The Reality: The Beach Boys & Brian don't need avid fans

[filledeplage]

In the end, even snubbing the avid fans over "Smile" won't have any detrimental effect on Brian, Mike, Bruce & Al's ability to make a living....even a very lucrative living. The people who go to Al's shows & the Mike/Bruce "Beach Boys" shows only want to hear the 1962-65 Surf, Car & Summer Fun songs, and Al, Mike & Bruce deliver them. And Brian, being the primary songwriter has the biggest royalties checks of any Beach Boy. He could quit playing, writing & recording after fulfilling the Disney contract and retire in comfort.
                              As for those of us who like Brian & The Beach Boys' more "artistic" creations(though I like the early songs too), we are clearly in the minority. The recent "Smile" fiasco has the potential to permanently alienate this segment of the audience, so that this segment of the audience turns away in disgust, but the economic reality is that it is the fans who prefer the surf, car & summer fun songs that are the majority. All the surviving members can snub the "Smile" fans and happily(and successfully) continue their performing and recording careers. The sort of people who post on forums such as these mean nothing, commercially, to the surviving "Beach Boys" members.

Phil - You have an interesting point of view...a lot of people who see the Boys, do have that summer (even in the dead of winter) party thing going on...

Then, you have a dynamic where you see the same faces at Brian's shows...so, I think there is a definite place where the two (or three, in Al's case) will intersect or overlap.  But that broad brush of set-lists is one that Brian performs as well.  

Roughly 40% or so is not early stuff or a cover of another band... Darlin', California Dreamin', Wouldn't It Be Nice, God Only Knows, Disney Girls (occasionally) Good Vibrations, Kokomo, Cool Head, Warm Heart, Do It Again, Getcha Back, Sloop John B, Back in the USSR, Still Cruisin' -  that is Pet Sounds material and forward...

The whole SMiLE thing impresses me as unfinished business because of time, place and manner of the project, and it will be interesting to see how many fragments (I hope a lot.) will be included.  The whole process, not unlike the tracks on the Pet Sounds Box Set are fascinating to me because you can see the parts - become the whole. That "developmental process" is not for everyone, but something that many of the avid, as you say, fans will want to hear, after all this time.  

And, it will certainly support the position that the "Beach Boys" - in that time window, performed pretty much the same tracks as we hear on SMiLE (as performed by Brian's wonderful band. ) It was elaborate, intense and theatrical.  I often think of Surf's Up as the second half of SMiLE, as it feels like the end-of-the-sentence.  

Brian's fans are quite happy to "rock out" at the end of the sho-w...young, old, everyone...no one ever turns away in disgust, when they hear Fun, Fun, Fun.  People have both, the themed work and the classic hits.  No one is that high-minded or snooty that they don't want to rock out at Brian's behest to the signature music!  

It is not the same party as the Boys' band, but a Brian's shows end as a party none-the-less.    

[rab2591]

The Beach Boys had 4.....ALL before Holland. I highly doubt the Beach Boys would have gotten Beatle-esque recognition even if they had quit after Holland.

Kokomo came out in 1988, so that was after Holland.

Whoops - Thanks Billy. I replaced 'Til I Die' with 'Kokomo' in my mix of Surf's Up a while back....hence the confusion............TOTALLY kidding 

[pixletwin]

Diehard fan here whether we get smile this year or not.  Pretty sure I am with the majority on this one.

[Menace Wilson]

The recent "Smile" fiasco has the potential to permanently alienate this segment of the audience, so that this segment of the audience turns away in disgust...

Complete nonsense.

"Al said Smile was coming out this year, but maybe it isn't!  Therefore I'm going to throw away my copy of Friends!"

[Awesoman]

In the end, even snubbing the avid fans over "Smile" won't have any detrimental effect on Brian, Mike, Bruce & Al's ability to make a living....even a very lucrative living. The people who go to Al's shows & the Mike/Bruce "Beach Boys" shows only want to hear the 1962-65 Surf, Car & Summer Fun songs, and Al, Mike & Bruce deliver them. And Brian, being the primary songwriter has the biggest royalties checks of any Beach Boy. He could quit playing, writing & recording after fulfilling the Disney contract and retire in comfort.
                              As for those of us who like Brian & The Beach Boys' more "artistic" creations(though I like the early songs too), we are clearly in the minority. The recent "Smile" fiasco has the potential to permanently alienate this segment of the audience, so that this segment of the audience turns away in disgust, but the economic reality is that it is the fans who prefer the surf, car & summer fun songs that are the majority. All the surviving members can snub the "Smile" fans and happily(and successfully) continue their performing and recording careers. The sort of people who post on forums such as these mean nothing, commercially, to the surviving "Beach Boys" members.

Hey Phil?  You should really try going outside and just taking a walk.  The oxygen will do you well. 

[Magic City Surfer]

... after the fight on Al's birthday.

Wait. What? 

Somebody fill this newbie in, please.

[Magic City Surfer]

...but other people need avid Beach Boys fans to show them the world outside 409 and Little Deuce Coup...

Well said!

[ukulelejesus]

...but other people need avid Beach Boys fans to show them the world outside 409 and Little Deuce Coup...

Well said!

I'm happy that someone who isn't me rocks out on the value of showing the power of brian to those who ain't acquainted with denny.

[PhilCohen]

In the end, even snubbing the avid fans over "Smile" won't have any detrimental effect on Brian, Mike, Bruce & Al's ability to make a living....even a very lucrative living. The people who go to Al's shows & the Mike/Bruce "Beach Boys" shows only want to hear the 1962-65 Surf, Car & Summer Fun songs, and Al, Mike & Bruce deliver them. And Brian, being the primary songwriter has the biggest royalties checks of any Beach Boy. He could quit playing, writing & recording after fulfilling the Disney contract and retire in comfort.
                              As for those of us who like Brian & The Beach Boys' more "artistic" creations(though I like the early songs too), we are clearly in the minority. The recent "Smile" fiasco has the potential to permanently alienate this segment of the audience, so that this segment of the audience turns away in disgust, but the economic reality is that it is the fans who prefer the surf, car & summer fun songs that are the majority. All the surviving members can snub the "Smile" fans and happily(and successfully) continue their performing and recording careers. The sort of people who post on forums such as these mean nothing, commercially, to the surviving "Beach Boys" members.

Hey Phil?  You should really try going outside and just taking a walk.  The oxygen will do you well.  

You are correct. I know that we "Smile" fans are commercially insignificant to the surviving Beach Boys members, but it hurts to see them mistreat the people who have been the most loyal. I actually went to a Beach Boys concert at a time when "Friends" was their latest album; at a time when the group's career was at a low point. The only reason that I knew about the "Friends" album was because Capitol Records placed a full color advertisement in a local music newspaper. I had to special order the L.P. at a local store, because none of the local record stores or department stores was going to take the risk of stocking this album by this (seemingly) "has been" group. As for going outside and taking a walk, I think that you're right. After four and a half decades of having music collecting and hifi equipment as my main passive at-home hobby(though I have a couple of active hobbies that I can do outside the home; one involving restaurant food, the other an athletic activity), the music/hifi hobby is becoming too intense. And the attempts to obtain more CD's(though I already have several thousand of them), is becoming increasingly fraught with problems....even when the discs do get released; delivery problems on discs obtained by mail(particularly ones arriving from overseas). I have only a few CD's backordered now, because the stress involved in obtaining them just isn't worth it. I'm hoping that within a few months, the situation with the delivery problems will improve. There is no record store in my area any more.
                              Most of the major "Classic Rock" artists of the 1960's & 1970's have, by now, released their useable outtakes, and it is inevitable that the remaining artists who still hoard outtakes(some of whom were always reluctant to release vault material) are going to be prima donnas about it. Of course, in a few instances, we discovered that the artists in question had few outtakes, highly unfinished, ragged outtakes or outtakes that weren't musically any good.
                              Over the years, I got to do some things that were the ultimate extension of my collecting hobby: I was an information contributor(for 13 years) to a newsletter about classic rock CD's, and twice(in 1992 & 1994) I travelled to London to be an (unpaid) compact disc box set compiler & liner notes writer. In 1992, I took one of the box set projects to Abbey Road Studios where it was mastered by an actual Beatles assistant engineer(now retired). It was thrilling, and the Abbey Road staff were great.
                              As for the declining amount of pleasurable moments in this music collecting/Hifi equipment hobby, my mother says that it is because I took it(this hobby) "To the Nth degree". Perhaps so. But, to my credit, I'm nowhere near as obsessed as the vinyl revival folks or the high-end audiophile equipment people. (I've never not had a turntable since I got my first one in 1966, but I prefer CD's, and I've collected CD's since 1984)
                              Really, for me, there isn't much at stake in this whole "Smile" business: only whether I get to hear full-fidelity versions of three tracks that I presently have with only fair to midding cassette quality. I'm not really expecting that there is or could be much more in the vaults beyond the actual songs/takes that were intended for the "Smile" album. Previous Beach Boys album sessions did produce an occasional unreleased song or version, but the group was under a harsh 3 album per year contract. There wasn't time to record much more.

[shelter]

Sure us diehard fans are a minority. But if you'd take 10 random Smiley Smilers and 500 random casual Beach Boys fans, there's a pretty good chance that the band made more money off the first group.

Most casual fans will get a greatest hits CD, maybe Pet Sounds, and they'll go to a Mike & Bruce show if it's in the neighborhood. So that's, let's say, about two CDs and one concert each. And then there's, well, "us". Raise your hand if you bought more than a hundred BB/BW CDs and records and saw at least five BB/BW shows in your life...

[drbeachboy]

I think you may be right shelter. I for one have bought 45's, all the LP's through the 85 album. All CDs in US release two fold. I also have a decent amount of foreign releases. All the the solo stuff on LP & CD. Since 1969, I've been to approx. 40 Beach Boys concerts, plus Carl once, and Brian's shows 5 times. I've been a pretty loyal fan through the years in mind and wallet.

[The Shift]

Sure us diehard fans are a minority. But if you'd take 10 random Smiley Smilers and 500 random casual Beach Boys fans, there's a pretty good chance that the band made more money off the first group.

Most casual fans will get a greatest hits CD, maybe Pet Sounds, and they'll go to a Mike & Bruce show if it's in the neighborhood. So that's, let's say, about two CDs and one concert each. And then there's, well, "us". Raise your hand if you bought more than a hundred BB/BW CDs and records and saw at least five BB/BW shows in your life...

Excellent point -  I've spent tens of thousands following the band, buying their LPs, 45s, CDs, DVDs, VHSs and more.  I've even got both versions of AGD's book.

But how many times will we each buy a BBs' SMiLE set?

I only bought eight or nine copies of BWPS, and only went to about 14 SMiLE concerts.  Bought two programnmes but didn't bother to get a T-shirt. Sometimes I feel such a cheapskate I drop a few quid in an envelope and post it to Brian with a wee apology that I didn't spend more at the time.

I suspect we are a very significant minority.

[Jonas]

and you call yourself a fan...

[drbeachboy]

But how many times will we each buy a BBs' SMiLE set?

My first boot was a Smile LP, as well as buying the Box Set pretty much just for those tracks. I'll buy this new release later this year. I think I've bought every US CD release in which I must now have the same tracks many times over. If nothing else, we help keep the band, the legend and the myth alive. We are more valuable to them than they really know.

[Runaways]

and you call yourself a fan...

he should stop feeling so entitled.

[sockittome]

Hey Phil?  You should really try going outside and just taking a walk.  The oxygen will do you well. 

And don't kick any puppies while you're out there.

[The Shift]

But how many times will we each buy a BBs' SMiLE set?

My first boot was a Smile LP, as well as buying the Box Set pretty much just for those tracks.

My first CD was a SMiLE boot , way back in the day. And I even had to buy a rather expensive deck several months later, so I could listen to it.

We keeps da industry afloat we does!

[PhilCohen]

Hey Phil?  You should really try going outside and just taking a walk.  The oxygen will do you well. 

And don't kick any puppies while you're out there.

I won't. Promise.