The Smiley Smile Message Board

Alright, being inspired by someone who posted about their reaction to Brian's voice and the excitement when MIU came, I'd love to hear what others thought when any of the albums came out before 2000, solo or beach boys albums...not when you first heard them years later, like myself, I can't really react to albums except maybe Still Cruisin', I remember hearing it back in the early 90s...but those who are older (not such a bad thing), I'd love to hear what you thought of albums when they originally came out when the Beach Boys saga was originally unfolding, it can be from Pet Sounds to Holland to KTSA to SIP, not neccessarly a review but just reaction.

I'd post my reactions to the 2000 albums, but I'm sure most of us already have with how long we've belonged to this message board.   :p

The last "new" BB album I purchased was "The Beach Boys" the day when it came out in 1985.  One copy on vinyl to listen to, one for the vault. LOL.

Even by 1985 I was frustrated with how the band had been doing things and although I had some hope with the album, I was disappointed that it seemed like they had to try to recreate the whole nostalgia thing again - "California Calling" was a fun song but to me the rolling jikebox was in full swing.  I guess I wanted or expected more.

Still a fun album to listen to but as a lifelong fan, I was frustrated that they didn't go in another direction.

well, being that I was 1 then, I can't say much for then, but I first heard it on cd (twofer) then on vinyl, and the vinyl was superior.

That was my post on my initial reaction to MIU, so I'll follow up on it. I was very excited and OPTIMISTIC about the Beach Boys and especially Brian after MIU. I knew Brian could still write after enjoying his compositions on Love You and MIU; now I was relieved that his voice wasn't permanently gone; in fact, it was starting to sound quite good. Then L.A. Light Album came out.

Simply, for me personally, L.A. remains the Beach Boys' most disappointing album. First, we got Brian back producing with 15 Big Ones. Then he was composing great material with Love You. Finally, he was singing well again, not to mention he was really slimming down, too. I was really hoping that Brian would put it all together for the next album, which would be L.A. Light Album - but Brian was gone.

I was both disappointed and bewildered. What happened? I'm still not exactly sure what happened to Brian around this time. I know he was hospitalized, but the details are sketchy. If you ever get the chance to watch the Our Team documentary, you will see a Brian Wilson looking very comfortable and engaged in the studio. He looked great, sounded great, was playing the heck out of the piano, and actually appeared relaxed and happy. That was the last time I ever saw THAT Brian Wilson.

The first album that came out after I had really gotten into the Beach Boys was Surf's Up.  Sunflower had already been out when I discovered the band, so between the release of the two albums I had been buying everything I could find.  Quite a time.

I absolutely adored Surf's Up.  I remember that WKBW (1520 on the AM dial out of Buffalo, NY) had been playing both "Student Demonstration Time" and "Disney Girls" before the album hit the stores and I thought we might have a hit on our hands, but it wasn't to be.  Anyway, I couldn't believe SDT was the Beach Boys, couldn't believe they could rock that hard, I loved it.  And I still think "Disney Girls" is Bruce's finest moment.

And, aside from "Looking At Tomorrow", I still love the album.  Love the cover, love the lyric sheet, love Carl's songs, love Brian's songs, and you can count me in the camp of people who think "ADITLOAT" is a masterpiece.  I remember following the chart progress in Billboard magazine every week and my great disappointment that the singles bombed and the album still didn't make the group "cool" with my friends.

I wore out a couple of copies by playing it approximately one bazillion times.

Oh I long to see that doc....it'd be amazing to have a dvd collection all those BB specials.

I became a fan in 1988 and as far as officially released Beach Boys records cut since then only Somewhere Near Japan made me really happy.
I guess I was disappointed in all of Brian's pre 2000 solo records when they came out. The 1988 one grew on me a lot but I hated the production. Still Cruisin was a let down because I thought they would take the success of Kokomo and make a real legit album to follow up on it. Summer In Paradise well I liked Hot Fun when I heard it on the radio once but nothing else on the album meant anything to me. Oh there were some respectable vocals by Carl and Al here and there but man it just sounded so sterile. When I finally found a vinyl copy it was a tad warmer but the performances themselves couldn't be saved. Stars and Stripes totally depressed me and it still does. I can't really call it a Beach Boys album. I like country music from the late 40's to the early 80's but by the 90's I feel it had become too gooey. Stars and Stripes is a good example of that.

The only "new" Beach Boys product I really liked was BWPS and TLOS. WIRWFC wasn't too bad, and I have a strange soft spot for Crocodile Rock.

I wasn't a fan yet but I do remember liking Getcha Back and California Dreamin' when I saw them on MTV. I never liked Wipeout much but I probably liked it a little better when it first came out. Same with Kokomo. They just didn't hold up for me.

15 Big Ones:
Profound disappointment.  The state of Brian's voice was quite a shock and the signature harmonies were absent.   What I always liked about Brian's production was the subtly of it.  Here that was gone - everything seemed so dense.  "Rock and Roll Music" puzzled me because it didn't  rock and the Beach Boy sounding thing in it was Mike Love's lead.  I remember liking "It's OK" and "Had to Phone Ya".


Beach Boys Love You:
Another disappointment.  The tunes were catchy but the lyrics bothered me (they had come a long way in the 5 years since "Holland!).  After a listen I looked at the note from the band on the sleeve and thought it read more like an excuse than a heartfelt thank you to Brian (I think my actual thought was "They must really think it sucks").  My favorite part then (and now) was Carl's part in "I'll Bet He's Nice")

Pacific Ocean Blue:
I thought the contrast to 15BO and LY was unbelievable.

MIU:
I didn't like it.  This was the start of my dislike of Mike Love.  I wondered what happened to Carl.

LA:
I hated HCTN so much a took a knife and scratched it so it could never be played.  Otherwise I really liked it - especially Carl's and Dennis' songs.  I was pleased that there was only one Mike LV.

Keepin' the Summer Alive:
My first impression is that it sounded like a group effort while LA sounded more disjointed.  I thought the vocals were the nest since "Fairy Tale Music".

Carl Wilson:
I remember the album sort of came out of nowhere - I just saw it in a record store.  I was really looking forward to it.  For some reason I was expecting a Boz Scaggs type deal - I recall that I had seen a quote of Carl's where he expressed a passion for R&B.    I liked some of the songs but I thought that Carl's prior writing efforts were much better. 

Youngblood:
I bought it, played it but it never made a big impression in me.

The Beach Boys:
I loved Carl's stuff.  "It's Gettin' Late" is one 2 favorite post 'Holland' Beach Boys songs. I did not care for the rest of it ("California Calling" when Al sings "totally rad" is low enough to be in MIU territory.

Brian Wilson:
I loved it.  My thought was that Brian had been f***ing with us since 1976.  "Meet Me in My Dreams Tonight" reminded me of "This Whole World".

Still Cruising:
I disliked "Kokomo" and thought "Still Cruising" was mediocre.  Given that I held little hope for the other originals so I didn't buy it.

I remember being pleasantly surprised by BW '88, SMiLE and Lucky Old Sun.  Especially BW '88 given what had come before.  I don't think I'll record my reactions to the other stuff.

I was very puzzled by BWPS since i was 16 or 17 and didn't know beach boys beyond the hits and only knowing of Pet Sounds.  listened to it a lot, liked some parts more than others.  didn't gel. (a lil later i downloaded Purple Chick after buying pet sounds and everything changed)

LOS.  good stuff. midnight's another is awesome.

I wonder if anyone reads/lurks on this board who was around in the glory days-- say, when Pet Sounds came out. It would be great to get some reactions.

i would say those might be our honored guests

I had about the same experience as BillA. 15 BIG ONES seemed to me to be about as exciting as a Captain & Tennille album, but with worse vocals (I don't mean that as a big knock as I actually liked C & T); LOVE YOU seemed like a mess and the band note made it seem like it was simply therapy for Brian and not a real record; PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE blew me away and made me wish the Beach Boys as a band had followed that route which seemed to me to be along the same path as SURF'S UP and HOLLAND, but better; MIU had some fun moments and, at least, the vocals weren't horrible; LA LIGHT ALBUM impressed me with the contributions from Dennis and Carl (it seemed a bit more serious ala PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE), but it was spotty; I felt the same about KTSA, but without any Dennis, it was less interesting; never bothered with BB '85 when it came out; BW '88 restored my faith...

 I got into the Beach Boys about the time "15 Big Ones" came out (I was around 11/12 years old). I had been listening to the early 60's BB's stuff, so I was taken back with the gruff voices on "15BO" and "Love You". However ,both of those are my two favorites. Over the years they grew on me, big time. (could just the fact they hold a lot of memories and feelings when I play them now.)

MIU ,I liked the sweeter sounding voices, but it was very sappy sounding at the same time. It too has grown on me through time. I like it.

LA- As has been said seemed disjointed and to me too soft. I hated the disco version of HCTN. But the Dennis and Carl songs are GREAT! It has grown on me also.

Keeping the Summer Alive- At first listen, loved it. I thought the boys are back, they weren't. A couple good songs ,no Dennis ,not much Brian.

Beach Boys 85- Sucked, disappointed . I don't play any of it .

BW 88- Liked it, but couldn't help but think how much better it would have been with the group.
Imagination- over produced ,hurt my ears,but some good material.  Again,wish it had the group.
BW gettin in over my head- ok, average. Don't play.
BWPS-  was very happy about this one . Great!

 Carl Wilson's LPs- Liked the first alright, the second not so much.
Dennis POB- on first listen ,really heavy. I love this record,but man, can be painful. This guys souls is dripping off the vinyl.   Dennis Rules!

POB was just killer for me.  I was a child of "Endless Summer" (born in 1968, so I missed the glory days) so I was of course head over heels with the hits and loved them.  When I bought POB though, I just flipped.

"River Song" is arguably a song in my collection that I have played just as many times as "I Get Around."  Even being young, I knew Dennis was the wild child of the family and hearing his heart, his soul, his passion on the LP, I just thought "holy sh*t, this mofo is about ready to explode" because he had so much soul, so much passion and so much talent inside.

As time continues to pass I think all of us will continue to see Dennis in a different light.  It's too bad no one could save him from himself when he needed the help.

POB = great album.

Did any of the other boys stick up for Dennis for his solo stuff to be on BB albums? I know Mike helped write & Carl helped on vocals as did Bruce, and Ricky played on it, but did any of them say: "we got to put River Song or Rainbows on our next album"?

for me, the biggest high was "surf's up". had been a fan/collector for years but , again for me, that was my fav time being a fan.  the local record store owner would give me his cash boxes and billboards. i saved anything with the group's name in it. i was 18..heading to college. all the articles and tv spots that spring..well it looked like they were really coming back. plus the new look. at night i could listen to am radio and pick up wls and wcfl in chicago. they would play "DGNTW" all the time and i would record it. even recorded an ad for the lp. the tv show from new york in august. i grew up in ashland, ky. across the river (huntington, wv...where marshall uni is located)..on fm radio in huntington they played the heck out of "SDT"..(back then there was a big difference in am and fm)..then i saw the lp in a store. loved everything about it and those times.

for me, the biggest low was "LA". hated 15 big ones..but i thought the progression from 15BO..Love You..MIU..each improved to me. looking forward to the new lp..new contract...expecting a great lp. even remember a big back page ad in billboard around march '79 for the lp saying something like "genius of the beach boys" and "five of the most talented musical minds of our time"...stage was set. but when i heard it i thought WTF? for me, it was over expecting them to be a big selling lp group any more. they seemed to excel at blowing every chance they got at becoming a huge selling group again.

I was ten when "Kokomo" came out. My Mom had bought the Cocktail Soundtrack tape and we wore that out playing it in the car. (Anyone remember the other songs from that album, like John Mellencamp's "Rave On"?)

I staged a lip synch performance of Kokomo one day with my brother and cousin at a family gathering, using popsicles as microphones. We had worn the tape out so much though that there was a point in the song where it was inaudibly distorted, so we put the popsicles in our mouths at that part of the song. My aunt was scandalized by us kids mouthing lyrics about "afternoon delight", though I had no idea what it meant.

I remember thinking, "This can't be the same Beach Boys from the surf and car songs, they would be too old now, this must be the new Beach Boys". Sadly, I was kindof right....

I didn't get hooked on the band until BWPS came out and I saw Brian on that 2005 tour in Chicago. Greatest concert of my life.

I'm pretty sure there's a somewhat recent thread where folks describe their reaction to the release of Pet Sounds. Search away!

Heard loud and clear.  I know what you are saying.

Being in my mid teens and a BB fan since Surfin', I was pretty loyal to the surf/car stuff. I warmed up to PS through SJB, GOK and WIBN. The other tunes took some getting used to-it wasn't that I didn't care for them, but it took more repetitions on the turntable. Sooner than later they became the jems they really were and each listening opened opportunities to thoroughly enjoy them. IJWMFTT and DT blossomed.Of course CN was one of the most beautiful songs I had ever heard at the time. Being totally into stereo at the time, I was disappointed in the mono and duophonic modes. We always tried to imagine what it would sound like in true stereo! With PS and GV, and talk of Smile due out next, it was an incredibly exciting time to be a fan-it really was.

man that must have been depressing when things started going downhill.

only 3 beach boys albums have been released in my lifetime.  and i don't have any of em.  i'm glad i missed all that tbh.  I listened to my greatest his comp as a kid.  but didn't get into the band till post BWPS.  just a lot easier to be a fan when there's already a happy ending i'd say.

This is a really really good point Runaways makes!!! I was born in 1973, so Holland was at least fresh out of the oven when I was, but then from there we get 15 Big Ones, MIU and onward!!!

Let me just say, it was really really hard to be a Beach Boys fan as a high schooler in the early 90's! All they had to show for themselves as a contemporary band was Kokomo and Summer In Paradise!!! It was very hard to sell the Beach Boys to all my goth/metal/speed metal/REM/U2 worshipping friends when all they knew them from was that shitty video that cut in clips of Tom Cruise amid a bunch of old guys on the beach and Uncle Jesse hitting bongos in slow motion! Of course Brian was regarded as a genius, but more like your crazy old uncle who you had to keep an eye on but who was "cool" way back in th day. A lot of people would go "Yeah, he's a genius but he went crazy and now he's a vegatable" and shrug off the Beach Boys all together.

It's no wonder hipster kids of today find it easy to dive into The Beach Boys when Brian's up and recording/performing/Smile is finished and out there, all the Brother stuff has been lavishly reissued/accessed, and yeah, for all intents and purposes, there's been a happy ending!  ;D

My history is pretty much the same as Old Surferdude.  I was 17 the day it came out (5/16/66) and had a record shop across the street from my high school in downtown Tulsa.  I went over at noon to see if it was in.  It was; I bought it.  The 3 1/2 hours until school was over lasted about 12 days it seemed.

Finally hearing it once I was home I was extremely disappointed.  I was looking for another Today!/Summer Days and didn't get that.  I played it through the night and, with the obvious exceptions, didn't really change my mind.  It took a few years for that to (slowly) happen.

Like so many I now consider it Brian's/The BB's greatest album.  I can now fully appreciate it.  But there are as many times as not that I'd rather listen to All Summer Long or something else earlier than PS.

It was hard to defend the band when they did "Wipe Out" with the Fat Boys.

 :P

But if you look at that song in context, even if it can't be defended artistically, I'm guessing they were going after the success that Aerosmith saw with their big comeback Permanent Vacation album and the Run-DMC Walk This Way single.

I agree totally but Run-DMC had credible status - the Fat Boys had.........double whoppers with cheese, LOL.

In the band's defense, a lot of non die-hard fans did like it, the rest of us were left to deal with the shame!

The first one I heard when it came out was the '85 Beach Boys album. I had just recently gotten into the band, and since I had yet to hear anything later than Love You, it was heartening to hear Brian's falsetto on Getcha Back sounding a lot more like the old Brian. But I didn't like much of the album because it sounded mostly split between an "adult contemporary" sound (She Believes in Love Again, Passing Friend, etc.) and cheesy attempts at capturing the old sound (California Calling and Getcha Back). However, I really loved I Do Love You (being a big Stevie Wonder fan).

The next release I remember was California Dreaming, which sounded strong and had me enthused.  But Wipe Out really bummed me out because it seemed to be an embarrassing cash-in on the rap phenomenon and evidence that the BBs were committed to an oldies bent from now on.  I gagged at Kokomo and Still Cruisin' from first listen and still do. After that I gave up on any hopes of decent new BB's stuff being released and totally ignored the rest of Still Cruisin' and Summer in Paradise. I only found out about Stars & Stripes on CMT, and Willie Nelson's version of Warmth of the Sun and Tim Schmitt's take on Caroline No were the only tracks I found interesting.

As for Brian's releases, I was pleasantly surprised by the '88 BW album. I used to like and listen to it a lot, but after getting deeply into the BBs, my enthusiasm for it has waned. I didn't like IJWMFTT because I thought Brian's vocals were bad and the musical/background vocal arrangements didn't suit most of the tunes. I remember being real excited hearing Your Imagination because I loved the song and Brian's voice sounded like it was getting stronger. But I thought the rest of the album was mostly bland and didn't like the remakes or Jimmy Buffet track.  Later there was GIOMH, which I thought was mostly awful (the remade songs were better on Sweet Insanity!) except for the wonderful title track and Soul Searchin'.

But then things really started looking up. I loved BWPS, and although I suspected Brian's involvement was minimal and autotune was in heavy use, I didn't care. Brian deserved closure on his part (though not to say it's closure for some of us) and all of the accolades.  TLOS really took me by surprise because I was expecting another GIOMH. But I was really amazed at the strong songs (blown away by Midnight's Another Day and Southern California) and the enthusiasm in Brian's voice.   I even like Brian's narratives between tracks - something that usually (e.g., Beaks of Eagles) makes me gag.



 

When Brian's solo album came out in '88, I didn't know what to expect and feared for the worst.  I listened on headphones and when I heard "Rio Grande" I started crying, I couldn't believe Brian could sound so good again. 

Of course, the first time I heard "Smart Girls", I also started crying, but for different reasons.

Marty that made me laugh out loud.

 ;D

That was damn funny!

I disagree. I loved that Wipeout. It was fun, and got a lot of play on MTV.

 I graduated in 66..Today and the Party album were real popular with my group of friends..when PS came out it wasn't that big a deal
 

My Mom isn't even a big Beach Boys fan but I still have her original copy of Wild Honey! She said she was in a record store with her friends and they were playing the title track. She loved it and asked who it was and was suprised to learn it was The Beach Boys, so she bought the record. But of course she didn't buy Friends or 20/20 or Sunflower..... or.....