Why No Love For Kokomo ?

[Ziggy Stardust]

Not but seriously, not hate for Kokomo for me, i kinda caught myself singin' it sometimes,
but seriously ? in the top 10 Beach Boys songs ? what is wrong with this board.

The sax is what does it for me, as well. It seems like every cheesy song in the 80s had a sax solo.

It is what we call a commercial formula.

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[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

It's in the top 10 because it was a significant and meaningful hit for the band well past when they'd been basically written off as an oldies nostalgia act (as if there's really anything wrong with such a thing). I don't see any big deal that Brian wasn't involved, other than his feelings being hurt. At that point the band had several fantastic songs under their belt with little or no Brian involvement. The track is insanely catchy. I still don't quite understand how something so simple as the drums coming in for that single hit before the chorus is so damn appealing, but it is, and the Beach Boys career is rife with such instances. The lyrics might be corny, but they are nowhere near as lame as say, Kona Coast, or as creepy as Roller Skating Child or Hey Little Tomboy. Mike sounds great in his medium tenor voice for the verses, and of course Carl kills on the chorus. Those voices and a catchy song with just the right (if yes 80's: but hell it WAS the 80's) production had spelled hit after hit in the past and here it did it again. The song is something to be proud of by all involved. I consider it way less dated and cheesy as some of the more "serious" and introspective/earnest or "hip" or "fun" hits of that year like:

"Hold On To The Nights," Richard Marx
"Groovy Kind Of Love," Phil Collins
 "Anything For You," Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine
"Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car," Billy Ocean
"Roll With It," Steve Winwood
"Every Rose Has Its Thorn," Poison
"Seasons Change," Expose
"Baby I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley," Will to Power (GAG)
"Could've Been," Tiffany
"Never Gonna Give You Up," Rick Astley (If Astley can be awesomely cheesy, so can the Beach Boys)
"Hungry Eyes," Eric Carmen
Bad Medicine," Bon Jovi
"Don't Worry Be Happy," Bobby McFerrin
"I'll Always Love You," Taylor Dayne
"Endless Summer Nights," Richard Marx
"Naughty Girls (Need Love Too)," Samantha Fox
"Foolish Beat," Debbie Gibson
"Tell It To My Heart," Taylor Dayne
 "Shattered Dreams," Johnny Hates Jazz
 "She's Like The Wind," Patrick Swayze & Wendy Fraser
"Make It Real," The Jets
"Waiting For A Star To Fall," Boy Meets Girl
"Hands To Heaven," Breathe

See, The Beach Boys kicked everyone's ass that year, IMHO!

(though there were some great songs that hit big that year)

[Ziggy Stardust]

[runnersdialzero]

"Hold On To The Nights," Richard Marx
"Groovy Kind Of Love," Phil Collins
 "Anything For You," Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine
"Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car," Billy Ocean
"Roll With It," Steve Winwood
"Every Rose Has Its Thorn," Poison
"Seasons Change," Expose
"Baby I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley," Will to Power (GAG)
"Could've Been," Tiffany
"Never Gonna Give You Up," Rick Astley (If Astley can be awesomely cheesy, so can the Beach Boys)
"Hungry Eyes," Eric Carmen
Bad Medicine," Bon Jovi
"Don't Worry Be Happy," Bobby McFerrin
"I'll Always Love You," Taylor Dayne
"Endless Summer Nights," Richard Marx
"Naughty Girls (Need Love Too)," Samantha Fox
"Foolish Beat," Debbie Gibson
"Tell It To My Heart," Taylor Dayne
 "Shattered Dreams," Johnny Hates Jazz
 "She's Like The Wind," Patrick Swayze & Wendy Fraser
"Make It Real," The Jets
"Waiting For A Star To Fall," Boy Meets Girl
"Hands To Heaven," Breathe

Why did you post the lyrics to "Heart Songs" by Weezer.

[rogerlancelot]

"I Can Hear Music" has no Brian involvement. I bet he's not on "Only With You" either.....

An interesting thing happened at the concert I saw in Vegas: Brian looked like he was playing and singing along with "Kokomo" at the start of the encore set and just suddenly STOPPED. It creeped me out actually. Other than that incident he seemed okay.

[lance]

Kokomo is alright. I liked it when it came out, I was happy when it hit number one and I think it is ok now. But it's undeniably cheesy and there is no doubt that, well-crafted though it be, it was and is one more nail crucifying the Beach Boys career to a cross.

OK, that is  pretty bad metaphor, but I hope you know what I mean.

[DonnyL]

You could seriously write a book about this.

What is the difference between California and Florida?

I don't hate 'Kokomo'. It just doesn't have much to do with the Beach Boys that came before it, and it's success is partially responsible for everything that has been 'wrong' with the Beach Boys after it.

The real question is, 'What is wrong with Summer in Paradise?' Without 'Kokomo', there would have been no SIP.

It's sort of like a Beach Boys parody, dressed up for the '80s and on a tropical vacation. The problem is it's very catchy and the song itself is good.

Subsequently, it seems that Mike Love and Terry Melcher decided it would be a good idea to formulate a series of recordings that were all dolled up in the same packaging but without any of the musical appeal. The Beach Boys went along with this because 'Kokomo' was so successful.

So it kind of created a new 'industry' for the group, partially replacing the old one. This new industry was one in which Brian Wilson was an optional, disposable participant, and Mike Love assumed a true leadership role.

Remnants of this industry remain in the Beach Boys' world, and when it comes out here and there, it kind of makes certain kinds of fans a little uncomfortable.

[Jonathan Blum]

The real question is, 'What is wrong with Summer in Paradise?' Without 'Kokomo', there would have been no SIP.

Without "Surfin'" there would have been no SIP either.  Is that a reason to despise "Surfin'"?

Cheers,
Jon Blum

[Ziggy Stardust]

The real question is, 'What is wrong with Summer in Paradise?' Without 'Kokomo', there would have been no SIP.

Without "Surfin'" there would have been no SIP either.  Is that a reason to despise "Surfin'"?

Cheers,
Jon Blum

That is one very long way... you're taking things too far here, Donny was actually very correct.

[Autotune]

Hardcore fans' hatred towards Kokomo is similar to their hate for surfboards onstage, or new attempts at beach imagery. They think that the BBs should be massively appreciated for the darker stuff they dig, but they aren't. Kokomo is the nail on the coffin of fans' last hopes for massively validating their tastes. It's a reminder of who the BBs are and what they're about. And many people can't get over it.

[Ziggy Stardust]

hA, there is my Lenny! hat3rsz gna h8 mah boi!

[Amy B.]

Hardcore fans' hatred towards Kokomo is similar to their hate for surfboards onstage, or new attempts at beach imagery. They think that the BBs should be massively appreciated for the darker stuff they dig, but they aren't. Kokomo is the nail on the coffin of fans' last hopes for massively validating their tastes. It's a reminder of who the BBs are and what they're about. And many people can't get over it.

Also, it's not a very good song.
But it was better than some of the other stuff on the radio at the time. I'll say that for it.

[Autotune]

Hardcore fans' hatred towards Kokomo is similar to their hate for surfboards onstage, or new attempts at beach imagery. They think that the BBs should be massively appreciated for the darker stuff they dig, but they aren't. Kokomo is the nail on the coffin of fans' last hopes for massively validating their tastes. It's a reminder of who the BBs are and what they're about. And many people can't get over it.

Also, it's not a very good song.
But it was better than some of the other stuff on the radio at the time. I'll say that for it.

I say it's not worse than Help Me Rhonda.

[runnersdialzero]

It's a reminder of who the BBs are and what they're about. And many people can't get over it.

Wait, what? The Beach Boys were basically never about "tropical" feel-good island music about vacations and "getting away from it all" before this. If you go to the stereotypes about the band - no cars, no surfing, no expression of anything profound, no girls, not even anything about California. It's just "Hey, let's get totally shitfaced and sunburnt in a "tropical paradise" and listen to Jimmy Buffet all day." What Beach Boys song prior to that expressed such things? How was it a reminder of who they are and what they're about?

[Ziggy Stardust]

Kokomo, a real return to their roots, classic Beach Boys stuff man.

[Autotune]

It's a reminder of who the BBs are and what they're about. And many people can't get over it.

Wait, what? The Beach Boys were basically never about "tropical" feel-good island music about vacations and "getting away from it all" before this. If you go to the stereotypes about the band - no cars, no surfing, no expression of anything profound, no girls, not even anything about California. It's just "Hey, let's get totally shitfaced and sunburnt in a "tropical paradise" and listen to Jimmy Buffet all day." What Beach Boys song prior to that expressed such things? How was it a reminder of who they are and what they're about?

...in that they are a beach-loving harmony group to the eyes of the record-buying public.

[D409]

Kokomo actually sounds like a Beach Boys song, or to put it another way - Joe Public's perception of what a Beach Boys song sounds like.

[RadBooley]

It's a reminder of who the BBs are and what they're about. And many people can't get over it.

Wait, what? The Beach Boys were basically never about "tropical" feel-good island music about vacations and "getting away from it all" before this. If you go to the stereotypes about the band - no cars, no surfing, no expression of anything profound, no girls, not even anything about California. It's just "Hey, let's get totally shitfaced and sunburnt in a "tropical paradise" and listen to Jimmy Buffet all day." What Beach Boys song prior to that expressed such things? How was it a reminder of who they are and what they're about?

No, maybe a lot of the earlier work everyone associates as being "The Beach Boys" isn't EXACTLY about the topics Kokomo touches on... ...but I have to admit, Kokomo doesn't seem like too much of a stretch.

[Jonathan Blum]

That is one very long way...

How long a way can it be, when "Surfin'" is on the actual album?

Seriously, it's silly to bash either song because of what came later.  They're pop songs, not harbingers of future doom...

Cheers,
Jon Blum

[Cabinessenceking]

Kokomo is not a return to roots, had the song been about california life it woulda, but its not. just ML perverted view on what the group was.
+ I dont dig this band for their surf stuff, Pet Sounds to LA Light period for me. I can enjoy a few early cuts now and again.

[Ziggy Stardust]

lol at anyone taking the "return to roots" comment seriously, wow man.

[Jonathan Blum]

Wait, what? The Beach Boys were basically never about "tropical" feel-good island music about vacations and "getting away from it all" before this.

Of course they were.  To all their landlocked fans in Salt Lake or Des Moines or Chicago, the Beach Boys were massively escapist.  California might as well have been a far-off tropical paradise to them.  The songs were selling their life as one big summer vacation.

More specifically:  "Hawaii".

Cheers,
Jon Blum

[runnersdialzero]

Wait, what? The Beach Boys were basically never about "tropical" feel-good island music about vacations and "getting away from it all" before this.

Of course they were.  To all their landlocked fans in Salt Lake or Des Moines or Chicago, the Beach Boys were massively escapist.  California might as well have been a far-off tropical paradise to them.  The songs were selling their life as one big summer vacation.

More specifically:  "Hawaii".

Cheers,
Jon Blum

The former point makes sense (although I still don't understand why the public would think "Kokomo" was the quintessential Beach Boys song in any way - it sounds and feels nothing like their other songs, to me), but "Hawaii"? "Hawaii" is 90% about being a snotty little bitch who brags about how good a surfer he is (or about surfing in general) and maybe 10% the other stuff. Still. No tropical drinks melting in your hand, no steel drums, no "feel good island music" vibe, etc. etc. etc.

[Sea Devil]

I've always skipped over this track, as only since i have become a member of this forum have I begun to examine the 80s beach boys contributions under greater scrutiny. It always pissed me off that this is the first track to come up on youtube when you type in 'Beach Boys' and the 80s production is easily enough for a '91 born muso-snob me to turn my head away from.. but since i've read this thread, I'VE REALIZED THAT I LOVE KOKOMO, I LOVE IT ALRIGHT, I THINK CARL'S VOCALS TURN IT INTO ONE OF THOSE SPIRITUAL BEACH BOYS MOMENTS.