I'm just gonna say I'm probably not gonna like the cover of 'Busy Doin Nothin' because I love  's version too much. Sorry in advance.

Here's a question, should we try to make each song different or should we try to match the style of the album?  It can go either way or be a mixture of both, but I am in the camp that thinks that going in a different direction would put a unique spin on the songs.  Sort of like that great Wild Honey cover recently. 

That was a great cover!

I think we should try and do them differently like that. I think they'd be a little boring if they were exact replicas (no offense to any exact replicas who might read this).

And yeah, what the seagull said

I honestly don't know haha. I'd like to be apart of it but I don't know how to share stuff or collaborate over the internet, I'm not very tech-savvy compared to most people on here I think.

I am sure we could help you out.  I guess you could tell us how you'd like to start it, and we can go from there.

If I posted something on soundcloud could others add to it somehow?

I'll do 'Transcendental Meditation'

All of it?? 

If it's like that than I would like to start doing Anna Lee the Healer.

I honestly don't know haha. I'd like to be apart of it but I don't know how to share stuff or collaborate over the internet, I'm not very tech-savvy compared to most people on here I think.

"Act Naturally" - but how can you?  I just painted you orange.

Too bad I'm Ernie

I'll do 'Transcendental Meditation'

Really folks? You Like Me Too Much is better than "Tell Me What You See"?

Yeesh. 

Guffaw all you want, but while we're sitting here ruminating humorously between two tracks that are the worst of the ones left (regardless of which one is better (You Like Me Too Much)), something much more serious has happened right over our noses: Jay voted for Help!

Today!
Summer Days
Pet Sounds
Smiley Smile
Sunflower
Surf's Up
Love You
Good Vibrations boxset (for as much as I can salvage from the albums I didn't choose)
Endless Harmony soundtrack (can't live without 'Soulful Old Man Sunshine')

I only chose 9 because the 10th would be The SMiLE Sessions
Or, in a world where things had gone better,
SMiLE

It is an amazing, amazing record. But I do prefer Surf's Up.

I only rated it a 4 because Pet Sounds is a 5. So 4 in this case would be a classic. Pet Sounds is beyond classic for me.

Help!

What's wrong?

I hope after this they start doing documentaries on other Beach Boys Albums, (excluding "Smile" since we already have one on it) maybe one on "Love You" or "Friends" or maybe one on both "Today" and "Summer Nights" since those two kind of go together, or maybe one on the late 60's ending in 1970 from "Smiley Smile" to "Sunflower"...I think we have enough documentaries on "Pet Sounds".

That'd be cool if they could do like an Anthology thing (probably should call it something else though) like the Beatles, a long, in depth documentary spanning their whole career that's hours long.

A documentary on Love You would be amazing, though a documentary on any Beach Boys album for the most part would be (any one from Today through to Love You anyway).

I was disappointed sorta with the Classic Albums documentary. I've seen a bunch of their other album docs and I expected more. And they didn't even talk about 'Caroline, No'.

And, yeah, Helen Shapiro.

I've always liked Tears in the Morning. 

People call it melodramatic, but I'd bet they'd call it a masterpiece if Dennis had written it.

Because he'd of done it more soulful instead of Bruce who was more bubblegum beauty.


I never listen to the Beach Boys around other people. Not because they're a guilty pleasure, but because they're so personal to me that I'd feel weird listening to them with anyone.

2Adult Child: I like the picture posting.

"It's Only Love" - really?

Don't worry, you're not alone. It doesn't make any sense but we must carry on. It's only their opinion, and that is all. Yet, why do we feel the way we do?

Anyways, despite how the picture doesn't fit with the song at all

I mean, Love You and 15 Big Ones are just as good

I agree with Love You, as it's  a stunning, original work.

Interested in your hearing your thoughts behind putting 15 Big Ones up there with Pet Sounds,  Donny.

If I may, DonnyL was quoting Brian Wilson. And I gotta say... I love how much Brian loves his own work.

Where did Brian say that? I'm not denying it, I'm just fascinated. Love You I get. But 15 Big Ones? Was this said in hindsight?
For some reason I'm always surprised at how much I'm surprised by Brian's opinions on things, despite the fact they should make sense coming from him (that wasn't meant as a put down just in case anybody read it as such).

Dizzy Miss Anna

Pet Sounds is obviously universally (yes, even in other galaxies) considered one of the greatest albums ever. A year ago, Uncut magazine voted it the single greatest album ever. I remember some guy responding to this by writing a long essay type thing on why Pet Sounds was the most overrated album ever. From what I remember most of his reasons were silly (mushy, half-decent songs, only reason anyone cared was cause it influenced Sgt. Peppers which he also said was overrated), but he is not alone in his feelings:
http://adeepershadeofsoul.blogspot.com/2006/10/most-overrated-album-ever.html
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=343792
http://exclaim.ca/music/article/pet_sounds_sucks-story_vs_songs
https://www.reddit.com/r/Music/comments/3apnc5/pet_sounds_by_far_and_away_the_most_overrated/
http://www.somethingawful.com/your-band-sucks/greatest-albums-ever/

As for me, in the words of Carl Wilson: Personally, I love(d) it.
I know this might be a worthless question, but I was curious to see if anyone on a Beach Boys message board felt Pet Sounds was overrated. And if so, why?

Despite the incorrect spelling

Does anybody know what version of 'Shortenin Bread' Brian probably listened to so much? I'd guess that there was one version that really got him, but maybe not.

It might have been this one from late 1960 by Paul Chaplain & His Emeralds:

https://youtu.be/zo8uzeVfO30

Or possibly The Andrews Sisters' version if it was in Audree's collection.

Pure speculation, of course...

The Andrews Sisters seems more likely for some reason.

This version is quite something:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v5rsEa9vUI

Does anybody know what version of 'Shortenin Bread' Brian probably listened to so much? I'd guess that there was one version that really got him, but maybe not.

Same with 'Deep Purple'. Of all the versions of 'Deep Purple' I've heard, the Beach Boys version is so much better (to me). I feel Brian captured a magic in the song that no one else has.

It sort of explains it in the rest of the Wikipedia article.

Ugh, NO....it's hard enough being a BB fan these days!

Are you a fan of them these days?

[maybe with a cartoon or TV show.]

Honestly, the best chance The Beach Boys had to be commercially successful in 1970 would have been to go in the opposite direction ... pure bubblegum, Partridge Family-style ... maybe with a cartoon or TV show.

Imagine one of those early morning TV shows starring the Beach Boys....

Bruce: "Today we're gonna bake a cake!"
Carl: "Mmm.... smell that! I'm sure.... gettin hungry!"
(awkward laughter)
Al: "How about some.... wild honey?"
(more awkward laughter)
Bruce: "Why don't we.... add some music?"
Al: "You can't put music into a cake, Bruce!"
Mike: "How about...."
Al: "You can't put meditation into a cake either, Michael."
Carl: "Besides, we have to follow the instructions here."
Mike (too excitedly): "That's right! We can never screw around with the formula, guys!"
Dennis: "I'd like to say 'Hi' to Brian! I bet he's watching this in his room. Let's all say 'Hi Brian!'"
Everybody: "Hi Brian!"
Al: "We're probably gonna have to bake a separate cake for Brian, you guys."
Dennis: "That Brian.... He could probably eat this whole world!"
(everybody groans)

More commercially successful? The Beach Boys were pretty unhip in 1970, unfortunately, so it would've required a great single and maybe condensing Sunflower and Surf's Up into one record. Despite how wrong this feels, as a single album, this

SIDE 1
1. This Whole World
2. Add Some Music To Your Day
3. All I Wanna Do
4. Forever
5. Cool, Cool Water
6. Barbara

SIDE 2
7. Long Promised Road
8. Disney Girls (1957)
9. Feel Flows
10. Wouldn't It Be Nice (To Live Again)
11. Til I Die
12. Surf's Up

pushed by 'Surfs Up' and 'Forever' both being released as singles and all of it being promoted like mad would've been the best bet. But artistically that record feels wrong, especially without 'A Day In The Life of a Tree' in those final 3 songs, and just the fact that both of those records were perfect on their own. However, replacing 'Student Demonstration Time' with 'Wouldn't It Be Nice (To Live Again)' would've made Surf's Up better, and maybe replacing 'It's About Time' on Sunflower with 'Barbara'.
 
After Surf's Up, as they became a hip group again (as opposed to the cold feet group they'd been for a few years), if they'd taken the best songs off of C&TPST and Holland and made one record out of it with 'Sail On Sailor'/'Marcella' as the single, that record probably would've been more successful than either of those records were individually. I imagine that album looking like this

1. You Need a Mess of Help To Stand Alone
2. Marcella
3. All This Is That
4. The Trader
5. Leaving This Town
6. Funky Pretty
7. California Saga: Big Sur
8. California Saga: The Beaks of Eagles
9. California Saga: California
10. Sail On Sailor

would've done that job.