I’m doing something I’ve never done before. I’m writing about the Beach Boys TV special as it airs.
-Tom Hanks opens with a very nice, simple intro about growing up in California and experiencing the development of the Beach Boys from surf songs to the sophisticated work on albums like “Pet Sounds.” Tom Hanks should introduce everything on television.
–Little Big Town sings “Help Me Rhonda” and reminds me of my chief grievance with this type of program. As a tribute to The Beach Boys, we have two hours of hearing people that aren’t The Beach Boys sing their songs. I would sooner watch two hours of old clips, Or heck, how about The Beach Boys perform?! They still tour, if in fragmented assemblages. Anyway, Little Big Town is example number one of Modern Country Acts Stink. At their own songs and the songs of others.
-John Stamos does a very nice love letter to the band. We cut to a balcony where The Beach Boys are introduced. Mike Love and Brian Wilson are in different zip codes. I think they threw in a few old members of The Dave Clark Five just to widen the gap.
-Weezer sings “California Girls.” Respectable.
-Jimmy Jam introudces John Legend who sings “Sail On Sailor.” Best performance thus far. It is possible to stamp your own, shall we say, vibe on these timeless songs. And much more admirable than some of the karaoke renditions that are doubtlessly forthcoming.
-Hanson, a group of singing brothers, show some respect to the Beach Boys, who were of course largely a brother group. Then they sing Barbara Ann. It’s a karaoke version, but honestly they drew the short straw with this song. It was a cover of an old Regents song on the hastily-produced “Beach Boys Party” album. The early Beach Boys songs, much like the early Beatles songs, were beautifully simple. But that makes cover versions seem washed-out. The later material is more open to interpretation and re-interpretation.
“[Brian Wilson’s] insight into the adolescent heart was really the deepest of anybody out there.” -Bruce Springsteen
“The tone of the voices was so beautiful…like a classical choir in a way.” -Elton John
Brandi Carlile sings “In My Room.” Modern Country Acts Stink. And the backup vocals…just so sappy and overdone. Save it for the Grand Old Slopry.
Charlie Puth sings “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.” Beautiful song, really nice vocal. And the backing vocals are appropriately Beach Boys-ish. Might be my favorite thus far. Close tie with “Sail On Sailor.”
(P.S.: I introduce Charlie Puth records in my side hustle as disc jockey for St. Joe’s Hit Music Station, K-Jo 105-5. The way recording the show works, I only hear the first few seconds or last few seconds of a record. So tonight, I heard a full Charlie Puth performance for the first time.)
Michael McDonald and Take Five sing “Don’t Worry Baby.” Okay, I’ll admit this took me a moment to warm up to. To hear Michael McDonald’s voice coming out of that song…it’s like hearing a 45 record set on 33. But you know what? He’s still got it! And Take Five sounded great as well… after seeing this I am ever more jealous that Gles is going to see the reunited Doobie Brothers this summer! (But I’m going to see Earth Wind and Fire. And probably Tommy James and the Shondells.)
Members of the band discuss the creation of “Warmth of the Sun”, which is performed by Norah Jones. Norah Jones, of course, is terrific. But I’m not a big fan of the arrangement, which is kind of swingy-loosey-goosey. And honestly, the backstory for this song, and the hauntingly beautiful Four Freshmen-style harmonies the boys put into it….I just don’t think anyone’s cover performance would satisfy me.
“Do It Again” is performed by Foster The People. Excuse me while I Google that. Okay, they’re an indie pop band. The lead singer is Mike Love-ing the heck out of it, and the backing vocals and arrangement are legit. This is a good one.
A lovely clip from long ago features Brian Wilson discussing the creation of “Surfer Girl”. You can tell it’s a really old clip because Mike Love is in the same zip code as Brian.
Lady A (the artists formerly known as Lady Antebellum) sing “Surfer Girl.” Modern Country Acts Stink. (And, please, let me be clear: I know millions of people love these acts…but hearing country artists sing rock and roll songs gives me the dry heaves.)
Drew Carey pops in to salute the late Dennis Wilson, “the beating rock and roll heart of the band.”
Fallout Boy sings “Do You Wanna Dance?” There is no attempt to mimic the Beach Boys sound here…it’s just a solid, energetic rock and roll performance. Just the thing to pull the audience out of mass narcilepsy following Lady A.
The CEO of the recording academy makes a speech.
Brian Wilson discusses the decision to record “Sloop John B”. Then Beck sings it. Never was lyric better matched with vocalist than “I feel so broke up, I wanna go home” and Beck. It’s a great rendition! And major kudos to whoever that flute player was…sounded note-for-note like the start of the record…
Leann Rimes sings “Caroline, No.” Beautifully. With a perfectly lovely backing arrangement.
Mumford and Sons sing “I Know There’s An Answer” from the Pet Sounds LP. For just a fleeting moment the camera cuts to the Beach Boys in their balcony. Boy, do those guys look uncomfortable. They look like people who may be called up to give testimony on “Judge Judy” instead of the creators of some of the world’s greatest music. I count myself indescribably lucky to have seen the Beach Boys 50th anniversary tour with Mike Love, Brian Wilson, Bruce Johnston, David Marks and Al Jardine. That tour was a landmark in rock and roll history, and some kind of damn miracle, because these guys have not had functional relationships for….years and years. Mike Love resented Brian and preferred to ping across the country playing casinos, county fairs and such as “The Beach Boys” with maybe one or two other original band members. Brian did high-profile tours in large venues playing the entirety of “Smile” or “Pet Sounds”. Somehow they all got together for the 50th tour, but almost immediately after the tour finished the band members went their seperate ways.
Andy Grammer sings “Darlin’.” Or shouts it.
Saint Vincent sings “You Still Believe In Me”. Saint Vincent is wearing a leaf bag. And I think she’s doing an impression of Carol Burnett’s old Nora Desmond character.
My Morning Jacket sings “I Get Around.” Another decent rock performance. The lead vocalist is no great shakes, but the total package is pretty good. Nice guitar work!
A nice clip sequence of the band discussing their harmonies leads into Pentatonix singing “Heroes and Villians.” I’d have preferred them singing “Warmth Of The Sun” in the classic harmony tradition of the original record. But then I was reminded that Pentatonix is about 50% vocal harmony combo, 50% sideshow act, with the members not just singing but also doing percussion and other effects.
Luke Spiller and Taylor Momsen sing “Surfin’ USA” and “Fun Fun Fun”. My ears are bleeding. The male of the two seems to be doing a Branson-level Mick Jagger impersonation. The female is just…there.
Beck returns with Jim James to sing “Good Vibrations”. And it’s pretty darn good! Especially considering what a complex song it is. Kudos to the live band playing some very retro looking instruments.
Brandi Carlisle and John Legend wrap things up with a lovely rendition of “God Only Knows”.
Final thoughts:
-My primary opinion is unchanged. If you want to give two hours of network TV time to salute a band, show us THEM singing. I have a hard time believing My Morning Jacket fans tune in in droves to hear the band play a cover of one Beach Boys song. But fans of the band being saluted would most certainly make plans to watch if the show featured the band itself.
-Throughout the show there were cuts to audience shots, with a lot of pretty young looking people dancing and having a grand old time. Now, I do genuinely believe that the music of the Beach Boys reaches across all demographic categories. But I also know that there are firms in Los Angeles whose entire existence is to fill studios (or other venues being taped for television) with warm bodies. When my friends and I went to see a taping of “Family Feud” there were small sections of seating directly on-camera. As the taping went on we realized that the people in the on-camera seating were being paid to be an audience, and the show’s announcer rode herd on them all through the taping.
–Previous blogging on the subject, and a recommendation for a couple of great documentaries.