lost in the flames that came after, thought id pull it out and see what people thought about it

Like so many people, you are making the mistake of judging The Beach Boys by their album output.

Yes, I treat Smiley Smile and SMiLE as two separate entities. Each are groundbreaking, and I couldn't tell you which I prefer. And as for Friends......as far as I'm concerned that was his pinnacle as a songwriter. I'm talking about the bare-bones of a song, chords, melody, and most importantly structure. This is a guy at the height of his powers, and I think the decline began, for Brian anyway, after Friends, not SMiLE.

seriously i don't see the big deal with friends..i only like the 2nd side of it...what songs on the 1st side are great? besides passing by..

seriously i don't see the big deal with friends..i only like the 2nd side of it...what songs on the 1st side are great? besides passing by..

Pet Sounds was Brian's symphony to teenage love life.
Friends is his acceptance of adult life and the responsibilities and fun times that come with it....raising a child, teaching the child about life, learning new ways to experience your consciousness.

It's just an adult version of Pet Sounds in my opinion. It takes idealistic adolescent love and makes it grow up. I don't think young people (including me) can fully grasp everything this album relates to, but it sure is fine music.

seriously i don't see the big deal with friends..i only like the 2nd side of it...what songs on the 1st side are great? besides passing by..

sorry, there's no way I'm gonna defend 'Friends'!  It's simply an essential '60s record.  Listen to it on the first Sunday morning of the spring.

seriously i don't see the big deal with friends..

The best way for me to describe 'Friends' would be: if the early Beach Boys albums are like cruising down the boulevard in a cool car on a hot Summer day while you're checking out beautiful young women in bikinis, then 'Friends' is like chilling out in your back yard on a warm Summer evening with the woman you love and a cold beer.

The best way for me to describe 'Friends' would be: if the early Beach Boys albums are like cruising down the boulevard in a cool car on a hot Summer day while you're checking out beautiful young women in bikinis, then 'Friends' is like chilling out in your back yard on a warm Summer evening with the woman you love and a cold beer.

The best way for me to describe 'Friends' would be: if the early Beach Boys albums are like cruising down the boulevard in a cool car on a hot Summer day while you're checking out beautiful young women in bikinis, then 'Friends' is like chilling out in your back yard on a warm Summer evening with the woman you love and a cold beer.

Four words - The Beach Boys Today !

Oh, and you left this out - "IMO".  ;D

I Get Around, In My Room, The Little Girl I Once Knew.......All gems like dozens more with Brian in control. I'll take any of those tunes over most anything on Wild Honey, Friends or Smiley. I like a lot of songs from the late 60's albums but I don't get the dismissal by some folks of the early stuff much of it being brilliant. You think Carl's lead on Wild Honey is better than his lead on Girl Don't Tell Me?

There is a portion of Beach Boys fans that think the late sixties stuff is great and so be it, but really.........plenty of tunes on those albums are just as bad as County Fair.

For me Brian was the Beach Boys, and his lack of involvement after Smile's collapse is glaringly obvious from that point on.

The weird thing is that I grew up on the pre Pet Sounds Beach Boys. I loved Shut Down, 409, Surfin', Surfin' Safari, Little Deuce Coupe, etc. I also loved Kokomo, Still Cruisin, etc. But as I grew older and "matured", I began to look at stuff like 409 and Surfin' Safari as light weight, almost "novelty" songs. But I got the Good Vibrations box set, and heard the Smile tracks, and stuff like The Night Was So Young, and Still I Dream Of It, and it opened up a whole new world.  ;D I now look at their early career and see about 75% of it as basically a band catching on to the trends of the time(surfing, cars, girls, etc). Almost like a group of musicians learning how to be a real band.

I don't really think that every single thing they recordedbefore Pet Sounds isn't as great as their work from Pet Sounds and on into the 70's. I just really wanted to piss off NewGuy.  :lol I love Don't Worry Baby, Warmth Of The Sun, Please Let Me Wonder, etc. Of course, I recognise that songs like Kiss Be Baby and The Little Girl I Once Knew are works of genius, in production and vocal arrangments. I will say that I would much rather listen to Smiley Smile and Wild Honey over Summer Days And Summer Nights, or All Summer Long, for example.

Catching on the trends? they are one of the creators of Surf Rock ..

this has nothing to do with commercial success...everything sounded so low budget after smile :( even though i loved it i'm still saddened that he didnt work with the wall of sound and create more mastrpieces

Best troll thread ever

Last night's events proved that the BB's are alive and kicking, unlike what this thread tried to prove.

My humble opinions:

There are quite a lot of instrumentally underproduced pre-PS tracks, but the singing arrangements are so great you don't notice it.

SS is a novelty album that I sometimes connect with.

Wild Honey would sound much much better if recorded in a real studio - and with Dennis being given more freedom on the drums. His drum parts are often taken back a bit.
Brian's production decisions aren't that good either in places.
Play Aren't You Glad from WH and after that the 1968 live version, so you see what could have been.

Friends is my least favorite 60s BB album. The arrangements and songwriting on most of the songs sound unfinished to me. That does not include the tracks Friends, When A Man Needs A Woman, Busy Doin' Nothing, and, interestingly, Be Still, which though recorded with only organ and Dennis' voice sounds complete to me.
And the overall sound is still not as good as on pre-SS albums.

From 20/20 on the tracks are well produced again. But from Surf's Up on they fail to appeal to my personal taste and get dull to my mind.

The "Today" album, is one that leads off with a "Dennis" lead, and is a real gem.   

The original "Ronda" - pre-"Rhonda!" -  the bulb before the tulip!   ;)

I have no idea what in my post you are referring to, but "Today!" is my favorite BB album.

That album was decent :) actually besides wild honey it's my favorite post smile album . :)..None of us fans can honestly say that the post smile material is what made us beach boy fans lol..we all know it's the pre-pet sounds and pet sounds and smile songs that really made us want 2 tap into the beach boys music. and really made us fanatics.

The answer to OPs question is simple, no one can top Pet Sounds.

Why respond to a two year old post? And one started by a trollish guy who was banned at one point?

OK, I'm going to go out on a limb here and admit something that I've never said to anybody before. With the exception of Pet Sounds, everything that The Beach Boys recorded, starting with Smiley Smile and ending with Holland, is better than anything that they recorded from Surfin' Safari to Party!.

I think your argument that Pink Floyd (not a big fan personally) just "got better and better" is silly- there was clearly a decline for them some time in the 80s. Plus I don't think you would find too many Zeppelin fans that consider In through the Out Door to be their finest moment. As for the Beatles, to many fans  their peak was the Rubber Soul/Revolver era, so again, I don't think you can just unequivocally state that the Beatles just "got better and better". This does bring to mind an interesting question though- Are there any groups that anyone can think of who just got better and better?

The Beatles definitely just got better, but that's my opinion. They continued to grow and evolve (like the beach boys) but it stayed commercially successful (unlike the beach boys) arguably because the sound was better (my thoughts) or because they were THE BEATLES.

I think The Doors got better and better in the studio, despite the original poster's comment. LA Woman is an epic album with a lot of hits on it.

Jimi Hendrix is another good example of getting better and better. Cream is another good example of getting better. But if you see a pattern here....these bands/artists didn't really have time to "screw up" like The Beach Boys eventually did. Death plagued them, and I'll probably catch crap for saying it but, if Brian Wilson had died in 1967 and the band had stopped The Beach Boys would probably be universally accepted as being up there with The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and The Rolling Stones. Because whether us fans like it or not, the public does not place them there....or anywhere near there for that matter.

Sort-of disagree with the Beatles. Let It Be was a horrible last album, and Yellow Submarine was pretty mediocre. Out of their last 3 albums, only Abbey Road is what I'd consider a classic.

Agreed with the Doors. Their two albums after LA Woman and after Jim died are actually really good, very underrated. Highly reccomend you check them out if you haven't already.

If one looks at rock history of the period, there is no reason that Brian would have wanted to make more music in the Smile or Pet Sounds mold. Did the Beatles keep making Revolver and Sgt. Pepper? No. Rock was going in a more stripped down and basic direction ala Credence Clearwater Revival. I' m sure Brian was listening to that trend when  making the later albums. Perhaps others on this vintage thread made the same point, but I didn't read all pages.

That album was decent :) actually besides wild honey it's my favorite post smile album . :)..None of us fans can honestly say that the post smile material is what made us beach boy fans lol..we all know it's the pre-pet sounds and pet sounds and smile songs that really made us want 2 tap into the beach boys music. and really made us fanatics.

I am so glad the Beach Boys didn't become Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Cream, the Doors or Jimi Hendrix. That is the classic rock stuff that is regarded as sacred by Rolling Stone, mainstream radio, etc. I never think of those bands as contemporaries of the BB's. Beatles, yes. Stones? Kind of. For me, rock music peaked around 65-67, with the Byrds, Spoonful, Raiders, Kinks, Hollies, Dylan, Monkees. The myth of the BB's decline after Smile has been refuted by now - any group would like to have albums in their catalog as good as Wild Honey, Sunflower, and Holland, and 20/20, Friends and Surf's Up contain some great songs, too.

The Beach Boys music grew. Sometimes ahead of The Beatles. Their perceived image by Wenner and others is what killed them. Once the "They're not cool" image kicked in, no one gave them a glance, not even AM radio stations by 1970. Rock and Roll is fickle though, most bands only have a very finite time of popularity.

Seriously? Pink Floyd?
The band that spawned The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn? The band with the mighty Syd Barrett?
The band that created such excellent songs such as Arnold Layne, See Emily Play, Flaming, Jugband Blues, Bike, etc.
The others, maybe (as much as I like them). But how could you say Pink Floyd?!

Syd and Rick are rolling around in their graves!

Turn to any classic rock station for an hour or two, and I guarantee you will hear some Floyd - definitely some Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here or The Wall. Those stations don't even know about cool songs like See Emily Play or Arnold Layne.

Turn to any classic rock station for an hour or two, and I guarantee you will hear some Floyd - definitely some Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here or The Wall. Those stations don't even know about cool songs like See Emily Play or Arnold Layne.

That's because the MAJORITY of fans don't prefer those Floyd songs over the non-Syd Barrett classics.  A lot of Americans can't stand Syd with his British accent singing.  Those singles didn't chart over here for that reason (they did have national promotion - the US just didn't care for those songs).  They wanted their Brits to sound like Americans (with a few exceptions).   They want Meddle, Dark Side, Wish You Were Here, Animals.  I love the first Floyd album myself, just like I love Beach Boys post Smile.  But I am not blind when it comes to reality. 

As for those classic rock radio stations - 100% clueless.  I agree with you all the way Lonely Summer.  Why they even have a DJ at this point is beyond me.  They could be enlightening so many people by playing album cuts from all those same classic rock bands, and turning new fans onto bands they normally figured only had a hit or two and nothing else. 

The Beach Boys glory years will always be the Brian Wilson era up til Smile.  Yes, he was involved after that, but not at his peak.  They are in the Rock Hall Of Fame because of the early era, they are beloved around the world because of that era.  Simple as that.  Average fans do not care about most material after that.  And don't give me "I know people that like I Can Hear Music."  Most average fans have no clue other than the hits.  If people can't understand that, I don't know what to say.  As for me, I love all of it, and I wish the average fans were exposed to Sunflower or Wild Honey or Carl and The Passions and gave it a chance.  But they are not exposed, and to them it's ALL 1962-1966.  Do It Again is not considered a big hit over here.  Sail On Sailor people like.  The problem is half of them don't know it's the Beach Boys.

That's because the MAJORITY of fans don't prefer those Floyd songs over the non-Syd Barrett classics.  A lot of Americans can't stand Syd with his British accent singing.  Those singles didn't chart over here for that reason (they did have national promotion - the US just didn't care for those songs).  They wanted their Brits to sound like Americans (with a few exceptions).   They want Meddle, Dark Side, Wish You Were Here, Animals.  I love the first Floyd album myself, just like I love Beach Boys post Smile.  But I am not blind when it comes to reality.  

As for those classic rock radio stations - 100% clueless.  I agree with you all the way Lonely Summer.  Why they even have a DJ at this point is beyond me.  They could be enlightening so many people by playing album cuts from all those same classic rock bands, and turning new fans onto bands they normally figured only had a hit or two and nothing else.  

The Beach Boys glory years will always be the Brian Wilson era up til Smile.  Yes, he was involved after that, but not at his peak.  They are in the Rock Hall Of Fame because of the early era, they are beloved around the world because of that era.  Simple as that.  Average fans do not care about most material after that.  And don't give me "I know people that like I Can Hear Music."  Most average fans have no clue other than the hits.  If people can't understand that, I don't know what to say.  As for me, I love all of it, and I wish the average fans were exposed to Sunflower or Wild Honey or Carl and The Passions and gave it a chance.  But they are not exposed, and to them it's ALL 1962-1966.  Do It Again is not considered a big hit over here.  Sail On Sailor people like.  The problem is half of them don't know it's the Beach Boys.