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

[SG7]

I stop with Surf's Up but if I am ever in a later mood, I will play So Tough or Love You.

[MBE]

Hardly listen to anything pre-Today! and nothing after Love You.

This seems too common. You folks are really missing out. To each his own, though (I GUESS.)

Yeah those early albums are pretty darn good. MIU, LA, KTSA are all deeply flawed  (as were Love You and 15 Big Ones) but are worth hearing once in a while.

[Exapno Mapcase]

There's something about the weaker tracks on LA (Goin' South. Sumahama, Lady Lynda, Shortenin' Bread - okay, not Here Comes The Night!) that I like.  I don't get that with the later albums or MIU.

[Zach95]

I stop listening after 1971.  Surf's Up is the end of the line for me, and it leaves me satisfied with the Beach Boys catalog being exceptional until that point. For me, anything up until 1971 is fantastic music, capable of standing up to some of the best artists of that period.  Beyond that...I just can't get into them.  I've tried listening to Love You, it just doesn't do it for me.  I just don't think it's very "mature" or whatever like some of their work during the early 70's.

That in mind, Surf's Up is, in my opinion, one of the greatest Beach Boys album.  Some people here have said it's not cohesive, or just not moving, but I'm just entranced by the music on that album.  Being younger than probably most people on this board, I'm someone who is interested in a lot of modern indie stuff, and willing to expose myself to other "weird" alternative genres.  And for me, Surf's Up fits in this category.  The sounds on it are so progressive...the lyrics are eerie and moving...they're truly poetry (barring Student Demonstration Time  ).  Surf's Up has some progressive rock tones to it, I'm thinking of the interesting (flute?) and guitar solo on Feel Flows, and I absolutely love the Welfare Song.  A Day in The Life of a Tree may be one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard...the lyrics are so haunting, and unlike a lot of people, I take that track very seriously.  Of course, there's Til I Die and Surfs Up, which just add a magnum opus ending to the album.

In addition, Long Promised Road and Disney Girls are also both beautiful tracks.  I think this album really needs to be re-evaluated with some modern insight shed upon it.  It's so advanced...it's really impressive what the group did with this album.  I think a lot of people on this board just aren't intrigued by it because of how "alternative" it really sounds...but for me, it's almost flawless.  Reminds me a bit of Radiohead to be honest...

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I feel the same about the album as well. It's no secret that my favorite period is SS thru Holland, and SU might be my favorite. Depends on the day, I guess.

Hardly listen to anything pre-Today! and nothing after Love You.

I don't really listen to the pre Pet Sounds albums that much, although ASL is actually my favorite pre-PS album.

[anazgnos]

I've been a fan for 11 or 12 years, but it's only in the past few months that I've started seeking out the pre-Today! albums.  They really are uniformly enjoyable.  There are a lot of reasons to treat 1965 as ground zero for "rock album as cohesive statement", and not just from the Beach Boys, but All Summer Long in particular surprised me with how solid it was.

[rab2591]

I've been a fan for 11 or 12 years, but it's only in the past few months that I've started seeking out the pre-Today! albums.  They really are uniformly enjoyable.  There are a lot of reasons to treat 1965 as ground zero for "rock album as cohesive statement", and not just from the Beach Boys, but All Summer Long in particular surprised me with how solid it was.

Surfer Girl is another incredible work....minus a few cheesy songs, it is full of classics.
_____

My cutoff point is at Love You. I haven't bothered to buy MIU or anything past it....I will one of these days to be a completist.

(actually, though I don't have the album, I really dig the song 'Summer In Paradise' (as heard on youtube). Call it a very guilty pleasure, but I really like it! - I only listen to it with noise canceling headphones with the room door locked and house alarm on....just in case )

[mammy blue]

It may be arrogant of me to state this, but I don't think you can fully appreciate the Beach Boys if you don't "get" the All Summer Long album.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

I stop listening after 1971.  Surf's Up is the end of the line for me, and it leaves me satisfied with the Beach Boys catalog being exceptional until that point. For me, anything up until 1971 is fantastic music, capable of standing up to some of the best artists of that period.  Beyond that...I just can't get into them.  I've tried listening to Love You, it just doesn't do it for me.  I just don't think it's very "mature" or whatever like some of their work during the early 70's.

That in mind, Surf's Up is, in my opinion, one of the greatest Beach Boys album.  Some people here have said it's not cohesive, or just not moving, but I'm just entranced by the music on that album.  Being younger than probably most people on this board, I'm someone who is interested in a lot of modern indie stuff, and willing to expose myself to other "weird" alternative genres.  And for me, Surf's Up fits in this category.  The sounds on it are so progressive...the lyrics are eerie and moving...they're truly poetry (barring Student Demonstration Time  ).  Surf's Up has some progressive rock tones to it, I'm thinking of the interesting (flute?) and guitar solo on Feel Flows, and I absolutely love the Welfare Song.  A Day in The Life of a Tree may be one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard...the lyrics are so haunting, and unlike a lot of people, I take that track very seriously.  Of course, there's Til I Die and Surfs Up, which just add a magnum opus ending to the album.

In addition, Long Promised Road and Disney Girls are also both beautiful tracks.  I think this album really needs to be re-evaluated with some modern insight shed upon it.  It's so advanced...it's really impressive what the group did with this album.  I think a lot of people on this board just aren't intrigued by it because of how "alternative" it really sounds...but for me, it's almost flawless.  Reminds me a bit of Radiohead to be honest...

While I couldn't disagree with you more regarding the BBs post 71 stuff (but hey, I'm a Summer In Paradise fan) I can't agree with you MORE regarding Surf's Up!  I find it pleasing that in regards to your age, you probably approached the album without all the "pre-baggage" that a lot of us older fans were likely already steeped in before we ever got around to Surf's Up. The main beef with the album seems to mainly have to do with Student Demonstration Time (how dare Mike Love try to write about something topical) and the fact that Dennis pulled his songs off the project. Fine, that sucks, sure, but he did have 4 songs on Sunflower and then had 2 on CATP and then 2 on Holland, so he didn't exactly get screwed.

I happen to feel that Surf's Up has the best sequence of any post Pet Sounds BBs album. The songs just seem to tell a story when rolled out all together. I would normally have problems with SDT but it just feels SOOOOOOOO perfect coming after Disney Girls. You have Bruce tucking us into bed with warm (yet bittersweet) nostalgia and then suddenly we're torn awake by sirens and Mike Love screaming into a megaphone! I also just LOVE LOVE LOVE that everyone slams Mike for trying to be hip and timely and cool with SDT when all he's really saying is "Hey, I know we're fed up with all this merda, but if there's a demonstration going on, you'd better stay home or the cops are gonna beat your ass or even worse: shoot you." !!!!!!

Mike just can't help being anything other than Mike and I love it.

[Zach95]

I stop listening after 1971.  Surf's Up is the end of the line for me, and it leaves me satisfied with the Beach Boys catalog being exceptional until that point. For me, anything up until 1971 is fantastic music, capable of standing up to some of the best artists of that period.  Beyond that...I just can't get into them.  I've tried listening to Love You, it just doesn't do it for me.  I just don't think it's very "mature" or whatever like some of their work during the early 70's.

That in mind, Surf's Up is, in my opinion, one of the greatest Beach Boys album.  Some people here have said it's not cohesive, or just not moving, but I'm just entranced by the music on that album.  Being younger than probably most people on this board, I'm someone who is interested in a lot of modern indie stuff, and willing to expose myself to other "weird" alternative genres.  And for me, Surf's Up fits in this category.  The sounds on it are so progressive...the lyrics are eerie and moving...they're truly poetry (barring Student Demonstration Time  ).  Surf's Up has some progressive rock tones to it, I'm thinking of the interesting (flute?) and guitar solo on Feel Flows, and I absolutely love the Welfare Song.  A Day in The Life of a Tree may be one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard...the lyrics are so haunting, and unlike a lot of people, I take that track very seriously.  Of course, there's Til I Die and Surfs Up, which just add a magnum opus ending to the album.

In addition, Long Promised Road and Disney Girls are also both beautiful tracks.  I think this album really needs to be re-evaluated with some modern insight shed upon it.  It's so advanced...it's really impressive what the group did with this album.  I think a lot of people on this board just aren't intrigued by it because of how "alternative" it really sounds...but for me, it's almost flawless.  Reminds me a bit of Radiohead to be honest...

While I couldn't disagree with you more regarding the BBs post 71 stuff (but hey, I'm a Summer In Paradise fan) I can't agree with you MORE regarding Surf's Up!  I find it pleasing that in regards to your age, you probably approached the album without all the "pre-baggage" that a lot of us older fans were likely already steeped in before we ever got around to Surf's Up. The main beef with the album seems to mainly have to do with Student Demonstration Time (how dare Mike Love try to write about something topical) and the fact that Dennis pulled his songs off the project. Fine, that sucks, sure, but he did have 4 songs on Sunflower and then had 2 on CATP and then 2 on Holland, so he didn't exactly get screwed.

I happen to feel that Surf's Up has the best sequence of any post Pet Sounds BBs album. The songs just seem to tell a story when rolled out all together. I would normally have problems with SDT but it just feels SOOOOOOOO perfect coming after Disney Girls. You have Bruce tucking us into bed with warm (yet bittersweet) nostalgia and then suddenly we're torn awake by sirens and Mike Love screaming into a megaphone! I also just LOVE LOVE LOVE that everyone slams Mike for trying to be hip and timely and cool with SDT when all he's really saying is "Hey, I know we're fed up with all this merda, but if there's a demonstration going on, you'd better stay home or the cops are gonna beat your ass or even worse: shoot you." !!!!!!

Mike just can't help being anything other than Mike and I love it.

Yes! I agree with you on the point of the sequencing! It flows so nicely...and it really helps expose the underlying themes of the album. In regards to the age thing, yeah, I had no preconceived feelings going into Surf's Up.  I'm only sixteen, and I've been a Beach Boys fan my whole life, but I've also been exposed to just so much music.  So when I heard the sounds on Surf's Up, I was really amazed the GROUP achieved these sounds in 1971, and not just Brian Wilson (and I'm definitely a HUGE Brian Wilson fan).  And about Student Demonstration Time! Yeah! I agree with you there too! I'm no fan of Mike Love, but that track does fit, and the whole megaphone voice thing I think is an interesting touch, especially just after Disney Girls.  Would I have preferred one of Dennis's songs to it on the album? Probably, I really love 4th of July.  But what's there is there, and I think what's there is really amazing.

[positivemusic]

I've listened to all, including the Symphonic Sounds album. More than likely I usually listen to anything from Surfer Girl on up, but I mainly listen to Today! through Love You all the way through each album. After that, its more a track-by-track basis: "My Diane," "Match Point Of Our Love," all Dennis' vocals on L.A., as well as "Good Timin,'" and "Shortnin' Bread." "Keepin' The Summer Alive," "Goin' On," "Still Surfin'," "Lahaina Aloha." I can usually listen to The Beach Boys '85 and Still Cruisin' all the way through and on occasion, different latter day tracks will creep in there.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

I stop listening after 1971.  Surf's Up is the end of the line for me, and it leaves me satisfied with the Beach Boys catalog being exceptional until that point. For me, anything up until 1971 is fantastic music, capable of standing up to some of the best artists of that period.  Beyond that...I just can't get into them.  I've tried listening to Love You, it just doesn't do it for me.  I just don't think it's very "mature" or whatever like some of their work during the early 70's.

That in mind, Surf's Up is, in my opinion, one of the greatest Beach Boys album.  Some people here have said it's not cohesive, or just not moving, but I'm just entranced by the music on that album.  Being younger than probably most people on this board, I'm someone who is interested in a lot of modern indie stuff, and willing to expose myself to other "weird" alternative genres.  And for me, Surf's Up fits in this category.  The sounds on it are so progressive...the lyrics are eerie and moving...they're truly poetry (barring Student Demonstration Time  ).  Surf's Up has some progressive rock tones to it, I'm thinking of the interesting (flute?) and guitar solo on Feel Flows, and I absolutely love the Welfare Song.  A Day in The Life of a Tree may be one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard...the lyrics are so haunting, and unlike a lot of people, I take that track very seriously.  Of course, there's Til I Die and Surfs Up, which just add a magnum opus ending to the album.

In addition, Long Promised Road and Disney Girls are also both beautiful tracks.  I think this album really needs to be re-evaluated with some modern insight shed upon it.  It's so advanced...it's really impressive what the group did with this album.  I think a lot of people on this board just aren't intrigued by it because of how "alternative" it really sounds...but for me, it's almost flawless.  Reminds me a bit of Radiohead to be honest...

While I couldn't disagree with you more regarding the BBs post 71 stuff (but hey, I'm a Summer In Paradise fan) I can't agree with you MORE regarding Surf's Up!  I find it pleasing that in regards to your age, you probably approached the album without all the "pre-baggage" that a lot of us older fans were likely already steeped in before we ever got around to Surf's Up. The main beef with the album seems to mainly have to do with Student Demonstration Time (how dare Mike Love try to write about something topical) and the fact that Dennis pulled his songs off the project. Fine, that sucks, sure, but he did have 4 songs on Sunflower and then had 2 on CATP and then 2 on Holland, so he didn't exactly get screwed.

I happen to feel that Surf's Up has the best sequence of any post Pet Sounds BBs album. The songs just seem to tell a story when rolled out all together. I would normally have problems with SDT but it just feels SOOOOOOOO perfect coming after Disney Girls. You have Bruce tucking us into bed with warm (yet bittersweet) nostalgia and then suddenly we're torn awake by sirens and Mike Love screaming into a megaphone! I also just LOVE LOVE LOVE that everyone slams Mike for trying to be hip and timely and cool with SDT when all he's really saying is "Hey, I know we're fed up with all this merda, but if there's a demonstration going on, you'd better stay home or the cops are gonna beat your ass or even worse: shoot you." !!!!!!

Mike just can't help being anything other than Mike and I love it.

Yes! I agree with you on the point of the sequencing! It flows so nicely...and it really helps expose the underlying themes of the album. In regards to the age thing, yeah, I had no preconceived feelings going into Surf's Up.  I'm only sixteen, and I've been a Beach Boys fan my whole life, but I've also been exposed to just so much music.  So when I heard the sounds on Surf's Up, I was really amazed the GROUP achieved these sounds in 1971, and not just Brian Wilson (and I'm definitely a HUGE Brian Wilson fan).  And about Student Demonstration Time! Yeah! I agree with you there too! I'm no fan of Mike Love, but that track does fit, and the whole megaphone voice thing I think is an interesting touch, especially just after Disney Girls.  Would I have preferred one of Dennis's songs to it on the album? Probably, I really love 4th of July.  But what's there is there, and I think what's there is really amazing.

Sums up The Beach Boys career quite nicely in one neat sentence! 

[positivemusic]

I stop listening after 1971.  Surf's Up is the end of the line for me, and it leaves me satisfied with the Beach Boys catalog being exceptional until that point. For me, anything up until 1971 is fantastic music, capable of standing up to some of the best artists of that period.  Beyond that...I just can't get into them.  I've tried listening to Love You, it just doesn't do it for me.  I just don't think it's very "mature" or whatever like some of their work during the early 70's.

That in mind, Surf's Up is, in my opinion, one of the greatest Beach Boys album.  Some people here have said it's not cohesive, or just not moving, but I'm just entranced by the music on that album.  Being younger than probably most people on this board, I'm someone who is interested in a lot of modern indie stuff, and willing to expose myself to other "weird" alternative genres.  And for me, Surf's Up fits in this category.  The sounds on it are so progressive...the lyrics are eerie and moving...they're truly poetry (barring Student Demonstration Time  ).  Surf's Up has some progressive rock tones to it, I'm thinking of the interesting (flute?) and guitar solo on Feel Flows, and I absolutely love the Welfare Song.  A Day in The Life of a Tree may be one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard...the lyrics are so haunting, and unlike a lot of people, I take that track very seriously.  Of course, there's Til I Die and Surfs Up, which just add a magnum opus ending to the album.

In addition, Long Promised Road and Disney Girls are also both beautiful tracks.  I think this album really needs to be re-evaluated with some modern insight shed upon it.  It's so advanced...it's really impressive what the group did with this album.  I think a lot of people on this board just aren't intrigued by it because of how "alternative" it really sounds...but for me, it's almost flawless.  Reminds me a bit of Radiohead to be honest...

While I couldn't disagree with you more regarding the BBs post 71 stuff (but hey, I'm a Summer In Paradise fan) I can't agree with you MORE regarding Surf's Up!  I find it pleasing that in regards to your age, you probably approached the album without all the "pre-baggage" that a lot of us older fans were likely already steeped in before we ever got around to Surf's Up. The main beef with the album seems to mainly have to do with Student Demonstration Time (how dare Mike Love try to write about something topical) and the fact that Dennis pulled his songs off the project. Fine, that sucks, sure, but he did have 4 songs on Sunflower and then had 2 on CATP and then 2 on Holland, so he didn't exactly get screwed.

I happen to feel that Surf's Up has the best sequence of any post Pet Sounds BBs album. The songs just seem to tell a story when rolled out all together. I would normally have problems with SDT but it just feels SOOOOOOOO perfect coming after Disney Girls. You have Bruce tucking us into bed with warm (yet bittersweet) nostalgia and then suddenly we're torn awake by sirens and Mike Love screaming into a megaphone! I also just LOVE LOVE LOVE that everyone slams Mike for trying to be hip and timely and cool with SDT when all he's really saying is "Hey, I know we're fed up with all this merda, but if there's a demonstration going on, you'd better stay home or the cops are gonna beat your ass or even worse: shoot you." !!!!!!

Mike just can't help being anything other than Mike and I love it.

Yes! I agree with you on the point of the sequencing! It flows so nicely...and it really helps expose the underlying themes of the album. In regards to the age thing, yeah, I had no preconceived feelings going into Surf's Up.  I'm only sixteen, and I've been a Beach Boys fan my whole life, but I've also been exposed to just so much music.  So when I heard the sounds on Surf's Up, I was really amazed the GROUP achieved these sounds in 1971, and not just Brian Wilson (and I'm definitely a HUGE Brian Wilson fan).  And about Student Demonstration Time! Yeah! I agree with you there too! I'm no fan of Mike Love, but that track does fit, and the whole megaphone voice thing I think is an interesting touch, especially just after Disney Girls.  Would I have preferred one of Dennis's songs to it on the album? Probably, I really love 4th of July.  But what's there is there, and I think what's there is really amazing.

Sums up The Beach Boys career quite nicely in one neat sentence! 

Agree completely!

[JK]

It's encouraging to see such a wide range of likes and dislikes, all of which are valid (obviously!!), instead of blindly embracing everything Beach Boys.

I think the pre-Today! period is full of the most wonderful stuff. I have no trouble at all with the "sea" of instrumentals on Surfin' USA----it reflects a facet of BB music that regrettably was to be short-lived but should not be underestimated: the Carl--Dave guitar machine. 

[anazgnos]

I find it a little weird to treat Surf's Up as a cutoff, as I've always seen it as just a transitional record.  It has a little of the sonic sheen of Sunflower but it's really ground zero for the beard era. Sunflower still has lots of Capitol DNA in the production and pop leanings, but Surf's Up is where they really committed to the way of granola.  So Sunflower and Holland make perfect sense to me as cutoffs, since after each certain tendencies were forever left behind, but Surf's Up seems like the beginning of a certain approach, not the end, so it doesn't make sense to me as a stopping point.

[Newguy562]

15BO: Everyone's In Love with You, Had to Phone Ya, Just Once in My Life
MIU: Belles of Paris, Sweet Sunday Love, My Diane, Match Point
LALA: Good Timin, Baby Blue, Sumahama
KTSA: KTSA, Sunshine, Endless Harmony
BB85: Getche Back, Where I Belong, Male Ego
SC: Kokamo, Somewhere Near Japan, Make it Big
SIP: Slow Summer Dancin, SIP

What about It's Ok? ..I Do Love You?

[Peter Reum]

For BBs stuff....for me it ends with The Levine produced lp...lots of good solo stuff though!

[Andrew G. Doe]

Never stopped listening to the BB - it's what I do: it's what I have to do - but pretty much stopped enjoying it anything more than sporadically round about 1977, and post-Love You. That was the last album released under the BB banner that I found more than 85% satisfying.

[CarCrazyCutie]

I start getting slightly disinterested after Love You, but it's after Keepin' The Summer Alive (& Dennis' death) where I officially draw the line.


Though I will admit I enjoy listening to Carl's parts on Still Cruisin' and (God help me) Kokomo. That boy could make the phone book sound good

[Ron]

Basically, I stop listening to their albums after I wear them out.  So for instance, I hardly ever listen to SMiLe, Pet Sounds, or Love You anymore.  I've heard every friekin' song a million times.  They're still great, it's just I don't need the record, I could play it all in my head! 

So for me, it's not about a time period, although some were certainly better than others, I enjoy all their music but stop listening to things I've heard a million times.  I'll listen to about any of their stuff, although I don't own a couple of the late albums, I need to pick them up though. 

Some people are missing the boat on the early stuff, though, one of my favorite things about the band is that the genius that they reached later, was there in glimses from the very beginning.  The Surfer Girl album in particular is very good. 

[Zach95]

I believe earlier in this thread I stated Surf's Up was my personal stopping point.  I'd just like to go on the record and change that to Holland  Man, I love Holland. Never really took a deep look into it though until recently. So after Holland, I'm done, with the occasional track from Love You.

[Awesoman]

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"?

I'm not sure if I understand the question, but I haven't been listening to the Beach Boys nearly as regularly as I was about 10-15 years ago.  Back then it was Beach Boys / Beatles all the way for me.  My tastes have expanded since then.  I listen to a lot more stuff now.  The Beach Boys are still among my all-time favorites though.

[Pretty Funky]

Next Sunday.

But just for the day!

(just kidding BTW)

[Newguy562]

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"?

I'm not sure if I understand the question, but I haven't been listening to the Beach Boys nearly as regularly as I was about 10-15 years ago.  Back then it was Beach Boys / Beatles all the way for me.  My tastes have expanded since then.  I listen to a lot more stuff now.  The Beach Boys are still among my all-time favorites though.

who's your top groups?

[Awesoman]

who's your top groups?

The Beach Boys and Beatles are still at the top, but I have been listening to a lot more since I was in high school (back in the 90's).  I'm also big on the following: Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Chicago (their early horn-rock stuff), Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Bill Champlin, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, U2, Old & In The Way, CSN+Y, Pink Floyd, EWF, John Fogerty (CCR and solo), the Eagles, and many many others.