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Post by Vale on Jan 7, 2019 5:36:31 GMT -5
The Beach Boys: An American Band is a 1985 biographical musical film directed by Malcolm Leo. The movie is a biography of the American rock band The Beach Boys, with interviews, concert footage and clips from movies and television shows in which they appeared. Source wikipediaDirected by: Malcolm Leo Production company: High Ridge Productions Release date: November 22, 1985 Running time: 108 minutes
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Post by Vale on Jan 7, 2019 5:40:35 GMT -5
10. I've watched it so many times and never get tired! This was the first time I saw Dennis in pretty bad shape and it shocked me a little bit. I love one of the final scenes when the three Wilson brothers hug each other. I bought an used vhs back in 2001 on ebay, but it was NTSC format (we have PAL system here)... so I had to buy an NTSC recorder to watch it. Then came the dvd. Same story... And finally I bought the european version. Money well spent, though..
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Post by kds on Jan 7, 2019 8:26:36 GMT -5
7/10
For its time, it's a pretty good doc. However, I kinda wish the music clips were separate from the story.
Inferior to Endless Harmony.
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dumbchops
Dude/Dudette
Posts: 83
Likes: 73
Favorite Album: Sail On Sailor
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Post by dumbchops on Jan 8, 2019 20:02:39 GMT -5
9 out of 10 because of all the performance clips. I used to have this on dvd back in the early 2000's but lost it somewhere. I watched a heavily edited version on Hulu a couple of years ago. I would love to track down the longest copy whichever one that is. I think I read somewhere that even the theatrical release was edited down. My favorite part is of course the SMiLE section.
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Post by lonelysummer on Apr 9, 2019 21:32:17 GMT -5
I saw it in a theater back in 1985. I've got a soft spot for this one because of that, and a selling point is that many of the music clips are complete. It's a bit bare bones on the story, but I guess if you want that, you buy a book. Used to see it on VH1 a lot, and at some point a friend taped it for me, but it was a shorter version that was missing some of the coolest stuff, like Brian singing Surf's Up. Finally got a VHS of it 10 years ago, the long version, I need to watch it again.
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Post by Jason (The Real Beach Boy) on Apr 11, 2019 8:15:00 GMT -5
6. 10 for the clips, 2 for the execution. "Surfin', cars, and girls were ok, but there was a war going on. A lot was goin' down." Yikes.
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Post by drbeachboy (Dirk) on Apr 11, 2019 18:00:04 GMT -5
6. 10 for the clips, 2 for the execution. "Surfin', cars, and girls were ok, but there was a war going on. A lot was goin' down." Yikes. I know came off sounding terrible in a mid-80s movie, but the truth is, he was absolutely correct. In 1970 & 1971, that was exactly how they were thought as; an old band with no stand and nothing to say. What did Bruce say, they were Surfing Doris Day’s.
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Post by dauber on Sept 2, 2021 8:55:59 GMT -5
I rated this an 8 -- could have been higher if not for a couple of flaws.
But really...it only occurred to me recently what a groundbreaking documentary this was. So many treasures for fans. Man, I would love to go second-by-second and make a timeline of what clips are what (especially that "Dance, Dance, Dance" montage)...
I suspect there was more footage that ended up being axed. The little epilogue in the end that says that Mike "still meditates" -- the thing is, there was nothing in the whole doc that said anything about Mike meditating...you'd have to already know something about the band to know that he was [well, and still is] into TM.
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Post by boogieboarder on Sept 2, 2021 9:32:22 GMT -5
Every music documentary director should be strapped in a chair and be forced to watch this. My absolute number one pet peeve in life is people who talk over music. If I put on a music documentary and there are voice overs over the music (and there are on 99.99% of them), I turn it off immediately. I like music, and I want to hear it. The Beatles Anthology is another example of one that allowed actual music to sneak in.
In this Beach Boys doc you get music. In order to get more songs in the allotted time, some were shortened. But even then, the songs were edited to have endings, not just faded out 15 seconds after they started followed by more talking - like every other documentary ever made.
I do remember a Beach Boys fanzine reviewing this as being full of lies, though.
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Post by Rick Bartlett on Sept 3, 2021 4:11:40 GMT -5
It's a 10/10 for me in every way. It was the first video documentary I'd seen on them, which was the early 90's and I was just discovering who they were.
I had rented it from a video shop, and I just fell in awe of the band. Totally mesmerized me! Of course, will some illegal dubbing, I made a duplicate of the video tape and wore the guts out of it. It's one of those documentaries that I practically know 'word for word'. At the time when I wanted, you couldn't buy it, but it eventually found it's way back in print on VHS and it also came with a new cover: Again in time, it made it's way to DVD paired with Brian's 'I Just Wasn't Made For These Times' documentary. A truly great disc!
I still think 'American Band' is essential watching, with it's updated buddy 'Endless Harmony'. At the original time of watching 'American Band', I was yet to learn about the death of Dennis Wilson,
that's how uninformed I was about the group at that stage.
It was also the start of this life long long affair with this guy named Brian Wilson. There was nothing I didn't like about him, especially watching those early B&W film clips rocking out with the Fender Bass. Up until then I grew up on lot's of earlier music like Elvis, Johnny Cash, Country and Rockabilly music. The first clip I saw of them was 'Don't Worry Baby' on an 'American Bandstand' best of VHS, and it blew me away! I had to learn who this group was and who the hell was the guy in the middle singing in this falsetto voice! I'd never heard a sound or a style like this before.
It was not until I heard The Beach Boys at this young age, I felt like I'd been plugged into a power socket and turned on, and 'American Band' was my follow up education to the group. Many great memories with this documentary, and I never tire of watching it. Yes, a definite 10/10 for me.
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Post by lonelysummer on Sept 4, 2021 21:41:13 GMT -5
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Post by AGD on Sept 5, 2021 7:49:00 GMT -5
I rated this an 8 -- could have been higher if not for a couple of flaws.
But really...it only occurred to me recently what a groundbreaking documentary this was. So many treasures for fans. Man, I would love to go second-by-second and make a timeline of what clips are what (especially that "Dance, Dance, Dance" montage)...
I suspect there was more footage that ended up being axed. The little epilogue in the end that says that Mike "still meditates" -- the thing is, there was nothing in the whole doc that said anything about Mike meditating...you'd have to already know something about the band to know that he was [well, and still is] into TM. We did that in Beach Boys Stomp thirty-six years ago ! Mind, we did have the promo kit to help out.
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Post by boogieboarder on Sept 5, 2021 9:36:26 GMT -5
I rated this an 8 -- could have been higher if not for a couple of flaws.
But really...it only occurred to me recently what a groundbreaking documentary this was. So many treasures for fans. Man, I would love to go second-by-second and make a timeline of what clips are what (especially that "Dance, Dance, Dance" montage)...
I suspect there was more footage that ended up being axed. The little epilogue in the end that says that Mike "still meditates" -- the thing is, there was nothing in the whole doc that said anything about Mike meditating...you'd have to already know something about the band to know that he was [well, and still is] into TM. We did that in Beach Boys Stomp thirty-six years ago ! Mind, we did have the promo kit to help out. I loved Beach Boys Stomp. I may have copies of all of them in a box in my barn.
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Post by dauber on Sept 5, 2021 18:05:31 GMT -5
But really...it only occurred to me recently what a groundbreaking documentary this was. So many treasures for fans. Man, I would love to go second-by-second and make a timeline of what clips are what (especially that "Dance, Dance, Dance" montage)... We did that in Beach Boys Stomp thirty-six years ago ! Mind, we did have the promo kit to help out.
So, uhhh....how does one get a copy of that issue of Stomp? Asking for a friend.
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Post by AGD on Sept 6, 2021 11:51:01 GMT -5
Your friend is in luck - I just happen to have a copy of said Stomp to hand...
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Post by boogieboarder on Sept 6, 2021 13:26:54 GMT -5
I remember that issue! I remember the "or apparently so" category.
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Post by AGD on Sept 6, 2021 14:12:09 GMT -5
Since then, of course, we've moved on a great deal: for example, the studio footage accompanying "Fire" was shot in Western, ergo cannot be 11/28/66. I think it's post the spring 1967 European tour (corrections welcomed). "Hold Me" is the Solid Gold TV show of May 24th 1981, and "Forever" is likely the May 7th 1971 David Frost Show.
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Post by AGD on Sept 7, 2021 2:25:07 GMT -5
I saw it in a theater back in 1985. I've got a soft spot for this one because of that, and a selling point is that many of the music clips are complete. It's a bit bare bones on the story, but I guess if you want that, you buy a book. Used to see it on VH1 a lot, and at some point a friend taped it for me, but it was a shorter version that was missing some of the coolest stuff, like Brian singing Surf's Up. Finally got a VHS of it 10 years ago, the long version, I need to watch it again. If that was in London, I was there too.
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Post by Rick Bartlett on Sept 7, 2021 7:24:54 GMT -5
This must have been Great! to see in a theater! I mean apart from this, what other film/documentary was accessible to fans to watch then? Were there any other theatrical releases?
I'm guessing shows like 'Our Team', the making of MIU documentary and 1976 Anaheim (which would become the
'Good Vibrations Tour' DVD, were only shown on TV? How about 'Knebworth 80'?
Was that 'screened' or did it go straight to TV?
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Post by dauber on Sept 7, 2021 9:02:05 GMT -5
Pretty sure that "Forever" was from Central Park.
As for that "In My Room" '70s thing...it sounds like the audio is from 1963, 1964 but with '70s vocals coming through it too.
That is definitely a cool guide, but a lot of those things need more details. Like...whence did that "Be True To Your School" come? It's obviously a concert performance. Stuff like that.
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Post by boogieboarder on Sept 7, 2021 9:41:12 GMT -5
This must have been Great! to see in a theater! I mean apart from this, what other film/documentary was accessible to fans to watch then? Were there any other theatrical releases?
I'm guessing shows like 'Our Team', the making of MIU documentary and 1976 Anaheim (which would become the
'Good Vibrations Tour' DVD, were only shown on TV? How about 'Knebworth 80'?
Was that 'screened' or did it go straight to TV?
Not to answer your question about theatrical releases, but by the time of the 1985 documentary, trading of Beach Boys videos on VHS tapes was in already full swing. I had scores of them, filled up with anything you could imagine - from the unedited Beach Boys appearances on Jack Benny I traded for, to the 1980 HBO concert and 1981 Long Beach concerts I taped off TV myself.
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Shawn
Dude/Dudette
Posts: 61
Likes: 58
Favorite Album: Friends
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Post by Shawn on Sept 7, 2021 10:09:05 GMT -5
10/10, in part because I have fond memories of watching this (VHS) at my friend’s record store in the early/mid 1990’s. One of the guys who worked there would put it on when I’d come by (spent many a Tuesday nights there hanging out/talking music) as he knew I was a Beach Boys fan but also because he loved it too. We’d always crack up during the interview where Brian is in bed and after mentioning the Four Freshmen etc. he does a ‘phew’ - we soon worked that expression in to our lexicon haha.
I re-watched it recently after not having seen it in ages and what strikes me is the bombardment of all those classic early hits. It really makes me appreciate how insanely on fire these guys were right out of the gate.
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Post by AGD on Sept 7, 2021 16:21:49 GMT -5
This must have been Great! to see in a theater! I mean apart from this, what other film/documentary was accessible to fans to watch then? Were there any other theatrical releases?
I'm guessing shows like 'Our Team', the making of MIU documentary and 1976 Anaheim (which would become the
'Good Vibrations Tour' DVD, were only shown on TV? How about 'Knebworth 80'?
Was that 'screened' or did it go straight to TV?
To the best of my knowledge, "Our Team" was never shown in full anywhere. The 1976 TV special was shown on NBC on August 5th, and while Kneboworth was filmed for a proposed video album, it was never available in full anywhere until it was released on DVD in 2003. However, the concert itself - without any overdubs - was broadcast as live on Capital Radio in the UK a few days after the event.
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petsite
Author/Historian/ Researcher
Posts: 1,971
Likes: 3,229
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Post by petsite on Sept 7, 2021 20:14:23 GMT -5
I remember when the 20th Anniversary special came out. I had heard about the Knebworth concert being recorded, and was glad to see it out in some capacity. I know that they were talking about releasing it on home video at the time. Glad they finally released in 2003. I really like Mark's mix.
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Post by lonelysummer on Sept 7, 2021 21:35:22 GMT -5
I saw it in a theater back in 1985. I've got a soft spot for this one because of that, and a selling point is that many of the music clips are complete. It's a bit bare bones on the story, but I guess if you want that, you buy a book. Used to see it on VH1 a lot, and at some point a friend taped it for me, but it was a shorter version that was missing some of the coolest stuff, like Brian singing Surf's Up. Finally got a VHS of it 10 years ago, the long version, I need to watch it again. If that was in London, I was there too. Nope, Seattle, Washington. The girl I was with fell asleep halfway through.
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