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Beach Boys - 50 Big Ones: Greatest Hits - Jeff

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   Time for choice number nine in my “albums to take to the island” series, and it’s not getting any easier. In fact, it’s getting tougher. I’m leaving behind so many great albums that this one took a lot of thought, weighing what I’d be giving up against what I’d want to have with me. Nostalgia plays a big part here, and while I still listen to this music a couple of times a year, this choice comes down to what truly moves me, the kind of music that touches the soul and can bring tears to your eyes with its beauty.

   So, yes, I’m going with another greatest hits collection. This time, it’s The Beach Boys 50 Big Ones. When most people hear “Beach Boys,” they think of those gorgeous harmonies, and rightly so, but for me, it’s the songwriting genius of Brian Wilson that makes this essential.

   Just last week, a friend and I were talking about where great music really comes from. I’ve always believed that true musical brilliance comes from a connection to something higher, to God, perhaps. Music is a divine gift; no other creature on Earth creates or enjoys music the way we do. Many people who have near-death experiences describe hearing indescribably beautiful music, and I believe Brian Wilson tapped into that same otherworldly place. His melodies are complex, emotional, and transcendent, the kind that puts him in the same league as McCartney and Lennon, which for me is the highest praise possible.

   My first Beach Boys album came when I was about seven years old. I found Surfin’ Safari at a garage sale for a dime. I liked it, but it didn’t make a huge impression at the time. My aunt had a few of their 45s, and I’d play them when I visited my grandparents. But it wasn’t until after high school that I really discovered them. I was living with my best friend, who owned Endless Summer, a greatest hits album from the ’70s. One day, just looking for something to play, I put it on and was stunned. Song after song drew me in. I didn’t even realize how many of them I already knew or how many instantly became new favorites. From there, I started buying more of their albums, amazed at how consistently great so many of their songs were. With the Beatles, I liked almost every track. With the Beach Boys, I’m pickier, maybe three or four songs per album, but the ones I love are pure gems of intricate, emotional perfection.

   So, my island pick is 50 Big Ones: Greatest Hits. It’s a perfect mix, the early classics like Don’t Worry Baby, I Get Around, and Wendy, alongside later masterpieces like This Whole World, Do It Again, Good Vibrations, and my all-time favorite, Surf’s Up.

   I’ll never forget when Mark listened to Surf’s Up for the first time. I’d given him a cassette that I recorded of various songs, and weeks later I was over at his house and he played that song and asked, “Who is this?” When I said “The Beach Boys,” he was stunned. He couldn’t believe they’d created something that deep and moving. If you’ve never heard Surf’s Up, do yourself a favor, it’s a revelation.

   One more story: I once heard Linda Ronstadt describe working with Brian Wilson on one of his songs for her new album at the time. During a studio session, she and the producer felt the track needed a middle eight. Brian thought for a moment, then went over to the piano and started playing this wild, complex jazz progression. Linda thought, “That’s not where this song should go.” Then he shifted effortlessly, began singing, and revealed an entirely new section all composed while playing something wildly different, right there, on the spot. That’s Mozart-level musical genius.

   So yeah, once again, a greatest hits album makes the trip to the island. But this one had to come, there’s just no way I could leave behind those harmonies, those melodies, or that kind of beauty. And really, what better band to listen to while you’re sitting on a deserted island than The Beach Boys!

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Rubber Soul - The Beatles - Mark

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   Hello to all from far away JoJo’s Delight! This month’s pick was inevitable, and I could of done the all forgiving “eeny meeny miney moe “ for this band because yes they’re that great. Dude, I have to bring along a Beatles album or I will lose serious cool points. Come on it is choice: “Number nine, Number nine, number...”. And I have just one left …fortunately anything Beatles increases my cool points by two. So, there you go… 3 now!

   For me at the heart of the Beatles is a great rock and roll band that works its best if they’re set up and playing all together. You know like rocking out in the Cavern Club or say the Ed Sullivan Show. They started out playing as a unit and I think that is their foundation. Their corner stone if you will. Now I know you could say that about most bands, but great googily mo chuck let’s face it no one wrote songs like them. No one! Their music has inspired untold spheres of music not to mention their social and cultural residual influence. For better or worse.

 The choice makes my brain hurt! Time for an afternoon nap filled with nightmares and anxiety spasms! Zzzzz… snort… moan… groan… ack… Oh man this hurts! I’m locking up. “Not good, not goog.” Crackle, pop, Fizz. I can’t decide? I can’t!!  I MUST!!! I WILL!!! I…I… I CHOOSE ALL OF THEM!!!! YES, YES ALL OF THEM! From Introducing the Beatles to the glorious Get Back. I chose all of them in solidarity for the little song, the forgotten tune wedged between the hits, even the songs marginalize and unplayed.

   My love for Savoy Truffles, Polythene Pam and many others will be recognized! Oh, sweet mercy. Oh man my editor is not going like this. I can hear him now ‘just pick one’ he’ll plead, “You can’t choose them all!”  “Be reasonable Mark!” “Think of the children!” “Think of little Emma! What will she think of you?” HELP, HELP I NEED SOMEBODY. NOT JUST ANYBODY! This task is too great for my tiny weeny consciousness to bear. The horror… the horror…AAAAAHG! What a napmare! What a dilemma! If I were you I’d hate to be me. Ok, eeny meeny miny moe. There it is, good choice eeny. Rubber Soul it is.

Hey, look my cool points just went up 12. Nice. :-)

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Montrose - Montrose - Kip

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   My choice this month is one that we have discussed extensively already, so my reasons for selecting it will outweigh my song discussion. Montrose's debut album has become the equivalent of comfort food for me. It is just straight-ahead guitar rock, with great musicianship/singing. I will always equate it with my brother Mike, who introduced me to their music, but it also represents a time in my life that entailed very little effort. I definitely heard the album several years after its release, so I would have been in my very early teens, if that. It would have been a time before high school sports, which would require a ton of time and effort. It was also a time that I didn't have a steady girlfriend, so there was much time to just “be.” The album has only eight songs, so there is no “filler,” but also no experimental or progressive tunes either, which was fairly atypical of that time. I never tire of hearing this record, which I suppose would be important if my record collection was limited to 10. Most classic rock fans know tunes, such as “Freebird,” “Stairway to Heaven,” “Smoke on the Water,” or “Rock and Roll All Night,” that we would all acknowledge as classics but also would be content if we never heard them again. I never feel that way with this album. I first heard it during the summer, further contributing to my feeling of no pressures and unlimited time. I never have the inclination to skip a song, but also don't feel like it would be jarring to hear it on “shuffle.” It's just eight, stand-alone terrific songs that don't require much from the listener, but also elicit a positive vibe every time. This is, honestly, just the soundtrack for a really good day.

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