The Smiley Smile Message Board

I know this has been discussed before, but I thought about making my own list of the last 25 very solid original songs by the Beach Boys and it took me back to the Love You album.  Then I realized that if the Beach Boys broke up after the Holland album or In Concert, what if a completely different band had a debut single of Its Ok and debut album of 15BO, and all the albums following were by this group I will call band x, this other band would have a collection of music and success that would stand well on its own. No, it doesn't stand up to the 61-73 BB at all. That isn't the point. But I made a list of 25 good original songs from 15BO to TWGMTR, then matched that by making another list of 25 songs as solo artists, and another 25 song that they covered.

Here is the list. I also made a list of 25 solo songs and 25 cover song from the post Holland period, but I don't have time to type them right now. Even so, this would be a solid career for most bands with a significant number of hits and deep cuts. 

25 original songs                              
1. Its Ok                                            
2. Let Us Go On                                 
3. Johnny Carson                             
4. The Night Was So Young             
5. Airplane
6. Belles of Paris
7. Sweet Sunday Kinda Love
8. My Diane
9. Match Point
10. Good Timin
11. Lady Lynda
12. Baby Blue
13. Keepin the Summer Alive
14. Goin On
15. Santa Anna Winds
16. Getche Back
17. Where I Belong
18. Male Ego
19. Make it Big
20. Somewhere Near Japan
21. Kokomo
22. That's Why God Made the Radio
23. From There To Back Again
24. Pacific Ocean Highway
25. Summer's Gone

I think if another band had gone to a major record label with 15BO then they would have been laughed out of the place and that goes for each album that followed until Stars and Stripes for sure. No new band could have got these things released. The best new songs from the wilderness era that I've heard for me are:

1, It's Ok
2, Still I Dream of It
3, The Night Was So Young
4, I'll Bet He's Nice
5, Airplane
6, My Diane
7, Pitter Patter
8, Country Pie (not written by the group obviously but should have been a single)
9, Morning Christmas
10, Good Timin
11, Baby Blue
12, Lady Lynda
13, It's a Beautiful Day
14, Goin' On
15, Santa Ana Winds
16, Getcha Back
17, Where I Belong
18, Rock and Roll to the Rescue
19, Kokomo
20, Somewhere Near Japan
21, Soul Searchin'
22, That's Why God Made the Radio
23, From There To Back Again
24, Pacific Ocean Highway
25, Summer's Gone

This is what makes this period of the band so interesting to me, really. It's a shame they wasted that kind of carte blanche

It is and it's an even bigger shame that they could barely get in the same room with each other to record songs. When it became, for example, Carl being the only Beach Boy on a song and him recording his vocal drunk then they should have split.

Magic Transistor Radio, thanks for starting this thread. I love these. It gives me a chance/idea to make a new comp for the car. I'll give it a shot:

THE BEACH BOYS - Goin' On  1976 - 2012

01  It's OK
02  Palisades Park
03  Roller Skating Child
04  The Night Was So Young
05  I'll Bet He's Nice
06  My Diane
07  Matchpoint Of Our Love
08  Winter Symphony
09  Baby Blue
10  Lady Lynda
11  Good Timin'
12  It's A Beautiful Day
13  Goin' On
14. Livin' With A Heartache
15  Getcha Back
16  Where I Belong
17  Rock And Roll To The Rescue
18  California Dreamin'
19  Kokomo
20  Somewhere Near Japan
21. Lahaina Aloha
22. That's Why God Made The Radio
23. From There To Back Again
24. Pacific Coast Highway
25. Summer's Gone

 

Match Point is hardly a highlight in any context...

I would probably trade all those songs for one Wouldn't It Be Nice (I'm not Bruce Johnston either)

I think there have been bands with some success with a worst selection of songs than these. Perhaps even bands in the hall of fame with a worst selection of songs. ???  When I was watching SNL on netflix from season 1, I have seen some bands on there that were I don't get at all. Patti Smith doesn't seem any better than 15BO or Love You.  Also, the Sex Pistols, Clash and Ramones had success in the 70s. And it wasn't uncommon for people to cover oldies in the 70s. Based on other things that have succeeded, I don't feel its too far fetched that 15BO and Love You couldn't succeed. Just maybe not from most Beach Boy fans. At least not at first. 15BO probably only succeeded as much as it did because fans were ready to buy anything new by the BB.

That's it exactly - after the runaway success of Endless Summer and Spirit of America, plus years of successful touring, fans were ready for a new Beach Boys album. When 15BO turned out to be a clunker, they stayed away from subsequent albums. LA might've had a chance, but there was the uproar over the group going disco. I say cut down HCTN to 3 or 4 minutes, add It's A Beautiful Day, and you've got the best BB's album since Holland.

I like the MIU album, but neither of these are tracks I like the album for. My Diane is the only one there that has at least some appeal to me. It's all so subjective!

Indeed. For example, for me Hey Little Tomboy is the worst song on the album but recently a few people said they didn't mind this song but hated the rest of MIU. Each to their own.

I think the Love You album should be heard in its entirety so I'll omit it from the list but aside from that...

1. That Same Song
2. It's O.K.
3. Back Home
4. Had to Phone Ya
5. Susie Cincinnati
6. Just Once In My Life
7. Come Go With Me
8. Angel Come Home
9. Good Timin'
10. Love Surrounds Me
11. Baby Blue
12. Here Comes the Night
13. Keepin' the Summer Alive
14. Goin' On
15. It's Gettin' Late
16. Getcha Back
17. California Dreamin'
18. Don't Fight the Sea
19. Think About the Days
20. That's Why God Made the Radio
21. Isn't It Time (Album Version)
22. Strange World
23. From There and Back Again
24. Pacific Coast Highway
25. Summer's Gone

http://youtu.be/4qb9vV-H9ec

How can you not love this! :)

It just reminds me how much I suck at tennis.  ;D

cool idea!

1) It's OK
2) Had to Phone Ya
3) Let Us Go On This Way
4) Roller Skating Child
5) The Night Was So Young
6) Good Timin'
7) Angel Come Home
8) It's a Beautiful Day
9) Keepin The Summer Alive
10) Goin' On
11) Getcha Back
12 ) It's Gettin' Late (I guess)
13) Kokomo
14) Make It Big
15) Somewhere Near Japan
16) Problem Child (yes, I love it)
17) Lahaina Aloha
18) Strange Things Happen
19) Don't Fight the Sea (I guess)
20) That's Why God Made the Radio
21) Isn't it Time (single mix)
22) Strange World
23) From there To Back Again
24) Pacific Coast Highway
25) Summer's Gone

yes, I purposely left out MIU. I mean, I love it because it's the Beach Boys, but really it's just terrible....

Here's 40...

1. It's O.K.
2. Had to Phone Ya
3. Palisades Park
4. Just Once in My Life
5. Let Us Go On This Way
6. Roller Skating Child
7.The Night Was So Young
8.I'll Bet He's Nice
9.Let's Put Our Hearts Together
10. I Wanna Pick You Up
11. Airplane
12. Still I Dream of It
13. It's Over Now
14. Morning Christmas
15. Winter Symphony
16. She's Got Rhythm
17. My Diane
18. Match Point of Our Love
19. Good Timin'
20. Angel Come Home
21. Love Surrounds Me
22. Baby Blue
23. It's a Beautiful Day
24. Goin' On
25. Keepin' the Summer Alive (Live at Knebworth)
26. Stevie
27. Getcha Back
28. Where I Belong
29. California Dreamin'
30. Kokomo
31. Somewhere Near Japan
32. In My Car
33. Lahaina Aloha
34. You're Still A Mystery
35. Soul Searchin'
36. Caroline, No (Stars and Stripes)
37. That's Why God Made the Radio
38. From There to Back Again
39. Pacific Coast Highway
40. Summer's Gone

Easy - you just have to be me!

Brian's voice is good there though.