Favorite Beach Boys' Instrumental

[ThyRavenAscend]

Excellent idea for a poll.  Stoked is by far my favorite BB instrumental.  Who all did the great guitar work on that track?

I was surprised to see that Stoked really was a close second for me. I had never really realized that until seeing all the instrumentals side-by-side hah.

[G.C]

Let's Go Away For A While

[Emdeeh]

Other than "Diamond Head," my taste runs to the earlier instrumentals (CBC, Stoked, Honky Tonk), especially when David was still with the group. I'm not really into the orchestral stuff ("Summer Means New Love," LGAFAW, PS, TNFP) at all.

[phirnis]

Let's Go Away For A While

I like your nick name, big fan of that brilliant German reductionist!

[bossaroo]

i agree that Look should be considered as well as Passing By. what about Holidays? the instrumental sections of CIFOTM are also some of my favorite moments.

but in the end, LGAFA wins.

i'm a huge fan of Diamond Head too, which may have been conceived by Brian but was actually composed by Al Vescovo the steel guitarist.

Nearest Faraway Place reminds me of a Thomas Kinkade painting, next to Brian's Monets.


backing tracks are a whole other story. and a whole other poll i suppose.

[Seaside Woman]

Passing by, I'm going to argue Brian's voice is used for instrumental  purposes:)

[Letsgoawayforawhile]

Do I even have to say what I voted for!
LGAFAW is the best instrumental by anyone, ever.

[rab2591]

Do I even have to say what I voted for!
LGAFAW is the best instrumental by anyone, ever.

I wondered earlier if you'd pick something besides LGAFA

[bringahorseinhere?]

Do I even have to say what I voted for!
LGAFAW is the best instrumental by anyone, ever.

hmmm ...... some good intrumentals out there..... the best?.....

telstar
white rabbit
guitar boogie
sacha
yakety axe
in the mood
(all of the early 'shadows' stuff)
(duanne eddy)
Washington square
wonderland by night
tequila
sleepwalki
raunchy
classical gas
teen beat ( kinda kicks 'dennys drums' ...)

some 'goodins' out there.....

RickB



my favourite would be ............apache - the shadows

[Smilin Ed H]

Pet Sound, LGAFAW, Diamond Head, Stoked and The Nearest Faraway Place.

[bluesno1fann]

Do I even have to say what I voted for!
LGAFAW is the best instrumental by anyone, ever.

hmmm ...... some good intrumentals out there..... the best?.....

telstar
white rabbit
guitar boogie
sacha
yakety axe
in the mood
(all of the early 'shadows' stuff)
(duanne eddy)
Washington square
wonderland by night
tequila
sleepwalki
raunchy
classical gas
teen beat ( kinda kicks 'dennys drums' ...)

some 'goodins' out there.....

RickB



my favourite would be ............apache - the shadows

What about Rumble by Link Wray?

[Sheriff John Stone]

Special recognition: "After The Game" and "Mexico"

[rogerlancelot]

Prokofiev 5th Symphony still blows my mind no matter how many times I've heard it.

I also really love "Common" from 30th Anniversary POB.

[ThyRavenAscend]

My favorite Beach-Boys-related instrumental is Van Dyke Park's "Donovan's Colours"--I like it better than even my favorite BB's instrumental (which is LGAFA).

[Sheriff John Stone]

Remember that version of "God Only Knows" by The London Symphony Orchestra that used to be played in the late 1970's/early 1980's at the beginning of a Beach Boys' concert as the band was walking (in the dark) onto the stage. It gave you goosebumps.

[Don Malcolm]

Hey, if we get to include Stack-o-Tracks, then my favorite instrumental is "Sloop John B."!! 

[alf wiedersehen]

Do I even have to say what I voted for!
LGAFAW is the best instrumental by anyone, ever.

hmmm ...... some good intrumentals out there..... the best?.....

telstar
white rabbit
guitar boogie
sacha
yakety axe
in the mood
(all of the early 'shadows' stuff)
(duanne eddy)
Washington square
wonderland by night
tequila
sleepwalki
raunchy
classical gas
teen beat ( kinda kicks 'dennys drums' ...)

some 'goodins' out there.....

RickB



my favourite would be ............apache - the shadows

This is seriously lacking "Green Onions."

[Jukka]

Denny's Drums. It was my ringtone for a long time.

[Alex]

Mona Kanai

[rogerlancelot]

Mona Kanai

Were lyrics supposed to go with this song? Also if it was released on 20/20, which song would you bump to allow space for it? I love it even as an instrumental but I guess I could skip "Bluebirds Over The Mountain".

[bluesno1fann]

Mona Kanai

Were lyrics supposed to go with this song? Also if it was released on 20/20, which song would you bump to allow space for it? I love it even as an instrumental but I guess I could skip "Bluebirds Over The Mountain".

Personally, I'd bump "Do It Again" in favour of "Mona Kanai"

[The Heartical Don]

My favorite Beach-Boys-related instrumental is Van Dyke Park's "Donovan's Colours"--I like it better than even my favorite BB's instrumental (which is LGAFA).

Now there's a thought. Then I'll go for 'High Coin' by the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band.

Baroque pop transformed into joyous countrified/folkified rambling stuff - and losing none of its charm in the process.

[Micha]

I'm not surprised that Let's Go Away For A While gets the most votes, but I'm amazed that Pet Sounds gets so many votes - that would be the first to throw off from that album for me, and I'm disappointed that I'm the only one who voted for "Surf Jam", the most rocking studio track the BBs ever released.

[feelsflow]

Let's Go Away For A While

First off, thanks KK for making that banner.  

While I like all those early surf instrumentals, these float easily to the top of my list.

Let's Go Away For Awhile * Not only perfect on Pet Sounds, this is used to great affect on Neil Young's JTTP soundtrack.

Pet Sounds * Edged out, but no less beautiful, it rocks in a gentle way.  As noted, this works great live.  My favorite track on Brian's Live Pet Sounds.  A highlight on the current tour too, whoever is taking the lead guitar.

Summer Means New Love *  And your Dreams Come True should have been the follow.  Who kept picking those joke tunes for seriously dreamscape sides?  By this point Brian had become a master craftsman of orchestral-pop.

Nearest Faraway Place * My thoughts mirror Sheriff's, but I can't put it over the first three.  He may have been going for Brian's style, but came up with one of his own.  Bruce was not the only one using the "music box" idea, John Phillips, and I'm sure others had toyed with it.  It sounds like it was recorded inside a kaleidoscope.  I've never heard it, but have read it was done live - remind me if you know.  I always liked Bruce, right up to when he seemingly gave up on writing.  My 1-2-3, are:  Deirdre (with Brian's help - let's not argue that here), NFP, and At My Window (his most perfect vocal - thanks Al and Brian for sharing)

As for adding one with vocal assist, that would be Passing By.  And the reason Diamond Head is not here on my list, that's because I agree; Brian was most likely just waving his hands and mind in the air...

[runnersdialzero]

Edit: Derp, messed up ;(