MEMORABLE MONDAYS: The Beach Boys

 Can you imagine a band being around since the early 60s with 29 studio albums and still an abundance of success? Well you can paste a picture of the Beach Boys into your mind. Formed in Hawthorne, California, the original line up consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson. It also included cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine. They are one of the most influential acts of the rock era, known for their unconventional recording techniques and usage of a variety of genres. 

With 29 albums, it is hard to particularly sit and contemplate the history of every single release. Their most notable releases critically include Today!, Pet Sounds, Smiley Smile, Sunflower, and Surf's Up. In 1988, the members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Let's dive in the best we can.

In Hawthorne, California resided a then 16 year old Brian Wilson in 1958, who shared a bedroom with Dennis and Carl. He watched his father, Murry Wilson, play piano and was also inspired by the harmones of the Four Freshman. He began dissecting songs and teaching his family members to sing harmonies. For his birthday that year, he also received a reel-to-reel tape recorder. He learned how to overdub as well. 

Avidly listening to Johnny Otis KFOX radio, Brian became more inspired by rhythm and blues song he was hearing. He changed his piano style and began writing songs. This led to him gathering family and other friends to perform with him. Their early band name was the Pendletons. Dennis enjoyed surfing, so he suggested they write songs that celebrated the sport and lifestyle it inspired in Southern California. This idea became the song "Surfin" and "Surfin Safari". 

Murry Wilson arranged for the band to meet his publisher, Hite Morgan. In 1961, they recorded their demo of Surfin. The demos were taken to Herb Newman, who signed the group. Russ Regan renamed them the Beach Boys. 

Murry Wilson continued to manage the band, getting them live gigs. Jardine left the band in 1962 due to creative differences. Dot and Liberty originally turned the band down. Capitol Records offered them a 7 year contract, believing this was the "teenage gold" they'd been scouting for. 

Their first album, Surfin Safari, released in 1962. It was different in that it consisted almost entirely of original songs. It was marketed as surf music but did not resemble the other surf bands, which led to vegetables being thrown at them during live shows. The album was met with mixed reception and in a retrospect are viewed as substandard compared to other outputs.

Their next album would have more respect, acclaim, and success. Surfin U.S.A. was not just an infectious single but the album itself took the world by storm. Brian had become better at producing, and helped form their image. It created a culture of itself. The world became a beach with their influence.

Surfer Girl also released in 1963, with it being the first crediting Brian as a producer. It as also the first to include outside musicians into the recording. It is viewed as a showing of excellence, although in retrospect, some find it too fillery. Only 3 weeks after this, they released Little Deuce Coupe. It is considered one of the earliest examples of a rock concept album. 

The craze and success began to shift with the British Invasion that began. They began having to face a new competition - The Beatles. Their next album, Shut Down Volume 2, released 1964, became their first to not reach the top 10 since their debut. While Carl followed the Beatles closer than anyone, Brian was rattled by them. It felt like they eclipsed everything he had worked for. All Summer Long, released in 1964, began a shift to try and compete. It shifted away from surfing and into a concept related to a southern California teenager. It received critical acclaim and is still considered one of their best in retrospective reviews. Even Lennon and McCartney were impressed with it.

At the end of 1964, Brian struggled with the stress of juggling so much. He had a panic attack, and in 1965 decided to withdraw from touring. Glen Campbell temporarily served as Brian's concert replacement. Brian began shifting them away from the surfer aesthetic now that he was a full time studio artist. He felt the image was keeping people from noticing his production and songwriting talent. The Beach Boys Today!, released in 1965, established them as more album oriented than single oriented for the first time. It is perceived as the precursor to Pet Sounds. It shifted sonically to being more orchestral. However, it did not commercially perform as well. This led to the release of Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) which was the last album of simpler themes for them. They also released "Beach Boys' Party!", consisting of live in studio acoustic covers. It is considered the first "unplugged" style album. 

Pet Sounds came in 1966, and is in the modern era perceived as their magnum opus. It is considered to be amongst the greatest and most influential albums in musical history. Brian perceived the album as a "solo act" and credited the inspiration to drug influences and spiritual enlightenment. Its production cost $70,000, which would translate to about $660,000 to produce today. It revolutionized music production and led the pioneering of the studio-as-instrument praxis. It led to a greater appreciation for full albums and synthesizers. It developed psychedelic music and progressive rock. It was entered into the National Recording Registry for being signficant to history. Brian Wilson credited Rubber Soul as his main motivator. He did not want to copy it, but wanted to make music on the same level. The album had much acclaim, especially overseas, but did not do very well in the US initially. This led to Brian feeling artistically rejected, and his mental state worsened. It did not help a year after Pet Sounds took the world by storm, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band came and took the world by storm next. 

However, while the US market was staying in love with the Beatles, the Beach Boys became a vanguard counterculture overseas. EMI flooded the market with albums unreleased there, and they went number 2 in the UK. In 1966, they were the highest selling act in the UK. This same year, The Beach Boys released "Good Vibrations", their first number one single. Smile was intended to be the successor to Pet Sounds, but it got shelved for personal, technical, and legal reasons. 1967 brought a lawsuit against Capitol Records over neglected royalty payments. This unreleased album became the "greatest bootleg of all time", many felt it would have cemented them as the vanguard of rock innovation. 

From 1967 forward, The Beach Boys began struggling with a new issue. Their fanbase was divided on those who preferred the earlier recordings and those who enjoy their new experimental era. Their floundered European tour did not help matters. They were described as amateurish. They also declined last minute on the Monterey Pop Festival. It turned the underground against them. It was perceived as a group on the verge of breaking up. They developed derogatory nicknames like "The Bleach Boys" and "The California Hypes". As authenticity became more important to the critics, they also struggled because their early songs celebrated politically unconscious youth. 

With pressures from the label to produce despite Smile being cancelled, they worked out Smiley Smile, released in 1967. It was made with minimalist production, the boys playing their own instruments, and the first to be produced by all the band and not just Brian. After he lost the race with the Beatles with them releasing Sgt. Pepper's, Brian decided to not try to make such vast and great things anymore. Jimi Hendrix dismissed the lead single of the album as a psychedelic barbershop quartet. This became their worst selling album to date. Everyone was underwhelmed. 

With the failure of the new release, they rushed to record something else. Wild Honey ventured into soul music. It was a self-conscious attempt to regroup themselves as a rock band. There is very little group singing in the album and it was recorded mostly at Brian's home studio. It was intentionally out of the mainstream. It did not do well up against The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. It was decided all the boys would have a greater say in the studio output, not just Brian. 

Their public image faltered. It was suggested they are an example of a group who faltered trying to catch the Beatles. It is a pointless pursuit. The Beach Boys were part of the group of high profile celebrities who travelled to Rishikesh, India to continue their transcendence with a Maharishi. Their next album Friends would be partly inspired by the transcendental meditation. They were doing a tour with him before he withdrew to fulfill film contracts. Because of low audience numbers and his withdrawal, they cancelled 24 tour dates at an estimated cost of $250,000. 

Dennis in 1968, befriended a different aspiring singer/songwriter...Charles Manson. Dennis bought him time in Brian's home studio where recording sessions were attempted. A deal was never made because Brian disliked Manson. Can't say I blame him... Brian ended up admitting himself to a psychiatric hospital. The band worked together in his absence to release 20/20. Almost none of the newer recordings were produced by Brian. Dennis gradually distanced himself from Manson after his cult of followers were taking over his home. The Wilson family began fearing for their lives. After the Tate-LaBianca murders, their involvement with Manson was known and it caused them to become pariahs for a time. 

The band had to revisit their lawsuit about royalties to Capitol Records, as Brian said they had to consider filing bankruptcy from their depleted funds. After their Capitol contract expired, Capitol removed their catalog from print effectively cutting off royalty blow. Their catalog was then sold to Irving Alamo Music for $700,000. Brian was devastated by the sale, and the sale generated over 100 million in royalties, which none of the band members ever got to receive. 

In 1970, they signed to Reprise Records. Their first album with them, Sunflower, was released the same year. It had significant contributions from all six band members. It received critical acclaim, but did not sell well. It is perceived as their finest work post-Pet Sounds. In a hope of trying to record more socially conscious songs, they hired new manager Jack Rieley. Their next album, Surf's Up, was more successful chart wise. Bruce Johnston left the Beach Boys in 1972, making room for Blondie Chaplin. This led to the less successful releases Carl and the Passions and Holland. 

After their father's death, Brian retreated further into substance abuse and overeating. Instead of working on new music, they released compilation album Endless Summer. It had unexpected success and caused them to desire to capitalize on their resurgence in popularity. Brian ended up having to receive psychological treatment again and was heavily monitored. Their next release in 1976, 15 Big Ones, was disliked by just about everyone...including band members Carl and Dennis. It however, became their highest charting album since Pet Sounds. Their next release, The Beach Boys Love You, was regarded as a spiritual successor to Pet Sounds. Casual listeners disliked the release, but critics enjoyed it. Adult/Child was intended as a successor, but similar to Smile, it was shelved. 

Their next ventures were plagued with issues. Signing with CBS Records, their manager was fired weeks later due to not having permission to sign. The band became divided, and even moreso when Love and Jardine gained Brian's vote, which allowed them to veto Dennis and Carl in everything. The three brothers became deeply stuck in alcoholism, even appearing drunk at shows. While Brian successfully received treatment again, Dennis ended up being forced into rehab. This ended with him drowning in 1983. Brother Carl would pass away in 1998 from cancer due to his heavy smoking and drinking. Brian continued to struggle with mental health on and off throughout his life, although he worked on some solo projects outside the band. 

Their career was frought with successes and struggles, and a very complicated legacy. It is not too late to try one of the most influential bands in history!