The Smiley Smile Message Board

It seems that the perception of the Beach Boys music and image can be drastically different among those who know it best (fans) and casual listeners. As a result, are you ever publicly timid or even flat out embarrassed to be a Beach Boys fan?

I know that if anyone showed the video for Rock N' Roll to the Rescue, among a slew of other 80s/90s songs, I'd be heading for the hills before admitting I was fan of that band.

I actually agree. While I have always defended the Beach Boys, it can be really embarrassing to admit being a fan.

People are still convinced to this day that they are just a crappy Surf band who sings like girls. Which is a big reason why I always reccomend BB's music from 1966 to 1973, to try and break their image. Songs such as All I Want To Do, Sail On Sailor, Surf's Up, Slip On Through, You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone and Wild Honey I try and reccomend, and reactions are usually favourable.

But we all know the reason for the band's embarrassing image, Mike, Bruce and Capitol Records aside.

DAMN YOU, ENDLESS SUMMER!!!

Never have been, never will be

That's really funny, as those are the  songs that most every regular ticket buyer goes to concerts to hear

Right, shoot the messengers. ::)

I was mainly blaming Capitol Records and Endless Summer, not so much Mike and Bruce although they certainly don't help.

Mike helped compile Endless Summer...  :lol

When I mention that The Beach Boys are my favorite band to musicians, it usually ushers in a lengthy conversation about Brian Wilson.

When I mention that The Beach Boys are my favorite band to chicks, I usually get teased for it.

When I've had a few at a social gathering, I'll sing their praises and damn anyone who disagrees with me.

I can't say I've ever felt embarrassment for liking this band. The odds that the Wilson brothers were born and sang so well together, the odds that Denny learned how to surf and told Brian to write a song about it, the odds that Murry was such a hardass and demanded perfection, the odds that Brian Wilson was/is a musical genius, the odds that Brian met Tony Asher and both went on to create Pet Sounds...What I mean is:

The Beach Boys are a gift from above...or one of the greatest accidents to ever happen in the cosmos. They created some of the most heavenly music known to man. Yeah, they've created some terrible music in the last 40 years, and they have a sh*t logo, and their sun/surf image is corny as hell. But when I talk with others about them, I don't even think about that stuff...I'm thinking about the harmonies, the complexity of chords, the deeper meanings of their lyrics.

1968-69-70 it was rough being a BB fan.. Then Surfs Up came out and all is right with the world..

I'd wager to say Endless Summer did far more to help the band than hurt it.

MY thoughts exactly  !!

I disagree. It was with Endless Summer that their image as a square surf band was set. Endless Summer marked the start of the Beach Boy's decline musically and degeneration into a oldies nostalgia band.

In all honesty things would have gone a hell of a lot better if Jack Riley was never fired, Blondie and Ricky never left, and they continued making top-notch albums after Holland instead of "shudder" 15 Big Ones!

I usually tell people I'm a Brian Wilson fan and start explaining it from there. The Beach Boys name is, to some people, tarnished. Hopefully as time passes this will no longer be the case.

Well I agree with you also.. In a perfect world we would have the artistic BB + the oldies BB .. And in those years we hoped that is what was gonna happen.. And we hoped all the way till the end of the 80's.. Then gave up..  

I disagree with this.

I'm glad Endless Summer came out, maybe not for the aftermath, but because the band was allowed some success and attention again.

Also, I find Holland to be an incredibly bland, boring album (with the exception of "California," "Big Sur," and "Funky Pretty.")
I would rather listen to 15 Big Ones or Love You than to Holland.

What About Sail On Sailor?

I'm definitely hesitant when I tell people they're my favorite band of all time. I always try to add in "...But none of that Kokomo or Surfin' USA/Safari sh*t."  :lol

I'd probably rank it below the three tracks I mentioned, but above the other ones I didn't mention.

I'm never embarrassed by the music I like. It's very egotistical, but I actually feel sorry for people who don't "get" the Beach Boys or other music that I treasure.

Fair enough.
But I'd take Holland over 15 Big Ones and Love You, as good as the latter is. And you can't deny they really went downhill musically in the years after Endless Summer was released

To each his own.  As this thread illustrates, even fans can't seem to agree on what the good stuff is.    I'd say the general public has grown in their appreciation and knowledge of the band these past 10 to 15 years if thet've seen either a Mike or Brian show or the reunion.  They have put more of their catalogue out there than ever before.     ANd the amount of press and publicity in recent years is proof there is an interest in this band  greater than any time since they owned the charts in the 60's.  so where's the embarrassment in being a fan?

I think that decline, however gradual it may be, happened before ES was released.

We'll have to agree to disagree on that.

Personally, I've always considered the BB's best work to have been made from 1966 to 1973. Pet Sounds to Holland. Not a single bad album in between.
Endless Summer came out in 1974.
Then came 15 Big Ones...

I have prefaced conversations about the BB (with people who aren't aware of their "deeper" work) by saying that I think the BB are THE most misunderstood band of all time.

This could obviously mean different things to different people... but because of this band's many, many, many various identities/drastically different incarnations over the years, and due to the fact of the music of their early years (which I still love) being whored out to unimaginable proportions, I feel that this is a pretty spot-on statement to make.

What's wrong with Endless Summer? Listen to that record from start to finish, it's quite an incredible collection of all killer, no filler. Sometimes I feel this might be my personal "desert island disc" because it's just timeless and I never seem to get tired of it. Even has some of the group's deeper cuts from the earlier years, such as "Let Him Run Wild". If Mike Love was responsible for that, then he did a fabulous job I think.

Endless Summer itself is not to blame for the BB becoming an oldies act. After the album's success they could've released great "progressive" music with stuff like "It's OK" (which I love) being used as singles.

I'm never ashamed of the Beach Boys. If you don't like Surfin' USA, I'm embarrassed for you, not myself. Hell, I'll proudly play Kokomo, too. There's a video of a CBC interview of Brian, and at one point he puts a hand on his forehead and says to something to the effect, "Oh my God, I can't believe I'm not on Kokomo. I'm not on Kokomo!" And he's damn right. It's a great song.

No, I don't play Summer In Paradise for friends, but any band with the history of the Beach Boys has some clunkers.

Really cool people dig the Beach Boys. They get the talent. Only insecure people make fun of the Beach Boys.

No, particularly since the early 90s, the boys stock has grown massively. I guess its different in the US because of Stamos and Full House but in the UK and Europe we thankfully missed out on that although there was Baywatch  :lol

The only time I've been truly, truly embarrassed to be a BB fan was when I had to walk into my local record store - where they knew me well - and ask them to order a Julio Iglesias 45. The resultant hilarity was loud and prolonged.

Best time to be a BB fan ? 2012, of course.

I can't say I agree but it's an interesting thought. In your opinion, when did their creative output begin to decline?

As a compilation it's great. Musically, they did a great job at choosing the tracks, with only a few clunkers (Catch A Wave, Little Deuce Coupe, Girls On The Beach, and for some reason they added Help Me Ronda instead of the classic single version) but them aside, it's flawless. Certainly the best one to date in the US.

Although it did some short-term good in terms of popularity, in the long term Endless Summer proved to be extremely damaging to the Beach Boys. It was from this that they were typecast as a Nostalgic Surf Band, and they began to degenerate to a oldies band. They began to really decline artistically, with none of their subsequent music matching their 66-73 height. Eventually they lost their relevance, and they became a joke.

The Beach Boys were declining before Endless Summer. Well, Brian was declining. Carl was never a prolific songwriter. Dennis had the goods anyway, but chose to work outside the band. So - maybe - best case scenario is that a bunch of POB material gets released on a Beach Boys album if Endless Summer never happens. But that's it.

So what's the big deal?

Brian getting hooked on cocaine and pills is what killed the Beach Boys artistically, not some album. If anything, Endless Summer was a godsend for the group. Sure, they became a joke. But without Endless Summer, they're irrelevant, and that's far worse. And no Endless Summer, no Love You. It's that simple. Nobody would've cared enough to have Brian release it.

About that, they're irrelavent now, and have been for quite a while.
At least they were releasing great albums consistently up to Holland. Can't say that after the release of Endless Summer.
And at least up to Endless Summer, they were performing mainly their more recent songs, not just the older hits. That also changed, and after that they focused on just the oldies, as far as I know, with maybe 1 or 2 newer songs

For such an old band, they aren't irrelevant. They still play the Beach Boys on the radio, and the group was invited to Bonnaroo. What else do you want from 70 year old dudes?

I agree, Mr. Cohen. They also had an album of all-new music enter the top 10 in their 50th year of existence. That's pretty impressive.

Making it sound like Endless Summer was the sole cause for the Beach Boys to turn into a traveling oldies jukebox is ignoring the larger social issues at play.  You have to understand the political reality of the early to mid-70's.  Americans were fed up with Vietnam and Watergate and longed for simplicity.  Movies like "American Graffiti" encapsulated that desire to revisit the recent past (the Beach Boys were featured on the soundtrack, quite prominently, with "All Summer Long" played during the end credits).

Endless Summer was created and released at the perfect time to capitalize on this wave of nostalgia.  The Beach Boys would have probably turned into an oldies band at that time regardless.  It was what the public wanted.

I love Catch A Wave!

I meant to the General Public and Casual music fans.

To this day it can be embarrassing to ask someone at a Record Fair if they have any Beach Boys. They usually say stuff like they don't have surfing crap or stuff like that. They usually laugh when I ask where the BB's are.
When I'm at an general music store, the Beach Boys aren't at the Popular section like it's contemporaries the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, etc. They're always at the 50's and 60's section. I think that says a lot about how they are considered by the general public.

On the Internet, for example on a average Music page, whenever there's news of the BB's, the comments are usually harshly negative. Examples include "Fucking surf music, I DON'T SURF", "I don't like hearing guys sing like little girls, they suck", "Who cares about the fucking Beach Boys", etc.

Their reputation and image is poor and for the most part destroyed by the public. I find it very sad, but unfortunately that's the truth.
  

I guess. But they still didn't have to turn into a oldies band, and could have still made great albums and kept on performing mainly contemporary BB's songs with a couple of older hits instead of doing what they ended up doing.

I think to a certain extent they tried it, at least when Love You and the Light Album came out.

A bit embarrassed. As you said, the perception of the band is so radically different between different groups of listeners. Aficionados know everything they did and then some, and casual listeners may only know a couple of early surf hits. And Barbara Ann.

It is probably the widest gap in 20th century pop music that there is, in this respect.

Net result: I feel different from people who just say they are Stones, Led Zep, or Neil Young fans, and simply leave it at that. I always feel that I have to add a comment after declaring my undying love for the Boys. Something in the vein of: oh, and many people don't know their later and lesser known work... it is more complex... it is very sophisticated (and so on and so forth). And after that, I feel embarrassed that I added this (as if it were somehow inferior to admire the group for its fantastic string of hits).

Perhaps dr Phil could devote an episode to the psychology behind this?

I actually think they really went downhill musically in the years after Sunflower was released! The Rieley era LPs are a bore to me. Yeah, that's subjective. I don't think you can objectively place those LPs over the 1961-1966 era. You can do that subjectively any day!

And commercially, they went downhill in the years after Party was released...



Unfortunately, this is also true in the music stores that you don't happen to be in. ::) IMHO the reason they have become a nostalgia act isn't the Endless Summer compilation, but that their best work is the 1961-1966 era. When Brian melted down on mental issues (nevermind the causes), they only created more or less irrelevant music.

And it's all subjective. I play BB songs on guitar on parties, and believe it or not, I once was asked if I could play Kokomo... :o

Dunno what kinda record fairs you're going to  ???

After having spent a couple of years effort convincing the Beatles nuts, stoners and Indie music types at high school and Uni of the unequivical brilliance of our boys, "The BB's" then offered up Kokomo and the sucker punch killer blow of Still Crusin'; not helpful, and embarassing until the Capitol years twofers CDs hit the stands in '90, GV box, PSS - balance restored.

I happened to be at one of those record fairs, and bought me a copy of Adult Child on vinyl and Help Me Tampa on CD, so Maybe I Don't Know must have spent his time talking to the lady selling sausage rolls and instant coffee.

Most Melbourne, AU record market sellers are pretty canny about their BB stock - if not from their own inclinations (usually being rock music fans), then by the smell of a potential sale to a subculture that just can't help themselves.

Hell, no!  :lol

The "perception" (of the public ) was never the "reality" (of the music.)  

That is the short answer.  ;)

This.

I go to the Box Hill record fair whenever I get to. And which record fair did you get your Adult Child copy?
Also, I go to several Sunday markets occasionally, one in Coburg and one in Camberwell. A lot of the reactions were similar to what I've already explained

You are correct about Kokomo.  And, those were great co-writers. John Phillips, Scott McKenzie, and Terry Melcher, with Mike and an "ambush" movie score hit! Brian said that as well, IIRC in the Endless Harmony (which I'm listening to right now) DVD. 

Each kid I know who goes into the military gets a BB CD, and when they can use their "electronics" post basic training, they know what they are listening to are "America's sounds" at their very best. 

And, it was a full-circle thing that C50, but, as for me, some of the best shows I ever saw were they were considered to be at the bottom of the heap, and courageously still out there performing, when they played free shows, and you got to stand next to the stage, and sing along with a band who really appreciated their fans.  And the question was whether you'd be embarrassed?" And, you're correct, I think, that those who didn't "get it" were "more to be pitied, than censured."  ;)

Truthfully, being a Beach Boys fan renders you incapable of being embarrassed.

Yes, Andrew!
And, that is pretty empowering!   :lol

FYI - I sometimes color "outside the lines!"  :p

Couldn't resist.   ;)

Deleted ;)

Deleted (double post! ) mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!  :lol

Have a great weekend, all you GREAT people in BB land!  :love

Box Hill for both items, purchased from knowledgeable enthusiasts willing to have a general chat about the current BBs scene.  Lots of other nice "aware" sellers, who if not carrying BB stock on the day are pretty quick to offer a business card and a mobile phone number - as some own stores intra/interstate, or are serious private sellers who make a sort-of living trading plastic.

Same with Essendon Record Fair.

Camberwell and Coburg Markets are not dedicated Record Fairs; bar 1 or 2 niche sellers, most stall holders are hocking job lot findings with little concern for what's actually on the records.

You're right. I don't get too much luck at Coburg, though I do find the occasional record worth getting.
Camberwell on the other hand is where I got the majority of my BB's records, even if it isn't much lol.

I'll give the Essendon record fair a chance next time it's on. Haven't checked there yet. The only bootleg I found at Box Hill was a Smile bootleg, though it was too expensive for me to get

I'm not embarrassed about any of the things I like, whether it's The Beach Boys or Big Macs or Killer Klowns From Outer Space - a person likes what they like. The kind of people who decide what they do or don't like depending on the opinions of others are the kind of people whose opinion I don't give a sh*t about anyway.

I'd certainly never be embarrassed to be a Beach Boys fan - why be embarrassed because of another persons ignorance/lack of taste?

In fact, I'm proud to be a Beach Boys obsessive and regularly blurt the fact out whenever possible.

The success of Endless Summer did not determine, in any way, the contents of subsequent albums. I think the band and label put out the product that Brian wanted to/could produce. Endless Summer capitalized on a pre-existing image that remained unchallenged by the band's early 70s PR efforts. They could have taken a cool approach to their beach image, but could not.

Even moderately well-informed music fans know that the Beach Boys are supposed to be great, even if they are not themselves familiar with much of the work. Course, most folks are not even moderately welll-informed, but they should be the ones embarrassed, not I.

There have been times when I was embarrassed for OTHER people who were fans.  :lol

Never, and I'm often wearing a BB/BW shirt or hoodie. But when telling new friends or people I meet, I usually do qualify it by saying something like, "there's much more beyond the surfing stuff".

Not in the least and proud to be one!
Best US music group of all time and in the top tier worldwide.
And, to a good extent, they epitomize rock and roll - the great music (and on so many levels; moreso than many other groups); the drama; the personal misfortunes.
And, those who are not too acquainted with all their works and who have open minds and are willing to "be educated", often become fans or at least have a better appreciation of the group afterwards.

I've never been embarrassed to be a Beach Boys fan.  I try to spread the gospel when I can..

The early 60s stuff is brilliant.  Surfin USA and surfin safari are classic songs full of raw youthful energy .  And I'm sorry but songs like Catch A Wave and Little Deuce Coupe are not clunkers.. I mean seriously, are you kidding me?  Also the early ballads like In my Room and Surfer Girl are pure ear candy..

The mid 60s stuff is Brian at his peak.. nuff said.
 
how could you be embarrassed by this stuff?  Who cares that their image is not the coolest.  JUST LISTEN TO THE MUSIC!  That's all you need.

If I can tell people I like ABBA, The Carpenters, Neil Diamond and David Soul without feeling no shame then admitting to being a Beach Boys fan should pose no problem for me.

Can I get an "AMEN"?

I love ABBA too. Don't care who knows it.

The same is true for me.

Pride goes before a fall....   
OF Course I'm happy being a fan, so Pride doesn't enter into it

For all the folks who are embarrassed by the surf/car/Endless Summer songs, do you honestly think most "average" rock or rap fans would be blown away by albums such as "Holland," or "Sunflower," or "Pet Sounds," for that matter? Or do you think most rock fans, on the whole, would describe just about any Brian Wilson solo album as "cool" or "hip"? I don't think anything the Beach Boys or Brian Wilson did was cool or hip by a lot of people's standards.

My girlfriend thinks The Beach Boys are awfully corny, and I can get that -- a lot of the time they are! I think some of it also has to do with the fact that their vocal harmonies are obviously in the doo-wop or "psychedelic barbershop quartet" style -- which bands who are influenced by The Beach Boys, like Grizzly Bear for example, do not use even if this influence is very obvious all the same. Sometimes I'm embarrassed by this group due to the sheer awfulness of some of the material they've released but I chalk that up to their corniness or simple bad decision-making, and as someone else in this thread said, any band who has been around as long as The Beach Boys will probably have a catalogue with similar peaks and valleys. (The difference, I think, is that at least to me, The Beach Boys were almost all peaks until 1977, which is more than I would say for most bands, then or now!) I'm not embarrassed to be a fan of this group in general, of course, and I've driven enough exes crazy with my interest in The Beach Boys as it is, haha. I mean, the one and same group released "Please Let Me Wonder", "Love To Say Dada", "Child Of Winter", "A Day In The Life Of A Tree", and so many other brilliant classics or curiosities. It's very easy, I think, to get absorbed into the fascinating insular world of The Beach Boys, and I think that creation is probably one of their greatest achievements and why they're a hard sell to people not already interested.

I wouldn't say I'm embarrassed (I save that for being a Hanson fan--though there's really nothing to be embarrassed about there either). But I do find myself being a little bit preemptively defensive. I've never told someone I like the BBs and gotten the response, "Oh, me too. They're so underrated," or, "Oh, yeah, I really like their Holland album." I usually get a look... like the person is picturing guys in striped shirts with surfboards and wondering why I like Barbara Ann so much. I usually say something like, "There's so much more to them than just surfing and cars. Their music is really diverse and I think it's among the best pop music ever made." Sometimes that leads the person to want to know more-- like, "Really? That surfing band did some of the best pop music ever?"

But there's usually a willingness on the part of the other person t accept that they don't know much about the BBs and that even the surfing stuff is pretty great. Unlike with Hanson, where, as soon as I say the band name I usually get,"Oh, that Mmmbop band from the 90s?"

No.

These albums: Friends, Smiley Smile, Sunflower and 20/20 are the foundation of all and I mean ALL "indie" music today.

Why would anyone be embarrassed to be a fan of genius?  GEEZ!

The vast majority of "indie kids" dismiss The Beach Boys. I honestly haven't met one person my age who listens to them (early 20s).

Every single track on Endless Summer is brilliant and representative of the best music to come out of the 60's, or any era for that matter. I'd put that track listing up against anyone else's greatest hits. Period.

If the group had never cut Pet Sounds or Smile and broke up after Party they would STILL be incredible.

If when you bring up the Beach Boys to someone and they claim that they find the surfing/drag racing subject matter of the band's early career embarrassing...well, that person is a f***-ng tool.
Dennis Wilson did that stuff. Dennis Wilson was cool. Cooler than practically everyone else in human history. I rest my case. 8)  

Funny! Because all the music they listen to is done by artists that treasure Brian

Holland came out a year and a half before Endless Summer. They had plenty of time to make a top-notch album before Endless Summer came out. And they didn't.

Comments like that make me laugh, really who cares what people listen to. We follow a very relevant band , 50 years later they still sell and still keep gaining new fans with every passing year. The beach boys will never die, you can't ask much more from a band

On and on and on...I Like ABBA too.

Never ever embarrassed. Put upon, yes, in the Woodstock era (1969 to mid '71), but never embarrassed, abashed, half-assed, or ashamed. If I didn't fold up as an embattled teenager, I'm sure as heck not going to do so now!!  :smokin

 :lol

Truer words were never spoken.

Gabo,  You have Got to get some new "indie" friends.

In my early college years (97-98) I remember putting the endless harmony doc on the TV at a house party and loads of people taking the piss out of it (mainly cos of Mikes dancing I think). Most people were fanatical about the Doors, Dylan, Led Zep etc but really know nothing about the Beach Boys BUT this was before so so many indie bands start referencing them as an influence so I think that these days there would a lot more people clued in to the bands legacy.

On another note, around that time I went to a fancy dress party where there were a bunch of guys in Hawaii shirts who came as the Beach Boys. I asked one of them which one was Brian Wilson and his response was "Who's Brian Wilson?"

Have you read the post-Surf's Up portion of Ian's and Jon's book? The audience was mostly angry because they didn't play the old hits. After the success of Endless Summer, their image didn't change, but the band gave in after that.

I like to take anecdotes like this one, and stuff from my own experiences, and extrapolate them to other areas to help me realize that most people are gulity of thinking like this when it comes to nearly everything -- that is, forming an opinion of, characterizing, ridiculing, parodying, dismissing, etc. things they know nothing about.

On another note, i'm still trying to figure out why i can't tolerate so-called relevant indie bands who wear their Beach Boys (read: Brian Wilson, and read further: Pet Sounds) influence on their sleeve. I get so completely turned off by that sound that results from a modern/recontextualized BB influence. Every time i check that stuff out, i find nothing appealing and very little to absolutely no trace of the same magic that made the BB so special.

Actually, I've never read any of their books, much as I'd love to.
But what I do know is The Beach Boys In Concert is one hell of an album  :rock :rock :rock

I'm just embarrassed in general.

It's not that they're bad songs, it's just irritating that that's what people think of when they hear someone say the band's name. Especially when they have stuff like Pet Sounds, Sunflower, and Holland. I would tell people I mostly like the 1965-1978 years of the band, but unfortunately for them, they wouldn't know what those years were for the band. Though, I'm sure if I framed certain years of the Beatles' career, they'd know what I meant. There's so many irritating things about being a BB fan and trying to talk to other people about them. It seriously aggravates me sometimes.

Agreed. Though another problem would be the name "The Beach Boys". I know it's not their fault, Candix Records is to blame for that, but while it was a great name for the first 3 or so years, but in the long term, it really came to haunt them.

It would have been better all around if they were never called The Beach Boys. That being said, The Pendletones wasn't a very good name either, and especially not Carl And The Passions or Kenny And The Cadets!

I wish they had went ahead and changed their name to something else during the '66-'73 period.  when people hear "Beach Boys" they expect to hear songs related to the genre.  I think the name itself played a big part in that.  :(

we posted that at the same time  :lol

I think it was Jack Rieley who suggested changing the band's name to "The Beach". Why they didn't I'll never fully understand...

if they did that do you think it would've been worse? maybe if they just got away from the beach all together it would've helped. who knows  ???

True, but it is still an improvement. Maybe then they would have been taken more seriously, as "The Beach" is more adult, more mature than "The Beach Boys"

that's true especially since they didn't look the part anymore especially mike with that biblical beard  :old ".... and Mike, Old Santa Clause over there"  :lol anyway I don't think that helped either  :-\

Oh don't get me started on how horrible Mike's Beard was back then! He seriously looked like a hobo!
And though it's not half as bad, I sort-of wish Carl eventually shaved his beard off. Instead, he kept his for the rest of his life

Brian's, apparently.

I've never been embarrased to admit to being a Beach Boys fan.
On my first day at secondary school in 1989 we all had to stand up and say a little bit about ourselves and I mentioned that they were my favourite band. On the way to my first lesson, a kid came up to me and said, "Why do you listen to them? You should be listening to Madonna"
I bumped into the same guy 3 years after leaving school and he said, "You were right about The Beach Boys-my favourite album is Smiley Smile"

There seems to be a lot of indie bands that wear the Pet Sounds badge but to me, I prefer bands like Weezer that acknowledge The Beach Boys but don't go out of their way to duplicate the sound

The Beach sounds like a cologne...maybe I think that because I think that actually WAS the name of the cologne
"invented" by Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld.

I do definitely agree that the name was a hindrance, but I don't see The Beach as a viable alternate

While I agree with this completely, I think the image of the Mike Love-driven Beach Boys from the 80s and beyond is what makes the band seem so corny. Additionally, some of the lyrics from the early songs seem outdated to the casual observer. But yes, the music itself is absolutely brilliant and nothing to be ashamed of, far to the contrary.

I find the idea of "The Beach" as a terrible band name. Together they could never be anything but The Beach Boys.

Never. All bands have produced some crap and I really don't give a sh*t that people don't like certain albums I do or vice versa - as long as they don't bang on about it as if they somehow or other KNOW. Actually, I'm not embarrassed by that, just bored. I'll admit that had the ponytail years gone on much longer then I might have found that embarrassing and there are times when I read some of the comments on here and think, mmmmm...  that was a close one. Why should I be embarrassed about being a BB fan? Have a look at the message boards for other artists; we're not that bad. Love Dylan (and not embarrassed by that either - I even have Under the Red Sky, the Dylan equivalent to SIP), but Expecting Rain, anybody?

Ohh I forgot about that! Kramer is the funniest  :lol
Anyway, I think the cologne from Seinfeld is called "The Ocean", not "The Beach".

I still think they should have changed their name, whether it be "The Beach" or a different name. It would have had a major impact in their image.
And they should have done it either in the Pet Sounds/Smile era or the post-Smile era

Right you are! Still, The Beach is a trite throwaway name, inferior even to The Beach Boys at describing the depth and breadth of the music they were producing in the late 1960s, early 1970s.

yup he looked more like a beach bum  than a beach boy  ::).  I liked Carl's beard the best in the 1980 4th of July concert  :-D.  the beard covers up his sweet baby face  :lol when I think of the guys I usually picture them without the beards especially Brian and Dennis

I'd say all the BB's (Mike aside) looked the best at around 1969-1970. But I guess beards did suit Carl, and to an extent Dennis. Just not Brian, and especially Mike!
I remember checking the comments section of Good Vibrations on Youtube, and a lot of the comments were about how creepy Mike looked  :lol

Or maybe drop the "The" and just be called "Beach". Now that would be pretty cool  :hat

Hey!!!!! Now I remember when I felt ashamed to be a Beach Boys fan!

It was when I listened to "The Private Life Of Bill And Sue" for the very first time! ;D

I have hip friends that I have turned on to the Beach Boys, which has given credibility. When I first got into them, my friends thought I was a geek. Some however, have been blown away. I have a friend into psychedelic music, such as Syd Barrett and Frank Zappa. He didn't care for SMiLE, but he loved Mt Vernon and Fairway!

I approve. :smokin

I was just in the car with a friend and Kokomo of all songs came on   :-[ :lol

If it's on the radio, it's hardly a surprise. Because it was a big hit back in 1988, they play it all the time now on the radio!

It's frickin' annoying, but at the same time sort-of understandable

'Paul Revere and the Raiders' was by '67 or so an equally embarrassing band name, but in '70 they became just 'the Raiders'. 'The Beach Boys' never really had an option : 'Beach' as a name doesn't cut it.

If they had stuck with the name 'Carl and the Passions', however, they could have eventually become just 'The Passions' -- not great, but not a group name that would so firmly associate the band with a dated, early '60s music fad.

Yea I know but I'd rather hear "Surfin Safari" than that  :lol because at least when this song came out it was "hip" well unless you're someone like John Milder  :lol "Don't you think the BB are boss?  :angel:"

That's right, "The Passions" makes me think more of a band from a mid-50s music fad. :-D

Exactly! Passions isn't the right name, Beach Boys in hindsight isn't the best name, Pendletones is even worse.

So what do you guys think is the right name for them? I'm unable to come up with any ideas lol

The Wilsons. Or The Wilson Brothers.

Problem with this is simple: Mike, Al, Bruce, David, Blondie, Ricky.
They're still official members, so The Wilsons as a band name just isn't right IMHO

"The Wilsons + The Optionals"

True, 'the Passions' would sound dated, but no more than 'the Impressions' or 'the Temptations', say. And the name wouldn't be the albatross around the neck that the name 'the Beach Boys' was/is, forever associating them with surfing.

'The Wilson Brothers Band', maybe? After all, the 'Allman Brothers Band' only had 2 brothers.

On reflection, yes, I have been embarrassed to be a BB fan, but not because of anything the band did.  ::)

Bands who change their name without actually breaking up and then disown their older material make me want to heave.

This means you don't like bands such as Small Faces/Faces and Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship/Starship?

Nobody likes Jefferson Starship.

I'm not exactly a fan of Starship (or Jefferson Starship), but I quite like Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now.
And We Built This City is a guilty pleasure for me

I'm fine with "The Beach Boys", it is better than "The Pendletones", and nobody thinks the Beatles are all about insects either.

52 years later, I still wish Regan & Saraceno had gone with "The Woodies".  ;D

I like The Beach Boys name.. it is quite iconic.  Its only wierd in that they are much older now.


The Beatles isn't exactly the hippest name, but who cares?

I think that's a shot at the fans  ???  :-D

Wasn't a name like 'The Passions' back in the 70s?

(http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m41uy2DjHz1rol1w1.gif)

(https://i.imgflip.com/6dmbe.jpg)

I'm more embarrassed to be associated with people who respond to my saying "They're really good, a lot of their better material isn't well known" with continued "LOL KOKOMO UNCLE JESSIE"

YEAH, I SAID IT, I AM A SNOB (not really, I just don't like being disappointed-ointed-ointed-ointed)

I like the name "The Beatles". Certainly doesn't sound outdated and unhip unlike "The Beach Boys"

I'm never embarassed to be a Beach Boys fan.  Being embarassed of your opinion means you don't have a lot of confidence in it.  Who's a big enough man that their opinion is better than yours, to the point that you should be ashamed to admit it? 

If someone asks me, or it comes up, the conversation goes like this

"I absolutely LOVE, my favorite band, is the Beach Boys"

them : "The Beach Boys?  Really?"

"They're one of the absolute best of all time.  You've never heard them?"

them: "Oh yeah, I mean I've heard California Girls, and ..."

"So you don't like California Girls?  That's one of the coolest songs ever.... they've got 100 songs that good"

them: "Yeah... I mean I guess they're pretty cool "

"You should listen to some of their albums you've never heard of, they were incredibly talented.  Love their stuff!"


If anybody brings up Kokomo, I tell them how great Kokomo is, but they had much better songs.  If anybody brings up "Wipe Out", I laugh and tell them how great Wipe Out is, but they had much better songs. 

I don't really see what there is to be ashamed about, it's your opinion, they put their pants on 1 leg at a time just like you do. 

There is your problem, the way to handle this is to realize the truth:

They were the *BEST* Surf band to sing about girls.


Here's more news for you.  Most people like to surf.  Most people grew up listening to the Beach Boys and loved it.  Ask a kid.  They still love it. 

Also most people love songs about Girls.... this interestingly includes Guys, AND girls.  Girls like guys singing about them.  Try it sometime.

The Beach Boys made some great material later, but their famous material, the 'surf songs about girls' were some of their absolute best, most creative stuff.  Ntohing to be ashamed about, much to be proud of. 

With all due respect, this whole argument is something that was thought up by somebody, and has been parroted over and over again to the point where people believe it (and new to the fold fans accept it as THE REASON the band isn't as popular anymore).... but the entire argument is the biggest bunch of nonsense ever.

So you're telling me, that when the Beatles released the RED Album, and the BLUE Album, it was 'extremely damaging to the Beatles', right?  Eventually they lost their relevance, and became a joke.


OH WAIT, the argument apparently only works when you're saying the Beach Boys did it.  Any other band can release all the greatest hits albums they want and there's no problem, but if the Beach Boys do it, it ruins their career. 

Come on.  There's no truth to it, it doesn't hold up to scrutiny.  The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, the Chili Peppers, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Frank Sinatra, Elton John.... there are VERY FEW bands/acts that have done the whole "30,40,50' years thing that the Beach Boys have done, and every fucking one of them released greatest hits albums, and it didn't hurt any of their careers. 

So if you look at the evidence of their peers (of which there are few) releasing greatest hits albums has never harmed anybody's career or turned them into an oldies act.  If you feel the Beach Boys were turned into an oldies act, it had nothing to do with the greatest hits album, or you'd have to say that the Red Hot Chili Peppers are now an oldies act.... or The Rolling Stones are purely an oldies act and are a joke with no respect anymore.  Or that Paul McCartney is an oldies act and nobody cares that he's released anything since his first greatest hits, what "Tripping the Live Fantastic!" in 1989 or whatever.  Or that Frank Sinatra was never relevant with new music after his first greatest hits album in 1952 or whatever. 

I'm not trying to bag on oyou, I'm just trying to point out that you're describing a bunch of idiots, what do you care what they say?  That's starting to be a reflection on YOU, you should be laughing at THEM, they're idiots!

So you go to a 'record fair' (what the f*** is that?) and ask for Beach Boys albums, and the guy says "I don't have Surfing Crap".  So this is the guy you trust to buy records from, or to trust his opinion, or even CARE what his opinion is?  I'd laugh at his face and tell him what a dumbass he is.  Then I'd explain to him how much money he's losing because he's stupid enough to laugh off the second most successful band of all time, and has missed out on all their bootleg money for 50 years, nice job wise ass, keep laughing.  I guess i'll take this 4 grand in my pocket to another table, f*** you very much.

That's how you handle morons.

You said the Beach Boys are in the 50's and 60's section at your music store.  At all of mine they're not, they're right next to the Beastie Boys.  What record store do you go to that puts albums from the 70's in the 50's section?  Why is this even a problem?  At my music store (or any I've ever been to, honestly) they're 'hip' enough to get how cool the Beach Boys are (I find most people who are fluent in music, and listen to a lot of stuff, actually are Brian Wilson/beach boys fans)..... most music stores 'get it' and put anything new by the Beach Boys out on the main displays.

Good example, last year (or the year before, can't remember) I was in a huge indy record store, and it was Christmas, and they had a display with about 50 copies of the BEACH BOYS Christmas CD up on display.  THAT'S one of the ones they chose to promote... 50 years later.  This is typical of most indy stores, they know that it's hip to be square, and it has been for about 50 years now.


If you're on the internet, on 'an average music page' maybe you should go to a page that's less than average if all the people there say they don't want to hear a guy sing like a girl.  "I Dont SURF" is similar to saying "I'm a fatass who plays call of duty all day"  I don't know why you would take somebody saying something caustic like that about something they know nothing about as anything more than just noise.  And again, I've got to say, nobody tells me things like that, I don't know who your hanging out with but I hang out with winners, not negative losers who talk trash about anything they don't understand.  Surfing.  Really?


If your friends don't like your music, that's fine... but if their rationale is "They suck" or "They sing like girls" or "Surfing sucks" your friends are losers.  You should get new friends.

This reminded me of something that happened to me the other day.  I own a retail video game store, and we just play whatever we want on the internet.  So lately I've been playing like Billboard's top hits, or whatever, and the other day was playing the top hits from 1975.  I love all types of music generally, and enjoy about anything... so this is playing in the background. 

Hot chick walks in.  She's with a guy but still, hot chick in the house. 

So she's looking around, buys a few games, and then says "I must say, the music selection today is especially good" and I laughed and agreed.

The songs that were playing, were "Have you Never Been Mellow" by Olivia Newton John, and then "Never Can Say Goodbye" by Gloria Gaynor.

Cool people, hot people, don't ridicule other people for what they're listening to.  That olivia newton john song is god awful but for the moment it was pretty funny to see a big guy like me listening to this crap, the girl smiled, we laughed, I beat up her boyfriend and then now we're going out!!!!!

































I dreamed half of that

Superb Post!

I've been to quite a few record fairs, flea markets, independent record stores etc. The fact that I'm looking for Beach Boys/60s stuff always impresses people, I've never been laughed at or mocked once. You have to be confident, though. You like what you like and anyone else's opinion shouldn't matter.

I'm one of those people who are shameless about anything I like. As far as I'm concern most people have crappy taste in music, and I could care less. Good for me. More Sunflower and Love You for me.

Haha! This is one of the most hilarious and entertaining posts I've ever read on this site. Or anywhere, for that matter. Well done.

Embarrassed?

They've had more top 40 hits than any other American band.

Their principle songwriter is considered a pop music genius.

They recorded an album that influenced The Beatles to write one of their most influential albums.

Currently popular musicians are citing them as a strong influence.

College classes analyse Brian Wilson's music.

And people of all generations sing along whenever my group pulls out a Beach Boys song at a car show or community event.

Nope. No reason to be embarrassed that I can see.

I'm not embarrassed of being a Beach Boys fan.  In fact, I throw them out all the time as one of my favorite bands when talking about music.  Many people are surprised that I like them so much because I've been a guitar player for 25 years and I usually listened to guitar dominated music.  I have a sense of pride in being a BB fan.  For one, they could only be an American band (from California).  They basically existed in an era as if the British Invasion didn't exist.  That to me is simply a stunning and impossible feat.  Brian Wilson could have followed the trends when the Beatles appeared on CBS TV 50 years ago.  But he didn't.  He did it HIS way.  That is an aspect of the BB that isn't always mentioned.  When he was knocked out by how good the American version of Rubber Soul was (hey, let's face it, I think Capitol did ok on that one), he didn't set out to copy it - he wanted to do an album his way, but better.  When I bring that fact up about how Brian basically kept the BB sound as American as he could, a lot of people step back and say, "Wow, you're right!  That IS impressive!"  But of course, beyond the glory years, the trippy summer of 1967, the mellower late 1967-1969 era, the Sunflower and Surf's Up era, the Blondie and Ricky era, the late 70's, and beyond - there's so much music to love.  And a lot of people tend to be impressed when I play them some of the later material.

I went to see Brian Wilson and Co. at Ravinia this summer.  My friend had bought Holland on vinyl after I played it for him.  His wife came to the show saying she hoped they'd play material from that album, which was nice to hear.  You usually expect someone to say they hope to hear Surfin USA or California Girls.  At some point in the show, Al announced that they were going to play two songs from Holland.  It was almost as if they heard her request.  It just goes to show that when people hear more of their work, they get it.  That was cool.  Yes, I am happy to tell people I am a fan!

I've never, ever been embarrassed to be a Beach Boys fan. Ever since I became a fan in 1970, I have never stopped promoting them. I've personally had reservations about a couple of their albums and have not played them in the company of others, but other than that, you can't be embarrassed by a band with a songwriter who was responsible for an acknowledged masterpiece album, 39 top 10 singles, and sales of 100-350 million records.

To Ron,
I never said my friends hate the Beach Boys. They never said what I described. Those who don't like the Beach Boys only don't like them because they don't like all "old" music.
I was describing some of the people I have come across at places like Record Fairs. There are some people who aren't like that, like this person I got Smiley Smile from. But there are just as many, if not more who consider the BB's to be a joke.
If you don't know, Record Fairs are events where people sell their old records. It's usually at places like Town Halls. I think in America it's called Record Shows, correct me if I'm wrong.
I remember that when MIC came out, I didn't see a single copy anywhere at music stores, and it wasn't promoted. The Smile Sessions and TWGMTR fared better, but wasn't exactly top priority for the stores when they came out. And I guess it also depends on which store you go, I mainly go to JB HI FI and it's never in the "Popular" section.
Also, I meant people say they sound like girls when they sing, not that they were singing about girls. I guess I should have explained that better.
As for the Compilation debate, you did misunderstand me a bit. Endless Summer wasn't their first compilation, their first one came out years earlier. When the Beatles released the Red and Blue albums, not only were they already broken up with their legacy sealed, but those albums picked the best songs from their entire career, not just one part of it.
Usually, a Greatest Hits is either good, or at least one that disappears eventually. With Endless Summer, when it came out it was a success. But with that their image as a Nostalgic Surf band was set, and people only wanted to hear the old hits. After Endless Summer, the BB's stopped making an effort to try and change their image, create great albums and make quality music. After Endless Summer, their focus turned to oldies music, instead of contemporary. This was clearly shown on the mediocre "15 Big Ones". The quality of their newer music declined sharply, with a few good exceptions (Love You, half of L.A. Light Album, most of the 85 album, etc.).
Most compilations don't damage a group's career. In fact it pretty much never does. With the exception of the BB's and Endless Summer.
Feel free to disagree, that's just my honest opinion.

I like to tell people that the Beach Boys made a huge impression on:

The Beatles
The Byrds
The Mamas and Papas
The Rolling Stones
The Who
Chicago
The Eagles
Tom Petty
The Ramones
Daniel Johnston
Sonic Youth
REM
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Hi Llamas
The Fleet Foxes

Your problem is then that you're in a weird country I suppose.  I live in America and the Beach Boys are pretty beloved by most people that I know or meet.  Over here, people start listening to 'oldies' when they're babies and generally still love the music no matter what age they are, everybody I know grew up listening to bands like the Beach Boys from their earliest memories.  Maybe over there it's different. 

I know several Black people who like the Beach Boys.  Top that.

As for the Endless Summer thing, you're just wrong about all that.  That's o.k.

I wouldn't say Australia is weird at all. But I guess it may be a bit different here, but I doubt it.

So if Endless Summer wasn't the cause of the Beach Boys decline artistically and degeneration into an oldies band, what do you think is the cause?

 :afro that's me  :lol  :rock

I don't mean Australia is weird because it's Australia, i'm just saying it's weird about oldies and the Beach Boys, apparently.  At least compared to here.

The Beach Boys have made tons of bad choices and decisions in their career.  It had nothing to do with that album, that album was a GOOD choice because it made them money.  They have dozens and dozens of other bad decisions, and continue to make bad decisions, that has hampered their career in many many ways, going way back to about 1966.

One, for instance, is apparently some of the members can't stand each other :)

Tons of others that people more knowledgeable than me can get into, but these guys were never pros at business and have done some really, really stupid things over the years. 

The honest truth is the fans turned them into an oldies band. In concert, you give the fans what they want to hear. They resisted playing all oldies for two years or more, but by 1975 they gave in. I feel that is why they went the oldies route with 15 Big Ones. They tried to give the fans what they thought they wanted and what would sell.

Several reasons, too many to mention. But, one basic one...

For a few valuable years after Endless Summer - 1976, 1977, and again in 1980 - The Beach Boys placed their bets on Brian Wilson to do it again (pun intended). Unfortunately, he stopped genius-ing around.

I'm Australian too, and yeah that's basically how it is for the Beach Boys here. Although at some JBHI-FIs I've been to you can find them both in the 50s/60s section and the popular section.

Beautiful post, there is no reason to be embarrassed to being a Beach Boys fan

I think we're just running out of things to talk about  :lol

Well at least Brian Wilson is always in the Popular section

There's one record store in Australia, specifically Prahran, Melbourne, where The Beach Boys are filed exclusively under "B" rather than "50s/60s." No embarrassment about talking about the band instore either, in fact, it's welcomed 8)

Interesting. What's the store's name and if it's possible could you send me the link to their website?

Sure thing:

http://www.grevillerecords.com.au/ (http://www.grevillerecords.com.au/) (notice the LOOK!LISTEN!VIBRATE!SMILE! on the spaceship)

One of the last great independent record stores in Melbourne. Warwick, the owner, knows his music and is a great guy to chat with.

This might be an unpopular opinion, but I don't mind that the Beach Boys are sometimes in the 50s/60s  oldies section. The 60s were a good time for music so naturally the section is going to be filled with a lot of cool stuff. 8)

Trouble is, in my experience that section also includes material that the group recorded after the sixties :o  Personally, I find it easier to search for music alphabetically rather than by genre.

I get you.  :)
It's kinda awkward when I find the Sunflower/Surf's Up twofer & That's Why God Made The Radio there on occasion.

You know who is a better candidate for being in the 60's section at music stores? The Beatles.
They were strictly a 60's band, and they broke up in 1970.
The Beach Boys on the other hand made music from the 60's to 1992 with one reunion album in 2012. Yet it's stuck in the 60's section.
Talk about unbelievable!

At the JB HI-FI I visited today, they put The Beatles in both the popular and the oldies section.
The Beach Boys were only in the oldies. I didn't check to see what they had in stock, but I'd say they probably had the latest album there.

To come full circle, yes I also  that this is Endless Summer's fault.
 If they released a greatest hits covering their career up to 1974 instead of 1965, I severely doubt stores would place them in the 50s/60s section.

15 Big Ones, Love You and MIU all have worthwhile songs scattered on them but yes, the genius had long since departed.

Actually, with that part, there was nothing they could do.
Capitol owned the rights to all the BB's material up to the Party album. So they couldn't use any of their songs from Pet Sounds onwards, unfortunately.
I think putting the BB's in the Oldies section instead of the Popular section shows what the store thinks of them. Obviously JB doesn't think highly for the BB's, and it shows with the lack of MIC or the large Smile Sessions Box Sets.

Does anyone know when the Beach Boys could use their pre-Pet Sounds catalogue? 1986? Why couldn't Capitol come to some kind of agreement with them instead?

About JB  -- I've never seen Made In California outside the computer screen. I have seen The Smile Sessions, not the box set but the single disc version (which is the one I own).

Oh well.   :(
I'm sure I see Pink Floyd's The Wall box set every time I go there.

I saw the large Smile Sessions box set only once, at a JB in the middle of the City. I got the small box set because I couldn't afford the large box set and I didn't want the single disc version.
As for MIC, I have not once seen it, sadly. I see box sets all the time with various artists, whether it be the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, etc. But virtually never the Beach Boys unfortunately.

<pop!>

Brian Wilson and the fact that time didn't stop in 1967.

Now I am.

 ;D

I hate The Beach Boys. I just post here ironically.

My school has homecoming in a few days and one of my teachers wants to convince the board to play Beatles songs for the 50th anniversary for the alumni, had a 5 minute discussion about them and played "Twist and Shout". (to avoid the awkwardness  :lol) I told him after class that they should also play BB songs b/c in '64 they were running neck and neck.

‍

I had a conversation about the Beach Boys with a few girls in one of my classes. I told them they were my favorite band.

One girl simply said "409" while another girl said "Ooh, you know what song I really like by them? 'Barbara Ann.'"
At which point the conversation literally ended with an a cappella version of "Barbara Ann" by the three girls surrounding me.

I'm not sure if I was embarrassed, but I was struck by how stereotypical that conversation was.

You sound like a lot of fun to be around.

I think I basically agree with that. But who is there that did that? My brain's not workin' right now, so I can't think of any besides Jefferson Airplane.

I think it's a little ridiculous to get so invested in a band that you actually get upset about them changing their name and disowning their earlier material? It's not like Surrealistic Pillow is in any way diminished by "We Built This City", just like how nobody really cares that "Hey Little Tomboy" is the same band that did Pet Sounds. And I say this as someone who really likes music a lot...

No.

I know I shouldnt but it happens sometimes...my friends dont really get my taste in music.

  Hey, at least the girls are giving you some time. Sounds like a promising opener!

Now and then people think I should be embarrassed - but I'm not. I guess that sums it up best. God knows I've converted enough of them eventually.

Hi all,

No, I have never been embarrassed to be a Beach Boys fan.  I will always hold my head high.  People might act confused or belittle.  The latter is the other person's problem.  I like the singers I like.  If people in town don't like it that is their problem.  If you like the BB and hold your head high things will be fine.  I won't change my likes to appease someone in town.  Do that once for one thing you might have to do that forever about everything. 

Have I ever been embarrassed to be a Beach Boys fan? Hell no! I'm not even embarrassed about having a foot fetish.  :p
One of my best friends since high school viciously scoffs at the Beach Boys and will not give them a chance...and I even have played him their 'deeper' early 70s material like Til I Die and Long Promised Road and he still scoffs at it like it was "What's A Young Girl Made Of" just because the name on the label reads "The Beach Boys".
I'm not embarrassed that Beach Boys '85 is an all-time favorite album of mine and on some days it's the only Beach Boys album I play.
I'm not embarrassed that I like about 5 songs on the Summer In Paradise album and I still play my cassette of it on my Walkman when I go for my walks and take it in the car with me.
I'm not embarrassed that I like 5 songs from the Keeping The Summer Alive album.
I'm not embarrassed that I hold Todd Rundgren, Three Dog Night, and Uriah Heep in as much esteem as The Beatles.
Life is too short to not do something just because other people don't think it's cool......Hey, guys, "Crazy Horses" by The Osmonds is one of the greatest, most exciting 'heavy rock' tracks of the 70s as far as I'm concerned.

omg that song

.

This is a trick I've often used to make my friends listen to The Beach Boys.
Without mentioning who is singing one particular beach boys song, people maybe will like it or not, but since you mention the words "beach boys" their faces immediately change.

This thread is fascinating. To my knowledge, since hearing The BBs for the 1st time in Dec. 2010, I've never been embarrassed of this fandom. More so, whenever someone starts talking about sth., I always find the fitting BBs reference & tell the stories about Brian, Al, Carl, Dennis etc., show them photos of them from various years, point out who is who, even though they're obviously not interested in it at all. In other words, I'm like a leech when it comes to The BBs, only worse, people really get tire of my stories & find whatever ridiculous excuse to avoid the conversation or go to the corridor. And you know what? I don't care; if they don't want to be friends with me anymore because of that - bye-bye & so long. Granted, I've got lots of friends here on this board, distance doesn't matter.

Let's turn this around a tad - have The Beach Boys ever been embarrassed by their fans ?

End of thread..      Or do you think Brian, Mike, Al or Brooth will post ?!!

haha!

This is when I could get embarrassed. I love several of the early songs but 409 and Barbara Ann ain't among them. When Kokomo shows up I also let my chin slip...

I'm never embarrassed, but I get the impression sometimes that the other party is. Might the name have something to do with it? Makes you wonder what the Boys felt deep down when they discovered that they'd been renamed...

Not as long as fans are shelling out money for endless compilation albums!

Nah, I'm not embarrassed to be a fan.  No matter how much crap they've put out in their checkered career, their finest work speaks for itself.

Only if someone mentions Mike and Bruce and then they want an explanation.

Or if Mike makes a big stink about something.

‍

I gave a copy of Pet Sounds to a young friend of mine recently.  He plays in a band and has got a really cool taste in music - played Be My Baby in his mix last time he was staying wiith us.  I told him in many people's opinion PS was the greatest album ever made.  He seemed grateful, but then my sons immediately played him the Party version of The Times They are a Changing and they all fell about pissing themselves with laughter and quoting the cheesiness of 'Let's do a protest song!'. I wanted to say 'That  bought them time to make Pet Sounds.'  I wanted to cite The Laughing Gnome, Revolution Nine, The Frog Chorus and other respected musicians' low spots. I felt a mixture of fury, bafflement, protectiveness and yes, some kind of embarrassment because these idiots DIDN'T GET IT.  Then the boy's father told me I had to watch a hilarious Youtube  shred of the Beach Boys singing I get Around.  First time I'd heard of the term, and mercifully they had to leave before they found it on my computer because I'd certainly have got over-defensive and sparked a major argument if I'd seen it with them. When you've just taken the trouble to pass on something special and everyone just rips the sh*t out of it, it's not a good feeling. That was the first time I've ever felt embarrassment, and I wish I hadn''t.  Their loss.  My privilege. 

  You have to figure the band may tire of the "meat and potatoes" crowds. This was certainly true in the early 70's when some fans could not or would not listen to the wonderful new material from Surf's Up and Holland.

  Duplicate post

Many years ago I met this girl who I really fell for, and, yes, when the topic of favorite music/artists came up, I was defensive about my Beach Boys' fandom. So, it wasn't long before I made her a mixtape. I'll show her!!!!

I spent hours and hours compiling and sequencing the tape. I was gonna really impress her. In addition to some surf & turf hits, I was going to blow her mind with Brian's "genius music", too. So, on went a good dose of Pet Sounds, "This Whole World", "Til I Die", "Surf's Up", and "Sail On Sailor". I think I also included "Disney Girls", "Forever" and "Cuddle Up".

I couldn't wait for her reaction, thinking she'd say something like, "I never heard those Beach Boys' songs before..." or "Wow, I didn't know the Beach Boys sang songs like those..." After giving her a week to listen to the tape, I asked her what were her favorite songs. Without hesitation she said, "Barbara Ann" and "Catch A Wave". Go figure...

Hi all,

I have NEVER been embarrassed to be a Beach Boys fan.  To like any band you want to like is always cool and great.  To like someone simply because the crowd does or because she or he is a current singer means one cannot think for themselves.  If one tires to impress others once or twice they might spend the rest of their liveds doing that with no gain for themselves. 

My Beach Boys fandom is like a martyrdom

Easy: of all songs you mentioned, those are the two that are the most fun to listen to. The other songs have their qualities in other aspects. Girls just wanna have fun, you know?