How to destroy a classic.

[Jason]

merda son, at least Mike & Bruce play the same sections in the same order

Don't feed the troll.

[oldsurferdude]

merda son, at least Mike & Bruce play the same sections in the same order

Don't feed the troll.

Man, you are one clever soul.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Kenny Rogers cover is not too bad. Troggs give a very weird version, but I can't say I hate it. John Stamos is an embarrasment. I like Keith Moon's version of Don't Worry Baby better then the original.

[rab2591]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d46sWCdmees

Mr. Stebbins you have made my night....well it helps that I've had quite a few beers in me...but yeah, that gave me a good laugh.

that video was like Guns N' Roses meets John Stamos....
 

[Chris Brown]

I actually expected Kenny Rogers to be worse - wasn't too bad at all, at least not vocally (visually, well that's another matter entirely...).

That second one was painful, as was Keith Moon's "Don't Worry Baby."

I don't blame Stamos so much for how "Forever" turned out, unless he's the one who came up with that awful bland early 90's power-ballad arrangement.

I like Keith Moon's version of Don't Worry Baby better then the original.

Please tell me you're kidding.

[bgas]

I've tried to find a crappy cover of Disney Girls but amazingly I don't think one exists. Cass, Garfunkel and The Captian have all done decent versions of it.

 I have a demo acetate of Disney Girls with a female lead( from the publishing company) now to find a good turntable, again.  Too bad they didn't get Lulu to sing it. 

   


I like Keith Moon's DWB; he was having a good time, and paying homage to Brian. You can't ruin a great song!  and I imagine Brian liked it too. 

[Custom Machine]

I've tried to find a crappy cover of Disney Girls but amazingly I don't think one exists. Cass, Garfunkel and The Captian have all done decent versions of it.

 I have a demo acetate of Disney Girls with a female lead( from the publishing company) now to find a good turntable, again.  Too bad they didn't get Lulu to sing it.  

    


I like Keith Moon's DWB; he was having a good time, and paying homage to Brian. You can't ruin a great song!  and I imagine Brian liked it too.  

Wait a minute ... you have all this totally cool vinyl and no turntable?  Either grab something new or get on over to eBay right now!  

Stamos' version (or I should say versions, aren't there three different mixes?) of Forever is fine with me.  Not only do I enjoy his rendition(s), but it caused a bunch of people to first hear my all time favorite song, although nothing will ever come anywhere close to Dennis' original version on Sunflower.  It is interesting how Stamos' early 90's version now sounds rather dated, whereas Dennis version from 1970 (actually 1969) still has a timeless quality to it.

Bought both the Keith Moon vers of DWB (on a 45) and the Troggs GV (on an album) when they were first released, just out of curiosity without hearing them first.  All I can say about the Troggs version of GV is that shortly into listening to it I burst out laughing.  It's gotta be done tongue in cheek, and as such, is a fun version to listen to.  In fact, both of these YouTube links were cool, as I had gotten rid of the vinyl years ago. (But I've always kept at least one turntable around.)

[smile-holland]

What about comparing Keith Moon's version of DWB with the Beach Boys live version at Long Beach, 1981?

[Loaf]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vcqB9okP4k

Start exactly at :58

Dear Jesus, is this what passes for a Mike and Bruce show these days? I thought AGD had been telling us how great/improved the show is for the past few years...?

Mike = The Inappropriately Horny Grandpa.

[Roger Ryan]

In the summer of 1976 I happened to see Kenny Rogers perform a set at the Six Flags Over Mid-America amusement park outside of St. Louis. I did not intend to see the show, but I was standing in a very long queue for the Screamin' Eagle roller coaster which overlooked the stage he was performing on. He was a straight nostalgia act at the time and, in addition to singing a few First Edition hits, he filled his set with songs like "Good Vibrations" and "The 59th Street Bridge Song". It amazes me to think how ancient the 60s felt by the mid-70s! Near the end of the performance, he announced he was going to do a new song that hadn't been released yet...and performed "Lucille". I suspect the rock nostalgia numbers like "Good Vibrations" disappeared from his set not long after.

[filledeplage]

In the summer of 1976 I happened to see Kenny Rogers perform a set at the Six Flags Over Mid-America amusement park outside of St. Louis. I did not intend to see the show, but I was standing in a very long queue for the Screamin' Eagle roller coaster which overlooked the stage he was performing on. He was a straight nostalgia act at the time and, in addition to singing a few First Edition hits, he filled his set with songs like "Good Vibrations" and "The 59th Street Bridge Song". It amazes me to think how ancient the 60s felt by the mid-70s! Near the end of the performance, he announced he was going to do a new song that hadn't been released yet...and performed "Lucille". I suspect the rock nostalgia numbers like "Good Vibrations" disappeared from his set not long after.

Roger -
How lucky you are to have seen Kenny sing "Lucille" live!  Great song.  I always wondered when the First Edition arrived on the scene whether they were trying to emulate some type of Beach Boys in a somewhat primitive manner...It was probably very complimentary that people were singing BB stuff on a network show.  At least musicians appreciated the value of the body of work. 

Andrew -

And, I struggle with all this vitriol over Stamos.  I have seen him play with the Boys probably 20 times, and think I have had an open mind.  I don't get all this contrived political correctness with a non-original (a term of angst, for some) band member, introducing the work to a new generation, at least of Americans on a long-running sitcom, whose origins appear to stem from Three Men and a Little Lady (the French version) «Trois Hommes et un couffin» adapted for three little girls.   I think I understand that you struggle with the movie, and are a real stickler (which I truly respect) for historic fidelity.   

Dennis is a sort of mythical James Dean legend.  One can have an idol and be grounded in reality, that you have not "morphed" into that person, despite sitting in their legendary seat from time to time.  It is not the impression I take away from John Stamos.   My sense is that he probably would not want to walk in the troubled shoes that Dennis wore but admires his work as a drummer and songwriter.  Dennis was a beloved but troubled artist, during an era which did have many answers to his problems.  And by "seeing the best" in Dennis, his work was re-released.  The main issue is that Dennis' work not be forgotten.  Who can argue with the merit of a video seen by millions?  This is a high-profile guy who is in a position (enviable, albeit) to make a music video.  He chooses the Beach Boys music.  He could have just as easily chosen the Fab Four!       

Stamos has spun his career in 360 degrees, with live stage work, in addition to his typical role in comedic acting, and it might be a purely American take on a global discussion, and I am not representing that I represent a wholly-American point of view.  I do think that the term "despise" is harsh.  And I don't think that one such as yourself, who has done this wonderful historic documentation on the BB legacy, could despise anyone.  We can hate a work, and review it harshly; we don't have to hate the person.  I don't believe for a split second that you hate anyone.  (I think you are a marshmallow.) Maybe there is a cultural context that I don't understand, as between an American and European perspective. 

But, I have grown to like Stamos, in the context of Mike/Bruce's lineup, as I have the members of Brian's band, and appreciate what they bring to the table.  I have witnessed great kindness John has shown many of the very compromised special needs people who go to the shows, often bringing them onstage to give them a thrill of a lifetime. (I know teachers who won't go near  kids who are not in regular education, who don't know how to communicate with them.)  Stamos has a "approach" with them.  It is a gift.  This is just a fan's observation.  I have not met the man.   

There are many films out there, whether presenting social issues, or purported biographies, which may not be fully what the vision of the project might have been originally.  Or, movies based on books, are often criticized for fidelity, and rightfully so.

Companies can use creative accounting to represent an entirely different story than reality.  I don't know what ended on the cutting floor (or perhaps should have)or what was strung together for the final product and, at this point, it is ancient history; and only a small slice of the 50+ year old pie.  Some of the film has indisputable merit, in terms of scenery and what was going on "at that time" historically, and that is from a teacher's point of view.  The 1960's are now studied in school, in the same manner that we studied the 1940's.

For a layperson, who has not followed the band, and all the minutiae, that many of the more ardent of us have, the contentious scenes, count for little or nothing "when taken as a whole."  What they take away is the global vision of Brian's genius, the fact that it was a family project, that they were enormously successful, and those songs have been ingrained in our culture and have endured.  My kids will often ask me if they 1960's were "that crazy?" - while you are living your life, you just take it all in stride.  That generation would have been looking at their parents (me)and (The Boys, the Beatles, etc.) as the "Over The Hill Gang!"  That made-for-TV drama demonstrates otherwise!   

The details which have become contentious, and, healthily and hotly debated, at least here, would likely be lost as is most information that we learn.  We hear stuff and filter out and forget most of it.  Thank God for that!               

   

   

[shelter]

Wow, that cover by The Troggs is probably the worst cover I've ever heard. Not just the worst BB cover, but the worst cover, period. I actually quite like John Stamos's 'Forever'. Of course it's nowhere near the original, but it's charming. And I love the accordion bit.

Oh, and if you want to know how to destroy a classic album, just listen to this tribute:

[oldsurferdude]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vcqB9okP4k

Start exactly at :58

Dear Jesus, is this what passes for a Mike and Bruce show these days? I thought AGD had been telling us how great/improved the show is for the past few years...?

Mike = The Inappropriately Horny Grandpa.

Real shame that Brian is even related or associated in any way with a dork like this. No small wonder that many didn't take the BBs seriously  over the years.

[hypehat]

Wow, that cover by The Troggs is probably the worst cover I've ever heard. Not just the worst BB cover, but the worst cover, period. I actually quite like John Stamos's 'Forever'. Of course it's nowhere near the original, but it's charming. And I love the accordion bit.

Oh, and if you want to know how to destroy a classic album, just listen to this tribute:

Ah, some of that's ok. Of course, when it's awful, it's freakin' horrible, but the WIBN, Sloop, Pet Sounds, Caroline No are all pretty good. And I love Daniel Johnston, but that GOK was just so misguided - They just should have had him solo and a piano

[HeyJude]

The reason I despise Stamos has nothing to do with his wanting to be Dennis Wilson so much it hurts (although I'll grant, it doesn't do him any favours: Dennis has been dead for over 27 years and he's still cooler than he'll ever be), and everything to do with An American Family.

I’m the last person in the world to ever be a Stamos apologist. (I actually think some of his musical “contributions”, certainly in live shows, are as objectionable as “An American Family”). But I do recall an interview several years back where Stamos seemed to at least passively acknowledge that “An American Family” was a disaster. I can’t find the interview online, but I recall that several years after the movie aired, it was brought up in an interview and Stamos made some sort of comment that seemed to indicate he knew it was not a masterpiece.

Again, none of that excuses the movie. But I at least came away knowing that he knew the movie was not as awesome as he or anybody hoped it would be. Not much consolation, but at least he’s not actively singing the praises of the movie or feeling like it was unappreciated.

At least the 2000 movie joined the 1990 movie in a group of movies worth enjoying for the comedy of errors. My favorite is the scene where Mike Love’s beard is peeling off. I still don’t understand how they couldn’t have re-shot that.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

I actually expected Kenny Rogers to be worse - wasn't too bad at all, at least not vocally (visually, well that's another matter entirely...).

That second one was painful, as was Keith Moon's "Don't Worry Baby."

I don't blame Stamos so much for how "Forever" turned out, unless he's the one who came up with that awful bland early 90's power-ballad arrangement.

I like Keith Moon's version of Don't Worry Baby better then the original.

Please tell me you're kidding.

I am one of the few BB fans that is not a big fan of that song. I like some of that quirky 80s stuff.

[Chris Brown]

I actually expected Kenny Rogers to be worse - wasn't too bad at all, at least not vocally (visually, well that's another matter entirely...).

That second one was painful, as was Keith Moon's "Don't Worry Baby."

I don't blame Stamos so much for how "Forever" turned out, unless he's the one who came up with that awful bland early 90's power-ballad arrangement.

I like Keith Moon's version of Don't Worry Baby better then the original.

Please tell me you're kidding.

I am one of the few BB fans that is not a big fan of that song. I like some of that quirky 80s stuff.

Didn't mean to come across as critical, that's just one of those tracks that I assumed was universally loved - I should know better than to assume that after being around here so long!