Guilty pleasure Beach Boys songs

[You Kane, You Commanded, You Conquered]

Any songs that you feel a little bit of shame for enjoying? Personally, I find the discofied Here Comes The Night is actually pretty good, even at 11 minutes, and Student Demonstration Time rocks, 'cept for the lyrics.

[bluesno1fann]

Among others, I'd include most of the debut album, "Match Point Of Our Love", the disco "Here Comes The Night" and the blissfully cheesy "Make It Big"

[catlag]

I have loved Match Point Of Our Love from the first listen and will never feel any guilt about it. But that's not the point of this thread, is it? OK, I know. I think that's one that is usually seen as one of their worst songs, but I really enjoy Belles of Paris.

[KDS]

California Calling - I don't get the hate this song gets.  I think it's one of the better songs on BB85.

Other than the Here Comes the Night disco version, I like most of MIU/LA.

Kokomo - I don't care.  I like this song.  Always have. 

Daybreak Over the Ocean

[Lonely Summer]

Anything from the 80's. I grew up with that era of the band, so i am partial to a lot of that material.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Hey Little Tomboy and Roller Skating Child make me feel guilty!

[Rick5150]

I like "All Dressed Up For School" and "Hey Little Tomboy".

I always sing along to 'Hey Little Tomboy' (M.I.U. version, although I find the Adult Child version with the "now let's put a dress on and wear a little make-up" and "okay now, shave your legs now for your first time" comments inappropriately hysterical for a band that was portrayed to the public as being 'squeaky clean'.

"Roller Skating Child" is another fun song to sing in the car. The words are so goofy but it was sung like they really mean it. I like the live 1979 version. It is more uptempo and sounds like they were having fun. Al blows his lines and you can hear him laughing. Speaking of Al, "Honkin' Down the Highway" is another guilty pleasure. "Gosh-darn highway?" Love it.

But Roller Skating Child sounds creepy because Mike is singing a song about making sweet love to the 'Roller Skating Child' - the concept of which was inspired by Brian's daughters going ice skating. Then you have lines like "...we'll make sweet loving when the sun goes down, We'll even do more when your mama's not around"... The implication is that they are making 'sweet loving' when the mother is still there, isn't it? LOL.  And after making 'sweet loving' what else are they going to do when her Mama's not around? Anal?

Anyways, on with guilty pleasures.

Every summer mix tape I have includes "Almost Summer" (and often "Cruisin" from the same album), "It's a Beautiful Day", Chasin' The Sky" and "Keepin' The Summer Alive". The Last two rock and I always wished Carl put out a solo album with this type of music as his voice is perfect for it. 

[Please delete my account]

"Oh Darlin'"

[NateRuvin]

Oh boy I've got so many...

Lady Lynda, Maybe I Don't Know, Loop De Loop, Slow Summer Dancin'

[filledeplage]

Any songs that you feel a little bit of shame for enjoying? Personally, I find the discofied Here Comes The Night is actually pretty good, even at 11 minutes, and Student Demonstration Time rocks, 'cept for the lyrics.

It is all guilt-free for me! 

[GoogaMooga]

I like Summer in Paradise, not least for  the Roger McGuinn guest vocal. Just about the only good thing about that album.

[KDS]

Any songs that you feel a little bit of shame for enjoying? Personally, I find the discofied Here Comes The Night is actually pretty good, even at 11 minutes, and Student Demonstration Time rocks, 'cept for the lyrics.

I love the performance of Student Demonstration Time.  I could even look past the lyrics if not for that irritating siren sound effect. 

[PhilSpectre]

In one sense, more or less anything from 1976 - 1993  ,  Pacific Ocean Blue and BW88 excluded.

Also, any Bruce Johnston-written song.

The older I get though, the more guilt-free I feel listening to those eras for what they are. Dammit, I even like some of Mike Love's solo work and Summer in Paradise 

More seriously, I think there is more good stuff from 76-93 than is often said, it's just that some of it suffers from either over-glossy production (85-93) or at times rough vocals (76-82). As a fantasy, it would be nice to imagine BW and the surviving boys got together now and did an album re-recording some of the best songs from this era with better vocals and a more 'timeless' production, just keeping all of Carl's vocals intact .

[You Kane, You Commanded, You Conquered]

I'd also add Tears in the Morning, Endless Harmony, and Still Cruisin' as favorites of mine, even if Tears is a bit melodramatic.

[Toursiveu]

Still Cruisin'... fun song with terrible lyrics.

I also quite love their version of Crocodile Rock.

[JK]

Any songs that you feel a little bit of shame for enjoying? Personally, I find the discofied Here Comes The Night is actually pretty good, even at 11 minutes, and Student Demonstration Time rocks, 'cept for the lyrics.

It is all guilt-free for me! 

Same here.

[marcella27]

Even the so-called "worst" BB songs have something redeeming about them.  There's no guilt involved for me. 

[Emdeeh]

"Shortnin' Bread"

 

[Margarita]

"Deirdre"...I can't be seen in public with that song, yet I can't resist.  It's even better if you listen to it thinking that the song is not about a girl, but an ode to a returned Irish Setter. 

[Joel Goldenberg]

Lazy Lizzie. I know it's a Brian demo, but still...

[mtaber]

Love Is A Woman gets stuck in my head way more than it should...

[JK]

"Deirdre"...I can't be seen in public with that song, yet I can't resist.  It's even better if you listen to it thinking that the song is not about a girl, but an ode to a returned Irish Setter. 

"We'll take a bath"...? The mind boggles!

[sockittome]

"Deirdre"...I can't be seen in public with that song, yet I can't resist.  It's even better if you listen to it thinking that the song is not about a girl, but an ode to a returned Irish Setter.  

"We'll take a bath"...? The mind boggles!

Actually, some people use "we" to mean "you" in a baby-talk sort of way.  "Yes, we need to take a bath because we've been out rolling around in **** again, haven't we?  Yes we have!"

[Mendota Heights]

Heavenly Bodies.

[jiggy22]

South Bay Surfers

Heavenly Bodies.

Love this one too!