BeachBoys.com: The Complete Guide

REVIEW: This German release certainly has a strange idea of which Beach Boys songs are good for dancing. Have you ever tried to dance to "Sloop John B" with its mid-tempo Carribean rhythms? Or "Breakaway" with its odd thumping beat? Besides those odd choices, there's nary a "Do You Wanna Dance" or "Dance Dance Dance" to be found. There are a couple of good slow dance choices: from a dreamy "California Dreaming" to "Slow Summer Dancing" - but what's "Then I Kissed Her" doing here? It's clip-clop castinets make it seem more attuned to clogging than club-mixes. And dancing to the clumsy beat of "Barbara Ann?" Oooooo-kay. Getting away from the whole "dance" idea, however, this is a pretty good covers album of Beach Boys songs - Klaus Hallen posesses a good, "generic" sort of voice that doesn't attempt to ape Brian's or Mike's timbres, and his choice of tracks, although heavy on the standards, reveal a deeper knowledge of the Beach Boys canon; "Breakaway" "Full Sail" and "Slow Summer Dancing" not to mention "Cottonfields" are all interesting choices. And although Hallen doesn't veer too far from the original arrangments, his tempos sometimes go haywire, as on the supercharged "Cottonfields" and "Fun Fun Fun" which close out the Beach Boys section of the album. Closing out the track listing are two very odd inclusions: the heavily synthesized "Brautchor" which you'll recognize as soon as you hear it, and the wedding-conscious "Hochzeitsmarsch" both of which seem to belong on a completely different album. Good, but not essential.

REVIEW: I was hoping that this album (released on both CD and MP3 formats) would be akin to the curiously-refreshing Pickin' On The Beach Boys bluegrass tribute (which I reviewed earlier), but - no such luck. This somber, sleepy album, instead of picking up on the good-times vibe present in the afore-mentioned disc, takes a traditional country-instrumental approach, with lots of electric slide guitar and dobro, but precious little in the way of hayseed chawin' foot-stompin good times. I mean, ye gods, there's even a saxophone blaring away during "Fun Fun Fun!" that's like, ANTI-country music, isn't it? Shouldn't the entire disc explode at that point? Regardless, this is competent playing, but I found the program extraordinarily boring; more in line with elevator music than anything you'd find on a hot country radio station. The only song approaching lively was the cover of "Dance Dance Dance" but even that felt restrained - more rehearsed than the wild free-for-all approach I wanted. OK - I'll even give them a point for including "Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)", a daring choice, but the entire album is so soporific, so lacking in any of the joyful abandon present in the Beach Boys own carefully crafted, but still primitive recordings, that I wanted to grab hold of these session players shoulders and physically shake them. A good disc to put you to sleep on a drowsy country evening.

A Tribute To The Beach Boys - Academy Allstars
Ectypal Music OMP [MP3];
Released August 17, 2009

REVIEW: This so-called "tribute" to The Beach Boys is one of the more painful ones I've had to endure for the sake of this site; performed by "The Academy Allstars" (AKA some Bryan Adams-soundalike plowing his way through the hits), you'll be favored to listen to the vaguely on-key ramblings of an anonymous hack singing along to tweaky synthesized backing tracks, adding nothing to the songs he's supposedly paying tribute to, and torturing the listener with his so-called "falsetto." I'm pretty certain that most breeds of dogs, if exposed to this singer's whining, will howl along in sympathy (and the recording will be all the better for it). OK, maybe I'm being a bit too harsh, but with so little to go on except what I hear, it's difficult to give this release some slack. It's so heartless, so cold and robotic that I ached to hear the real thing when the playing was done. Tribute is at its heart a cheap product, recorded with the sole intention of duping the public into buying what they think must be the songs they love, only to be flattened by the realization that they've downloaded a steaming heap of crap-o-la. Too bad it's only available in MP3 format - the disc would make a perfect drink coaster.

A Salute To The Beach Boys - 60's Rock Heroes
Big Eye Music [MP3];
Released November 1, 2009

REVIEW: From a "Tribute" to a "Salute", I was charmed by the hilarious cover image, which looks like Barry Gibb (circa 1979) dressed up as the leader of a biker gang on holiday in Malibu, to the processed vocals within that sounds as if The Rip Chords (circa 1964) had reformed, this is one trippy "tribute/karaoke" album. Clocking in at a hefty one hour forty minutes, you get a lot of music here for the price, with forty tracks in total, but half of them are the instrumental backing tracks, (a so-called "sing-along" version) included for each of the vocal versions. I have no problem with either the robotic, compressed vocals, or the thin, bloodless backing tracks, as they're about what you'd expect from a karaoke package, but the tempos, vocals, and playing are all competent, just stripped of any personality or spark. The vocals sound as if they were thrown together by one guy, but he's good at apeing the specific harmonies of the Beach Boys - there are no obvious flubs or harmonic goofs; just the same cookie-cutter exactness song after song. The track listing is fairly obvious as well, with a couple of surprises (for me, at least) - there's the expected hits, from "Kokomo" to "California Girls" with a large chunk of The Beach Boys "car songs" thrown in for the 'beer-and-babe' crowd. You won't find any of Brian Wilson's introspective Pet Sounds songs here, although "Surfer Girl" and "In My Room" make an appearance; but I was surprised to see "Don't Worry Baby", "Let Him Run Wild" and the real odd-man-out: "Rock and Roll Music" (the Beach Boys sole representative song from the 1970s) making an appearance. Other than those three, the rest of the track-listing could be taken from any of the Mike-and-Bruce truck shows. Still, if you enjoy the basic Beach Boys bundle of songs present here, this is a pretty-good "sing-along" package for bedroom and shower warblers. Also released as Singalong To The Beach Boys

REVIEW: Somehow I missed hearing this album when it was first released (I think it's a German import, which is why it took awhile to make its way over to the States) but clued in by a good friend, I gave it a listen, and ...well, this album struck me as a perfect argument against the whole "punk" movement in music. The Rämouns make every song here sound exactly the same. In fact, one of the most inexplicable features of this album is a disconnect between the first ten tracks, and the last two, which seem to be performed by completely different bands. The first ten tracks all start with a shouted count in, with so little variation between tempos and performances that it might as well be the same song sung over and over again. Even the gentle introspection of "In My Room" is slathered over in the crush of thrashing guitars and unremitting drums; the lack of musical talent and imagination here is simply staggering - if the Rämouns really wanted to pay tribute to The Beach Boys, then they either don't understand the genius of Brian Wilson, or simply don't have the chops to pull it off. Deadly dull stuff. But then - the final two tracks take a different track - pulling off full harmonies and omitting (or at least delaying) the count-ins. "Catch A Wave" and "Do It Again" are given more purely reverential treatments than all the previous tracks combined, although they still betray the lack of musical talent of the band on the one-note solos and numbing arrangements. But the harmonies come back in, and the tempos are more in line with the original songs - why the switch? Who knows, but at least the album ends on a happier note than it began, and if you enjoy fast and furious covers of the Beach Boys, then this is the album for you.

The Ultimate Beach Boys Cover Band: Beach Boys Gold
Gigatone Entertainment [MP3];
Released March 2, 2010

REVIEW: A mini-review for a mini-EP. The product of too much self-promotion, this four-track EP bills itself as being performed by "The Ultimate Beach Boys Cover Band" which I'll refrain from crowning them as until I hear them perform the entire Pet Sounds album live. As to what's available here, these are certainly competent covers of "I Get Around", "Catch A Wave" and "Little Deuce Coupe" along with the bonus track of "Little Saint Nick" - but I seriously doubt that this is a legitimate "band" at all - the vocals all sound multi-tracked, and the final "Little Saint Nick" sounds more synth programmed than played. Frankly, having seen a plethora of these cover bands pop us in the last dozen years, I fear very much for the future of the "live" Beach Boys experience.

REVIEW: A bit too low-fi for my tastes, Art Rush's independent release Fresh Air / The Beach Boys Today Side 2 makes The Beach Boys own low-fi 1967 release Smiley Smile sound like a Phil Spector Wall Of Sound production in comparison. The album is split into two halves, with the first half being Rush's own original compositions, which have little stylistic commonalities with The Beach Boys, but the reason to this include the album here is an odd conceit: Rush has recreated the entire original LP side two of The Beach Boys 1965 Today! album for the last six tracks - not only songs, but oddly enough the spoken "Bull Session With The "Big Daddy" track which was an interview segment the Beach Boys tacked on for their fans' enjoyment. Rush's vocals are distinctly raw and unpolished - this sounds nothing like the heavily-produced, ultra-polished masterpieces that Brian Wilson carefully crafted - his vocals and playing (mostly on ukulele - curse you YouTube!) seem to have been recorded in his living room. In fact, the half-assed way that Rush tackles these songs makes the entire thing seem to be more of a long, drunken joke that only he's in on; a vanity project that, instead of paying homage to the originals, sounds like an out-take from Brian & Dennis Wilson's infamous Cocaine Sessions. It's sloppy, careless, and strangely enough, drags the album down a couple of notches. His own songs, which form the bulk of the record, are light, jazzy mood pieces which settle well enough on their own with traces of rap and pop mixed easily together; but by paying so little reverence to The Beach Boys own meticulously produced songs, the album as a whole suffers.

The Tribute Co.: A Tribute To The Beach Boys
Planet Music [MP3];
Released September 21, 2010

Disc 1:
1. Barbara Ann     2:15
2. Good Vibrations     3:39
3. Help Me, Rhonda     2:57
4. I Get Around     2:11
5. Kokomo     3:37
6. Be True To Your School     2:11
7. California Girls     2:39
8. Dance, Dance, Dance     2:02
9. Fun, Fun, Fun     2:19
10. Wouldn't It Be Nice     2:21
11. Rock And Roll Music     2:28
12. Sloop John B.     3:01
13. Surfin' USA     2:29
14. Little Deuce Coupe     1:45

Disc 2:
1. In My Room     2:15
2. Don't Worry Baby     2:47
3. Catch A Wave     2:21
4. Surfer Girl     2:30
5. Warmth of the Sun     2:48
6. Let Him Run Wild     2:19
7. Girls On The Beach     2:39
8. Surfin' Safari     2:16
9. Girl Don't Tell Me     2:20
10. All Summer Long     2:09
11. Wendy     2:16
12. Little Saint Nick     1:58
13. God Only Knows     2:49

REVIEW: Continuing what's become a disturbing trend in digital downloads, it now appears that any hack who has a karaoke machine and a microphone can record lifeless, robotic "tribute albums" to the band of their choice, and then sell them via the internet. The Tribute Co.'s A Tribute To The Beach Boys is so cold, so utterly useless, and so banal, that it's hard to justify it's existence in any format. This album literally sounds as if some cheap backing tracks were purchased, and then a single person multi-tracked his voice over and over again to come up with these one-size-fits-all copies of the originals. It can't really be called a "tribute", since The Beach Boys would undoubtedly feel cheated by their music being counterfeited this way, and the anonymous artist, (who prefers to remain hidden), takes no pains to inject these songs with any heart, style or heat. In fact, he sounds bored, and the tedium of his performance sours this entire album from beginning to end. Another sham "tribute" album which I'm sure we'll see pop up in other guises.

A Taste Of Honey: Beach Boys Songbook
Mood Media [MP3];
Released December 10, 2010

1. Barbara Ann     2:23
2. California Girls     2:49
3. Darlin'     2:14
4. Do It Again     2:55
5. Fun, Fun, Fun     2:15
6. God Only Knows     2:43
7. Help Me, Rhonda     3:21
8. I Can Hear Music     3:03
9. Sloop John B.     2:55
10. Then I Kissed Her     2:46
11. Why Do Fools Fall in Love     1:54
12. You're So Good to Me     2:29

REVIEW: More lo-fi straight-to-mp3 cover albums by artists who apparently have little or no understanding of how to capture the wonder of the originals, but still manage to generate some charm. Here, the band is A Taste Of Honey (no, not the 70s disco duo), whose sole intent is to take the Beach Boys back to their beginning "garage band" days, only with less originality. Everything here is stripped down, cookie- cutter renditions of the original hits with odd little changes popping up here and there, such as a bent note (most jarringly on "God Only Knows") and chewing their words in a regional accent that I couldn't quite place (it changes the "Rhonda" in "Help Me Rhonda" into "RonDER"), and wispy falsetto vocals that make me ache for Al or Brian to come in and take charge. Strangely, despite being so generally bland in the performance, A Taste Of Honey possesses a charming jangle-pop vibe, and they sound not unlike such lower-tier Sixties British Invasion imports, making this release a little more attractive than most of the sham cover bands that have been littering online stores with quickie mp3 releases. Being on the grittier side of the sonic scale, tracks like "Darlin'", "Do It Again" and "Then I Kissed Her" are much more successful than the bare-to-the-bone attempts at the symphonic "California Girls" or "God Only Knows" - which are a sloppy and threadbare compared to the originals. My strongest recommendation here is that it's a real band, with real honest-to-goodness playing and singing going on, and not just another "quickie" karaoke disc masquerading as a "tribute" album.

Various Artists: Still Smiling: A Tribute to the Genius of Brian Wilson
Uncut Magazine [CD];
Released October, 2011

REVIEW: There are very few "tribute" albums out there that I can honestly say I've warmed up to. The Beach Boys were such an iconic harmony band, whose songs were immediately relateable, that to hear other artists claim to be influenced by Brian Wilson, and yet to hear no discernible inspiration, is a little discouraging. Granted, Brian Wilson has veered into experimental, even bizarre territory at times, but nothing here even begins to match his level of melodic craft or approachability. The tracks on this release (which was included in the October 2011 issue of UNCUT magazine) are culled from mostly current artists, but some of the cuts are as old as 1994, and at least one (The Pearlfishers "Go Away Boy") has previously appeared on a Beach Boys tribute album (the spotty "Caroline Now!"). One of the few bands I've heard of, Grizzly Bear, is popular with some college crowds, but their "Colorado" is so murky and dull that it's only Wilson inspiration I can discern is to "A Day In The Life Of A Tree", except without the latter song's soaring melodicism. Even Van Dyke Parks's contribution, the 1920's-pastiche "Wall Street" is far more cynical than anything Brian would put his stamp upon. Of the two Wilson songs present, Fennesz's "Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)" is stripped down to an electronic catatonic dribble, leaving only the previously mentioned "Go Away Boy" as the sole track approaching the Beach Boys sweetness. Everything else here seems to be missing the point: whereas Brian Wilson's music has been said to be melancholy songs that sound happy, most of UNCUT's choices sound dull and reconstructed to the point of incoherence, leaving the listener numb. Is there no artist out there who TRULY understands the genius of Brian Wilson?

Wilson Phillips: Dedicated
Sony Masterworks 791425 [CD, MP3];
Released April 3, 2012

REVIEW: Wilson Phillips have always had the unenviable task of living up to their parent's legacies. Despite their early chart success with shiny-happy pop confections, their studio-made harmonies, (never recreatable on stage), reinforced the impression that these ladies were coasting on their famous names, and their quick popular descent only seemed to confirm their flash-in-the-pan status. Nevertheless, their friendship, and their group, has continued to soldier on, and on this, their first album to fully acknowledge their musical heritage, they embrace the harmonic California pop that spawned an entire genre. Democratically bouncing between their famous families, and also including shared hits that both groups tackled, songs of The Beach Boys and The Mamas and The Papas are given faithful, polished readings that miraculously manage to recapture a great deal of the magic that originally made them hits. It doesn't hurt that these are great songs, or that Wilson Phillips has fully embraced their own brand of impossibly clean harmonies and cheerful poppy personas, giving these songs not only sweetness and fresh new arrangements, but occasional grit which serves to propel songs like "Twelve-Thirty" and "Got A Feelin'" into new emotional territory that brings them to life. And their acapella rendition of "Good Vibrations" is a real show stopper. Of course, these girls still don't have the best pipes in the business, and some tracks, like "Fun, Fun, Fun" end up sounding a little like Betty Boop on a bender, but overall, this is a great album, with strong songs, great arrangements, and enough harmonies to make this release a top-down summer celebration. Definitely worth checking out.

REVIEW: I really just have one question after hearing MOJO's latest Beach Boys-inspired CD (following the previous In My Room); when did sloppy Sixties psychedelia become the go-to model for today's indie artists? Virtually every cut here, from the loopy, detached "Wouldn't It Be Nice" by Saint Etienne to the extremely lo-fi cover of "Sloop John B" by Tom McRae & the Standing Band to the fuzzy haze of The Flaming Lips' "God Only Knows" feels like an exercise in sleepwalking, with drowsy tempos, half-hearted vocals, and production values that definitely feel "home cooked." A few tracks I thought captured some of the spirit of the original: Tim Burgess' lovely take on "Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)" showcases his effortless tenor vocals, and Here We Go Magic's "Caroline, No" puts a subtle trance beat beneath the melody, giving it a welcome propulsive beat, and Les Limananas's "I Know There's An Answer" adds a strong bass groove to the only upbeat song found on the album, even though the singer's accent turns every "th" into a "z" which sounds affected and strange. I also enjoyed the Neil Cowley Trio's piano-driven take on "Let's Go Away For Awhile" and found strange charms in the Superimposers "Trombone Dixie" which closes out the album. But, as with most projects of this ilk, for every track that intrigued, there was an magnetic opposite, such as the freak-out interpretation of "That's Not Me" by The Sand Band or Gaz Coombes lazy "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" or the plain offensive "I'm Waiting For The Day" by Jeffrey Lewis, whose lack of talent doesn't deserve recognition of this sort. So, all in all, another middling collection by a group of artists who will most likely fade from memory, while the genius of Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys will continue to shine.