Friends album; Mt Vernon and Fairway; Til I Die; Life of a Tree; his comeback in 76 which resulted in Love You, a few highlights from MIU and the unrealised Adult Childhood; Rio Grande; Pet Sound and Smile tours

"If Brian wilson had stayed with Mike Love and produced the album, the result would have been a lot different"

This has got to be the stupidest statement I've ever heard!!

"this album is a desperate attempt by a washed up freak looking for some extra cash!"

If Brian has a week point, it is business sense! Plus, Smile would be the last thing that I would say was for the money. Mike Love's BBs is about the money!!

I think that  the 3 Wilson brothers, especially Dennis, would probably have experimented in the hippy, drug culture had their been a BBs or not. But they might have straightened up a lot sooner.

Most rock musicians looked in 1964 pretty square looking at it today. Even the Beatles. All the BBs except Dennis, looked pretty sqare. Even Brian.

I don't think the Beatles looked square. Have you watched that early footage of them on the Ed Sullivan shows? They look energetic and incredibly charismatic and not self conscious at all. Just my opinion and I guess it's not an entirley fair comparison but I would never say the Beatles looked square. Or the Rolling Stones from the same time, or Dylan. There's something about those performers which just doesn't date for me. I love the Beach Boys just the way they were, Mike Love and all, but image wise they just weren't in the same league and it was no wonder they didn't naturally translate to a hipper audience in the late 60s, however progressive Brian's music was.

Just my opinion and I guess it all depends on your definition of square though.

I agree that the Beatles had a much better stage presence then the BBs.  However, I believe that the Beatles pre-Rubber Soul doesn't seem to stand as well as the BBs pre Pet Sounds. But that's an intirely different argument.

It took me awhile to appreciate Love You.  Right now I love about half the songs, a few are ok, and a few I could live without.

Seeing Brian do PS and Smile live was way above what I ever thought I'd see live from a BBs related perfomance. Not only PS, but songs from Sunflower, Holland, Wild Honey, etc.

Before this I felt like the BBs history was incomplete. But now, if they decide to all retire, I would be ok with it.

I have read a lot of good things about Love You recently, but what were the reviews like in 1977?

Most rock musicians looked in 1964 pretty square looking at it today. Even the Beatles. All the BBs except Dennis, looked pretty sqare. Even Brian.

Supposing that the BBs broke up in 1977 and Dennis turned his life around and lived.

I think that Dennis would've had excellent success throughout the 80s as a solo artist.

Carl would be involved in music somehow. I think he could be a succesful solo artist, but more in the direction of 'Heaven' then that early 80s r&b stuff he did. Or he might have been a producer for modern groups through the 80s and 90s.

Brian, who was doing pretty well in 76-77. So supposing he didn't go downhill again, I think he would have a much better collection of solo albums throughout the 80s and 90s. Perhaps as good as Dennis' if not better.

Al and Dave would become guitar teachers.

Bruce would continue to write big hits for untalented artists like Michael Bolton, Rod Stewert and Justin Timberlake.

Mike, depressed on the brake up of the BBs would turn to drugs and alcohaul and die somewhere around 1984.

I just thought of something that I don't really like, but don't hate either. Some of Van Dyke's new lyrics. "Is it hot as hell in here or is it me...." That is my least favorite. Although I do actually like the "Rolling down the ocean liner..." Of course I believe that those lyrics were written in 1966 but not recorded.

Oops. I can't believe I forgot Dave! I agree that he would've pursued music regardless. Probably not much different then it ended up with The Marksmen. However, because he had made money with the Beach Boys he was able to spend a lot of time in music. If he didn't have the money and couldn't succeed elsewhere, then he would've had a regular job. An architect (as he said) for Art Vandelay Industries? An inside joke for Seinfeld fans.

I totally agree with Jim McShane that the live performance is where its all at. I love the DVD but when I was actually at the concert in Dallas, it was the moment of a life time for me.

I still listen to the cd and dvd from time to time and I like them, especially the dvd. But if I had a complaint it would be just one thing; Brian's producing of today is about hitting all the right notes, which is fine. But the 66-67 Brian was about getting the emotion behind every instrument and note. Now I'm not saying that there was absolutly no emotion. There was, but not nearly as much as there was in 66-67.

Having said that, Brian is in his 60s and to compare him to a 24 year old Brian is unfair. The effort and energy he has put into this is all I can ask (if not more then I excpected) from Brian today.

This is one of my favorite albums because it is full of great songs. But I had to give it a 4. Over half the songs are amazing, but a few are almost as bad as the original songs from 15BO (Ding Dang, Love is a Woman). But The Night Was So Young might just be as good as God Only Knows or Til I Die!

I like this album a lot, but I only gave it a 4. I think that all of the songs are very well done, but none of them really knock me out. Like on Surfs Up (Til I Die, Life of a Tree and Feel Flows). Although, unlike Surfs Up there are no weak tracks. I have a hard time listening to Add Some Music though.

I really like every song on this album except for He Comes Down. However, I only gave it a 3 because, as an album the songs don't fit together very well like as they do on Holland.

Any album where the best original song was written by Mike Love (EILWY) has to suck. I gave this album a zero, and I'm suprised more people didn't. I am never a fan of the cover song even if they are done very well (Sloop John B, I Can Hear Music).  These covers are very sloppy. Al's SC also sticks out as one of the better songs, but was one of the worst of the era it was recorded in.

This album to me is 10 times worse then 'Summer In Paradise' and that's saying a lot!!

This album has really grown on me. I think it is the most mature album the BBs ever did. Not the best, just the most mature. I think the Fairy Tale is what puts the frosting on the cake for me.

I gave this album a 4. But if you replace SDT with one of Denny's song's, it would be better then Sunflower IMO.

I consider this the last solid BBs album. Not great, but solid.

If each of the Beach Boys were born alone this would be my prediction of them.

1. Brian-I think music would always be a part of his life. And so would sports. I believe that it was Mike that pushed him to do music for money. I think Brian would've been a happier person if he never became a celebrate. He probably would've written some songs and played them for his family and friends for free. I don't think he would've ever gotten into drugs and he would end up with a regular job somewhere making about $40k a year.

2. Dennis-I think that his inspiration to make music was 99% from Brian. So I don't think he would've ever written a single song in his life.  But being a cut up and rebal before the BBs began he probably would've become a hippy in the late 60s and done drugs. But he probably would straighten up in the mid 70s and lived a normal life thereafter.

3. Carl-he had taken guitar lessons and had a good voice. Who knows, he might have taken a crack at song writing and starting a band himself around 1964 inspired greatly by the Beatles like millions of other kids. His style would've been more of the 'So Tough' or 'Holland' material. Without the Brian Wilson influence he probably wouldn't have done stuff like FF or LPR.  I think he would've been good and maybe a one hit wonder but lack creativity to last longer then a few years. He probably would scrape through the hippy scene a couple years, then lead a normal life.

4. Mike-I think that he had a good stage presence as a lead singer in the early 60s. He would probably try to start a band with one of his 'talented' friends. If his friends had any talent at all, they might have a couple of oldies hits and dissapeared.  He would then get a job in a magazine or something and write every article on his one or two top 40 hits his group had in 1963.

5. Al-He would've been a dentist.

6. Bruce-He was in music already and probably would continue to be. I think that he has a good taste and would've been inspired by another great song writer like Brian. Maybe Phil Spector, Bob Dylan, the Beatles, etc.  I think his solo career would've been much stronger without the BBs!!

Of course these are all just big fairy tales in my own head. But I think they would be something like this.

I actually enjoy Brian's first solo album quite a bit. I think its far and away his best original solo album and is up there with Love You. I don't hear a lot of critics giving high praise to this album, but I feel it is a triumph. Not in the way that Pet Sounds or Smile is, but up there with Friends, Sunflower and Love You IMO. Rio Grande I think is his best track since Til I Die.

That's funny. I'm listening to Surfs Up as we speak. And I think....it's Al.

the same man who has all the hardcore fans confused whether its Brian or not on the recording...

Oh, come on!  We all know it was Brian singing the girl's part on "Be Here in the Morning" and the vocals at the end of "A Day in the Life of a Tree," right?

Right?

Hello?

Is this thing on...?

Some are Brian and some Al. Like in 'Be Here in the Morning' Brian sing Ahhh, and Al sings most of the lead. Then on 'Life of a Tree' Al sings "Oh lord I lay me down..." and I believe Brian is singing doo doo doo. But Marylin might be singing some of that.
I don't know. That's just what I think it is.

Or The Wilson Bros. Present SMiLE

Knowing Carl, he would have made sure it was the Beach Boys, not just the Wilson Brothers.

I don't think that a band including Mike Love would ever do Smile. Maybe Pet Sounds, but not Smile.

I am doing them like this... band (album): what era BBs it sounds like

1. Music Tapes (Imaginary Symphony of Nomad): Smile
2. Pollyphonic Spree (Together We're Heavy): Pet Sounds, Smile and Sunflower
3. Grandaddy (Under the Western Freeway): Friends, Surfs Up and Love You
4. REM (Up): Sunflower and Surfs Up
5. ELO (Time): Love You and LA Light Album

These are a few that I really enjoy