The Smiley Smile Message Board

As many fans (including me) look over the amazing new book "The Beach Boys in Concert," it seems like an appropriate time to discuss the band's touring history from 1962-2012. When were they best to see in concert? When did they put on the best show? I know there are people who have attended concerts in various eras, so their input is especially helpful. There's so many ways this could be evaluated, but what's your opinion?

Early 70's or C50 tour, imo. Both tours gave the full breadth of their sound justice on a live stage.

Without question, early to mid 70"s, with Blondie and Ricky in the band. The live CD from 72 documents just how great a rocking band they were. Some of the greatest concerts I have ever seen. They were great on the 50TH tour as well, but had a lot of support from Fosket, and Brian's band. 70's still had the great Carl Wilson, and Dennis too, though he wasn't as dominant during this time.

I agree that there were some great shows in the early '70s. That unplugged tour in fall of 1993 wasn't too shabby, either, when they played small venues. I saw the Atlanta show that year -- it was great.

Early 70's. They weren't on the nostalgia circuit yet, they sounded great, and they had a very strong back catalog without much crap.

Early 70s for sure due in part to Dennis and Carl of course and as I've said before, the set lists and professionalism of the C50 put it right up there.

1964

1971 thru 1975 for me...

The Adrian Baker years

64, they had incredibly chemistry and Brian was killing it on the bass.

2013 - who needs Brian, Al or David when you've got the incredible clapping, dancing man in the shorts, Bruce Johnston.

Sept 27, 2012… before that, early '70s. Blistering!

1971-1974

The Carl/Dennis-led period. Blondie and Ricky added so much fresh energy. Incredible setlists with lots of 'deep cuts'. They rocked. The most adventurous years for them as a live band.

Surfin' Safari performance on Dead Man's Challenge. That and the Queen Mary in '81. And don't forget Sea World.

Without question, 1964. I absolutely agree with the chemistry thing. At that point they were live even better than in the studio (I Get Around, Hawaii) and played only songs that I like. ;D 1965 Brian definitely lacked.

Can only judge from concert footage and live recordings. For some reason I can't relate to their early performances. I love the hits as much as anyone, it's some of the greatest music ever recorded and still in terms of concert performances I largely prefer the 1970s when the group members' individual personalities had become a lot more distinctive.

I really enjoyed the gig of the C50 tour I went to, but let's get real people. The highlights for me were Bruce doing Disney Girls and Al's leads. The rest, I'm glad I can say I was there, but it's not 24 year old Carl Wilson smashing 'it's about time', or 'here's one Dennis wrote, which we haven't recorded yet', or 'cool cool water'. Even Mike's stage patter seemed funnier back then.

So yeah, probably looking at 70-74 for me.

There is so much to love about just about every era of the touring band. It's what inspired me to create the setlist archive in 1998.

In terms of professionalism and thoroughness, the c50 tour can't be beat. They did, after all, have 51 years of material to draw from at this point, and audiences appreciated the depth and breadth of their catalog, perhaps to the fullest extent that fans ever had in the past 5 decades. Many audience recordings from the 70s and 80s reveal an audience that was often times, at best, merely tolerant of new material. And the 70s were known for shows with long gaps between songs while the boys got ready to play the next song. Not to mention the uncomfortable onstage antics that happened at times.

That said, the 70s provided some rockin shows! And the unpredictability was part of the fun! The early 70s featured short but exciting shows with eclectic setlists. The mid to late 70 s featured longer setlists, excited crowds, and good performances. Even Carl's tripped out performances in Australia were exciting in their own way!

The mid 60s featured excited crowds, and somewhat subpar performances for a group of their caliber. The early 60s also featured those same excited crowds, but somehow the basic performances were quite charming for their time. The late 60s featured performances that were much more put together, if somewhat short compared to other acts' shows of the era.

The 80s were a mixed bag. The Boys had somewhat resigned themselves to being a nostalgia act, and focused less and less on newer material,  Sometimes acting seemingly like their material from the 70s never existed. Performances ranged from awful to great, depending on the year and who was present or not present at any given show.

The 90s were perhaps the low point of the touring band. Shows had gotten pretty stale and rote, but were admittedly professional most of the time. At times, the band seemed to be just going thru the motions the vast majority of the time. The 93 unplugged tour was an exception.

1998-2011 saw 4 different bands performing, all very professional. Mike and bruce's band got better as the decade progressed, and as personnel and setlist changes were made. They perhaps peaked around 2007-8, but continued to be strong well after that. Al's band started off very strong, much stronger than Mike and bruce's did, at least performance wise, in 1998. There was an excitement in the air as the recently ousted Al did his thing and thumbed his nose at the system. After a series of somewhat unfair lawsuits against him, al's band had to change their name and lost some key personnel along the way. They remained a strong performing unit, but lost a little of the magic in the earlier years of BBFF. Brian's band, also started in 1998, went strong the whole decade, with just a few bumps along the way. Some years were better than others, but no band was as meticulous in detail as Brian's. Dave Marks put on some great, loose, laidback shows over the decade. His shows were not frequent, but definitely were a treat and had a vibe all their own. So the 00s were a bittersweet triumph. The Boys had splintered, but they were all quality splinters. And 4 tours often meant multiple shows a year for the average Beach Boys fan near a big city, a feature of this decade that was very unique.

Overall, I'd rank the touring eras like this:

1. 1976-1980 (just by a hair...the excited crowds energized our Boys)
2. 1971-1975 (rockin shows, high coolness factor, somewhat marred by crowds demanding oldies)
3. C50 tour (professional, thorough, just lacking Carl and Dennis in person)
4. 1998-2011 (highest volume of shows by far, due to the 4 different bands)
5. 1961-1965 (raw energy)
6. 1966-1970 (the band's touring quality wasn't quite excelling as much as their studio output at this time)
7. 1981-1989 (big crowds, mixed bag of performances)
8. 1990-1997 (other than the unplugged tour, shows were not very creative and lacked energy and spontaneity)
9. 2013 (it is difficult to come off the c50 tour and splinter back into different groups without missing what we had in c50)

I have a great appreciation for all eras of the studio and touring history of the Beach Boys. There is something to appreciate in all of them! :-)

Great summary Eric, much appreciated, quite incisive.

I never saw them before 1975...... but seeing the main 5 together in '64 with Brian singing falsetto, had to be FANTASTIC.

1971-1974.  In Concert isn't just their best live album by far, it is one of the best live albums I've ever heard.

Hear, hear!

This!  Every period that the band performed in concert had its high points, but the Boys' early performances laid the foundation for what would eventually earn them the title of America's Band.  Watch those performances from 1963 and 1964 on YouTube and tell me that the people who were lucky enough to be there were not seeing history unfold before their very eyes.  Nothing else could ever top that era. JMHO.

In the future they could release something focusing on the Beach Boys as a live act with 1971-75 as the focal point. Damn they were good. No wonder they were considered the best live act back then. It's cool how they juxtaposed their early hits with their contemporary music. Many of the live incarnations of the older songs sounded far better with new arrangements (not sure about Rhonda, although that was very cool as well)

Great summary, couldn't agree more. The comment on the 93 unplugged tour made me curious to check the setlist back then and found something interesting:
http://www.bigozine2.com/cdcvrs/images91/BBparamount/BBparamount.pdf (http://www.bigozine2.com/cdcvrs/images91/BBparamount/BBparamount.pdf)

It looks as interesting as any of the C50 setlists - if not more! Wonderful, You still believe in me, Vegatables... :o

Anyone has videos/audios of these concerts?

Generally, 1966-1975.  I start with '66 because I think the Michigan shows were a step up from anything done live before that period.  I'm only going by what's been booted, as my first time seeing the band was '73.  I end with '75 because the Beachago tour from that year was quite good, imo.  Especially the encores with both bands playing together.

Specifically, 1972-1973.  The Blondie / Ricky years were the best for live shows.  I've seen the band live 9 times between 1973 - 1989 & the first concert was the best.  Here's my breakdown (as if anyone cares):

12/16/73 grade = A (Blondie & Ricky both in the band)
8/23/74 grade = B+ (Ricky but no Blondie)
11/21/74 grade = B (Billy sings "I'm Waiting for the Day")
6/14/75 grade = B+ (first Beachago tour)
8/28/75 grade = C+ (nothing special here)
11/25/76 grade = B- (Brian's back)
9/4/83 grade = C (Mike sings "Imagine")
6/1/84 grade = C+ (Carl sings "Heaven")
6/23/89 grade = B- (2nd Beachago tour)

A nod to the '93 unplugged show & last year's tour (going by recordings I've heard).  Also a nod to BW Pet Sounds Tour (A-) & Smile tour (from hearing recordings).

1964, 1972-1974, 2012

Thanks! That said, my ranking of the released live albums is somewhat different than my ranking of the touring eras:

1. In concert
2. Live in London
3. Concert
4. Live - 50th anniversary tour
5. Live at Knebworth

But I love them all!

The fans who really know the best concert eras are the fans who were there. People who went to the concerts post 1967 – 70 (Live In London album) may think those years were the best. Fans who were there for concerts in the early 70’s (BB In Concert album) might think those were the best. Many who were there for the post 1974 through 1980 (Endless Summer and Knebworth albums) may think those were the best.

I was there for the early 70’s through the mid-90’s Beach Boys concerts.  I’ll say the best years for concerts, not only vocally but musicianship wise, were the early to mid 1970’s years (1971 to 1976). I had to include the 1975 Beachago and 1976 (Brian’s Back) tours. In addition to Carl, Al, Blondie, and Ricky, they had great sidemen in Dragon, Hinsche, Carter, Munoz, Figueroa, Peeler, and Guercio in the early 70’s that gave them a stellar, full band sound. And they were doing really good artsy-fartsy material back then. Dennis was standing up front with his head cocked and a finger in his ear, causing the women in the audience to get their panties moist. Mike Love did his Mick Jaggar imitation, strutting like a rooster across the stage. The guitar players were cookin' with gas and the rythym section boogied like there was no tomorrow. Vocally, they were on the money.

Just a great, great time to be a fan back then.  Great times.  Ya had to be there.

glad i was...  ;D

Damn, you're old, Steve.  :-D

yep...but on the right side of the ground..... ;D

What's that saying about the 60's and I think the 70's may also apply:  "If you remember it then you weren't there."

That Paramount show from above link and the rehearsals of that gig circulates on the web. And a recording of the Valley Forge (PA) concert from Nov. 21st also exists. Try Google a bit and you might find them. (No open requests on this board please)

that''s what my recorder was for.....  ;D

I first saw the group in Glasgow in 1991.  I had some bootlegs from the preceding years and was unsure how good they would sound (Mike was very nasal for example).  However they were amazing and professional, very polished.  I saw them next in 1993 in the summer right before the 'unplugged' sets were being introduced and again they were in good voice.  That was the tour of the UK were they recorded the live version of SIP. The good thing about those shows were that they were all (except Mike) playing their instruments for the whole show.  And also sounding like The Beach Boys.  You only have to listen to the Paramount '93 rehearsal to hear the difference between then and last year's C50.  Carl was sorely missed in the vocal stack.  

As far as hearing recordings I think my preferences would be close to Eric's.  In Concert is a magical album, especially the guitars on Marcella, and some of the bass playing across the album.  When it got re-issued in '91 I remember it being in the top 5 of some magazine's all time list of live albums.

I'm tempted to say 72 - 77 but really nothing beats pre-breakdown Brian rockin' on the bass, so I'll go with 64

By whom? I would've thought the general public preferred the Rolling Stones then?

The Stones 69 - 73 would have to be considered, and the Who late 60s/early 70s.  Both of those bands lost their mojo after that in my opinion, leaving the Beach Boys to rule into the mid-70s.  Then I suppose Springsteen, but whatever.

Anyhoo, I saw the Blondie/Ricky line-up 3 times (the last time minus Blondie unfortunately) and they are the best live Rock and Roll shows I ever saw.  Several of Brian's solo shows have been equal, particularly the first tour and Smile, in terms of enjoyment and impact.  But in terms of getting crazy with several thousand strangers in a big barn under the influence...of the music...Beach Boys 1972 - 74 for me.

Did not see Beachago unfortunately.

Thanks for clarifying.  ;D

I figured you would appreciate that Mikie!

COMMENT:  I just wanted to chime in here with a few observations. First, I must be one of the luckiest Beach Boy fans of the 60’s and 70's around. My perspective is quite different and unique as house and monitor mixer, so treasured even more. Between 1968 through 1972, I must have mixed close to a thousand shows with all five touring Beach Boys on stage; if you include Brian, then several hundred shows with all six Boys on stage performing. At one time or another they performed almost every song they have recorded. The thrill for me was mixing live performances of songs that we, just months earlier, were recording in the studio. All this, concert and studio, coming about on equipment of my design, another personal thrill. To see how the boys transformed a complex production into music performed live was genius (re-)arranging.

Second, my entire concert perspective is “back stage.” That is, looking back at the audience reaction, in contrast to the ticket holder looking forward to the stage. I think the mixer is kind of an interface between the artist and the audience, responsible not only for delivering the music to the masses, but motivating their spirit through balance manipulation, especially how much kick or snare or BGs will get a crowd to their feet or dancing in the aisles. When this happens it is reflected back to the stage and communication between the performers and the audience jells into one connection. Some of the previous comments seem to be reflecting on how the writer was whitness to such a connection.

Third and personally, that is for me, the shows we put on in smaller English theaters were always the best. Closeness of the audience, excellent acoustics of those small venues always gave the best sound, and the politeness of the audience too -- appreciation expressed without hesitation in England. You can hear some of that energy from the EMI Live in London album. EMI took feeds off the mixing console to their tape machines for that album (I got no credit). These were concerts where everyone had solos, even Dennis would come to stage-front and sing his songs. Many a cappella arrangements of songs were performed. Denny’s drums were always too loud. Bruce never wore long pants. Carl’s palms were black with song-lists he would write the list with a sharpie, then change, cross it out and change again. Mike and Bruce did most of the talking with Michael the most animated. If Brian was on stage he --- he can really hit those high notes (with feeling). Everyone was in the prime-of-life back then, around 20-30 years old; lots of energy and push. One to two hour sets were not uncommon. One tour used two stage crews to give two shows per day – IN DIFFERENT CITIES! ). Looking back, I can’t believe some of the things we did to put on a good show. I mean, overcoming obstacles at every turn. Big sound systems were unheard of then, so we were completely self-contained in the sound department, the only thing we needed to give a concert were three 20-amp feeds, two for the PA and one for the stage, and some stage lights. Whether large or small crowds were to be entertained; the guys gave it their all every night. What marvelous times!  ~swd

Great post Stephen. I just want to say I watched the footage of the Beach Boys in Paris in 1969 and you did a brilliant job getting those effects on stage. The intro to "Do It Again" for example was perfect. If you haven't seen this footage email me and I can send you a copy.

The set pops up occasionally…

(http://www.giginjapan.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/beachboys-cruising-newyork.jpg)

(http://www.giginjapan.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/beachboys-cruising-newyork1.jpg)

This latest version doesn't have the rehearsal unfortunately…

To chip in. I would like to make an educated guess. I am saying this knowing I haven't heard near all the shows, and knowing from 1961 to late 1963 there exists a mere six songs.  I put the years best to worst descending from top to bottom.
1971 (Perfect blend of everything and everyone at a peak)
1972 (Great set, only below 1971 as not much from 1969-70 is included.)
1970 (Maybe not as long as the shows to follow, but the sets are pretty interesting. The concerts with Brian would likely rank among his best ones)
1969 (Now they are taking time to showcase album cuts and their sound is amazing)
1973 (A pretty hot year only marred by the oldies creeping back too strongly.)
1968 (The sets are getting cooler and Desper is on board fully)
1964 (Sure it's rougher than later, but Brian makes this year a treat. They also have begun to get an edge on stage, a real good sense of professionalism.)
1974 (The oldies have begun their dominance, but they were played so well at this point. Their also was a decent amount of progressive moments, even if the ideals have shifted.)
1967-Now they seem to be attempting some more interesting things. Adding a backing band was cool, and I like the loose Hawaii shows.
1975 (Beachago was great, they were still tight but at the end of the year oldies have begun to unfairly dominate a shockingly short set.  While Dennis' declining voice made a slight difference in some of the harmonies, he was still a vibrant performer.)
1966 (The sets took a while to catch up with the albums, but still at a real peak)
1965 (Probably a lot like 1964 but not often with Brian)
1963 (Would be interesting to hear the Dave/Al or Brian/Dave shows. The little bit that does survive show a cool band, but one that still has room to grow)
1976 (Still together enough to pull together some tight sets. The nostalgia is out in full force now, but musically these are really good. Brian does add an unstable factor to the group due to his decline.)
1962 (Undoubtedly not too polished yet, but that may be where the charm would lie)
1961 (Probably interesting but very green)
2012 (Actually among the best shows ever, I still would have to chose a pre 1977 vintage one above them)
1977 (The first year that got wildly uneven. Good band and sets marred by chemicals at times.)
1979 (Good solid sets for the time-a bit too polished without Dennis, and sometimes off the rails with him. Brian was not great.)
1978 (Still some good sets-but the Wilsons are very off)
1980 (The last more or less credible year with Carl, but still far past their peak. Arrangements still good, sets getting very route)
1993 (The box set tour shows what could have been had they not surrendered their integrity. Even the regular shows have some merit though one must consider how bad certain early nineties trappings were.)
1982 (More fresh than 1981-but still not up to previous standards)
1983 (Pretty oldie moldy, but last glimpse of original band makes it important)
1988 (Good set picks up the quality)
1981 (Very bad, but much more interesting than many to follow)
1985 (A few new songs included make it a touch better than the mid eighties average)
1984 (the first really completely uninteresting year"
1986 (Very mediocre)
1987 (Pretty sad)
1990 (A few surprises lifts this up a touch, but still from an awful period)
1989 (A very boring era)
1991 (all the life is gone)
1992 (Very routine)
1995 (dull)
1996 (Brian is at some, but nothing much going on)
1997 (Carl being ill makes these kind of hard)
1994 (huge fall off from the box set tour)

If there was a smiley for over the knees spanking, I'd use it.

Ok thanks

The reviews on that 1993 tour included in Ian and Jon's book show they even did more songs than is circulating.

Interesting....

This.

Yup, early 70's hands down, the pace and strength of the songs was a lot better.  This whole "Live in concert, make it sound exactly like the Studio" thing, I'm not really a big fan of.  I guess it depends on the audience, but I think it's a better experience when the band is capable of doing a more agressive version of the music live.  The live versions of Heroes and Villians with the drums going apeshit at the end are pretty awesome, I"d have a cardiac if I heard that in concert. 

Setlist.fm is great for finding out what they would normally play in each stage of their career. Of course, with 5000+ shows reported, not all of them are going to have setlists. Cool nonetheless.

http://www.setlist.fm/stats/the-beach-boys-3d6c17b.html

Add me to that.

As a diehard fan I would want even more deep cuts, but this album is truly a masterpiece in live performance, the arrangements, tasteful overdubs, song selection.
Live at Nassau Coliseum 1973 should also see release (Paul Simon and Elton John join them for the encores)

My only complaints of 'In Concert':

- No Surf's Up
- No God Only Knows
- No Dennis Wilson lead vocal
- Includes Leaving This Town (although I guess it's to give Blondie another lead and added to help keep him in the band, which obviously failed...)

Positives:

- Great song selection spanning several albums
- Not too heavy on oldies
- No Barbara Ann
- Plenty of strong leads by Al
- Pet Sounds era songs!

Dead Man's Challange!  *snort*  awesome.

Just got to reading this thread today and Mike, you did a fabulous job with your summary. I agree with everything except 1989. It was anything but boring. Saw them with Chicago in June  at a racetrack near Lincoln, NE and they were perfect that evening. I have a pretty good fix on the live shows as I began seeing them in 1968 until the end. 107 shows in 15 states. Several "vacations to go see the Beach Boys" went down. Anyway, 1971 through 1976 was surely their strongest years on stage. And there was nothing wrong with the last show I saw Dennis, in Summer 1983.

I'm partial to 76, for some reason.... Having Brian there (no matter how little he contributed live) and Dennis on drums just seemed to make them all that much less reliant on backing guys, and Dennis was really great on the drums in that era. It seemed like 76 - 81 he must have practiced more or something.... Drunken, sloppy nights aside....

To such a degree that Rolling Stone named them "Band of the Year" in 1974! :woot

I know this comment was from ages ago but was this shown to be untrue?

I love the early 70's concert stuff.... however one of my least favourite albums is the 'Concert 73' album.....

I think its because 'imho', they destroyed 'don't worry baby'....

and I do believe it could have been mixed a LOT better....... some nice songs on there otherwise, especially the newer songs of the time...

would be nice to have it remixed in and presented in a deluxe format....

after that..........

1964!  no doubt! with Brian rockin out on the Fender Precision.....and That Falsetto!!!

RickB

1971 thru 1975 for me. besides ricky and blondie, Guercio could play the hell out of the bass.

I saw the Beach Boys in '89, Mike and Bruce in 2001 and the C50 show on Brian's 70th birthday. I've also heard the live material from various era. My answer is that I felt it was a privilege to be at the C50 (it was a freebie, to boot), and I knew it would be great with Brian's band and Dave's superb surf guitar.

Did anyone out there take pictures of the concerts back in the 60's or 70's?

 I think the early 70's were the touring peak, I love the In concert album.

Though I am very partial to the live at Knebworth release on DVD. Seeing them all on stage together was fantastic. And I love ,You are so beautiful and Lady Lynda from that release.

Definitely the early-70's. Their very few years with Blondie and Ricky were also their very best live!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EliPrKCF_mU

I thought this was a fairly good representation of the guys in 94'

sounding good, and Carl Wilson's solo's!!   waaaoooowwwww!!!!!

stupid filming though of those cheerleader girls....... waste of a good guitar solo in stuff like '409'..... 'I get around' etc etc

they seem to be having sound issues with some of the looks and directions from the master Carl....

so what reason was this filmed??.... tv or video???

RickB

RickB

good sound actually

the drumming is shite unfortunately. and dont even get me started on the bikini bimbos they brought onstage....

yeah the sound is ok....... but most of the faults here fall on the recording/video, and not the performance.....

performance wise it is Great!..... bad mixing and editing make them sound lesser good than they should....

if it were recorded to multitrack..... then you would have something really wonderful to work with.

RickB

That's an incredible version of "Hushabye" featuring Matt Jardine on the high part!

\many

Could you possibly give us some look at them? It's interesting to see the real experience of people attendees of the old concerts.

Not trying to make a sale but just pointing out that the book Jon and I did on the concerts has a large number of photos and many were taken by fans

Sadly, I don't have it, must've been really cool to own it those you who have this treasure trove of a book.

Last year I got it for my birthday, and it was one of the first books I had to read with glasses on. After 4 hours I had to quit reading because my eyes hurt really bad! Damn you, Jon Stebbins and Ian Rusten, couldn't you have made the book dull so I could quit before my eyes hurt???

I gave myself a terrible neckache reading it in at a desk in the library I borrowed it from because I didn't want to wait until I got home to start reading.

Curse your excellent book Ian and Jon!

Micha and wantsomecorn...very glad we could add to your physical discomfort with the quality of our book! Honestly thanks for the great feedback. That's the best compliment a writer can get, when someone can't stop reading it, and it becomes a temporary addiction or obsession. That means we did our job well.

.

Guess you need to order it then. It's not at all difficult to find....