These guys have made a career out of it...I like them more than The Wondermints myself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgLiYy5uYhw

The constant Beach Boys-vs-Beatles thing is an odd bird indeed.

I suppose when that McCartney quote about "God Only Knows" was widely distributed in the late 80's, it must've com as something of a shock to baby boomers who worshipped the Beatles but dismissed the Beach Boys as a pack of morons who sang about surfing (the friends I have who are in their 60's still have never heard of Pet Sounds or SMiLE and don't even want to know about them). The generations that have come up since the reappraisal of Pet Sounds know the value of Brian Wilson's music. They really don't need the constant comparisons. They get it.

I always get the feeling that Brian and Mike constantly bring up the fact that the Beatles "approved" of their music because they're thinking in the mindset of their own generation....the one spoon-fed a steady diet of "credibility" nonsense from Rolling Stone magazine since 1967.

In any case, congrats to the Beach Boys. They're my #1 band, the Beatles are at #2 and at #3....The Monkees....and I'll fight to the death about the legitimacy of The Monkees's music!     

Well, take it for what it's worth but back in the 90's I had a friend who once approached Bruce at a hotel and Bruce verbally tore his head off. Later on in the day, he bumps into Bruce again and Bruce apologized for his earlier outburst and shook his hand.

Who knows what then hell could've been going on in his personal life at that moment? Maybe a fan walking up to him was the last thing he needed right then and there?

I'd like to see Mike, Al, Bruce and David continue on for a few more years as a touring unit.

This'll earn me a chorus of boo's but I wouldn't be shocked if Brian retired from touring completely after this.

Let's face it, we may love these guys but they're really getting up there. I don't know how many more years touring will even be something they're capable of.

I think the short answer to the question is that the 'general public' couldn't name the members of The Who, Pink Floyd, The Beach Boys etc.  In fact the only band that could have that band member name recognition from the 60's would be The Beatles, maybe the Bee Gees.

The Rolling Stones???

I would say that The Who have much greater name recognition than The BBs.

As for the Rolling Stones, I think the average person might be able to name Mick and Keith an that's about it. Rock music has fallen so far down in popularity this past decade so it has fewer fans. I think Generation Y would have an easier time naming classic rappers than rock musicians. There was a funny YouTube video last year that showed 20 somethings attempting to name the Beatles. Most of the responses were along the lines of "Well, there's Paul McCartney....and....oh, John Lennon and....I don't know".

In a way, being a rock fan these days is sort of like being a Star Trek fan.     

Coming from a guy who just trashed several remakes on Summer In Paradise, I'll come right out and say I don't mind this one (the single version anyway). I think they just did it too late. The Stones, The Four Seasons, McCartney etc. had all done their disco songs a little earlier and by the time the Beach Boys came out with this one disco was on the way out. I think that hurt them. Kiss had a huge disco hit the same year and got ribbed for it by their fans too. 

I agree with Jon about this. Also, I don't think the general public recognizes the individual members of the Beach Boy outside of Brian and Mike.

That said...and believe me, I'm thrilled bout the reunion and thrilled that David is a part of it....I DO certainly notice the absence of Carl. For me, his talent towered over the rest of the touring act. I'm glad I got to see him with the guys when I did.

Never got to see Dennis in concert but I've always felt his loss as the band carried on without him.

The worst of "All Summer Long" is at least endearing or humorous...which is more than can be said for Summer In Paradise with it's downright disgusting "Summer Of Love" and horrendous cover version of "Under The Boardwalk" and the band's open rape of "Forever". They even managed to make "Surfin' ", a song I enjoy more for it's historical value than it's own merit, into the equivalent of musical merda. Those four abortions alone are worse than anything on any other Beach Boy's record (that's not to say that I don't enjoy parts of Summer In Paradise...).    

See, to me, dragging an album critique into the realm of rape and abortions seems a tiny bit more worthy of backlash than someone simply saying "ugggghhhhhh".

And I'm saying this as someone who basically agrees about those tracks!

No offence,
Jon Blum

I disagree. They're songs, not people. As such, I'm speaking in the abstract because it's impossible to actually "rape" or "abort" something that isn't alive or even tangible. Strong language to illustrate strong opinions on things that, at the end of the day, aren't even important.  Take it in the spirit it's given....I don't actively hate even the worst of the Beach Boys catalog. 

Any album that boasts "I Get Around", "All Summer Long", "Hushabye", "Little Honda", We'll Run Away", "Wendy", "Girls On The Beach" and "Don't Back Down" is already a candidate for one of the best albums of the early 60's.

The only real filler on this album, to me, is "Carl's Big Chance" and "Our Favorite Recording Sessions", the latter being more of a comedy sketch than a song. I don't find "Drive In" annoying at all. It's a fun song and now even somewhat poignant since that entire drive-in culture has vanished.

The worst of "All Summer Long" is at least endearing or humorous...which is more than can be said for Summer In Paradise with it's downright disgusting "Summer Of Love" and horrendous cover version of "Under The Boardwalk" and the band's open rape of "Forever". They even managed to make "Surfin' ", a song I enjoy more for it's historical value than it's own merit, into the equivalent of musical sh*t. Those four abortions alone are worse than anything on any other Beach Boy's record (that's not to say that I don't enjoy parts of Summer In Paradise...).    

I refuse to believe that All Summer Long could be any Beach Boys' fan's least favorite album.

Okay....I'll be the guy who asks this: What's the deal with Adele? My God, that record's been out forever! Who the hell is still buying it? Yeah, I get it. Retro-blue-eyed-soul and all that...(yawn)...but still...


STEP AWAY FROM THE ADELE CD....NICE AND SLOW.....   

I was there last night. I was in the pit, right up front. Went to the soundcheck, and afterwards the WONDERFUL Probyn handed my wife and I a couple of back stage passes. I also spent WAY WAY too much on merch, but its "THE BOYS", you know?

The concert exceeded my expectations. Wonderful , moving tributes to Dennis and Carl. Glad to see the crowd's reaction to that. And also for the entire crowd (not just us with the BB sickness ) reactions to the rare and new tracks. Truly a magic night. I had heard earlier in the day that Brian was having an "off day" so I was ready for it. And he was. But he is such a trooper. He worked hard at fighting those demons (once saw him during a slow song he wasn't singing close his eyes and was saying something I couldn't make out.).  And to hear Bruce just kick the sh*t out of Disney Girls was so special. All in all, a great night...............................except

I have a question for those in the know about the band (as I don't follow the rest of the group much). When did Bruce Johnston, the man who gave me a 2 hour interview in 1979 to help me out at work and another hour in 1981 and was SO SO SO kind, become such a prick. He came down to the backstage area after the show. I waited a bit and went up to him with my copy of pet sounds and asked him to sign it. The folks he was talking to were extremely nice and asked me how long I had been a fan, etc. As Bruce was signing the LP, I thanked him again for the interview all those years ago and how it helped me out at the radio station I worked at. He said "that was 23 years ago, no recent stories?" Taken aback I said thanks again for everything, told him I heard that new comp box-sets were coming out in the fall and I couldn't wait. He handed me back my LP and pen, and said "well, save your pennies for the box-set, you and I are through talking." Just then the kid of the guy to whom Bruce was talking said to me "did you know that Bruce produced LPs for the Beach Boys?" I said yes I did, LA and Keeping The Summer Alive. Told the kid I though Bruce tried the right thing with HCTN. Bruce turned to me and said "HEY, I SAID U AND I ARE THROUGH TALKING! SERIOUSLY!"

Now I can understand when u hang around someone forever and wont go away that you would get mad. It has happened to me. But I am talking about standing there for MAYBE 5 mins, probably less. I mean come on DUDE, who do you think pays their hard earned dollars to keep you and the guys in the style you have grown accustomed to? ALWAYS be nice to fans. Understandably, you will have the wackos who require a swift kick, but no someone who is just standing there saying a few kind words. It ruined the rest of my experience for me. And the fondness I always had for Bruce and the way he stands up for Brian's music. End Of Rant.

PS - Scott Totten and Probyn Gregory are 2 of the most wonderful guys you could ever ever meet. Scott didn't want to sign my PS copy because it was like signing a copy of the Bible for him. I told him no, it was my way of saying thanks for the music.

Don't feel so bad. I know someone who met Bruce a few years ago and he was both nice and then a complete jerk on the same day. If the Beach Boys are sensitive to dealing with fans, they should pull the old trick McCartney used to do. He would scratch his arm while talking to a fan which would signal his bodyguard that he wanted to get the hell out of there. The bodyguard would come over and say "I'm sorry, but Mr. McCartney needs to go RIGHT NOW!" leaving Paul to smile and say "Gee, I'd like to stay and chat longer but these guys run my schedule'. By using this technique the bodyguard gets all the blame, Paul still comes off as a nice guy and the fan isn't disappointed.

Of course, once his ex-bodyguard spilled the beans, I guess Paul had to come up with another signal.     

I'm starting to think you guys are making stuff up. I've been in 42 grocery stores, 36 Targets, and 57 more Walmarts than I ever want to step foot in (okay, one Walmart), and there's no sign of this thing. And I hear tell there are photos. Shiny photos. I like shiny photos. If anyone has a Paypal address and doesn't mind the hassle I'll gladly fork over list price + shipping + tip. Just send me a prime minister. Or alternately, if anyone can report any sightings in Bawlmer City or just directly south thereof, let me know.

If it helps, I see it at Barnes&Noble, 7-11's and Pathmark grocery stores here in the northeast.

I agree. "The Beach Boys Today" is a killer album. Easily my #2 after Pet Sounds. Having it paired with the awesome "Summer Days.." on a single CD is bliss.
Maybe because for 20 years it was all tilted to the pre-Pet Sounds stuff there's been a heavier emphasis on the post PS stuff. Weird, I always see the band's career in pre-Holland/post-Holland terms.

True, but this is an unofficial magazine aimed at as wide an audience as possible. John Stamos is still some sort of cultural reference point for people in the 20's and 30's.
Besides that, there are some great photos I haven't seen elsewhere. Some mistakes as well. I like the photo where David Marks is identified as "unknown musician" when he's correctly identified in other photos. I guess this magazine was thrown together by committee and rushed out to capitalize on the tour.
As others have said, the fact that such a thing even exists at all makes it a novelty purchase.

Take it from someone who has interviewed Brian -- if he doesn't want to play, you aren't getting anything.

I thought I had it figured out. I had 15 minutes. He shut me down in six, and that was with all the follow-ups I could think of. The man is fearsome.

I know exactly what you mean. I had 10 minutes with him and we were finished in 5. It wasn't a bad interview at all actually, but from what I gather Brian was doing a "radio tour" that day and just wanted to bang those suckers out. I don't blame him really.

Anyone got a complete handy list of the stray tracks which were released (as opposed to outtakes)?  Only ones I'm aware of off the top of my head were "East Meets West", "Rock And Roll To The Rescue", "California Dreamin", and "Lady Liberty" from the '80s, and "Problem Child" and "Croc Rock" from the '90s.  I suppose we can add the likes of "Don't Fight The Sea" and "Waves of Love" now too...

Cheers,
Jon Blum

Off the top of my head "Don't Worry Baby" with the Everly Brothers from the Tequila Sunrise sdtrk, "Happy Endings" with Little Richard from The Telephone sdtk, "Howdy From Maui" with Jeff Foxworthy, "Happy Birthday America"...and don't forget the version of "Problem Child" without the kids's "nyah nyah's". 

And "Chasin' The Sky" as others have mentioned. ..and assorted live tracks..like the live "California Girls" that was the B-Side of "Happy Endings" and the live "God Only Knows" that was the Farm Aid album.

On this album, I love She Believes in Love Again, like Maybe I Don't Know, Where I Belong and Male Ego is fun. Most of the rest is a bit average, pleasant but lightweight, but overall imo better than half of KTSA (not saying which tracks, but I think they're possibly their nadir  )

They should have dropped the Culture Club reject and added Chasin' the Sky instead and probably dropped the Stevie Wonder track with Carl guesting on it and added ... er, something better  . At the Hop?

It's not often discussed on here, but I believe there are a bunch of non-album/ soundtrack and unreleased BB's tracks from the early- mid '80s, eg. Oh Those Girls, At the Hop, Tricia, the already mentioned East Meets West with the Four Seasons, Happy Endings (bizarre duet with Little Richard), Don't Worry Baby with the Everlys, Chasin' the Sky and others. Though most of these seem to be poor, we're always talkin' about SIP, S&S and other major landmarks of the Boys later career  .

I say bring on the '80s box set - 3 CDs, alternate takes, the works! 

I'll tell ya what, as a completist I would buy that! While most of these stray tracks aren't that great I'd like to see them come out in one handy package.  Lob off the 60' cuts on Still Cruisin and create a SC/Summer In Paradise twofer with some bonus cuts. Yeah, I know some people would love to have these tracks locked in a vault but it's history and it happened. Capitol...release the hounds! 

Oh yeah..as for the song "Kokomo"...it's fine. Carl hits that chorus out of the park. I like it. There are far more embarrassing songs in the catalog than "Kokomo". I may be at an age where it resonates less for me that it does for a lot of other people here. By the late 80's, I had dropped out of paying attention to Top 40 radio and was full on into alternative/postmodern/whatchamacallit so I never felt assaulted by "Kokomo" and I've never watched an episode of Full House despite reading about the Beach Boys popping up on it. I also didn't listen to any radio stations that would've played it back in the day. I only hear it now once in a while on the oldies station mixed in with all the mid-60's Beach Boys singles. It sounds out of place next to them but that's fine. I'm just glad the Beach Boy are played somewhere since classic rock radio totally ignores them (at least in NYC).  

"Smile" isn't mainstream, but the Beach Boys' artistic side does not equal "Smile".  Now that "Pet Sounds" is up there with "Sgt. Pepper" in best-album polls, it's safe to say they've gone beyond the stereotype.

The artistic tracks don't need to be "as popular" as Surfin' USA to be recognized, any more than "I Am The Walrus" needs to be on the Beatles' "1" to be significant, or any of the tracks on "Exile on Main Street" needed to be as big a hit as "Satisfaction".  These things are still recognized.  We can be secure in that now!

I'd love nothing more than to believe your thesis, but it doesn't square with my experience with the man on the street at all. I live in Hampden, Baltimore's most hipster-infested neighborhood, and sure, THEY will have heard of Pet Sounds for sure, and possibly Smile, Surf's Up, etc. THEY will know that there is a man named Brian Wilson, and they might treat the body of work seriously. MAYBE one in 5 of them actually like the music, but at least they will respect it.

But I'm telling you, go ANYWHERE else, where square people live (that is, normal people that make up 99% of the population and fuel nearly 100% of the economy), and you'll be lucky if they've heard of Pet Sounds or Brian Wilson. The Beach Boys for them are fun, fun, fun and Kokomo. Period. They WILL have heard of Sgt. Pepper, and they WILL have heard of I Am The Walrus, and they WILL assume that later Beatles' music is considered progressive, world-changing, and flat-out good.

No scientific data to back any of this up at all, so attack away. It's only my experience. I bring up the Beach Boys in conversations fairly often.

I can also give some anecdotal evidence regarding how the Beach Boys are perceived. Generally Indie/Rock music fans in their 20's and up know about Pet Sounds/Smile/The Genius Of Brian Wilson. They've been practically spoon fed a steady diet of that since the 90's. The trouble is there's not that many of these people....Hip Hop/dance pop is way more prevalent in our society today than Rock/pop is. The average kid who's into Jay-Z, Kei$ha, Beyonce etc. probably only knows the Beach Boys thru watching reruns of Full House when they were kids (don't feel so bad. They can't name all the Beatles either as evidenced by many humorous YouTube videos). Rock/Pop as a genre doesn't mean that much to them anyway. It's really the Coachella crowd that "gets" The Beach Boys/Brian Wilson.

The real problem for the group has always been the "Woodstock/Rolling Stone magazine" generation...the age group that discovered rock in the late 60's. Not all of them, mind you, but a great deal of them. Even today I was talking to someone about the new Beach Boys album and they dismissed them as "bubblegum" and talked about how they weren't important like Bob Dylan, Creedence, CSN, blah blah blah etc. I knew they'd never listened to Pet Sounds or Smile and I doubt it would make a difference if they did. They're minds are made up. When Mojo magazine in the U.K. got the ball rolling when they called "Pet Sounds" the best album of all time, these people probably had fits. I can't see them changing their opinion at this point but (on the positive side) that generation no longer makes up all the rock critics and magazine editors in the world. Ironically, the group targeted that audience in the early 70's and won some of them over but that now seems to be forgotten. Then a little thing called "Endless Summer" came along...

..and that's where I come in.

I consider the early surf/cars/girls period of the Beach Boys to be every bit the valid artistic statement that Pet Sounds and Smile was (or was supposed to be in Smile's case). Heck, I think "I Get Around" is the greatest pop song of all time. But what do I know?

 

Brian probably didn't care at all about what they were doing there, maybe didn't even understand the purpose of it. 

I'm with Brian on this one. What's the point of having the Beach Boys host a faux video show where they play songs by "hip" bands that they're actually not in to? I mean, from a record company' perspective I guess it makes sense which is to say that it doesn't make sense to anyone else. The Beach Boys already have hipster cred. They don't need to court it. Besides, it would be that much cooler if  they had Brian saying "Our new album comes out June 5th and while you're waiting, here's the Four Freshman singing "Graduation Day" or "Hi, I'm Al Jardine. Here's The Kingston Trio with "Greenback Dollar"'.

   

You're with Brian? And you assume that Brian is against this because... he went ahead and did it?

I make no assumptions. It was a humorous reference to the post above mine.

Brian probably didn't care at all about what they were doing there, maybe didn't even understand the purpose of it. 

I'm with Brian on this one. What's the point of having the Beach Boys host a faux video show where they play songs by "hip" bands that they're actually not in to? I mean, from a record company' perspective I guess it makes sense which is to say that it doesn't make sense to anyone else. The Beach Boys already have hipster cred. They don't need to court it. Besides, it would be that much cooler if  they had Brian saying "Our new album comes out June 5th and while you're waiting, here's the Four Freshman singing "Graduation Day" or "Hi, I'm Al Jardine. Here's The Kingston Trio with "Greenback Dollar"'.

   

Okay, setting aside the MOR production and occasional over-processed vocals, there's no question that this album is steeped in harmony and even more importantly MELODY.......it seems like Brian (and his battalion of collaborators) and maybe Paul McCartney are the last guys standing that understand the importance of melody. I don't care how great your arrangements are, how great your playing is, if you don't have a decent melody you don't have anything (Indie bands like Fleet Foxes should take notes when they're ripping off "Cabinessence" for the umpteenth time...MELODY is everything). With that rant out of the way I'll go track by track like others have done here:   

1. Think About The Days - I get it. It's a nice little prelude to the actual album and it sets the nostalgic tone for the whole experience. It's okay. I would've rather they had started with a Beach Boys version of Brian's "One For The Boys". That's in a similar vein and it's a better tune. Oh well...

2. That's Why God Made The Radio - It's a monster. It ranks up there with the best of the band's post-60's catalog. Nuff said.

3. Isn't It Time - Should be the single they service to college radio. It's got a bonkers arrangement with handclaps and synth plunks and is catchy as hell. For me, this is the album's highlight.

4. Spring Vacation - Yep, the Beach Boys start treading some "Summer In Paradise"-type territory here but...like the song before it, it's an ear worm. Not a bad song at all. 

5. The Private Life Of Bill And Sue - This is another one of the highlights for me. It's one of Brian's (and I suppose Joe Thomas's) "little songs about nothing". It hits the spot.

6. Shelter - Classic mid-60's Beach Boys. I love the pause before the chorus (shades of "The Little Girl I Once Knew") and Carl is sorely missed on this track although Jeff does a nice job subbing for him.

7. Daybreak Over The Ocean - Guess what? It's a great tune. Great performance from Mike. No complaints here. As an aside, it's a strange phenomenon that many guys over 50 start donning Hawaiian shirts and suddenly dig the tropics and are completely oblivious to how corny that looks to everyone else. I guess Jimmy Buffet is the patron saint of this movement (with Mike Love and Sammy Hagar a close second).

8. Beaches In Mind - Pleasant but pedestrian. Probably the album's only real "meh" moment for me but I'd rather have it than not.

9. Strange World -  It's okay. A step up from the previous track and it moves along at a nice clip. Sounds like an outtake from That Lucky Old Sun. Not a a bad thing really.

10. From There To Back Again - Yep, it's another monster. Despite the "Jardine-in-a-can" sound of the vocals there's no question this a latter day Beach Boys classic.

11. Pacific Coast Highway - This COULD'VE been a classic if it was more than a minute long. WTF? Couldn't they have fleshed this thing out? I have a feeling the reprise of "Think About The Days" was added more to boost the running time of the track then to create some sort of thread that runs through the album.

12. Summer's Gone - It's gorgeous. It's the best of what the Beach Boys are about. It doesn't so much harken back to the 60's as much as it sounds like it came from that parallel universe where only the greatest Beach Boys music seems to come from.         

Walked into the FYE at Paramus Park in NJ and there it was on the new releases rack for $9.99 since I had a credit for $3 I figured today would be the day to use it. Kinda wish I hadn't heard the entire album beforehand as it does ruin the thrill of popping that sucker in the car stereo for the very first time. Oh well......

I am intrigued with your term "Empty nostalgia"? When you look back at life when you are 69-70 years old and tell me your memories are filled with empty nostalgia, then I will believe it. I'm 54 and the older I get the more I keep looking back. I have no idea how old you are, but the way you used that term makes me think that you are young enough that nostalgia is not important to you, yet.

You might be on to something here. For the record, I'm 25 and don't understand nostalgia at all. Even people my own age who get nostalgic for old Nicktunes and The Lion King, I flat out don't get it. This may say more for my own life, but I'm really happy in my adult life and have no desire to move backward, especially to my teen years, which is what most commercial nostalgia seems to point to.

For me there is a difference between looking back with fond memories and trying too hard to make connections to the "old days". There are some nice moments on the record that seem to come from honest reflection and aren't cheesy, but there are also moments where it feels like they're trying to capitalize on their past. Obviously they've put stuff out that is a lot worse than this record, but I feel like they could do better by themselves and their fans than self-referencing and the clear nostalgia grabs in songs like "Spring Vacation"

I think you did answer your own question in a way. At 25 you're not too far removed from your teen years so there's no point in going backwards to something that just happened to you. It may SEEM like it was a long time ago (just as there always seemed to be some huge difference between being a freshman in high school and a senior when it's nothing but 4 years) but it'll be just a mere blip in the time continuum once you hit 45.

As for the references to past songs on the new record. Yeah, it's cheesy but I'm not expecting these guys to make a definitive band statement when they're pushing 70. They did their work. They made their mark. The brilliance of Pet Sounds and Smile was rediscovered and cemented into rock lore in the late 80's and early 90's and history will now remember them well. The album and the tour are just a victory lap.