The Smiley Smile Message Board

http://www.tallahassee.com/story/entertainment/2015/05/14/surf-still-beach-boys-bruce-johnston-years/27306143/

The writer makes a number of mistakes, but the stuff Bruce talks about is interesting and funny at times. Much more detailed than the average interview.

Seriously, the writer should be drummed out of the club. Has the guy never heard of Google, or Wikipedia ?

Well, well, well....


Bruce would be the first to tell you that Brian won another Grammy. In fact after the 2012 Grammy's during the backstage interview when Mike said Bruce was the only Beach Boy ever to have won a Grammy, Bruce immediately pointed out that Brian had won one too (of course after 2013 Brian has two). I always thought that was a fine move by Bruce. 

Mike should take lessons on how to do an interview from Bruce.

With this my reaction is that Bruce is a nice, classy guy. My usual reaction to a Mike Love interview is: "what a douche".

A douche, huh?

In my opinion, with all due respect, it is Brian Wilson who is in most need of interview lessons.

I'm sure the first thing a Beach Boy thinks before going into an interview is "gee, I hope I don't rustle fanboy jimmies." That's the richest part of this whole thing...the band members most likely couldn't give less of a sh*t about what goes on here. :lol

And Bruce seems adamant that he won't be writing a book, which is a real shame.

Wow.  Amazing how much Bruce sounded like Carl on God Only Knows. Good job of lip syncing by Carl when performing it live all those years, too. Talented bunch, those Beach Boys!

Bruce will never write a book and especially write a tell all, but not for the reasons he says.  Remember flinging mud, usually means you get it thrown back in your face worse than you initially threw it.  

Didn't know Surf's Up was considered a "classic" song..

Wilson-based negativity... Cough cough.

The negativity comes from both sides; let's not kid ourselves, man.

Yes, it does. But I think that one side has actually tried to make peace quite a bit more than the other side has.  Also, my Wilson-based negativity comment was a reference to a Facebook post which disproves the theory that the bandmates give zero shits about online opinions.

I'd say it is.  A cult classic, if anything.

I think in our fandom it is, as well as musical circles but let's not kid ourselves the average person has no real knowledge of this song at all :P

I imagine the writer looked up Beach Boys song titles with "Surf" in them and just plugged them into the article.  I agree that "Surf's Up" is a classic, but probably not the type of classic the writer was imagining.

I kinda appreciate that little bit... it reminds me of this TED Talk (http://"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86x-u-tz0MA") that my friend sent me. The video goes over the idea of "genius" and holding people up to those standards... but that could be a whole other thread :P
(I don't necessarily agree with everything in that video, but it's definitely interesting to think about.)

I'm an elementary music teacher and am including an arrangement I made of Surf's Up in our spring chorus concert.  The kids (6th graders)  really love it.  It's a classic as far as im concerned.

That is wonderful, I hope you'll have it recorded to share with us.

While in a fast food joint last week, noticed that the music was "classic" rock standards in an instrumental mode. While biting into my breakfast sandwich, lo and behold a version of
Surf's Up was included. It was decent and I wondered if anyone took notice. Me? I was lovin'it.   :-D

Cool! Have you discussed the lyrics with them?

Well as you know it's a very tricky song to sing.  So I included it  in a medley with "The Sound of Silence", "Eleanor Rigby" and finally "Surf's Up".  Sort of a 1966 moody song medley.  Since I didn't want the song butchered, I'm having a kid play the melody on a synthesizer with my piano accompaniment.  She does 1 verse of the first part (the diamond necklace..."), then a verse of the second part (surf's up mm, mm...), then the chorus (kids singing) comes in on the Brian falsetto part - ahh, ahhh, ahh.  Then the boys sing the "A children's song, have you listened as they play" part as the girls sing the other part (ahhh, ahhh, ahhh).  I don't think we're allowed to post school functions like that, but i'll report back on how it goes.  It's this Tuesday.  The main thing for me was to let them know that The Beach Boys are not just Surfin music and Kokomo.  I think they got the message.  Many have begun to investigate more of their music on their own which was my whole point in including Surf's Up.  
Yes, I made them write an essay on interpreting the lyrics.  I got some pretty interesting responses.  A lot of them tried to take the lyrics as literally as possible.  I tried to make the point that lyrics don't necessarily have to mean anything, they can just be beautiful words that sound great sung to an equally beautiful melody. 

Most interviewers dont do good research prior. The interesting thing bout bruce is the difference of the great music he made with melcher, the handful of decent cuts in 68-71 and then the records he produced for the group in 78-79. Their output in the late 70s was so weak being the circumstances of the time but EVERY great group runs outta steam, doesn't mean they should be judged for it..but if the interviewer did their homework it could've added to it yknow.

Yeah a douche, Mike says thing that give of the perception that he is douche. Brian's perception is that he hates interviews and would rather be somewhere else.