Underrated Beach Boys (or related) songs

[lance]

Underrated by whom?

If by the general public, I would say most of them.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Winter Symphony

Good one! While I like "Winter Symphony" in its existing form, it's one of the Christmas songs that I wish Brian would've given the "makeover" for WIRWFC, instead of "Little St. Nick" or "Auld Lang Syne". "Winter Symphony" ended up on Ultimate Christmas, so a lot people (non diehards) have now heard it over the years, and I wonder what they think of it....

[lance]

That song is great.

[Eric Aniversario]

All This Is That (although it has been getting more recognition lately)
Sunshine from KTSA
Sunshine from Imagination
Keepin The Summer Alive
It's OK (yeah, it went top 40, but still remains largely unappreciated)
Your Summer Dream
It's About Time
You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone
Lady Lynda
Full Sail
Winds Of Change
Island Fever
She's Goin Bald
This Town Goes Down At Sunset
My Hobo Heart
Do It Again (from IJWMFTT)

[tpesky]

Your Summer Dream
Wendy
Girl Don't Tell Me (some backing vocals would help alot...see Alan's Vegas album)
Aren't You Glad
Be Here In The Morning
Breakaway
This Whole World ( 1 more verse and its gotta be a hit)
Long Promised Road
All This Is That
Just Once In My Life
Everyone's In Love With You
Winds of Change
Lady Lynda (alternates and live are way better)
Goin On
Where I Belong
Somewhere Near Japan
Lahaina Aloha

[Mr. Cohen]

"Winter Symphony" ended up on Ultimate Christmas, so a lot people (non diehards) have now heard it over the years, and I wonder what they think of it....

Yeah, I even heard it at Kroger! That's got to count for something.

[TdHabib]

A few of mine...
"Breakaway"
"Here Today" *was at one time my favorite PS tune*
"All I Wanna Do" (my favorite Mike Love tune--where he sings lead)
"Kiss Me Baby"
"Let Him Run Wild"
"Just Once in my Life"
"I'll Bet He's Nice"
"My Diane"
"Be With Me"-my God, the string arrangement on this one! Fantastic.

[donald]

Had to Phone Ya........

A very happy nice little song....at least the 1st two thirds

"when I phone ya, Californias not so far away".....but the come on come on part at the end abruptly changes the tone

[punkinhead]

TPESKY-  I know what you mean about Girl Dont Tell Me, I love that version from Al!

btw Donald, you like Spring's version of had to phone ya? it sounds more quirky, i love both. Had to phone ya is prolly Brian's best backing track on 15 Big Ones, possibly one of his best in the 70s as a whole.

[art rush]

We'll Run Away
And Your Dream Comes True
It's OK - should have been a bigger hit
Matchpoint of Our Love - One of the first Beach Boys songs I ever heard, strangely enough. I heard a genius mashup mix of Matchpoint vs. The Chemical Brothers' "Star Guitar" by The Avalanches.
Keepin' the Summer Alive -- why wasn't this a single?!
Passing Friend
Summer of Love

[shelter]

Girl Don't Tell Me (some backing vocals would help alot...see Alan's Vegas album)

I think the backing vocals on Al's live version completely ruin the song. Awful.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Matchpoint of Our Love

Yes! I'm not saying this because Mike probably wrote the lyrics - I really don't care - but the lyrics never bothered me. Actually, I think they're clever.

[Alex]

Winds of Change

[punkinhead]

I would say all but most the american spring material, I enjoy.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I would say all but most the american spring material, I enjoy.

I think Marilyn Wilson is underrated as a singer. She did some really good work; she could sound emotional like her husband.

[Sound of Free]

Slip on Through *
Let Him Run Wild
We'll Run Away
Here Comes the Night (original)
Angel Come Home (should have been a single, might have been a hit)
The Night Was So Young

and, of course, Sound of Free

* If only Slip on Through, Dennis' only A-side BBs single, had been a hit (like it should have been), I think the whole Beach Boys history would have been vastly different. People would have given Sunflower a listen, Warners would have issued more singles, probably Forever and/or It's About Time, and Dennis would have been recognized as the Beach Boys new leader. The next album would have lead off with Sound of Free as a single and also included Lady, Fourth of July and Wouldn't it Be Nice To Live Again. (End alternate reality scenario)

[the captain]

Are you by chance thomasogg under a new name?

[Sound of Free]

No, just someone who has lurked for a while. But this thomasogg sounds like a smart guy.   

[shelter]

I also love the original version of Lookin' Down the Coast...

[Alex]

Are you by chance thomasogg under a new name?

I actually kinda miss him around these parts. What's wrong with a pro-Dennis voice? Even a crazy pro-Dennis voice that views Dennis the way blueboarders view Brian!

[melissalynn]

I like how you think, Sound of Free. 

[punkinhead]

The other day, I heard I Sleep Alone; I hadn't heard it in a long while, I enjoy it a lot

[phirnis]

When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)

This was a single, of course, but still I feel it belongs here. People (including myself) have criticized the Beach Boys for relying on past glories a tad too heavily, yet very few seem to understand what a powerful emotional experience it must be for someone like Brian Wilson to sing a song like this in concert considering the nature of the lyrics. It was a minor hit some 44 years ago, so you might think it's an oldie when in truth it has taken a life of its own being performed by the man who wrote it, now well into his sixties. 16, 17, 18... won't last forever.

[Andrew G. Doe]

You call #9 on Billboard minor ?? 

[phirnis]

Ah, must've mixed it up with The Little Girl I Once Knew. Always quite stunning how many hits they really had during this period.