Beach Boys Wild Honey Is Massively Underrated

I became familiar with Wild Honey as part of a twofer with 20/20 that I bought in the 70s. Loved it then, love it now. Listen to it more than any other BB album including Pet Sounds. To me, it captures them being Beach Men for the first time without giving up their youthful enthusiasm. But, given its length - I think of it more as their best album side....

 

I like it better than Smiley Smile, put it that way.

 

It’s one of my favorite 3 BB albums. Pet Sounds->Smiley Smile->Wild Honey were a great run and never were topped before or after by any other BB album IMO.

 

I'd love to see you, in the nude!

I had to do a double take on that one, hilarious

and then the last song, definitely "wild"

 

If you have the stereo, you have the mono. They’re both on the same disc, so it should be easy enough to compare.

 

He only had the mono album and wanted to know how good the stereo mix is, so I told him to see it for himself because you know, those things are subjective. I like both.

 

IIRC, Christgau gave it a great review. so did Rolling Stone. I don't think it's underrated by anyone who's listened to it. It's just underheard, like most of their late 60's stuff.

 

The Beach Boys weren't considered particularly too groovy at the time 'Wild Honey ' was released and the title track only managed to creak it's way to # 31 as a single ( the group's lowest charter up to that time ).
But it's a groovy album nevertheless. It's only true fault is its length.

 

To Steve: If the original stereo is fake (I don't have that one but I know what electronically reprocessed stereo albums sound like thanks to the Rolling Stones records from the mid 1960s), AND the version of Wild Honey on the twofer from 1975 sounds better than the original mono version, is it safe to say that the version from the 1975 twofer is the real mono mix just like on the green Capitol label version you mention?

I ask this because --and I swear! -- that version on the twofer does indeed sound slightly punchier in the drums than the drums on the original mono version.

 

I prefer it to Smiley Smile, though not to Friends (which I thought was shorter) or 20/20. Although I like to think of the 3 of them making one helluva double album. Let The Wind Blow is one of their all-time greats though.

 

Ha ha, yeah that 1 minute and 9 seconds of Mama Says, completely unnecessary

 

Steve, it doesn't strike me as fake stereo, but I may be mistaken. Wouldn't I listen for that canned echo effect on my earphones to verify that it's the fake stereo? When I played with the left and right balance, I didn't hear that phony separation. It just didn't sound like fake stereo, but I'll listen to it again. It sounded much like the 1967 mono album but just a bit punchier in the drums. My 1967 copy is a fine a copy as well; it doesn't look beat into the ground and so I'm using that one as my baseline to try and find that elusive real mono copy that you mentioned earlier.

 

No matter— I screwed up and misspoke. I went downstairs tonight to listen to WH and was looking for it amongst my stereo/mono disks, only to find that it was embedded in the Sunshine Tomorrow set.

 

Brian didn’t step away from Wild Honey. He’s all over that record. Listen again

 

Agreed

 

Not by true BB fans, anyways. We know the real deal

 

I think they both have charms.
The stereo remix was done quite well, in my opinion. I typically am not fond of most stereo remixes of Beach Boys stuff. This one stays true to the feel of the mono mix, whole opening things up. Naturally, it’s revisionism, but done respectfully without taking liberties. The stereo mix’s Charm is that it sounds not quite so low-fi and more professional. Mono mix, more low-fi and back to basics. My 2 cents.

And up through 1968, I like my BB’s in mono.

 

Great homemade album played entirely by our heroes! Lots of organ, acoustic guitars, detuned piano, bass drum/snare/tom and not a ride or crash cymbal strike to be heard! In fact only a high hat used here and there.
I thought I read or saw an interview where Bruce played bass copying Brian piano bass lines on a lot of the songs. Electric guitars yes but not a single guitar lead lick! Theremin too of course! Some really great songs with Carl and Brian doing most if not all the leads.
Truly music “to cool out by” as Carl said. A very relaxing album......poof !

 

Is the Sunshine Tomorrow album worth getting? I've actually never heard Wild Honey.

I thought I owned it but just checked today and I cancelled the order for some reason. I think it was a busy time for new releases.

 

This forum is a tiny microcosm of the world. To the average music buyer, yes it's extremely underrated.

 

It certainly is worth it, if you like Wild Honey.

 

Your probably right, but to some, myself included this forum is at about 50% of ones music conversation.
For me, the rest is with local friends and few have any appreciation for The Boys.