Who the f--- cares?

[the captain]

OK, blatant attention-getting subject there, but it is the point of my post. Please take this in the right spirit, which is not judgmental at all, but in fun. We're all to a certain extent Beach Boys/Brian Wilson/music geeks here--I think our very presence on a message board dedicated to those things proves that to some extent. So we're none of us innocent.

But do you ever read posts here and just wonder--even quickly, to yourself--"who the f--- cares about that?"

I can tell you that while I could go on forever about the actual musical questions, and take some interest in the amateur psychologist family dynamics debates, as soon as the threads turn to what version of what product was released where and when, or which sessions happened where on what day, I ask myself those questions. It is of no interest to me whether the first pressing of some single misspelled Capitol as Capital. (And yes, I made that up, so if you're into such things, don't ask me for more information.) Any sort of collector's paraphernalia just means nothing to me. Scheduling is similarly uninteresting to me (except on those occasions when I want to use the fruits of someone else's labor, in which case I'm thrilled someone cares enough to do the work).

At what point(s) do you tune out and think, "what a bunch of nerds!"?

[SG7]

When people still argue about what could have been on SMiLE... b.o.r.i.n.g. 

[Susan]

For me it's often session talk that sends me into la-la land.  I'm not really interested in how it went together...i'm interested in the final product.  And go easy on the different - but not substantially different - versions, won't you?

[lance]

I am not too interested in exactly where Al was on Saturday, December 12th 1967; nor am I particularly interested in reading about someone hiccupping during the session for "Do You Like Worms."

 What I am interested in: learning who played what on what; the relationship of the Beach Boys to each others; analyses of Beach Boys music; reviews of the albums. Learning about officially unreleased songs I haven't heard yet.

 Also, I like that their are Beach Boys fans that are a)more into the minutiae than me; b) that exist at all, since I don't know any others in "real life."

 Whatever floats whoever's boat.

[Jason]

The THREAD, baby!

I'd say "/thread" now but there are just so many topics that just reek of nerdiness (nerdocity?).

The constant "ZOMG WUT COULD DA LAST BEACH BOYZ ALBUM HAVE BEEN LIKE?!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111" threads. Minutiae can be a drag. Too much focus on the bullshit around the band rather than the music can really suck. And the talks about Brian's sex life with Melinda. Of course, some of these topics sometimes still matter to me, depends on the mood I'm in. Brian has poops (or fucks? I mean, he was always such a pooper, and he's quite a twice-daily f*cker!) and I have moods.

While Luther deserves some chips for coming out with a bold statement (har har har, political incorrectness on the interweb) he's undoubtedly in the minority of Beach Boys fans.

I would like to say one thing to everyone on this board regarding this topic, and I remind myself every day -

IT'S ABOUT THE MUSIC.

[KokoMoses]

well, hell...... if you don't want to have to stomach "a bunch of nerds" discussing Beach Boys related minutia, I wouldn't suggest hanging around a BEACH BOYS MESSAGE BOARD!!!!!!!!

[endofposts]

For me it's often session talk that sends me into la-la land.  I'm not really interested in how it went together...i'm interested in the final product.  And go easy on the different - but not substantially different - versions, won't you?

So,  you don't like the SOT session sets?  I like listening to that stuff, at least once, and more than once if it has an interesting sound to it (like hearing vocal-only or instrumental-track only).  I like hearing and knowing how the music was put together, both listening to Brian in the studio and reading about how it was done.  But as for knowing each date for each session, who was there, the union contracts, etc, no, that doesn't interest me that much.  I also like different versions, but only if they sound good. 

[Susan]

For me it's often session talk that sends me into la-la land.  I'm not really interested in how it went together...i'm interested in the final product.  And go easy on the different - but not substantially different - versions, won't you?

So,  you don't like the SOT session sets?  I like listening to that stuff, at least once, and more than once if it has an interesting sound to it (like hearing vocal-only or instrumental-track only).  I like hearing and knowing how the music was put together, both listening to Brian in the studio and reading about how it was done.  But as for knowing each date for each session, who was there, the union contracts, etc, no, that doesn't interest me that much.  I also like different versions, but only if they sound good. 

It is painful to me to listen to 8 takes of the same two lines of something.  No, i don't really care for the SOT sessions sets, except the discs that are complete "alternate" albums.  THOSE are cool.  The sessions for them...not so much.

[shelter]

I'm somewhat obsessed with the Beach Boys. And 'in real life' I know just one person (who I don't even see that much) who is familiar with the Beach Boys beyond the hits. So to be able to go on a forum and be able to discuss even the most obscure outtakes and stuff like that, is a relief.

[lance]

Exactly!

[BiNNS]

 "Also, I like that their are Beach Boys fans that are a)more into the minutiae than me; b) that exist at all, since I don't know any others in "real life." -this sums up exactly how i feel. ha.

[lance]

Except I'm sure you wouldn't misspell "there". 

[John]

I'm interested in the who -played-what stuff most. Not interested particularly in the people themselves, or rather the scandal. I like to read about what happened when someone met one of them, that's always fun (By the way, didn't mention it, but I met Mike, Bruce and Dave last Saturday. All were pretty nice, but Dave was the most laid-back and friendly!)

But the "scandal" sh*t? Bleh. I even held off joining up here for the longest time because of a dude called something like "theponymuse"-somethingsomething. God, he was an annoying bastard. Just a horrible, carrion circling vulture, who couldn't write, had no wit, and was only obsessed with some of the dumbest crap from the scandal sheet books, always bringing them up, even in album discussions. I wanted to throttle that guy. When I checked back awhile later, he'd gone.
He took that annoying crap to the extreme.

[SG7]

Ah, theeponymuseudonym. That takes me back haha.

[shelter]

I think the scandals are also interesting. Only adds to the legend. Of course I don't know how much of what's in a book like "Heroes and Villains" is true, but normally people only live such lives in soap operas...

[Dancing Bear]

Of course people who come here aren't interested in 'just the music'. In that case, they could just check AGD / Ian / c-man's websites from time to time to know what's been dissected lately and it would be good enough.

I always come back to check the extremes that some fans will go to validate their beliefs that some Beach Boy(s) are to blame for whatever went wrong. I think it's fascinating.

[Mahalo]

  

[Zack]

I'm new here, so I'll address this group as you.  I can tell you, they argue on the Stones board whether it was Brian Jones who played piano on Ruby Tuesday or not (I say no, it's Jack Nitzsche) so it's the same sh*t elsewhere.  You are not unique in that sense.

Though I apologize for singling any particular thread here out, the one about the shoes was pretty ridiculous (although Brian WAS fond of those boat sneakers!) 

[Emdeeh]

I don't much care for the alternate histories and "what ifs", for things that never happened. I can also do without the scandals.

But overall, I enjoy the discussion here and find a lot of it very informative.

[brianc]

The only session tapes that interest me are from "Today!" through "Friends." Otherwise, completed unreleased songs only, and of course, the singles and albums-proper.

There's too much else out there that compells me to go that deep into the Beach Boys anymore. But I'm glad I had that period of obsession, because I met a lot of great people and got to work on some cool things, and hear a ton of amazing music. I think now, with some time, I've grown to appreciate it all on a much more mellow level. Though I might be that last masocist that still enjoys a good "Smile" argument. "Smile" will always be the lifeblood that keeps me coming back.

[Bicyclerider]

The more obscure the minutia, the more I like it.  The more fact based the discussion, the more I find it interesting.  How technically the music was created - great.  How the mindset of the creators and what was going on in their lives affected the music - great.  Who pissed in whose Coke and started a fistfight - like that stuff too.  It's all part of the tapestry of life we call the Beach Boys saga.

A good book detailing the Beach Boys (rather than just Brian's) history up to the present day has yet to be written, and I would buy it in a second. 

[markcharles75]

I often turn my gaze back on myself and ask "am I obsessed with this stuff?" or "if this (insert some random unreleased song) was recorded/done by anyone else other than Brian/Beach Boys, would I care? Do I only like it because my musical heroe (s) were involved?"  So, I try to be critical and not just like something because it is done by my favorite group.

But I do find the tiniest details so fascinating.  Like, when I first heard the Brian in Holland tape: not worth a listen really, but  I have it saved under my "Beach Boys rarities" folder and often listen to it. Why? I guess, the tiniest details about my musical heroe just intrigue me but I try to be level headed and not get into weirdo fan headspace.  But I do want to know, for example, what was Brian like in Holland. Tell me stories, Show me unreleased pics, let me hear some unreleased music...It is all just fascinating to me...LOL

[brianc]

What is this "Brian in Holland" recording you speak of?

[Andrew G. Doe]

[koff] Alan [koff] 

[markcharles75]

didn't know Alan had a quirky tick "and then it goes...and then it goes...and then it goes..."