What Do You Consider As 5 Big Ones off 15 Big Ones?

[Lee Marshall]

I figured that there was NO WAY that I'd be able to place 5 songs from THAT album onto a positive list of pleasing 'tuneage'...but I was wrong I can [just] get it done.  After Holland this album was just such a huge disappointment.  The group went from trail blazing and trying out new ideas and sounds to just playing it safe with retreads and discards.  [well THAT'S how it sounded to me then...and pretty much now..  and then there's the current 'appreciation' thread for the next album which completely struck me as even worse...a whole collection of cast-offs and material just not even good enough to be included on 15 bigguns...let alone anything of note.]

That said then...here we go...

1.  Had to Phone Ya.
2.  Palisades Park
3.  That Same Song
4.  Talk To Me
5.  It's OK...but only just ever-so-barely...Like really... Sail On Sailor, Only With You,  The Trader, Leaving This Town, California Saga, Funky Pretty, Steamboat and The Fairy Tale to THIS?!?!?  sh*t!!!  The glory days were over.

[The Cincinnati Kid]

It's Ok
Had To Phone Ya
Susie Cincinnati
In The Still Of The Night
Just Once In My Life

Is that because your username has the same word? 

It also happens to be where I live (but my name is actually a movie title), so yes that plays a part in why I like it.   

Does Susie Cincinnati get a lot of airplays on your local radio station, just like Salt Lake City is popular in Salt Lake City?

It has never been played, as far as I'm aware. 

[Tord]

Back Home
Susie Cincinnati
The TM Song
Everyone's in Love with You
Blueberry Hill

[Custom Machine]

IMO, only three big ones from the album:

1. It's OK (although I prefer the somewhat sped up 45 rpm single version)
2. Rock n Roll Music (although I have a HUGE preference for the vastly superior 45 rpm single mix)
3. In the Still of the Night (love this one, in fact I'd place it as #2 if compared to the album version of Rock n Roll Music, rather than the singe version).

Otherwise, a very disappointing album, especially given the 3.5 year wait since Holland, and 2.5 year wait since The BBs in Concert.

[The All Golden]

In no particular order

1. It's OK
2. Had to Phone Ya
3. Palisades Park
4. Susie Cincinnati
5. Just Once in My Life

 

[Cabinessenceking]

It's OK - single mix is way better
Just Once In My Life
Susie Cincinnati - 2012 mix works more I feel
Had To Phone Ya - pretty bad singing, almost prefer it instrumentally, as that's where the magic is!
In the Still of the Night

Back Home has a good arrangement too, but Brian's vocal and antics are just too off-putting for me.

[bummerinparadise]

It's OK
Palisades Park
Susie Cincinnati
Rock and Roll Music
That Same Song

[JK]

I've never understood the love for the Boys' version of "Rock And Roll Music".

Chuck nailed it and The Beatles did a fantastic cover version (and I'm no Beatles fan).

End of story as far as I'm concerned...   

[Wata]

I've never understood the love for the Boys' version of "Rock And Roll Music".

Chuck nailed it and The Beatles did a fantastic cover version (and I'm no Beatles fan).

End of story as far as I'm concerned...   

Since it's the only top ten hit of the Beach Boys in the us in 70s, why fans not love this one?

[Tony S]

Always liked Dennis' vocal on ITSOTN.

[Kid Presentable]

I've never understood the love for the Boys' version of "Rock And Roll Music".

Chuck nailed it and The Beatles did a fantastic cover version (and I'm no Beatles fan).

End of story as far as I'm concerned...   

Since it's the only top ten hit of the Beach Boys in the us in 70s, why fans not love this one?

I don't like it because it isn't very "rock n roll" to me.  This version is well-done, but it is piano-driven and the singer is not well-suited to the song.  It needs more guitar and more energy, both musically and vocally.

[Scaroline No]

Always liked Dennis' vocal on ITSOTN.

Dennis reminds me a ton of Elvis Costello in his vocals on that song.

[Kid Presentable]

My 5 are Had To Phone Ya, Just Once In My Life, Palisades Park, Back Home, and It's OK.  

[NateRuvin]

Mine would have to be... (in no order)
1. Had To Phone Ya
2. Rock N' Roll Music (2012 mix)
3. Blueberry Hill
4. Susie Cincinnati
5. Palisades Park

[JK]

I've never understood the love for the Boys' version of "Rock And Roll Music".

Chuck nailed it and The Beatles did a fantastic cover version (and I'm no Beatles fan).

End of story as far as I'm concerned...   

Since it's the only top ten hit of the Beach Boys in the us in 70s, why fans not love this one?

"My Ding-A-Ling" was the only top ten hit for Chuck Berry in the US in the '70s and fans didn't exactly love that...  

[The Cincinnati Kid]

I think the MiC mix of RnR Music is great, but since it's not on the album, I didn't vote for it. 

[Juice Brohnston]

Rock N Roll Music
Had to Phone Ya
That Same Song
A Casual Look
Back Home

I could stretch to 10 'Pretty Big Ones'

[RubberSoul13]

Always hated Rock and Roll Music...total cornball garbage production and arrangement.

1. Back Home
2. It's OK
3. That Same Song
4. Susie Cincinnati
5. Just Once in My Life

[Kid Presentable]

I know that everyone gets their own opinion, and that's cool.  But the thing that I think surprised me the most about this thread is how many people like ITSOTN.  I always considered it Dennis' worst vocal and I (a big Dennis fan) skip over it every time I listen to that record.  I think his Sea Cruise would have been a much, much better addition to the record. 

Additionally, Al's Mony Mony was surprisingly FANTASTIC.  The re-done Ruby Baby was also good- it fit Brian's voice at the time and the harmonica is great. 
I eventually came to the conclusion that Brian was actually right, 15BO really should have been a cover album. 
Although I kind of assume that the only reason he got to do whatever the %*$& he wanted on Love You was because he agreed to play ball with 15 Big Ones.

I will throw this challenge out to the other nerds out there: resequence 15BO as a 12-15 song cover album.  You can even retrieve crap like Battle Hymn Of The Republic if you want.  There is a good list here of all the contenders, and you can use May 1976 as a cutoff for making it onto the album.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unreleased_songs_recorded_by_the_Beach_Boys

[Wata]

I eventually came to the conclusion that Brian was actually right, 15BO really should have been a cover album. 
Although I kind of assume that the only reason he got to do whatever the %*$& he wanted on Love You was because he agreed to play ball with 15 Big Ones.

I will throw this challenge out to the other nerds out there: resequence 15BO as a 12-15 song cover album.  You can even retrieve crap like Battle Hymn Of The Republic if you want.  There is a good list here of all the contenders, and you can use May 1976 as a cutoff for making it onto the album.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unreleased_songs_recorded_by_the_Beach_Boys

Agreed. Release covers album first, and after half a year or so of blank, release next album of original materials- in Love You style. That would have worked both artistically and commercially more, considering oldies stuff was a big thing at that time and Brian's arrangement was not good enough to deal with Love You-y songs like That Same Song or Back Home (with the exception of Had to Phone Ya) at the recording of 15 Big Ones.

Speaking for alternate covers album, I actually have made an alternate 15 Big Ones album of mainly covers, entitled Rock And Roll Music.

1. Rock And Roll Music (2013 MiC mix)
2. Come Go with Me (I should've gone with the 'earlier version', but I went with MIU version here)
3. Shake, Rattle and Roll
4. A Casual Look
5. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' (2013 MiC mix)
6. Sherry She Needs Me (2013 MiC mix)

7. Shortenin' Bread (Early version intended to be included on Adult/Child)
8. On Broadway
9. Peggy Sue　(Same as MIU mix)
10. Talk to Me
11. In the Still of the Night
12. Just Once in My Life

Look, isn't it a pretty cool album?
You know, Sherry She Needs Me was written by Brian, but having been in the vaults for more than ten years, it must have been something like a cover more than a original brand-new song.
Sea Cruise would be a good inclusion, just replace the song you like the least with Sea Cruise. On the playlist, it's 'Doo-Wop Music' more than Rock and Roll Music.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Not sure I can come up with 5. Let's see:
1. It's Ok
2. Everyone's In Love With You
3. Had to Phone Ya
4. Blueberry Hill
5. Just Once in My Life

[urbanite]

1.  Rock 'n roll music
2.  It's OK
3.  Had To Phone Ya
4.  Palisades Park
5.  Susie Cinncinatti

With some work, I suspect Palisades Park could have been a whole lot better.

[petsoundsnola]

I can only come up with two:

It's OK
Had to Phone Ya

[MikestheGreatest!!]

Don't really think there are five big ones on 15 B.O.  Some of the least annoying to me were:  Just Once In My Life (almost top notch but Brian too shout-y in some of his singing), Talk to Me/Tallahassee Lassie, Blueberry Hill and Palisades Park.  But all in all, a pretty annoying album to say the least.  The original material was pretty weak, especially after such a long wait.  I guess they really were wasting a lot of time on drugs... The re-release of Susie was a disgrace.  I think they could have worked on this album for another year and it wouldn't have improved substantially.  From the FM "cool" of Surfs Up and Holland they had apparently just lost the seams on the fastball, and never did really recover from that point.  The slapdash, what the hell lets just turn the damned thing in while people are still interested in us approach was probably the right financial move, if not artistic, and was kind of admirable in its own way. 

[jiggy22]

It's OK
Had to Phone Ya
Just Once in My Life
TM Song (Second half)
Back Home

Additionally, Al's Mony Mony was surprisingly FANTASTIC.

Wasn't that Billy Hinsche on lead vocals?

But yeah, I remember doing an alternate 15-track, cover only version of 15 Big Ones, while the original material (aside from one cover track), is presented on the group's "earlier album" Group Therapy.

Group Therapy
Side A:
1. River Song
2. Had to Phone Ya
3. TM Song
4. Barnyard Blues
5. That Same Song
6. Sherry She Needs Me
Side B:
1. It's OK
2. Pacific Ocean Blues
3. Everyone's in Love with You
4. Rainbows
5. Back Home
6. Just Once in My Life

15 Big Ones:
Side A:
1. Rock and Roll Music
2. Running Bear
3. Chapel of Love
4. Mony Mony
5. Talk to Me
6. Peggy Sue
7. Sea Cruise
8. Shake, Rattle and Roll
Side B:
1. Palisades Park
2. On Broadway
3. A Casual Look
4. Blueberry Hill
5. Battle Hymn of the Republic
6. Michael Row the Boat Ashore
7. In the Still of the Night

In my headcanon, Group Therapy was released as a "proper" follow-up to Holland, while 15 Big Ones was rush-released a few months later due to the insistence of Brian, who certainly had a knack for recording covers during that period of time!