You're The Beach Boys, it's 1966, and come home from a tour to find........

[kookadams]

But the BBs were/are a group. That's like telling george martin after revolver to replace the beatles with different dudes. Esp when the BBs proved they could write individually I.e. sunflower.

[Cam Mott]

Found that CD with HOTYE vocal takes on it. I know everyone was on the edge of their seat or furiously digging through their collection to find it.

(thousand yard stare)

Just a quick listen so far but it sounds like "history" might be in for a semi-rewriting.

[Mr. Verlander]

Seriously, what would you do if you were a member of the BB's, and you went into the studio to listen to what Brian was doing, and all you got were a bunch of segments of songs?

If I had the relationship I think they had I would do what I think they did: the usual guy goofing around and mild complaining and mocking each other (locker room stuff) and then getting down to doing what Brian told us to do the best we could do it because we trusted Brian and thought the work was beautiful even if we didn't understand a lyric or didn't think we could do it at first but Brian told us we could and even if we were humiliated by getting down on the floor and making animal noises.

That is if you accept the narrow narrative of a few guys from outside the group who were around some of the time for a few months and then widen the narrative with the Boys' (including Brian's) own witnesses about the work and the actual work by the group captured on the session tapes.

I guess my point is, (and one which I didn't explain ), is that I don't really blame them if they were like 'WTF'.

[ash]

Re: You're The Beach Boys, it's 1966, and come home from a tour to find the people surrounding Brian that we know of, Lauren Daro, etc, who are telling Brian you don't need these other guys, you are THE MAN! How would you feel?

I'd feel like saying to him, wow that's some pretty far out music Brian.  I'll tell you what, let's go to Western Studios right now ( I'll bring my reel to reel too ). Can you sit at the piano there and play the sections how they fit together and talk us through the backing vocals so we can practice at home and get them real good. While we're there make sure you put a lead vocal on those last few , you know that Worms one, Child Is The Father, Holidays, er...what was that one with the Good Vibes riff, yeah Look coz it'll really help us work out how our backing lines fit in. I'm not sure what we can add to Fire but talk us through that Elements cut phew that one's crazy....oh yeah get Van to copy out some lyric sheets for all of us too and make sure you send lead vocal charts to the copyright office. We're gonna need acetates of this tape reel too, make sure you give one to Capitol and keep a couple for our tape library. Also make sure you give an acetate to Mrs Linnett's kid Mark. I don't know why but i've just got a gut feeling about this, go with me on that one Brian. 
Man we should have this finished in a week. If you can put all those different versions of Heroes on the tape too maybe we can decide which one works best but don't chuck any of them, maybe we could put different versions on the single and album.
Man, i'm not sure our fans are ready for this yet but i'll tell you what Brian , John and Paul will crap their collarless suits when they hear this. sh*t, Dylan's gonna crash his motorbike when he hears this album.
If we cant get it right in time for Christmas maybe we could make it a light up box set some time in the future.
OK, Bri, i'll go and get my reel to reel. Bruce, get Chuck on the phone tell him we're coming over to Western in 1 hour. Denny can you sort Bri out with some hash joints till i get back. This record is gonna be so good it'll make Pet Sounds stink. Mike, call Van, we're gonna need his help on this session, we're gonna need  help with the chicken noises on that Heroes fade. It's gotta be perfect....

or something like that.

[Lonely Summer]

"that tune's a muthaf---er, Brian!"

[Cam Mott]

Re. HOTYE/IKTAA vocal takes on SOT: Mike offered to sing the "whole" thing at least three times and even started singing "Hang on to your e" before muffing it. 

I don't have the vocal tracks on that disc figured out yet but from track 6 on it might all be from a single session for IKTAA which is sometimes using the Brian vocal for HOTYE as a reference. Maybe?

Anyways the IKTAA lyric rerecord parts must have been done sometime between Feb 9 and March 10, possibly closer to the March 10 tracking for GOK than the Feb 9 tracking for HOYTE.  So early in the project I guess but I don't hear any inter-group tension on those takes. In fact I hear exactly the opposite, very relaxed with lots of easy humor and banter.

Is there anything like anything supposedly described by Asher, Anderle, and Vosse on any of the vocal tapes available so far? 

[wilsonart1]

Hey Mike! You're like Gilligan, you got hit on the head and you're talkin like the professor!

[Ang Jones]

It seems the anti-BB's argument is often portrayed this way: Jeez, what a bunch of idiots the Beach Boys were. They'd just come back from touring Japan, where they'd successfully played the same old surf and turf stuff as they had everywhere else. No musical experimentation, don't take any chances, just silly songs about girls, cars and surfing. Now Brian wants them to suddenly take a radical left turn and sing this music that bears no relation to anything they'd done before. And the group, being the simple minded idiots they were, only concerned with having hit records and making money, gave Brian endless grief about this new music he wanted them to sing. Brian was a genius and should never have had his ideas challenged; the Beach Boys would've been pumping gas if not for the genius of Brian. Ungrateful, talentless hacks!

But the Beach Boys didn't exist in a vacuum. Presumably they listened to what other bands such as The Beatles were doing and if they had any sense whatsoever could have realised that fashions change and that what is popular in 1963 is not necessarily going to remain popular in 1966, 1967 and so on. Some of the fans were able to see how great Pet Sounds was at the time so is it too much to hope that some of the other Beach Boys could have realised it too? Of course from their point of view it was risky but it may be true sometimes if not always in music as in other aspects of life that one must speculate to accumulate.

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

Re: You're The Beach Boys, it's 1966, and come home from a tour to find the people surrounding Brian that we know of, Lauren Daro, etc, who are telling Brian you don't need these other guys, you are THE MAN! How would you feel?

I'd feel like saying to him, wow that's some pretty far out music Brian.  I'll tell you what, let's go to Western Studios right now ( I'll bring my reel to reel too ). Can you sit at the piano there and play the sections how they fit together and talk us through the backing vocals so we can practice at home and get them real good. While we're there make sure you put a lead vocal on those last few , you know that Worms one, Child Is The Father, Holidays, er...what was that one with the Good Vibes riff, yeah Look coz it'll really help us work out how our backing lines fit in. I'm not sure what we can add to Fire but talk us through that Elements cut phew that one's crazy....oh yeah get Van to copy out some lyric sheets for all of us too and make sure you send lead vocal charts to the copyright office. We're gonna need acetates of this tape reel too, make sure you give one to Capitol and keep a couple for our tape library. Also make sure you give an acetate to Mrs Linnett's kid Mark. I don't know why but i've just got a gut feeling about this, go with me on that one Brian. 
Man we should have this finished in a week. If you can put all those different versions of Heroes on the tape too maybe we can decide which one works best but don't chuck any of them, maybe we could put different versions on the single and album.
Man, i'm not sure our fans are ready for this yet but i'll tell you what Brian , John and Paul will crap their collarless suits when they hear this. sh*t, Dylan's gonna crash his motorbike when he hears this album.
If we cant get it right in time for Christmas maybe we could make it a light up box set some time in the future.
OK, Bri, i'll go and get my reel to reel. Bruce, get Chuck on the phone tell him we're coming over to Western in 1 hour. Denny can you sort Bri out with some hash joints till i get back. This record is gonna be so good it'll make Pet Sounds stink. Mike, call Van, we're gonna need his help on this session, we're gonna need  help with the chicken noises on that Heroes fade. It's gotta be perfect....

or something like that.

  Perfect! /thread

[Cam Mott]

Also on that SOT Unsurpassed Masters Vol. 13 (1966) The Alternate Pet Sounds Album Vol.1 Disc 4, during the takes of the recording of the new words "I know there's an answer" for IKTAA, at about 6:05 you hear Bruce say "I said 'hang on'. The first time but i think it will cover it up." and Brian reassures him it is "alright" and then you hear Brian saying to someone:

"It's really great. So happy we did this because it's -- now I'm happy.
Oh fuckin' I hated the whole thing, man. Now it's good. It's one of the best cuts on the album. It's -- classical"

Someone is responding to Brian but I can't make out what they say or who they are. Then Brian goes on to talking about how he has just written GOK and will be cutting the track "Sunday".

Has anyone else put ears on this?

[CenturyDeprived]

Also on that SOT Unsurpassed Masters Vol. 13 (1966) The Alternate Pet Sounds Album Vol.1 Disc 4, during the takes of the recording of the new words "I know there's an answer" for IKTAA, at about 6:05 you hear Bruce say "I said 'hang on'. The first time but i think it will cover it up." and Brian reassures him it is "alright" and then you hear Brian saying to someone:

"It's really great. So happy we did this because it's -- now I'm happy.
Oh fuckin' I hated the whole thing, man. Now it's good. It's one of the best cuts on the album. It's -- classical"

Someone is responding to Brian but I can't make out what they say or who they are. Then Brian goes on to talking about how he has just written GOK and will be cutting the track "Sunday".

Has anyone else put ears on this?

Mind you, I prefer the IKTAA lyrics to the Ego ones myself. But if, for example, Brian had been pushed a bit more to keep the changed "positive" lyrics for Til I Die, and he relented and changed them (and the only version that got released had the positive "spin")... do you think it's possible that Brian would have said a similar thing, that he hated the old lyrics? Or such is not a possible scenario in your mind?

[CenturyDeprived]

Re: You're The Beach Boys, it's 1966, and come home from a tour to find the people surrounding Brian that we know of, Lauren Daro, etc, who are telling Brian you don't need these other guys, you are THE MAN! How would you feel?

I'd feel like saying to him, wow that's some pretty far out music Brian.  I'll tell you what, let's go to Western Studios right now ( I'll bring my reel to reel too ). Can you sit at the piano there and play the sections how they fit together and talk us through the backing vocals so we can practice at home and get them real good. While we're there make sure you put a lead vocal on those last few , you know that Worms one, Child Is The Father, Holidays, er...what was that one with the Good Vibes riff, yeah Look coz it'll really help us work out how our backing lines fit in. I'm not sure what we can add to Fire but talk us through that Elements cut phew that one's crazy....oh yeah get Van to copy out some lyric sheets for all of us too and make sure you send lead vocal charts to the copyright office. We're gonna need acetates of this tape reel too, make sure you give one to Capitol and keep a couple for our tape library. Also make sure you give an acetate to Mrs Linnett's kid Mark. I don't know why but i've just got a gut feeling about this, go with me on that one Brian. 
Man we should have this finished in a week. If you can put all those different versions of Heroes on the tape too maybe we can decide which one works best but don't chuck any of them, maybe we could put different versions on the single and album.
Man, i'm not sure our fans are ready for this yet but i'll tell you what Brian , John and Paul will crap their collarless suits when they hear this. sh*t, Dylan's gonna crash his motorbike when he hears this album.
If we cant get it right in time for Christmas maybe we could make it a light up box set some time in the future.
OK, Bri, i'll go and get my reel to reel. Bruce, get Chuck on the phone tell him we're coming over to Western in 1 hour. Denny can you sort Bri out with some hash joints till i get back. This record is gonna be so good it'll make Pet Sounds stink. Mike, call Van, we're gonna need his help on this session, we're gonna need  help with the chicken noises on that Heroes fade. It's gotta be perfect....

or something like that.

  Perfect! /thread

Mujan is back! And yeah, agreed - that is a rad scenario. If only.

[Please delete my account]

sh*t, Dylan's gonna crash his motorbike when he hears this album.

almost snorted soup all over my screen.

[Mike's Beard]

Also on that SOT Unsurpassed Masters Vol. 13 (1966) The Alternate Pet Sounds Album Vol.1 Disc 4, during the takes of the recording of the new words "I know there's an answer" for IKTAA, at about 6:05 you hear Bruce say "I said 'hang on'. The first time but i think it will cover it up." and Brian reassures him it is "alright" and then you hear Brian saying to someone:

"It's really great. So happy we did this because it's -- now I'm happy.
Oh fuckin' I hated the whole thing, man. Now it's good. It's one of the best cuts on the album. It's -- classical"

Someone is responding to Brian but I can't make out what they say or who they are. Then Brian goes on to talking about how he has just written GOK and will be cutting the track "Sunday".

Has anyone else put ears on this?

Mind you, I prefer the IKTAA lyrics to the Ego ones myself. But if, for example, Brian had been pushed a bit more to keep the changed "positive" lyrics for Til I Die, and he relented and changed them (and the only version that got released had the positive "spin")... do you think it's possible that Brian would have said a similar thing, that he hated the old lyrics? Or such is not a possible scenario in your mind?

Till I Die is one of my favourite BB songs and easily the best solely composed Brian track but again I can't see how a few minor lyrical revisions would have harmed the song in any way. No ammont of positive spin was going to make that song sound any less haunting than it does. At the most it would offer a tiny glint of light at the end of a dark tunnel. Anyhooo, as Brian rolled over on IKTAA but stuck to his guns on 'Till I Die, I think if he had been forced to comply with Mike's suggestions for it, it's doubtfull he'd tell people he hated the old lyrics. To flip the question somewhat, I wonder how he feels about the song today seeing that it came from such a bleak point in his life?

[CenturyDeprived]

Also on that SOT Unsurpassed Masters Vol. 13 (1966) The Alternate Pet Sounds Album Vol.1 Disc 4, during the takes of the recording of the new words "I know there's an answer" for IKTAA, at about 6:05 you hear Bruce say "I said 'hang on'. The first time but i think it will cover it up." and Brian reassures him it is "alright" and then you hear Brian saying to someone:

"It's really great. So happy we did this because it's -- now I'm happy.
Oh fuckin' I hated the whole thing, man. Now it's good. It's one of the best cuts on the album. It's -- classical"

Someone is responding to Brian but I can't make out what they say or who they are. Then Brian goes on to talking about how he has just written GOK and will be cutting the track "Sunday".

Has anyone else put ears on this?

Mind you, I prefer the IKTAA lyrics to the Ego ones myself. But if, for example, Brian had been pushed a bit more to keep the changed "positive" lyrics for Til I Die, and he relented and changed them (and the only version that got released had the positive "spin")... do you think it's possible that Brian would have said a similar thing, that he hated the old lyrics? Or such is not a possible scenario in your mind?

Till I Die is one of my favourite BB songs and easily the best solely composed Brian track but again I can't see how a few minor lyrical revisions would have harmed the song in any way. No ammont of positive spin was going to make that song sound any less haunting than it does. At the most it would offer a tiny glint of light at the end of a dark tunnel. Anyhooo, as Brian rolled over on IKTAA but stuck to his guns on 'Till I Die, I think if he had been forced to comply with Mike's suggestions for it, it's doubtfull he'd tell people he hated the old lyrics. To flip the question somewhat, I wonder how he feels about the song today seeing that it came from such a bleak point in his life?

Hmm... I disagree. I think that even "little" Til I Die lyric changes like that make a big difference. I'll ask you again, since I'm not sure you replied previously: Would a lyric change to "I surely always love you" at the beginning of GOK have "harmed" that song in any way? What say you?

Many people talk about the original "I may not always love you" GOK lyrical line as being out of left field (in a good way), and particularly unusual for a song to start off with, and it makes a notable tonal/mood difference to a good chunk of listeners, or at least the ones who are paying close attention to lyrics and themes - not to say that everyone will feel the same way, but a sizable chunk would, I'm sure. The vibe of the song is dramatically changed by just a minor change like that. It shouldn't just be easily dismissible solely because it's "just" one word or two.

The fact that there's NO perceptible light at the end of the tunnel in Til I Die is something that the artist wanted and intended, not dissimilar to what the probable intention was with Summer's Gone. It's not a minor or nearly negligible difference. Til I Die, especially, has very few lyrics throughout the song. There are not many words, which make the few words that are present all the more important.

But back to IKTAA... Brian may have indeed hated the "ego" lyrics, and I don't necessarily doubt that that was in fact the case. But he also hated confrontation. Ultimately, as I've previously stated, I would agree that the lyric change to IKTAA was the best move for that song. I think it's less clunky and better with the revised lyrics. I do, however, wonder what potential original lyrics (had they been kept in) might have done for the band's reputation and image on the whole, if the "ego" lyrics were part of the beginnings of making more radical (if indirect) drug statements in their tunes.

Not an instance where I mourn the loss of the "ego" lyric; only that I mourn what might have been a small, yet possibly notable overall step in shifting the band away from its early image. If combined with a released Smile, I think that released "ego" lyrics would have perhaps had a greater historical significance on the whole, and might have help remove a bit of the stale cheese that unfortunately crusted over their image at the time.

[Cam Mott]

Now that I listen again, it sounds like:

Brian: "It's really great. So happy we did this because it's -- now I'm happy.

Somebody 1 (Al?): ? "No, I didn't think about that ... *something* ?

Maybe Brian or a Somebody 2: "Oh fuckin' I hated the whole thing, man."

Somebody 1: *something* "... some bad"... *something*

Brian: "Now it's good. It's one of the best cuts on the album. It's -- classical"

Need more and younger ears on it.

[Mike's Beard]

Also on that SOT Unsurpassed Masters Vol. 13 (1966) The Alternate Pet Sounds Album Vol.1 Disc 4, during the takes of the recording of the new words "I know there's an answer" for IKTAA, at about 6:05 you hear Bruce say "I said 'hang on'. The first time but i think it will cover it up." and Brian reassures him it is "alright" and then you hear Brian saying to someone:

"It's really great. So happy we did this because it's -- now I'm happy.
Oh fuckin' I hated the whole thing, man. Now it's good. It's one of the best cuts on the album. It's -- classical"

Someone is responding to Brian but I can't make out what they say or who they are. Then Brian goes on to talking about how he has just written GOK and will be cutting the track "Sunday".

Has anyone else put ears on this?

Mind you, I prefer the IKTAA lyrics to the Ego ones myself. But if, for example, Brian had been pushed a bit more to keep the changed "positive" lyrics for Til I Die, and he relented and changed them (and the only version that got released had the positive "spin")... do you think it's possible that Brian would have said a similar thing, that he hated the old lyrics? Or such is not a possible scenario in your mind?

Till I Die is one of my favourite BB songs and easily the best solely composed Brian track but again I can't see how a few minor lyrical revisions would have harmed the song in any way. No ammont of positive spin was going to make that song sound any less haunting than it does. At the most it would offer a tiny glint of light at the end of a dark tunnel. Anyhooo, as Brian rolled over on IKTAA but stuck to his guns on 'Till I Die, I think if he had been forced to comply with Mike's suggestions for it, it's doubtfull he'd tell people he hated the old lyrics. To flip the question somewhat, I wonder how he feels about the song today seeing that it came from such a bleak point in his life?

Hmm... I disagree. I think that even "little" Til I Die lyric changes like that make a big difference. I'll ask you again, since I'm not sure you replied previously: Would a lyric change to "I surely always love you" at the beginning of GOK have "harmed" that song in any way? What say you?

Many people talk about the original "I may not always love you" GOK lyrical line as being out of left field (in a good way), and particularly unusual for a song to start off with, and it makes a notable tonal/mood difference to a good chunk of listeners, or at least the ones who are paying close attention to lyrics and themes - not to say that everyone will feel the same way, but a sizable chunk would, I'm sure. The vibe of the song is dramatically changed by just a minor change like that. It shouldn't just be easily dismissible solely because it's "just" one word or two.

The fact that there's NO perceptible light at the end of the tunnel in Til I Die is something that the artist wanted and intended, not dissimilar to what the probable intention was with Summer's Gone. It's not a minor or nearly negligible difference. Til I Die, especially, has very few lyrics throughout the song. There are not many words, which make the few words that are present all the more important.

But back to IKTAA... Brian may have indeed hated the "ego" lyrics, and I don't necessarily doubt that that was in fact the case. But he also hated confrontation. Ultimately, as I've previously stated, I would agree that the lyric change to IKTAA was the best move for that song. I think it's less clunky and better with the revised lyrics. I do, however, wonder what potential original lyrics (had they been kept in) might have done for the band's reputation and image on the whole, if the "ego" lyrics were part of the beginnings of making more radical (if indirect) drug statements in their tunes.

Not an instance where I mourn the loss of the "ego" lyric; only that I mourn what might have been a small, yet possibly notable overall step in shifting the band away from its early image. If combined with a released Smile, I think that released "ego" lyrics would have perhaps had a greater historical significance on the whole, and might have help remove a bit of the stale cheese that unfortunately crusted over their image at the time.

Another line would have to be changed for it to make sense.
I surely always love you
And long as there are stars above you.

Granted it's not as effective but it's impact on the song would be minimal.

[Kurosawa]

Also, consider this: You're Mike Love and you've been working hard on a tour and you're looking forward to coming home and hearing all the new amazing Brian Wilson songs for the next album. Then Brian invites you to a party over at his place where a bunch of hippies are hanging out and you watch as he turns on a tape and just grooves to a bunch of dogs barking. I mean, what??? When you consider how it would only be a matter of time before you would be forced to sing while Brian made a bobble head doll dance in front of you, you can see why tensions were pretty high.

Yeah, and I also think that a lot of the media's turn on the Beach Boys can be traced back to the Mike/Al/Bruce group not being into the entire hippie, drug, counterculture thing. One of the many things I always hated about Jann Wenner and Rolling Stone magazine is how they glorify drug use to such an absurd degree. I think the fact that half the band was straight and in Mike's case was pretty outspoken about it really turned the hipster media against them. It's such garbage...music should be judged solely on the quality of the music, and doing a bunch of dope does not make someone cool no matter what the idiots at RS say.

I guess I side more with Mike/Al/Bruce on that issue partially because I've never gotten high.

[CenturyDeprived]

Also on that SOT Unsurpassed Masters Vol. 13 (1966) The Alternate Pet Sounds Album Vol.1 Disc 4, during the takes of the recording of the new words "I know there's an answer" for IKTAA, at about 6:05 you hear Bruce say "I said 'hang on'. The first time but i think it will cover it up." and Brian reassures him it is "alright" and then you hear Brian saying to someone:

"It's really great. So happy we did this because it's -- now I'm happy.
Oh fuckin' I hated the whole thing, man. Now it's good. It's one of the best cuts on the album. It's -- classical"

Someone is responding to Brian but I can't make out what they say or who they are. Then Brian goes on to talking about how he has just written GOK and will be cutting the track "Sunday".

Has anyone else put ears on this?

Mind you, I prefer the IKTAA lyrics to the Ego ones myself. But if, for example, Brian had been pushed a bit more to keep the changed "positive" lyrics for Til I Die, and he relented and changed them (and the only version that got released had the positive "spin")... do you think it's possible that Brian would have said a similar thing, that he hated the old lyrics? Or such is not a possible scenario in your mind?

Till I Die is one of my favourite BB songs and easily the best solely composed Brian track but again I can't see how a few minor lyrical revisions would have harmed the song in any way. No ammont of positive spin was going to make that song sound any less haunting than it does. At the most it would offer a tiny glint of light at the end of a dark tunnel. Anyhooo, as Brian rolled over on IKTAA but stuck to his guns on 'Till I Die, I think if he had been forced to comply with Mike's suggestions for it, it's doubtfull he'd tell people he hated the old lyrics. To flip the question somewhat, I wonder how he feels about the song today seeing that it came from such a bleak point in his life?

Hmm... I disagree. I think that even "little" Til I Die lyric changes like that make a big difference. I'll ask you again, since I'm not sure you replied previously: Would a lyric change to "I surely always love you" at the beginning of GOK have "harmed" that song in any way? What say you?

Many people talk about the original "I may not always love you" GOK lyrical line as being out of left field (in a good way), and particularly unusual for a song to start off with, and it makes a notable tonal/mood difference to a good chunk of listeners, or at least the ones who are paying close attention to lyrics and themes - not to say that everyone will feel the same way, but a sizable chunk would, I'm sure. The vibe of the song is dramatically changed by just a minor change like that. It shouldn't just be easily dismissible solely because it's "just" one word or two.

The fact that there's NO perceptible light at the end of the tunnel in Til I Die is something that the artist wanted and intended, not dissimilar to what the probable intention was with Summer's Gone. It's not a minor or nearly negligible difference. Til I Die, especially, has very few lyrics throughout the song. There are not many words, which make the few words that are present all the more important.

But back to IKTAA... Brian may have indeed hated the "ego" lyrics, and I don't necessarily doubt that that was in fact the case. But he also hated confrontation. Ultimately, as I've previously stated, I would agree that the lyric change to IKTAA was the best move for that song. I think it's less clunky and better with the revised lyrics. I do, however, wonder what potential original lyrics (had they been kept in) might have done for the band's reputation and image on the whole, if the "ego" lyrics were part of the beginnings of making more radical (if indirect) drug statements in their tunes.

Not an instance where I mourn the loss of the "ego" lyric; only that I mourn what might have been a small, yet possibly notable overall step in shifting the band away from its early image. If combined with a released Smile, I think that released "ego" lyrics would have perhaps had a greater historical significance on the whole, and might have help remove a bit of the stale cheese that unfortunately crusted over their image at the time.

Another line would have to be changed for it to make sense.
I surely always love you
And long as there are stars above you.

Granted it's not as effective but it's impact on the song would be minimal.

Minimal is inaccurate. Especially since I've heard (beyond my own feelings on it) many reviews and musicians talking about the impact of that one specific lyric. It made a difference. But you're entitled to your opinion, even if it s wrong 

[Lonely Summer]

Also, consider this: You're Mike Love and you've been working hard on a tour and you're looking forward to coming home and hearing all the new amazing Brian Wilson songs for the next album. Then Brian invites you to a party over at his place where a bunch of hippies are hanging out and you watch as he turns on a tape and just grooves to a bunch of dogs barking. I mean, what??? When you consider how it would only be a matter of time before you would be forced to sing while Brian made a bobble head doll dance in front of you, you can see why tensions were pretty high.

Yeah, and I also think that a lot of the media's turn on the Beach Boys can be traced back to the Mike/Al/Bruce group not being into the entire hippie, drug, counterculture thing. One of the many things I always hated about Jann Wenner and Rolling Stone magazine is how they glorify drug use to such an absurd degree. I think the fact that half the band was straight and in Mike's case was pretty outspoken about it really turned the hipster media against them. It's such garbage...music should be judged solely on the quality of the music, and doing a bunch of dope does not make someone cool no matter what the idiots at RS say.

I guess I side more with Mike/Al/Bruce on that issue partially because I've never gotten high.

And many of those that did suffered long term effects from it - including Brian and Dennis (and maybe even Carl to a lesser degree). On the other hand, Keith Richards probably did more dope than Dennis and Carl combined...and yet he is (apparently) still alive.

[ash]

Technically Keith is undead.

[Kurosawa]

Only two things will be left alive on Earth after the Nuclear holocaust: cockroaches, and Keith Richards.