The Beach Boys' Smile

139 Pages·0.383 MB·English

by  Luis Sanchez

SMILE
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Forthcoming in the series:
Biophilia by Nicola Dibben
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The Grey Album by Charles Fairchild
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables by Mike Foley
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My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kirk Walker Graves
Dangerous by Susan Fast
Definitely Maybe by Alex Niven
Exile in Guyville by Gina Arnold
Sigur Ros: ( ) by Ethan Hayden
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Smile
Luis Sanchez
Bloomsbury Academic
An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Inc
1385 Broadway 50 Bedford Square
New York London
NY 10018 WC1B 3DP
USA UK
www.bloomsbury.com
Bloomsbury is a registered trade mark of Bloomsbury
Publishing Plc
First published 2014
© Luis Sanchez, 2014
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information
storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from
the publishers.
No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organization
acting on or refraining from action as a result of the material in this
publication can be accepted by Bloomsbury or the author.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Sanchez, Luis A.
The Beach Boys’ Smile / Luis A. Sanchez.
pages cm. -- (33 1/3)
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-62356-258-8 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Beach Boys. 2. Beach
Boys. Smile. 3. Rock music--United States--1961-1970--History and
criticism. I. Title.
ML421.B38S26 2014
782.42166092›2--dc23
2013049575
ISBN: 978-1-62356-956-3
Typeset by Fakenham Prepress Solutions, Fakenham,
Norfolk, NR21 8NN
Track Listing
1. “Our Prayer” (1:06)
2. “Gee” (0:51)
3. “Heroes and Villains” (4:53)
4. “Do You Like Worms (Roll Plymouth Rock)” (3:36)
5. “I’m in Great Shape” (0:29)
6. “Barnyard” (0:48)
7. “My Only Sunshine (The Old Master Painter / You
Are My Sunshine)” (1:57)
8. “Cabin Essence” (3:32)
9. “Wonderful” (2:04)
10. “Look (Song for Children)” (2:31)
11. “Child Is Father of the Man” (2:14)
12. “Surf’s Up” (4:12)
13. “I Wanna Be Around” / “Workshop” (1:23)
14. “Vega-Tables” (3:49)
15. “Holidays” (2:33)
16. “Wind Chimes” (3:06)
17. “The Elements: Fire (Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow)” (2:35)
18. “Love to Say Dada” (2:32)
19. “Good Vibrations” (4:13)

Contents
Acknowledgments viii
Introduction: What This Book is About 1
California Unbound 7
The Pop Miseducation of Brian Wilson 33
To Catch a Wave 65
Smile, Brian Loves You 88
Bibliography 119
Selected Discography 126
• vii •
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Simon Frith, first of all, for encouraging the
idea that a cultural historical study of The Beach Boys
was something worth pursuing, and for supporting the
work along the way. Thanks to Van Dyke Parks for
inviting me to his home, generously sharing his time and
perspective, and for giving me a much-needed shot in the
arm at a moment when it felt like the research hit a dead
end. Thanks, also, to David Barker and Ally Jane Grossan
at Bloomsbury for giving me the chance to turn my ideas
into something worth reading. Big shout outs to Kyle
Devine and Kieran Curran for reading early drafts and
helping me hone ideas. Special thanks to my mother for
supporting my endeavors always. Lastly, for her capacity
to endure me at my most insufferable and still laugh at
my jokes, much love to Theresa.
• viii •
Introduction: What This Book
is About
It was meant to be funny.
Two men dressed as police officers, with dark aviator
sunglasses and mustaches, enter through the front door.
We follow them as they march through a circuit of
rooms in a rather large suburban mansion. They arrive at
a large bedroom where a dazed, haggard bear of a man,
draped in a teal bathrobe, sits at the edge of a king-sized
bed in the center of the room, talking on the phone. He
glares at the two men, one short, one tall, and hangs up
the phone.
“We’re from the highway patrol surf squad,” Short
Officer announces. “We have a citation for you here,
sir, under section 936-A of the California ‘Catch a
Wave’ statute,” says Tall Officer. “You’re in violation
of paragraph 12: neglecting to surf, neglecting to use a
state beach for surfing purposes, and otherwise avoiding
surfboards, surfing, and surf.”
Big guy in the bathrobe does not look well. Swollen,
unshaven, greasy, he could use a shower. “Surfing?! I
don’t want to go surfing!” he protests. “Now look, you
• 1 •