The song took all Brian had. By the time he finished "Good Vibrations", he was drained emotionally, physically, mentally and artistically. The proposed album, Smile, fell apart. Brian destroyed the master tapes. "Good Vibrations" was great, but was it worth it? Probably not. It would have been preferable to have a sane Brian Wilson for the next 20 years.
That was basically it for Brian for almost 20 years as a functioning human being, although musically he had a brief, beautiful return to form with "Do It Again" and "I Can Hear Music" in '69, the latter exquisitely sung by Carl Wilson.
The '70s were relatively fallow, at least in terms of hits. The Beach Boys Love You was a sweet, painfully childish album. It bore no hits. It was as though Brian had rebelled against the pressure to make adolescent music by making blatantly childish music. And this was the highlight of the '70s.
The '80s were better — the Reagans had them to the Whitehouse. "Getcha Back" was catchy and broke the Top 30 in 1985. Things really picked up with "Kokomo" and Brian Wilson's first solo album, both in 1988. "Kokomo" was the Beach Boys' first #1 single since "Good Vibrations."
"Kokomo" revived the idea that paradise is a place that can be reached here on earth. Brian Wilson had lost his ability to write toward that paradise — he had lost his willingness to explore a myth in which he no longer believed.
"Kokomo" was written by the unlikely tetrad of Mike Love, Terry Melcher, John Phillips, and Scott Mackenzie with a Beach Boys-Turtles-Mamas and the Papas-"San Francisco, put some flowers in your hair"-type of sound. This hodgepodge, written for a numbskull movie, sounded more like the Beach Boys than the Brian Wilson album did.
First, it has Mike Love on lead vocals; second, it has Carl Wilson coming in with his falsetto "Ooh, I wanna take you down to Kokomo, we'll get there fast and then we'll take it slow, that's where we wanna go, way down in Kokomo." Third, it has a nonsensical but great sounding chorus, "Aruba, Jamaica, ooh, I wanna take you, to Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty momma," which is chronically adolescent, just like the Beach Boys. The thrill is there. Brian of '88 can't fight the Beach Boys of '64 and win.
There is also conceptual brilliance at work in "Kokomo" — it completes the Caribbean exploration that was begun with "Sloop John B." The Caribbean connection does many things: it allows the Beach Boys to extend the idea of paradise from Southern California to the Caribbean, a repository of many of the same pleasures as Southern California and a place to pick up new and enticing rhythms.
Article comments
1 - Matt Wardlaw
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.
2 - Eric Olsen
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.
3 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
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.
4 - Sam Jack
Didn't the Beach Boys appear in the Macy's Day Parade just recently? Or was that not all of them?
5 - Eric Olsen
it was probably two of them!
6 - Eric Olsen
and thanks Gordon! - my favorite is the lushest BB stuff, and Love You was a drier production but it's plenty tuneful, I agree
7 - Al Barger
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?
8 - Eric Olsen
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!
9 - Al Barger
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.
10 - Joey
I have a better title for your piece.
"Surviving the Beachboys, who appear for the first time in a decade"
Just kidding.
11 - Rebecca
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.
12 - godoggo
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.
13 - Eric Olsen
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
14 - Connie Phillips
Terrific career overview. I love the Beach Boys and this CD.
15 - Eric Olsen
thanks Connie!
16 - Tony Spears
I hope Brian stays away from Mike. No Carl or Dennis, no Beach Boys!
17 - David Neuman
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.
18 - Scott Butki
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?
19 - Scott Butki
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.
20 - Amanda Miller
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
21 - Forshorn
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.
22 - Sam
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.