Band albums - check: anyone up for top 5 solo releases ?

[Andrew G. Doe]

Here's mine:

1 Pacific Ocean Blue
2 That Lucky Old Sun
3 Brian Wilson
4 ... Presents Smile
5 ... Reimagines Gershwin

[Wah Wah Wah Ooooo]

Mine:

1. BW Presents SMiLE
2. Pacific Ocean Blue
3. That Lucky Old Sun
4. BW Reimagines Gershwin
5. Brian Wilson

[hypehat]

Pacific Ocean Blue will probably take this in a walk, but I'm game!

1: POB
2: BWPS (Although I kinda feel bad voting for it, as it's obviously not an exercise in solo songwriting - might as well vote for PS Live or something)
3: Gershwin
4: BW88
5: TLOS

is my uncontroversial choice. Although the Disney record is a bit of a sleeper favourite...

[MBE]

1. POB by a huge measure.
2. Spring
3. The Flame
4. TLOS
5. BWPS

[Smilin Ed H]

I'll skip live and BWPS

1. POB
2. BW 88
3. TLOS
4. Bambu (I know - not technically an album)
5. Postcard

[Andrew G. Doe]

Spring & Flame are solo albums ?  

OK, to define - albums recorded by band members under their own name (or at a pinch, in collaboration, i.e OCA and Like A Brother).

[MBE]

Oh OK but I like those so much better.

1 POB
2 TLOS
3 BWPS
4 WIRWFC (sue me I like it)
5. Brian Wilson

[celticsurfer]

1-pacific ocean blue
2-that lucky old sun
3-orange crate art
4-spring
5-a postcard from ca

[Andrew G. Doe]

Spring doesn't qualify because...

Brian's name isn't on the cover and...
He lost interest pretty quickly. According to the most generous estimate (Marilyn's), there's maybe 25% BW there.

[Jukka]

1. Brian Wilson Re-imagines Gershwin
2. Pacific Ocean Blue
3. That Lucky Old Sun
4. Brian Wilson Presents Smile (actually I'm not so into it after the real thing was released, but it meant a lot to me back in the day)
5. Postcard from California (could be a lot better though, but has some great moments)

[smilethebeachboysloveyou]

Nobody's chosen it yet, but do The Bambu Sessions count?  Some people used The Smile Sessions for the top 5 Beach Boys albums, though that was obviously released as a separate box whereas The Bambu Sessions were more of a bonus disc for Pacific Ocean Blue's rerelease.  Anyway, assuming I can use them, here we go:

1.) Pacific Ocean Blue
2.) Brian Wilson
3.) The Bambu Sessions
4.) That Lucky Old Sun
5.) Imagination

I should probably note that I've only ever heard one of David Marks' solo albums.

[Steve Mayo]

1.  pob
2.  bwps
3.  bw88
4.  tlos
5.  youngblood

[Rocky Raccoon]

1. Smile
2. Brian Wilson
3. Gershwin
4. Pacific Ocean Blue
5. That Lucky Old Sun

[celticsurfer]

as spring doesn t count:

1- pacific ocean blue
2- that lucky old sun
3- orange crate art
4- a postcard from Ca
5- Carl's first solo

[The Shift]

1) POB – no question.
2) TLOS*
3) Postcard**
4) BWPS***
5) Blondie Chaplin****

* I regard this (rightly or wrongly) as a trilogy with Gershwin and Disney, both of which I love much more than I ought to. As the latter two are covers, this gets the gong.
** I like this because it smells of the Beach Boys and is a really laid-back listen.
*** Normally this would have scored higher – much much higher – but TSS has had its effect, plus as others have stated its originality in 2004 was already 37 years old.
**** In fact, I'd rank Blondie's solo work very highly indeed. Between Us is also a great piece of work.

Problem is that, as a fan, I like them all, aye, including Looking Back With Love (thought that'd be in your top five Andrew) and even moments of Going Public. Carl's albums have some real high points for me, and all Brian's solo works work for me.

[rab2591]

1. BWPS
2. TLOS
3. BW88
4. POB
5. ITKOD

[rogerlancelot]

01) Pacific Ocean Blue / Bambu (2008)
02) Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE (2004)
03) That Lucky Old Sun (2008)
04) Brian Wilson (1988)
05) In The Key Of Disney (2011)
06) Ram (1971)
07) All Things Must Pass (197 oops, wrong list......

EDIT: It's not technically a solo album but the Rutles soundtrack would figure very highly for me.

[G.C]

1.BW Presents Smile
2.BW Reimagines Gershwin
3.That Lucky Old Sun
4.In The Key Of Disney
5.Pacific Ocean Blue

[wavedancer]

   1. Pacific Ocean Blue
   2. Brian Wilson
   3. Presents Smile
   4. Disney
   5. Gershwin

[drbeachboy]

My Top 5, but honestly, I only listen to them rarely.

1. Pacific Ocean Blue
2. Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin
3. Youngblood
4. Brian Wilson Presents Smile
5. Postcard From California

[Tord]

1. Brian Wilson Presents Smile
2. Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin
3. Brian Wilson
4. That Lucky Old Sun
5. Imagination

[donald]

In no particular order because the frequency of listening experiences for each album has varied with my whims and fluctuating moods.  But top 5?

TLOS
Gershwin
Postcards
Youngblood
BW88

I guess next would be POB but only if including the Bambu material.  Incidentally, I know I am not alone in not "getting" the greatness of POB.  As a BB fan, I've run into many others who asked me point blank if I think POB has been overrated.  I usually say yes, according to my tastes.   It certainly did showcase DWs talents at a time when the entire band seeme on the decline.  I also consider the DW songs the better part of the LA album.  Perhaps if BW had not been out to lunch and DW had contributed his catalogue to the BBs lps released in those years, the BAND could have been more successful on a number of levels.

But I digress.  The thread is not about POB or DW in particular.  Just felt the need to defend my position on excluding it from my top 5.

[rab2591]

I'll skip live and BWPS

1. POB
2. BW 88
3. TLOS
4. Bambu (I know - not technically an album)
5. Postcard

I made my own mix of Bambu, and I listen to it quite often.

If I can count it as a solo album, it'd replace ITKOD on my list.

[Quzi]

i ain't gonna be countin' no goshdarn BWPS for reasons that are aforementioned.

1. Pacific Ocean Blue
2. Brian Wilson
3. That Lucky Old Sun
4. Postcard from California
5. Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin

[Mike's Beard]

1/ Pacific Ocean Blue
2/ Surfin' Round The World
3/ Brian Wilson S/T
4/ Blondie Chaplin S/T
5/ Going Public (f*** ya'all I like it!!)