What is THE most underrated Brian Wilson song?

[Emily]

Every Beach Boys song is underrated by the general public! As we all know by now, they seriously don't get enough respect and love as they deserve.

Without wanting to get everyone on my back, I'd say they should have been more influential than The Beatles and in my opinion, were much, much, much better than them. I grew up listening to The Beatles so I do like them, but compared to the complexity of the BB stuff, their music is just more 'tune' like than masterpiece!

I will agree that most BB songs are underrated. Unfortunately I think it would be impossible to underrate a few.  
In terms of technical development and shifting from the 2.5 minute pop song, the Beatle-BB link seems valid. But musically, they are apples and oranges; I can't compare them. Lennon was envelope pushing with a raw rock sound and, with Ono, avant grade (with a brief Strawberry Fields foray), McCartney with bringing a Vaudeville sensibility into pop; Wilson with a completely new melange drawing heavily from jazz and pop standards.  

[KDS]

Every Beach Boys song is underrated by the general public! As we all know by now, they seriously don't get enough respect and love as they deserve.

Without wanting to get everyone on my back, I'd say they should have been more influential than The Beatles and in my opinion, were much, much, much better than them. I grew up listening to The Beatles so I do like them, but compared to the complexity of the BB stuff, their music is just more 'tune' like than masterpiece!

I will agree that most BB songs are underrated. Unfortunately I think it would be impossible to underrate a few.  
In terms of technical development and shifting from the 2.5 minute pop song, the Beatle-BB link seems valid. But musically, they are apples and oranges; I can't compare them. Lennon was envelope pushing with a raw rock sound and, with Ono, avant grade (with a brief Strawberry Fields foray), McCartney with bringing a Vaudeville sensibility into pop; Wilson with a completely new melange drawing heavily from jazz and pop standards.  

The Beatles also had much better people guiding them, so they didn't run into the image issues that plagued TBB.

Example, The Boys were still wearing the blue and white shirts when they were promoting Pet Sounds and Good Vibrations. 

Could you imagine The Beatles still wearing the gray suits to promote Sgt Pepper (not counting the tongue and cheek wearing of the suit jackets in the Hello Goodbye promo)? 

The Beatles also disbanded in 1970, so they didn't realize a bunch of uneven albums, deal with bandmember deaths while the band was active, or have fragmented lineups touring as The Beatles. 

Musically, like Emily says, while they were competing in the 1960s, The Beach Boys and Beatles are very very different bands. 

If anyone needs a tiebreaker, The Beatles did a much better version of Rock and Roll Music IMO. 

[ZenobiaUnchained]

Solar System. Beautiful catchy tune

[catlag]

Most underrated?

Solar System.

I can get down with this.  By "Underrated" we're going for stuff that doesn't usually get mentioned as good, and some of the stuff on "Love you" while it's quirky and weird, if you listen those are some really genius songs.  Solar System is one, also I'll bet he's nice, or Airplane.  Airplane is brilliant, it's just all so out of the box that people poo poo it.  

"Over the city in an airplane
I can see everything below
The houses they look so tiny
The cars look like dots
We've only got fifteen minutes to go

The clouds in the sky caress my mind so tenderly
The sun shines down on the great big beautiful scene

The sound of the engine fills my ears up
I'm hopin' this rainy weather clears up
My lover is waiting at the airport
Soon she'll be kissing me hello

The woman sitting next to me tells me 'bout her guy
And I tell her all about you and I"

It's brilliant.  Most songwriters would kill to be able to write like that.

Yes! I too absolutely love that song. Like so many other Brian songs, it has so much simple truth and tenderness to it. What I also like about it is that the music feels like you're in an airplane, going up and down. Brian has a way of making the music "be" the song. I just can't explain it, but I'm sure a lot of you know what I mean (kind of).

[catlag]

Matchpoint of Our Love.

I loved that song from the first time I heard it. So far I had only read bad comments about it, mostly along the lines of it being silly. I think it's just beautiful with a touch of Brian humor. And that voice...

[catlag]

Every Beach Boys song is underrated by the general public! As we all know by now, they seriously don't get enough respect and love as they deserve.

Without wanting to get everyone on my back, I'd say they should have been more influential than The Beatles and in my opinion, were much, much, much better than them. I grew up listening to The Beatles so I do like them, but compared to the complexity of the BB stuff, their music is just more 'tune' like than masterpiece!

I totally agree. For 25 years I though there was nothing better than the Beatles. Last year, because of the L&M movie, I "discovered" the Beach Boys and it has litterally changed my life. I just can't get over how beautiful the music is. This doesn't mean that the Beatles aren't great - they are. But the Beach Boys - The Wilson brothers - Brian... otherworldly.

[Watch a Cave]

I love just about everything in the catalogue.. but if I had to go with one it would be "That's not me".  I think it gets lost a bit amongst the other great tracks on Pet Sounds, and maybe some don't like it because it has a Mike lead, but I think it is absolutely perfect.

This song just kills me!  Especially the stereo version from the box set.. the guitar and bass really come to life.  It's just the boys playing on this one which makes it even better.  I also personally think it was one of the most heartfelt leads that Mike ever did.

And.. my favorite part..  the INSANE Brian falsetto whine bit that gets stuck in there.. oh my god that part just slays me every time.  How does he do that? 

[stack-o-tracks]

This is the worst thread ever. There is no objective (or subjective) way to decide what is the most underrated Brian Wilson song.

The answer to the OP's question is obviously Wouldn't It Be Nice.