In the early 1960s, The Beach Boys were one of my favorite groups. I bought their albums, listened to their songs, and even though I had no interest in surfing or hot cars, The Beach Boys unique sound thrilled me.
This documentary of the rise and fall of The Beach Boys brought many of the positives and negatives of the group to light. I had no idea that Murray Wilson, father of Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, sold The Beach Boys song catalogue for only $700,000 without consulting his sons. The Beach Boys song catalogue today is worth over $100 million. There was a close bond between the brothers, but Brian Wilson’s drug use and mental problems caused rifts in the group.
My favorite part of this documentary was the scenes of Brian Wilson working with The Wrecking Crew–the best studio band ever–and directing them to produce the classic sound of “Good Vibrations.” Amazing!
The soundtrack to this documentary is also available now. If you’re a fan of The Beach Boys, don’t miss this! GRADE: A
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SOUNDTRACK:
1. Don’t Go Near the Water (A Cappella) (2:36)
2. Fun, Fun, Fun (Live/Remastered 2000) (3:13)
3. Their Hearts Were Full of Spring (Demo / Mono / Remastered 2013) (2:37)
4. Surfin’ (With Session Intro/Mono/Remastered 2013) (2:26)
5. Surfin’ Safari (Original Long Version / Mono / Remastered 2013) (2:17)
6. Surfin’ U.S.A. (2021 Stereo Mix) (2:27)
7. Little Deuce Coupe (1:40)
8. Surfer Girl (2021 Stereo Mix) (2:28)
9. In My Room (2021 Stereo Mix) (2:17)
10. Please Let Me Wonder (2007 Stereo Mix/Remastered 2012) (2:48)
11. Don’t Worry Baby (2021 Stereo Mix) (2:51)
12. Girl Don’t Tell Me (Remastered 2012) (2:20)
13. Do You Wanna Dance? (2021 Stereo Mix) (2:34)
14. I Get Around (2021 Stereo Mix) (2:13)
15. Help Me, Rhonda (2021 Stereo Mix) (2:48)
16. California Girls (Mono / Remastered 2001) (2:46)
17. Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Remastered 2012) (2:33)
18. God Only Knows (Remastered 1996) (2:55)
19. Good Vibrations (2021 Stereo Mix) (3:43)
20. You’re Welcome (2011 Smile Version) (1:07)
21. Vegetables (Remastered 2012) (2:10)
22. I Can Hear Music (2:36)
23. Forever (2:44)
24. Long Promised Road (3:32)
25. Don’t Go Near the Water (Remastered 2009) (2:40)
26. Here She Comes (2022 Mix) (5:10)
27. Wild Honey (Live at Carnegie Hall) (5:38)
28. California Saga (Big Sur) (Remastered 2000) (2:56)
29. Surfin’ U.S.A. (Live) (2:48)
30. Don’t Worry Baby (Live) (3:12)
31. Good Vibrations (Live) (4:48)
32. Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Live) (2:43)
33. A Day in the Life of a Tree (Track & Backing Vocals) (2:56)
34. Darlin’ (2021 Stereo Mix) (2:14)
35. Baby Blue Bathing Suit (Bonus Track) – Stephen Sanchez (3:15)
I’m a huge fan of the Beach Boys, especially when they were Wilson, Wilson, Wilson, Love, and Jardine! The Wilson’s father was a monster and deserves a spot in Hell! I could name a lot of songs of theirs I think are great but two that really move me are Don’t Worry, Baby and In My Room! I try to ignore all the bad stuff that happened to them later on and concentrate on the wonderful music they created!
Bob, I loved The Beach Boys from their start with songs about cars, girls, and surfing. My favorite songs are “Help Me Rhonda” and “God Only Knows.”
Don’t Worry, Baby is Jackie’s favorite. I like “Help Me Rhonda ” and several others.
Jeff, you and Jackie have great taste in The Beach Boys music!
No Disney +.
Yeah, Murry Wilson was a violent prick who deliberately sold the catagloue. Some suggest that Brian’s deafness in one ear was caused by his father hitting him there. It was very satisfying to Brian when he was able to fire his father as their manager.
Jeff, Murray Wilson was not only abusive, he was a terrible manager. Selling The Beach Boy songs for peanuts–without consulting with his sons!–was a disastrous mistake!
Jackie wants to add Sloop John B and God Only Knows.
I’d add Caroline , No.
Jeff, Paul McCartney said “God Only Knows” was a perfect song.
I don’t think we have Disney Plus, but I’ll keep looking for this because I’d love to watch it. When it comes to The Beach Boys—a group I’ve always loved—I guess the irony is, Murray Wilson was an abusive, alcoholic a**hole—but without his early pushing, The Beach Boys might well have ended up on the forgotten heap of pre-British Invasion surf bands (including a couple that Murray Wilson produced after his sons fired him).
Deb, there’s no doubt from the footage included in this documentary that Murray Wilson instilled “discipline” in The Beach Boys. But he went to extremes and damaged all of them, especially Brian Wilson. “I’m a genius, too!” he tells Brian after yelling at him.
My favorite bit of Beach Boys trivia runs to how the cast of the podcast NEVER NOT FUNNY, annoyed by (with some justice) their late minor hit “Kokomo”, were going to devote some discussion time to mocking the band, and found to their embarrassment that they actually liked or loved all the other songs they were pulling up online during the show.
And, of course, how the Beatles, particularly McCartney, felt challenged by PET SOUNDS to step up their game.
Among the hits assembled on ENDLESS SUMMER, probably my favorite that isn’t most people’s first thought is “The Warmth of the Sun”…a minor “associational” favorite, from Carl Wilson’s first solo album, is “Heaven”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBCtRge1Vyg
Hate, hate, hate “Kokomo” – the worst rhyme EVER – Port au Prince and “glimpse”? Why not GlinTZ?
Jeff, like you, I’m mystified by the popularity of “Kokomo.” But it gets played frequently on our Oldies radio station.
The band’s last high-chart hit so far? Close to, anyway.
Todd, according to this Beach Boys documentary, ENDLESS SUMMER ignited a resurgence of Beach Boys popularity…and sales!
An anthology which selected from the pre-PET SOUNDS albums and such, it was hitting a “sweet” nostalgia spot.
Todd, ENDLESS SUMMER was a nostalgia hit that sold tons of albums!
Like you, I was a big fan o the Beach Boys from the beginning, but my favorite Beach Boys song was not sung by the Beach Boys. Back more years than I care to remember, Kitty and I were at an Irish pub in Hyannis (when I say Irish, I mean it; the pub was evidently transplanted stone by stone from Ireland). The band that night was also from Ireland — good fun, typical Irish music, until…they started singing “Help Me Rhonda” with their thick Irish accents — a marvelous rendition that brought the house down. And at a table in a dark corner was Ted Kennedy, happily singing along. To this day, whenever I hear a recording of the Beach Boys singing that song I wonder why they don’t sing it in an Irish accent THEY WAY IT SHOULD BE SUNG.
(My other memory of that night was a scary trip to the men’s room where I heard this conversation: First Man: “The only good Englishman is a feckin’ dead one!” Second Man: “Yer feckin’ right!”)
Jerry, I would love to hear “Help Me Rhonda” sung with an Irish brogue!
“Hayp me, Rhonda” rather than the BB’s “Hep me, Rhonda”…Robert Silverberg’s fake language to frustrate European street hustlers, Snorsk, might come in handy in a restroom such as that. “No English, Snorsk, taller ikke.”
I’m a big fan of the Beach Boys, but not much of a fan of Mike Love. Favs are God Only Knows, Surfs Up, Don’t Worry Baby, Good Vibrations, Help Me Rhonda.
Steve, I have mixed feelings about Mike Love suing Brian Wilson because Murray Wilson screwed up.