They could maybe do it, like they did it with Brian in '67 — transforming songs into Smiley Smile-type arrangements

"America's Band" comes out with a hot new summer single around the time of the Bicentennial. How could it miss?

When you want to write, arrange and finish a track in 2 hours you end up with 'I'm Bugged at my Old Man'. The comedy tracks were an artistic choice.

Maybe there was an attempt to compete or emulate the comedy on Jan and Dean's albums. I love Submarine Races and the speaking bits on the Batman album

(I see this was alluded to above)

Best-Big Sur
Worst-Everyone's In Love With You (too syrupy, especially the arrangement)

One of the fascinating/maddening aspects of Beach Boys history.  They could have improved many an album with the goldmine of unreleased gems at their disposal.  Argument over tracklisting aside, it's ridiculous how a song like (Wouldn't It Be Nice) To Live Again which was fully complete and excellent stayed unheard for over 40 years.

In the Elvis Presley realm, although it's not that iconic a song, I felt that way about the 1972 studio recording of For the Good Times, which was only available as a live version for more than 20 years despite many opportunities to place it on various collections.

How come this band so often structured albums badly or padded them out with filler, despite the wealth of quality unreleased material?

I have this thought so often when listening to the BBs. Presumably others do too. I thought it might be worth starting a thread to moan about album sequencing missed opportunities. At the very least it will be a place where I can express my own frustration when these negative thoughts occur.

I was listening to Today! and after Please Let Me Wonder had finished my mind began playing the opening bars to Guess I'm Dumb. Side two is great but, wow, what an addition that track would have made (with BB vocals, obviously). When Brian decided they had to pad the album out with Bull Session With Big Daddy I wonder if he kicked himself for giving that tune to Glenn Campbell. And why didn't they try and record it as a BB tune in the first place? It's clearly a great song. If their albums were fit to bursting with quality material I could understand, but so much of the catalogue is blighted with obvious filler.



  

Regarding Guess I'm Dumb, maybe as in the case of In the Back of My Mind and the Dennis lead vocal, the lyrics were too personal and Brian felt uncomfortable with singing them himself, and in this case gave it to a brief Beach Boy. If this was the case, Brian soon lost this discomfort and sang I Just Wasn't Made For These Times.

This thread makes me wonder if a KTSA with all Brian vocals on the songs he wrote, and co-wrote (as well as School Days) would have increased in estimation amongst us fans.

As far as the big band tracks are concerned, It's Over Now sounds pretty 1977-contemporary to me.

Mike was waiting for Van Dyke Parks to explain the lyrics.

The BBs just don't always click with people, but they still seem to have some songs that non-fans nonetheless can't help liking anyhow.

For instance, my mom (even as a child of the 60s and a TAMI Show attendee) isn't particularly a BB fan, even though I've tried my darndest to get her to appreciate The BBs more.  But, she still really likes the song "Don't Worry Baby".  Apparently she always has.  And I did manage to get her into Pacific Ocean Blue.

Does anyone else have any similar experiences? I'd imagine "God Only Knows" would be up there.

My mother's not a huge fan, but she loves Darlin' and Breakaway, probably for their propulsive energy. She was at the Brian Wilson Smile conecert in Montreal with my brother and I, but the Smile tracks were not to her taste. My brother likes God Only Knows and absolutely loves the pared down Love and Mercy Brian has performed live.

Yes, it'd be nice to see Stig turn up at some kind of reunion.

It's currently highly probable that the next full-on "reunion" will be a non-musical occasion.

I would definitely read a Beach Boys Anthology book!

Why hasn't your very good early version of Big Sur been officially released?
Why didn't beachboyscentral.com ever launch?
What's your favorite live period of the Beach Boys?
What did you think of Capitol mucking with the sound of some BB albums, as in Duophonic? Did Brian react to this?
What did you think of the fact Brian was only submitting mono masters for a time, when most other major groups released stuff in mono and true stereo?

[Production]

Your criteria is a bit odd, methinks.  
Pet Sounds definitely lists Produced by Brian Wilson
Little Deuce Coupe has "Arranged and Conducted by Bian Wilson"
Beach Boys --- Brother Records (Caribou) BFZ 39946   HAS EVERYONE listed on the inner sleeve;  
L.A. Light Album (picture disk) Brother Records (CBS Inc.) CRB11-86081  I think this is pulling hairs picking only the Pic disk( UK only) but still, carries the credit  Produced by Bruce Johnston

So using your criteria:  

Surfer Girl    Capitol (S) T -1981   "Special Thanks to Beach Boy Brian Wilson for producing"  
Shut Down Vol. 2    Capitol (S) T- 2027       Produced by Brian Wilson  
BBs Today   Capitol (D) T-2269     Produced By Brian Wilson    
Wild Honey   Capitol (S) T- 2859   mentions ONLY "Brian's kitchen"  heck, that could be ANYONE named Brian  

Best Of Vol. 2   Capitol (D) T-2706    no names at all  
Dance Dance Dance ( Early BBS Today reissue minus two songs)  Capitol  DF-703    nothing other than "The Beach Boys"  

If we really get into it I bet there are hundreds,  counting every country woirldwide.

COMMENT:  Production credit yes, but who are "the beach boys?" If you were Carl or Dennis, AL, Bruce, or Mike, wouldn't you want people to know that you were assocated with the record?  That's the spirit of the question.  Or put another way,

What albums list the names of The Beach Boys?  

~swd

P.S. Wild Honey credits two engineers, but no singers
Beach Boys --- Brother Records (Caribou) BFZ 39946 -- You got me there. My copy is still sealed, so couldn't see the inner sleeve.

Summer Days and Summer Nights-The messages from each BB on the back cover. (Is it All Summer Long or Shut Down Vol. 2 that also has BB messages?)
Is each BB named on the Party gatefold? I think they get vocal credits.
Sunflower
Is Brian just mentioned, in relation to Dick Clark's notes on the Today! album?
On Wild Honey, much of the group is credited as songwriters, at least on the vinyl, especially since How She Boogalooed It was a joint effort by several BBs. Friends also has joint songwriting credits, at least on the vinyl.
Many BBs are mentioned as producers and songwriters on Carl and the Passions, and as songwriters on Holland. 15 Big Ones has a whole bunch of credits. The BBs are credited as musicians on Keepin' the Summer Alive.

Smart Girls... and Boys
Brian Loves Zoo

I loved it purely as my personal introduction to the BB's 1966-69 period, just as I loved a Canadian 2-Lp Golden Hour set of Kinks songs from 1966 to 1971 for my introduction to that era of Face to Face, Something Else, Village Green, Arthur, Lola and Percy.

OK, I'll get started.  Here's a general timeline, people will no doubt correct it for specifics:

Mike - 1966-1982 (but he had a handlebar at one point:  https://arcmusic.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/beach_boys.jpg)
I've seen pictures of him with moustache/goatee recently.
Carl - 1970-1997/8 (shaved it in '77 just prior to the Grammy awards, but seems to have immediately started growing back)
Al - 1971-1983
Dennis - 1968, 1976-1980, 1982
Brian - 1975-1985 (shaved right before Knebworth '80, but grew it back)
Bruce - had a mean goatee at some point

I need to get out more.

(I'm currently working on a two week beard, so this is close to my heart)

Don't forget Brian sported a beard briefly around the Wild Honey era.
Bruce sported a beard briefly in the 20/20 era and also had one during an interview promoting KTSA.

Brian also had a beard, IIRC, in photos of the Smile I Love To Say Dada sessions.

I'm not sure this is from the "Dada" sessions, but here you go:

That's the one I'm thinking of. I saw this and another one in black and white in the Badman book, where Brian is said to be recording "water sounds."

OK, I'll get started.  Here's a general timeline, people will no doubt correct it for specifics:

Mike - 1966-1982 (but he had a handlebar at one point:  https://arcmusic.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/beach_boys.jpg)
I've seen pictures of him with moustache/goatee recently.
Carl - 1970-1997/8 (shaved it in '77 just prior to the Grammy awards, but seems to have immediately started growing back)
Al - 1971-1983
Dennis - 1968, 1976-1980, 1982
Brian - 1975-1985 (shaved right before Knebworth '80, but grew it back)
Bruce - had a mean goatee at some point

I need to get out more.

(I'm currently working on a two week beard, so this is close to my heart)

Don't forget Brian sported a beard briefly around the Wild Honey era.
Bruce sported a beard briefly in the 20/20 era and also had one during an interview promoting KTSA.

Brian also had a beard, IIRC, in photos of the Smile I Love To Say Dada sessions.

I also prefer WIBNTLA, but my estimation of Sound of Free could increase if a stereo mix could ever be released.

Generally in mono.

Pet Sounds needs to be in Stereo for everything to be heard.

The stereo version however does not nearly have the emotional impact for me that the mono version has. I mean, a human being does not work better if you place some of the inner organs on the left or right speaker so you can see them better.

Oh, like kidney's, lungs, tonsils, etc.? Serious question, what does the mono have emotionally that the stereo lacks? I asked because emotionally the music affects me the same way whether I listen in mono or stereo. For me, the difference is only in sound quality; instruments and background vocals. Stereo separates them and makes them more clear, while mono squeezes everything down. For me the music is the emotion, not how it is/was recorded.

For want of a better term, the mono sounds "scrappier" to me, in terms of a tougher sound, including from Brian's vocals. This is one factor for me liking the mono mix. But I like the stereo better for overall sound.

The best stereo sound, IMO, come from Smiley Smile and, even more so, Party. The stereo mixes on Today and Summer Days, with a couple of exceptions (especially those that had been released on previous compilations) could have been better. I was hoping for a more natural, wider '60s stereo sound. On my car speakers, many of the tracks sound messy, at least in terms of stereo separation. On headphones, they sound somewhat better, but not like natural stereo.
I'm not a fan of the stereo mix of Shut Down Vol. 2 as mastered in 2012. Sounds harsh to me, and I didn't like the quality of the opening sound of The Warmth of the Sun.

BTW, I happen to like Tears in the Morning, the sound is sweet, but the lyrics are quite angry.

Wow! A most hearty congratulations.

Wonderful. Like hearing Love You sung well, with classic BB-type harmonies.

As to f, only Frosty The Snowman was ever available in stereo. The other 10 tracks on Volume 3 were only ever available in mono or fake stereo, prior.

Thanks for the clarification. The inclusion of the song in fake stereo is truly bizarre. I guess they wanted consistency of bad sound.

Dennys Drums was recorded with more instruments, but in the end the boys kept just the drums. Maybe Jon Stebbins could shed some light on whether Denny Drums was recorded in Stereo or Mono. He said a while back that when he heard the rediscovered masters, he heard more instruments on Dennys Drums!

Very interesting! Maybe the rediscovered masters could be released and retitled Denny's Orchestra.