Let's compile a 12 track "The Worst of the Beach Boys"

[guitarfool2002]

Looking back with anger, I'm surprised Mike didn't try to wrangle a booking for the band to do a guest spot on "Saved By The Bell" as Mr. Belding's old school chums coming back to visit and winning over all the hip, jaded young teenagers like Zach and Slater with their performance of "Summer Of Love" at the school dance.

[Hickory Violet Part IV]

(Since we're only talking songs, I'm leaving off Denny's Drums)

Ten Little Indians
I'm Going Bald
Vegetables
Wind Chimes (SS Version)
Take a Load Off Your Feet
Mt. Vernon
Let Us Go On This Way
I Wanna Pick You Up
Here Comes the Night '79
Surfin 92
Summer of Love
Under the Boardwalk

Vegetables?? Smiley Wind Chimes??? Mt Vernon? Let Us Go On This Way?? I Wanna Pick You Up? The WORST of the Beach Boys? Is?? This??? I? I'm gonna faint

Yep, I'm sorry. I'm a huge Beach Boys fans, but I will never understand the fascination with these songs (or most of Smiley Smile or Love You). 

Yes, I know we're not supposed to edit people's posts, but............

[KDS]

(Since we're only talking songs, I'm leaving off Denny's Drums)

Ten Little Indians
I'm Going Bald
Vegetables
Wind Chimes (SS Version)
Take a Load Off Your Feet
Mt. Vernon
Let Us Go On This Way
I Wanna Pick You Up
Here Comes the Night '79
Surfin 92
Summer of Love
Under the Boardwalk

Vegetables?? Smiley Wind Chimes??? Mt Vernon? Let Us Go On This Way?? I Wanna Pick You Up? The WORST of the Beach Boys? Is?? This??? I? I'm gonna faint

Yep, I'm sorry. I'm a huge Beach Boys fans, but I will never understand the fascination with these songs (or most of Smiley Smile or Love You). 

Yes, I know we're not supposed to edit people's posts, but............

No worries, I've said similar thoughts many times over the past 3-4 years on various BB related MBs. 

 

[Hickory Violet Part IV]

  , Don't  worry, I still Love You

[KDS]

  , Don't  worry, I still Love You

Thanks

 

I just realized my least didn't include anything off KSTA.  Dang. 

[rab2591]

Looking back with anger, I'm surprised Mike didn't try to wrangle a booking for the band to do a guest spot on "Saved By The Bell" as Mr. Belding's old school chums coming back to visit and winning over all the hip, jaded young teenagers like Zach and Slater with their performance of "Summer Of Love" at the school dance.

Oh my lord, how did this not happen? For the music video single I can see Mike dancing with the cast on a volleyball court at the school, while the band performs a special version of the theme song called “Saved By The Surf” featuring a 30 second sax solo.

[SMiLE Brian]

*GF has another flashback*

[c-man]

I'd be hard pressed to come up with 12 "clinkers" from the Boys.

Definitely "Cuckoo Clock"...not only is it bad, it's also creepy. I'm surprised only one person here had it on their list!

And probably "Chug A Lug".

Maybe "Summer Of Love"....OK, probably...even definitely.

I could see where someone might include "W. Woodpecker Symphony"...but it doesn't bother me too much.

There's probably another one or two somewhere that I could name, if I had to...but probably not twelve. There are definitely some lyrical moments that make me cringe - like some lines on "California Callin'" and "Hey Little Tomboy" - but not enough for me to condemn the whole song!   

[Lonely Summer]

I would have a hard time putting any Surfin' Safari songs on an album of clinkers. It was their first album, they were just getting started. Is all of it brilliant? No, but I have a much harsher opinion of stuff they did later on. For example:
Transcendental Meditation - shouldn't a TM song be peaceful, melodic? This atonal s*** is anything but.
Take a Load Off Your Feet - who the h*** needs a song about feet? the song stinks as bad as the subject.
Make it Good - I love Dennis, but this song just goes nowhere
I Wanna Pick You Up - it's just creepy, as is
Hey Little Tomboy
Some of Your Love - musically, it's decent, but again, Mike is near forty and still singing about being in high school
Happy Endings - some beautiful group vocals, but Little Richard oversings his parts, and the song is worthless
Summer of Love - creepy again

[Wata]

The Shift
Louie, Louie
Wonderful [Smiley Smile Ver.]
Hide Go Seek
Make It Good
Mt. Vernon and Fairway [EP]
TM Song
I Saw Santa Rockin' 'Round the Christmas Tree
Sunshine
Maybe I Don't Know
Passing Friend
Still Cruisin'

[Mr Fulton]

1. Shortenin Bread
2. Love Is A Women
3. Summer Of Love
4. Surfin 92
5. Island Fever
6. Chasing The Sky
7. Remember Walking In The Sand
8. Under The Boardwalk
9. Wrinkles
10. Rubles
11. Rolling Up To Heaven
12. Winds Of Change

[Silken]

Wonderful [Smiley Smile Ver.]

  I could easily put it in my "Best of the Beach Boys" 12 track compilation

[Wata]

Wonderful [Smiley Smile Ver.]

  I could easily put it in my "Best of the Beach Boys" 12 track compilation

Sorry, but in my opinion, it doesn't make sense as a song. Too embarrassing. The middle, revised H&V riff, is pretty good though.

That said, SMiLE version of Wonderful is a thing of beauty- it's a gift from God, I believe.

[KDS]

Wonderful [Smiley Smile Ver.]

  I could easily put it in my "Best of the Beach Boys" 12 track compilation

Sorry, but in my opinion, it doesn't make sense as a song. Too embarrassing. The middle, revised H&V riff, is pretty good though.

That said, SMiLE version of Wonderful is a thing of beauty- it's a gift from God, I believe.

I agree.  The two versions, to me, are like night and day. 

[Wata]

1. Shortenin Bread
2. Love Is A Women
3. Summer Of Love
4. Surfin 92
5. Island Fever
6. Chasing The Sky
7. Remember Walking In The Sand
8. Under The Boardwalk
9. Wrinkles
10. Rubles
11. Rolling Up To Heaven
12. Winds Of Change

You can't include Songs like Wrinkles, Rubles and Rollin' Up to Heaven because the starter of the topic, GoogaMooga says 'Must be officially released'.

[Wata]

Wonderful [Smiley Smile Ver.]

  I could easily put it in my "Best of the Beach Boys" 12 track compilation

Sorry, but in my opinion, it doesn't make sense as a song. Too embarrassing. The middle, revised H&V riff, is pretty good though.

That said, SMiLE version of Wonderful is a thing of beauty- it's a gift from God, I believe.

I agree.  The two versions, to me, are like night and day. 

Somehow pretty exact metaphor.

[HeyJude]

I'd be hard pressed to come up with 12 "clinkers" from the Boys.

Definitely "Cuckoo Clock"...not only is it bad, it's also creepy. I'm surprised only one person here had it on their list!

And probably "Chug A Lug".

Maybe "Summer Of Love"....OK, probably...even definitely.

I could see where someone might include "W. Woodpecker Symphony"...but it doesn't bother me too much.

There's probably another one or two somewhere that I could name, if I had to...but probably not twelve. There are definitely some lyrical moments that make me cringe - like some lines on "California Callin'" and "Hey Little Tomboy" - but not enough for me to condemn the whole song!   

"Hey Little Tomboy" (either version) and "Lazy Lizzie" are interesting enough musically, but yeah, lyrically they're arguably as heinous and creepy as it gets in the BB/Brian catalog.

They can't do anything about "Tomboy", and I don't think anything should be censored from released albums. But I somehow doubt we'll ever see "Lazy Lizzie" officially released, and it's probably just as well.

[NateRuvin]

Worst BBs songs comp  (in no specific order)

1Ten Little Indians (...Kinda racist...)
2 Summer of Love (No one should hear Mike Love rap...)
3 Surfin (SIP version) [Original version was great, but this sucks)
4 Finders Keepers (I just can't stand this song, seems lazy)
5 Hey Little Tomboy (Fine melody/chords, just too creepy for me)
6 Here Comes The Night (LA)
7 Barbie (I know it's pre-capitol, but yikes)
8 Remember Walking In The Sand (just bad)
9 Problem Child (Yeah... no thanks)
10 TM Song (Could've been good, but just lazy)
11 Lana (Kinda bugs me)
12 Wipe Out (from Still Cruisin)

[Hickory Violet Part IV]

Look, the sooner we all come to terms with the fact that Smiley Smile is one of the greatest albums ever, and that the Smiley Smile version of Wind Chimes is perhaps the greatest thing ever commited to tape in the known universe,  then the sooner this board can return to some semblance of normality.

[thorgil]

Wonderful [Smiley Smile Ver.]

  I could easily put it in my "Best of the Beach Boys" 12 track compilation

I agree!

[thorgil]

Look, the sooner we all come to terms with the fact that Smiley Smile is one of the greatest albums ever, and that the Smiley Smile version of Wind Chimes is perhaps the greatest thing ever commited to tape in the known universe,  then the sooner this board can return to some semblance of normality.

I agree again!

[KDS]

Look, the sooner we all come to terms with the fact that Smiley Smile is one of the greatest albums ever, and that the Smiley Smile version of Wind Chimes is perhaps the greatest thing ever commited to tape in the known universe,  then the sooner this board can return to some semblance of normality.

You need to do a set at a comedy club, because (Kenny Banya voice) that's gold. 

 

[petsoundsnola]

I hate to say it, but distilling the worst down to 12 tracks is very difficult.  I love the Beach Boys, but there are so many clunkers to choose from.

[HeyJude]

I'm frankly glad the band had enough output over the years to amass a list of 12 or 20 or however many dud tracks.

I always go back to the idea that the main point in all of this, this music/art thing, is to keep creating. The BBs did that for a good solid 25 years or so, and then sporadically after that, and with some solo stuff mixed in.

I'd rather have 30 albums with 15 albums worth of great material and 10 albums worth of okay material and then 5 of not-so-great material, than have a catalog of seven albums where five or six of them are good.

I'm not saying an artist can never stand to do some self-editing and paring down. But I don't want to "MIU Album" to not exist if that means not having "My Diane." And so on.

In this way, the BBs catalog, especially after a certain point, is like McCartney's solo catalog. Yeah, you get "acted like a dustbin lid" in the process, but you also get "Somedays" and "Friends to Go" and "Vintage Clothes" and so on. 

[HeyJude]

Worst BBs songs comp  (in no specific order)

1Ten Little Indians (...Kinda racist...)
2 Summer of Love (No one should hear Mike Love rap...)
3 Surfin (SIP version) [Original version was great, but this sucks)
4 Finders Keepers (I just can't stand this song, seems lazy)
5 Hey Little Tomboy (Fine melody/chords, just too creepy for me)
6 Here Comes The Night (LA)
7 Barbie (I know it's pre-capitol, but yikes)
8 Remember Walking In The Sand (just bad)
9 Problem Child (Yeah... no thanks)
10 TM Song (Could've been good, but just lazy)
11 Lana (Kinda bugs me)
12 Wipe Out (from Still Cruisin)

This is probably one of the lists in this thread that I have the most trouble salvaging anything from. I suppose I like "TM Song" more, just because it's so weird, especially with Al singing it. "Remember Walking in the Sand" is indeed awful, but Carl puts a lot of gusto into his lead vocal at least.