The Smiley Smile Message Board

When it comes to movies that are generally universally regarded as awful, I still tend to think that there’s got to be someone out there who has decided that is their favorite movie.

And I wonder, can the same be said for Beach Boys albums and songs (that are generally considered amongst their worst)? Is there someone whose favorite BB song is “When Girls Get Together” and another person whose favorite BB album is “Summer in Paradise”?
Or (gasp) the NASCAR album?

We surely all have BB guilty pleasures, but I wonder how far those guilty pleasures go with some people.

Discuss…

Personally, I like "Summer In Paradise," and I'd go so far as to say I rather enjoy it. But even then, I still think it is one of their weakest albums.

If there is one person in this world who's favorite Beach Boys album is "SIP," I think his name is probably Michael Edward Love.

I believe that every album/band/song is someone's favorite album/band/song.

These are my thoughts exactly. Somewhere on Planet Earth...

yes my good friend Bertha says it is her favorite album of all times... here's a photo of her..
(http://i58.tinypic.com/bhwzo1.jpg)

Summer In Paradise is their worst album, but even with that it is still a 1/2 good album. Now, When Girls Get Together is by far my least favorite track in their whole catalog. Yuk!

I prefer SIP over Surfin Safari and 15 Big Ones and rank it about the same as BB85. I doubt anyone would call SIP their favourite album though.

This.

I liked the song SIP performed live back around 93.  I think the album was poorly conceived, produced, and mixed.  These were some classic songs and could have been given a much better sounding BB treatment. 

I think The Beach Boys is miles better than Summer in Paradise... :P

 Wow. The best I can say for SIP is that the title cut is passable. I've never disliked "When Girls Get Together". Always imagine a psychedelic Sunday at a park where everyone is moving in slow motion. The tune did not belong on KTSA.

This.

I actually think it's quite good. It does have its flaws but it's still a good album with occasional glimpses of brilliance. I even prefer it over TWGMTR, mostly because of Carl's singing and the fact that it does sound like an actual group album.

I'd actually take When Girls Get Together over a few Sunflower songs to be honest. Think it sound nice right near the end.

Summer In Paradise has 8 average to good songs:

- Hot Fun In The Summertime
- Island Fever
- Still Surfin'
- Slow Summer Dancin' (One Summer Night)
- Strange Things Happen
- Lahaina Aloha
- Summer In Paradise
- Forever

The problems are the production which is bad, the album contains the worst BB song of all-time ("Summer Of Love"), and Brian Wilson didn't want to record with The Beach Boys. All three of those problems could've and should've been addressed.

And, "When Girls Get Together" is a good song, too. It's one of most sophisticated songs that Brian and Mike ever wrote.

When we do out the SIP lover (as we seem to be inching closer), what will we do them?

Take them away and care for them? Or something else?

I wonder how many people here don't even have the album or have never heard it?

  Just listened to some SIP cuts on YouTube...it remains a hideous affair, probably the worst album ever released by a major rock band.

  While neither LP ranks among the band's best efforts, SURFIN' SAFARI and 15 BIG ONES both play like the music of the spheres next to the radioactive waste that is SIP.

 I can see Bruce going with the flow but it remains shocking that Carl and Al allowed SIP to be unleashed as a Beach Boys' album.

For those of us who actually own SIP, does anybody have it in a format other than cassette?

Yeah, I have it on CD. In fact, I broke it out today on my way to work. "Strange Things Happen" and "Lahaina Aloha" are pretty good cuts. I'd say there are about 5... maybe 6 decent songs on it.  There isn't a Beach Boys album that's unlistenable to me.

The Nascar CD is barely...and I mean barely...listenable.

I'll readily admit that I like Still Surfin', Lahaina Aloha and Summer in Paradise. I find the rest to be boring or downright embarrassing.

The cover art is superb. The sound quality is above average. If you own the lp, it would make a nice rolling tray. It has some very famous people on it like Carl Wilson. It was the best Beach Boys album released between 1990 - 1992 (GH collections not included). One of the main songwriters was Mike Love who met some of the Beatles once in India. I could go on and on saying nice things about it actually. Still one of the worst albums by a major rock band ever made. It adds extra space to your cd collection if you can get a hold of a copy.

Yes, but is the CD of coaster quality? I need to know these things before purchasing.

Yes it is! In fact, most cans or bottles will sit nicely upon the cd providing that you have the cd on a flat surface (like a coffee table or similar).

Well, that's a relief. Cuz if I'm gonna pay THIS http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Paradise-The-Beach-Boys/dp/B000001YJH/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408507286&sr=8-1&keywords=summer+in+paradise  for the thing, I want to get some use out of it!

You nearly nailed it, I would only replace "Island Fever"/"Summer Dancin'" with "Surfin'"/"Summer of Love". At least they have funny factor (Mike's voice in both cases).

I have always enjoyed SIP and have never been afraid to say that.

I paid under a dollar for a cassette of SIP.  I put it on every couple years.

.

I think that with a completely new set of lyrics and better production, Still Surfin' could have been as good as Somewhere Near Japan.

Summer in Paradise was the first Beach Boys album that I bought. I was a teenger (don't know how old, maybe 17 or so) and I really liked the album except for a few songs. I really hated Hot Fun, Surfin', Remember Walking in the Sand and Under the Boardwalk. The other songs, even Summer of Love, weren't too bad. From today's point of view the production is really terrible and the songs and arrangements are badly executed. But I still listen to it from time to time and have good time.

I've never heard the album. The live Summer in Paradise from MiC is my guiltiest pleasure, tho.

I have SIP on vinyl, US cd and UK cd. I can't say I listen to it much other than Lahaina Aloha.

The only song on there that doesn't make my ears gush with blood is "Island Fever" (the original version).  The rest of it is pretty awful.

So basically you hated the covers.  Me too.  The rest isn't all that bad.

Love that live track too!

It Ain't Me Babe

I always liked Mike's bass voice on Hot Fun In The Summertime.

:lol (Saw Dylan in Melbourne, last night - fantastic stuff)

I don't dislike all the songs but the damn cd holder is innane.

It's not the worst album all times but it would be better by leaps and bounds with some vocals arrangements by one Brian Douglas Wilson.

PARADISE IS A STATE OF MIND

i bought the us digipak on release (did it even make billboard hot 100), then traded it in after a few plays. i so wanted to like it, but had to give up. then, years later, i heard from an expert fan that the uk version had a softer, warmer mix, so i bought that second hand, with an illegible autograph scribbled inside the booklet. i don't even play it once a year. i like to ration my bb listening - both the good, the bad, and the awful, so that my favorite band will always sound fresh and exciting. i think the title track is the best thing on there, with a lovely guest vocal by roger mcguinn, iirc.

never thought about it this way, but this pretty much nails it

I own over 3,000 CDs, and the very best and the very worst of those are both by the same band. That's pretty incredible. In all it's awfulness, 'Summer in Paradise' is actually one of the reasons why The Beach Boys are such an endlessly fascinating band and I appreciate it for that.

Oh, and I love the cover art.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw2sex1mJNI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw2sex1mJNI)

I also like the poster that's included in the pocket of the unique CD case. It unfolds so nicely. When the album came out I ordered a calendar with 12 months(pics) of that fabulous artwork. I think I got the address to order it from BBFUN.

Nowhere near my favorite album (in fact, it's in my bottom 5 BBs albums, for sure) but there are some nice moments on the CD, despite how dated and terrible the production is.  The non-Mike vocals throughout the album are nice, especially One Summer Night and STrange Things Happen.  Lahaina Aloha is a standout, and the live performances of the title track are quite nice.... (MIC) version is pretty cool. 

Summer of Love is without question the worst track ever to bear the name The Beach Boys on it.  Truly abysmal.  Remember Walkin In The Sand is also pretty bad and the Surfin' remake is quite bad, despite nice vocals from CW. 

I have owned two copies of this....bought one at a local music store in 1993 and lost it somewhere over the years...bought another copy used around 2000 for $3.95.  Every so often, I'll skim through it on my iPod. 

Summer in Paradise is the first album that didn't have a single track that was of the times.  Still Cruisin had Kokamo. BB85 had some new wave type songs and Carl's Where I Belong sounds like a solid 80s RnB track. KTSA title track had a solid retro rock soun of the day. LALA, not sure if disco was dated by then. MIU, uhh, got me there. But I like it a lot more than SIP. Love You and 15 Big One's are sort of Brian's washed up punk albums.

It would need a coat of polyurethane.     Water would ruin the cardboard sleeve.

Meh.  Lahaina Aloha & SIP both fit the time well enough.  Forever is timeless, so that one does too.

So does the arrangement of Surfin'. It's why they re-did it that way.

The current trend in 1992 was grunge. This album was way out of step and had absolutely nothing at it's core. There is no way possible to turn a new fan on to SIP unless you mixed fart sounds into it but that would be cheating.

I think I just got an idea on how to kill the next couple of hours...

That was one, another was rap. The one bad rap that this album always gets is it sounds of it time, not unlike what is said of the 1985 album.

Crud. Well that's a deal breaker.  I don't mind paying $95 for a CD of coaster quality.  But, not if I have to spend another 10 bucks on a can of Minwax.