|
| |
The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band
by Keith Badman
A must for avid Beach Boy fans.
Keith Badman's “The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band on Stage and in the Studio” is a major work of rock n' roll history. As the title indicates, it charts the performing, recording and personal lives of the group. Perhaps partly due to space considerations, the book gives detailed coverage only for the years 1961 to 1976. The author devotes a few pages to the years preceding 1961, and gives a more extended summary of the years after 1976 - a period which included the group's last number one hit, “Kokomo,” in 1988; the deaths of band members Carl and Dennis Wilson and the legal wrangling about the use of the Beach Boys name. For the 1961-1976 timeframe, the book lists each of the band's concerts and media performances - often citing newspaper reviews and reactions of band members. One highlight is a blow-by-blow account of the Beach Boys disastrous 1968 tour with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. That same year, Charles Manson became part of the Beach Boys' circle through his association with Dennis Wilson.
The group's leader, Brian Wilson, considered one of the most important song writers in rock n' roll history, wrote hit after hit (e.g., “California Girls,” “Fun, Fun, Fun,” and “Good Vibrations”), which became anthems of the California surfing mythology. Early on, Brian took control of the group's musical arrangements and the production of Beach Boy recordings. Brian started to pass up some performances as early as 1963 and, by 1965, he had stopped touring with the Beach Boys in order to concentrate on studio work. His music grew more sophisticated and he soon produced “Pet Sounds,” one of the earliest “concept” albums. Brian's work culminated with recording sessions for a project called “Smile,” which was not finished at that time due to his health and psychological problems. Badman's book includes a fascinating chronicle of these and the group's other recording sessions. The reader soon sees that the Beach Boys were actually a two-part operation with the group often on tour and Brian in the studio with session musicians putting together tracks for the next album.
Interestingly, it was not until 2004 that Brian completed the “Smile” album, which was released to wide acclaim.
The book has a number of appendices, most notably: a list of Brian Wilson's solo concerts from 1995-2004; a Beach Boys “Selected US/UK discography” for the years 1961-1976; and a song recording index. There is also a concert location index that helped me pinpoint information about the first two times I saw the Beach Boys in 1966 and 1974. Unfortunately, the book does not have a general index. Saving the best until last, the book includes numerous photographs of the group throughout its lengthy history. This volume is a must for Beach Boys aficionados and anyone interesting in the history of rock n' roll.
Title: The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band
Author: Keith Badman
Publisher: Backbeat Books
ISBN: 0879308184
Review written by: William Keogan
Reviewer's Rating:8.5
Reader's Rating: 3.00
Reader's Votes: 2
Talk to other readers about this story.
|
|
|
|
|
|
