The Smiley Smile Message Board

Have fun with this.

This is an easy one: Bruce.

A gifted songwriter, been with the BB for about 35 years, I like his voice and he seems like a very cool guy.

I first heard of and started following the Beach Boys when the Surfin' Surfari single came out so for me David has always been one of the original 5.  To me, back then, Alan was the replacement.  Nowadays I consider them the original 6 just like the surviving 4 do.
I include in "the others"  the great session regulars such as Carol, Hal, and Billy.  They are as much a part of many of these records as anyone this side of Brian.   Carol's remarkable career is particularily compelling to me.  This woman succeeded as a top professional session electric bassist in the 60's, in an extremely competitive environment, with little ado.  There wasn't a lot of nonsense about it as far as I can tell.  She just went a did it and would not be denied.                       

Bruce Johnston

Blondie for the sail on sailor lead

I guess I should mention who I voted for. All of them added a lot but taste wise I have to say Blondie (with Ricky close behind). Sail On Sailor, Here She Comes, The Flame LP, Hard Times, and 52 letters are all amazing to me.

I like Dave. He shook my hand....twice.  ;D

Not counting tenure?

A toss up between Bruce and Blondie. 

Throw in tenure, Bruce hands down.  A solid presence and generally nice guy.

I voted for Bruce, but it's hard not to choose Ricky or Blondie. I love the stuff they've done during their tenure in the Beach Boys. And yes, Blondie's vocal on Sail on Sailor is amazing. And 'Here She Comes'...whew!

I'd have to say Bruce. Plus he signed my Pet Sounds cd. While signing he asked me "Is Brian's (signature) on here?" haha  (but that's not the reason why I chose him) I enjoy his songs "Deirdre", "Tears In The Morning" "I Write the Songs", and of course "Disney Girls". Also enjoyed some of his stuff during the Bruce & Terry days as well.

Every one of those guys is extremely talented. Bruce probably has done the most with his talent...or Glen...although he's not a Beach Boy, never was, and shouldn't be on the list unless we're including sidemen. But Bruce and Glen have had major commercial success, but that isn't a completely fail safe measure of "talent". I'll still go with David because he can play Bach, Segovia, Zappa, Kessell, John Mclaughlin, Van Halen, Chuck Berry, Dick Dale, Robert Johnson whatever. He can write charts, arrange other instruments including symphonic arranging...he's studied with some heavyweights like Vincente Gomez, Alan Silvestri and Madame Chaloff who also taught Miles Davis. He went to Berklee school of music and the Boston conservatory...he collaborated with people like Warren Zevon and played sessions with people like Leon Russell, jim Keltner  and T-Bone Burnett...not to mention Blaine and Campbell.  He's a musician's musician, meaning if you ask other musicians, people who have played with him, they all talk about how "talented" a player he is...and most BB's fans think he can only play three chords. He's very humble and non-assuming, but unlike some of the others...he did not make the most of his talent. When the world thinks you peaked out at 15 its a very hard thing to recover from. I'm sure he's the only guy on the list who already had record contracts with Capitol, A&M and Warner Brothers before he was old enough to drive. Talent is hard thing to qualify. But if we were to throw a musical aptitude test at all of the guys on the list...one that included hands on demonstrations of what they know, and what they can pull off on an instrument...I'd put my money on David to score the highest. 

I"m with Jon.  They're all amazingly talented guys...but David is the only one whose talent i've seen in action, so i pick him.

I go for Blondie as well...for me Sail On Sailor makes him the winner in this contest. But the rest is close behind...

I picked Bruce over Dave only because I'm familiar with his work but not David's.  However, when I learned about David's history and accomplishments, it's quite a turnaround from what many might have thought, as another poster said.  Who knew?  I knew he had gone to Berklee, etc., but like most others had no idea how skilled he was and how hard he has worked at it over the years to become such a complete musician, not just that kid from across the street who knew Carl Wilson and had a guitar.  It's great he's finally getting the recognition, particularly among the BB fans.  If you look at Glen, obviously he is a spectacular guitarist, something many don't know because his public reputation is primarily as a singer.  Ricky is a mutli-instrumentalist but not so much in view so he probably doesn't get the credit he deserves (showed up on a Boz Scaggs CD a few years ago on accordian, for example, but you had to read the liner notes to know it).  Blondie's surely up there as a player and singer - that Sail on Sailor vocal -  although is he known more now as a (top-flight) touring sideman for some great acts?  In any event, the Boys did have a knack for getting talent, didn't they?

Toni Tennille.   :thud

I don't mind being the odd one out....Ricky for his drumming. Maybe the best musician in the group listed. Gave the band a kick in the pants when they needed it early 70s.

Hal Blaine.

I'll Second "the other Anonymous"!
Ricky Fataar.His drumming did to the Beach Boys what Chester Thompson did for Genesis,kicked it in the ass and gave the band an aggressive edge.
And then of course Bruce,for singing "At My Window".
Brian

Question about the subject of this topic: aren't "Who do you like best" and "Who is the most talented" two completely different questions?

Yes.

I just like the most talented!

Well I meant the poll to be judged on talent not personality or tenure.

Once in a while it's cool to post in an old thread. But I feel like there's been way too much of this lately. This thread is from 2006, if you have something you think would make a good discussion, start a new thread. You don't have to add your thoughts to every old thread in the archive.

Campbell. By all accounts, not my cup of tea as a person, but a great guitarist and a great singer

Weren't folks just given the proverbial raft for not using the search function properly?  Seems like it's beeter to add a thought to an old topic than to start a new one many folks have already weighed in on and have sit on the board with just a reply or two, making the mods go through the trouble of merging it with the old thread anyway.

I could be wrong tho.  8)

I mean, you guys can do whatever you want. It's just message board etiquette though, and I don't think it's really that complicated.
In general, don't post in a thread that's not on the first two or three front pages. If you have a specific question, use the search function to see if it's been answered before. If it hasn't start a new thread.
That's why people said "use the search function", they didn't say "post in old threads". If you want your specific question answered, search the archives, and if it has been answered before, well, there you go, you're done.
In the case of this thread, there is no question being asked. It's just posting for posting's sake.

Listen, I don't want to be down on anyone, but stuff like post count doesn't matter here at all. There's no reason to add your opinion to an 8 year old thread, and the mods aren't going to merge a new thread on this topic with this old one. You don't have to post in every thread just to boost your post count.

Looking at the three threads that RR revived (apologies to the uber bean counters if I've missed any--those were the ones that I've found...), two of them have produced a nice series of new posts. This one, not so much. All in all, however, that's a fine batting average. Keep in mind that suppressive personalities ≠ "Fun, Fun, Fun."

who could ever like Bruce more than the others listed there? just because he's been there? at least Mike was the family idiot, they didnt need to hire in another one.

Didn't I read this in a fine book somewhere?  :)  I would have to agree on David and Bruce for sheer musical skill (but like others wonder if Dave isn't really one of the core six)

David definitely. He's such a classy guy.
He's never let any of it go to his head.
I'm in love with Bruce's voice, but he can also be a huge you know what. Plus David playing Pet Sounds is soooooo good.

Before the 50 Year Celebration Tour I would have said Bruce. But after seeing David Marks play (especially Pet Sounds) plus his on stage presence and his performance when doing his riffs during the car and surf songs. I went with him.

As a musician, songwriter, and singer, Bruce would get my vote. However, with all the stories posted about him recently, he would not get my vote if we're talking solely about his personality (or at least the personality he's shown to others - I've never met the guy). I'm guessing the thread is meant to cover all these things, though.

Also, lawl @ RangeRover's incessant bumping of ancient threads. No harm in it, really.

If we're judging by talent, I'd have to go with Glen - not to disparage Dave's yeoman's work as a sideman.

Glen Campbell is a country music, or maybe MOR musician legend. And his Jimmy Webb period is just...transcendent.

And he did Tanya Tucker. A dyno-mite!

Okay, to answer the original question in its purest form: my kids.   :p

I think it's interesting to repost this thread actually because I get the feeling that David's popularity has grown in stature tenfold since his and Jon Stebbin's book came out, the reunion and all the buzz for the 50th anniversary among other things. I also think Bruce's remarks will have put some of the fans off him recently. It will be interesting to see if the results change in David's favour.

Very much so for me and I made the poll. Blondie's still my favorite, but Dave rocks and I didn't realize how much then. I  now basically think of him as an original Beach Boy (or at least an original 1962 Beach Boy which is close enough) as he added so much musically with Carl to those first 4 LP's.

Glen Campbell would be mine.

Murry.

I'm all for David. He's an unbelievably fabtastic guitarist & performer!!!

BUT, there were SIX CORE MEMBERS in reality. So why is Dave even a choice?  Like he's just some pickup musician er something... :smokin

Take a look at the State of California Historical BEACH BOYS landmark in Hawthorne. Six Beach Boys carry the Surfboard!

The five thing was just cosmetics.

Does anyone argue that the Beach Boys core was four based on the SDSNights album jacket? Noooooooooooooooooooo.

So there.  :lol