Greetings,
Last week was one filled with heavy laden memories for any true admirer of The Beach Boys. First, December 21 was what would have been Carl Wilson's 66th birthday, and just yesterday was the 29th anniversary of Dennis Wilson's death. Yes, it has been a bittersweet seven days indeed.
I could go on and on about the awesomeness of The Beach Boys, but that would probably end up being a five part series. And, currently, I just don't have the time for that. So I guess we'll all have to suffice with a list of my top ten songs by this beloved band. Trust, this one took a lot of thought. Narrowing down all the great Beach Boys songs to a mere ten was not an easy task, but I did my best. Forgive me if some of them are predictable. Here we go.
#10. "The Warmth of the Sun" - Now this one was not always a favorite, I must admit. I think mainly because I never gave it a fair shot. But then, about ten years ago, I heard Vince Gill cover it, and I thought it was amazing. Of course, since Vince Gill's voice can make any song amazing, I wasn't sure if it was his vocal chords or the composition. So I gave the original version a chance and ended up absolutely loving it. It is a gentle and beautiful song that grips every listener with an overwhelming sense of emotion. When you know that they apparently wrote it on the night of the Kennedy assassination, it makes it all the more poignant.
#9. "Surfer Girl" - Well, I had to put at least one song on this list with the word "surf" in the title, or a variation of it, since it was in their first seven or so singles. I, of course, have chosen what I see as the best. But aside from the greatness of the actual song, I also enjoy the story behind its creation. According to what I've heard, Brian's melody for it was inspired by a version of "When You Wish Upon a Star", and if you listen closely, you can really hear it. Hey, does that mean this is the first incident of sampling?
#8. "Sloop John B" - This song is one that wasn't actually written by Brian Wilson or any of the Boys. It is, in fact, a traditional folk song that was brought to the band by Al Jardine. They did, however, tweak it a lot, and they gave it this phenomenal arrangement. I can't even imagine how stunning it must have felt hearing it for the first time the way they did, fresh after its creation. I heard it decades after its birth, and it was able to get to me. Still does, too.
#7. "Good Vibrations" - Of course, this song is on the list. If for no other reason than it took about a year to be recorded. Yeah, this song was made during Brian's, let's say, misunderstood period. He was obsessed with making this song absolutely perfect. I'd say he came pretty close. I do love a song that you have to really listen to in order to hear everything. And once you do, it is certainly worth it.
#6. "'Til I Die" - This is probably one of the least known songs on this list, sadly. It's from the Surf's Up album and was subsequently released as a B-side. I think the foundation of this song is fairly simple, but once you put in that intricate Beach Boys essence, it's kind of a masterpiece. I suppose making something simple and complicated all at once is a sign of true brilliance.
#5. "I Can Hear Music" - Okay, here's another one not written by any of The Beach Boys themselves. Actually, it was written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and . . . Phil Spector. That's right, kids. At one time, Phil Spector was considered a musical genius as opposed to, you know, what you may know him as today. But I don't want to dwell on that. I'd rather discuss the fantastic way that The Beach Boys covered this song. At this point in time, Brian had lost interest in being the band's producer, so the reins were handed over to Carl. And, boy, did he prove himself on this one. The harmonies are beautiful, and the a cappella section is extremely well done. But did you really expect anything else?
#4. "Don't Worry, Baby" - I really don't have much to say about this song other than I just love it. There's no rhyme or reason as to why I think it's so good. It just . . . is. It's your basic feel good song. Well, it's feel good until you try to sing those super high notes. Then, it could get a little painful in the throat area. So my advice to most people, certainly those with limited octave range like myself, is to listen only and enjoy.
#3. "In My Room" - I'm a bit of a loner to be honest. I think this song certainly speaks to people like me. It's for those of us who find comfort and peace, sometimes, just being with ourselves. And there is nothing wrong with that.
#2. "God Only Knows" - You have to get a kick out of a love song that start with the phrase "I may not always love you" Oh, you tricksters, making me think this is an anticipation of a break-up song. Actually, it is a beautiful love song. Interesting side note. They hesitated putting the word "God" in the title for fear of no airplay. Too much concern over the religion aspect and whatnot. I suppose things haven't changed as much as we thought. Eventually, though, good sense won out, and the title stayed. And again, we get a great vocal from Carl, who once said he was honored to be the one to sing it. And we are all honored to have heard it.
#1. "Forever" - I can't believe I have to say this, but most of you may know this song from the episode of Full House where Uncle Jesse married Rebecca and sang it at their wedding. Yeah, somehow I'm not sure that this is the legacy Dennis Wilson wanted for this brilliant work of art. The song did pop up on the show again about a year later featuring a recording by Jesse's band and a few of the Beach Boys themselves. You know, because they're friends with Stamos. To be fair, this version is actually really good. But, of course, not as good as the original, so let's talk about that. Now we all know that people were calling Brian Wilson a genius all the time, which had a major and often negative effect on him. I feel for him. It must have been hard having everyone call you a genius and trying to live up to it. You know what's just as hard? Being a genius and having no one recognize it. That was the case with the writer of this song, Dennis Wilson. He was easily the most underrated of all The Beach Boys, and yet, he eventually managed to release an album like Pacific Ocean Blue. I'll get that gem someday. But, as for now, let me just say that this song is magnificent. It proved once and for all to me and many others that Dennis was an extremely gifted artist. He may not have been appreciated in his own time, but one listen to this song and no way anyone could doubt that.
And so, there you have it, my own personal list of favorites. No doubt everyone has their own, and each one is uniquely different. That's what's so great about a band like The Beach Boys with their vast body of work. Everyone can be a fan and be one in their own way. I think we should be grateful for that, for the great music and their great legacy.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
