Let’s start with the bad stuff, the last period, The Oldies/Las Vegas Period (77-98). This period starts after the release (and somewhat failure) of the “Love You” album in 1977 which Brian resurfaced to write and record (but more on that record later). The band was now divided between the Wilson brothers (Carl & Dennis) and Mike Love (and Al). Brian was around, but pretty much was MIA. The fact that their next album was recorded at the Maharishi International University in Fairfield, Iowa (hence the name, MIU) that Mike was the main writer on the album and Al is listed as the producer should give you an idea of who was winning the battle. Sadly, MIU (1978) was the beginning of a slide from which the band never recovered. The album still contained a few moments of their world class harmonies, but the songs go from bad to horrible to really really really horrible (Mike’s “Match Point Of Our Love”). The next album, the 1979 legendarily horrendous “The Light Album” includes one good song (Brian’s six year old song, “Good Timin’), a few moments with Carl and Dennis, but the rest is as bad as any major rock band ever recorded, including a DISCO version of a ten year old song! This stuff gives schlock a bad name. Unfortunately things only got worse from here. Dennis and Carl leave the band and Dennis’ tentative hold on reality and his huge drugs/alcohol habit sends him spinning into a downward spiral to which there is no recovery. By 1982 Dennis is completely broke, bar hopping and panhandling in Redondo Beach. Until one night in 1983 when it becomes all too clear to him that what he should do is dive in the Maria del Rey harbor where he once docked his yacht to receive some items that he threw over the side years earlier during a fight with his then supermodel girlfriend, with the intention of pawning them for a few bucks. Even after years of alcohol and drug abuse, the great athlete which was Dennis Wilson was able to dive the 20 feet to the ocean bottom (at night) and actually came to the surface with some items! Not listening to those begging him not to try it again, he dove again. He never resurfaced. His body was found on the beach days later. After this Carl rejoins the band and Mike leads them into the Vegas oldies circuit and the Beach Boys become completely irrelevant. They record some more albums which are so bad I don’t even want to talk about them, (including the HORRIBLE hit single Kokomo). In the early 90s Mike sues Brian for back royalties and songwriting credit. Mike had always been listed with songwriting credit where he actually wrote lyrics, but now he drags the somewhat incoherent and child-like Brian into a court room to be added to dozens of 30 year old songs that the other lyricists can’t remember him working on, other than adding a line or two here and there. Sadly Mike won the judgment. The Vegas schlock continued until the glorious classy and angel-voiced Carl passed away from cancer in 1998. This date, to anyone with any knowledge of the band, must be considered the official end of the Beach Boys. The fact that Mike and Al and Bruce still tour under the Beach Boys name is shameful. So, to re-cap, how many points does this period add to the Beach Boys being my number one pick? (minus 45 poiunts).

Recently, I have been questioned by my choice of The Beach Boys as my number one all-time favorite artist. The audacity of some people! So I thought I might write a little apologetic defending my choice. First off, you need to know a little history of the band. It’s a history that includes infighting, tragically missed opportunities, millions of dollars, mental breakdowns, LSD, court battles, lost millions, Charles Manson, pianos in bedrooms in sandboxes, tragic deaths, madness and one whooper of a what-could-have-been. It was a great soap opera to watch and I’d be lying if didn’t admit that the insanity of it all didn’t add to the allure of the band. Also it’s probably important to understand when I say the Beach Boys, I’m almost saying simply Brian Wilson, but when you consider that Carl Wilson possessed one of the greatest voices ever recorded and that the band created some of the greatest harmonies ever recorded, and Dennis, Al (and yes even Mike… and Bruce) certainly added their part. But without Brian Wilson, we would not be having this conversation and that’s a fact. The way I see it, The Beach Boys had four major periods. In future posts I’ll touch on each period, but most importantly I’ll eventually get to the one period which single handedly projected them from one of the greats of the 1960s to (passing the Beatles, Kinks, Byrds, etc.,) to number one on my list. The four periods as I see them:

The Surfing/Hot Rod hit single period (1962-65)
The Lost Popularity period (1966-71)
The Comeback period (1972-76)
The Oldies Las Vegas period (1977-2/6/98)*

(*the day Carl Wilson died should be considered the official end of The Beach Boys)

Was reminded again this week how great my beloved “Lost Dogs” are/were. Catching up with a CD they made a couple years ago in which they did unplugged versions of each other’s songs. I was stuck (for about the thousandth time) with the quality of some of their old tunes. Terry Taylor’s ancient “Aint Gonna Fight It” which I think was on one of the first Marantha’s albums (circa 1975?) sounded great without the 70’s Marantha records cheeseball string arrangement. I just wished they would have done some Adan Again songs. Gene Eugene (RIP, we miss you). I was particularly reminded how great Mike Roe’s old 77’s song, “The Lust, The Flesh, The Eyes and the Pride of Life” (1986) was. The CD “Sticks & Stones” this song was on originally (rated 4 1/2 stars by AMG) is definetely worth the $30 to $50 it’s going for on Amazon. Why why why these guys weren’t huge is one of the great justices of the modern times! The lyrics are certainly worth thinking about.

Well, I feel
Like I have to feel
Something good all of the time
With most of life I cannot deal
But a good feeling I can feel
Even though it may not be real
And if a person, place or thing can deliver
I will quiver with delight
But will it last me for all my life
Or just one more lonely, lonely night

The lust, the flesh
The eyes
And the pride of life
Drain the life
Right out of me

Well, I see something and I want it
Bam! Right now!
No questions asked
Don’t worry how much it costs me now or later
I want it and I want it fast
I’ll go to any length
Sacrifice all that I already have
And all that I might get
Just to get
Something more that I don’t need
And Lord, please don’t ask me what for

The lust, the flesh
The eyes
And the pride of life
Drain the life
Right out of me

And I love it when folks
Look right at me
And what I’m doing
Or I have done
And lay it on about
How groovy I am
And that I am looking grand
And every single word
Makes me think I’ll live forever
Never knowing that they probably
Won’t remember what they said tomorrow
Tomorrow I could be dead

The lust, the flesh
The eyes
And the pride of life
Drain the life
Right out of me

In light of pastor Dave’s excellent sermon today on Philippians 1:21 “to live is Christ, to die is gain” using the modern example of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his bravery facing the gallows and our own missionaries Lloyd & Nancy Peckham (who along with others were chased out of a Christian University recenlty in the Philippians (?) by rebels intent on harming or killing them), I came across another quote. A pagan writer, speaking of the early Christians, describes them as follows: “Moritur et ridet” which means “it laughs with the death-rattle in its throat.” Wow! Only Christ could EVER produce such hope.