Bad Vibrations: Who is your least favorite Beach Boy?

[Smilin Ed H]

See?

[halblaineisgood]

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[Smilin Ed H]

If you get that hung up on it, take two and call me in the morning. But I respect your opinion etc etc 

[halblaineisgood]

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[Smilin Ed H]

Mmmmmmm Beer.

[Alan Smith]

Mmmmmmm Beer.

+1

[halblaineisgood]

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[Alan Smith]

Mmmmmmm Beer.

+1

+2

Light Beer? Nay, Laddie, that's just wrong!

[Ang Jones]

Re the maturity or otherwise of Holland - firstly I think that the naivety of the more hippie tracks was something that was by no means confined to the Beach Boys. Secondly, it wasn't the whole album - nothing particularly phoney about Sail on Sailor, Only with You or Funky Pretty or, for that matter, Leaving this Town. Steamboat - the lyrics are vivid, though some would doubtless consider them pretentious.

My favourite part of Holland is the Mount Vernon Fairy Tale. I suppose this hardly qualifies as mature in the usual sense of the word but some beautiful music.

[Mike's Beard]

Some cite Holland as being an example of the group chasing fads but I think Funky Pretty and Mt. Vernon & Fairway is some of Brian's most experimental, out on a limb music he ever made.

[Ron]

The last thing Holland should be praised for is its "maturity".  The desperate" maturity" that it tries to convey. The most shameful aspect about it is its "maturity" --not so much the music itself, but the packaging and its bells and whistles, all part of this desperate need to be perceived as "mature" ... 

"Composer" credits: When Brian had the golden touch simple uncooked songwriting credits sufficed, but not here. There's such a paucity of musical merit that the word "composer" has to be used, as if to say that 'Nothing' that's composed can ever be bad' .

 The upside down album cover: Their worlds have been turned "upside down"  by going to Holland. Ehh.

 The super legible lyric sheet: Not including their dumbass lyrics and hilariously-bad poetry interpolations would have been a nice gesture.

The ridiculous high-concept idea of going there and naming it that: Not bad. BUT NOT GOOD EITHER.
(East Meets West would've been a cooler album. They could've recorded at a studio located on the continental divide . The gatefold would have an "east"  and a "west " side and they "MEET" in the middle at the binding and they could include little pieces of meat in it.


The minute you pull Holland and stare at the thing some respite from its maturity is called for. They just get all up in your business with it and won't quit.

I think you're spot on, but I don't know why you expect anything else from them.  They were smoking drugs and it was the 70's.  Par for the course.  I appreciate it... part of the appeal of the Beach Boys is just all of the batshit crazy stuff they did and decisions they made.  In all of it, you can find little pieces of the beauty and perfection that they had in their music.  I like the Holland album.  I don't expect everything they do to be perfect, they had something to say and said it.... beautifully like usual   A joyous noise, if you will.

This ENTIRE MESSAGE BOARD basically strikes me the same way... lots of pretentiousness, I'm just as guilty of it, you're pointing out the Beach boys are guilty of it, maybe you're even guilty of it.  It's human nature to be full of sh*t every once in awhile.

[halblaineisgood]

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[Disney Boy (1985)]

I don't know about pretentiousness... I'm the one trying to appreciate it for its musical qualities and it's The Beach Boys who refuse to let me do that. And their patsies who cannot stop themselves from playing up this "maturity" angle on the board. I give it a fair shake every time as best that I can.

Seems like it's kinda yourself you can't quite get over rather than the album. Mature, immature, whatever: it's full of superb songwriting and musical inventiveness, and it's got a real satisfying coherent flow from start to finish in a way few BB albums do. Personally, I think Trader, California, Funky Pretty, Only With You, Big Sur - these are just brilliant songs, period. If you can't appreciate them because, you know, the photo on the cover is upside down or there's one song with poetry on or whatever the reasons were you mentioned earlier than that's too bad.

I like the music I like and don't give a sh*t what 'patsies' or anyone else thinks. Try doing likewise and don't let the thoughts of others influence your opinions so much. 

[alf wiedersehen]

A lot of times, I see "mature" being used as a synonym for bland.
Bland with an earthy sound - now that's a mature album.

[Mike's Beard]

I'll take mature over a bunch of 40 something year olds pretending they're teenagers again anyday.

[halblaineisgood]

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[halblaineisgood]

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[rogerlancelot]

I played Holland on a road trip last year with my wife and son in the car and couldn't believe how boring it sounded compared to the other cds we brought with us. The "have you ever been to a festival" verse in "California" was particularly embarrassing. When "Big Sur" played, my wife pointed out the striking similarity to "Mr. Bojangles". It was a disaster and that is why I'm content with Carl & The Passions: So Tough as a representation of this lineup. At least there are a few real rockers on there ("Mess Of Help", "Here She Comes" and well..."Marcella"...kind of...).

By the way, the next day (same 1400+ mile drive), SMiLE Sessions disc 1 was a winner especially since we were driving west (from Louisiana to Nevada). It was far from boring!

[Disney Boy (1985)]

I'll take mature over a bunch of 40 something year olds pretending they're teenagers again anyday.

This. This. Thrice this.

[Surfer]

I also say Murray who is a Bum Rap He is also Under Arrest