Flex's Takes: The Beach Boys

[Flex]

So, I'm trying to compile a "wilderness years" best of, since the topic has come up. Like, can I pull a dozen or so songs from 85 up until the reunion that make for a listenable collection? Maybe I'll do an "ironically shitty" tracklist later. One rule: needs to include at least one track from each of their major albums from that time.

1. Rock n Roll to the Rescue [Single 1986]
2. Maybe I Don't Know [The Beach Boys, 1985]
3. I'm So Lonely [The Beach Boys, 1985]
4. I Do Love You [The Beach Boys, 1985]
5. California Dreamin' [Single, 1986]
6. Wipeout w/ The Fat Boys [Single, 1987; Still Cruisin', 1989]
7. Island Girl [Still Cruisin', 1989]
8. In My Car [Still Cruisin', 1989]
9. Crocodile Rock [Two Rooms, 1991]
10. Don't Worry Baby w/ Lorrie Morgan [Stars and Stripes, Vol. 1, 1996]
11. The Warmth of the Sun w/ Willie Nelson [Stars and Stripes, Vol. 1, 1996]
12. Slow Summer Dancin' (One Summer Night) [Summer in Paradise, 1992]

Jesus.

[Rat Patrol]

At least Hoy isn't home alone while he's slitting his wrists.

[revbob]

So, I'm trying to compile a "wilderness years" best of, since the topic has come up. Like, can I pull a dozen or so songs from 85 up until the reunion that make for a listenable collection? Maybe I'll do an "ironically shitty" tracklist later. One rule: needs to include at least one track from each of their major albums from that time.

1. Rock n Roll to the Rescue [Single 1986]
2. Maybe I Don't Know [The Beach Boys, 1985]
3. I'm So Lonely [The Beach Boys, 1985]
4. I Do Love You [The Beach Boys, 1985]
5. California Dreamin' [Single, 1986]
6. Wipeout w/ The Fat Boys [Single, 1987; Still Cruisin', 1989]
7. Island Girl [Still Cruisin', 1989]
8. In My Car [Still Cruisin', 1989]
9. Crocodile Rock [Two Rooms, 1991]
10. Don't Worry Baby w/ Lorrie Morgan [Stars and Stripes, Vol. 1, 1996]
11. The Warmth of the Sun w/ Willie Nelson [Stars and Stripes, Vol. 1, 1996]
12. Slow Summer Dancin' (One Summer Night) [Summer in Paradise, 1992]

Jesus.

I don't see Kokomo listed. And it has to be the version with John Stamos.

[matedog]

So, I'm trying to compile a "wilderness years" best of, since the topic has come up. Like, can I pull a dozen or so songs from 85 up until the reunion that make for a listenable collection? Maybe I'll do an "ironically shitty" tracklist later. One rule: needs to include at least one track from each of their major albums from that time.

1. Rock n Roll to the Rescue [Single 1986]
2. Maybe I Don't Know [The Beach Boys, 1985]
3. I'm So Lonely [The Beach Boys, 1985]
4. I Do Love You [The Beach Boys, 1985]
5. California Dreamin' [Single, 1986]
6. Wipeout w/ The Fat Boys [Single, 1987; Still Cruisin', 1989]
7. Island Girl [Still Cruisin', 1989]
8. In My Car [Still Cruisin', 1989]
9. Crocodile Rock [Two Rooms, 1991]
10. Don't Worry Baby w/ Lorrie Morgan [Stars and Stripes, Vol. 1, 1996]
11. The Warmth of the Sun w/ Willie Nelson [Stars and Stripes, Vol. 1, 1996]
12. Slow Summer Dancin' (One Summer Night) [Summer in Paradise, 1992]

Jesus.

A few comments,
In My Car really does sound like a Brian Wilson song, albeit smothered in wretched production.
I listened to Island Girl yesterday and it really is enjoyable.
The Fat Boys are quite ebullient in their delivery during Wipeout. It makes it kinda cute.
Slow Summer Dancin' is one of the better SIP songs. I'll have to give it some more listens (though that opening Salvo of Hot Fun-Surfin'-Summer of Love is a bit off putting) because I was just praising Strange Things Happen the other day (great chorus, so so verse due to Mike Lovin').

[Rat Patrol]

More proof that Hoy is the anti- Mikey from Life Cereal. Not even the stains on the Rape Van's wall-to-wall astroturf carpeting can't be looked at glass-half-full by an impending victim tied up awaiting his or her fate.

[Wolter]

It's probably been 25 years since I heard In My Car, but I remember it being the best song on the album.

I'm semi-sorta Twitter-buds with Rodney Anonymous of the Dead Milkmen, and it drives him crazy that people continually correct him about California Dreamin' being a Mamas & the Papas song because of the lyric in "Punk Rock Girl," as he was referring to that Beach Boys cover.

[Flex]

I don't see Kokomo listed. And it has to be the version with John Stamos.

I said "best of" not "greatest thing ever recorded of"

A few comments,
In My Car really does sound like a Brian Wilson song, albeit smothered in wretched production.
I listened to Island Girl yesterday and it really is enjoyable.
The Fat Boys are quite ebullient in their delivery during Wipeout. It makes it kinda cute.
Slow Summer Dancin' is one of the better SIP songs. I'll have to give it some more listens (though that opening Salvo of Hot Fun-Surfin'-Summer of Love is a bit off putting) because I was just praising Strange Things Happen the other day (great chorus, so so verse due to Mike Lovin').

Island Girl may be my favorite song off of Still Cruisin', in that it's probably the "best" song that manages to blend relatively well with the production. In My Car is some legit Brian Wilson, hence the inclusion, but the production is jarringly unsuited to the song. A very CtCian problem.

It's probably been 25 years since I heard In My Car, but I remember it being the best song on the album.

I'm semi-sorta Twitter-buds with Rodney Anonymous of the Dead Milkmen, and it drives him crazy that people continually correct him about California Dreamin' being a Mamas & the Papas song because of the lyric in "Punk Rock Girl," as he was referring to that Beach Boys cover.

The cover is completely unnecessary as such, but it's actually a pretty strong Al Jardine vocal (and the production is perfectly acceptable), so I like it. They played it live at the 50th anniversary show I went to.

You're semi-sorta Twitter-buds with Rodney Anonymous? Can I touch you?

[matedog]

I kinda like "Make It Big." Am I wrong?

[Wolter]

I kinda like "Make It Big." Am I wrong?

I don't remember how that song goes, but yes.

[Flex]

I kinda like "Make It Big." Am I wrong?

I don't remember how that song goes, but yes.

Relistened to the song. I can confirm that water is, indeed, wet.

Addendum: In fairness to Hoy, it has a pretty good Carl vocal.

[matedog]

I kinda like "Make It Big." Am I wrong?

I don't remember how that song goes, but yes.

Relistened to the song. I can confirm that water is, indeed, wet.

Addendum: In fairness to Hoy, it has a pretty good Carl vocal.

I really just like his "up on the bright lights!" line.

[matedog]

Question, does Bruce Johnston suck? He seems less cool than even Jardine who has a surprisingly good voice.

[Wolter]

Question, does Bruce Johnston suck? He seems less cool than even Jardine who has a surprisingly good voice.

Well, he's the only Beach Boy to win a Grammy. For writing "I Write the Songs." Let that sink in.

He's got a deeper schmaltz well than McCartney. And, he's the only long-term member who still tours with Mike Love.

[Wolter]

Oh, I forgot that the original reason I came by this thread was to say that while the mid-80s Beach Boys were doing mediocre to bad covers of other songs, David Bowie did an absolutely awful cover of God Only Knows in 1984 (Bowie is God, but God was stone dead from 1983-1987).

[Flex]

Oh, I forgot that the original reason I came by this thread was to say that while the mid-80s Beach Boys were doing mediocre to bad covers of other songs, David Bowie did an absolutely awful cover of God Only Knows in 1984 (Bowie is God, but God was stone dead from 1983-1987).

I hate you for making me aware of this, Wolt.

Johnston is pure ham, but I think I actually like most of his contributions to the Beach Boys. His solo album is the softest "rock" I've probably ever heard. In the early 60s he put out some surf rock albums tho, those are kinda fun.

He's a huge Republican, shockingly.