15 Big Ones

[Lee Marshall]

Perhaps a tad harsh...but not overly so.  Why we felt we [or why they felt they] had to settle for this was and is beyond me.

Still that's not how it went.  They didn't lift and separate.  And so we have what we have now...and really?  There are only a few grains of sand left in the hour glass named for The Beach Boys.  I guess we better face it.  Encorage any last projects...solo or otherwise and catch 'em where ever we can in whatever presentation they offer us...'cause time is almost up.

I am going to try my best to stop blaming any of them for not being perfect...because what they gave us collectively far outweighs the bad and the unpleasant...including these here 15 inappropriately named 'big' ones.

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

Perhaps a tad harsh...but not overly so.  Why we felt we [or why they felt they] had to settle for this was and is beyond me.

Still that's not how it went.  They didn't lift and separate.  And so we have what we have now...and really?  There are only a few grains of sand left in the hour glass named for The Beach Boys.  I guess we better face it.  Encorage any last projects...solo or otherwise and catch 'em where ever we can in whatever presentation they offer us...'cause time is almost up.

I am going to try my best to stop blaming any of them for not being perfect...because what they gave us collectively far outweighs the bad and the unpleasant...including these here 15 inappropriately named 'big' ones.

Yes, and the fact that even C50 ended on a bitter note just makes it all the more tragic. Just reaffirms my statement. They should have realized with Endless Summer/15/POB that they all had different interests. Mike wanted to shamelessly relive the past forever, Al is just Al, Dennis had outgrown the band and was ready to move on to bigger and better things, Brian ought to have worried about regaining his composure and better himself rather than be everyone's meal ticket, Carl probably could have went solo too if he had found better collaborators than he did in real life.

Instead, they stayed together and from what I've read of them, the late 70s on was full of tension, fights, creative differences and unhappiness for all. And the albums weren't even all that great. I really like Love You, but that's mostly Brian. It doesn't work as a Beach Boys album, but as a Brian album it's fascinating and I'd have liked to see more of that, not have him be distracted working on future stinkers like LA.

But you're right, can't change the past. And it seems like they finally figured it out now. Brian gets to do whatever he wants, Mike and company make a living reliving the old glory days for all eternity. The only loser in this scenario is poor old Al.

[KDS]

Almost gave it a three, but settled on a two. 

Hard to believe that this is the same band that earlier in the decade put out Sunflower, Surf's Up, and Holland.  Even CATP, which isn't my favorite album, had a lot more creativity.  But, then Endless Summer forever made The Beach Boys a nostalgia band. 

Blondie and Ricky were jettisoned, and Brian Wilson was brought back into the fold.  Like an athlete coming off an injury too soon, the results are not good. 

The covers are pretty lifeless at times.  Rock and Roll Music is anything but (much better in concert).  Had The Beach Boys covered In the Still of the Night around 1964, it would probably be as good as Hushabye was.  Here, not so much.  Both Brian's and Dennis's voices are going downhill. 

The song that best describes this album - It's OK (basically Do It Again for the late 1970s).  The song was OK, and so is the album. 

[Mike's Beard]

1. Rock And Roll Music 2/5
2. It's OK 3/5
3. Had To Phone Ya 5/5
4. Chapel Of Love 3/5
5. Everyone's In Love With You 4/5
6. Talk To Me 2/5
7. That Same Song 1/5
8. TM Song 0/5
9. Palisades Park 4/5
10. Susie Cincinnati 4/5
11. A Casual Look 3/5
12. Blueberry Hill 4/5
13. Back Home 3/5
14. In The Still Of The Night 1/5
15. Just Once In My Life 4/5

Going back through it track by track, it's actually better then I often give it credit. Still, a massive disappointment after Holland. Putting Brian back in sole charge was a mistake.
(Just about scrapes a) 3/5.

[Lonely Summer]

I hadn't listened to it in a few years, so I put it on tonight, and it was actually much better than I remembered it being. Rock and Roll Music, It's Ok, Susie Cincinnati, Everyone's in Love With You - I like all of those; Palisades Park is good, but Blueberry Hill? Doesn't come close to topping the Fats Domino version. Just Once in My Life seems in too low a key to bring out the best in Carl's voice, and Brian does not sound good here. In fact, I had forgotten how different Brian sounds on this album. It's like he's consciously trying to sing in a low register. It's not the sweet Brian voice of Let Him Run Wild, In My Room, or Don't Worry Baby; but it's not the older Brian voice of BW88 or Orange Crate Art, either. There's a stellar cast of supporting musicians on the album, but for reasons I don't understand, it doesn't translate into great backing tracks. So it's not the steaming pile of excrement I thought it was, but it's still a big dropoff from Holland.

[Cool Cool Water]

1. Rock And Roll Music 1/5
2. It's OK 1/5
3. Had To Phone Ya 5/5
4. Chapel Of Love 1/5
5. Everyone's In Love With You 1/5
6. Talk To Me 2/5
7. That Same Song 3/5
8. TM Song 5/5
9. Palisades Park 5/5
10. Susie Cincinnati 3/5
11. A Casual Look 1/5
12. Blueberry Hill 4/5
13. Back Home 4/5
14. In The Still Of The Night 5/5
15. Just Once In My Life 5/5

[You Kane, You Commanded, You Conquered]

The originals are alright for the most part, the cover songs range from damn good to meh to tedious. Should've just used 15 of the cover songs they recorded as the album and made the originals an EP.

[The Cool One]

1. Rock And Roll Music: 6/10
2. It´s Ok: 6/10
3. Had to Phone ya: 10/10
4. Chapel of Love: 5/10
5. Everyone in love with you: 10/10
6. Talk to Me: 7/10
7: That Same Song: 1/10
8: TM Song: 9/10
9: Palisades Park: 10/10
10: Susie Cinccinati: 10/10
11: A Casual Look: 10/10
12: Blueberry Hill: 10/10
13: Back Home: 8/10
14: In The Still of The Night: 10/10
15: Just Once My Life: 10/10

This is My favourite album

[phirnis]

1. Rock And Roll Music 3/5
2. It's OK 5/5
3. Had To Phone Ya 5/5
4. Chapel Of Love 4/5
5. Everyone's in Love With You 2/5
6. Talk to Me 3/5
7. That Same Song 4/5
8. TM Song 4/5
9. Palisades Park 3/5
10. Susie Cincinnati 2/5
11. A Casual Look 4/5
12. Blueberry Hill 4/5
13. Back Home 5/5
14. In the Still of the Night 4/5
15. Just Once in My Life 5/5

I play this one quite often.

[JL]

2.5/5

I like some of the originals. Had to Phone Ya is quite lovely, and It's OK is catchy. Back Home just rocks, would've loved to hear the boys do this version of the song in the 60's/early 70's. That Same Song is corny, but I love the chorus with the gospel choir and shows that the group had at least some creative flair left. Susie Cincanitti is alright, too. I dislike Everyone's in Love with You and The TM Song. The covers are...a mixed bag. Rock 'N Roll Music has only been covered by uh, everyone, and the BB's version just doesn't add anything new to it, so it ends up sounding generic to me. Blueberry Hill and In the Still of the Night are also boring. Chapel of Love is decent, as I love that song in general, but Brian's hoarse vocals are really distracting here. His falsetto ad-libs during the song (yeah yeah yeah's, 'all the birds all sing') sound like someone making fun of Brian Wilson rather than Brian Wilson himself. At least it has some energy. Perhaps the only one I really like is Just Once in My Life, as it has a lot of emotion and the chorus is powerful. Also it's one of those songs that seems sad to me when I think about what Brian and the boys were going through in the 70's and 80's. It sounds like the type of song you sing when you're saying goodbye to someone, or something, like the world is about to change but not really for the better. Not a bad album, but hugely disappointing considering what the band was doing just a few years earlier.

[CarlWilsonfan101]

I love this album to bits! It's my personal favorite BB album