Flex's Takes: The Beach Boys

[Flex]

Plastik_Child/status/1610421027691020294

Shortenin' Bread Badonkadonk

[matedog]

Plastik_Child/status/1610421027691020294

Shortenin' Bread Badonkadonk

I do like a good Light Album joke.

[matedog]

I just spent way too much time google image searching to see if Carnie or Wendy had bodacious booties. Conclusion: Carnie- no, Wendy- probably not.

[WestwayKid]

This just seems so much better than anything they put out in at least the mid-70s (still have to dive into the early 70s material which is supposedly better). It's a bit overproduced, but Dennis' vocals are a terrific juxtaposition.

I was going to post something about this LP this morning! It is a bit overproduced, but so much better than anything the rest of the band was doing in 1977. Dennis made the most consistently good music throughout the 70's.

[WestwayKid]

Surf's Up is a great "what if" for me. It doesn't feature any Dennis songs as Dennis apparently walked away from the project over a dispute about what song should close the LP. Carl and manager Jack Rieley really wanted "Surf's Up" as the closing track. Dennis had brought "(Wouldn't It Be Nice) to Live Again" towards the end of the sessions. There was also conflict with Mike, who had turned "Student Demonstration Time" into his baby. My "what if" is what if Dennis had included tracks on the LP? It would have been better. I've played around with sequencing a new version of the LP:

Side A
Don't Go Near the Water
4th of July (a great unreleased Dennis track with vocals from Carl)
Long Promised Road
(Wouldn't It Be Nice) to Live Again
Student Demonstration Time

Side B
Disney Girls
Feel Flows
Lookin' At Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)
A Day in the Life of a Tree
Till' I Die
Surf's Up

This just lops off "Take A Load Off Your Feet" and I'm okay with that. The original LP ran 35 minutes, so this track listing still works for the LP format. It's also a nicely rounded lineup that gives every member a chance (or two) to shine:

Al: Don't Go Near the Water & Lookin' At Tomorrow
Mike: SDT
Carl: Long Promised Road, Feel Flows
Bruce: Disney Girls
Dennis: 4th of July & WIBNTLA
Brian: A Day in the Life / Till' I Die / Surf's Up

[Flex]

What if we sacrificed student demonstration time for literally anything else?

[WestwayKid]

What if we sacrificed student demonstration time for literally anything else?

It's bad and I'd love for it to go, but trying to play within the confines of actual history as much as I can, I just don't see Mike relenting on that one. It's the only track he "owned" on that LP.

Dennis had a couple more tracks that could have been used, but I think there would have been major pushback for including more than 2 Dennis songs.

[WestwayKid]

I just spent way too much time google image searching to see if Carnie or Wendy had bodacious booties. Conclusion: Carnie- no, Wendy- probably not.

You could always check out Carnie's "adult magazine" appearance ...

[Dr. Medulla]

What if we sacrificed student demonstration time for literally anything else?

Bootlicker.

[matedog]

I just spent way too much time google image searching to see if Carnie or Wendy had bodacious booties. Conclusion: Carnie- no, Wendy- probably not.

You could always check out Carnie's "adult magazine" appearance ...

[Flex]

"You know, I came up with the idea for magazines with pictures of naked ladies." - Mike Love

[matedog]

Is 15 Big Ones the one with that ballad where Brian sounds like death? That's next on my list. Haven't even done Surf's Up yet. That biography just flew through the 70s when they were still cranking out an album a year, so it was hard to keep up.

[WestwayKid]

Is 15 Big Ones the one with that ballad where Brian sounds like death? That's next on my list. Haven't even done Surf's Up yet. That biography just flew through the 70s when they were still cranking out an album a year, so it was hard to keep up.

The singing on 15 Big Ones is generally poor. Brian sounds like he's smoked 1,000 cartons of Marlboros.

15 Big Ones was the beginning of the end.

They start out the 1970's still trying to sound relevant: Sunflower, Surf's Up, So Tough, Holland.

American Graffiti comes out in 1973, featuring several vintage Beach Boys tunes. Capitol smelling some $$$ releases the Endless Summer comp and a worn out, nostalgia wanting America laps it up.

That was it. It was no longer about being a working band, it was all about trying to recapture the nostalgia with album after album of crap with Michael Edward Love happily leading the way. He was suddenly "cool" again and there was no way he was letting go of that.

I actually think Brian had some interesting ideas on 15 Big Ones, but he lacked the focus (or maybe desire) to bring them to life. "Had To Phone Ya" could have been a good song, but it feels unfinished.

[Flex]

Is 15 Big Ones the one with that ballad where Brian sounds like death? That's next on my list. Haven't even done Surf's Up yet. That biography just flew through the 70s when they were still cranking out an album a year, so it was hard to keep up.

The singing on 15 Big Ones is generally poor. Brian sounds like he's smoked 1,000 cartons of Marlboros.

15 Big Ones was the beginning of the end.

They start out the 1970's still trying to sound relevant: Sunflower, Surf's Up, So Tough, Holland.

American Graffiti comes out in 1973, featuring several vintage Beach Boys tunes. Capitol smelling some $$$ releases the Endless Summer comp and a worn out, nostalgia wanting America laps it up.

That was it. It was no longer about being a working band, it was all about trying to recapture the nostalgia with album after album of crap with Michael Edward Love happily leading the way. He was suddenly "cool" again and there was no way he was letting go of that.

Except for the wonderful, mad detour through Love You, of course.

[WestwayKid]

Is 15 Big Ones the one with that ballad where Brian sounds like death? That's next on my list. Haven't even done Surf's Up yet. That biography just flew through the 70s when they were still cranking out an album a year, so it was hard to keep up.

The singing on 15 Big Ones is generally poor. Brian sounds like he's smoked 1,000 cartons of Marlboros.

15 Big Ones was the beginning of the end.

They start out the 1970's still trying to sound relevant: Sunflower, Surf's Up, So Tough, Holland.

American Graffiti comes out in 1973, featuring several vintage Beach Boys tunes. Capitol smelling some $$$ releases the Endless Summer comp and a worn out, nostalgia wanting America laps it up.

That was it. It was no longer about being a working band, it was all about trying to recapture the nostalgia with album after album of crap with Michael Edward Love happily leading the way. He was suddenly "cool" again and there was no way he was letting go of that.

Except for the wonderful, mad detour through Love You, of course.

Yeah, but I also think like his work on 15 Big Ones, Brian wasn't committed to following through on those tracks. He had ideas, but lacked focus. Carl had to do quite a bit of work getting Love You to being acceptable for release.