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Topic ClosedShould the Beach Boys be considered Proto?

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Padraic View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 24 2014 at 19:20
*whoosh*
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 25 2014 at 00:50
LOL 
What?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 25 2014 at 01:05
Originally posted by NYSPORTSFAN NYSPORTSFAN wrote:

Originally posted by SteveG SteveG wrote:

Originally posted by Kati Kati wrote:

Originally posted by SteveG SteveG wrote:



Should the Beach Boys be considered Proto Prog because of Brian Wilson's employment of suite like movements and sophisticated lush musical arrangements for Pet Sounds?





Not necessary SteveG
I don't think they were original enough in their music or sound to classify them as the above.

The melody of The Beach Boys’ classic ‘Surfin’ USA’ is almost identical to the melody of Chuck’s 1958 classic ‘Sweet Little Sixteen’. They sounded so alike in fact that The Beach Boys had to give Berry co-writing credit in order to avoid a lawsuit. A profitable experience in the end for Mr. Berry.

We hear Beatles influence in The beach boys however the Beatles and many of the Band's influences were American in origin. Chuck Berry was perhaps the most fundamental progenitor of the Beatles' sound. They recorded covers of "Roll Over Beethoven" and "Rock And Roll Music" early on and many other Berry classics were in their live repertoire. Chuck Berry's influence is also heard (in altered form) on later recordings such as "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey" (1968) and "Come Together" (1969) (when "Come Together" from Abbey Road was released, the owner of Chuck Berry's copyrights sued John Lennon for copyright infringement of his song "You Can't Catch Me", after which the two reached an amicable settlement, the terms of which included an agreement that Lennon cover some Chuck Berry songs as a solo artist).

Also copied as follows from wiki: In 1973, "Come Together" was the subject of a lawsuit brought against Lennon by Big Seven Music Corp. (owned by Morris Levy) who was the publisher of Chuck Berry's "You Can't Catch Me". Levy contended that it sounded similar musically to Berry's original and shared some lyrics (Lennon sang "Here come ol' flattop, he come groovin' up slowly" and Berry's had sung "Here come a flattop, he was movin' up with me"). Before recording, Lennon and McCartney deliberately slowed the song down and added a heavy bass riff in order to make the song more original.[14] After settling out of court, Lennon promised to record three other songs owned by Levy.[15] A primitive version of "Ya Ya" with Lennon and his son Julian was released on the album Walls and Bridges in 1974. "You Can't Catch Me" and another version of "Ya Ya" were released on Lennon's 1975 album Rock 'n' Roll, but the third, "Angel Baby", remained unreleased until after Lennon's death. Levy again sued Lennon for breach of contract, and was eventually awarded $6,795. Lennon countersued after Levy released an album of Lennon material using tapes that were in his possession and was eventually awarded $84,912.96. The album was called Roots.

Hugs
Excellent essay on 'borrowing' influences, Katy. But unlike Surfin' USA and Come Together, Pet Sounds, at least to my ears, has no other obvious Pop or Rock "n" Roll influences. Perhaps the "long hairs" can hear Classical influences but that ability is way beyond me. I feel that Pet Sounds, even if it was derived from Surf Music, is pretty unique and original. Just like you.


I love Pet Sounds but it's easy to see Brian Wilson was influenced by Phil Spector "Wall of Sound" production.

I mean hasn't anyone noticed that Pet Sounds is built on Phil Spector layering of different instruments. Phil Spector mentored Brian Wilson let's not forget that.

What Brian Wilson did like every great musician is take his influences and brand it into their own style.   


Hello :) NYSPORTSFAN
I was not aware that Phil Spector mentored Brian Wilson. I do know that Wilson was obsessed with Spector. I am not sure but I also think Spector never produced anything for The Beach Boys.
Hugs

SteveG, to be honest I don't know enough the beach boys, especially pet sounds, you peaked my interest now, I must go back and listen to those tracks! Thank you! Hugs    

Edited by Kati - September 25 2014 at 01:09
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 25 2014 at 10:11
^I'm glad I stired your intrerrest in Pet Sounds again, Kati, as that was the ultimate aim of this post.

Btw, It was good to see someone expand on The Beatles' influences for a change instead of who The Beatles influenced. Aside fron Chuck Berry, I would like to add the Everly Brothers for influencing The Beatles with their harmonies and Buddy Holly and The Crickets for influencing The Beatles with their music as well as their name. The Crickets vs. The Beatles (beetles). Many hugs to you, too. Hug


Edited by SteveG - September 25 2014 at 10:19
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 25 2014 at 10:22
Originally posted by Dean Dean wrote:

There is no wall, The Beach Boys are not Proto Prog. 

end of trail from east
"End of the Trail" by James Earle Fraser

I'm guessing this was intentional, but for anyone else,



"Surf's Up"
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 25 2014 at 10:30
^Yes indeed Steve. Just another post that keeps this thread going. Carl and Denis are very happy right now.

(to be honest, Denis is always happy)


Edited by SteveG - September 25 2014 at 10:34
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 25 2014 at 11:03
I can't wait for the reviews of "Kokomo" to start rolling in.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 25 2014 at 12:13

Originally posted by HolyMoly HolyMoly wrote:


Originally posted by Dean Dean wrote:


There is no wall, The Beach Boys are not Proto Prog. 
end of trail from east
"End of the Trail" by James Earle Fraser

I'm guessing this was intentional, but for anyone else,"Surf's Up"
Surfs Up is the title track to the above 1971 album by The Beach Boys that was a reworking of one of the ill fated Smile album tracks and, ironically, is as far from a Surf Music song that you can get with just piano and a mournful Brian Wilson vocal with philosphical lyrics about aging, change and finality, so that the lyrics and the cover art have a  true connection. The composition (co-written with Van Dyke Parks) is considered Wilson's best and equal with McCartney's Hey Jude and Lennon's A Day In The Life by many critics. Sorry, but we're not quite at Kokomo yet.

Edited by SteveG - September 25 2014 at 14:02
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 25 2014 at 13:25
Originally posted by Dean Dean wrote:

Moon Safari ... formed in 2003 ... ah... if I have to explain why that example is so compete in its irrelevance then we might as well add Backstreet Boys to Experimental/Post Experimental, the Beastie Boys to Krautrock and then call it a day.
LOL (of course I was joking Wink)
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 25 2014 at 14:01
Originally posted by SteveG SteveG wrote:

@clemofNazerath: OMG! Well I posted the question so I guess I have to summarize.

I posted the question and right off got many member's posts that said "no way" to the question.

I appealed on behalf of Pet Sounds technical achievements but was told that was of no account and that PS is a pop album.

So, I summarized PS's musical achievements and the various instrumentation used after someone referred to Good Vibrations as Surf Music with a Theremin.

Still with me?

I listed one of the instruments used as a Theremin instead of Electro-Theremin and Dean took offense as he loves real life Theremins.

I'm not sure if this was before or after I accidently referred to Sgt. Pepper's as Revolver and then had to straighten that out.

Simple mistakes are killing me! But they were still my mistakes. So...

I posted a "Progressive Roots" list from a Swedish music site called Rockprog.com that listed Pet Sounds as one of its "Important Albums" for that category.

But to make things easy for me, I listed the first five albums by number (one down to five) but someone objected as it looked a bit croaked so I posted the entire list chronologically (12 albums I think) as the Rockprog.com site had done. (it looked even better!)

Then, for fun, I compiled a combined the PA and Rockprog "Proto Prog" list with a couple of suggestions from a PA member, as I thought the thread was on it's last leg.

And now we are here. But for some reason the thread keeps going and going. The Beach Boys are haunting this site, I think, until PA lists them as Proto.

 
Thanks for the summary Steve, sorry I'm such a lazy participant in this conversation. Embarrassed
 
I can't decide if I have an opinion one way or another on this, but I seem to recall reading quotes from Ian McDonald and one of Atlantic's A&R guys saying the Beach Boys (and particularly Pet Sounds) was one of the early progressive rock influences. I'm sure these have been mentioned earlier in the thread, but there certainly seems to be at least a plausible justification for including them as a proto-prog band. Then again, I spend most of my time pining away on flute, sitar and acoustic noodling these days, so what do I know?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 25 2014 at 14:04
11 pages and Steve's relentless support yet still no admission into the proto prog hall of fame.
 
Ouch
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 25 2014 at 14:09
^A wise man once said "It's the journey that's important, not the destination."

But damn, my feet are tired!

Edited by SteveG - September 25 2014 at 14:16
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 25 2014 at 14:42
Originally posted by dr wu23 dr wu23 wrote:

11 pages and Steve's relentless support yet still no admission into the proto prog hall of fame.
 

Ouch


So if Steve believes the sandy dudes to be proto prog, and still does, after 11 pages, they should naturally be included in PA?
Just for the record: the admin team, who evaluates acts for related and proto, have never seen a formal suggestion made by a special collaborator. If we do, we will of course take it from there.
Sure, I have already stated my position on this, but I am not the only admin around.
Either way, folks are very much welcome to discuss these matters further. Just don't expect them to be added on account of a thread and maybe three people advocating their supposed proto-prog credentials

Edited by Guldbamsen - September 25 2014 at 14:43
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 25 2014 at 18:55
^As I've stated before David, the aim of this thread for me was to bring light on the Pet Sounds album and it's defferentiation from Surf Music. Again, I knew going in that the chance of actually getting the BBs listed as Proto was as good as nil. Sometimes there's more important things then assigning music groups a place on a list. And just for the record, I do not consider myself a Proto expert. Just a Proto fan.

Edited by SteveG - September 25 2014 at 18:56
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 26 2014 at 11:18
Originally posted by chopper chopper wrote:

[QUOTE=TODDLER] The Beach Boys were influential to many bands in the vocal department. Obviously The Beach Boys themselves were adapting older vocal styles from different decades and sort of molding it into Rock n' Roll and ballads during the early 60's. Jon Anderson was influenced by their vocal style to a degree and if you pay close attention to the harmonies of Anderson, Squire, and Howe on the early Yes recordings, you can spot the influence.

Interesting, Anderson has often quoted The Beatles as an influence but not The Beach Boys (at least not that I've read). Why are Yes harmonies influenced more by The BBs that the Bs?
[/QUOT

Beatles and Beach Boys to be exact and with the B.B.,  they seem to be influenced by the vocal approach in harmony. Not often is the harmony backed by chord voicings the B.B. used. YES applies the vocal idea's the B.B. came up with in Rock music such as the way to go about blending 3 or 4 part harmonies and not so much emulating the B.B. style to the point of stealing it. Thousands of bands/artists couldn't help to be influenced by the B.B.  structured harmony vocals and since they were composing a completely diverse type of music ..which was Progressive Rock, most bands decided to use the idea's for a different purpose in sound.


Edited by TODDLER - September 26 2014 at 11:19
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 26 2014 at 11:32
Placing them in a progressive catagory has always been a task because a huge population of people will never do that. Based on the fact that when Pet Sounds was released, they were no longer who they were. It was like the American reaction to Rubber Soul. The parents of teenagers who were crazed over Beatlemania noticed the longer hair style on the cover. Believe it or not, that was a huge offense and a concern. But with the Beach Boys turning their backs on Surf Music for about 6 albums , it became very dismissive within a large percentage of the social environment and the band attempting to progress or blossom in the writing department was not appreciated or hardly conceived. I recall living through those times when practically everyone around me WANTED to think of them as ONLY a surf band. That was an attitude in the 70's , but it probably dated back as far as the Pet Sounds and Smile sessions when Captiol Records were creating issues for Brian Wilson. 

Edited by TODDLER - September 26 2014 at 11:35
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 26 2014 at 11:55
This is a fun read....for many reasons.

Sorry Steve, I have no opinion either way as I would need to visit the BB catalog and I have no desire to. I grew up in So Cal, skipped many school days to hit the waves with my board, but that does not mean I listened to the Beach Boys....To me they are a beach band of the 60's with chicks everywhere.

Prog =/= Chicks
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 26 2014 at 12:24
Originally posted by Guldbamsen Guldbamsen wrote:

Originally posted by dr wu23 dr wu23 wrote:

11 pages and Steve's relentless support yet still no admission into the proto prog hall of fame.
 

Ouch


So if Steve believes the sandy dudes to be proto prog, and still does, after 11 pages, they should naturally be included in PA?
Just for the record: the admin team, who evaluates acts for related and proto, have never seen a formal suggestion made by a special collaborator. If we do, we will of course take it from there.
Sure, I have already stated my position on this, but I am not the only admin around.
Either way, folks are very much welcome to discuss these matters further. Just don't expect them to be added on account of a thread and maybe three people advocating their supposed proto-prog credentials
 
Uh...that was a bit of a poke at Steve G......sorry you missed it.
 
 
LOL
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 26 2014 at 12:27
Originally posted by SteveG SteveG wrote:

.... And just for the record, I do not consider myself a Proto expert. Just a Proto fan.
 
Not to hijack the thread but what other early proto prog do you like?
I'm also a fan of the proto and early prog stuff ; especially the Brit bands.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 26 2014 at 12:37
Not to further hijack this thread, but speaking of Brit Proto-Prog albums, I always thought Cream was worthy of a place in PA (doesn't mean I want to go through the suggestion and addition process, however).
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