Overrated BB's Related Songs

[hypehat]

A companion topic, anyone? 

Here are a few i don't quite get the love for.

The Smile version of Wind Chimes
The Night Was So Young
I Know There's An Answer
Big Sur (it's nice, but seems a little too saccharine for these non-cali ears)
She Says/Sherry/whatever, She Needs Me
Fun Fun Fun, apart from the fade

That's all i got so far

[Nicko]

Vegetables and Do You Like Worms - Stoner BS

Good Timin' - Nice harmonies but the lyrics are so vague as to be meaningless

I Wanna Pick You Up - Simply dreadful vocally, lyrically and musically

Little Bird - Dennis went on to write much, much better songs

It's OK - Not bad but sounds more dated than the car songs the band recorded more than a decade earlier

Mount Vernon - It has some nice musical pieces but like most spoken word things, I very rarely find myself listening to it

In My Car - Some critics have called this the best song on SC but the lyrics are awful and the lead vocals weak

Doubtless there are more...

[SG7]

Let the wind blow

[grillo]

Help Me Rhonda
Keep an Eye on Summer
Good Vibes (especially the last half minute)
Wonderful (any version)
Add Some Music
Cali Girls (I kinda like the Hawaii version)

[Runaways]

help me rhonda just cause it was one of their #1's. 

[MBE]

I think Love You is very overrated. Outside of a handful of tracks I can't get into it.
I like Today, Pet Sounds, Wild Honey, and Sunflower better then the Smile stuff even though I do love the Smile material. I guess it's fair to say that BWPS is overrated though I do basically like it.
Kokomo is overrated by some because it was a hit.

[Sheriff John Stone]

So far, the only one I agree with is "In My Car". But that's OK; that's what makes the thread interesting!

1. "Wild Honey" - it's slightly too slow, the theramin(?) is grating, and it's possibly the only Carl lead vocal that I don't like - too forced; the 70's live version was an improvement, though.

2. "Let's Go Away For Awhile" - kinda boring (as I run for cover); Brian called it his "most satisfying piece of music" (huh?); would've benefitted from lyrics, in my early less-patient listenings of Pet Sounds I used to skip over this track to get to "Sloop".

3. "Take A Load Off Your Feet" - the vocals drive me nuts; Al was trying to be too cool; I know this song has some fans; it usually tops my poll of least favorite Beach Boys' songs.

4. "Meant For You" - What is so great about this song? It's too short, wimpy, and it should've CLOSED the album, not opened it!

5. "Male Ego" -  "shouty" Brian vocal, embarrassing lyrics, stiff production, one of those Landy-era rockers that were beneath what Brian used to do.

[Aegir]

Most of Dennis's slow romantic ballads. I don't think they're bad or cheesy or anything, they just rarely give me that same special feeling I get when I listen to most Beach Boys songs. Even the songs that everyone thinks are lame (Mike's solo albums, Brian's Landy stuff, etc) have this wonderful magic to them and are often extremely catchy. I have Male Ego stuck in my head now just from reading SJS's post.

[hypehat]

2. "Let's Go Away For Awhile" - kinda boring (as I run for cover); Brian called it his "most satisfying piece of music" (huh?); would've benefitted from lyrics, in my early less-patient listenings of Pet Sounds I used to skip over this track to get to "Sloop".

I used to /still occassionally do that too. The end's kind of nice, those slide guitar breaks are gorgeous, wouldn't you say?

[grillo]

2. "Let's Go Away For Awhile" - kinda boring (as I run for cover); Brian called it his "most satisfying piece of music" (huh?); would've benefitted from lyrics, in my early less-patient listenings of Pet Sounds I used to skip over this track to get to "Sloop".

I used to /still occassionally do that too. The end's kind of nice, those slide guitar breaks are gorgeous, wouldn't you say?

Now I did the opposite and skipped Sloop John B. to get to GOK. In fact I still keep SJB off of my Pet Sounds play list and stick it in as an extra track after Summer Days.

[B-Rex]

I agree with Sheriff on "Meant for You" being a closer.  "Lonely Days" would have been another good snippet closer.

1. Roller Skating Child--makes me want to hurl
2. Honkin' Down the Highway--embarrassing
3. A Day in the Life of a Tree--dreadful
4. Solar System--childish, and not in a good way
5. Disney Girls--way out of place
6. Amusement Parks USA--has its moments but the time for this music had passed
7. I Wanna Pick You Up--disturbing
8. Hey Little Tomboy--equally disturbing
9. Johnny Carson--what the?
10. Tears in the Morning--annoying vocals


I hit Love You pretty hard.  Outside of a few tracks, it just plain stinks!

 

[The infamous Baldwin Organ]

Wow, I've seen a lot of my favorite Beach Boys songs listed here! That's ok though.

Songs I don't really care for....
1. All Summer Long
2. You're So Good To Me
3. Be True To Your School
4. Hang On To Your Ego

On most days, I'd consider a good chunk of SMiLE to be overrated by members of this board. Just personal preferences.

[Sheriff John Stone]

8. Hey Little Tomboy--equally disturbing

I'm a fan of MIU, but....

Of all the songs in the can that they could've chosen - OF ALL THE SONGS! - they picked "Hey Little Tomboy.

[Ganz Allein]

I love most of Dennis's songs, but to me "Slip on Through" sounds more like a Partridge Family song that's tailor-made for David Cassidy. Dennis should have kept the "My love is growing..." bridge, trashed the rest, and started a new song.  For me it's also not a good start to Sunflower - the song's opening is just abrupt and dull.  I'd replace it with "Break Away."

And while I'm rearranging Sunflower, I'd dump "Tears in the Morning" (my all-time unfavorite BB's song) and replace it with "Lady (Fallin' in Love)"

[TdHabib]

I'm agreeing with some of the chocies here but I love "Slip on Through," "All Summer Long" the Smile and Love You stuff. My overrated choices are about half of the Holland album (Only with Love being a good song but not a good performance in my book, Carnegie Hall and Dennis' version is much better), "Tears in the Morning," the majority of basically everything after Dennis died.

[Sheriff John Stone]

For me it's ("Slip On Through") also not a good start to Sunflower - the song's opening is just abrupt and dull. 

Agree. I always thought an opening of "Add Some Music To Your Day", "Got To Know The Woman", and "Slip On Through" was a better opening sequence. But, I guess that's for another thread.

Is anybody sitting in the house with three feet of snow outside? And it still coming down!

[TdHabib]

Not to appear contradictory I think "Funky Pretty" is brilliant, underrated. And so does Brian (stating as much in the Classics Selected By liners "Mount Vernon and Funky Pretty should be on here")

I had the day off of work today because the snow is so bad...

[The infamous Baldwin Organ]

If I remember correctly, "Sail On Sailor" is also on that compilation selected by Brian, which he apparently later stated in concert that he doesn't like that song at all. 

[Jason]

Brian - This is the one song that we do that I actually don't like. We're doing, what, like 35 songs tonight? And this is the only one I don't like. Should we play it?
Audience - (half-heartedly) Yes.
Brian - Ok, we'll play it.

(After the song)

Brian - See, the lyrics are just a bunch of bullshit! The melody and the music is good but the lyrics are just real negative.
Foskett - Change 'em!
Brian - I will!

I was at the show where this took place.

[Mike's Beard]

Please don't crucify me but I do find (whisper)Pet Sounds to be a tad overrated.  Don't get me wrong it's fantastic and I've bought it 3 times in different versions but it gets soooooo much praise (particularly from otherwise non BB fans)  that it tends to diminish their other accomplishments to a degree.  I mean, I can guarantee about 50% of causal BBs fans and non fans would sum up their entire output as "silly surf songs which were good fun for their time, then one masterpiece LP and then a load of mediocre crap 'cos the main guy went loco".  Does "PS" really overshadow "Today!!" that much?  Is it much better than "Sunflower"?  I personally don't think so.  I hope nobody thinks I'm pissing on hallowed ground here .  "Sloop John B" and "Wouldn't it be Nice" are the 2 songs that got me hooked on the Beach Boys and off that Nu - Metal crap I was listening to.  I would just like to see snobby music critics mention "Friends" , Sunflower" and the like in the same breath as they do PS.

[BillA]

When I hear the phrase "overrated Beach Boys' related songs" the first word that pops into my head is "Kokomo".

I would also add "Rock and Roll Music" and "Getcha Back" since they were top 40 hits that I do not believe deserved it.  There were songs on both albums that would have been better initial releases ("It's OK", "Just Once in My Life",  "It's Gettin' Late", "Where I Belong").

[Mike's Beard]

How that awful "Rock and Roll Music" cover ever made U.S top ten I'll never know.

[Mr. Cohen]

Brian - See, the lyrics are just a bunch of bullmerda! The melody and the music is good but the lyrics are just real negative.
Foskett - Change 'em!
Brian - I will!

And then Brian called Van and wrote "Live Let Live"?

[Paulos]

Most of Wild Honey and Holland.

[Alex]

I Wanna Pick You Up, Hey Little Tomboy, Love Is A Woman, most of Still Cruisin' and SIP (though that's a given!), most of KTSA, half of MIU, the early surf instrumentals, Battle Hymn, Skatetown USA/California Beach...