Surviving Beach Boys to Appear Together for First Time in a Decade
Published June 09, 2006
Not only does the collection have 30 great songs, but it also has invaluable information on each one: year of release, highest chart position, producer, songwriter, and the name of the lead singer, which helped me finally sort out once and for all who sounds like what. And all of that for $13.99 — now that's value.
No wonder the collection has spent a viagral 155 consecutive weeks on Billboard's album charts, including an uninterrupted run of two years in the Top 200 before shifting to the Pop Catalog chart, where it continues to loom as a Top Ten presence.
The surviving founding members of the Beach Boys — Al Jardine, Mike Love, and Brian Wilson — and Beach Boys member since 1965, Bruce Johnston, will appear together for the first time in 10 years on the rooftop of the landmark Capitol Records building in Hollywood on Tuesday, June 13, for a ceremony celebrating double-Platinum designation for domestic sales of more than two million units of Sounds Of Summer: The Very Best Of The Beach Boys.
Paradise
The story of the Beach Boys is the story of the pursuit of paradise. The Beach Boy's immaculate blending of angelic voices provides the auditory and symbolic thrill of an earthly paradise. Historically, the New World was sold as an earthly paradise from the outset. America was a land where "God requireth not a uniformity of religion to be enacted and enforced in any civil state" (Roger Williams, 1644). America was a land of vast natural resources and uncountable acres of land free for the homesteading.
Prior to that, America was the home of Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth. Instead of Eternal Youth, Ponce de Leon found Florida, land of the Eternal Old, but that's another story. The hope of eternal youth persisted, just below the surface, until the frontiers of America had been exhausted — no magic fountain, not even boundless land. Even if America didn't hold the secret to eternal life, it didn't seem unreasonable that America could still yield paradise.
In the introduction to his great rock 'n' roll book Mystery Train, Greil Marcus addressed America's promise: "To be American is to feel the promise as a birth right, and to feel alone and haunted when the promise fails. No failure in America, whether of love or money, is ever simple; it is always a kind of betrayal, of a mass of shadowy, shared hopes."
The Beach Boys' success at promoting the themes of an American paradise and perpetual youth precluded them from growing up, lest America be forced to do so as well. For Brian, youth and paradise were primarily themes upon which to focus his songwriting. Dennis Wilson was fixated not with paradise, but with water, and it was water that eventually killed him.
- Surviving Beach Boys to Appear Together for First Time in a Decade
- Published: June 09, 2006
- Type: News
- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Culture: History, Culture: Society, Music: Classic Rock and Oldies, Music: News
- Writer: Eric Olsen
- Eric Olsen's BC Writer page
- Eric Olsen's personal site
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I don't think it has to be "guilty" Matt!
It would be cool if they all played together. I'm glad Brian has all this stuff going on, but it isn't the same without the energy and vocals of the others. Of course it will never really be the same without Dennis and especially Carl.
Great overview, Eric, for this very un-guilty pleasure of mine. After "Pet Sounds" and "Today," "Beach Boys Love You" is a raggged favorite and the most consistent gem of an LP for me. Sure, they're well into their thirties and singing about a "roller skatin' child" and "honkin' down that gosh-darned highway" but it was pure, unabashed and melodic fun.
Didn't the Beach Boys appear in the Macy's Day Parade just recently? Or was that not all of them?
it was probably two of them!
and thanks Gordon! - my favorite is the lushest BB stuff, and Love You was a drier production but it's plenty tuneful, I agree
Dear Leader, have I lost my mind, or did you manage to write a fairly lengthy history of the Beach Boys without so much as MENTIONING Pet Sounds?
I guess I did - the focus was on the songs on the collection, and I am not the Pet Sounds fanatic that many are anyway. But still pretty glaring omission!
Not particularly an addition to their fun in the sun thing, but let's put in a plug for the excellent Surf's Up album while we're at it.
I have a better title for your piece.
"Surviving the Beachboys, who appear for the first time in a decade"
Just kidding.
There are what, maybe 20 "Best of" Beach Boys compilations out there and I think "Sounds of Summer" is the best single disc one. It's been in my CD player a lot since its release.
I believe at one point there where two versions of the Beach Boys touring around the country. I had the displeasure of seeing a show in which Mike Love was on lead, (there may have been one other original beach boy) and John Stamos was the guest drummer! Very weird.
I've never been particularly into the Beach Boys, but just a couple of days ago I suddenly got "God Only Knows" having heard it on the radio a zillion times over the years. Christ, what a song! I will have to check out the Pet Sounds thingy.
See, you CAN teach an old dog new ...
There is a purity to the best Beach Boys vocals - lead and choral -- that achieves the numenous
Terrific career overview. I love the Beach Boys and this CD.
thanks Connie!
I hope Brian stays away from Mike. No Carl or Dennis, no Beach Boys!
Great recap. Wouldn't It Be Nice to see the Beach Boys play together just once more, perhaps with the next generation - many of whom, not only Wilson Phillips, also have their own bands. And by the way, Carl succumbed to brain cancer. No less tragic, but that's what it was. Events are held regulalry in Southern California in his name to raise money to fight this disease.
Eric, I think you might like to know that you - ok, your piece here on BB - has been
travelling with me in recent days. I've been carrying around your piece and my Beach
Boys collection cd (the one with the songs picked by Brian Wilson) so I can listen to
the songs while I read your thoughts about them.
There are little comments for each song on this version which is one reason I picked it.
You can count me as another convert to the B.B.
I blew them off as silly love songs about surfing but when I finally sat down and listened
to Pet Sounds it blew me away.
So thanks for the company and I'll come back and write some more after I find a spare
hour - in between my five part-time jobs - to read and listen.
p.s. but do you really like that Kokomo song?
I'n surprised you are not a big fan of Pet
Sounds. I think it's their best album.
Wht do you think of Smile? I got it last year.
Hi,Bruce
I want you to stay 60's forever I need you to Be With me I been thinking about you I want to be together with you I saw you and Mike full house TV
Show love you Still I will see you again Concert at
Blioxi MS?
Amanda
I really like this article, which captures the fantasy element of the Beach Boys and the essence of their appeal. Their songs took place in another world, somewhat like the show "Baywatch" (just kidding). The interesting thing, Eric, is that you must be one of Mike Love's few defenders by seeing the Loveian side of things. While I don't appreciate Love's litigious tendencies, he deserves more credit than people give him. He wrote those great lyrics to "Fun Fun Fun," worthy of Chuck Berry, and had that uniquely boyish Beach Boys' voice. Of course, "Pet Sounds" is a beautiful album and deserves to be mentioned; Brian Wilson is a wonderful songwriter. The word "genius" is overused. He wasn't Johann Sebastien Bach or somethin.
I agree that all five Beach Boys deserve credit, but I think Mike kind of loses his by demanding it and continually crediting himself(most of the time) as the force behind what is America's Band. He is talented but taking most of the credit for a band that contained Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson is sticking your foot in your mouth.
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The Beach Boys remain one of my guilty pleasures, a band that my parents introduced me to when I was growing up. It's a shame that they are so wrapped in controversy at this point. Hopefully being in the same room (or on the same rooftop), will inspire healthy conversation.