The Smiley Smile Message Board

my view is that after a certain time, still being in the beach boys was sort of a hindrance to the musical careers of Carl and Dennis, who were finally becoming musicians in there own right. Don't forget that they were still pretty young at the peak of there success (Carl being 19 and Dennis being 21). So should Carl and Dennis have started there own group sort of like how Graham Gouldman and Eric Stewart (who were both British invasion retreads) decided to launch a second career and start a new band?

In a way, I think if you count Blondie and Ricky as Lol and Kevin, thats basically what the So Tough/Holland era was but I still think having the name The Beach Boys when surf music was largely dead by 1966 or so, certainly imprisoned them somewhat.

I have always thought about the various directions they could have gone if they split up after the Capital years. I could see Al and Mike doing folk music about TM and other things. An album with All This Is That, the California Saga, Don’t Go Near the Water, etc would have been good. Dennis could definitely have held his own as a country artist, Carl could have either been a producer for Brothers Records or maybe a solo artist, and if Bruce was motivated he could have been a solo artist and Brian might have had freedom to work more with others more, expanding on American Spring, Kalanich, Fed Vail country album, etc. I have always imagined if Brothers records was successful they could have had a self contained solo career as well as producing others.

Dennis was not disciplined enough for a solo career.

Imagine POB as  Carl/Dennis collaboration released in 1975.

It would,have been a great side project.

Agreed. I think a Carl/Dennis collab would've brought out the best in both of them. Carl could've produced/finished some of dennis' stuff that he didnt have the attention span for (not to mention carl couldve used his incredible voice) and Dennis could've added an edge to Carl's stuff which, in my opinion, can be a little too....generic/lightweight in some cases.....Adding Brian might have been great too. Imagine just the 3 of them doing a record as "The Wilsons" or whatever.....No stupid mike to put Brian down or add in his dumb-ass lyrics. I know people think Mike added a lot being the front man, MC, etc but imagine if Dennis had been the front man, he had 10X more charisma than Mike. Of course he might not have shown up for half the shows.....

From a musical point of view it was clear that 15BO was a definitive signal that group should split with Carl and Dennis doing their own things or create something new together, maybe with some occasional involvement from Brian. Mike and Al would probably then invite BJ back into the group and add a few additional members and continue as the Beach Boys for touring and recording purposes.

I think Carl and Dennis would agree to this arrangment due to the revenue they would be entitled (unless they sold off their claims). In any case they needed the cash to prop up their affluent lifestyles, which to begin with would probably not be supported by a non-Beach Boys venture.

As Mike Love and Al would drive the "new" Beach Boys into MIU and Celebration territory, it's without doubt that they would publicly clash with their ex-bandmates who would probably deride the new direction and sound. This would probably come after Mike Love initiates the jabs with his virtue grandstanding and drug references (which he still brings up incessantly - like we know it ruined Brian's life and took Dennis'. Thanks for bringing it up as if those two men never accomplished anything else).

It would be a clusterfuck, but it might lead to more exciting work from Carl and Dennis and maybe they would learn to accept not being in the Beach Boys and forge a new and interesting path :)