gfxgfx
 
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
logo
 
gfx gfx
gfx
680598 Posts in 27600 Topics by 4068 Members - Latest Member: Dae Lims March 28, 2024, 11:09:33 PM
*
gfx*HomeHelpSearchCalendarLoginRegistergfx
gfxgfx
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.       « previous next »
Pages: [1] Go Down Print
Author Topic: Threads or Books Recommended for New Members  (Read 1494 times)
All Summer Long
Smiley Smile Associate
*
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 537



View Profile
« on: September 21, 2017, 07:07:24 AM »

Hi,

I've been a Beach Boys fan for years, but I'm only getting into deep tracks and deep facts now.  Do any members have recommendations of threads or Beach Boy-related books for me?

Thanks

Logged
KDS
Guest
« Reply #1 on: September 21, 2017, 07:10:32 AM »

I would recommend the Peter Carlin book "Catch a Wave" which was published in, I think, 2004. 

It serves as a great history of the band and Brian Wilson. 

Also, Jon Stebbins' Beach Boys FAQ is a great read. 

Then, I'd recommend reading both Mike Love's and Brian Wilson's autobiographies that were released late last year.   Mike's book is more of a linear history of the Beach Boys, while Brian's book is a little more conversational, and he tends to jump from subject to subject. 
Logged
HeyJude
Smiley Smile Associate
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 10030



View Profile WWW
« Reply #2 on: September 21, 2017, 07:18:14 AM »

I think there are a bunch of old threads asking about "intro" books for new fans.

Jon Stebbins's "Beach Boys FAQ" is a must, whether you're a new fan or a long-time fan.

"Becoming the Beach Boys" by Jim Murphy is a must; a Mark Lewisohn-esque book that is essentially a super-detailed biography on the group's formative years through to 1963.

Even with the salacious stuff and some biographical/song/album facts that need fixing, the infamous "Heroes and Villains" book by Steven Gaines is a solid bio on the group through whatever year that was published (mid 80s?).

The Peter Ames Carlin book on Brian/the BBs, "Catch a Wave" is another good overview, though as stated in the title more focused on Brian than the other BBs. And it has a penchant now and then for dropping random tantalizing factoids without following up (wait, what, they tried to oust Al from the band in 1990? Wtf? More info please?)

The Jon Stebbins books on Dennis and David Marks are great as well. The book with David Marks, "The Lost Beach Boy", is still relatively easily found I believe (the Dennis book is out of print but hopefully will see a reissue before too long).

Ian Rusten and Jon Stebbins's "The Beach Boys In Concert" is a must as well. The go-to book (and really the only book) covering their entire live career, and its narrative also serves as a (brief) bio on the band as well as it goes along.

Brian and Mike's "autobiographies" from last year have to be on the list. Brian's is more stylized and personal and jumps around, while Mike's has some important/interesting stories buried within an expected self-serving, often defensive framework. I would say getting a pretty firm relatively objective grasp on the band from *other* authors and sources prior to reading Brian and Mike's books (especially Mike's) would be advisable, so that you can give their books the proper context.

McParland's 2013 edition of "The Wilson Project" is important. It only covers a brief period of Brian's life in 1986-87-ish, but it's essentially a really focused bio on that 1-2 years in Brian's life, based on the recollections of Gary Usher.

Logged

THE BEACH BOYS OPINION PAGE IS ON FACEBOOK!!! http://www.facebook.com/beachboysopinion - Check out the original "BEACH BOYS OPINION PAGE" Blog - http://beachboysopinion.blogspot.com/
JK
Smiley Smile Associate
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 6053


Maybe I put too much faith in atmosphere


View Profile
« Reply #3 on: September 21, 2017, 07:32:13 AM »

As for threads at Smiley, this one on who sings what is fairly indispensable:

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,5525.0.html

Not to forget Mr. Desper's study videos: http://swdstudyvideos.com/index.html

Outside of Smiley, there's this: http://www.beachboysarchives.com
Logged

"Ik bun moar een eenvoudige boerenlul en doar schoam ik mien niet veur" (Normaal, 1978)
You're Grass and I'm a Power Mower: A Beach Boys Orchestration Web Series
the Carbon Freeze | Eclectic Essays & Art
Alex
Smiley Smile Associate
*
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 2660



View Profile
« Reply #4 on: September 30, 2017, 02:29:37 AM »

First BBs book I ever read was Wouldn't It Be Nice by Charles Granata, detailing the making of Pet Sounds. If you like seedy gossip try Heroes and Villains by Steven Gaines. A more balanced perspective, but with a focus on Brian, can be had from Catch a Wave by Peter Ames Carlin. The Lost Beach Boy by David Marks and Jon Stebbins covers the early days in great detail. If you don't mind endless conjecture and speculation, there's Domenic Priore's 2005 SMiLE book. Look Listen Vibrate Smile, also by Domenic Priore, is a 2-inch thick cut and past 'zine with writings and ramblings by all sorts of BBs superfans (including Darian Sahanaja, Nicky Wonder, and Probyn Gregory a good decade before they joined the BW band.)
Logged

"I thought Brian was a perfect gentleman, apart from buttering his head and trying to put it between two slices of bread"  -Tom Petty, after eating with Brian.

https://givemesomeboots1.blogspot.com/
gfx
Pages: [1] Go Up Print 
gfx
Jump to:  
gfx
Powered by SMF 1.1.21 | SMF © 2015, Simple Machines Page created in 0.879 seconds with 22 queries.
Helios Multi design by Bloc
gfx
Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!