Unpopular Beach Boys opinions

[phirnis]

...
Love You and Adult/Child are some of Brian's best work
...

Not an unpopular opinion, more like scientific fact.

[Mike's Beard]

Nah, some of Love You and much of Adult Child is garbage.

[Rentatris]

Forever she'll be my surfer girl is better than surfer girl...

[The Foot Fetish Man]

My favorite voice of the Beach Boys is Al Jardine.
I was 11 years old in 1981 when I first heard "Come Go With Me" on the radio and I remember I hoped that's what my voice would sound like after it changed.
Always LOVED Al's tone.
"Peggy Sue" and his part on "Strange Things Happen" are among my favorite Beach Boys moments.
And I'm so thankful to have his solo album......A whole album of Al Jardine is something that greatly satisfied my ears.

[job]

This.  Except I was 10.

[RangeRoverA1]

I actually prefer Alex's rough voice over his later Roger McGuinn impressions.

It's not so much "rough", tho, more like a teen boy trying to sound gritty on purpose. but either way, it sounds bad.

After finding a fairly nice copy of it while record shopping this past weekend in Memphis and giving it a couple of listens, M.I.U. isn't a bad album.  It's not Today or Pet Sounds, but it's not bad at all.  I like it better overall than 15 Big Ones, which I also picked up last weekend.

You & us plenty! If you look around,  there are more MIU fans than LA.

[halblaineisgood]

The only hack thing about "Kokomo" is the lyric"Monseratt Mystique". It's really bad. The singing . The whole thing. It's all one art.

I've often said Monseratt Mystique and cried.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Here's my unpopular opinion that may get me shot here (and I might have stated it before...if so, I apologize).

I much much MUCH prefer Brian's voice from 1967-1972 to before...and sometimes even his post 1976 voice...and even his current voice. Just a personal preference. It's not knocking the beauty of young Brian's voice, just again a personal preference.

Oh, and much of Orange Crate Art is garbage, especially everything after San Francisco. I like to rag on 'Speed Turtle', but Hold Back Time may be the worst vocal recorded in the history of man. 'My Jeanine' isn't much better, and those fucking lyrics... Apples were her last name? Really?! So, the lady's name is Jeanine Apples?! I may be a Brianista, but Smile aside, I'd much rather have any lyrics besides VDP's.

[Loaf]

Oh, and much of Orange Crate Art is garbage, especially everything after San Francisco. I like to rag on 'Speed Turtle', but Hold Back Time may be the worst vocal recorded in the history of man. 'My Jeanine' isn't much better, and those fucking lyrics... Apples were her last name? Really?! So, the lady's name is Jeanine Apples?! I may be a Brianista, but Smile aside, I'd much rather have any lyrics besides VDP's.

i love OCA, but it's ruined by the overloaded plasticky production and Brian's shouty vocals.

The OCA version from the IJWMFTT doc is stunning, and VDP's versions of the songs are wonderful.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

The tuning on the title track is horrid...Brian sounds so odd.

[KDS]

Here's my unpopular BB opinions: (Please note, these are personal opinions) 

1.  I don't care what anybody says, I think Kokomo is a good song. 

2.  Student Demonstration Time is not nearly as bad as everyone says.  It's well played.  If not for the siren noise, I'd like it a lot. 

3.  Mike Love likes to shoot himself in the foot on seemingly every chance he gets, but he does not deserve the intense level of hate that he gets. 

4.  Brian's Back is a better song than most of the original songs on 15BO / Love You. 

5.  American Family is not that bad of a movie for a made for TV mini series.  In fact, the first half is quite good before they made a buffoon out of Brian. 

6.  Vegatables is a lousy song. 

[drbeachboy]

Here's my unpopular opinion that may get me shot here (and I might have stated it before...if so, I apologize).

I much much MUCH prefer Brian's voice from 1967-1972 to before...and sometimes even his post 1976 voice...and even his current voice. Just a personal preference. It's not knocking the beauty of young Brian's voice, just again a personal preference.

Oh, and much of Orange Crate Art is garbage, especially everything after San Francisco. I like to rag on 'Speed Turtle', but Hold Back Time may be the worst vocal recorded in the history of man. 'My Jeanine' isn't much better, and those fucking lyrics... Apples were her last name? Really?! So, the lady's name is Jeanine Apples?! I may be a Brianista, but Smile aside, I'd much rather have any lyrics besides VDP's.

I cannot listen to OCA. Brian was at his absolute worst vocally. I could take 15 Big Ones/Love You Brian, but from 1985 until Imagination, I can't stand listening to his voice. It just grates on me. It is truly amazing how many times his voice changed over the years. I have to say his strongest period was Pet Sounds/Smile era. He had both tone and power that was a wonder to listen to.

[job]

Here's my unpopular BB opinions: (Please note, these are personal opinions) 

1.  I don't care what anybody says, I think Kokomo is a good song. 

2.  Student Demonstration Time is not nearly as bad as everyone says.  It's well played.  If not for the siren noise, I'd like it a lot. 

3.  Mike Love likes to shoot himself in the foot on seemingly every chance he gets, but he does not deserve the intense level of hate that he gets. 

4.  Brian's Back is a better song than most of the original songs on 15BO / Love You. 

5.  American Family is not that bad of a movie for a made for TV mini series.  In fact, the first half is quite good before they made a buffoon out of Brian. 

6.  Vegatables is a lousy song. 

Agree 100%

[Cabinessenceking]

Here's my unpopular BB opinions: (Please note, these are personal opinions) 

1.  I don't care what anybody says, I think Kokomo is a good song. 

2.  Student Demonstration Time is not nearly as bad as everyone says.  It's well played.  If not for the siren noise, I'd like it a lot. 

3.  Mike Love likes to shoot himself in the foot on seemingly every chance he gets, but he does not deserve the intense level of hate that he gets. 

4.  Brian's Back is a better song than most of the original songs on 15BO / Love You. 

5.  American Family is not that bad of a movie for a made for TV mini series.  In fact, the first half is quite good before they made a buffoon out of Brian. 

6.  Vegatables is a lousy song. 

Agree 100%

Nice ones!

Here´s my killers:
The Friends album is mostly a weak album. Several of the tunes are quite lacking (ana lee, be still (zZzZZzzz), TM (yikes!) and the production value of the songs is really horrible, including the horrid panning of the vocals etc. I prefer the mono over that horrible stereo mix.

Wild Honey has some kick ass songs but the recording of them was utterly hopeless. Darlin hardly rocks even! WH is nothing compared to the live rendition!

[RiC]

15 Big Ones is one of the best Beach Boys albums and Brian's vocals were best during 75-80.

[srealist]

Can't Wait Too Long/Been Way Too Long is not about a woman but about SMiLE.  Same goes for Still I Dream of It and It's Over Now.

[Mike's Beard]

15 Big Ones is one of the best Beach Boys albums and Brian's vocals were best during 75-80.

That's not so much an unpopular opinion as sheer madness. 

[phirnis]

15 Big Ones is one of the best Beach Boys albums and Brian's vocals were best during 75-80.

15BO is one of my favorites too. It does have its flaws but it's a record I put on very regularly. Contains some truly brilliant arrangements.

[1-1-wonderful]

I like Student Demonstration Time.

Sloop John B is my favorite song on Pet Sounds.

I don't understand the ire some have for Barbara Ann.

I have no problem with Endless Summer - it's what got me listening to the BBs.

I prefer the album version of help me Rhonda.

I didn't read through the previous postings in this thread and don't care if any of these audacious opinions have been discussed before or if they get me banned.

[KDS]

I like Student Demonstration Time.

Sloop John B is my favorite song on Pet Sounds.

I don't understand the ire some have for Barbara Ann.

I have no problem with Endless Summer - it's what got me listening to the BBs.

I prefer the album version of help me Rhonda.

I didn't read through the previous postings in this thread and don't care if any of these audacious opinions have been discussed before or if they get me banned.

Yes, another SDT defender. 

There's a lot of folks who think that Sloop John B doesn't belong on Pet Sounds.   But, can you really picture that album without it??? 

In regards to Barbara Ann.  Every band has that one song that the die hards don't seem to like, but the casual fans love.  (ie Pink Floyd with Money).  Barbara Ann is a decent song, but the Party version is poorly done compared to much of the material from that time.  The live versions kick serious ass though. 

[SurferDownUnder]

I like Dennis and his music but he was kinda a douche, he allegedly slept with Brian, Mike's and Al's wives, who does that to their friends/family? Especially considering he could have gotten any poontang he wanted. I know it doesn't fit with his romantic image and I still dig him but you can be a good musician and icon and still be a dick.... Plus I think them kicking him out was sorta justified, you can't just live completely recklessly and expect to have absolutely no consequences. He kinda needed to grow up 

[RiC]

Sloop John B is the kind of song that works live very well, but I'd rather listen to Hey Little Tomboy on record. It just doesn't do anything for me.

Student Demonstration Time is a pretty good song.

Barbara Ann is irritating, but again, it works live very well.

[Gohi]

No Pier Pressure is not very good at all and it lacks any standout tracks that even the very worst Brian / Beach Boys albums have. 

[Cyncie]

I like Dennis and his music but he was kinda a douche, he allegedly slept with Brian, Mike's and Al's wives, who does that to their friends/family? Especially considering he could have gotten any poontang he wanted. I know it doesn't fit with his romantic image and I still dig him but you can be a good musician and icon and still be a dick.... Plus I think them kicking him out was sorta justified, you can't just live completely recklessly and expect to have absolutely no consequences. He kinda needed to grow up 

I agree with several of your unpopular points, here. I think Dennis is somewhat romanticized because he died so young and in such a tragic way. And, in all fairness, many people have said that he had a big, caring heart but was just on a fast road to destruction. But, his hedonistic tendencies were a real problem for the band. People often marvel that Brian didn't want him in the band at the start, but why should he? Dennis didn't play an instrument at the time, and he wasn't dependable. I mean, how many bands would keep a second drummer on staff just in case you decided not to show?

His need to feed his appetites led to his sleeping with everyone else's wives, as you point out, and also set him up for an unsavory association with Charles Manson. Another unpopular opinion along those lines:  I can see why the band insisted that  he choose between his solo career and The Beach Boys. I mean, he was barely functioning in the band as it was. How much more erratic would his participation have become if he had the conflicting interest of a solo career?

They say that Dennis loved being in the band more than anyone, and I'm sure that's true;  but being in a band is a job. He wasn't doing his job, from the band's point of view. You can argue the same about Brian in the 70's. Of course, we know the reason is that both Brian and Dennis were seriously dysfunctional at that point and needed professional help. It's too bad that the resources just weren't there. Perhaps things could have ended better.

[Douchepool]

I think the last name is the reason for the overt romanticism behind Dennis. The dude was an amazing talent but he was human and not perfect. Just like the rest of them.