Help Me, Somebody

Riding that train of runaway thoughts, when I first heard the news of Brian Wilson’s death yesterday, I tried to come up with my top five favorite Beach Boys’ songs. For the life of me, I could not stop landing on “Help Me, Rhonda” a song that I simultaneously loved and hated.

The more I thought about it however, I did manage to come up with four other BB tunes that I have no doubts at all as to whether or or not I like them: California Girls, Heroes and Villians, Sloop John B. and Darlin’. All of these are truly great songs that I never get tired of hearing.

And after I thought my way thru my favorites, I then conducted a little survey among my Buzzy friends in the Store as to their favorite BB song(s.) Almost everyone cited a different tune. It was interesting how several folks voiced a similar ambivalence about some of the songs they said they liked. Some felt it necessary to caveat their comments. As an example, JW noted “Don’t know why I do, but I always kinda liked I Get Around.” Or this from someone else, “As much as I didn’t care for Bah, bah, bah, bah, bah Barabra Ann, now I find myself saying that I like it.”

It made me think that perhaps there is a whole nother category of BB songs out there: those that land in the “I’m-not-really-sure-I-like-this-song-but-I-do” category. Given that criteria, I would have to include Beach Boy classics such as Don’t Worry Baby, In My Room and Fun, Fun, Fun. I like ’em, but with an asterisk.

Here then are two of my for sure favorite BB songs/videos. I’ve included these two because both of the videos are pretty good with the second one giving you look at them in concert. Only Mike Love and Al Jardine are left as all of the Wilson Brothers have gone to surf that Big Beach in the Sky. God only knows if they really are.

Note that the Darlin’ video was from one of their 4th of July concerts on the DC Mall. They did that gig for a number of years and seeing it now reminds me of how Mike Raley would invariably call to ask/remind me “Remember when you and Mike Whitson always said “Jimi Hendrix was right – you will never hear surf music again?” Well, look who’s still around and playing and who’s not!” I didn’t know what to say to nor couldn’t really argue with him on that. Where was my Rhonda when I needed some help?