Just For A Change: The Very Worst Beach Boys/Related Book
Jul 23, 2021 11:23:23 GMT -5
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Post by kds on Jul 23, 2021 11:23:23 GMT -5
I never read the Pamplin book but I'd probably be curious if I happened upon it.
HEROES & VILLAINS by Gaines isn't the worst book on the Beach Boys, but hearing it described in some quarters as "definitive" makes me sigh. Factual errors that would have been minor in and of themselves became obnoxious and annoying in the cumulative. It was obvious he wasn't overly familiar with the albums and his musical analysis was surface level at best. For deep dish gossip, it's a good read, but Gaines failed to capture the essence and scope of The Beach Boys.
Surfin' Safari - An adolescent mish-mash - including a hymn to root beer.
Surfin' USA - undistinguished except for the hit singles - the album contains 5 instrumentals.
Surfer Girl - Most notable inclusion was Brian's moody - and unexpected - "In My Room." The rest of the cuts were forgettable mediocre songs about surf and cars, with titles like "Catch a Wave" and "Surfer's Rule."
Little Deuce Coup - Although it was unashamedly stuffed with four reissued songs, it rode the charts for a staggering 46 weeks.
Shut Down Vol. 2 - Not even mentioned in the book.
All Summer Long - The success of "I Get Around" was quickly followed by the release of an album, All Summer Long, which shot up to number 4 on the album charts. (That's all he has to say about the album)
Unknown album - As the calendar year of 1964, their seventh album, The Beach Boys, hurtled almost straight to the number 1 position. (He's probably referring to Beach Boys Concert, which is not otherwise mentioned.)
The Beach Boys' Christmas Album - not mentioned.
The Beach Boys Today - Not one of Brian's best works, consisting mostly of a melange of uninspired car tunes and even a comedy cut with the voice of Earl Leaf discussing kosher pickles. (Note - I'm still looking for even a single car song on the album.)
Summer Days (And Summer Nights) - This so-called "quickie" album, which Capitol pressured them into as a follow-up to the smash hit "Help Me, Rhonda" was recorded in April through June of that year. (That's all he says about the album. I always thought Party was the quickie album).
Beach Boys Party - This superb album was recorded in three sessions. (He goes on to talk about the sessions and simulated party. This is the first album he has complimented! All the previous albums were lousy by comparison!)
Pet Sounds. Quite a few pages on the recording and reaction to the album. His personal thoughts call it "gloomy introversion."
Smiley Smile - A throwaway album.
Wild Honey - A Favorite for hard-core Beach Boys fans, considered by many to be a "soul album lauded for its simplicity and rawness." But it too was a commercial failure.
Friends - A boring emotionless album.
20/20 - A disparate collection of tunes, mostly leftovers from recent records, and almost completely devoid of Brian's production input.
Sunflower - The worst selling album to that point in the Beach Boys' career.
Surf's Up - More cohesive and better produced than the recent few before it. (This album actually gets a paragraph of praise for its songs, and praise quoted from Rolling Stone).
Carl and The Passions - So Tough - Brian had practically no involvement in the album, except for the donation of the song "Marcella" and a song he had written with Tandyn Almer called "You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone."
Holland - In reality it isn't very good. The only outstanding part of the album was a small segment of the "California Saga" and a pretty song called "Cool Cool Water." (WTF?) (Note - Eight pages are devoted to this album, as compared to no mention at all of Shut Down Vol 2, and a line or two about most of their early albums.)
15 Big Ones - The reviews were less than favorable. The Village Voice review was especially disturbing, calling the album "the kind of music one might expect to find at a rock star's funeral."
The Beach Boys Love You - The Beach Boys at this point were convinced the record company was doing very little to promote the album. In truth, the best promotional campaign in the world couldn't have helped The Beach Boys Love You.
MIU Album - A little like going to Holland, only worse. "Torture. Agony. Like being put right in the middle of nowhere, frozen and cold and small, with only one decent restaurant in town. The resulting album reflected the mood of the group. "Both critics and pundits ignored the product's pitiful contents."
LA (Light Album) - The new album provoked outrage among Beach Boys fans. Indeed, the disco song "Here Comes the Night" was roundly booed by the audience at Radion City Music Hall. The criticism of that song was so great that, under pressure from the group, CBS recalled the single.
Keepin' The Summer Alive - He spends a paragraph on the studio and how the album only reached number 76, but doesn't mention any of the music or songs except for the single "Goin' On."
The Beach Boys - Mentioned on the last page of the book - Brian's Psychiatrist Gene Landy is quoted as saying "Listen, all the Beach Boys make some contribution, and I'm practically a member of the band. Brian's got the talent to make the music. He's the creator. The other band members are just performers. So I'm the one who's making the album."