Reflecting on the Beach Boys' long, fascinating history, this book tells the story behind 50 of the band's greatest songs from the perspective of group members, collaborators, fellow musicians, and notable fans. It is filled with new interviews with music legends such as Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Alan Jardine, Bruce Johnston, David Marks, Blondie Chaplin, Randy Bachman, Roger McGuinn, John Sebastian, Lyle Lovett, Alice Cooper, and Al Kooper, and commentary from a younger generation such as Matthew Sweet, Carnie Wilson, Daniel Lanois, Cameron Crowe, and Zooey Deschanel. Even hardcore fans will be delighted by the breadth of this musical-history volume. Plans for celebrating the golden anniversary of "America's band" include the long-awaited release of 1967's Smile--the most famous aborted album in rock history--and concerts reuniting the group's five main surviving members. The band's music is as influential as it was 50 years ago, and this retelling of how the iconic rock group found itself in the annals of pop culture couldn't come at a better time.
Amazon Sales Rank: #12364 in Books Published on: 2012-06-01 Original language: English Number of items: 1 Dimensions: .0" h x .0" w x .0" l, .0 pounds Binding: Paperback 360 pages
Review "A delightful journey through fifty amazing classics, filtered through the eyes of the artists, producers and writers whose imaginations were touched by this brilliant band over the years. Chock full of engaging insight, this is a must have for any true fan!" —Matthew Sweet, musician
Most helpful customer reviews 3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. 50 INTERVIEWS WHY BEACH BOYS MUSIC MATTERS-FUN AND INTERESTING By Stuart Jefferson This soft cover book is square in shape. There's a 4 page Preface where the author, Mark Dillon, explains his first hearing The Beach Boys (BB), and how he conducted the interviews for the book. There's also a 7 page "Intro" containing a concise overview of the band's beginnings. Also included are End Notes and an Index. Sprinkled throughout the book are a number of b&w photographs of various band members. Some may rate this book a bit higher or lower depending on their knowledge of the band and their music.Dillon's idea was to interview 50 people-each discussing a BB song that was (is) meaningful and/or made an impression on them in some way. Interviewees include well known people (and songs) like David Marks ("Surfin' USA"), John Sebastian ("Surfer Girl"), Alice Cooper ("In My Room"), Roger McGuinn ("Don't Worry Baby"), Hal Blaine ("Fun, Fun, Fun"), Al Jardine ("Help Me Rhonda"), Dean Torrance ("Barbara Ann"), Lyle Lovett ("God Only Knows"), Al Kooper ("Here Today"), Carnie Wilson ("Our Prayer"), Bruce Johnston ("Disney Girls (1957)"), Mike Love ("Kokomo"), Don Was ("Still I Dream It"), Brian Wilson ("Rhapsody In Blue"), and many others. However, these aren't straight question and answer interviews, rather the author, using these interviews, weaves together quotes, facts, observations and interesting tid-bits of information about each song.There's a mix of people from different periods of the BB's long career who give eyewitness accounts, as well as others who talk about the continuing influence of the band. Besides the tunes above, also included are "I Get Around", "California Girls", "Sloop John B", "Good Vibrations", "Heroes and Villains", "Surf's Up", "Sail On Sailor", "Love and Mercy", and many other great songs.While I believe that the book "Surf's Up! The Beach Boys on Record 1961-1981", is still one of the best (if not the best) book on the band's recordings (up to '81), this fun list of songs is worth reading for BB fans. The information in the relatively short (4-6 pages or so) interviews keep the book from bogging down in minutiae. It's not intended to be an in depth look at the BB's catalog. Rather this is a fun, informative, and interesting look at 50 songs from the band's early days to the near present. Beach Boys fans will enjoy either reading this book cover to cover, or browsing through individual songs. Nothing academic-just good fun. 3 of 4 people found the following review helpful. A must-read for Beach Boys fans By Paul '66 Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys by Mark Dillon is a thoroughly enjoyable trip through 50 years of Beach Boys history. The author uses 50 of their songs, from Surfin' USA through Brian's Rhapsody in Blue, to illustrate their history and profound cultural impact. We've read the history before, but this is a unique and fresh perspective on the oft-told saga. Through interviews exclusive to this book, the author provides a glimpse into the making of the songs, and the lasting impression on generations of collaborators, friends, musicians, and the band members themselves. Once I started reading, I had great difficulty putting it down. To me, there is a great service done to Beach Boy readers. No mere recitiation of the merits of these particular songs, there is chronology and history here. Chart placings, recording and release dates, and lots of pertinent facts lends to the authority of this book. It is a panoramic look at everything Beach Boy. Just in time for summer, and the band's 50th Anniversary tour, do yourself a favor and cue up your favorite Beach Boys album and dig in! See all 2 customer reviews...
