The Beach Boys: America's Band

by Johnny Morgan

The Beach Boys pioneered the wildly popular "Surf Sound," selling more records than any other American band. And 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of their groundbreaking and hugely influential album Pet Sounds and its follow-up single, "Good Vibrations." This book offers the first fully illustrated, in-depth examination of the group's story, with a special emphasis on the creation of those two masterpieces and what came after. More than 150 images include classic and rarely published photographs, album artwork, and archive memorabilia. By examining the writing, recording, and performance of the band's entire catalogue, mostly created by Brian Wilson, the book presents a unique look at the times, trials, and tribulations that went into making the Beach Boys, both before and after their 1966 triumphs.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography

256 pages, Hardcover

First published October 6, 2015

Reviews

[Paul Bryant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Those fascinated by pop history wonder how things would have changed if Brian had been able to complete Smile in early 1967. My argument is : hardly at all. Smile would have been hailed as a Great Pop Masterpiece by all the critics who would have droned on about it for the rest of the year but your rank and file Beach Boy fans would have stayed away in droves. It would not have sold a million, would not have been number 1 anywhere. Far too rich and strange! (Look how they didn’t embrace Pet Sounds to their bosoms.) And not just strange in 1967 – still strange today. Nothing else like it. If Smile had been released Brian would have seen his two greatest works fail (in his terms), and this would have been followed fairly quickly by the Beatles’ massive success with Sgt Pepper (not nearly as challenging as Smile*). And anyway, the question would have been : after Smile, what next? Can’t top that. So I think you would still have got the ten year big Brian fade-away which happened between 1967 and 1977 when he briefly came back with another peculiar album (Beach Boys Love You).

*Sample Sgt Pepper lyric: "We hope you will enjoy the show"

Sample Smile lyric :

"A blind class aristocracy.
Back through the opera glass you see
the pit and the pendulum drawn."

*

Johnny Morgan, a British author who writes books about football mostly, makes a fair attempt to guide us through the tedious saga of the Beach Boys. The music was always pretty, as the story of the band was perpetually ugly. Abusive father, mental illness, massive drug taking, early death, lawsuits galore, decades of terrible albums, it’s a well known litany of suffering amidst insane wealth. As a fan, for me the great music justifies everything.

Lots of great photos in this book but also some odd errors (see p89 for “Girl don’t tell me you ride”!!), an obsession with The Monkees and the phrase “teenage symphony”, and a tiresome habit of repeating information we have just read in the main text in the individual album reviews. Also a really annoying habit of slagging off lyrics I think are really poignant – on When I Grow Up to be a Man :

The dumbness of the lyrics… communicating all the emotional depth of a 14-year-old

And later

For all of Brian’s unusual and experimental soundscaping, the banality of the lyrics, rooted as they are in teen pop cliché, adds a strangeness to Pet Sounds that is perhaps not intentional

When Brian starts singing about vegetables the following year Johnny dismisses that stuff as “pseudo-psychedelic ramblings” so it seems Brian could not win with this guy.


This coffee table book is pure fan fodder but the fans will have to have it. It’s a fine life if you don’t weaken.

[J.J. Lair · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a big illustrated coffee table book, this actually has a lot of information. This books usually more about the pictures than the text, but not this. I looked up some of the songs and albums on iTunes as I read. I liked how up to date it is. There were also details and pictures of the sessions players that worked on the albums. This even gave information on discount albums, promotional, and all compilation collections. It even talks about the Stars and Stripes country collection.
I didn't care for politicizing the band as the author does in the beginning. Cars and teens hooking up isn't square establishment, it's life.
Overall good for a beach boys fan.

[Matt C · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although there were some tidbits of the BB career I was unaware of when reading this book, I would not recommend this book to anyone seriously interested in learning more about this band. It might be a good springboard for someone who knows nothing about The Beach Boys beyond their striped shirts and odes to surfing, but sadly the author lets his personal taste dictate which of their albums and singles are worth checking out and which ones should be avoided. I did like the author’s inclusion of many different photos of the band throughout each era!

[Joseph Tully · Rating 3 out of 5]

Respectable job but the author makes some factual errors (for example, Carl and Brian sang lead on “For Once in My Life”, not Dennis and the band had 4 US #1’s singles not 3, stuff like that). Also I find that UK authors of Beach Boy books seem to have an affinity for using the platform for taking shots at Ronald Reagan. Pop music analysis and shallow political commentary don’t mix very well in my opinion.

[Karen Nixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great pictures and details about the songs.

[Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps a good intro to the Beach Boys, but very sanitized.

[Randy P · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was detailed and fun journey through the history of The Beach Boys. It offers what seems to be an unbiased version of the events. How it differs from other Beach Boys biographies that I've read is the breakdown of the songs and albums themselves. Obviously, the critiques are subjective, but informative.

My only criticism is that it does seem to write the band off as strictly a nostalgia act. This would be true if they only recognized Mike Love's touring Beach Boys (Love has the rights to tour using the name). Love's version of the Beach Boys is essentially a touring jukebox. Focusing on their 60's material for the exception of "Kokomo." A fun performance, but definitely a nostalgia act.

Brian Wilson's touring act has always been more diverse with song choice. Performing hits as well as deep cuts he shows the true depth of his songwriting ability. Wilson has continued to write and record new music over the years. So he could hardly be considered a nostalgia act. But Love's lyrically contributions to the Beach Boys should not be ignored.

This book recognizes every Beach Boys member's contributions. And deservedly so. But to paraphrase, Dennis Wilson "Brian Wilson is The Beach Boys. We're his messengers."

[David Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather superficial but satisfying coffee-table sized retelling of the gnarly saga of the collective known as the Beach Boys, generously illustrated and with short reviews of group's album & (selected) single releases. I didn't always agree with the author's opinions on these works (he is another of the Surf's Up is better than Sunflower contingent, for example, and the tracks he found notable on Carl and the Passions are my least favorites, to name but a couple of instances), but after reading several of these types of bios that always promote Brian at the expense of the others, even the generally despised Mike Love, I was impressed by the even-handedness the author displays when discussing all the members and their contributions. Worth a read, especially if you can get it for 50% off like I did.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read, some glaring errors Billy Hinsche is now Al's brother in law ??? Lots of really great photos, a must for all fans of this wonderful timeless music!