Downer Wife/Girlfriend Hubby/Boyfriend Comments

[onkster]

Uh, what? "Mike tried it once"? Never heard THAT story! Do tell.

[MyGlove]

When I bought Pet Sounds on CD, I was with my dad. I put it in the car's CD player and let it play. About halfway through Don't Talk my dad says "What's this crap!? I wanna hear the hits". I don't think I ever felt more embarrassed by something my dad said, than I did after that.

[Ziggy Stardust]

I can't think of any such comments.. all the girlfriends i had were already into them or really liked it when i played some.

[Mr. Cohen]

Uh, what? "Mike tried it once"? Never heard THAT story! Do tell.

It was just a joke!

[southbay]

Fortunately my wife loves the Beach Boys and accepts my "disease".  After our third show this tour, she decided we should travel to Stateline to catch their last US show on July 15.

[Zach95]

My love girlfriend says, quite often, that she likes the Beach Boys, but she would like them a lot more if I didn't talk about them so often    She sat and listened to a Smile boot all the way through with me one time, that was early in our relationship, and she said she really liked it! Then, she came to realize I'm unhealthily obsessed and while she appreciates my love of the Beach Boys, she sometimes get frustrated that the groups makes its way into nearly all of our conversation.  That being said, she bought me Mr. Stebbins' wonderful Beach Boys FAQ for Christmas!

She also doesn't understand why I find Love You and Vegetables, things of that nature, to be good.  She doesn't hate them or anything, but she doesn't understand how such childish/simple lyrics make a good song.  I try explaining it, I guess I just don't do such a great job.

[Zach95]

Just a few months ago I put my Love You CD in as I was driving in my ex-girlfriend's convertible. After about 30 seconds into Roller Skating Child she ejected it and threw it out of the car. She said it creeped her out. I never forgave her for that.

This is friggin hilarious.

[EgoHanger1966]

Just a few months ago I put my Love You CD in as I was driving in my ex-girlfriend's convertible. After about 30 seconds into Roller Skating Child she ejected it and threw it out of the car. She said it creeped her out. I never forgave her for that.

This is friggin hilarious.

  I would have made her get out and get it, and then dumped her ass and drove away!

[Heysaboda]

I've come to the conclusion that people who don't like the Beach Boys are just a--holes

(sorry)

[Oily Pig]

anybody who doesn't at least casually like the Beach Boys needs to make a trip to Oz and ask the wizard for a heart.

[Ziggy Stardust]

Just a few months ago I put my Love You CD in as I was driving in my ex-girlfriend's convertible. After about 30 seconds into Roller Skating Child she ejected it and threw it out of the car. She said it creeped her out. I never forgave her for that.

This is friggin hilarious.

  I would have made her get out and get it, and then dumped her ass and drove away!

Holy crap, is this for real??? man, i would be pissed off

[Heysaboda]

There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who like Neil Diamond and those who don't. My wife loves him.

Then your wife will be glad to know Brian sang backup vocals on a recent Neil Diamond album called 12 Songs.

 

[SG7]

Just a few months ago I put my Love You CD in as I was driving in my ex-girlfriend's convertible. After about 30 seconds into Roller Skating Child she ejected it and threw it out of the car. She said it creeped her out. I never forgave her for that.

Wow. I think the only person I have played Love You for was my mom and she hated it. She doesn't like 70s BBs at all so it didn't surprise me. I like to think of my love for this band my best worst kept secret

[Shady]

My girlfriend love some of the ballads, GOK, Wonder, DWB etc, loves Wild Honey and Sunflower, but man when I put on Some "Love You" and the stranger albums a fight ensues for me to keep them on..

She knows damn well if I had to choose between her or the beach boys, I'd choose The Beach Boys

[Sheriff John Stone]

Many years ago, during the days of cassette mix tapes, I had a girlfriend who I wanted to "sell" the Beach Boys to. I really wanted to impress her, and filled the tape with the Beach Boys' "serious" music, mostly stuff from 1966-1973. Her response was, "This is really sad and melancholy".

Undeterred, I quickly made a second tape of "the hits". She loved it. Said her favorite songs were "Surfin' USA" and "Barbara Ann". Go figure.

[Zach95]

Many years ago, during the days of cassette mix tapes, I had a girlfriend who I wanted to "sell" the Beach Boys to. I really wanted to impress her, and filled the tape with the Beach Boys' "serious" music, mostly stuff from 1966-1973. Her response was, "This is really sad and melancholy".

Undeterred, I quickly made a second tape of "the hits". She loved it. Said her favorite songs were "Surfin' USA" and "Barbara Ann". Go figure.

Hey! "Sad and melancholy" is a heck of a lot better than "I hate this crap!"

[Sav-Man]

My current girlfriend is at least respectful and understanding of my BBs appreciation, which I think is fine, because it's not like I'm that into her music either. I appreciate it, but I don't go out of my way to listen to it. If you're not that into your girlfriend's music, then you can't really expect the same back from her. Of course, it's not like I complain when I go to a concert for a band she likes or whatever, or vice versa.

One of my exes was an absolutely unrepentant BBs music. She thought the BBs were gay and it was gay to like them. If only she knew that Mike tried it once and didn't even like it! In her mind, only screaming, generic metal punk could be masculine.

I've never had any problems w/ girlfriends not liking the BBs. All my girlfriends (thus far) liked some aspect of their music--usually the early stuff, but that was okay with me. One of them actually liked some of the stuff that I played from MIU (especially "Wontcha Come Out Tonight") and when she went on a diet (which didn't last), she asked me if I'd tape "H.E.L.P Is On The Way" for her (which I'd also played for her previously), because she thought it would be a good song to help keep her motivated to stick to her diet. Unfortunately, we broke up a year later, but her appreciation of the song was cool nonetheless. 

But when I was a kid and first discovered the BBs at the age of ten (in 1979) after hearing Endless Summer , I had some problems w/ a few of the guys w/whom I went to grade school. This one dude that I was friends w/ had the same attitude that you described in your second paragraph (he was of the "if it's not heavy metal, it sucks" attitude, which is unfortunately common, I've found, among some metal fans, many of whom think metal is all there is). If I tried to play any BBs or Jan & Dean (whom I discovered shortly after learning about the BBs and also loved), he'd get all snippy and say, "the Beach Boys are out of style, Steve!" or whine, "I don't wanna hear Jan & Dean! That music's for the dogs!" Later, when we were in high school, he invited me to a party he was having and was telling me about the music he was playing, which was mostly stuff that was current for that time (1984-85): Prince, Michael Jackson, Van Halen, etc. I had no problem w/ that, as I kept up w/ a lot of the new (for that time) 1980s' music as well. But then, and I think he was just being a wise-guy, he said, "and I'm not playing no Jan & Dean, because that's not pure rock and roll!" I said," uh (name omitted b/c I'm a nice guy), excuse me, I never asked if you were going to!" Needless to say, I didn't go to his party.  

[brother john]

I had an ex who didn't understand the concept of Smile at all, just didn't get it - there were lots of conversations along the lines of "This just sounds like a load of unfinished bits strung together that they couldn't be arsed to finish", to which my response to her was "You just don't understand, do you ?" 

But that's what is is...

[shelter]

Many years ago, during the days of cassette mix tapes, I had a girlfriend who I wanted to "sell" the Beach Boys to. I really wanted to impress her, and filled the tape with the Beach Boys' "serious" music, mostly stuff from 1966-1973. Her response was, "This is really sad and melancholy".

After a few of these girlfriend/wife topics on this forum I think it's safe to draw the following conclusions:

1. Male Beach Boys fans think that the best way to get a woman to listen to The Beach Boys is to try it with the "deep" and romantic stuff. All This Is That, Til I Die, Cuddle Up, Forever, Surf's Up, anything from Pet Sounds, that type of stuff.

2. Women who prefer Pet Sounds over the Endless Summer type of stuff are actually pretty rare.

[chris.metcalfe]

I had an ex who didn't understand the concept of Smile at all, just didn't get it - there were lots of conversations along the lines of "This just sounds like a load of unfinished bits strung together that they couldn't be arsed to finish...

Er - I thought that was what it was!

I had one gf who, in quite a considered way, 'didn't like this style of music' (about Good Vibrations!), and one more usual one who liked the hits but hadn't heard and probably wouldn't bother with everything else. My current long-standing (=suffering) partner has listened to some but I did take her to a Smile show in Oxford in 2004, and she thought it was really good, especially Vegetables and the Hawaii bits - except that Brian was a bit of a 'Thunderbirds puppet'. Presumably you guys in the US are familiar with that.

[mabewa]

My dad is 70, I am 44.  I got into the Beach Boys when I was literally in elementary school in the 70's--I'd hear some of the old surfing hits on the radio, and I really liked them, and then later moved on to Pet Sounds and the more serious stuff later.  But my dad always hated the Beach Boys.  All he knows about is the '62 to '64 stuff, and he thinks that it's shallow, corny pop music that the Beatles and Dylan replaced.  He can't believe that anyone younger than him would like something so retro and passe.  I've told him many times over the years that the Beach Boys changed and grew in the same way as the Beatles did--it's just that they didn't retain the massive popularity, so their more artistic stuff is less well-known.  He also has no musical background, so he has no way of hearing that something like, say, "Girls on the Beach" is actually extremely complex harmonically.  It's just a dumb pop song to him. 

I don't spend a lot of time with my dad--great guy, but we live in different countries.  But I still try to sneakily play the Beach Boys for him from time to time.  Recently, I realized the perfect album:  Holland.  I want to crank up "Big Sur" for him--he loves that mellow, early 70's singer-songwriter sound--and loves the mountains.  I'm hoping that he will say "What's this song?  It's really nice."  And then I can blow his mind by saying "It's the BEACH BOYS." 

This debate has been going on for a long time...

My Japanese wife seems a bit lukewarm about the Beach Boys.  But my 2.5 year old Japanese daughter loves them, recognizes their CD, and tries to sign along despite the fact that she can't really speak English.  She can do stuff like see a video clip of the Rolling Stone unplugged session, say "Biichi Boizu ya!" (It's the Beach Boys), and go run get the Surfer Girl CD.  The fact that she can recognize that they are the same guys is pretty impressive.  Also, my brother is a big harmony fan (loves the Fleet Foxes) and recognizes that the BBs are harmony gods.  So at least I have two people in my family who don't sneer at me.   

[rab2591]

First, I'd like to say that hardcore fans of The Beach Boys are special: We understand the complexity of this music. We'll compare Brian Wilson to Beethoven or Mozart because we get how amazing the chord changes, the harmonies, the songwriting itself is. I don't think we seek justification for our obsession, we just want others to find and understand this secret we have found...so they can enjoy it as much as we do.

For the last girl I was seeing I made it a point to mention the Beach Boys as few times as possible. I brought it up a few times - but I never dwelled on the subject, she even relayed to me that she loved Pet Sounds. She saw that I own a plethora of BB/BW DVDs, CDs, MP3s, books, posters, autographs, etc....she called me obsessive, but even I admit that...Then one day we're with one of my friends, she's trying to impress him (because she's tired of me at this point) - she's putting me down for a lot of sh*t, then she says "And my God, if I have to hear one more thing about Brian Wilson..." (I think I mentioned him once when she asked about an autograph I have on a shelf) - I told her to leave my house and we've spoken very little since.

[Steve Mayo]

By the way, AGD has a GREAT story on the first time he heard "Almost Summer". Hope he passes by and tells it!

yes..that is a great story....
for those who haven't read about it yet :
http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,12346.25.html
reply # 38

[HighOnLife]

My wife doesn't like the new album too much. She says it sounds like "lounge music", but what I really think she means is that it sounds like adult contemporary. Kind of ironic given that she likes Imagination for the most part. She said "If I want to hear the Beach Boys, I want to hear their good stuff." (meaning, their stuff from the 60s). She did say once while we were listening to Pet Sounds that she was amazed a guy in his early twenties could write songs like that. I thought that was awesome.

You can't win 'em all. She loves Led Zeppelin and I don't like them too much, although I appreciate their musicianship. She loves Elvis and I gained an immense appreciation of him through her. So it's all good in the end.

I will say though. I very rarely play stuff like Smiley Smile or Love You in the car with her. I just know.

[bgas]

By the way, AGD has a GREAT story on the first time he heard "Almost Summer". Hope he passes by and tells it!

yes..that is a great story....
for those who haven't read about it yet :
http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,12346.25.html
reply # 38

AGD doesn't have children, right?