The Smiley Smile Message Board

This popped up in my Google "News" page today.  Can't say I quite agree with the ordering with some of the albums (Today and Sunflower should have ranked a little higher), but overall this is a decent enough list. 


http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2016/02/beach_boys_albu.html

Well, putting KTSA above LA is just wrong, but it's great to read such an intelligent and informed list!

surfin safari is better than surfin usa?  no.

Anyone notice two officially released studio albums missing from the list?

I like that he emphasizes the things he likes about the albums over the things he dislikes; I don't like that he barely mentions Carl at all. Today should rank higher, as should Sunflower; I don't remember seeing Smiley Smile on the list. Maybe he thought Smile replaces SS. Not in my book.

It's number three.

That list isn't even close to how I would rank them. Just some hipster who really hasn't a clue.

Smiley Smile board in a nutshell.

Party! and... what?



It's very close to how I'd rank them. EDIT: hang on a second, I'll have a go at it.

I see Party is missing, but a loss for the other one unless you mean Stars & Stripes?

Well, Today and All Summer Long should be higher and Smiley Smile down lower. Sunflower should be higher and Smile lower. Apparently, he appreciates disc one of Smile more than a lot of us, because that is the finished album piece in the sessions set.

Never mind. I can't actually rank them! Apples and oranges.

Personally, I think he gives Smiley Smile way too much credit.  Switch it around with Sunflower (#7), and I could pretty much agree with it all around.

Yes. Stars & stripes, whether we like it or not, was an officially released Beach Boys album.

I'd argue the #1, if only because no album called Smile was ever released. Also, SIP does have a redeeming feature - the artwork & packaging (of the US version).  ;D

A digipack plastered with a new age eco scene then more of the same inside.  Redeeming, eh? :lol

The real redeeming feature is knowing Al staged an insurrection during proceedings.  Go, Al!

Floated my boat, bub.  ;D

Summer Days is given way too decent a spot IMO and in no way is Surfin' Safari better than any other album they recorded up until the late 70s/early 80s + TWGMTR! (Although I do like Surfin' Safari a fair bit.)

I don't understand how SS could be ranked as better than CATP which has Cuddle Up, All This Is That, Marcella and Mess Of Help To Stand Alone etc? ???

Overall, the real issue I have with that list is Smiley Smile at #3.   There's no way that Smiley Smile is better than Surfin USA, Surfer Girl, Shut Down Vol 2, All Summer Long, Today, SDSN, Wild Honey, Friends, 20/20, Sunflower, Surf's Up, CATP, Holland, or TWGMTR. 

IMO, it's the worst Beach Boys album during their creative years (1962-1973).  To each their own.  But, wow. 

Summer in Paradise should be rated even lower because of the terrible packaging.  The list isn't horrible. I would add at least the first concert album especially since it was their first number one.

I don't COUNT Stars and Stripes.  A Beach Boys album?  Yes...but...no.  Best to worst...

1.  Pet Sounds
2.  Sunflower
3.  Smile
4.  Friends
5.  Summer Days and Summer Nights
6.  Wild Honey
7.  Surf's Up
8.  Today
9.  Little Deuce Coupe
10.  20/20
11.  Carl and the Passions
12.  All Summer Long
13.  Holland
14.  Shut Down Vol 2.
15.  Surfer Girl
16.  That's Why God Made the Radio
17.  Party
18.  Surfin' USA
19.  Xmas
20.  Keepin' the Summer Alive
21.  15 Bigguns
22.  The Beach Boys
23.  MIU
24.  Light Album
25.  Love You
26.  Surfin' Safari
27.  Still Cruisin'
28.  Smiley Smile
29.  Summer in Pair of Dice...hangin' from the rear view mirror...of some old woodie Mike borrowed.

Innarestin'

1.  Pet Sounds
2.  Surf's Up
3.  'Smile'
4.  Friends
5.  Wild Honey
6.  Holland
7.  Sunflower
8.  20/20
9.  Today
10.  Smiley Smile
11. All Summer Long
12. Summer Days...
13. Surfer Girl
14. Carl and The Passions
15. Love You
16.  Little Deuce Coupe
17.  Shut Down Vol 2.
16.  That's Why God Made the Radio
17.  Party
18. Light Album
19. 15 Big Ones
20.  Surfin' USA
21.  Keepin' the Summer Alive
22.  MIU
23.  The Beach Boys
24.  Surfin' Safari
25.  Still Cruisin'
26.  Summer in Paradise

There are huge gaps between 20 and 21, 22 and 23 and 23 and

Love You, Sunflower, 20/20 should be higher.  KTSA above Light Album?  No.

There are some strange comments like how Friends is a continuation of the minimalist, stripped down aesthetic of Smiley and Wild Honey.  Ignoring the fact studio musicians were used on Wild Honey, albeit sparingly, Friends, other than Meant for You and Anna Lee, is not stripped down at all, in fact it is a step back towards the full productions of Pet Sounds, as in the title track Friends.

It was at least better than Summer In Paradise. 

I'm guessing the author was only factoring in albums that contained original material.

I know it's got "THE BEACH BOYS" on the album sleeve, but I don't consider Stars and Stripes to be a legit BB album.  I've always thought of it as a country tribute to TBB that features Mike, Brian, Carl, Al, and Bruce. 

I agree, though during C50 I think they included it as part of their canon, but not SIP. SIP is a half of a decent album, whereas S&S has maybe 3 decent remakes on it.

1. Pet Sounds
2. 'SMiLE'
3. Love You
4. Wild Honey
5. Summer Days (and Summer Nights)
6. Today
7. Friends
8. Surfin' Safari
9. That's Why God Made the Radio
10. Surf's Up
11. Carl and the Passions
12. 20/20
13. Little Deuce Coupe
14. Sunflower
15. Surfer Girl
16. All Summer Long
17. Shut Down Vol. 2
18. Party
19. Christmas Album
20. Holland
21. Smiley Smile
22. Surfin' USA
23. 15 Big Ones
24. LA
25. MIU
26. The Beach Boys
27. Keepin' the Summer Alive
28. Still Crusin'
29. Summer in Paradise

 Oof....that was tough...  

I thought that was a record label issue that lead to SIP not being included in the C50 program.

For better or for worse, it's a more true BB album than the S&S album.  Granted, it's still their worst album. 

Not anymore than S&S being a different label (River North). Brother Entertainment released SIP, so their should not have an issue with that at all.

Ah, I didn't know that.  I thought S&S was Capitol. 

Then, I don't know why SIP was left out. 

I ranked all 29 studio albums two summers ago.  I'll have to see if I can find the list I wrote. 

A true jardineista!

I prefer "Alanista"; has a satisfyingly nice & charming ring to it.

Great one too! :lol

Hmmmm...
- The Beach Boys on the cover
- Produced by Brian Wilson and Joe Thomas
- Exec produced by Mike Love
- bg vox mostly by Mike, Bri, Al, Bruce, Carl & current at the time member Matt (BB blood) Jardine.
- an album of BB songs + associated with BB song (Long Tall T)

But it's not a BB album because...?

It's my personal treatment, is all. I know it's considered their album. It is a bit weird where you don't sing one lead on your own album. Just odd that during C50 they included it, but not SIP.

Really?  Because they don't sing even ONE blinkin' lead.  They DO back up a host of A and B list people paying tribute to them basically in a foreign language.  No leads.  Not the Beach Boys.

Well, the BB invited the country singers to collaborate - as you would know.  I do agree it was a bit weird.

The missing SIP thing: while the tunes were owned by Bro Ent, the distribution was not - maybe that caused the problem.   My speculation is that Mike pulled for it's exclusion - I recall in the campfire vids a scene where he expressed some regret (Let's not mention that style), could be wrong, been a while since I watched it.

They asked the Country folk to collaborate, not pay tribute.  Anyway, it is a shiteful addition to the cannon or no, we can agree it blows; I ain't here to drink the Stars & Stripes kool aid.

I think it should be included as a BB album - and then shredded as per your & drBB's issues: A Beach Boys album, while containing the harmonies and songs made legend by the unique So.Cal group and boasting Brian Wilson as a co-producer/arranger, bereft of any lead vocals by the BB's makes for a weird, baffling and dubious (based on the laying it on pretty thick liner notes) offering that may well represent their worst offering.

(PS - loved your use of "blinkin'".  Reminds me of my ex-pat English Aunty Kit, god rest her soul)

I doubt that anything to do with it. While they were with Reprise they had pictures taken with their whole catalog laying on the floor. It included many Capitol albums. So, it was either 1. Just forgotten by mistake or 2. It was conveniently forgotten on purpose.

I believe that was Looking Back With Love.

You are quite right!

I finally did it after years of really listening to all 30 studio albums not including Stars And Stripes Vol. 1 and made a list that I think is best to worst in my opinion:

S&S really is a weird album when you consider that at least 2 of the Beach Boys - Carl and Al - still had great voices in 1996, but instead of them, we get mostly generic big hat country singers. 3 tracks save that album for me - the ones by Kathy Troccoli, Willie Nelson, and Timothy B. Schmit.

Interesting list. At what point in the list (if any) do you start to 'not like' the albums?

I agree.  The decent half is the cover art.  The indecent half is everything else.

In regards to SIP.  I think the cover of Hot Fun in the Summertime is alright.  The title track is decent. 

Most everything else is rough, especially Summer of Love and that dreadful cover of Under the Boardwalk. 

Hey, it's only an opinion. Overall, I like it better than the 85 album. If you think it indecent, then by all means do not listen to it.

I'm pretty sure they didn't -- my recollection is that the cover images covered neither 90s album.
That said, one reason to include Stars & Stripes and not SIP would be that the former featured Brian and the latter didn't.

I know the program from the C50 Tour featured every Beach Boys album cover, except SIP, and included S&S. 

Maybe Brian's management insisted that SIP be left out of the program. 

No matter the reason, it is still playing revisionist history. It was made, with their name on it, and should have been included.

Surprisingly, there are not really any albums that I do 'not like' on here. I thought about how often do I play them, therefore Smiley Smile gets played by myself slightly more than Surf's Up but that doesn't mean that the latter is not a better album than SS. It just all in how often I play them. I play So Tough a lot more than say Holland so that's why the list is why it is. The only BB related albums that I do 'not like' would be solo ventures like Looking Back With Love and Going Pubic.

I'm afraid to say I've actually given this far more thought over the years than is probably healthy (and I've got very exact reasons as why each album ranks where it does, especially the first 21, all of which I love to varying degrees of obsessiveness). No Smile though coz it was never properly finished and for me it's all about the sessions...

1. Pet Sounds
2. Surf's Up
3. Today!
4. Smiley Smile
5. Sunflower
6. Summer Days...
7. All Summer Long
8. Friends
9. Wild Honey
10. Holland
11. 20/20
12. Love You
13. Surfer Girl
14. Shut Down Vol 2
15. Carl & The Passions
16. Surfin' USA
17. L.A. Light Album
18. Little Deuce Coupe
19. Party!
20. Christmas Album
21. The Beach Boys (85)
22. That's Why God Made The Radio
23. Surfin' Safari
24. 15 Big Ones
25. MIU
26. Keepin' The Summer Alive
27. Still Cruisin'
28. Summer in Paradise
29. Stars & Stripes

Hey Doc...I get that their name is on it.  But it isn't revisionist history with me because I ALWAYS considered it to be just a well done tribute lp which they contributed to ONLY.  If NOT ONE Beach Boy sings so much as one lead...

That'd make Guess I'm Dumb a song by the Beach Boys.  Surf and Drag Cities too.  'T'ain't the Beach Boys no matter what they printed on the cover/disc. ;)

No, you misunderstood me. I agree with you with S&S. I was referring to SIP not being represented, as revisionist.

1.  Pet Sounds
2.  Sunflower
3.  Smile
4.  Friends
5.  Holland
6.  Summer Days and Summer Nights
7.  Wild Honey
8.  Surf's Up
9.  Today
10. 20/20
11. Carl and the Passions
12. All Summer Long
13. Little Deuce Coupe
14. Surfin' USA
15. Surfer Girl
16. That's Why God Made the Radio
17. Party
18. Shut Down Vol 2.
19. The Beach Boys
20. Smiley Smile
21. Surfin' Safari
22. Keepin' the Summer Alive
23. Christmas Album
24. 15 Big Ones
25. MIU
26. Light Album
27. Love You
28. Summer in Paradise
29. Still Cruisin'
30. Stars and Stripes, Vol. 1

I would say the placings I really don't get are Keepin' the Summer Alive/Surfin' Safari being so high and Love You/Carl and the Passions so low.  Most of the rest I can understand more or less.

My rankings, spaces added for general groupings...

1. Pet Sounds
2. The Smile Sessions
3. Sunflower
4. Today!

5. Surf's Up
6. Friends
7. Love You

8. Holland
9. 20/20
10. Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)
11. All Summer Long
12. Wild Honey
13. Smiley Smile
14. Carl and the Passions "So Tough"
15. Surfer Girl

16. Shut Down Volume 2
17. Surfin' USA
18. That's Why God Made the Radio
19. Party!

20. 15 Big Ones
21. Little Deuce Coupe
22. Christmas Album
23. The Beach Boys
24. M.I.U. Album
25. L.A. (Light Album)

26. Still Cruisin'
27. Surfin' Safari
28. Keepin' the Summer Alive

29. Summer in Paradise
30. Stars and Stripes, Vol. 1

S&S has to be absolute rock bottom for me. There's no reason to listen to this album again. At least SIP has a few good Carl vocals to lure me back to it.

Dr.

I agree with you that leaving off SIP is revisionist to a degree.  For better or for worse, it is a Beach Boys album. 

I am not one to slag The Beach  Boys, but I am not disposed to rank all the various albums, but I'll do a top 5 and bottom 5

Top 5:

Smile
Pet Sounds
Wild Honey
Sunflower 🌻
Today


Bottom 5:

Summer In Paradise
Stars and Stripes
Beach Boys '85😜
Best of the Beach Boys  (1st in a series of Capitol  vapid and pointless reissues)  :P
Best of the Beach Boys  2 (Second of the ridiculous reissues)