Are you ever embarrassed to be a Beach Boys fan?

[filledeplage]

Deleted

[filledeplage]

Deleted (double post! ) mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa! 

Have a great weekend, all you GREAT people in BB land! 

[Alan Smith]

To this day it can be embarrassing to ask someone at a Record Fair if they have any Beach Boys. They usually say stuff like they don't have surfing crap or stuff like that. They usually laugh when I ask where the BB's are.

Dunno what kinda record fairs you're going to  

I happened to be at one of those record fairs, and bought me a copy of Adult Child on vinyl and Help Me Tampa on CD, so Maybe I Don't Know must have spent his time talking to the lady selling sausage rolls and instant coffee.

Most Melbourne, AU record market sellers are pretty canny about their BB stock - if not from their own inclinations (usually being rock music fans), then by the smell of a potential sale to a subculture that just can't help themselves.

I go to the Box Hill record fair whenever I get to. And which record fair did you get your Adult Child copy?
Also, I go to several Sunday markets occasionally, one in Coburg and one in Camberwell. A lot of the reactions were similar to what I've already explained

Box Hill for both items, purchased from knowledgeable enthusiasts willing to have a general chat about the current BBs scene.  Lots of other nice "aware" sellers, who if not carrying BB stock on the day are pretty quick to offer a business card and a mobile phone number - as some own stores intra/interstate, or are serious private sellers who make a sort-of living trading plastic.

Same with Essendon Record Fair.

Camberwell and Coburg Markets are not dedicated Record Fairs; bar 1 or 2 niche sellers, most stall holders are hocking job lot findings with little concern for what's actually on the records.

[bluesno1fann]

To this day it can be embarrassing to ask someone at a Record Fair if they have any Beach Boys. They usually say stuff like they don't have surfing crap or stuff like that. They usually laugh when I ask where the BB's are.

Dunno what kinda record fairs you're going to  

I happened to be at one of those record fairs, and bought me a copy of Adult Child on vinyl and Help Me Tampa on CD, so Maybe I Don't Know must have spent his time talking to the lady selling sausage rolls and instant coffee.

Most Melbourne, AU record market sellers are pretty canny about their BB stock - if not from their own inclinations (usually being rock music fans), then by the smell of a potential sale to a subculture that just can't help themselves.

I go to the Box Hill record fair whenever I get to. And which record fair did you get your Adult Child copy?
Also, I go to several Sunday markets occasionally, one in Coburg and one in Camberwell. A lot of the reactions were similar to what I've already explained

Box Hill for both items, purchased from knowledgeable enthusiasts willing to have a general chat about the current BBs scene.  Lots of other nice "aware" sellers, who if not carrying BB stock on the day are pretty quick to offer a business card and a mobile phone number - as some own stores intra/interstate, or are serious private sellers who make a sort-of living trading plastic.

Same with Essendon Record Fair.

Camberwell and Coburg Markets are not dedicated Record Fairs; bar 1 or 2 niche sellers, most stall holders are hocking job lot findings with little concern for what's actually on the records.

You're right. I don't get too much luck at Coburg, though I do find the occasional record worth getting.
Camberwell on the other hand is where I got the majority of my BB's records, even if it isn't much lol.

I'll give the Essendon record fair a chance next time it's on. Haven't checked there yet. The only bootleg I found at Box Hill was a Smile bootleg, though it was too expensive for me to get

[Disney Boy (1985)]

I'm not embarrassed about any of the things I like, whether it's The Beach Boys or Big Macs or Killer Klowns From Outer Space - a person likes what they like. The kind of people who decide what they do or don't like depending on the opinions of others are the kind of people whose opinion I don't give a sh*t about anyway.

I'd certainly never be embarrassed to be a Beach Boys fan - why be embarrassed because of another persons ignorance/lack of taste?

In fact, I'm proud to be a Beach Boys obsessive and regularly blurt the fact out whenever possible.

[Autotune]

But without Endless Summer, they're irrelevant, and that's far worse.

About that, they're irrelavent now, and have been for quite a while.
At least they were releasing great albums consistently up to Holland. Can't say that after the release of Endless Summer.
And at least up to Endless Summer, they were performing mainly their more recent songs, not just the older hits. That also changed, and after that they focused on just the oldies, as far as I know, with maybe 1 or 2 newer songs

The success of Endless Summer did not determine, in any way, the contents of subsequent albums. I think the band and label put out the product that Brian wanted to/could produce. Endless Summer capitalized on a pre-existing image that remained unchallenged by the band's early 70s PR efforts. They could have taken a cool approach to their beach image, but could not.

[clack]

Even moderately well-informed music fans know that the Beach Boys are supposed to be great, even if they are not themselves familiar with much of the work. Course, most folks are not even moderately welll-informed, but they should be the ones embarrassed, not I.

[pixletwin]

There have been times when I was embarrassed for OTHER people who were fans. 

[EgoHanger1966]

Never, and I'm often wearing a BB/BW shirt or hoodie. But when telling new friends or people I meet, I usually do qualify it by saying something like, "there's much more beyond the surfing stuff".

[BB Universe]

Not in the least and proud to be one!
Best US music group of all time and in the top tier worldwide.
And, to a good extent, they epitomize rock and roll - the great music (and on so many levels; moreso than many other groups); the drama; the personal misfortunes.
And, those who are not too acquainted with all their works and who have open minds and are willing to "be educated", often become fans or at least have a better appreciation of the group afterwards.

[Watch a Cave]

I've never been embarrassed to be a Beach Boys fan.  I try to spread the gospel when I can..

The early 60s stuff is brilliant.  Surfin USA and surfin safari are classic songs full of raw youthful energy .  And I'm sorry but songs like Catch A Wave and Little Deuce Coupe are not clunkers.. I mean seriously, are you kidding me?  Also the early ballads like In my Room and Surfer Girl are pure ear candy..

The mid 60s stuff is Brian at his peak.. nuff said.
 
how could you be embarrassed by this stuff?  Who cares that their image is not the coolest.  JUST LISTEN TO THE MUSIC!  That's all you need.

[Mike's Beard]

If I can tell people I like ABBA, The Carpenters, Neil Diamond and David Soul without feeling no shame then admitting to being a Beach Boys fan should pose no problem for me.

[pixletwin]

If I can tell people I like ABBA, The Carpenters, Neil Diamond and David Soul without feeling no shame then admitting to being a Beach Boys fan should pose no problem for me.

Can I get an "AMEN"?

I love ABBA too. Don't care who knows it.

[Emdeeh]

Not in the least and proud to be one!

The same is true for me.

[bgas]

Not in the least and proud to be one!

The same is true for me.

Pride goes before a fall....   
OF Course I'm happy being a fan, so Pride doesn't enter into it

[KittyKat]

For all the folks who are embarrassed by the surf/car/Endless Summer songs, do you honestly think most "average" rock or rap fans would be blown away by albums such as "Holland," or "Sunflower," or "Pet Sounds," for that matter? Or do you think most rock fans, on the whole, would describe just about any Brian Wilson solo album as "cool" or "hip"? I don't think anything the Beach Boys or Brian Wilson did was cool or hip by a lot of people's standards.

[Myk Luhv]

My girlfriend thinks The Beach Boys are awfully corny, and I can get that -- a lot of the time they are! I think some of it also has to do with the fact that their vocal harmonies are obviously in the doo-wop or "psychedelic barbershop quartet" style -- which bands who are influenced by The Beach Boys, like Grizzly Bear for example, do not use even if this influence is very obvious all the same. Sometimes I'm embarrassed by this group due to the sheer awfulness of some of the material they've released but I chalk that up to their corniness or simple bad decision-making, and as someone else in this thread said, any band who has been around as long as The Beach Boys will probably have a catalogue with similar peaks and valleys. (The difference, I think, is that at least to me, The Beach Boys were almost all peaks until 1977, which is more than I would say for most bands, then or now!) I'm not embarrassed to be a fan of this group in general, of course, and I've driven enough exes crazy with my interest in The Beach Boys as it is, haha. I mean, the one and same group released "Please Let Me Wonder", "Love To Say Dada", "Child Of Winter", "A Day In The Life Of A Tree", and so many other brilliant classics or curiosities. It's very easy, I think, to get absorbed into the fascinating insular world of The Beach Boys, and I think that creation is probably one of their greatest achievements and why they're a hard sell to people not already interested.

[Amy B.]

I wouldn't say I'm embarrassed (I save that for being a Hanson fan--though there's really nothing to be embarrassed about there either). But I do find myself being a little bit preemptively defensive. I've never told someone I like the BBs and gotten the response, "Oh, me too. They're so underrated," or, "Oh, yeah, I really like their Holland album." I usually get a look... like the person is picturing guys in striped shirts with surfboards and wondering why I like Barbara Ann so much. I usually say something like, "There's so much more to them than just surfing and cars. Their music is really diverse and I think it's among the best pop music ever made." Sometimes that leads the person to want to know more-- like, "Really? That surfing band did some of the best pop music ever?"

But there's usually a willingness on the part of the other person t accept that they don't know much about the BBs and that even the surfing stuff is pretty great. Unlike with Hanson, where, as soon as I say the band name I usually get,"Oh, that Mmmbop band from the 90s?"

[Heysaboda]

No.

These albums: Friends, Smiley Smile, Sunflower and 20/20 are the foundation of all and I mean ALL "indie" music today.

Why would anyone be embarrassed to be a fan of genius?  GEEZ!

[Gabo]

No.

These albums: Friends, Smiley Smile, Sunflower and 20/20 are the foundation of all and I mean ALL "indie" music today.

Why would anyone be embarrassed to be a fan of genius?  GEEZ!

The vast majority of "indie kids" dismiss The Beach Boys. I honestly haven't met one person my age who listens to them (early 20s).

[GhostyTMRS]

Every single track on Endless Summer is brilliant and representative of the best music to come out of the 60's, or any era for that matter. I'd put that track listing up against anyone else's greatest hits. Period.

If the group had never cut Pet Sounds or Smile and broke up after Party they would STILL be incredible.

If when you bring up the Beach Boys to someone and they claim that they find the surfing/drag racing subject matter of the band's early career embarrassing...well, that person is a f***-ng tool.
Dennis Wilson did that stuff. Dennis Wilson was cool. Cooler than practically everyone else in human history. I rest my case.  

[bgas]

No.

These albums: Friends, Smiley Smile, Sunflower and 20/20 are the foundation of all and I mean ALL "indie" music today.

Why would anyone be embarrassed to be a fan of genius?  GEEZ!

The vast majority of "indie kids" dismiss The Beach Boys. I honestly haven't met one person my age who listens to them (early 20s).

Funny! Because all the music they listen to is done by artists that treasure Brian

[startBBtoday]

I disagree. It was with Endless Summer that their image as a square surf band was set. Endless Summer marked the start of the Beach Boy's decline musically and degeneration into a oldies nostalgia band.

In all honesty things would have gone a hell of a lot better if Jack Riley was never fired, Blondie and Ricky never left, and they continued making top-notch albums after Holland instead of "shudder" 15 Big Ones!

Holland came out a year and a half before Endless Summer. They had plenty of time to make a top-notch album before Endless Summer came out. And they didn't.

[Shady]

No.

These albums: Friends, Smiley Smile, Sunflower and 20/20 are the foundation of all and I mean ALL "indie" music today.

Why would anyone be embarrassed to be a fan of genius?  GEEZ!

The vast majority of "indie kids" dismiss The Beach Boys. I honestly haven't met one person my age who listens to them (early 20s).

Comments like that make me laugh, really who cares what people listen to. We follow a very relevant band , 50 years later they still sell and still keep gaining new fans with every passing year. The beach boys will never die, you can't ask much more from a band

[feelsflow]

On and on and on...I Like ABBA too.

.

I have never been embarrassed to say I am a Beach Boys fan.  No reason through to the mid-60's.  Anyone that was around Christmas 1965 should remember how popular the Party! album was.  Most of my friends could identify with Pet Sounds and loved "Good Vibrations."  When I think of "Good Vibrations" I remember it being just as popular in the summer of 1967 as it was in late '66.  Wild Honey grooved, the party was still going on.  Friends is the one that was met with blank stares.  People just didn't get it's force, it's mellow beauty.  Donovan was very similar at the time, The Gift Box was out.  The English connection may of had something to do with it.  I don't think anyone was hoping they would go back to the surf-n-sand/cars sound.  Missing the festivals might have hurt them, but if you weren't in California you hardly heard about it.  Monterey is looked back on as a much bigger deal than it was at the time.  They didn't do the other festivals either, except the Celebration at Big Sur, a bit late in the game - which I didn't hear about until the record was released.  It wasn't until the Woodstock Movie came out that you heard bands saying, "oh, we should have accepted that gig."  The Atlanta, Miami, Texas Festivals were a very big deal where I was.  I was at the July 1970 Atlanta event.  Sure they could have gotten on the bills, I don't think they tried.  Carl maybe wanted to.  Going off topic here trying to say what went wrong, but the live shows were suffering and that was a problem.  As others have said, they had their eras of popularity.  It was tough to be a fan in 1969/70/71, but that was their (my friends) problem.  If you came to my house, The Boys got turntable time.  If I was at a listening party at their houses, same deal.  I got my picks, as that was how it was done.  Wild Honey was always a hit with most everybody.  There's so many party tracks on that one.  Even in 1970 "How She Boogalooed It," "Here Comes The Night," "A Thing or Two," "Darlin'" got toes tapping, and people on their feet.  Now Friends, as I said, that was a hard sell.  Those Bruce tracks on Sunflower... folks would howl.  Most everything from 1964 thru 1967 was fairly popular.  They got it turned around quick enough, the shows I saw in 1973/74 were packed.  They were not just "oldies" shows.  

I wasn't embarrassed, no need to be.