I'd rather listen to Kokomo than.........

[phirnis]

...
1. A Day In The Life Of A Tree-Sheer embarrassment. When I try to turn somebody on to the true talents of the Beach Boys I would NEVER dream of using this track...It's be like trying to turn on somebody to Uriah Heep with "Come Away Melinda" or somebody to the mighty Todd Rundgren with "Emperor of the Highway"!
...

Music shouldn't be about what some of your friends might think about it.

[Lee Marshall]

I'd rather listen to Kokomo over anything off 15 Big Ones, Love You, BWPS, That Lucky Old Sun, TWGMTR or No Pier Pressure.

I wouldn't.

[Mike's Beard]

Nobody's forcing you to. 

[Cam Mott]

...than get a colonoscopy.

[jeffh]

Thanks for the reminder. I need to schedule one for next month.

[JK]

...than any other song with only K, M and O in the title.

[petsoundsnola]

All of the Surf's Up album except for the title track and Til I Die.

All of the 1985 album except for Getcha Back

All of the L.A. album except for Good Timin'

All of the Holland Album except for Sail On Sailor

All of the Party Album

All of the MIU Album

All of Smiley Smile except for Good Vibrations and Heroes and Villains

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

I'd rather listen to Kokomo than:

2.  Vegetables - In any form, it's one of my least favorite BB songs.  I think its a weak link on Smile, and for the life of me, I can understand why this song is so well liked. 

You, sir, are a brave man.

To be fair, Im a massive, massive SMiLE fan and always felt the same way...until the TSS re-edit of the track. That really made it come alive and sound like a finished, worthy inclusion for me. Until then, mix after mix, it never seemed to *pop* or fit in for me. It always seemed too slow and if the mix was based on BWPS, too jarring a transition. Now I like it a lot more, but its still one of the SMiLE tracks I dont find myself listening to by itself as opposed to the others.

[bgas]

...than get a colonoscopy.

Huh!  Except for the nasty prep, I've got no problemo with the procedure; and I love that waking up time; if only I could take those meds home!

[guitarfool2002]

.....Elise Keaton on Family Ties when she'd don the fringe vest and moccasins, dust off the ol' acoustic guitar, gather up Steven and the kids in the living room, and warble any number of 60's folk songs.

[Sheriff John Stone]

...than get a colonoscopy.

Huh!  Except for the nasty prep, I've got no problemo with the procedure; and I love that waking up time; if only I could take those meds home!

Just when I thought I'd discussed every possible subject on this board...   Yeah, the actual procedure is easy. The nurse sticks an IV into the top of your hand, asks you to lay on your side, in 30 seconds you're out like a light, and 30 minutes later it's over. Now, the day before...you don't wanna go there...

[bgas]

...than get a colonoscopy.

Huh!  Except for the nasty prep, I've got no problemo with the procedure; and I love that waking up time; if only I could take those meds home!

Just when I thought I'd discussed every possible subject on this board...   Yeah, the actual procedure is easy. The nurse sticks an IV into the top of your hand, asks you to lay on your side, in 30 seconds you're out like a light, and 30 minutes later it's over. Now, the day before...you don't wanna go there...

Right! To boldly go where no man has gone before.....

[marcella27]

I'm brand new to this board and I realize I might be making a pariah of myself after all of three posts so far, but for me it's

When I Grow Up to Be a Man

For some reason it has always made me crazy, not in a good way.  There's something about the harmonies in the chorus that's like fingers on a chalkboard for me.  I also find the verses rather plodding. 

[SurferDownUnder]

All of the Surf's Up album except for the title track and Til I Die.

All of the 1985 album except for Getcha Back

All of the L.A. album except for Good Timin'

All of the Holland Album except for Sail On Sailor

All of the Party Album

All of the MIU Album

All of Smiley Smile except for Good Vibrations and Heroes and Villains

Wow dude what do you like? 

[SurferDownUnder]

Than.....

1. You're So Good To Me - just bland IMO
2. Dance Dance Dance - not sure why I think it might be Brian's vocals in the chorus tho
3. Crocodile Rock - I'd rather gouge my eyes out with a rusty spoon

Finally, maybe unpopular

Solar System - I don't think the lyrics are profound or simplistically symbolic in any way I just think its a weak song

[Ron]

I'd probably put Kokomo in their top 25 songs or so.  It's a very good song in my opinion.  I've never understood why people don't like it.  As a matter of fact, everybody I know DOES like it.  The women I know tend to like it more than pretty much any other Beach Boys song. 

[Bicyclerider]

I'd rather listen to Kokomo than Barbara Ann, or Summer in Paradise.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I'd probably put Kokomo in their top 25 songs or so.  It's a very good song in my opinion.  I've never understood why people don't like it. 

Because it was a hit and Brian Wilson had absolutely nothing to do with it.

A simple way to prove the point...Wipe off all existing credits of the song and insert "written by B. Wilson" or "produced by B. Wilson". Same song, different credit. Do you think the people who vilify the song would then feel differently about it? I can see comments like "he's still got it" and terms like "genius".

[joshferrell]

I would rather Listen to Kokomo than listen to Kokomo, not the spanish version but the original version because one of my personalities (Bob) Likes it the other (Josh) doesn't, my third (Susan) doesn't care either way and, wait no not right now I'm typing this, I'm not going to Kill right now, remember what happened last time we killed? No leave me alone, no  won't, please I don't want you bothering me! But we made a pact you must do my bidding! But I'm busy typing on this forum right now. You told me you would do it. But I don't want to do it!I'm tired of those virgin sacrifices that you want me to do,, But I need their blood to survive,..sigh, okay, at least let me finish typing this.. Okay Dude just meet me in the ally way in a half hour! Okay see you then.... Now where was I before Bob interrupted me, oh yeah Kokomo is a decent song but Bob likes it better than I I think that I need to go now..Hey Good Looking!! Oh no, now Susan is coming through! What are you doing? well I'm just typing on this Beach Boys forum! You want to have a quickie before you meet Bob? okay meet me in the other room,,, now Kokomo was a pretty good hit song and, wait I hear susan calling, she's the impatient type,,talk to you all later...

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I'd probably put Kokomo in their top 25 songs or so.  It's a very good song in my opinion.  I've never understood why people don't like it.

Because it was a hit and Brian Wilson had absolutely nothing to do with it.

A simple way to prove the point...Wipe off all existing credits of the song and insert "written by B. Wilson" or "produced by B. Wilson". Same song, different credit. Do you think the people who vilify the song would then feel differently about it? I can see comments like "he's still got it" and terms like "genius".

1). I actually like the song, minus the sax solo
2) If Brian had written or produced it, it would sound completely different.

[guitarfool2002]

Speaking of that sax solo...Oldies 98 in Philly has for years done one of those travel contests where listeners can win a tropical Bahamas getaway vacation or something. I rarely if ever listen to Oldies 98 anymore because their PD at some point decided "Footloose" and "Jack And Diane" were oldies and the actual oldies were scrubbed from the playlist.

But anyway, this contest: Whenever they announced or had the winning listener on the air, they'd run that sax solo in a loop, over and over and over again for as long as the DJ read his copy. That opening note "buuhhhhWEEEEEE...." ad nauseum, stuck in an infernal loop as the bed music for a radio promotion, played throughout the day.

That I could deal with to a point I suppose, but add to it Footloose and Johnny Cougar...ZIP, BOOM, POW...I'm outta there. 

[SMiLE Brian]

Can we have a SS Kokomo sax solo contest? 

[CenturyDeprived]

I'd probably put Kokomo in their top 25 songs or so.  It's a very good song in my opinion.  I've never understood why people don't like it.

Because it was a hit and Brian Wilson had absolutely nothing to do with it.

A simple way to prove the point...Wipe off all existing credits of the song and insert "written by B. Wilson" or "produced by B. Wilson". Same song, different credit. Do you think the people who vilify the song would then feel differently about it? I can see comments like "he's still got it" and terms like "genius".

Firstly, I like Kokomo and think it's a cool tune. One of Mike's better lead vocals, and Carl is super on it. I don't think it's anywhere near their '60s peak, but I dig it quite a bit. I do not understand the hate for the song. I rock out to it. I do not get sick of hearing the tune.  I would like the song to be thought of as a solid tune that was an unexpected big hit, and for it to not be dogged on mercilessly.  

That said, I think you are right to a point, that if Brian had involvement, that it would be thought of more highly, because people are more forgiving of Brian Wilson for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that he is a survivor who's been to hell and back, and he also has the attractive underdog quality of modesty.

I think that because Mike Love over-hypes this song to an absurd degree in interview after interview, going well beyond someone having "pride" in their work, that such continued self-praise makes lots of people feel more negatively about the song (the song being overplayed in the '80s doesn't help, either). Just remember the look on Carl's face when Mike comes off as very smug circa 1990 in a Japanese (I think?) sit down interview when he brags about Kokomo. Carl looks embarrassed by Mike's ridiculous self-praise! And pssst... here's a secret: it ain't just Carl that feels/felt that way!

It's simply not a song that's in the same league as their prime material, but Mike (and only Mike) continues to attempt to elevate it well above where it probably should rank in terms of great/very good songs in their catalog. That specific, repeated action rubs people the wrong way, because whether or not Mike intends for it to come off as such, when he makes as big a deal as he does about Kokomo, for decade after decade, it gives the impression that he is bragging about writing a song without Brian's involvement (with that in and of itself being the main bragging point, even if indirectly). Whether or not that rubs you the wrong way personally, you should be aware of how that is a turnoff to many, many people.

If instead of it being a John Phillips-penned song, if Kokomo was a Van Dyke Parks-penned song that Mike happened to write a few extra lyrics for, and it went to #1, would Mike continue to praise and praise and praise it in 10,000 interviews? Somehow I'm not so sure, because I don't think Mike wants to see VDP critically elevated anymore in BB history than he already has. Why wasn't Mike going on in interview after interview about how great John Phillips' work was on the song, which as far as I know was largely Phillips' baby?  It's just a giant ego trip for him, which most people do not want to see, and which makes both the song and him come off as less praiseworthy than if there was more modesty about it. And if TWGMTR had gone to #1 (which it almost did!), we'd also not see the same level of Endless Gushing for that album as we do with Kokomo.

What if Wipeout was a #1 hit, and Mike had written a few new lyrics for it (and had sang on it, without just a wall of Brians)? Would that song deserve to be continually brought up in the same sentence as Good Vibrations by Mike? At a certain point, there should be a line drawn where having pride in one's work can be differentiated from overhype to a degree where most people think the level of self-praise is comical.

[Ron]

Mike really likes the song because

1. it was one of their biggest hits
2. it was years after everyone had thought they'd never have a big hit again
3. it was in a movie

So really, I don't mind him bragging about it.  As a matter of fact, I find it funny when he brags about it, and chuckle to myself, and think "Oh Mike.  there you go again, being all Mike and everything"

[The LEGENDARY OSD]

Mike really likes the song because

1. it was one of their biggest hits
2. it was years after everyone had thought they'd never have a big hit again
3. it was in a movie

So really, I don't mind him bragging about it.  As a matter of fact, I find it funny when he brags about it, and chuckle to myself, and think "Oh Mike.  there you go again, being all Mike and everything"

WTF?    Really? Those are good reasons to pontificate year after year after year after year after year about one stupid song?? Just goes to show how insecure he is. Creditmonger at best.