Which albums have a perfect flow and/or have no filler at all?

[rogerlancelot]

I would say Love You but it has "Ding Dang" which is fun but definitely in the "filler" category.

Pet Sounds is basically perfect.

Next would be So Tough. Every song is great. No Filler.

Sunflower: all 12 tracks have really grown on me. I used to skip "At My Window" but not anymore. And I was a fan of "Tears In the Morning" the very first time I heard it. It almost makes me want to like Bruce (but after listening to Going Pubic, I'm not so sure).

All in all, most of those 60's-70's records were very well done. Think about this: most new artists release albums with one or two killer tracks and the rest is filler. The only band I can think of that didn't put filler on their albums is Led Zeppelin. Not any that I can think of but it's been a while since I played one of their albums all of the way through.

[Jeff]

It sure seems like people are conflating 'filler' with 'songs they do not like', and I don't quite think they're the same. Spoken-word or interview tracks on LPs are obviously filler -- they'd be the things meant to fill out an album where not enough material can be marshalled. This can hold for songs as well, of course, like the last three on Shut Down Vol. 2... but I don't think most of Carl & The Passions "So Tough" counts as filler!

The spoken word tracks are far from the only filler, and Carl and the Passions is a good example.  The group had a contract, they needed to put out an album, and they didn't have a lot of ideas.  They managed to get four decent songs on there, but the other four are bland, with none of the distinctiveness that the better Beach Boys tracks have.

And I think the band, or at least the record company, recognized that half of the album was filler.  Otherwise they wouldn't have packaged it with Pet Sounds.  The compilers of the box set also recognized that, which is why they started Disc 4 with Holland material rather than Carl and the Passions songs.  The majority of critics also don't particularly like it.

I don't expect most of the people on this board to agree, but then some of the people on here are the die hard of the die hard.

[bgas]

I don't expect most of the people on this board to agree, but then some of the people on here are the die hard of the die hard.

Bruce BRuce BRUce BRUCe BRUCE!!!

[drbeachboy]

Jeff, that list is ridiculous!

[Jeff]

Jeff, that list is ridiculous!

I'm sure a few people think so.  But to me it's indicative of the extraordinary quality gaps within almost every album.  In '63, '64, it wasn't unusual for a group to put out an album with a couple of great songs and a lot of "filler."  But the Beach Boys were extreme in that way, and continued to follow a similar pattern even after it was no longer fashionable--a good example being 'Til I Die and Surf's Up sharing the same LP with Student Demonstration Time and the foot song. 

[Mahalo]

If Ding Dang is filler, then why bother? It is so short they could have used anything else to "Fill" the record... Ding Dang is a perfect song for Love You...

I think we have to keep in mind the vinyl format of the albums we are discussing. Side one and Side two is so far away from our continuos compact discs...

[Iron Horse-Apples]

I had to take exception to some of this list - filler, no chance!

I count at least 66 filler tracks, just thru '73


Noble Surfer (The first true Beach Boys song)

The Rocking Surfer (That B3 bass line is the most fantastic thing ever recorded, what a vibe)


Ballad Of Ole'Betsy (Those harmonies)

Pom-Pom Play Girl (Contains some of the Greatest chord changes ever)

And Your Dream Comes True !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, I know it's all about personal choice, but why are you even a fan?

[Jeff]

I had to take exception to some of this list - filler, no chance!

I count at least 66 filler tracks, just thru '73


Noble Surfer (The first true Beach Boys song)

The Rocking Surfer (That B3 bass line is the most fantastic thing ever recorded, what a vibe)


Ballad Of Ole'Betsy (Those harmonies)

Pom-Pom Play Girl (Contains some of the Greatest chord changes ever)

And Your Dream Comes True !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, I know it's all about personal choice, but why are you even a fan?

I'm a music fan, and the Beach Boys made some of the best pop music ever.

But they also put out a lot of really bad music, and I don't think that being a fan of the good stuff requires being a fan of the bad stuff.

[Iron Horse-Apples]

Sorry, but Pom Pom Play Girl- FILLER!!!!!!


Have you got ears??

In under two minutes Brian Wilson manahes to squeeze in about 12 key changes. When I first heard this I had to pinch myself as I was convinced Mozart had not dies of kidney failure but was alive and well and living in LA.

Who cares about lyrics?

This has nothing to do with music

Pom Pom Play Girl is one of THE prime examples of Brian Wilsons genius

And by genius I mean the 18th century correct understanding of the term. Someone who can hear more than 5 lines of polyphony in their head,

Sorry, but how can you call this song filler?

I'm very very angry, and I don't care.

It's not often I react like this, I'm very easy going.

I have just got back from a rare night out at the pub though

My judgment may be off kilter

But I'm very cross now. I wish I hadn't logged on.

I'm sorry

Pom Pom Play Girl is not filler

You are so very wrong.

[Iron Horse-Apples]

But I don't mean to over react, I'm off to bed now.

Ah, beer!

[Chris Brown]

I'm certainly not as agitated as my friend Iron Horse-Apples, but I think you'll be hard pressed to find much agreement on a lot of those Jeff.  I don't consider most of your list "bad" stuff at all.  Obviously at the end of the day, whether one likes a song or not is a subjective thing, but I agree with Midnight Special that you're misappropriating the term "filler."

On the early records especially, many of the tracks you list were important steps in the development of Brian's talent and the group's sound.  It's almost as though you're faulting the band for being too prolific, holding them to such a high standard that some really good tracks are deemed less worthy just because there were so many great ones.

[Jeff]

Sorry, but Pom Pom Play Girl- FILLER!!!!!!


Have you got ears??

In under two minutes Brian Wilson manahes to squeeze in about 12 key changes. When I first heard this I had to pinch myself as I was convinced Mozart had not dies of kidney failure but was alive and well and living in LA.

Who cares about lyrics?

This has nothing to do with music

Pom Pom Play Girl is one of THE prime examples of Brian Wilsons genius

And by genius I mean the 18th century correct understanding of the term. Someone who can hear more than 5 lines of polyphony in their head,

Sorry, but how can you call this song filler?

I'm very very angry, and I don't care.

It's not often I react like this, I'm very easy going.

I have just got back from a rare night out at the pub though

My judgment may be off kilter

But I'm very cross now. I wish I hadn't logged on.

I'm sorry

Pom Pom Play Girl is not filler

You are so very wrong.

To use a baseball analogy (don't know if this would be the same for cricket), a fielder who makes a spectacular diving stop, then throws the ball two feet over the first baseman's head, is charged with an error, as he should be.

[Jeff]

I'm certainly not as agitated as my friend Iron Horse-Apples, but I think you'll be hard pressed to find much agreement on a lot of those Jeff.  I don't consider most of your list "bad" stuff at all.  Obviously at the end of the day, whether one likes a song or not is a subjective thing, but I agree with Midnight Special that you're misappropriating the term "filler."

On the early records especially, many of the tracks you list were important steps in the development of Brian's talent and the group's sound.  It's almost as though you're faulting the band for being too prolific, holding them to such a high standard that some really good tracks are deemed less worthy just because there were so many great ones.

Actually, I think I would get a lot of agreement among music fans as a whole, just not on this board.

I would not say I'm faulting the band.  The record company's schedule was brutal, and it was basically up to one guy, Brian, to write and produce everything up through about mid-68.  But whatever the reasons are for the sub-par tracks, I still don't think they're very good.

And yes, I do think all of those tracks were filler.  They had to produce a lot of stuff--they just didn't have any choice, so a lot of it wound up being filler.

[homeontherange]

Pom Pom Play Girl is one of the first examples of Brian's genius, yeah. The strange harmonies in the verse and the key changes are pretty spectacular. I think it stands out on that album, and it's one of the BBs early songs that I always return to.

Not a filler!

[drbeachboy]

I had to take exception to some of this list - filler, no chance!

I count at least 66 filler tracks, just thru '73


Noble Surfer (The first true Beach Boys song)

The Rocking Surfer (That B3 bass line is the most fantastic thing ever recorded, what a vibe)


Ballad Of Ole'Betsy (Those harmonies)

Pom-Pom Play Girl (Contains some of the Greatest chord changes ever)

And Your Dream Comes True !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, I know it's all about personal choice, but why are you even a fan?

I'm a music fan, and the Beach Boys made some of the best pop music ever.

But they also put out a lot of really bad music, and I don't think that being a fan of the good stuff requires being a fan of the bad stuff.

The thing is Jeff, for a lot of us, many of those bad music filler tracks are not bad at all. Actually, you even have a few 45 single songs on the list, and in the correct definition of filler, fail the test. I know that most of your list is your own opinion, but I feel bad for you that you must suffer through so much insufferable music. You must have wasted a considerable fortune when buying albums, with all that filler on them. Hopefully, the 45 will make a comeback.

[hypehat]

Sorry, but Pom Pom Play Girl- FILLER!!!!!!


Have you got ears??

In under two minutes Brian Wilson manahes to squeeze in about 12 key changes. When I first heard this I had to pinch myself as I was convinced Mozart had not dies of kidney failure but was alive and well and living in LA.

Who cares about lyrics?

This has nothing to do with music

Pom Pom Play Girl is one of THE prime examples of Brian Wilsons genius

And by genius I mean the 18th century correct understanding of the term. Someone who can hear more than 5 lines of polyphony in their head,

Sorry, but how can you call this song filler?

I'm very very angry, and I don't care.

It's not often I react like this, I'm very easy going.

I have just got back from a rare night out at the pub though

My judgment may be off kilter

But I'm very cross now. I wish I hadn't logged on.

I'm sorry

Pom Pom Play Girl is not filler

You are so very wrong.

I love this post.

[18thofMay]

Clear your desk Jeff.. Not cool.. Not cool at all!!!

[MBE]

Let's see NO filler?

Concert has some lighthearted moments but no real filler. It not a great album but serves it's purpose well.
Pet Sounds of course is pretty perfect.
Sunflower is pretty close to perfect. I don't love Tears but the harmonies are very nice. I just dislike the piano coda but that's only about a minute.
Live In London really has no filler.
In Concert is also close but some oldies were already a little hackneyes no Dennis was a big problem.

All Summer Long and Today would be perfect without the talking tracks.
Summer Days comes close but the last three cuts don't match the rest.
Party would be pretty perfect (for what it is) if they got rid of the lame hits medley.

Wild Honey -Mama Says
Friends-minus the last two cuts
20/20 minus Bruce's number
all of these would have been pretty close.

Surf's Up -minus Tree (shoot me I don't like it much because of the lead vocals)
Carl-Make It Good (I love Dennis but it wasn't his best moment) and Hold On would work for me.
Holland minus the second part of the saga. I would say the fairy tale but hell there are some great pieces and for what it is it's fun.
Nothing after 1973 even comes close to being filler free.
I really love Shut Down 2 and Surfin' U.S.A. but they have filler. Funny with the later I like the instrumental's, I just don't like Noble Surfer or Finder's Keepers.

[Austin]

I can't say I agree with everything on Jeff's list, but it's much more aligned with my feelings, especially the earlier albums. For me, the only album with perfect flow and no filler is Pet Sounds.

I'll second Luther's point that a lot about an album's flow involves getting used to it. But I think it's worth noting that just because something is filler doesn't mean it's bad, or unlistenable. I like listening to Surfer Girl in sequence even though I don't think everything on there is that great. Same reason I don't skip "Pom Pom Playgirl" when listening to Shut Down, Vol. II; complex, fitting? Sure. But I wouldn't call it a gem.

[Mike's Beard]

I'd say pretty much all of 'Surfin' Safari' bar the title track and 409 are filler. It wasn't uncommon in the early sixties for groups to package one hit around a bunch of afterthoughts and call it an album.

As much as I love "Surfin' USA", 5 surf instrumentals is definitely an album padding ploy.

[18thofMay]

I'd say pretty much all of 'Surfin' Safari' bar the title track and 409 are filler. It wasn't uncommon in the early sixties for groups to package one hit around a bunch of afterthoughts and call it an album.

As much as I love "Surfin' USA", 5 surf instrumentals is definitely an album padding ploy.

Surfing songs man!! Instrumentals are the go!

[MBE]

I'd say pretty much all of 'Surfin' Safari' bar the title track and 409 are filler. It wasn't uncommon in the early sixties for groups to package one hit around a bunch of afterthoughts and call it an album.

As much as I love "Surfin' USA", 5 surf instrumentals is definitely an album padding ploy.

Perhaps but I like the sound of them. It was a real Surf Music album because of that.

[brother john]

I think it's quite brave of Jeff to identify so many 'second tier' tracks like that. I think we all realise that the BBs weren't entirely consistent in the quality of their output. However, I'd be reluctant to describe all of these as just 'filler' as in the early days BB albums were comprised almost entirely of these tracks, and the genuinely great material was limited sometimes to three or four tracks per album.

In truth, while I'm happy to listen to even the crap stuff on the early BB albums, I'd be sad if we didn't have these from your list:


Ballad Of Ole' Betsy (especially this)

A Young Man Is Gone

Pom-Pom Play Girl (and this)

She's Goin' Bald (actually, and this too!)

Make It Good

[brother john]

And, to be honest I hate to admit that I've tended to consider I'm Waiting For The Day and I Know There's an Answer on PS as filler, though, I guess in comparison to GOK, DT (PYHOMS), WIBN etc. its easy for them to seem inferior.

Hey Jeff, if you fancy compiling a list of filler tracks from post '73 I'd love to see it! 

[chris.metcalfe]

Can I put in a good word for Holland?
It's easy to knock the post-60s stuff, Jack Rieley, etc.... the poetic ramblings, the lack of any real BW input apart from Sailor, etc etc - but in February 1973, that LP really seemed to flow!
Love Wild Honey and Friends throughout too. Surf's Up if only SDT had been chopped for Wouldn't it be nice TLA.