The Beach Boys At Theatre at Westbury, Westbury, NY 7/23/10

Okay, so maybe "The Beach Boys" is something of a misnomer seeing that two of the the founding members - lead guitarist/vocalist Carl Wilson and drummer/vocalist Dennis Wilson - have both passed away. Creative leader Brian Wilson has had an active solo career since the late 80's. And rhythm guitarist and vocalist Alan Jardine was unceremoniously fired by Mike Love after Carl's passing (real classy Mike) in 1998. So basically the band in question is Mike Love and Bruce Johnston with a handful of very talented others, including John Cowsill (of The Cowsills) who sang lead on "Help Me Rhonda" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice"...and special guest John Stamos (I wish I was kidding)*.

I've been a fan of The Beach Boys since the Summer of 1998. Basically since I first saw the VH-1 documentary Endless Harmony. The Beach Boys have since become one of my all-time favorite bands. The band is now basically a Beach Boys cover band (albeit a very, very good one) fronted by members Mike Love and Bruce Johnston. I'd been hemming and hawing over the notion of seeing them for long enough (these guys aren't getting any younger) and decided to see them.

All things considered - the show was wonderful. It would have been amazing to have seen these guys circa 1965 - 1975, but as there were no time machines handy this would have suffice. Bruce's vocals on "Disney Girls" were fantastic and Mike's vocals were as good as they've always been.

The band was fantastic and the venue was intimate and the acoustics were wonderful.

Set List:

Catch A Wave
Hawaii
Little Honda
Do It Again
Surf City
Surfin' Safari
Surfer Girl
Getcha Back
Wendy
I'm So Young
Why Do Fools Fall in Love
When I Grow Up (to Be a Man)
Darlin'
Be True to Your School
Ballad Of Ole Betsy
Don't Worry Baby
Little Deuce Coupe
409
Shut Down
I Get Around

Intermission For 25 minutes

California Dreaming
Then I Kissed Her
California Girls
Sloop John B
Wouldn't It Be Nice
Disney Girls (1957)
Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring
Forever (John Stamos On Lead Vocals)
God Only Knows
Good Vibrations
Help Me Rhonda
Rock & Roll Music
Do You Wanna Dance
Barbara Ann
Surfin' USA

Encore (although they never left the stage)


Kokomo
Summertime Blues
Fun Fun Fun.

* All kidding aside, Stamos was actually, and surprisingly, well-accounted for. He alternated between rhythm guitar, drums, backing vocals, timpani, bongos and took lead vocals on Dennis Wilson's "Forever". And he made the ladies swoon and squeal like it was 1964 all over again (I kid you not).

The Beach Boys - Summer Love Songs: Girls On The Beach Compilation

Capitol/EMI are set to issue yet another new Beach Boys compilation - Summer Love Songs: Girls On The Beach - on May 19th. Now, Capitol in the past ten years or so has released several of these sort of compilations. You know the sort of thing - a small handful of unreleased songs on a compilation with all previously released songs. The kind of releases that have an unmistakable scent of exploiting collectors. Capitol is also responsible for some fine quality releases too. What are some of them? I'll just list them all, for your convenience.

Endless Harmony Soundtrack (1998 with a significant upgrade in 2000)
The Greatest Hits Vol.1: 20 Good Vibrations (1999)
The Greatest Hits Vol.2: 20 More Good Vibrations (1999)
Greatest Hits, Vol. 3: The Best Of The Brother Years, 1970-1986 (2000)
Hawthorne, CA: Birthplace Of A Musical Legacy (2001)
Pet Sounds [mono / stereo] (2001)
Classics: Selected by Brian Wilson (2002)
Good Timin': Live At Knebworth England 1980 (2002 - on DVD as well)
Sounds Of Summer: The Very Best Of The Beach Boys (2003)
Sights & Sounds Of Summer CD/DVD Set (same as above with ten track DVD)(2003)
Songs From Here & Back (ten track live album plus, released through Hallmark) (2006)
Pet Sounds: 40th Anniversary [CD/DVD Set] (2006)
Good Vibrations: 40th Anniversary Edition EP (2006)
The Warmth Of The Sun (2007)
US Singles Collection Box: The Capitol Years, 1962-1965 (2008)

That's a lot of releases.

Considering that of all the major artists of their era, The Beach Boys (supposedly, well probably) have one of the deepest catalogs of unreleased material, one wonders why Capitol haven't tapped into the wellspring of obscure material that fans of the band will surely buy. There's more potential for definite sales as opposed to re-selling a would-be best-of compilation with a few rarities. Not too many people are willing to buy the same best-of over and over (regardless how slight the track variation may be). The track listing for this is okay, if not seemingly random. There are three cover versions included that are, for all intents and purposes, purely exercises in production techniques. And woefully needless considering the amount of great original material The Beach Boys have in the vaults. The Beach Boys' 1960's recordings are, for the most part, optimally heard in mono. So the stereo mixes are, ostensibly, alternate versions that may or may not be superior to the well-established mono mixes. The only new item to many people is the fantastic "Fallin' In Love" (aka "Lady"). Assuming it's a different version included here - the only released version was on the 1970 "Sound Of Free" solo single credited to 'Dennis Wilson & Rumbo' which was Dennis Wilson and Daryl Dragon (aka The Captain of Captain & Tennille).

Here's the track listing (* = Previously Unreleased):

1. Don't Worry, Baby [new stereo mix from newly recovered analog multi-track master]*
2. Why Do Fools Fall In Love [new stereo mix from newly recovered analog multi-track master]*
3. Wouldn't It Be Nice
4. God Only Knows
5. Surfer Girl
6. California Girls
7. Please Let Me Wonder
8. In The Parkin' Lot
9. Your Summer Dream
10. Kiss Me, Baby
11. Hushabye [new stereo mix]*
12. I'm So Young [new stereo mix]*
13. Good To My Baby [new stereo mix]*
14. Fallin' In Love [previously unreleased track, written and recorded by Dennis Wilson]*
15. Time To Get Alone [new stereo mix]*
16. Our Sweet Love
17. Help Me, Rhonda
18. Keep An Eye On Summer
19. Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)
20. Girls On The Beach


Considering some Beach Boys compilations have in fact served real purposes like, for example, 1981's excellent double-album Ten Years Of Harmony - that collected a sizable amount of their 70's gems - would be a nice collection to have remastered on CD. And some have taken on lives of their own so to speak in terms of getting material to new fans (i.e. the triumvirate of 1974's Endless Summer, 1975's Spirit Of America and 1982's Sunshine Dream). It's surprising that these have yet to appear on newly-remastered CDs by now. And then there's what fans really want. Maybe, the legendary unreleased album Smile? It's basically all recorded (the 1966-67 version that is) all that needs to be done is a definitive mix/sequence. How about the recently-recovered live album Beachago (recorded on the 1975 tour with Chicago)? Or perhaps Brian's groovy 1977 album Adult/Child? Or maybe the dozens of songs recorded in the 1969-1971 period some of which surfaced on the illicitly-released album Landlocked?

It's not as if the well of material is dry. Not by a long shot. It's just a matter of time before they wise up and start to release the unreleased stuff compiled, definitively.