Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been covering The Beach Boys’ solo careers – albeit only two of them. Brian Wilson’s solo albums of new material, starting with 1988’s self-titled record, show flashes of brilliance, although they often suffer from unflattering production jobs. His most vital solo release is his 2004 version of Smile, although it’s also rendered a little unnecessary by the 2011 archival release of The Beach Boys’ original sessions.
The other Beach Boy with a strong solo career is drummer Dennis Wilson, whose 1977 Pacific Ocean Blue is included on 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. While he was the least impressive vocalist in The Beach Boys, he was a talented songwriter, able to convey emotion in his grizzled voice.
While compiling a page, it occurred to me that there’s a song about each of The Beach Boys. It’s perhaps the first list ever made to feature The Fall and Barry Manilow in close proximity.
Brian Wilson
John Cale, of The Velvet Underground, was a fan of The Beach Boys, and penned a tribute to Wilson on his 1975 solo album Slow Dazzle.
Al Jardine
The Beach Boys’ rhythm guitarist, and lead singer on ‘Sloop John B’ was the hardest to find a song for, so I resorted to this mention of all five group members.
I love my Carl
I love my Brian my Dennis and my Al
I could even find it in my heart to love Mike Love
From ‘I Love My Car’, by Belle and Sebastian
Mike Love
Lead singer Mike Love is easily the most polarising figure in The Beach Boys. The late Mark E Smith spouted his bile at many different targets; on ‘Mike’s Love Xexagon’ he refers to Love as “the worm in the bacon of BBs.”
Carl Wilson
Carl Wilson was the Beach Boys’ lead guitarist and had their most beautiful voice – he sings lead on ‘God Only Knows’. He passed away in 1998, and Brian’s solo album Imagination features a song dedicated to his late brother. While the album’s patchy, ‘Lay Down Burden’ is heartfelt and gorgeous.
Dennis Wilson
The Beach Boys’ drummer had a string of ill-advised romances and marriages – at the time of his drowning he was married to Mike Love’s daughter.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s he dated Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie. The Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham wrote this multi-part suite about him:
Bruce Johnston
Johnston wasn’t an original member of The Beach Boys, but joined the band in 1965 to cover Brian’s parts live. He contributed to the band’s records until he left in 1972, and he’s been a member of the band since rejoining in 1978. While on hiatus from the band, he wrote this Grammy song of the year winner for Barry Manilow – so it’s in fact Bruce Johnston who writes the songs.
Am I missing any notable songs about The Beach Boys?
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God only knows how you found these. Still, some good vibrations all round.
Which album is Buckingham’s tribute on?
I found them because I Can Hear Music.
The Buckingham track is from 1984’s Go Insane, which is a record I like a lot. Kind of mid eighties synth sound, like he’d been listening to Prince.
(blush) I have it. Clearly deserves another listen.
Way back when I was listening to the Cale song I had no idea it was related. That’s how much i knew about the BB’s. Later as I got a little more aware it’s obvious. I just really like the tune and the vibe.
How about The Barenaked Ladies cut? I also liked the vibe on that one. Good Canadian guys. There’s another in my head that I can’t recall. It will come to me.
I think Harold Wilson was prime minister of the UK around that time too. It’s a good song, kind of Cale adding some Beach Boys flavour to his mid 1970s sound.
I don’t know the Barenaked Ladies at all.
I always liked Cales off the mainstream. Yeah that was a while ago when I first started listening to him. I don’t think I’ve come across anyone other than you and hotfox who gives John some ink. His Heartbreak Hotel is a spin I like.
I thought I was being to to obvious about the Wilson thing. Check out ‘Brian Wilson’ by the BL’s, I think it will be up your alley. Good band from Canada. I think it was bit of a hit but I’m the wrong guy to know.
Cale writes pretty tunes – in some ways it’s weird he’s not more popular, except he is a bit ragged sometiems, and he was in the Velvet Underground.
Did you get a chance to listen to the Barenaked Ladies ‘Brian Wilson’?
Coincedently I was visiting keepsmealive’s site and he had a take on Viv Chesnut who has a “Brian Wilson homage” song, ‘Fa-La-La’.
If you haven’t heard it, I strongly recommend checking out the Tears for Fears’ song “Brian Wilson Said” off their 1993 album Elemental. It is chillingly beautiful.
I don’t know it at all – thanks for the recommendation!
Years late to the party, but I agree with the comment above that the barenaked ladies song is excellent. Generally speaking, they aren’t my cup of tea. They can be too zany. But it’s also probably because of overexposure. I had to hear those songs on the radio and TV over and over again as a kid. But “Brian Wilson” is lovely. Interesting, playful lyrics, even a reference to Pavlov’s dog (“It’s a matter of instinct, a matter of conditioning,/A matter of fact/Ring a bell and I’ll salivate/How’d you like that?”) Especially impressive when you consider how young the songwriter was when he wrote it (20? Something like that). They also did a beautiful, understated cover of Burton Cummings’ “Lovers in a Dangerous Time” which is also worth checking out (theirs or Cockburn’s version, both are good).
I always assumed Cockburn wrote Lovers in Dangerous Times.
He did. BN’s cover came out quite a long time after it’s release.
What an interesting and cool post. This is probably before we knew each other…I would have remembered this. I was searching for some Beach Boy song a while back…and I came across a punk group called (NOT family friendly) Hogpig – F*** You Mike Love…that would be one to add to the list. After reading a couple of bios on The Beach Boys…two villians stand out in both books. Mike Love and Brian’s dad.
Oh…you once told me you wouldn’t read The Replacements bio because of what it might contain…well I never thought much of it until I read a Chuck Berry bio recently….NOW I know what you mean.
The Replacements book is cool though…they frustrate you but they are exactly what you think…
Yeah, Mike Love deserves everything he gets. Mike Love and the dad were the worst villains, although sounds like other band members had broken marriages and children to support by the mid-1960s, which was putting the pressure on Brian as well.