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Author Topic: 40th Anniversary of Brian's Back / 15 Big Ones / It's OK Documentary  (Read 3283 times)
KDS
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« on: February 09, 2016, 09:37:25 AM »

So, this year marks the 50th Anniversary of the legendary Pet Sounds album. 

It also marks the 40th Anniversary of what was supposed to be a landmark in Beach Boys history - the return of Brian Wilson to the producer's seat and on the live stage. 

The classic line-up of America's Band - Carl, Dennis, Mike, Al, and Brian - were going to celebrate their 15th Anniversary, as well as the Nation's 200th, with a new Brian Wilson produced album and a massive tour with Brian on board. 

We all know that the album was a bit of a dud, even if it did yield a big hit with the unremarkable cover of Rock and Roll Music.  Brian was present onstage, but he wasn't really there. 

So, here's a chance for those who were there to reflect.  Longtime fans......what were your expectations?  How did you feel when you dropped the needle on 15BO for the first time?  Did you attend any of the shows?  If so, did you like the new attention toward oldies, or did you already start pining for the more diverse sets from a few years prior?  Did you watch the It's OK show on NBC?  How did this C15 celebration compare with the C50 (which included IMO a much better album, and more involved Brian Wilson)? 
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drbeachboy
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« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2016, 09:57:21 AM »

I was pumped up for the new release. Considering all the hype about the Olympics that Summer, the album cover with the Olympic rings seemed apropos. I couldn't believe the shitty pictures they used, except for Dennis'. Upon playing the album, I was shocked that the harmonies were quite different than what I expected, especially on the covers. Some folks who were fans of the band in the early days, but not so much with the post Pet Sounds music loved it. For them, it was an album of music that they grew up with. I enjoyed the TV special later that month, but had to miss the concert that year due to illness in the family. At the time, it was merely just great to have NEW music released by the band in 1976, as I had waited a long time (3 plus years) for new product. The best thing for me though, was that it was really cool again to like the Beach Boys.
« Last Edit: February 09, 2016, 09:58:37 AM by drbeachboy » Logged

The Brianista Prayer

Oh Brian
Thou Art In Hawthorne,
Harmonied Be Thy name
Your Kingdom Come,
Your Steak Well Done,
On Stage As It Is In Studio,
Give Us This Day, Our Shortenin' Bread
And Forgive Us Our Bootlegs,
As We Also Have Forgiven Our Wife And Managers,
And Lead Us Not Into Kokomo,
But Deliver Us From Mike Love.
Amen.  ---hypehat
Steve Latshaw
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« Reply #2 on: February 09, 2016, 10:12:14 AM »

That was the first year I saw them live (August 9, Glen Oak Park, Peoria, IL) with the big sailboat stage setting, brass line, etc.  I was 16 at the time, so I was part of that mid 70s second generation of fans.  I owned Spirit of America and Good Vibrations-Best of the Beach Boys.  15 Big Ones was the third Beach Boys album I purchased.  At the time, their older hits were still contemporary - Do It Again was only 8 years old (Same with The Beatles - they had a hit that summer with Got to Get You into My Life).  Me and my buddies loved 15 Big Ones... some songs we were less into... but Rock & Roll Music, It's Ok, Palisades Park, Back Home and In the Still of the Night were the singalong soundtrack for that summer. 

By the time the special aired, I was seriously into the band... the radio Best Summer of Our Lives was a revelation and I owned the entire catalog by the end of the year.  For a few months, they were in every magazine on the stands.  The Healing of Brother Bri in Rolling Stone was a like a mid term exam... here's what had happened since June... and here's what was coming.  Exciting time to be a Beach Boys fan.
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Lee Marshall
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« Reply #3 on: February 09, 2016, 10:49:57 AM »

I was shocked by how 15 Bigguns had jammed/slammed/crammed on the brakes in terms of creativity and foward thinking...  I mean after Holland... ... ...This?  WTF?!?!?  Brian wasn't back.  He was to be found...sort of...but the Brian Wilson I remembered was NOWHERE in sight.  [or sound]

Then I went to see them and who was in charge on stage?  Mike Love.  Previously it had been Carl and the Beach Boys were pretty hip...looking and sounding.  Cool even.  Now with 15 whatzits...they were Sha Na Na by the beach.  It would not fet better.  Not only wasn't Brian back...The extremely talented Beach Boys were awol only to be replaced by Endless Summer.
« Last Edit: February 09, 2016, 10:53:18 AM by Add Some » Logged

"Add Some...Music...To Your Day.  I do.  It's the only way to fly.  Well...what was I gonna put here?  An apple a day keeps the doctor away?  Hum me a few bars."   Lee Marshall [2014]

Donald  TRUMP!  ...  Is TOAST.  "What a disaster."  "Overrated?"... ... ..."BIG LEAGUE."  "Lots of people are saying it"  "I will tell you that."   Collusion, Money Laundering, Treason.   B'Bye Dirty Donnie!!!  Adios!!!  Bon Voyage!!!  Toodles!!!  Move yourself...SPANKY!!!  Jail awaits.  It's NO "Witch Hunt". There IS Collusion...and worse.  The Russian Mafia!!  Conspiracies!!  Fraud!!  This racist is goin' down...and soon.  Good Riddance.  And take the kids.
KDS
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« Reply #4 on: February 09, 2016, 11:02:21 AM »

That was the first year I saw them live (August 9, Glen Oak Park, Peoria, IL) with the big sailboat stage setting, brass line, etc.  I was 16 at the time, so I was part of that mid 70s second generation of fans.  I owned Spirit of America and Good Vibrations-Best of the Beach Boys.  15 Big Ones was the third Beach Boys album I purchased.  At the time, their older hits were still contemporary - Do It Again was only 8 years old (Same with The Beatles - they had a hit that summer with Got to Get You into My Life).  Me and my buddies loved 15 Big Ones... some songs we were less into... but Rock & Roll Music, It's Ok, Palisades Park, Back Home and In the Still of the Night were the singalong soundtrack for that summer. 

By the time the special aired, I was seriously into the band... the radio Best Summer of Our Lives was a revelation and I owned the entire catalog by the end of the year.  For a few months, they were in every magazine on the stands.  The Healing of Brother Bri in Rolling Stone was a like a mid term exam... here's what had happened since June... and here's what was coming.  Exciting time to be a Beach Boys fan.

Your story about 1976 is somewhat similar to mine about 2012.  Except, I was 31 in the summer of 2012. 

I had two best of CDs when I decided to buy a C50 ticket, my first BB show.  By the end of the summer, I owned 1/3 of the catalog, and would complete my collection by 2014. 

2012 didn't have the It's OK special.  It had the Doin It Again DVD, which I bought and enjoyed.  TWGMTR was the soundtrack to my late summer (I didn't finally decide to buy it until August). 
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drbeachboy
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« Reply #5 on: February 09, 2016, 11:19:22 AM »

@KDS

Ahh, so you were one of the people that kept TWGMTR from beating out Adele at No. 1? Wink
« Last Edit: February 09, 2016, 11:30:00 AM by drbeachboy » Logged

The Brianista Prayer

Oh Brian
Thou Art In Hawthorne,
Harmonied Be Thy name
Your Kingdom Come,
Your Steak Well Done,
On Stage As It Is In Studio,
Give Us This Day, Our Shortenin' Bread
And Forgive Us Our Bootlegs,
As We Also Have Forgiven Our Wife And Managers,
And Lead Us Not Into Kokomo,
But Deliver Us From Mike Love.
Amen.  ---hypehat
drbeachboy
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« Reply #6 on: February 09, 2016, 11:27:30 AM »

I was shocked by how 15 Bigguns had jammed/slammed/crammed on the brakes in terms of creativity and foward thinking...  I mean after Holland... ... ...This?  WTF?!?!?  Brian wasn't back.  He was to be found...sort of...but the Brian Wilson I remembered was NOWHERE in sight.  [or sound]

Then I went to see them and who was in charge on stage?  Mike Love.  Previously it had been Carl and the Beach Boys were pretty hip...looking and sounding.  Cool even.  Now with 15 whatzits...they were Sha Na Na by the beach.  It would not fet better.  Not only wasn't Brian back...The extremely talented Beach Boys were awol only to be replaced by Endless Summer.
It's funny that I didn't feel that way too, but by 1976 everybody and their brother were releasing oldies remakes, so I was thinking this was just a one-off back to the oldies album, then on to bigger and better things. As it turned out, they never really took advantage of the situation that they had before them. 1975 through 1977 was the perfect time to let loose with new material while they had the whole world's attention, but they let it pass them by and they really suffered with album sales after 15 Big Ones.
« Last Edit: February 09, 2016, 11:29:19 AM by drbeachboy » Logged

The Brianista Prayer

Oh Brian
Thou Art In Hawthorne,
Harmonied Be Thy name
Your Kingdom Come,
Your Steak Well Done,
On Stage As It Is In Studio,
Give Us This Day, Our Shortenin' Bread
And Forgive Us Our Bootlegs,
As We Also Have Forgiven Our Wife And Managers,
And Lead Us Not Into Kokomo,
But Deliver Us From Mike Love.
Amen.  ---hypehat
KDS
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« Reply #7 on: February 09, 2016, 11:29:15 AM »

@KDS

Ahh, so you were one of the people that kept TWGMTR form beating out Adele at No. 1? Wink

Yeah......sorry about that.  I remember seeing it at Target when it came out for $7.  Money was a little tighter then. 

If money weren't tight, I probably would've bought that TWGMTR 10 CD bundle with an autographed copy for $100 at the show, which featuring signatures of Mike, David, Al, Bruce, and Bri.....er..Jeff...
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Sheriff John Stone
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« Reply #8 on: February 09, 2016, 12:03:28 PM »

What I remember the most, with the exception of the unevenness of 15 Big Ones, was that everything was so positive. The Beach Boys, and specifically their music, were perfect for that time frame. Yes, they did appear old(er) than the typical rock star (it's hard to believe they were only in their early 30's), but with their long hair and beards, they still had an element of coolness. "Rock And Roll Music" was on the radio, the band and specifically Brian were on TV every couple of weeks it seemed, the record bins were starting to fill up with different Beach Boys' albums, there were articles in several music publications, and to steal a Mike Love-ism, there were a lot of good vibrations and fun, fun, fun.

Stories about Brian's problems were starting to surface, but he was viewed at that time - and I say this affectionately - more as "a loveable nut", than a drug addict or somebody with mental illness. There was nothing in the public yet about Dennis' problems. Many people on this board might dispute this, but Mike Love, with his hats/outfits and jewelry and prancing around on stage and being the voice on the hits, was a popular figure; he had plenty of years ahead of him to grate on people.

15 Big Ones was the first new Beach Boys' album I purchased, and, yes, I did some creative moving around of the record player needle. The two things I remember about 15 Big Ones was, first, I couldn't believe how Brian and Dennis' voices had deteriorated; it was real WTF moment. And, second, I didn't really consider 15 Big Ones a failure or a step back because I was a relative newbie, hadn't yet purchased the back catalogue, and didn't realize how 15 Big Ones compared to the previous trifecta of Surf's Up, CATP, and Holland. But, I mean, I DID KNOW it wasn't Endless Summer or Spirit Of America. Half of 15 Big Ones was enjoyable I guess, it had/has its moments, but I do remember thinking, especially regarding Side B, that a good number of fans are gonna be disappointed.  

But, finally, the main thing I remember from that time period was how obsessed I was with Brian Wilson's voice and physical appearance. I was almost in a state of shock how his voice sounded, again compared to Endless Summer. And, frankly, it made me very sad. I also remember looking at older photos of Brian and thinking, "that can't be the same guy", not just the weight gain, but the long hair, the eyes, and no Fender bass strapped on. These were pre-internet days, and I would scour the TV Guide each week, looking for Beach Boys' TV appearances. I couldn't wait for those TV appearances, just to get a peek at Brian to see how he was progressing. I would look for little things...did he hit a particular note, was his hair washed/combed, did he lose any weight, was he still talking out the side of his mouth, and those eyes... As far as the It's OK TV Special, no pun intended, but it was OK. Lorne Michael's humor escaped me at the time. I could've done without the "personal" segments of the special. I was hoping for more Brian participation in the concert footage, again not fully realizing how inactive he had been. I appreciate the It's OK TV Special more now than I did in 1976.

Actually, each time I did see Brian on TV, he looked better and sometimes sounded better, too. I was very optimistic about the future. Again, I had no idea about the underlying problems that would soon surface. And, not to get ahead of the thread, but when Love You came out in the spring of 1977, I was doing cartwheels!
« Last Edit: February 09, 2016, 12:42:02 PM by Sheriff John Stone » Logged
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« Reply #9 on: February 09, 2016, 01:27:51 PM »

I would love to see video of that entire concert from the It's Ok special released. Mike, Carl, and Al all sounded fantastic. They were "on" that night.
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« Reply #10 on: February 09, 2016, 01:37:16 PM »

I would love to see video of that entire concert from the It's Ok special released. Mike, Carl, and Al all sounded fantastic. They were "on" that night.
That would be fantastic.

I would also like to see an extended sequence of Al & the goat to see how things panned out.
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« Reply #11 on: February 09, 2016, 02:18:16 PM »

The album as a whole is not a good one. It's OK and Just Once In My Life are enjoyable songs. The latter is in my opinion one of Carl's best vocals, thus being one I do not skip over. The other 13 I could care less about. I do like the cover.. 5 rings, 5 members, it works. In a way it could be considered cheesy but in some ways the beach boys are cheesy, that could be one of the reasons we love them. They don't follow the crowd, they do there thing. Sometimes it worked, other times they failed.

1976 saw the release of albums such as Hotel California, Takin It To The Streets, Fly Like An Eagle, Boston, A New World Record.
Looking back it would have been nice to see the group go more towards that realm of 70s Classic Rock. Doing an oldies album in 76 was prolly not the best choice, although it did sell...
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Sound of Free
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« Reply #12 on: February 09, 2016, 03:19:06 PM »

I know I've mentioned this before, but if it did get to the point where Warners wanted to get something out to capitalize on the momentum from Endless Summer and Spirit of America, there were songs in the can that would have been perfect for 15 Big Ones.

San Miguel could have come out as is.
Soulful Old Man Sunshine needed a quick edit to fix Carl's "Shunshine" mistake.
Good Time came out a year later, on Love You where it was more out of character. If you're going to release it, put it on 15 Big Ones.

Replace any three covers except Rock and Roll Music (which should have been the version on Made in California) and Just Once in My Life and you've just a much stronger album and more Brian credit to reinforce the "Brian's Back" campaign.

Heck, have Al finish Loop De Loop and you can remove another cover.
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« Reply #13 on: February 09, 2016, 04:28:03 PM »

I was aware of the Beach Boys in 1976, liked the oldies I heard on the radio, but I hadn't "seen the light" yet. I do remember getting a free magazine at Tape Town called Phonograph Record Magazine, similar to Rolling Stone in format, and they had a BB's special issue that summer. The Beatles were also prominent in that issue (a feature article about the "Rock 'N' Roll Music" album). It seemed like the BB's were everywhere, "Rock and Roll Music" was on the radio, the oldies were getting a lot of airplay, and I vaguely remember seeing the tv special, too. A year later, I picked up another Phonograph Record Magazine Beach Boys special, and was surprised to find out "Love You" was in the stores. I hadn't heard it on the radio at all; there was also a feature on "Pacific Ocean Blue" in that issue. I didn't really get into the group big time until a few years later, when I got the David Leaf book at my local library.
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Steve Latshaw
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« Reply #14 on: February 10, 2016, 07:57:15 AM »

<<15 Big Ones was the first new Beach Boys' album I purchased, and, yes, I did some creative moving around of the record player needle. The two things I remember about 15 Big Ones was, first, I couldn't believe how Brian and Dennis' voices had deteriorated; it was real WTF moment. And, second, I didn't really consider 15 Big Ones a failure or a step back because I was a relative newbie, hadn't yet purchased the back catalogue, and didn't realize how 15 Big Ones compared to the previous trifecta of Surf's Up, CATP, and Holland. But, I mean, I DID KNOW it wasn't Endless Summer or Spirit Of America. Half of 15 Big Ones was enjoyable I guess, it had/has its moments, but I do remember thinking, especially regarding Side B, that a good number of fans are gonna be disappointed. 

But, finally, the main thing I remember from that time period was how obsessed I was with Brian Wilson's voice and physical appearance. I was almost in a state of shock how his voice sounded, again compared to Endless Summer. And, frankly, it made me very sad. I also remember looking at older photos of Brian and thinking, "that can't be the same guy", not just the weight gain, but the long hair, the eyes, and no Fender bass strapped on. These were pre-internet days, and I would scour the TV Guide each week, looking for Beach Boys' TV appearances. I couldn't wait for those TV appearances, just to get a peek at Brian to see how he was progressing. I would look for little things...did he hit a particular note, was his hair washed/combed, did he lose any weight, was he still talking out the side of his mouth, and those eyes... As far as the It's OK TV Special, no pun intended, but it was OK. Lorne Michael's humor escaped me at the time. I could've done without the "personal" segments of the special. I was hoping for more Brian participation in the concert footage, again not fully realizing how inactive he had been. I appreciate the It's OK TV Special more now than I did in 1976.

Actually, each time I did see Brian on TV, he looked better and sometimes sounded better, too. I was very optimistic about the future. Again, I had no idea about the underlying problems that would soon surface. And, not to get ahead of the thread, but when Love You came out in the spring of 1977, I was doing cartwheels!>>

This mirrors my experience at that time almost exactly. 
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Paul J B
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« Reply #15 on: February 10, 2016, 11:53:47 AM »

Endless Summer, Spirit of America and In Concert were the only albums I had owned up to 15BO release. So no, I was not disappointed in the oldies covers at the time. I purchased the R&R Music 45 and then the album a few months later. My brothers and I loved the 45 and even thought the TM Song on side B was fun...because it seemed funny. I saw the special as it aired and thought parts were cool and overall enjoyed it. Looking back the production sucked on 15BO, Brian obviously was not back and the special had a lot of bizarre moments...such as...what the hell did the goof flying around tied to an airplane have to do with I Get Around? Ok he was getting around but really....? It was kind of like the Endless Summer commercial and the airplanes flying with the BB's banners advertising the album. What the hell was up with these guys and their marketing?

In short, for me those were good days, even though it would be decades before Brian was really back. Brian was back when he went out on tour in '99. Entirely back no...never would be again...but further back than I imagined he would be in all the years leading up to '99. I had given up. And then there he was, with this awesome band at the Pabst theater in Milwaukee...onstage...singing lead.
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bringahorseinhere?
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« Reply #16 on: February 16, 2016, 02:08:49 AM »

it's been a long time since we've seen a Beach Boys release of vintage footage
when was the last?
T.A.M.I complete? lost concert 64?
no doubt there is stuff there under lock and key.
just gotta get that key  Cool Guy
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KDS
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« Reply #17 on: February 16, 2016, 07:48:49 AM »

it's been a long time since we've seen a Beach Boys release of vintage footage
when was the last?
T.A.M.I complete? lost concert 64?
no doubt there is stuff there under lock and key.
just gotta get that key  Cool Guy

Good question.  I thought there would be a lot of vintage DVD releases after the 50th Anniversary.  Heck, we didn't even get a decent DVD from that tour. 

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