Your favorite/hardest BB song to sing

[MyGlove]

Here Today is really hard to sing because it's hard to distinguish the notes the bass is playing in the intro are hard to distinguish from the notes being sung.

[Ron]

Yeah, that's one that I can't pick out the notes either.  I still sing along but I'm off. 

[Eireannach]

I forgot to mention my favorites, but probably the second half of Today all tie for my favorites to sing.

[egon spengler]

I wasn't aware though that you could just completely lose the ability to sing falsetto. 

I've never heard of such a thing eith

[Ron]

I always thought he just lost the ability to sing falsetto GOOD, though.  Not that he completely lost his voice.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

The only vocal exercise I've ever done before singing anywhere in front of people is to run through Surf's Up a few times. "Collumnated ruins domino" is a complete bitch and when (if) I nail it, I feel good to go!!!!

[Ron]

I think it's because there's such a huge jump there, it jumps like an octave doesn't it?  He did the same damn thing in the chorus of "California Girls". 

[Ron]

Oh.  Well that's not anything very special at all, then, lol. 

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

I wasn't aware though that you could just completely lose the ability to sing falsetto. 

I've never heard of such a thing either

Well, in my opinion, what actually happened is that, since Brian rarely had to resort to pure falsetto in his prime, when he started to really abuse his voice he lost the ability to sing well above the staff without using what was in effect an underdeveloped falsetto.  That's why his higher voice sounds so different even today, because he's using a lighter mechanism.

So I would say he didn't lose his falsetto, rather that he was forced to use it and it just wasn't very good at the time--and of course, also compromised from the various abuses, as was Brian's whole voice.

[Ron]

I agree, I'll bet he could have still actually sang false (hell he may in that video, haven't watched it in a while) he had just lost the ability to do it well.  I (and a few others) were talking about actually losing the ability to make any noise at all falsetto. 

[runnersdialzero]

Didn't Mr.Doe state that a few years back, a friend bet Brian a steak dinner that he couldn't sing the "Columnated ruins domino" part as originally written and, well, Brian had steak for dinner that night?

[Ron]

Brian surprises us sometimes.  If the backstory behind this album is true, then anything is possible.  Anything.  Brian saved "Summers Gone" to be the last Beach Boys song on the last Beach Boys album, but at the last minute changed the title of the album, so it didn't have to be the last one if they didn't want it to be... he continues to sing amazing from time to time just to show he still has it, he may consider it a project someday to blow us away with his 75 year old falsetto, we'll have to wait and see. 

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

I also agree with those who think Brian still can go into falsetto.

No question, but I wonder if he can still sing, say F4-D5, without resorting to falsetto.  That is what I doubt.

[adamghost]

I used to struggle a lot with "Wouldn't It Be Nice," but oddly enough, as I've aged, it's become easier.  I can do "Don't Worry Baby" decently depending on the day, but that "columnated ruins domino" is by far the toughest thing in the whole Beach Boys canon for me.  I have to be having a really good voice day to get that one.

Word on that.  I can probably sing about 90% of the BBs canon, but that line defeats me.

I asked one of the BBs band about Brian's high falsetto a year or two ago. They said something along the lines of, "he still has it, but it's like a force of will to do it, and when he goes for it, it's louder than God...it'll plaster you to the wall."

[Eireannach]

I asked one of the BBs band about Brian's high falsetto a year or two ago. They said something along the lines of, "he still has it, but it's like a force of will to do it, and when he goes for it, it's louder than God...it'll plaster you to the wall."

I got chills just reading that.  Brian's falsetto is one of the best things in the world.

[Ron]

He does it for a second in one of the videos that they released to promote "GIOMH" or one of those, somebody could find it.  I can't even remember the song, but they're jamming, and somebody sings something falsetto, and Jeff or Darian goes "That's not how you do it, show 'em Brian" and Brian sings this crazy little squeaky falsetto line, pretty funny stuff. 

[keysarsoze001]

I'm able to hit all the highest notes on the 60s stuff, but what gets me is that after about 30 minutes or so my voice is so tired from having to be that high for so long. It's remarkable that these guys were able to go that high so often and sustain it night after night in a concert. "Surf's Up" is my favorite to sing because it's the best song they ever did.

Also, I think Brian's falsetto now is a lot better than it was in the '80s, from what little I've heard of him doing it in the '00s. On like his first solo album and the Paley stuff it sounds like it's coming entirely out of his nose, which is a little too Frankie Valli for my tastes.

[runnersdialzero]

it sounds like it's coming entirely out of his nose

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNV-eve42M0

[keysarsoze001]

it sounds like it's coming entirely out of his nose

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNV-eve42M0

Yeah, that crossed my mind as well when I said it. Ye gods.

[Ziggy Stardust]

My fav? probably Don't Worry Baby.. for many reasons.

Hardest? has to be Surf's Up, tried to sing over the record, jeez..

[Letsgoawayforawhile]

The most fun to sing is definitely "I'm Bugged at My Ol' Man" .
 

[hypehat]

it sounds like it's coming entirely out of his nose

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNV-eve42M0

Oh god, I always knew Adrian Baker was SUPPOSED to be bad but that.... That makes me want to fucking murder him.

[Lowbacca]

The most fun to sing is definitely "I'm Bugged at My Ol' Man" .
 

I agree. It used to be my favourite BBs song for a few months during a weird phase of mine.