Worst Beach Boy Song

[Zargo]

There is no question, no contest, nothing to discuss.

It is Summer of Love. Full stop.

Mike rapping. A hook stolen from an earlier (yet still lame) Brian Wilson song. Digital-lite production that sounds like the audio equivalent of one of those crappy 3D Magic Eye pictures -- yet it never resolves into anything recognizable.

Agreed. Embarrassing. I love "strange things happen' though, and a few other tracks on the album. Not a hater of Summer in Paradise at all, just this particular track.

[Quzi]

I can't think of my least favourite Beach Boys song, but the one that I hate that everybody else seems to adore is Long Promised Road. I cannot for the life of me get into this one. I've always imagined Carl standing at the mic ready to record to lead vocals when suddenly Jack Reilly hands him a sheet of freshly penned prose and then darts to the control booth, gives Carl a thumbs up and presses record. Carl is left to force the 'lyrics' into the most contrived performances of his life.

Some parts are really pretty (such as the section that starts 1:20), but as a whole, the song makes me cringe harder than anything else from the 62-73 era. If I was looking for a '71 Carl Wilson masterpiece, I'd go straight to Feel Flows. It does everything LPR does, just effectively.

[Freddie French-Pounce]

There is no question, no contest, nothing to discuss.

It is Summer of Love. Full stop.

Mike rapping. A hook stolen from an earlier (yet still lame) Brian Wilson song. Digital-lite production that sounds like the audio equivalent of one of those crappy 3D Magic Eye pictures -- yet it never resolves into anything recognizable.

Awful beyond measure. And Brian appears in the video! Astonishing.

LISTEN: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBFsJk6PWu0

I have to agree with your there, apart from the fact the darn song sticks in your head!

as a side note, about a year ago the SOL video was removed from YouTube (I think the guy's account got deleted), but I had downloaded the video from that previously, and so my friend uploaded it - some might say I saved a piece of beach boys history, while others may say I soiled the internet!

[Alan Smith]

Lana

A thing or 2 (sep'r'tly good songs)

Make it good

Hold on Dear Bro

Winds of Change

Goin' South

When Girl's

Endless Harmony

Passing Friend (There's nothing worse...)

Lady Liberty

Crock-a-dial Rock

[lance]

Yeah, a lot of these songs are pretty good. I even think passing friend is ok, certainly there are worse. Make it Big annoys me. Happy Endings is pretty cheesy. Summer of Love and the Surfin' cover on SIP. Lady Liberty has no real reason to exist.

[Wirestone]

See, that's the thing. There are a lot of different types of bad Beach Boys songs.

1.) There are the early, filler tracks. Things like Surf Jam or Denny's Drums or the talking tracks.

2.) There are the Brian things that are just hard to listen to, even if they have cool ideas or chords changes -- "A Day in the Life of a Tree" or "Love is a Woman," for example.

3.) There are the cheese-tastic covers -- much of 15 Big Ones.

4.) There are the songs that are just plain boring -- lots of songs on MIU, "Going South," "Happy Endings," "Passing Friend" and the like.

5.) Then there are the so awful you cant ever forget them songs -- songs that may actually be catchy in the midst of their bad taste. "Summer of Love." "Smart Girls." "Wrinkes." "Battle Hymn of the Republic." Songs that you're astonished were ever recorded.

[Sie W]

Transcendental Meditation could do with out that song, Brian's vocal really grates on me.

[Eric Aniversario]

I'd say "Crocodile Rock" and "Passing Friend" are the strongest contenders in my book.

[Cabinessenceking]

Problem Child

+1

+2

[runnersdialzero]

I'll again say that anyone naming anything before 1980 or so is on drugs. ^_^

[MBE]

I'll again say that anyone naming anything before 1980 or so is on drugs. ^_^

Maybe the 1979 "Here Comes The Night" would be my only real contender.

[runnersdialzero]

I'll again say that anyone naming anything before 1980 or so is on drugs. ^_^

Maybe the 1979 "Here Comes The Night" would be my only real contender.

Good point - anything before 1979, rather.

[lance]

what about Kono Coast or Rock and roll music. rock an roll music sounds like the aural equivalent of an old alcoholic's stale body odor after having pissed himself countless times. but that's just me. Or that Loop-de-Loop Christmass song.

[Paulos]

Take A Load Off Your Feet - I hate it even more than Student Demonstration Time and that takes some doing. California Calling, Everyone's In Love With You and TM Song are also horrifyingly bad, as is virtually all of Summer In Paradise.

[Alan Smith]

I'll again say that anyone naming anything before 1980 or so is on drugs. ^_^

Maybe the 1979 "Here Comes The Night" would be my only real contender.

Good point - anything before 1979, rather.

What, you're green-lighting Winds of Change?

[D409]

That Summer Of Love video is brilliant in its sheer awfulness...

I'm not imagining the use of samples of "Some Of Your Love" from KTSA in the chorus am I ?

[MarcellaHasDirtyFeet]

Ya know, I think I should probably stop pretending I have any kind of discerning taste in music. I love Passing Friend, It's Gettin Late and other bits of the early 80s cheese. I can't explain it, other than my love for Carl's voice. But on a warm spring day, car windows open, cruising around, I blare those mo'fos and sing along. And I HATE 80s music.

Damn you, Beach Boys! You've compromised my ability to hate on cheesy music!

[Runaways]

There is no question, no contest, nothing to discuss.

It is Summer of Love. Full stop.

Mike rapping. A hook stolen from an earlier (yet still lame) Brian Wilson song. Digital-lite production that sounds like the audio equivalent of one of those crappy 3D Magic Eye pictures -- yet it never resolves into anything recognizable.

Awful beyond measure. And Brian appears in the video! Astonishing.

LISTEN: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBFsJk6PWu0

holy sh*t holy sh*t holy sh*t.  how did you fans get through all this 

[Wild-Honey]

Sumahama.   The melody is not so bad it's just the relentless overuse of the word Sumuhama.  lalala sumahama, lalalala sumahama.....   I seriously want to go postal upon hearing it

[Shady]

I'll never get the hate for Sumahama, quality track

[rab2591]

There is no question, no contest, nothing to discuss.

It is Summer of Love. Full stop.

Mike rapping. A hook stolen from an earlier (yet still lame) Brian Wilson song. Digital-lite production that sounds like the audio equivalent of one of those crappy 3D Magic Eye pictures -- yet it never resolves into anything recognizable.

Awful beyond measure. And Brian appears in the video! Astonishing.

LISTEN: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBFsJk6PWu0

holy sh*t holy sh*t holy sh*t.  how did you fans get through all this 

That video is terrible. That drum intro sounded like the beginning of Rick Astley's 'Never Gonna Give You Up' - only I much prefer Astley's song over this!

[Mike's Beard]

Greatest comedy video of all time!! Let's see; Mike rapping, Al's balding ponytail, Stamos and that awful drumkit, miserable looking Brian, cheerleader Bruce, backing band consisting mainly of mullet sporting douches, bunch of mostly average looking 'hotties' bumping and grinding around 'The Lovester' for a paycheck.... this video has it all!!!

[Cabinessenceking]

what about Kono Coast or Rock and roll music. rock an roll music sounds like the aural equivalent of an old alcoholic's stale body odor after having pissed himself countless times. but that's just me. Or that Loop-de-Loop Christmass song.

Wow i forgot about that late-70's christmas album, there is so much sh*t on that!

Loop-de-loop... thank goodness Jack Reily pulled Al from that mess. Maybe his action caused Al to wear the 'Stay Clean With Al Jardine' shirt LOL!

[hypehat]

Ya know, I think I should probably stop pretending I have any kind of discerning taste in music. I love Passing Friend, It's Gettin Late and other bits of the early 80s cheese. I can't explain it, other than my love for Carl's voice. But on a warm spring day, car windows open, cruising around, I blare those motherblueboarders and sing along. And I HATE 80s music.

Damn you, Beach Boys! You've compromised my ability to hate on cheesy music!

Feel no shame for loving It's Gettin' Late. That song is probably the single best song they did in the 80's.

[Myk Luhv]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned "Hey Little Tomboy", either of them! "Student Demonstration Time" is terrible if only for Mike's awful lyrics, he should've let Dennis (or Dennis and a collaborator) write 'em instead. "Everyone's In Love With You" is pretty bad too. Having never listened to anything beyond Love You substantially, I cannot comment but I suspect it gets much, much worse based on what I have heard...

I'm sorry Wirestone but I think "Tree" is a great song, I can even get into J. R.'s... talking, haha. The tag alone should be enough to save the entirety of the song because goshdarn that is a monstrously excellent ending!

This is probably the wrong thread but I kinda dig "Michael, Row That Boat Ashore" too, it's so ethereal!