The Ledge #672: RIP Brian Wilson

Full disclosure here, and it's sort of controversial. I've never been a Beach Boys fan. It's just never really worked for me. As a kid, it just seemed to be a parent's version of what rock and roll is supposed to be. The fact they had a song called "Be True To Your School" was enough evidence for me to not buy that Endless Summer collection that came out around the same time as I was discovering The Ramones and Sex Pistols.

That's not to say that I don't have respect for the band, especially Brian Wilson, who passed away on June 11. The fact that so many of my favorite bands revered Wilson (including the Ramones) gave me some new insight. In fact, I always have said that I love the bands influenced by The Beach Boys more than the actual band.

Plus, I have developed an appreciation for Pet Sunds, although I'm still not prepared to call it the greatest album ever. But I pulled it out after hearing the news of Brian's death, and I also played the version of Smile that came out in 2011. That may be my favorite album by them, but is it because of the legends behind the creation?

So tonight's show consists primarily of Beach Boys covers. Yes, the first track is not a cover. It's Pavid Vermin's wonderful (and truthful) track "The Beach Boys Never Surfed". And, yes, I do include Redd Kross's cover of Charles Manson's "Cease to Exist", which was recorded by the band (with rewritten lyrics) as "Never Learn Not To Love". Not to mention that the Melvins' NSFW rewrite of "I Get Around" is probably mroe parody than tribute. It's still a fun version, though!

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1. PAVID VERMIN - The Beach Boys Never Surfed

2. Golden Smog - Love And Mercy

3. Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby - In My Room

4. Daniel Johnston - God Only Knows .

5. The Move - California Girls

6. The Who - Barbara Ann

7. cub - Surfer Girl

8. Fuzzy - Girl Don't Tell Me

9. The Donnas - Drive In

10. Shonen Knife - Don't Hurt My Little Sister

11. The Cherry Tops - Don't Worry Baby 

12. THE BEATERSBAND - Don't Worry Baby

13. The Scutches - Cherry Cherry Coupe 

14. The Replacements - Help Me Rhonda 

15. Redd Kross - Cease to Exist

16. Velocity Girl - You're So Good to Me

17. Reigning Sound - Waiting For The Day

18. Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - Sloop John B·

19. Pixies - Hang on to Your Ego (John Peel Session 11th June 1990)

20. Condo Fucks - Shut Down

21. The Jesus & Mary Chain - Surfin' USA 

22. Tera Melos - Meant For You

23. The Meteors - Surf City

24. Tommy And The Rockets - Little Honda

25. The Queers - Don't Back Down

26. Descendents - Wendy

27. Tough - I Get Around 

28. Sonic Youth - I Know There's An Answer

29. Thurston Moore - Here Today

30. Ramones - Surfin' Safari

31. CJ Ramone And The Manges - King Of The Surf

32. Rämouns - Little Deucce Coupe

33. Rämouns - Fun Fun Fun

34. The Baseball Bats - Catch a wave 

35. The Baseball Bats - Car crazy cutie 

36. Handsome Dick Manitoba - Dance Dance Dance

37. The Untamed Youth - Chug-A-Lug

38. Billy Childish & Thee Headcoats - 409

39. The Cynics - Be True To Your School

40. Pennywise - I Get Around

41. Melvins - I Fuck Around