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Author Topic: Who was the second best songwriter in the Beach Boys?  (Read 7805 times)
RangeRoverA1
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« Reply #25 on: July 14, 2018, 04:50:43 AM »

There is no one on Brian's level. Sure, Dennis wrote a handful of excellent songs that are musically very interesting, but he is nowhere near Brian's level. Brian is arguably the best songwriter in all of pop/rock, so to suggest that Dennis is close to that is massively overstating Dennis' output.

I think the OP had it right in saying Brian is so wildly talented that anyone else in the band is a very, very very distant second. Everyone else wrote some great songs (Feel Flows, LPR, the River Song, lady Lynda, Disney Girls are ones I'd highlight), many of which I would argue are quite interesting in that they have unexpected elements like unusual chord progressions or great bridges or what have you - which was probably partially the result of being exposed to so much of Brian's style. Brian's songs are just so great that I suspect it pushed the others to really deliver when they wrote stuff.
+1000000. No way is Dennis equal to Brian.
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« Reply #26 on: July 14, 2018, 08:45:40 AM »

There is no one on Brian's level. Sure, Dennis wrote a handful of excellent songs that are musically very interesting, but he is nowhere near Brian's level. Brian is arguably the best songwriter in all of pop/rock, so to suggest that Dennis is close to that is massively overstating Dennis' output.

I think the OP had it right in saying Brian is so wildly talented that anyone else in the band is a very, very very distant second. Everyone else wrote some great songs (Feel Flows, LPR, the River Song, lady Lynda, Disney Girls are ones I'd highlight), many of which I would argue are quite interesting in that they have unexpected elements like unusual chord progressions or great bridges or what have you - which was probably partially the result of being exposed to so much of Brian's style. Brian's songs are just so great that I suspect it pushed the others to really deliver when they wrote stuff.
+1000000. No way is Dennis equal to Brian.

Agree completely!!   
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« Reply #27 on: July 14, 2018, 11:51:41 AM »

According to the internet, Bruce co-wrote Hey Little Cobra, which sold over a million copies in the early 60s.  And was a staff producer for a record label.  He wrote a string of decent BBs songs (instrumental, Disney Girls, Dierdre).  Depending on your take on "songwriter" he "wrote" prominent and complicated background walls for huge Elton John and Pink Floyd songs.  He got a flippin' song of the year grammy in the mid-70s.  His 80s work with the band was at times good (She Believes in....).  Why hasn't anyone suggested Bruce, his credentials are actually much longer than anyone else....

*I'm not much of a Bruce guy in general.  I like Dennis and Carl's solo records and BB contributions a ton, as far as personal taste goes.  But the question was about "who is the better songwriter" and that sounds like a much different question. 
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« Reply #28 on: July 14, 2018, 08:21:24 PM »

According to the internet, Bruce co-wrote Hey Little Cobra, which sold over a million copies in the early 60s.  And was a staff producer for a record label.  He wrote a string of decent BBs songs (instrumental, Disney Girls, Dierdre).  Depending on your take on "songwriter" he "wrote" prominent and complicated background walls for huge Elton John and Pink Floyd songs.  He got a flippin' song of the year grammy in the mid-70s.  His 80s work with the band was at times good (She Believes in....).  Why hasn't anyone suggested Bruce, his credentials are actually much longer than anyone else....

*I'm not much of a Bruce guy in general.  I like Dennis and Carl's solo records and BB contributions a ton, as far as personal taste goes.  But the question was about "who is the better songwriter" and that sounds like a much different question. 
Most of us are probably biased in this area, not having heard much of Bruce's pre-BB's work, and probably unaware of some of his outside work in the 70's. I think where Bruce might outdistance his bandmates (except Brian, of course), is as an arranger.
The problem with rating the BB's as songwriters is that most of them have had periods where they were fairly productive, followed by times when the songwriting muse seems to have left them. For example, did Carl write any new songs between Holland in 1973 and LA in 79? He seemed very inspired as a writer in the early 70's..followed by several years of nothing. Then he started writing again around 78-79, and was pretty prolific up till 1985. And then another drought. Ditto for Al. He's gone years without putting out any new material.
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« Reply #29 on: July 14, 2018, 08:51:27 PM »

According to the internet, Bruce co-wrote Hey Little Cobra, which sold over a million copies in the early 60s.  And was a staff producer for a record label.  He wrote a string of decent BBs songs (instrumental, Disney Girls, Dierdre).  Depending on your take on "songwriter" he "wrote" prominent and complicated background walls for huge Elton John and Pink Floyd songs.  He got a flippin' song of the year grammy in the mid-70s.  His 80s work with the band was at times good (She Believes in....).  Why hasn't anyone suggested Bruce, his credentials are actually much longer than anyone else....

*I'm not much of a Bruce guy in general.  I like Dennis and Carl's solo records and BB contributions a ton, as far as personal taste goes.  But the question was about "who is the better songwriter" and that sounds like a much different question. 

Well youre talking about who had the most commercial success. Sure "I write the songs" sold a million copies and won a grammy and denny, i dont think, ever had a song chart. But would anyone here really say "I write the songs" is better than "forever" or "river song" or "thoughts of you"? i sure wouldnt....
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« Reply #30 on: July 14, 2018, 10:20:25 PM »

According to the internet, Bruce co-wrote Hey Little Cobra, which sold over a million copies in the early 60s.  And was a staff producer for a record label.  He wrote a string of decent BBs songs (instrumental, Disney Girls, Dierdre).  Depending on your take on "songwriter" he "wrote" prominent and complicated background walls for huge Elton John and Pink Floyd songs.  He got a flippin' song of the year grammy in the mid-70s.  His 80s work with the band was at times good (She Believes in....).  Why hasn't anyone suggested Bruce, his credentials are actually much longer than anyone else....

*I'm not much of a Bruce guy in general.  I like Dennis and Carl's solo records and BB contributions a ton, as far as personal taste goes.  But the question was about "who is the better songwriter" and that sounds like a much different question. 
Most of us are probably biased in this area, not having heard much of Bruce's pre-BB's work, and probably unaware of some of his outside work in the 70's. I think where Bruce might outdistance his bandmates (except Brian, of course), is as an arranger.
The problem with rating the BB's as songwriters is that most of them have had periods where they were fairly productive, followed by times when the songwriting muse seems to have left them. For example, did Carl write any new songs between Holland in 1973 and LA in 79? He seemed very inspired as a writer in the early 70's..followed by several years of nothing. Then he started writing again around 78-79, and was pretty prolific up till 1985. And then another drought. Ditto for Al. He's gone years without putting out any new material.
Carl wrote Angel Come Home in 75. Other than that... I don’t know


Much of Bruce’s pre Beach Boys work was terrible IMHO. He had some really good songs with the Beach Boys but his peak was brief, and when he dropped off in quality he got really bad.
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« Reply #31 on: July 15, 2018, 01:33:10 AM »

To Kid Presentable......Bruce did not co write Cibra. The song was written by Carol Connor
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« Reply #32 on: July 15, 2018, 07:38:55 AM »

You are very right, I stand corrected.
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« Reply #33 on: July 15, 2018, 09:10:18 AM »

Bruce and Terry did some GREAT work together...especially for the Rip Chords.  BUT...as a SONG-writer?  Bruce is namby-pamby, iffy and anything but prolific.  As an arranger?  Yep!!!  He is right up there vying for cred with Denny and Carl.  In the 'tuneage' category?  He might beat out Love in the race to DEAD last place.
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« Reply #34 on: July 15, 2018, 01:13:31 PM »

I would rank Mike as a low in terms of his solo compositions, but because of all the great songs he wrote with Brian, I'd love to rank him higher. Bruce's Disney Girls and Deirdre are some of my favorite songs in the canon, so I'd like to rank him high, but two standout compositions in a 50 year career, doesn't get him second best songwriter... despite my love for his songs. Second best writer would have to go to Dennis, since his songs were very prolific from 68-79.   

If we're talking producing
1. Brian (can't beat Brian)
2. Carl (His production from 67-73, along with Mr. Desper, blow my mind)
3. Bruce (Bruce & Terry, Surfin Round The World, and Bruce's 69-71 production is fantastic)
4. Dennis (Can't beat the production on POB! Great great sounding album!)
5. Al (Cottonfields and many other early 70's songs sounded great... MIU not so much)
6.Mike  (I don't think I can't think of anything Mike would have a heavy in producing.  Big Sur? Sumahama? SIP? If those count, they earn him a 6 on this list.)
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« Reply #35 on: July 15, 2018, 02:47:51 PM »

Dennis, Carl and Bruce were very good composers, Mike at his peak was a very good lyricist. I’m not sure that it makes sense to rank them as we’re not comparing like with like.
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« Reply #36 on: July 15, 2018, 03:37:03 PM »

Dennis, Carl and Bruce were very good composers, Mike at his peak was a very good lyricist. I’m not sure that it makes sense to rank them as we’re not comparing like with like.


I agree which is why I’d put Brian and Dennis at the top but wouldn’t say one is better than the others. Apples and Oranges.

I’d put Bruce at the very bottom, and easily
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