Your favorite Beach Boys song and why... - Page 7

JimC1702 · #91 07-15-2018, 09:20 PM

This ranks right up there with "Warmth Of The Sun".

h2otorched · #92 07-15-2018, 10:43 PM

Darlin’
Caroline No
Funky Pretty

rwhitney · #93 07-16-2018, 02:01 AM

“God Only Knows.” The perfect marriage of beautiful melody and sublime lyric:

I may not always love you
But long as there are stars above you
You never need to doubt it
I'll make you so sure about it
God only knows what I'd be without you

If you should ever leave me
Though life would still go on, believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would livin' do me
God only knows what I'd be without you

billder99 · #94 07-16-2018, 02:29 AM

From "Pet Sounds", God Only Knows... one of the most perfect and beautiful songs ever written and sung.

sjh111222 · #95 07-16-2018, 08:12 AM

I love all of the songs mentioned up to now so it is hard to pick just one. I have been a huge Beach Boys fan since 1971 when I first heard the Surf's Up album. I will mention a song from that album that I don't think anyone has mentioned. One of my favorite songs from Surf's Up is Til I Die. The music is beautiful and the lyrics capture Brian's inner turmoil very well. This song is really in contrast to the summer feel good music the Beach Boys are mostly known for but this song always gets me when I listen to it, especially the extended version that surfaced later.

rokdog49 · #96 07-16-2018, 09:15 AM

For anyone interested, check out the group "The Four Freshmen" and you will discover exactly where Brian Wilson got The Beach Boys' vocal style and even some of his musical influence. While this is a reincarnation of the original fifties group it is very representative of what Brian was drawn to and in fact, copied.
This is worth watching if you are a Beach Boys fan.

Blueser100 · #97 07-16-2018, 09:20 AM

Good Vibrations and California Girls. As a kid, I loved the melodies and vocal harmonies. With Good Vibrations, I was fascinated by the different movements and most mystified by the sound of the Theramin. There just wasn't anything quite as exciting for me on am radio at the time.

FrankHudson · #98 07-16-2018, 09:32 AM

I'm another "can't pick just one." Lovely harmony, cadence and arrangements on so many. And Brian Wilson had some kind of knack for pulling out great work from lyricists, or framing their contributions, or something.

In terms of arrangements, on their more complex ones, I'm often struck by how many movements can be stuffed inside a sub 3 minute song without seeming unnatural or manic. Good Vibrations, Heroes and Villains for example.

Just since it hasn't been mentioned yet I believe, I'll thrown in "Surf's Up."
Does anyone else remember seeing it on a Leonard Bernstein hosted "Inside the Rock Revolution?"

jparis51 · #99 07-16-2018, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sagebrush Tom

Funky Pretty from the Holland LP. I was dating a girl in the summer of 1973 when i was living on the island of Oahu who was in all the way with Astrology and actually based her life on the astrological calendar. Just as the song humorously explains all the weirdness he has to go through just to be on the same page as her.
Also Sail on Sailor and honorable mention, I Can Hear Music with Carl singing lead.

Tom

Not well known is that Brian played all the instruments on Funky Pretty, including drums.

TBman · #**100** 07-16-2018, 10:22 AM

I always liked their music but I never associated them with playing guitar. Odd, I know. Great stuff though.

JimC1702 · #**101** 07-16-2018, 01:30 PM

Wish I could hear this with just Carl and not the nasty sounding percussion.

grasser · #**102** 07-16-2018, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TBman

I always liked their music but I never associated them with playing guitar. Odd, I know. Great stuff though.

Yeah me either. Seems more boomer clickbait than acoustic guitar related discussion. That being said, my top six:

1) Wouldn't it be Nice
2) God Only Knows
3) Don't Worry Baby
4) Disney Girls 1957
5) Surf's Up
6) Warmth of the Sun

Dr. Spivey · #**103** 07-16-2018, 03:02 PM

Little Deuce Coupe. Best car song ever. Surfer Girl, because I've liked it since it came out when I was seven.

There are only a few Beach Boys songs I don't like.

jparis51 · #**104** 07-17-2018, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TBman

I always liked their music but I never associated them with playing guitar. Odd, I know. Great stuff though.

The "Party" album (the original "Unplugged") was inspirational to me for showing how acoustic guitars + no drums could actually rock. Find the 2015 "Uncovered And Unplugged" edition which presents the tracks without the party noise overdubs. Carl and Al were some pretty good beaters.

Danno · #**105** 07-17-2018, 02:39 PM

Hadn't heard this PS version before, CLP...thanks! So sublime.....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charmed Life Picks

I agree with you. However, let's not forget that Brian was -- and still is -- McCartney's favorite songwriter. And Brian had a lot of pushback from other members of the group, in particular Mike Love, to not grow and keep on doing dopey surfer songs.

"Don't Worry, Baby," from the first beat sounds like a huge quantum leap for the band, the beginning of a mature approach to the popular song.

"Caroline, No," you could just say PET SOUNDS and you can throw a dart at any of the tunes.

So many more, but "Surfer Girl" and "In My Room" showed early on what type of songwriter we were dealing with.

If you've never heard this brilliant live version of "Surfer Girl" by Paul Simon, he does it like nobody else could. Just Wow.