I've been into the 1970's Beach Boys so bad lately it's kind of replaced my Prince obsession for a while.

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Any lovers of this strange and quirky and beautiful music? I know lots listen to Pet Sounds, and for sure it's a masterpiece although I hope one day to find someone who loves "Love You" and the "Adult/Child" sessions as much as I do.

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Thoughts?!

Oh I love that stuff. The combination of innocence & experience is really poignant. The opening lines of "HELP" where he's looking at himself in the mirror, all fat and falling apart... it's heavy stuff, and so beautifully arranged, semingly by instinct.

Oh man I am so glad to meet you haha

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I thought it was hilarious that although Mike isn't on a lot of that era's material that track was one that he sang lead.

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With that said though, I think my favorite of them on Love You is possibly Airplane, although I really love every track on that album.

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Call me crazy but lately my favorite run of BB albums is Carl and the Passions, Holland, 15 Big Ones, Love You, Adult/Child Sessions. I am WAY into those albums since so many fans don't even know they exist!

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What are your favorite 5 albums by them? Any BB related ones - I'll consider solo albums in a later post and rank those imo as wll!

I'm probably most into 20/20, Friends, Sunflower and Surf's Up as complete albums, with some fantastic gems on all the albums up through Love You. And the Adult Child album is pretty special as well, what a version of Shortnin' Bread. It's fascinating because we know Brian is pretty damaged as a person, and hearing how this works out through his music is really sad and at the same time, uplifting.

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It's an interesting style for them, and not everything works IMO, but they did deserve to get heard more than they did at the time. And I guess they are now, as more people become aware of that stuff it's only grown in stature. I still don't consider it quite as great as their mid-sixties peak, but it's lovely, fragile stuff. It was great seeing Brian live around 2002 when he had started to perform some of this stuff. Add Some Music, Friends, Forever, Sail On Sailor, Time To Get Alone, Surf's Up, Cabinessence, The Night Was So Young and Till I Die were all on the set list.

bobzilla77 said:

I'm probably most into 20/20, Friends, Sunflower and Surf's Up as complete albums, with some fantastic gems on all the albums up through Love You. And the Adult Child album is pretty special as well, what a version of Shortnin' Bread. It's fascinating because we know Brian is pretty damaged as a person, and hearing how this works out through his music is really sad and at the same time, uplifting.

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It's an interesting style for them, and not everything works IMO, but they did deserve to get heard more than they did at the time. And I guess they are now, as more people become aware of that stuff it's only grown in stature. I still don't consider it quite as great as their mid-sixties peak, but it's lovely, fragile stuff. It was great seeing Brian live around 2002 when he had started to perform some of this stuff. Add Some Music, Friends, Forever, Sail On Sailor, Time To Get Alone, Surf's Up, Cabinessence, The Night Was So Young and Till I Die were all on the set list.

I think it's amazing that Brian is still touring behind Pet Sounds' 50th anniversary date.

“This was nothing short of the musical equivalent of Shakespeare turning up to read us Hamlet” – First night review from Bristol Post

London – 31 January, 2017 – Music legend Brian Wilson is currently wowing fans around the globe celebrating the iconic album Pet Sounds, in honour of its 50th anniversary.

Due to phenomenal public demand, Brian will return to the UK to play selected festivals and two special HEADLINE shows at London’s Hammersmith Apollo on 1st August and at Sheffield City Hall on 2nd August.

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Brian will present ‘Pet Sounds’ in its entirety plus Greatest hits for one last time, with Special Guests Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin’.

Brian said; “I’m really happy to be able to come back to the UK and perform Pet Sounds yet again for all our fans. The response from everyone has been amazing and that’s why we decided to come back and play Pet Sounds for one last time. We want to thanks the fans in the UK for all their support, and look forward to playing these shows this Summer. Love and Mercy, Brian.”

All ticket information is below, tickets for Kendall Calling and Camp Bestival are on sale now.

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The London Hammersmith Apollo show and Sheffield City Hall show go on sale on Friday 3rd February at 10am from www.alt-tickets.co.uk

• Sat 29 July Kendal Calling, Lowther Deer Park, UK http://www.kendalcalling.co.uk/tickets
• Sun 30 July Camp Bestival, Lulworth Castle, UK www.ticketline.co.uk/camp-bestival
• Tue 1 August Hammersmith Apollo, London, UK WWW.ALT-TICKETS.CO.UK
• Wed 2 August Sheffield City Hall, Sheffield, UK WWW.ALT-TICKETS.CO.UK

Originally released on May 16, 1966, Pet Sounds is universally hailed as one of the greatest albums of all time. Wilson and his band are joined on this tour by former bandmates Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin Concert stops have included dates in Australia, Japan, United Kingdom, Spain, Israel, and Portugal followed by a full U.S. tour later this Summer and Fall. Fans can expect a live performance of Pet Sounds in its entirety, as well as top hits and fan favourites spanning his 54-year career with The Beach Boys and as a solo artist. Additional dates and special events to be announced. For up-to-date information, please visit www.BrianWilson.com.

In 1965, with the Beach Boys out on tour, Wilson began session work on some of the most deeply personal recordings of his career. Inspired by The Beatles Rubber Soul, he challenged himself to create an immaculate musical masterpiece. A vast departure from the bands’ then commercial sound, the resulting “concept album” Pet Sounds achieved great critical success helping usher in a new musical landscape and hit the Top 10 in the US while topping the charts in the UK.

“It’s really been a trip to sit here and think about releasing Pet Sounds 50 years ago,” says Wilson. “I love performing this album with my band and look forward to playing it for fans all across the world.”

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Brian Wilson is one of popular music’s most deeply revered figures, a legendary writer, producer, arranger and performer of some of the most cherished music in pop music history. For more than half a century, fans have marveled at the sheer beauty of the music that springs forth from his imagination into glorious song. Wilson brings this ingenious vision to his own compositions, as well as to those for which he has collaborated, weaving a lush, vibrant tapestry of intricately nuanced vocal harmonies and instrumental arrangements for himself, his bandmates and others.

Wilson began his career as a teenaged founding member of The Beach Boys, who signed with Capitol Records in July 1962 and released their first album, Surfin’ Safari, that same year. The band’s initial surf-rock focus was soon broadened to include other themes. Wilson’s innovative vocal and instrumental arrangements for major hits including “I Get Around,” “California Girls,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “God Only Knows,” and the No. 1 smash “Good Vibrations” made The Beach Boys America’s preeminent band of the 1960s.

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Wilson has also achieved great solo success with 11 of his own albums released to date, including his acclaimed 2004 completion of an album he first began recording in the ‘60s, Brian Wilson Presents… SMiLE. The album earned Wilson his first GRAMMY® for a recording, which was followed by his second GRAMMY® win for producing The Beach Boys’ acclaimed 2011 release, The SMiLE Sessions. With his own band, Wilson has performed major, sold-out tours in recent years, and with The Beach Boys, he celebrated the iconic band’s 50th anniversary in 2012 with a major international tour and acclaimed studio album, That’s Why God Made The Radio.

In 2015, Wilson released his latest solo album No Pier Pressure (Capitol) and was the subject of the critically acclaimed, award-winning biopic Love & Mercy (Roadside Attractions/Lionsgate). Directed by Bill Pohlad, starring John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks and Paul Giamatti, Love & Mercy presents an unconventional portrait of the music legend. Set against the era-defining catalog of the music, the film intimately examines the personal voyage and ultimate salvation of the icon whose success came at extraordinary personal cost. The culmination of these projects produced Wilson’s first Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song (Motion Picture) for his song “One Kind Of Love” featured in the film.

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Brian Wilson is a Kennedy Center Honors recipient, a Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, and a U.K. Music Hall of Fame inductee. As a member of The Beach Boys, Wilson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and honoured with The Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001.

The Deluxe Special extended edition of Pet Sounds – 50th Anniversary is out now via Universal.

Brian’s memoir ‘I Am Brian Wilson’ published by Hodder is out now.

[Edited 3/30/17 13:44pm]

"God Only Knows" is so fucking lovely and harmonically sophisticated . . .

. . . I ought to invent a German word for the notion of an "aching that is
beautifully experienced and/or perceived by a Subject."

I mean the way that french horn comes in so plangently . . . god damn!

Dasein said:

"God Only Knows" is so fucking lovely and harmonically sophisticated . . .

. . . I ought to invent a German word for the notion of an "aching that is
beautifully experienced and/or perceived by a Subject."

It's a masterpiece of a song, beyond beautiful, but that song it's all i know by them.

Another fan here! Every so many years i slip into my BB-mode for a couple of weeks.
Good Vibrations is the best song ever by anybody imo.

26ten said:

I've been into the 1970's Beach Boys so bad lately it's kind of replaced my Prince obsession for a while.

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Any lovers of this strange and quirky and beautiful music? I know lots listen to Pet Sounds, and for sure it's a masterpiece although I hope one day to find someone who loves "Love You" and the "Adult/Child" sessions as much as I do.

.

Thoughts?!

I love Brian Wilson.

Now, Brian Wilson is a what a genius looks like. Writes his own (incredible) songs, plays instruments, doesn't dance (other people's routines), doesn't own a monkey.

RicoN said:

26ten said:

I've been into the 1970's Beach Boys so bad lately it's kind of replaced my Prince obsession for a while.

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Any lovers of this strange and quirky and beautiful music? I know lots listen to Pet Sounds, and for sure it's a masterpiece although I hope one day to find someone who loves "Love You" and the "Adult/Child" sessions as much as I do.

.

Thoughts?!

I love Brian Wilson.

Now, Brian Wilson is a what a genius looks like. Writes his own (incredible) songs, plays instruments, doesn't dance (other people's routines), doesn't own a monkey.

An asshole as always. That's what you are, pathetic guy.

214 said:

RicoN said:

I love Brian Wilson.

Now, Brian Wilson is a what a genius looks like. Writes his own (incredible) songs, plays instruments, doesn't dance (other people's routines), doesn't own a monkey.

An asshole as always. That's what you are, pathetic guy.

RicoN said:

214 said:

An asshole as always. That's what you are, pathetic guy.

I hate u bitch.

Hahahaha! Good lord so much hostility in here - on a forum dedicated to Brian Wilson of all people.

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Friends is such a masterpiece - I can't agree with that enough.

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Also, I must confess.... I'm going to drive to Iowa on Monday to see the Pet Sounds tour and I saved some money and bought some real good tickets - I'll be in the 3rd row! Crazy!

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I never got to see Prince and it taught me a valuable lesson: Don't be stupid. Buy the tickets while you can.

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I'm so happy there are others in here - there are no people who really love the Beach Boys around here and I wanted so badly to talk to people with them. Is there anything this site can't do? Damn!

rebelenterprise said:

Yeah...everything from 1966's "Pet Sounds" to 1973's "Holland" + "In Concert" is beast. I also dig most of 1965's "Today" & select tracks from before then, especially "The Warmth Of The Sun". 1977's "Love You" is another awesome one. I dig alot of the Adult/Child stuff which would've been good with the few great tracks on the 78 "MIU" album. I also listen to 79's "LA Album", 85's self-titled album & recently have re-evaluated 76's "15 Big Ones" which isn't that bad after all. Honestly though, more folks should get into Dennis Wilson's "Pacific Ocean Blue" album along with his "Bambu" 2nd album material which was included on the re-release. [Edited 4/6/17 7:12am]

imo if you take out Here Comes the Night and Shortnin' Bread from LA album it effectively transforms it into Holland Part II! And I can't agree enough about Dennis. I haven't listened to Bambu yet but Pacific Ocean Blue is so good it's incredible.

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I actually really like the disco version of HCTN, but it should have been a single imo

just got back from seeing the 'pet sounds' tour at the theatre down the street. really a terrific show - plenty of crowd pleasers were played, of course, but some really great deep cuts as well. feel flows, add some music to your day, california saga, love and mercy were all there.

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wilson and his voice show all the things he's gone through, and you have to allow for that, but the band and song selection were absolutely first rate. my only complaints: could have been a little louder, and the two guys sitting behind me talked almost non stop (why do people lay out hundreds of dollars to ignore the greatest pop music and just make small talk instead? this confounds me).

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my favourite beach boys albums are probably sunflower & surf's up. both were represented tonight, and i have to be happy about that - but if they had trotted out 'til i die or day in the life of a tree, i probably would have had a heart attack.

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& for the record, i would also recommend pacific ocean blue. it's not perfect, but it's a pretty great, fairly adventurous pop record, and i love it quite a bit.

damosuzuki said:

just got back from seeing the 'pet sounds' tour at the theatre down the street. really a terrific show - plenty of crowd pleasers were played, of course, but some really great deep cuts as well. feel flows, add some music to your day, california saga, love and mercy were all there.

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wilson and his voice show all the things he's gone through, and you have to allow for that, but the band and song selection were absolutely first rate. my only complaints: could have been a little louder, and the two guys sitting behind me talked almost non stop (why do people lay out hundreds of dollars to ignore the greatest pop music and just make small talk instead? this confounds me).

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my favourite beach boys albums are probably sunflower & surf's up. both were represented tonight, and i have to be happy about that - but if they had trotted out 'til i die or day in the life of a tree, i probably would have had a heart attack.

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& for the record, i would also recommend pacific ocean blue. it's not perfect, but it's a pretty great, fairly adventurous pop record, and i love it quite a bit.

You must be from Winnipeg? My girlfriend went to that show and said it was pretty solid. I went to the one in Iowa last night and drove all day and night (in a terrible storm) to be there. It was so strange to be sitting so close.

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Matt Jardine who did most of the high parts wasn't at the show I went to - and neither was Darian, who is a keyboard player/instrumentalist if I recall correctly. Because of this at the one I went to they all seemed a bit nervous and Brian had to attempt almost all of his vocals, which were very very rough. With that said, I am really happy I got to see him really give his all at a show. He seemed to be in a pretty good mood too overall.

'Don't Worry, Baby'. This song is for me the quintessence of the Beach Boys. The harmonies are unreal, just a fantasy movie, it paved the way for so many bands, songs, voices. Just to start with the beginning: 'Well, it's been building up (and it's really building up, rising in the song) inside of me for oh (wait...) I don't know (and when you think it doesn't get any better than this clear sound) how (and the word feels so right here, 'cause I don't know how this little three letters can be so God-filled, correct me if I'm wrong, but there are few notes in there, right? I mean, two?) long.' ('long' is really long, lasts eternally).

Besides, I want to say 'hello' to the whole community, I'm privileged to be here, because your knowledge about Prince (in which territory I'm embarrased to say, I'm not a genius, not even a C grade student) and music in general is so vast. After a few years of reading the forum I decided to write here. Sorry for my language mistakes, I'm from Poland and I haven't mastered English enough, but I try.

26ten said:

damosuzuki said:

just got back from seeing the 'pet sounds' tour at the theatre down the street. really a terrific show - plenty of crowd pleasers were played, of course, but some really great deep cuts as well. feel flows, add some music to your day, california saga, love and mercy were all there.

.

wilson and his voice show all the things he's gone through, and you have to allow for that, but the band and song selection were absolutely first rate. my only complaints: could have been a little louder, and the two guys sitting behind me talked almost non stop (why do people lay out hundreds of dollars to ignore the greatest pop music and just make small talk instead? this confounds me).

.

my favourite beach boys albums are probably sunflower & surf's up. both were represented tonight, and i have to be happy about that - but if they had trotted out 'til i die or day in the life of a tree, i probably would have had a heart attack.

.

& for the record, i would also recommend pacific ocean blue. it's not perfect, but it's a pretty great, fairly adventurous pop record, and i love it quite a bit.

You must be from Winnipeg? My girlfriend went to that show and said it was pretty solid. I went to the one in Iowa last night and drove all day and night (in a terrible storm) to be there. It was so strange to be sitting so close.

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Matt Jardine who did most of the high parts wasn't at the show I went to - and neither was Darian, who is a keyboard player/instrumentalist if I recall correctly. Because of this at the one I went to they all seemed a bit nervous and Brian had to attempt almost all of his vocals, which were very very rough. With that said, I am really happy I got to see him really give his all at a show. He seemed to be in a pretty good mood too overall.

i am indeed in winnipeg! that is really too bad that matt jardine wasn't at your gig. he was really great & brought a lot to the show, especially on don't worry baby, and i definitely think they would really suffer from his absence.

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that said, i felt very much as you did in that i was very happy just to be able to see wilson, & he seemed to be in a good mood at our show too. his vocals were definitely rough at times, though there were sections where he seemed to be able to pull it together - perhaps moments that are in a range he's comfortable with?

Love their 1960s classics but the 1970s stuff is more interesting.

Karo548363 said:

'Don't Worry, Baby'. This song is for me the quintessence of the Beach Boys. The harmonies are unreal, just a fantasy movie, it paved the way for so many bands, songs, voices. Just to start with the beginning: 'Well, it's been building up (and it's really building up, rising in the song) inside of me for oh (wait...) I don't know (and when you think it doesn't get any better than this clear sound) how (and the word feels so right here, 'cause I don't know how this little three letters can be so God-filled, correct me if I'm wrong, but there are few notes in there, right? I mean, two?) long.' ('long' is really long, lasts eternally).

Besides, I want to say 'hello' to the whole community, I'm privileged to be here, because your knowledge about Prince (in which territory I'm embarrased to say, I'm not a genius, not even a C grade student) and music in general is so vast. After a few years of reading the forum I decided to write here. Sorry for my language mistakes, I'm from Poland and I haven't mastered English enough, but I try.

You're very welcome.

Cinny said:

Love their 1960s classics but the 1970s stuff is more interesting.

I agree so strongly. I love them both but the 70s stuff is my favorite. Really though - the run from Beach Boys Today all the way up to Love you is untouchable to me + Adult/Child like I was talking about a little while earlier. Just crazy strange and underloved.

I only own Pet Sounds, Smile Sessions and Smiley Smile (I may like Smiley Smile almost more than Pet Sounds oddly). I don't know where to go from there...or if I should go backwards....Kinda same with Bowie.

paisleypark4 said:

I only own Pet Sounds, Smile Sessions and Smiley Smile (I may like Smiley Smile almost more than Pet Sounds oddly). I don't know where to go from there...or if I should go backwards....Kinda same with Bowie.

I'd strongly recommend "Friends" as it's a tranquil yet denser sound but really is similar sometimes in feel to Smiley Smile. That one is from '68. Getting into their 70's albums there are a lot of options honestly but usually the ones I see recommended are the ones below:

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Sunflower (strong cuts written by all members of the group - very diverse but it works)

Holland (slower material that is very 70's flavored. Likely their most mature record)

Love You (a return to the sort of sounds of their 60s music but with lots of synth and gruff voices - odd but endearing imo)

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I often think of Love You like.... if their albums were people, their 60's albums are like your friends from high school. Love You then is like re-meeting your friends at a ten year reunion (literally in this case haha) but it's weird because they act the same but they've really (really) aged.

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I just freaking love this band btw - too good for words.

I still say everyone should own Pet sounds , I am sure it has been said here already but it can never be said enough

Smile is a trip and a half

paisleypark4 said:

I only own Pet Sounds, Smile Sessions and Smiley Smile (I may like Smiley Smile almost more than Pet Sounds oddly). I don't know where to go from there...or if I should go backwards....Kinda same with Bowie.

Just gave this a listen yesterday. Pure genius, just hearing those arrangements, man, that's the work of genius.

paisleypark4 said:

I only own Pet Sounds, Smile Sessions and Smiley Smile (I may like Smiley Smile almost more than Pet Sounds oddly). I don't know where to go from there...or if I should go backwards....Kinda same with Bowie.

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If you decide to go backwards, my favorite full albums are the ones right before Pet Sounds - Beach Boys Today and Summer Days & Summer Nights, you can really hear the evolution from the surfing sound a few years before. All Summer Long is also really great.

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And for later stuff I'd go for Friends, Surf's Up, 20-20 or Sunflower.

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Or get the Good Vibrations box set which has samples from their whole career and see what else you like most.