Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys: The Songs that Tell Their Story

Submitted by grateful on 24 December 2012 - 2:04am
Author: 
Mark Dillon
It's about: 
fifty Beach Boys songs from throughout their career, each described by a different commentator. Some of the commentators were involved in making of the song they talk about (e.g. Bruce Johnston, Al Jardine, David Marks), others are well-known admirers (e.g. Matthew Sweet, Lyle Lovett, Cameron Crowe). The songs run the range from very well known to very obscure, and that's one of the book's strengths: it's not just a review of the band's greatest hits. The stories include a lot of very interesting details that often make you think about the song differently, e.g. Blondie Chaplin says that 'Sail on Sailor' is really difficult to sing well because the lyrics are so wordy. The downside of the book is that while the author definitely knows his stuff, he's often a little too quick to gloss over some of the seedier episodes or shady personalities around the band. The fanboy perspective is a bit overbearing at times.
Length of read: 
Medium
Might appeal to people who enjoyed: 
any Beach Boys songs or any of the previous biographies or documentaries about the band. Also anyone who enjoys reading artists explaining why someone else's work appeals to them or has influenced them.
One thing you've learned: 
I dislike Mike Love even more than I did before.

Comments

"He's often a little too quick to gloss over some of the seedier episodes or shady personalities around the band. The fanboy perspective is a bit overbearing at times." This is true of most rock/pop writing. The danger is that by adopting a warts-n'-all approach you'll alienate your readership, which by the nature of the book will be fans, and the book won't sell. Go too far in this direction, as William Goldman did, and you'll get sales from a wider (er ...) demographic, but find yourself a hate figure.

I haven't read this (I'd like to), but maybe a song-based book isn't the right platform to highlight their dark side?

Burt Kocain | 24 December 2012 - 3:32am.

Two examples from the book:
- (from the section on 1976's "It's OK") : "[There was] a massive 'Brian is Back' campaign spearheaded by Stephen Love [Mike's brother who was their manager at the time]. There were cover stories in People and Rolling Stone and a Brian interview on The Mike Douglas Show. If the focus was on his reclusive behaviour and drug abuse and the fact that relations were in the group were not so harmonious, well, there's no such thing as bad publicity".

- (from the section on "Kokomo"): "[John Phillips and Scott McKenzie] had co-written 'Kokomo', an easy-listening getaway...it had a solid melody and clever verses, but it wasn't rock'n'roll. Calling Dr. Love, purveyor of hooks...Mike - Mr. Positivity - changed the tense from past to present/future, thereby transforming a wistful memory into an anticipated romantic rendezvous".

grateful | 24 December 2012 - 6:54am.

I see what you mean. Stephen Love is even worse than Mike. A brainless thug who beat up both Carl (what the fuck?) and Dennis! And calling Mike "Mr Positivity" is like calling Fred West "Mr Congeniality".

I no longer want to read it - thank you!

Burt Kocain | 24 December 2012 - 8:44am.

Mike Love on Van Dyke Parks participating in "Kokomo", after they argued over Parks' lyrics for the Smile album:

"I always thought he was a brilliant musician and a really nice guy. I don't think there is any animosity whatsoever from either side...My perspective on lyrics is that they ought to connect with ordinary mortals who aren't under the influence of anything in particular other than life...I thought some of the lyrics that Van Dyke came up with were extremely clever and interesting, but as far as translating into a hit record [I didn't think they would work]. Believe me; I harbor no animosity toward anyone who wrote lyrics with Brian other than myself".

In all fairness to the book, if you can get past this kind of stuff, there are some interesting insights from non-Beach Boys and non-Beach Boys associates, and I learned quite a bit about some of the more obscure songs.

grateful | 24 December 2012 - 10:04pm.