Discuss & Rate Beach Boys Songs Day by Day

I suppose Carl and David's voices were considered still undeveloped, given their ages at the time. Dennis had a good few years on them. In the sleeve notes to "Summer Days" Brian is still remarking on Carl's reluctance to take lead vocals.

Also they were probably trying to capitalize on Dennis's heart-throb factor.

 

i ended up getting the 5 disc collectors set. i have been enjoying the change.
cheers mate

 

Was Dennis already a heartthrob? I know they had a couple of fairly successful singles before the release of this album, but I was under the impression that Surfin' Safari was recorded when most of America had no idea who these guys were.

It is interesting that Denny got the lead on "Little Miss America." Perhaps they just thought it suited his voice well? It certainly does. I mean, Brian barely sings lead on this record. They were really operating with Mike as the lead singer at this point.

 

Little Miss America:

While this song probably would have been a good choice for a single the reason for that is the exact reason that I'm a bit ho-hum on the song: it's basically just a generic pop song, and the most interesting thing about it is that it's sung by a kid who sounds like a kid.

It gains charm when I think of the gruff-voiced bearded rock and roll animal that romped in the future. But in the end, I'm only giving it a 2/5.

 

I feel Dennis got the lead because Carl's voice was still changing and I also think that at this point Carl was more interested in rocking the lead guitar role than singing. And perhaps Dennis just sounded best on this particular song.

 

Miss America

Great vocal from Dennis. 4/5

 

Little Girl (You’re My Miss America):
Dennis actually sounds good on here, but it’s fairly unremarkable otherwise, very by the numbers musically.

2/5

 

Little Girl (You're My Miss America)
Herb Alpert/Vincent Catalano

If I never read the credits to see who composed what, this would never be a song I would have placed as a cover. This surely is a testament to how Brian, even in 1962, was already learning how to re-arrange songs to tailor suit them to the band. It's very simplistic musically and the harmonies we associate with The Beach Boys are virtually non-existent. Mike's bass vocals are much more confident here than they have been on the previous handful of songs ("You're my, Miss America")
Dennis Wilson's first lead vocal is the song's clear highlight, which at the very least raises the level of historic interest. Almost ironically, Denny seems to be the most assured lead vocalist on the 'Surfin Safari' album. Mike can't seem to make his mind up on what type of vocal signature he wants to use, and Brian's falsetto wavers all over the place on 'Cuckoo Clock'.
3/5
(but only just)

 

Nice early vocal from Dennis. Yeah, I mean, Mom had to make.them put Denny in the band but he's already getting a lead vocal showcase. Harmless song, I don't mind it. 3/5

 

I'm just guessing that from their earliest shows it was clear he was going to be popular with the girls.

 

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Today's song is 409:

 

409 - 3/5
It really is a charming song, but clearly they hadn't got to the greatness of Little Deuce Coupe and I Get Around at this point.

 

409
Probably their first really good car song. As Watamushi mentioned, there are better ones to come and this feels a bit like a dress rehearsal for them, but it's a fun song. The giddy-ups make it.

3/5

 

409 is a good little rock song and the guys are honing there craft here. To me it is very american (not meant in a derogatory way, purely observational)
3/5

 

409

Dennis is prominent in the background vocal stew to good effect. 4/5

 

409
4/5

I'm probably being too generous with this -- in reality, I'd give it 3.5, but I am rounding up. But it's got all the elements of a great early Beach Boys song.

There is something so masculine, in a dorky, utterly unselfconsciously non-sexual way, about early Beach Boys songs. The gear talk, the subject matter: this song is like a monologue: Mike Love enters stage right and addresses the audience, regaling them with tales about how fine his 409 is, culminating in an almost orgasmic "my four-speed dual-quad posi-traction 409." I totally knew dudes like that in high school, these guys that would brag to you about their Camaro and how awesome it was or whatever. It's so laughably juvenile, yet it was a real thing and really was and probably still is a piece of the patchwork quilt that made up 20th century American teen culture. I love the fact that those car dorks from high school got immortalized in songs like this one....I mean, who really gives a **** about cars? I don't, but these guys do; and Wilson and Usher captured them pretty well.

Musically I dig it too, though their harmonies would sound better; and I like the sloppy Berry-esque guitar solo that neatly plugs the instrumental break.

 

409 (Pop Charts: US No.76)
Brian Wilson/Gary Usher/Mike Love

The B-Side of their second single, and the earliest of a fair number of great Beach Boys car songs to come, it's a testament to how good Brian's instincts were becoming that he was able to wrap such a fantastic melody around Usher's complex lyrics. I'm not much of a car enthusiast but I can sing along to just about every word of this, the verses that centered around car bragging becoming almost comical in their level of 'gobble-de-gook' complexity. (Something it's close cousin, 'Shut Down' would go even further with in the following year)

It's incredible how a song that has lyrics like "four speed dual quad posi-traction four-oh-nine" can also be so commercial sounding and inviting to the listener. The vocal harmonies are much more competent this time around and Mike delivers a nice lead with some of his trademark swagger. The icing on the cake are the 'revving up' sound effects of a car's engine. At 2:02 long this track is light, breezy and to the point, and even after 100's of listens it's still an invigorating listen. An early car classic, that showed that Brian and his group had a lot more to offer than just a few surfing songs.
4/5

 

Car "Dorks" ?? It's still a very serious hobby with many older guys too, not just high schoolers.
No different than us going back & forth bragging about our turntables, tube amps, or whatever.
Nice attitude Lance Lasalle - Geez.

 

5/5. You can already hear traces of "Surf's Up" and "Till I Die."

 

Sorry, I truly meant no offense but was merely trying to express how I feel about the song. You are right, it is no different from any other hobby -- and that's how I meant it. I could charaterize myself as a "dork" or "nerd" in many ways: the difference is, I know that I mean no offense when I use the word. I left the silly judgements of high school behind decades ago.

Feel free to call me a "book nerd" or what have you: it would be true. Though I prefer afficianado of books: it has more syllables, but means the same thing, to me.

 

No problem - I apologize for taking offense. Forget it.
I should have let it go - All Good!

 

I'll give "409" a 4/5.
It's a double "A" side 45 for sure - to me anyway!!

 

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Today's song is Surfin':