The Smiley Smile Message Board

I wondered -

when I was 14-17, the first major phase in my BBs fandom occurred. It was driven firstly by a slightly older friend letting me hear Good Vibrations via  his reel-to-reel deck. I was hooked. Then Dutch radio ran a series about the history of the band, excellent track representation. I got hold of Spirit of America and Endless Summer, in that order. The only good Dutch music mag of the time ran a seriously disfigured version of Tom Nolan's story about the band (stolen from Rolling Stone and all kinds of faux-poetic gobbledygook interspersed).

Then punk and new wave happened. I moved to another town for my studies. I devoted most attention to other bands, although I kept track with the BBs releases. Found Pere Ubu, Television, Talking Heads, PiL, lots of reggae, and, of course, best of all, The Lurkers.

In 1983 all that changed. The 'BBs Rarities' LPs (U.S. and Aussie) were released. Hearing the 'Hum-Be-Dum-Hum-Be-Dum' version of Good Vibrations was a true epiphany. If there still were undiscovered things that good, I felt I must become a true acolyte all over again.

It wasn't an unqualified success. Esp. the girls were not very fond of my endless sermons on the merits of the band.  I would certainly have had more sex if I'd bought and played the odd Dire Straits or Barry White album.

But there you go. Did anyone else experience a definite 'two-phase' pattern in their BBs fanship?

I too was turned on to the Beach Boys by a friend I met in '85. At that time I didn't know much else than Surfin' USA. But I was still a Santana fan. Then in '88 Brian's solo album was released and I caught the promotion on TV and became more interested.. In '89 I saw the BB's in concert for the first time and bought Ten Years of Harmony. Would listen to Surf's Up over and over. Around 1990 I bought David Leaf's book and I became obsessed. I identified with Brian's withdrawal from society.

Recognizable! I was a moody person too and found his life story very intriguing. BTW this did not get less after I got to know the more sordid details of the whole story.

The Beach Boys were my favorite band from age 12 to 15. Then, like the Don, I began listening to more punk/new wave material. Concurrently, the Beach Boys material started getting pretty weak, but I would still buy their releases up until Dennis passed. Although it seems like ages, it was only about nine or ten years until the reissues starting coming out on CD and I rediscovered the music again.

I first became a fan in about '97 when all that was available was Pet Sounds and about a zillion "Hits" comps and overtime my interest faded. It was only about 4 years ago when I was browsing a music store that I happened to notice all the twofers. Took a chance on Sunflower/Surfs Up. BAM! Hooked ever since.

I loved Pet Sounds and Smile when i was 14-15 (saw Brian live too), but started listening to more modern things in line with my friends. Then, started getting back into Pet Sounds a couple of years later, bought the sessions boxset and that was it. OBSESSED.

When I was 13 (1991), I found a copy of my dad's Endless Summer, and I loved it. I always loved harmonies, listening to groups like Boyz 2 Men, All 4 One and Take 6 is what I was into. Then went through a Hip Hop phase from 95-97. But 98 is when it all changed for me. I heard Strawberry Fields Forever and saw the Endless Harmony doc. The Smile music was what blew my mind. But I also discovered all that music from Pet Sounds to Holland, and later got into Love You. My musical tastes changed for the better as I discovered the greatness of bands such as the Flaming Lips, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, The Who, Daniel Johnston, Grandaddy, Sparklehorse, the Polyphonic Spree, etc. But still my favorite are the Beach Boys!