When in their career, if ever, do you stop listening to the beach boys?

[adam78]

I'm not trying to be negative, but today I was listening to 20/20 and realised that on this album, are the first 2 real "oh dear" songs for me as I listen through their catalogue. "all i want to do" and "Bluebirds over the mountain". I think its the absolute dad rockness of them, with the worst guitar tone i've ever heard.

Sure there are some amazing songs still to come on later albums but it's the start of the decline for my taste. I know some people love everything and fair enough, but i certainly seem to have a cut off point. I was just wondering if anyone feels the same and at which point they "lost you"?

[Wirestone]

"I want to know"

A song with which I am unfamiliar.

[37!ws]

As for me...usually The Beach Boys Love You is my cutoff, although I do enjoy a handful of tracks from later..."Good Timin'" every now and again, a handful of tracks from KTSA, "It's Getting Late" (oh, how I wish that production wasn't so 1985!)...and I actually have caught myself enjoying "Rock'n'Roll To The Rescue."

Yeah, I don't like "I Want To Know" either.

[pixletwin]

Beach Boys 85 is just about the only album I can not stand to listen to.

[adam78]

"I want to know"

A song with which I am unfamiliar.

ha! I meant "all i want to do" and was thinking of another song title. Surely proof of how little I regard the song in question...

[buddhahat]

"I want to know"

A song with which I am unfamiliar.

ha! I meant "all i want to do" and was thinking of another song title. Surely proof a how little I regard the song in question...

I was listening to 20/20 yesterday, hoping that it would finally all click and I would be able to love it as an album, but it's always been one of my least favourite from what is my favourite period in their career. It just feels such a hotch potch, even though there are stellar songs on there. I think the two you mention particularly drag it down, although Bluebirds might be much more bearable if it wasn't for the guitar solo.

The point I lose interest is post Love You. The few times I've listened to LA Light Album I've been pretty underwhelmed although I know many here sing its praises.

[Wirestone]

I can find interesting things to listen to in every album. That includes SIP (which I have enjoyed parts of unironically) and Stars and Stripes. No one denies, though, that things get horribly cheesy as the 70s wind down. Any album post Love You is packed with filler and pandering.

But this was also never exactly a fashionable or "hot" band -- with a couple of exceptions -- so I've never found the cheese as offensive as some do.

Consistency was never a hallmark of BB albums, either. Some of the earlier, more car and surf-themed ones are a bit of a slog for me, personally.

[anazgnos]

LA (Light Album) is the cutoff for me.  Never heard MIU in full either, and have no plans to do so.  

[phirnis]

I'm not trying to be negative, but today I was listening to 20/20 and realised that on this album, are the first 2 real "oh dear" songs for me as I listen through their catalogue. "all i want to do" and "Bluebirds over the mountain". I think its the absolute dad rockness of them, with the worst guitar tone i've ever heard.

Sure there are some amazing songs still to come on later albums but it's the start of the decline for my taste. I know some people love everything and fair enough, but i certainly seem to have a cut off point. I was just wondering if anyone feels the same and at which point they "lost you"?

"All I Want to Do" and "Bluebirds" are indeed low points of the late-60s period, but the start of an actual decline? For my personal taste, not even close, considering they still had Sunflower, Surf's Up, CATP, Holland and Love You ahead of them. After that it can get pretty dull, but I still find Light Album, BB85 and Still Cruisin' rather enjoyable (if somewhat inferior to what came before, of course).

[adam78]

I think the two you mention particularly drag it down, although Bluebirds might be much more bearable if it wasn't for the guitar solo.

Yes, the guitar is biggest problem for me.  I think the production on this song handled differently could make it sound a little more like other quirky BB songs that I actually love. The little breakdowns simply produced differently would be great, but as they stand, I kind of wince at them.

[adam78]

I'm not trying to be negative, but today I was listening to 20/20 and realised that on this album, are the first 2 real "oh dear" songs for me as I listen through their catalogue. "all i want to do" and "Bluebirds over the mountain". I think its the absolute dad rockness of them, with the worst guitar tone i've ever heard.

Sure there are some amazing songs still to come on later albums but it's the start of the decline for my taste. I know some people love everything and fair enough, but i certainly seem to have a cut off point. I was just wondering if anyone feels the same and at which point they "lost you"?

"All I Want to Do" and "Bluebirds" are indeed low points of the late-60s period, but the start of an actual decline? For my personal taste, not even close, considering they still had Sunflower, Surf's Up, CATP, Holland and Love You ahead of them. After that it can get pretty dull, but I still find Light Album, BB85 and Still Cruisin' rather enjoyable (if somewhat inferior to what came before, of course).

Yeah, i'm afraid Friends is the last album I could sit through and not jump to the skip button. That definitely is significant for me considering how many others prior I'd never even have to contemplate skipping. Like I said though, there's some amazing music still to be made after this time.

[Roger Ryan]

I agree about "Bluebirds...", but "All I Want To Do" is just so balls-out hilarious (pun intended) that I love listening to it. Note that the track almost reaches for that odd orchestral thing that Dennis did so well just before the x-rated fade. It also has one of the funnier lines in the Beach Boys canon (see the "Beach Boys Lyric That Makes You Laugh" thread).

For me HOLLAND or IN CONCERT is sort of the end of what I liked about the post-Brian-centric version of the band. I'm not too impressed with the two albums marking Brian's return. After that, there are only select songs I actively like and nothing post-1980.

[mammy blue]

The last full BB album I have is Love You, but I have a lot of assorted later tracks on disc 4 of the GV Box Set and in mp3 format. I probably have most of the LA Light album in some format, but I don't necessarily have a strong clamoring to listen to it in sequence. 1977 is sort of the "End of the Show" for me. Not counting the Smile remake, have any albums been released by anyone in the BB camp in the last 34 years that were as good as the two we got (LY, POB) in that last golden year?

[mammy blue]

.

[phirnis]

The last full BB album I have is Love You, but I have a lot of assorted later tracks on disc 4 of the GV Box Set and in mp3 format. I probably have most of the LA Light album in some format, but I don't necessarily have a strong clamoring to listen to it in sequence. 1977 is sort of the "End of the Show" for me. Not counting the Smile remake, have any albums been released by anyone in the BB camp in the last 34 years that were as good as the two we got (LY, POB) in that last golden year?

Personally I think BW88 comes close.

[Roger Ryan]

The last full BB album I have is Love You, but I have a lot of assorted later tracks on disc 4 of the GV Box Set and in mp3 format. I probably have most of the LA Light album in some format, but I don't necessarily have a strong clamoring to listen to it in sequence. 1977 is sort of the "End of the Show" for me. Not counting the Smile remake, have any albums been released by anyone in the BB camp in the last 34 years that were as good as the two we got (LY, POB) in that last golden year?

Well, if we're talking about solo albums, then POB is absolutely brilliant and I feel "Brian Wilson '88", "Orange Crate Art", "That Lucky Old Sun" and "Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin" are all better than anything that came after SURF'S UP in terms of consistency and realization of vision.

[Wirestone]

For that matter, Mike Love Not War (2004), Like a Brother (2000) and Postcard from California (2010)  are all commendable solo (ish) efforts from the rest of the group. All are considerably better than latter-period BB group albums.

[SBonilla]

The Beach Boys Love You and, by extension, My Diane from MIU.

[stack-o-tracks]

LA (Light Album) is the cutoff for me.  Never heard MIU in full either, and have no plans to do so.  

This. And I really only like Dennis' songs off LA.

And aside from a couple tracks here  & there, their career started with Today!

[runnersdialzero]

And aside from a couple tracks here  & there, their career started with Today!

Baww can't get behind that one at all.

[mammy blue]

This. And I really only like Dennis' songs off LA.

And aside from a couple tracks here  & there, their career started with Today!

  All Summer Long? Christmas Album? Shut Down Vol 2 is actually pretty amazing too. I'd give up everything post Surf's Up (the album) before I'd give up everything pre-Today.

[Smilin Ed H]

I listen to them a lot less after Holland and not much at all with regards to MIU, KTSA, 85, Still Cruisin, SIP and the country jamboree.

[phirnis]

This. And I really only like Dennis' songs off LA.

And aside from a couple tracks here  & there, their career started with Today!

  All Summer Long? Christmas Album? Shut Down Vol 2 is actually pretty amazing too. I'd give up everything post Surf's Up (the album) before I'd give up everything pre-Today.

In a way their early material seems to be a bit underrated among hardcore fans...

I'd add Little Deuce Coupe to the list of amazing pre-1965 albums, the first five songs being nothing short of breathtaking!

[BillA]

I stopped after BB85.  I did not buy any of the  post 85 records and outside of maybe "Somewhere Near Japan" I stand by that decision.

I would add, however, that outside of a handful of songs (except LA which has one bad song) that the post "Holland" output that doesn't suck is a guilty pleasure (songs from 15BO and LY).  I would really have to know you well before I would play a post Holland song not written by Carl or Dennis for you.

[BiNNS]

I stopped after BB85.  I did not buy any of the  post 85 records and outside of maybe "Somewhere Near Japan" I stand by that decision.

Exactly what i was going to say.