What studio album is the third pillar?

[KokoNO]

Figure this would be an interesting discussion. Obviously, Pet Sounds and Smile are the mountains of the Beach Boy catalog for various reasons and are the LPs most synonymous with this band to people. But what album should be considered the third branch of their legacy?

I mean, there's two ways to look at this. We could all be subjective and just pick our third favorite (or favorite that isn't named Pet Sounds or Smile) or we could try and reasonably come up with an objective choice. I mean, the possibilities are pretty endless for the latter. Today? Wild Honey? Friends? Surf's Up?

Just thought I'd get the ball rolling. I'll have to ponder this one a bit myself. It's kind of like when a U2 fan tries to figure out what is on the step right below Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby.

[Mahalo]

U2 matters not...


the answer is Love You.

[Smilin Ed H]

I think they have several pillars, including Love You, Friends, Holland, Surfer Girl and Today.

[Cabinessenceking]

U2 matters not...


the answer is Love You.

I second both of those!
Many will perhaps argue Sunflower. But Love You is certainly the final pillar.

"Brian Wilson is The Beach Boys" - Dennis

Pet Sounds - The greatest emotional album
Smile - The greatest concept album
Love You - The greatest personality album featuring Brian (It's Brian in a nutshell)

 

[Ovi]

I think 'Sunflower' because it gives the listener an idea about what the band could do together, as a whole.

[drbeachboy]

I'd go with:
Today - Best pre-66 album
Sunflower - Best of their 2nd era albums
Love You - Best late era album

[Disney Boy (1985)]

Definately NOT Love You! It's appeal to those not fascinated/sympathetic re Brian's personal history (i.e. non-Beach Boys fanatics) is, i think, considerably more limited than that of many other of their albums. I've played friends Sunflower, Surf's Up, Wild Honey, etc, all of which have met with enthusiastic responses, whereas Love You generally tends to leave 'em slightly baffled ('They sound weird' being at least one remark).

Today! is an absolutely tremendous album, but I'd pick Holland, as it brilliantly demonstrates the talents of every band member, not just Brian, and is therefore make for a more valid and demonstrative choice than picking another entirely Brian-fronted album.

[sockittome]

My vote is for Sunflower and definitely NOT Love You. 

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

My vote is for Sunflower and definitely NOT Love You. 

[Summertime Blooz]

Endless Summer definitely. In terms of impact on their overall career it is unmatched.
If we're only counting original albums then I think it would be Sunflower, even though I personally prefer Today!

[drbeachboy]

Definately NOT Love You! It's appeal to those not fascinated/sympathetic re Brian's personal history (i.e. non-Beach Boys fanatics) is, i think, considerably more limited than that of many other of their albums. I've played friends Sunflower, Surf's Up, Wild Honey, etc, all of which have met with enthusiastic responses, whereas Love You generally tends to leave 'em slightly baffled ('They sound weird' being at least one remark).

Today! is an absolutely tremendous album, but I'd pick Holland, as it brilliantly demonstrates the talents of every band member, not just Brian, and is therefore make for a more valid and demonstrative choice than picking another entirely Brian-fronted album.

Tough to use this as criteria for Love You. Limiting is pigeonholing them. Same with sounding different. This was an album that changed direction a bit. A little edgier, and a more original piece of work. In many ways this was Brian's version of New Wave or more like pre-New Wave. It would have been interesting had The Boys followed that direction instead of going backward with MIU.

[Jon Stebbins]

Pet Sounds and Smile are by far the two most artistically progressive Beach Boys albums. The third most progressive? Pacific Ocean Blue.

[rab2591]

Friends.

I know that a lot of people like Sunflower, I find it beautiful too, but it lacks a certain charm that SMiLE, Pet Sounds, and Friends have. To me Pet Sounds has a deeply depressing and beautiful personality. SMiLE has a quirky baroque personality. Friends has a mature, quirky, beautiful personality.

Sunflower to me is just a mash up of incredible songs. The album has no personality to me. Production-wise it never flowed well to my ears...I love every song on that album, but as a whole it just doesn't flow well, imo.

[The Shift]

Pet Sounds and Smile are by far the two most artistically progressive Beach Boys albums. The third most progressive? Pacific Ocean Blue.

I hear what you're saying but in terms of The Beach Boys my vote has to go for Sunflower.

[Runaways]

My favorite album that isn't ps or smile is today.  But if we're talking progressive, then definitely sunflower.  Though I would suggest POB at the same time

[runnersdialzero]

I don't like Love You out of "sympathy", I like it because... y'know, I genuinely like it.

Also, does Smile really count considering it never saw any kind of official release until 2011 and isn't even a proper studio album?

Also, I've never heard of this "album pillars" thing. Can't say I care much, nor would I find it psychologically satisfying or something to "complete" it.

[thevigilanteoflove]

I don't think I can honestly come up with a studio album that would be considered the third pillar. And I don't know if I would even consider SMiLE and Pet Sounds to be two separate pillars. The way I see it is that The Beach Boys can be divided into 3.5 distinct sections. The first is from Surfin' Safari to Party!. This is their most recognizable era of music to the public, and it is what they have always and will probably always be best know for. Pet Sounds and SMiLE create the second pillar. This is where The Boys, and especially Brian, were at their most creative and imaginative. Some of my favorite, and many would argue some of the  greatest, music ever recorded. The third pillar to me would be from Smiley Smile to Love You. This is where the other members really stepped up their game and helped flesh out The Beach Boys catalog and avoided the curse of using filler like the earliest albums did. The last half-pillar is the post Love You is the phase where The Beach Boys became a caricature of themselves and released some pretty poor albums, in my opinion. I am hoping a new pillar is created this year with the new album and reunion tour, and hopefully they can put something together that is exciting to listen to even years from now just like most of their catalog.

So I know this is probably not at all what you were looking for, but it's just immediately what I thought of when I saw this thread.   

[Lonely Summer]

Definately NOT Love You! It's appeal to those not fascinated/sympathetic re Brian's personal history (i.e. non-Beach Boys fanatics) is, i think, considerably more limited than that of many other of their albums. I've played friends Sunflower, Surf's Up, Wild Honey, etc, all of which have met with enthusiastic responses, whereas Love You generally tends to leave 'em slightly baffled ('They sound weird' being at least one remark).

Today! is an absolutely tremendous album, but I'd pick Holland, as it brilliantly demonstrates the talents of every band member, not just Brian, and is therefore make for a more valid and demonstrative choice than picking another entirely Brian-fronted album.

Agreed. Brian was/is a genius, but he wasn't the whole band. Holland shows what the other guys could do when Brian wasn't around. Now if I wanna scare the s*** out of a new/recent fan of the group....I'll put on Love You, and watch the expression on their face change to "WTF?"

[Ron]

"Surfer Girl"

[Emdeeh]

My third pillar is Sunflower, but the first one isn't PS at all -- it's Wild Honey!

[MyGlove]

well if its fair to put consecutive albums on a pillar:

pet sounds/smile
all summer long/today/summer days
friends/sunflower
love you
smiley smile/wild honey/surfs up
abbey road/rubber soul/20/20
surfer girl/shut down
little deuce coupe/surfin usa/surfin safari




everything else

the way they are listed really is how i connect with them. its hard for me to think of today without all summer long. its almost as if those three are one huge album. and yes listing the beatles albums was a joke 

[Newguy562]

I'd hate to see Love You as the third pillar..it's so goofy/corny(excluding The Night Was So Young)..definitely Today because it's something most people would enjoy not just beach boys fanatics.

[groganb]

Easy:
1. Beach Boys Today
2. Summer Days (And Summer Nights)
3. Pet Sounds
Bim, bam, boom: the height of Brian.

[donald]

MIU
KTSA
SIP
 

[tpesky]

It's hard for me to consider SMILE a pillar....it never came out until 2011? A pillar holds something for support. Artistically progressive....absolutely! 
I'd go with All Summer Long,  (this has always been my favorite BB album) either Today Or Summer Days, and Pet Sounds.