Five Favorite Beach Boys songs

[Fenris]

I'm a Brian Wilson fan and like the artsy, non-surfin' Beach Boys stuff far, far better than the surf/girls/cars stuff. This list wouldn't change as quickly as my Beatles list, but that said:

1) Good Vibrations
2) Help Me Rhonda-Even though the first line is unintelligible*
3) California Girls
4) God Only Knows
5) Vegetables (because it's stuck in my head. This will probably change fairly soon)

You?


*
Well since you put me down, th..mumble.ow..mumble....ed
I come in late at night and in the morning I just stay in bed
Dave Barry suggests that the mumbled part is "Well since you put me down, there's been owls sleepin' in my head"

...which, frankly, makes a bit more sense than the actual lyrics "Well since you put me down, I've been out doin' in my head". Guys? You need a verb. "I've been out thinking in my head" or "out crying in my head".

[Borborygmi]

It's the thread that demanded to be created! I'll go with...

1) Good Vibrations (this should be on everyone's list)
2) God Only Knows (love this song. This and GV are the only gimmes for me)
3) Sloop John B
4) All Summer Long
5) Wendy

[3acres]

1. Fun, Fun, Fun
2. Little Deuce Coupe
3. 409
4. I Get Around
5. Wouldn't It Be Nice

If any of these aren't Beach Boys songs, just blame it on brain damage.

[The Superhero]

Originally Posted by Fenris

...which, frankly, makes a bit more sense than the actual lyrics "Well since you put me down, I've been out doin' in my head". Guys? You need a verb. "I've been out thinking in my head" or "out crying in my head".

Hey, "doin'" is a perfectly cromulent verb. It's verbalicious. It doesn't make a lick of sense, but you have to admit that "to do" is, indeed, a verb.

And intelligibility isn't all that important. I can't decipher 75% of the Kingsmen's "Louie, Louie," and it's one of the best rock songs ever.

As to the question at hand:

1. Good Vibrations
2. God Only Knows
3. Fun, Fun, Fun
4. California Girls
5. Be True to Your School

[Fromage A Trois]

I mostly prefer the surf/cars/girls stuff. Because I was into The Beach Boys when I was under 10, when the simplicity of the subject matter appealed to me. In fact, the girls bit is probably stretching it. It wasn't the musical ability I liked, it was the fun song about fun things that I liked (and still do).

1. Fun, Fun, Fun
2. Do It Again
3. California Girls
4. Barbara Ann
5. Dance, Dance, Dance

And that hasn't left space for 409, Little Deuce Coupe, Surfin' USA or Surfin' Safari. I'm going to have to go and listen to these now.

[Caprese]

1) In My Room

2) I Get Around

3) Good Vibrations

4) All Summer Long

5) Fun Fun Fun

[hakuna matata]

1. California Girls
2. Kokomo
3. Salt Lake City (only cause I grew up there and I couldn't believe they wrote a song about SLC.)
4. Good Vibrations
5. God Only Knows (have no idea why, but for some reason I like this song)

[BarbarianAtTheGate]

1) Kokomo
2) Help Me Rhonda
3) Good Vibrations
4) California Girls
5) Barbara Ann

For me, Kokomo is the only BB song that really stands out. Much better than everything else they did, IMHO.

[Fromage A Trois]

Originally Posted by hakuna matata

5. God Only Knows (have no idea why, but for some reason I like this song)

Har! (Un?)intentional song/comment match!

[Rebo]

1. Good Vibrations
2. Kokomo
3. California Girls
4. Surfer Girl
5. Little Deuce Coupe

Lots more - Barbara Ann, for example. Who can't get into "ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-barba-an?" It's a fun song!

[Fenris]

Originally Posted by Dolores Reborn

Lots more - Barbara Ann, for example. Who can't get into "ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-barba-an?" It's a fun song!

There's a pretty obscure musical called "Blondel" set in England, 1189. It's narrated by monks singing the narration slightly Broadway-ized Gregorian Chant. As they end the opening narration, they wrap up with a sort of prayer thing...until one of the monks starts singing: beh-beh-beh-beh-benedictus and the other monks join in in a sort of barbershop harmony.

Really funny musical moment.

[Zeener Diode]

1. Good Vibrations
2. God Only Knows
3. California Girls
4. Little Surfer Girl
5. Sloop John B

[Radical Edward]

1) Good Vibrations
2) Kokomo
3) Barbara Ann
4) I Get Around
5) California Girls

[Katriona]

1) Wendy ('cause that's my name)
2) Be True to Your School
3) Little Duece Coupe
4) In My Room
5) God Only Knows

[Fromage A Trois]

Originally Posted by Katriona

1) Wendy ('cause that's my name)

Do you hurt people so bad?

[Katriona]

Originally Posted by Fromage A Trois

Do you hurt people so bad?

Hahahahahaha - when I was little my parents used to tell me I was named after the song.

Nowadays I like to ask them if they really listened to the lyrics. That Wendy sounds a bit of a 'ho!

[Doyle]

God Only Knows
Wouldn't Be Nice
California Girls
Barbara Ann
Help Me Rhonda

[Lo-Slung Denim]

1) Don't Worry Baby
2) Good Vibrations
3) Caroline, No
4) Sloop John B
5) Heroes and Villains

Oh I love Don't Worry Baby. It's possibly my favourite song ever.
(at the moment...)

[Meurglys]

So many to whittle it down from...

God Only Knows
Wouldn't it be Nice
Deirdre
Surf's Up
Caroline, No

But I'll have changed my mind within minutes...

[Khampelf]

My Dad was a BB fan when I was growing up, so all these are evoking memories. I liked them because they sang about cars, not just girls and love and mushy stuff uninteresting to an 8-year old.

1. California Girls. - I put this on a mix tape with a california theme when I was moving out there.

2. Little Honda. - What 8 year old doesn't want a motorcycle?
3. 409 - If they've already sold this song for a cleaner commercial, I don't want to hear about it.
4. Shut down. - Ooooh, a car race even! My 8 year old self was all about that.
5. Good Vibrations. - Cuz Dad sang it, I guess. He didn't sing much, must be a great song.

[Carolina Blonde]

1. "God Only Knows" - The best example of Carl Wilson's voice, and my favorite song of all time.
2. "Surfs Up" - The "columnated ruined domino" line still sends chills down by back.
3. "California Girls" - Just a fun, sing-along with the windows down kind of song.
4. "Good Vibrations" - The list wouldn't be complete without this song; although I am more partial to the earlier versions (see "Smile" album).
5. "Kokomo" - My list wouldn't be complete without this song. I was a complete Beach Boys groupie from the age of 7 until 14, and this is the song that started the obsession.

[The Second Stone]

Don't Worry Baby
God Only Know
Sloop John B
Fun, Fun, Fun
Help Me Rhonda