Beach Boy Blunders...

[JScott]

Let's say we could get in a time machine and alter the course of BB history... what mistakes would we avoid? Kick Murry out as manager a little earlier? Get Bri some psychological help after his first breakdown? Insist on promoting Pet Sounds? Give Good Vibes a better follow up than "Then I Kissed Her?" Get rid of those friggin' striped shirts? Have Bri go solo after Pet Sounds? There were so many things that just sh*t-canned the BB's image and career, what could have been avoided?

[I. Spaceman]

I wouldn't change a thing until Endless Summer.

[shelter]

Smile should've been released in the 60s no matter what, even if it would've taken Brian a whole extra year. They should've given him all the time he needed and not bother him with time scedules and bullsh*t about messing with the formula.

[I. Spaceman]

Old post from me, from the old board:

The thing is, it's only in the last year that I have realised the amount of sadness and anger myself and others had connected with the old session material. Even the most cursory listen would lead to question after question,second-guesswork and resentment towards the other BB's, Brian himself, VDP etc. etc for allowing SMiLE to not happen. The experience of the last year has provided, for many, the exact opposite: answers,closure,joy,understanding from nonbelievers and loved ones,praise,acclaim etc. So for some of us I think listening to the old stuff brings up bad feelings not unlike the ones Bri himself associated with the material. Also in some ways I feel SMiLE to be not unlike the main character in Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five: unstuck in time, slipping into a vortex, only to reappear many years later virtually unchanged into a completely different time and context.
It's like poetic justice. My generation that loves the music of the '60's so much have almost cursed our late birth because we crave the firsthand knowledge of these great works. What it must have been like to pick up Pet Sounds,Revolver, Aftermath etc on the day of release!! So it seems to me that the great gift to us for keeping the faith and shining so much light on these supposedly disposable pop cultural artifacts is that the actual greatest work of it's time gets delivered to not it's intended audience, who were already suffering such an embarassment of cultural riches, but to us in these spiritually bereft times,who need it so much more and appreciate it fully.
Just a thought.

[Dancing Bear]

Smile should've been released in the 60s no matter what, even if it would've taken Brian a whole extra year. They should've given him all the time he needed and not bother him with time scedules and merda do touro about messing with the formula.

if only it were this easy...   

[Rocker]

Get rid of those friggin' striped shirts?

I think that's one of the first things I would change. Maybe not very much else until "ES" like Ian already said...

[OLD GREGG]

Old post from me, from the old board:

The thing is, it's only in the last year that I have realised the amount of sadness and anger myself and others had connected with the old session material. Even the most cursory listen would lead to question after question,second-guesswork and resentment towards the other BB's, Brian himself, VDP etc. etc for allowing SMiLE to not happen. The experience of the last year has provided, for many, the exact opposite: answers,closure,joy,understanding from nonbelievers and loved ones,praise,acclaim etc. So for some of us I think listening to the old stuff brings up bad feelings not unlike the ones Bri himself associated with the material. Also in some ways I feel SMiLE to be not unlike the main character in Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five: unstuck in time, slipping into a vortex, only to reappear many years later virtually unchanged into a completely different time and context.
It's like poetic justice. My generation that loves the music of the '60's so much have almost cursed our late birth because we crave the firsthand knowledge of these great works. What it must have been like to pick up Pet Sounds,Revolver, Aftermath etc on the day of release!! So it seems to me that the great gift to us for keeping the faith and shining so much light on these supposedly disposable pop cultural artifacts is that the actual greatest work of it's time gets delivered to not it's intended audience, who were already suffering such an embarassment of cultural riches, but to us in these spiritually bereft times,who need it so much more and appreciate it fully.
Just a thought.

Yep, that just about sums it up, how about you doing an essay centering on these thoughts?

[Sheriff John Stone]

Regardless of what Loren Darg and Michael Vosse say, I would've kept the LSD away from Brian in the 1960's and the cocaine away from him in the 1970's...

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

Get rid of those friggin' striped shirts?

I think that's one of the first things I would change. Maybe not very much else until "ES" like Ian already said...

The stripes are cool. Their "hip" clothing on 20/20 looks silly.

[shelter]

if only it were this easy...   

I know the situation was a little more complicated, but I wonder what would've happened if all everyone around him would've been totally supportive no matter what, and told him that he could take all the time he needed.

[I. Spaceman]

Old post from me, from the old board:

The thing is, it's only in the last year that I have realised the amount of sadness and anger myself and others had connected with the old session material. Even the most cursory listen would lead to question after question,second-guesswork and resentment towards the other BB's, Brian himself, VDP etc. etc for allowing SMiLE to not happen. The experience of the last year has provided, for many, the exact opposite: answers,closure,joy,understanding from nonbelievers and loved ones,praise,acclaim etc. So for some of us I think listening to the old stuff brings up bad feelings not unlike the ones Bri himself associated with the material. Also in some ways I feel SMiLE to be not unlike the main character in Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five: unstuck in time, slipping into a vortex, only to reappear many years later virtually unchanged into a completely different time and context.
It's like poetic justice. My generation that loves the music of the '60's so much have almost cursed our late birth because we crave the firsthand knowledge of these great works. What it must have been like to pick up Pet Sounds,Revolver, Aftermath etc on the day of release!! So it seems to me that the great gift to us for keeping the faith and shining so much light on these supposedly disposable pop cultural artifacts is that the actual greatest work of it's time gets delivered to not it's intended audience, who were already suffering such an embarassment of cultural riches, but to us in these spiritually bereft times,who need it so much more and appreciate it fully.
Just a thought.

Yep, that just about sums it up, how about you doing an essay centering on these thoughts?

It wouldn't measure up to your SMiLE essay!

[Chris D.]

Old post from me, from the old board:

The thing is, it's only in the last year that I have realised the amount of sadness and anger myself and others had connected with the old session material. Even the most cursory listen would lead to question after question,second-guesswork and resentment towards the other BB's, Brian himself, VDP etc. etc for allowing SMiLE to not happen. The experience of the last year has provided, for many, the exact opposite: answers,closure,joy,understanding from nonbelievers and loved ones,praise,acclaim etc. So for some of us I think listening to the old stuff brings up bad feelings not unlike the ones Bri himself associated with the material. Also in some ways I feel SMiLE to be not unlike the main character in Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five: unstuck in time, slipping into a vortex, only to reappear many years later virtually unchanged into a completely different time and context.
It's like poetic justice. My generation that loves the music of the '60's so much have almost cursed our late birth because we crave the firsthand knowledge of these great works. What it must have been like to pick up Pet Sounds,Revolver, Aftermath etc on the day of release!! So it seems to me that the great gift to us for keeping the faith and shining so much light on these supposedly disposable pop cultural artifacts is that the actual greatest work of it's time gets delivered to not it's intended audience, who were already suffering such an embarassment of cultural riches, but to us in these spiritually bereft times,who need it so much more and appreciate it fully.
Just a thought.

He saves his own posts, everyone.

I don't think I'd change anything either.  It's up to the people involved to take responsibility for their situation.

[I. Spaceman]

No way, just found it looking for stuff cached on Google.

[Jason]

Let's say we could get in a time machine and alter the course of BB history... what mistakes would we avoid? Kick Murry out as manager a little earlier? Get Bri some psychological help after his first breakdown? Insist on promoting Pet Sounds? Give Good Vibes a better follow up than "Then I Kissed Her?" Get rid of those friggin' striped shirts? Have Bri go solo after Pet Sounds? There were so many things that just merda-canned the BB's image and career, what could have been avoided?

I would've gone back to 1983 and stopped Dennis from "recovering" his belongings from the dock.

[I. Spaceman]

Ahhh, good one!

[SurferGirl7]

Let's just say I would have stopped a lot  of things 

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

I would have gone back and mentored either Buddy Wilson or Murry, shown them all kinds of unconditional love and been a good example to them.

[Eric Aniversario]

It's a little complicated to go back and list all the things I'd change in the 60's, 70's and 80's.  But if I could go back and change things in the 90's, I would:

1) Have had Al not make any unusual requests in his 1998 non-exclusive Beach Boys license application, and would have had him been accepted for a Beach Boys touring license.  Unfortunately, it is way too late to turn back the clock on that one.

2) Have had the band perform "Island Fever" or "Under The Boardwalk" on Baywatch instead of "Summer Of Love".  I still can't believe they chose that song to perform on the most watched TV show in the world back then.  It's interesting to note that it didn't chart anywhere!!!

3) Have postponed Stars & Stripes for a year in favor of an album of songs from the Paley sessions in 1996.  I would have also had "Sail On Sailor" and "In My Room" (with Rodney Crowell & Tammy Wynette) on Stars & Stripes.

4) Have given the cheerleaders the boot after the first show!!  Thank goodness Mike hasn't brought them back!  That was a total embarassment.

Good vibes,
Eric

[Surfer Joe]

I wish Brian could have laid off the cigarettes in the 1970s, among other things.

I wish Chuck Britz had run back-up tape on every session in the 1960s.

I wish "Trombone Dixie" and "Sandy, She Needs Me" had been completed.

I wish Brian had used an outside lyricist on Love You (that'll draw some fire).

I wish Brian had recorded elaborate piano demos with guide vocals throughout the Fall/Winter of '66 and the Winter/Spring of '67 and built the album from those.

I wish Bamboo, SMiLE, and the '96 album had been completed.  I wish Summer In Paradise, Sweet Insanity, and Stars And Stripes had not.

I wish Brian, Marilyn, and the others had gotten a fraction of the happiness they deserved.

[AKA]

How about Carl laying off the cigarettes?

[Surfer Joe]

Yes, I thought about adding that but didn't want to start a big debate about the cause or nature of his cancer.  It still worries me in Brian's case.  I don't know how heavy a smoker Carl ever actually was, but  his voice certainly aged better than Brian's and Dennis'.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Who was a heavier smoker, Brian or Carl?  I know Brian smoked like 4 or 5 packs a day. As for Carl, dunno...

1) I wouldn't have fired Nick Grillo as manager.
2). I would've gotten Landy away from Brian a lot sooner, or get some other kind of help for Brian instead.
3). Make sure most of the Caribou tapes from 74 didn't get destroyed by fire.
4). Take photographic evidence of every session Carol Kaye ever played on, to avoid future trouble....

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

4). Take photographic evidence of every session Carol Kaye ever played on, to avoid future trouble....

Good call.

Actually, I would amend that to a more simple "Take a lot of photos of Beach Boys recording sessions so obsessed fans could feel good for a few moments in the future when they look at them."

[LaurieBiagini]

Let's say we could get in a time machine and alter the course of BB history... what mistakes would we avoid? Kick Murry out as manager a little earlier? Get Bri some psychological help after his first breakdown? Insist on promoting Pet Sounds? Give Good Vibes a better follow up than "Then I Kissed Her?" Get rid of those friggin' striped shirts? Have Bri go solo after Pet Sounds? There were so many things that just merda-canned the BB's image and career, what could have been avoided?

I would've gone back to 1983 and stopped Dennis from "recovering" his belongings from the dock.

YES!!!

[Sheriff John Stone]

Yes, I thought about adding that but didn't want to start a big debate about the cause or nature of his cancer.  It still worries me in Brian's case. 

Of all the amazing things in Brian's life - and there are many - one of the most amazing is that after all of the cocaine, cigarettes, and time spent vegetating in bed, Brian at one time (1987-88) was actually running 5-6 miles per day.  It was incredible to see then and it's still incredible when I think about it today...