Beach Boys number three in 20 best bands of all time

[Tablevega]

The Times ('of London' for those in the US) is running a series of supplements called Pop School, by Bob Stanley 'Critic, musician and author of  Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, the Story of Modern Pop.'  Today:  Best bands.  Beach Boys are in at number 3 behind guess who at number one and KLF at number two.  This is what he has to say about them  (prepare to splutter your coffee as he nominates their best line):

3/ The Beach Boys

Based around the talented but deeply troubled Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys harmonised like a dream, effectively creating the sound of California. Their catalogue runs from the daft (Vegetables) to the experimental (Good Vibrations) to the almost spiritual (God Only Knows). Not so long ago they were still seen by many — especially in the US — as squares, playing for Ronald Reagan and appearing on Baywatch. Detractors said that much of Brian Wilson’s legend was based on music that had been heard by a small number of collectors and his immediate family. Now, with the aborted 1966-67 Smile album, as well as tearful gems such as Still I Dream of It available digitally for everyone to hear, it’s harder to argue the case against.

Best line: “Be true to your school now, just like you would to your
 girl or guy”   

[Please delete my account]

From "Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story Of Modern Pop" itself:

"Who are your favourite pop group? It's not easy, is it? I could plump for the Beach Boys, but there's always the difficulty of loving Mike Love. The Who? Far too patchy. The Pet Shop Boys? They didn't know when to quit. The Bee Gees? Oh, too much to explain.

"If you were forced to name your favourite group of all time, then the Beatles would be a hard one to argue with, but so would the KLF."

[mikeddonn]

Bob Stanley is a member of the group St Etienne and has always been a big Beach Boys/Brian Wilson fan, always singing their praises.  His own work is excellent and well worth checking out.

[Cliff1000uk]

Bob Stanley is a member of the group St Etienne and has always been a big Beach Boys/Brian Wilson fan, always singing their praises.  His own work is excellent and well worth checking out.

He also DJ'd after one of Brian's gigs at the RFH in the foyer and I'm sure he played some Honey's
Now, I know it was sponsored by Mojo and Brian got his award in 2011, which would tie in with the Gershwin shows, but I swear it was earlier-possibly the TLOS shows in 2007.
Anyways, as stated above, Bob's always been a huge BB fan and you should check out St Etienne: So Tough and Tiger Bay

[Shady]

Cool to see The Beach Boys get a high spot but who the hell are the band that came in at number two

[beacharg]

This is the very first time I hear there is a band called KLF.
Am I weird?

[Kurosawa]

Cool to see The Beach Boys get a high spot but who the hell are the band that came in at number two

Some hip-hop, etc act, never heard of 'em, don't listen to that stuff.

I always assumed the default for most music journalists was Beatles #1, Stones #2, then all a matter of what else they like...not my personal ranks, of course.

[Mike's Beard]

The KLF are the second best band of all time? What the f*** is this guy smoking?

[Eric Aniversario]

Cool to see The Beach Boys get a high spot but who the hell are the band that came in at number two

KLF uh huh uh huh uh huh uh huh
KLF IS GONNA ROCK YA
Ancients of muu muu!

Watch "The KLF - 3 A.M. Eternal  [Extended]" on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0D449MmZ4I&feature=youtube_gdata_player

and featuring Tammy Wynette:

Watch "KLF & Tammy Wynette - Justified and Ancient" on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7_ajdd99CM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Don't get me wrong: I enjoyed these songs when they came out 22 years ago...very strange stuff, but well done and catchystrange stuff...I mocked it at first, but I did wind up purchasing the cassette singles. But the #2 band of all time? I can probably think of at least 2000 artists who would rank above them.

[buddhahat]

  (prepare to splutter your coffee as he nominates their best line):

No coffee left to splutter after I read KLF were #2.

[The Shift]

I thunk KLF were more famed for their controversial acts than for their music… Surely they should be on the top 100 circus performers list rather than best bands…

[Fire Wind]

My favourite tune of their's was Last Train to Trancentral.  Still got some of their 45s.  Trancentral was actually their squat in Stockwell, so the last train they're talking about was presumably on the Victoria Line.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqxtBggVsi0

Edit - obviously, we should be talking about the Beach Boys here, but if you're behind the Times paywall and are happy to post it, it would be interesting to see the KLF paragraph, just to see the justification for how he rates them above the Boys (and a million other bands).

[Tablevega]

Here you are:

As much conceptual artists as a pop group, it’s astonishing that the KLF sold more singles in 1991 than anyone else. Bill Drummond (as manager of the Teardrop Explodes and Echo and the Bunnymen ) and Jimmy Cauty (with Brilliant) had been around the block by the time they formed the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu in the mid-Eighties, fuelled by a love of hip-hop. With engineer Nick Coler they tapped the rave zeitgeist as the KLF with 1990’s What Time Is Love? A year on they roped in Tammy Wynette to sing on Justified & Ancient (Stand by The JAMS), scored a No. 1, with 3AM Eternal, then split live on stage at the 1992 Brits.

Best line: “They’re justified and they’re ancient, and they drive an ice cream van

[Fire Wind]

Thanks!  It's funny he feels the need to argue the case for the BB's significance, but feels no need to justify the KLF.  They do have a good 'best line', though.

[Tablevega]

Tomorrow he's doing best voices.  I'm waiting with anticipation...

Today was best guitarists.  Number One:  Hendrix.  'Not only the ultimate guitarist, but probably the ultimate rock star. On stage or on TV, he was extraordinarily exciting to watch and often seemed to be laughing, as if constantly surprised at his own ability. Given focus by the bassist Noel Redding and the drummer Mitch Mitchell, the Jimi Hendrix Experience became the ultimate power trio; on their Burning of the Midnight Lamp single (1967) you are left wondering how on earth guitars can sound like that, in much the same way as you can’t fathom what certain sounds are on the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. The difference is that Brian Wilson was using an orchestra — Hendrix did it all by himself. '

[Cliff1000uk]

Bless Bob-he does manage to wrangle a BB reference into almost anything!

Quickly just want to say that 3am Eternal and Last Train to Trancental takes me back to the days of sitting by the stereo on a Sunday afternoon. With the finger on the record button and a pencil at hand in case the tape unwinds!

[mikeddonn]

I remember it well too Cliff.  The UK top 40! 

[Tablevega]

Day five of Pop School and in honour of Valentine's day they're doing love songs.  As the intro says: God only knows how anyone else stood a chance for the top slot.

This is the comment on it:

1/ God Only Knows The Beach Boys

The yearning of the French horn, backed by a celeste, is followed by the most unexpected opening line — “I may not always love you.” God Only Knows then goes on to detail exactly why the singer’s love is unconditional, unbreakable: “You never need to doubt it.” The lyric was written by Tony Asher, a humble jingle writer (Mattel toys, Gallo wine) before he met Brian Wilson and they created the Pet Sounds album. Wilson’s unorthodox, exquisite arrangement (what the hell is that middle eight?) is key to the song’s impact — without it, the spell is easily broken, as proven by David Bowie and Neil Diamond’s aggressive, meaty covers.

Best line “God only knows what I’d be without you”