"I Can't Feel the Beach!": The Beach Boys Album Poll

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not done before, amazingly (altho there is a thread covering this topic which is not a poll). curious to see if Pet Sounds comes in as reigning champ or if ILM contrarianism opts for less conventional choice like Sunflower or something... inspired by recent re-viewing of hilarious John Stamos TV movie

Poll Results

OptionVotes
Pet Sounds 14
Sunflower 9
Surf's Up 7
Wild Honey 6
Smiley Smile 4
Carl & the Passions 2
Friends 2
Summer Days (And Summer Nights!) 2
Today! 2
Beach Boys Christmas Album 2
Holland 1
Surfin USA 1
20/20 1
All Summer Long 1
MIU Album 0
Keepin ' the Summer Alive 0
Beach Boys 0
LA (Light Album) 0
Love You 0
15 Big Ones 0
Surfin Safari 0
Little Deuce Coup 0
Shut Down Vol 2 0
Surfer Girl 0
Summer In Paradise0


Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 10 July 2008 16:20 (seventeen years ago)

You missed out "BB Party" but never mind.

Mark G, Thursday, 10 July 2008 16:22 (seventeen years ago)

Wild Honey

kornrulez6969, Thursday, 10 July 2008 16:22 (seventeen years ago)

"Smiley Smile" ftw!

Tom D., Thursday, 10 July 2008 16:23 (seventeen years ago)

The ones I play most are prob'ly "Wild Honey", "Smiley Smile" and "Sunflower"

Tom D., Thursday, 10 July 2008 16:23 (seventeen years ago)

But "Today!" might be the best

Tom D., Thursday, 10 July 2008 16:25 (seventeen years ago)

I didn't miss nothin - studio albums only!

Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 10 July 2008 16:26 (seventeen years ago)

OK.

Although, strictly speaking, it was recorded in a studio and not round their house like they pretended...

Mark G, Thursday, 10 July 2008 16:27 (seventeen years ago)

I think I will go for the one that has no skippable/bad songs on it - not sure which one that is tho (maybe Friends or Wild Honey)

Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 10 July 2008 16:27 (seventeen years ago)

Stack-o-tracks

velko, Thursday, 10 July 2008 16:28 (seventeen years ago)

Pet Sounds. Today is #2.

dad a, Thursday, 10 July 2008 16:28 (seventeen years ago)

weird using my "no bad songs" criteria winner is actually Carl & the Passions (So Tough) and/or Pet Sounds. Although honestly I can't remember the last time I listened to Pet Sounds.

Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 10 July 2008 18:33 (seventeen years ago)

surf's up

J0rdan S., Thursday, 10 July 2008 18:33 (seventeen years ago)

If the best possible single LP version of Smile was released then it would be that. Failing that I guess I'm voting Pet Sounds.

Alex in SF, Thursday, 10 July 2008 18:39 (seventeen years ago)

pet sounds, followed by summer days/summer nights or friends. I think these are the only ones I can listen to all the way through; most other albums have at least two songs I hate.

akm, Thursday, 10 July 2008 18:40 (seventeen years ago)

Best Beach Boys studio album?

Ari, Thursday, 10 July 2008 19:14 (seventeen years ago)

That was over a year ago!

Alex in SF, Thursday, 10 July 2008 19:19 (seventeen years ago)

friends, with sunflower a close second

...shud do a poll of best bb twofers...

yungblut, Thursday, 10 July 2008 19:20 (seventeen years ago)

oh shit I didn't see that poll - did a search but didn't turn up, weird

Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 10 July 2008 19:20 (seventeen years ago)

apparently last year I voted for Sunflower. altho I really can't stand the two Bruce Johnston songs on that one.

Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 10 July 2008 19:26 (seventeen years ago)

Holland!!!

Lolpez, Thursday, 10 July 2008 19:32 (seventeen years ago)

SMiLE

Steve Shasta, Thursday, 10 July 2008 21:04 (seventeen years ago)

yeah i would vote smile, did vote wild honey

balls, Friday, 11 July 2008 01:05 (seventeen years ago)

Sunflower

Herman G. Neuname, Friday, 11 July 2008 08:14 (seventeen years ago)

voting smile is a total cop out. it's not even an album.

the next grozart, Friday, 11 July 2008 10:46 (seventeen years ago)

beach boys party is a studio album and should have been on here.

the next grozart, Friday, 11 July 2008 10:47 (seventeen years ago)

/pedant

the next grozart, Friday, 11 July 2008 10:47 (seventeen years ago)

last year two people voted for "Still Cruisin'" and "Keeping the Summer Alive". Weird!

the next grozart, Friday, 11 July 2008 10:48 (seventeen years ago)

20 Golden Greats duh

Jeff W, Friday, 11 July 2008 11:03 (seventeen years ago)

Pet Sounds is always hard to argue with

Sunflower is overrated

Friends is great

at least two post-Surf's Up albums are totally great
at least two pre-Pet Sounds albums are totally great

I always forget to vote in polls, anyhow...

dell, Friday, 11 July 2008 21:26 (seventeen years ago)

Not voting Pet Sounds feels like some kinda music-nerdier-than-thou move. Of course it's Pet Sounds.

kenan, Friday, 11 July 2008 21:51 (seventeen years ago)

I mean, so many of those records have their moments, and some have a buncha moments, but there's no better Beach Boys *album*. IMO.

kenan, Friday, 11 July 2008 21:52 (seventeen years ago)

I guess. I tend to listen to their post-Pet Sounds material way more. That counts for something.

Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 11 July 2008 21:57 (seventeen years ago)

#2 - Surf's Up, probably

kenan, Friday, 11 July 2008 22:03 (seventeen years ago)

Smiley Smile these days. Most underrated in their catalogue.

Mark Rich@rdson, Saturday, 12 July 2008 03:33 (seventeen years ago)

I think Wild Honey is the best, as in most consistent and magical, to my ears--as an album-as-album. Summer Days!! and Today are the group at their most virile. Actually, I voted for Wild Honey but my favorite, forever and always, is Love You, which is up there with the Miracles' City of Angels in my list of records that say so much more with their total lack of insight into the "real world" than any number of other more sensible records...I guess the whole BBs output is like that or gets like that more and more. I guess too that I love Pet Sounds but it's arty compared to WH and Love You's aural universes...

whisperineddhurt, Saturday, 12 July 2008 04:07 (seventeen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

ILX System, Saturday, 12 July 2008 23:01 (seventeen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

ILX System, Sunday, 13 July 2008 23:01 (seventeen years ago)

compare/contrast:

Best Beach Boys studio album?

the next grozart, Sunday, 13 July 2008 23:19 (seventeen years ago)

Beach Boys Christmas Album 2

lolz

stephen, Monday, 14 July 2008 00:34 (seventeen years ago)

meh, sunflower and surf's up are overrated!

dell, Monday, 14 July 2008 00:37 (seventeen years ago)

I didn't vote, but I would've voted for Pet Sounds. I listened to it today. Man I love You Still Believe In Me.

St3ve Go1db3rg, Monday, 14 July 2008 02:58 (seventeen years ago)

^^^^

PappaWheelie V, Monday, 14 July 2008 03:35 (seventeen years ago)

And shit, Wilson was a great arranger. The Beach Boys legacy is sullied every time someone invokes it to describe some goofy indie pop band without a smidgen of the sophistication of the BBs.

St3ve Go1db3rg, Monday, 14 July 2008 04:56 (seventeen years ago)

didn't vote, would've picked "wild honey", mainly for title track and also because of the "i was made to love her" cover. and i'm sorta burned out on "smile" and "pet sounds".

moonship journey to baja, Monday, 14 July 2008 07:48 (seventeen years ago)

Even the contrian ILM couldn't prevent "Pet Sounds" from getting its obvious top position here.

Geir Hongro, Monday, 14 July 2008 19:59 (seventeen years ago)

I mean, as much as I absolutely love "Surf's Up" and "Sunflower", you just cannot top "Pet Sounds" really.

Geir Hongro, Monday, 14 July 2008 19:59 (seventeen years ago)

True, but I still listen to them far more nowadays.

Herman G. Neuname, Monday, 14 July 2008 20:49 (seventeen years ago)

i don't get what's so great about wild honey. aural loveliness? really? maybe I should give it another shot, it just sounded like a hamfisted attempt at rock music to me.

akm, Monday, 14 July 2008 21:03 (seventeen years ago)

I can't beleive how few votes Today! got in both polls!

David Bachyrycz, Monday, 14 July 2008 21:09 (seventeen years ago)

i don't get what's so great about wild honey. aural loveliness? really? maybe I should give it another shot, it just sounded like a hamfisted attempt at rock music to me.

its their "soul" album. there's something in the liner notes about how this was "music for brian to relax with by the pool" which is a good summation of its appeal. its low-key but still energetic, it sounds like it was made by 5 guys in a rec room, and there are some pretty weird/goofy bits poking through here and there ("I'd love just once to see you... in the nude" etc.)

Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 14 July 2008 21:12 (seventeen years ago)

True, but I still listen to them far more nowadays.

So may I too, but that is because they were unavailable for ages. However, it isn't until recent years (well, the past 10 years or so) that "Pet Sounds" has been available in stereo either, and that surely brought a new dimension to that masterpiece.

Geir Hongro, Monday, 14 July 2008 22:44 (seventeen years ago)

And "Wild Honey" is of course horrible. Better than "Keepin' The Summer Alive" and "L.A", yes. But not by a lot....

Geir Hongro, Monday, 14 July 2008 22:45 (seventeen years ago)

I can't beleive how few votes Today! got in both polls!

"Today" was a great album, but I would believe those who like "Today" because of the first side would go for some singles compilation with the early stuff while those who like it because of the second side will vote for "Pet Sounds".

Geir Hongro, Monday, 14 July 2008 22:46 (seventeen years ago)

"How She Boogalooed It" is the only really weak song on Wild Honey and even that is at least partly redeemed by a totally fun farfisa solo

Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 14 July 2008 23:21 (seventeen years ago)

they're cover of "I Was Made to Love Her" is better than the original imho, but I don't really go in for Li'l Stevie Wonder

Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 14 July 2008 23:22 (seventeen years ago)

their

Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 14 July 2008 23:22 (seventeen years ago)


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