The latest episode of our podcast series is now up. Bobby drummed with the band -- with some interruption -- from 1974 to 1988 and gives a compelling behind-the-scenes look at the Ricky Fataar era, the group's 1974 resurgence, Beachago, Brian Is Back, Bruce Is Back, working on Pacific Ocean Blue and L.A. (Light Album), and the biggest concerts the group ever played. He was very candid in recounting all the heady highs and tragic lows. Please have a listen and let us know what you think.

You can find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and here on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-93394161/bobby-figueroa-on-drumming-with-the-band

Hi all,

On the latest episode of Surf's Up: A Beach Boys Podcast Safari, Phil Miglioratti and I speak with Geoffrey Cushing-Murray, who co-wrote "Angel Come Home," "Full Sail," "Goin' South" and "Love Surrounds Me" on L.A. (Light Album). He brings us inside Carl's music room, recalling the process and inspiration behind these tracks, the drama of Dennis, and how Brian would walk away whenever he saw him. A preview: he brought some of his personal story into the lyrics for "Angel," and I am happy to report that, many years later, he did indeed get the girl. You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and here on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-93394161/geoffrey-cushing-murray-on-co-writing-la-light-album. Let us know what you think.  

P.S. A couple of corrections: Jack Rieley got four co-writing credits on the Holland album, as Cushing-Murray did on L.A. (Five for Rieley if you include the EP.) And super-fan Eric Aniversario considers L.A. his second-favorite Beach Boys album, not his first. Friends is actually his favorite.

Hello all,

Wanted to give you the heads up that we have a new episode of Surf's Up: A Beach Boys Podcast Safari in which guest Adam Marsland - who recorded that excellent Long Promised Road: Songs of Dennis and Carl Wilson CD with his Chaos Band - runs through an album's worth of his top Beach Boys cuts that Brian did not write or produce. I guarantee his choices will surprise and his insights will educate. Now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and SoundCloud at this link: https://soundcloud.com/user-93394161/the-best-beach-boys-songs-not-written-and-produced-by-brian-wilson-with-adam-marsland

What would be your picks? To start things off, I will say that one track Adam, Phil Miglioratti and I all agree on is "Celebrate the News."

Thanks for that Mark, and just listened to the cast (great stuff)
Its always been a keen topic of conversation with my Tribute Band mates (especially Sean Macreavey) , what a travesty for Dennis having minor classics relegated to the B-Sides ? (well not really, i see it as 2 for the price of 1 AND if anything should assist in album sales)
Keep up the good work, it's appreciated

Thanks for listening, Rob, and for the kind words. Yes, I think the band would have done well to put more Dennis stuff on A-sides. But the zero performance of "Slip on Through" likely put the kibosh on that.

Hi everyone,

It's very old-school to talk about 45 RPM records and A-sides and B-sides. But I think the decisions as to what to promote as the radio song and what to put on the flip went far in shaping public perception of the group and, ultimately, its creative direction. In some cases, I think they should have  reversed the side designation. What are some of the B-sides you think would have made better A-sides? I think one example would be "Forever" over "Cool, Cool Water." As much as I love "Water," the single edit is awkward, and it just would have sounded weird on the radio. "Forever," on the other hand, was a ready-made classic ballad. Looking forward to hearing your choices.

This is the kind of thing Phil Miglioratti and I discuss in the latest episode of Surf's Up: A Beach Boys Podcast Safari, titled "The Beach Boys' Brilliant B-sides and What Is a B-side Anyway?" Now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and here on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-93394161/the-beach-boys-brilliant-b-sides-and-what-is-a-b-side-anyway

We now have 17 episodes in total. You can access the complete selection here: https://soundcloud.com/user-93394161

Hi everybody,

Shameless plug time. In the latest episode of Surf's Up - A Beach Boys Podcast Safari, hosted by Phil Miglioratti and myself, we talk to Mark Critch, star of Canadian comedy news show This Hour Has 22 Minutes about his massive BB fandom. He discusses becoming a fan in Newfoundland in the 1980s, his odd run-ins with the band, and impersonating Brian on his show. He also picks a couple of songs that are particularly meaningful to him: one that won't surprise anyone and another that certainly will. And I'm not saying we got him to do Donald Trump introducing the group, but I'm not denying it, either. This and all our past episodes are now available on iTunes, Spotify and SoundCloud. You can listen here: https://soundcloud.com/user-93394161

If you have a chance, please check it out and let us know what you think.

Wow, MTR. Great list. Some smart suggestions we didn't include.

Hello all,

Phil Miglioratti (of the Pray for Surf blog) and I have just released a new podcast in which we are joined by Philip Lambert, editor of Good Vibrations: Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys in Critical Perspective and author of Inside the Music of Brian Wilson, to each come up with an album's worth of earlier Beach Boys songs/Brian Wilson productions that anticipate the 1966 masterpiece in terms of sound, structure, theme, anything. Some of the selections are what you might expect, while others might surprise. I mean, "Cuckoo Clock," really? Have a listen at the following link and please let us know what you think: https://archive.org/details/petsoundsprequelolambertpodcastosurfsup

You can also visit our Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/PodcastSafari/

 

Hello all. This is part two of our Surf's Up: A Beach Boys Podcast Safari interview with Tom Smucker, author of the very worthwhile Why The Beach Boys Matter. We revisit the Great Surfin' Safari vs. Surf's Up Debate of 1971, as well as how Brian Wilson's childhood trips to church may have influenced his music, why he is the Picasso of Pop, how modern stars such as Janelle Monáe are keeping The Beach Boys on the radio, some stunning Spotify numbers, and a Canadian perspective on the group? Check it all out at the following link and let us know what you think: https://archive.org/details/01SurfsUpPodcastTomSmucker2

In the latest episode of Surf's Up: a Beach Boys Podcast Safari, Phil Miglioratti (Pray for Surf) and I speak with author Tom Smucker about his insightful book Why The Beach Boys Matter.

Tom has been writing about the group for decades, starting with his 1972 Creem article, a part of the group's critical evaluation at the time. We had so much to talk about that we divided his interview into two parts: in part one, we discuss the change in critical opinion towards the group over the years, Pet Sounds as a counter-culture statement and the wonder that is Smiley Smile. (And we resolved our audio issues from last time!)
Check it out and we'd love to hear what you think.

Listen here: https://archive.org/details/01Track01_201905

I have not listened to the podcast, full disclosure - But I plan to as soon as I can.

I just wanted to add to previous comments and say that as soon as I saw the title of the podcast, the one most blatantly obvious topic I was curious to hear from David himself was his reaction to Mike Love's book. David and his book (and writings/words in general) are on the list of Mike's targets throughout...in this case David is one of those able to respond unlike others called out by Mike...and I wanted to hear what David thought after reading Mike's comments. If that is not covered in the podcast, maybe a "part 2" would address it in the future.

As far as bias in writing a book - That's like being surprised in learning firsthand any hard or inconvenient truth, such as "life isn't fair" and "why do good people end up getting the shaft?".  Every book about this band and every author who decided to wade into these waters has had to face some stark realities about the personal/familial issues that have been crippling this band from inside for the better part of 60 years. And whichever "sources" said authors of said books have relied on for either minor or significant chunks of info will come loaded with a bias because it's how they saw things play out...or what they were told by the firsthand subjects.

It's funny to see some suggesting how biased other books are, and going to ridiculous lengths to put a magnifying glass on mistakes and errors, on books from Leaf, Gaines, Carlin, etc while holding up things said in Mike's book as near Gospel Truth simply because Mike said it was so on those pages. The biases are there and will always be there on anything related to documenting the private side of this band - Many reading will believe what they read, because it's in print. But ultimately the fans more invested will be able to sift through and pull out what matters.

In the case of David's original book, "is there/has there been/can there be" a rundown of things that detractors or supporters of other band members' versions of events can peg as a clear case of getting it wrong in that book 40 years ago?  Again, if so, the opportunity could be here through a follow-up for David himself to address them.

Thanks for the thoughtful commentary, and from JakeH as well. We did not get to Mike's book in this conversation due to time restraints. But I very much want to ask David about that, Brian's book, Love and Mercy, the 50th Anniversary Tour... all the major stuff of the past few years. I think we will be doing a part two looking into all that.

In terms of writers and bias, the approach for my own book was to give all the key players their turn to express themselves, and to enter into it with as little bias as possible. If somebody told me they thought Eugene Landy was a great guy, I would have printed that.

Well done Mark, I really enjoyed it.

Glad to hear David's doing well and looking forward to future episodes!

Thanks seltaeb1012002. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Just wanted to let you guys know where you can find episodes of Surf's Up: A Beach Boys Podcast Safari, a new venture between Phil Miglioratti and myself. Our first episode features an interview with David Leaf, author of The Beach Boys and the California Myth, coproducer of the Good Vibrations: 30 Years of The Beach Boys and Pet Sounds Sessions box sets, writer/producer of An All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson and director of the SMiLE documentary Beautiful Dreamer.

Here is our homepage: https://www.facebook.com/PodcastSafari/

We have also archived all of Phil's Pray for Surf podcasts on which I was the guest. Just click on "Events." Please let me know if you have any questions. Surf's Up!

Phil Miglioratti (of the Pray for Surf blog) and I have launched a new podcast titled Surf's Up: A Beach Boys Podcast Safari. And we're starting things off with an interview with David Leaf.

David's book The Beach Boys and the California Myth was hugely influential to my understanding, appreciation and ongoing interest in the group, inspiring me to write my own book many years later. David, as you know, also coproduced the Good Vibrations: 30 Years of The Beach Boys and Pet Sounds Sessions box sets, wrote and produced An All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson and directed the SMiLE documentary Beautiful Dreamer.

He touches on all those milestones, muses on what makes The Beach Boys special, and speculates on the music's future legacy. Have a listen here and let us know what you think: https://ia601409.us.archive.org/31/items/01SurfsUpDavidLeaf/01%20Surf%27s%20Up_%20David%20Leaf.mp3

P.S. I know our sound quality ain't the greatest. We're working on it.

I just wanted to add that this second part of our "heroes and villains" conversation includes the naughty list: those folks in The Beach Boys saga who found a lump of coal in their stockings.

Who are the villains in this story? They range from those who steered the band in the wrong direction to people who were downright evil. Hopefully our discussion spurs on some debate. Would love to hear what you think. We also introduced editing this time round to minimize our rambling digressions!

The holiday season is upon us, and Phil Miglioratti (Pray for Surf Blog) and I have compiled our Beach Boys naughty and nice lists, or our heroes and villains. Which characters in the band's history are heroes, having helped the group launch, evolve and sustain? And, adversely, which have had a negative impact? We've come up with some choices that might surprise. You can hear part one, the nice/heroes podcast here: https://prayforsurfblog.blogspot.com/2018/11/podcast-heroes-villains-part-1.html. Our first mention: Murry Wilson. Would love to hear your thoughts and see who are on your naughty and nice lists. (People can be on both!) 

#7: Wild Honey

#6: Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)

#8: Surf's Up.

You hit on our two LP choices. 

I do like the version of "Caroline, No" on Stars & Stripes. Finally, the Boys sing harmonies on it.

Hello all,

A lot of people are talking up their Top 10 picks for best Beach Boys albums--right here on this board and in publications including Paste and Mojo. Now Phil Miglioratti and I are leaping into the fray with a countdown of our respective picks and why in a new podcast on Phil's Pray for Surf site. And you might be surprised! Would love to hear your thoughts and see your choices, if you haven't already participated in the recent SSMB poll--or even if you have. I'll start off by revealing that my #10 pick is The Beach Boys Love You, and #9 is Sunflower.

And just because we can't just be so gushingly positive, we also vote on "which album or two from the catalog would you delete if you had to choose?"

You can listen here: https://prayforsurfblog.blogspot.com/2018/10/marks-and-phils-10-favorite-beach-boys.html

The Beach Boys' catalog contains at least 90 cover versions, some of which are classics, such as "Sloop John B," "I Can Hear Music," and "Barbara Ann," and others, such as "Wipeout" with the Fat Boys, that, um, are not. Phil Miglioratti of the Pray for Surf blog and I engaged in a lively discussion about the best, worst, and weirdest covers the group has ever recorded. Click on the link to hear: https://prayforsurfblog.blogspot.com/. Look forward to hearing your thoughts and which are your faves. I'll leak a couple of my picks: Most underwhelming cover: "Battle Hymn of the Republic." Most unexpected: "Jumpin' Jack Flash."

Thoughtful response, Bicycle Rider.

The longer version of "Good Vibrations" I am referring to sounds like the one you mean with the added vocal part and extended instrumental outro. It's the version that appears on the Smile Sessions box. I imagine the version that would have been on SMiLE 1967 is the 3:35 version the world all knows, but in my sequencing I had room for the longer version and thought it makes a nice fade to close side one. That time could have otherwise been taken up by some linking section or nothing at all.

Regarding side two, yes, I think "Great Shape" could have done for side two what "Prayer" did for side one. Its themes of health and agriculture make it a natural to be paired with "Vege-tables," which I see as the real full-track opener. "Great Shape" may have started as part of Heroes, but I think other ideas that ended up elsewhere did as well.

The train whistle  was placed at the end of "Worms" on the Smile Sessions. Maybe this was a modern idea. When I interviewed Mark Linett for my book, he said that the rule was that the 2004  sequencing was to be used as a template--one exception being "Great Shape" was moved closer to "Heroes and Villains," which Domenic Priore says was at his  suggestion. I can't help but feel that Linett and Boyd know more about the 1967 version than they let on, which might explain why we have H&V parts 1 and 2 on the box but not in the official sequencing. And the train whistle to me suggests a segue into the train song, "Cabinessence," even though that's not the way Brian ordered it in 2004.

What you say about sections is interesting. When I first made my SMiLE mixes in the late 80s/early 90s, I had songs belonging to these different themes scrambled all over the place, and it did sound great. I had "Cabinessence" leading into "Surf's Up" at the end, which is fantastic. But breaking out some of these songs from their thematic groupings  obscures their intended meaning. Is the Elements a suite of "Vege-tables," "Wind Chimes," "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow," and "Cool, Cool Water"? That would make sense, and would show Brian was thinking of grouping songs thematically. I'm not sure the idea started with Domenic.

  

Thanks BGRT. When the intro to Mrs. O'Leary's Cow first officially appeared, it was on the 1993 boxed set and labeled as an H&V intro. I believe that was a mistake. It sounds to me like it was certainly intended for Fire--to me it evokes cartoon firemen rushing to the scene of a blaze...

I labored over I Wanna Be Around/Friday Night. But I see no hard reasons for it to be one of the short-listed tracks. Given the time restrictions, I just don't think there would have been room. I recall Carol's comments, but am clinging to the belief that as part of an Elements suite, it's water that's putting out the fire.

I have sent a note to David about  tracking down his playlist. He wasn't thinking so much about a 1967 SMiLE, but rather he was putting forward a playlist he liked. Although, as I mentioned in the podcast, he knows some stuff...

Hey everyone,

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has for decades been mulling over what SMiLE might have been.  I love Brian's 2004 release, but that's not what SMiLE would have been in 1967, so the guessing game continues. David Beard posted a recommended playlist on FB about a year ago and it got me thinking about it again, and I came up with a few new theories that might seem small--or quite big to SMiLE obsessives. And this prompted the podcast, in which I discuss my rationale.I would love to hear your thoughts and see your own SMiLE sequencing. 

Hi everyone,

We may be a little late to the party here, but Phil Miglioratti and I have recorded a podcast about Playback: The Brian Wilson Anthology, analyzing the song selections and coming up with our own alternate lineups. You can listen to my Spotify playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/user/markied69/playlist/3KUAksIzQOCHjOLqpXwlbP. Let me know if you have any trouble with the link. (Note: some of the songs mentioned in the podcast are not available on Spotify.)

There's probably been a thread about this, but what Brian songs do you think are sorely missing from Payback, and which ones do you think should be bumped in favor of something else?

The podcast can be listened to at Phil's blog site, Pray for Surf: http://philsblog.net/2017/11/pray-for-surf-podcast-mark-dillon-on-playback-the-brian-wilson-anthology/.

Eager to hear what you think.