Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys cover art

Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys

The Songs That Tell Their Story

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Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys

By: Mark Dillon
Narrated by: Mark Dillon
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About this listen

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" included the long-awaited release of 1967’s Smile - the most famous aborted album in rock history - and concerts reuniting the group’s three main surviving members. The band's music is as influential now 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.

©2012 Mark Dillon (P)2013 Audible, Inc. Entertainment & Celebrities History & Criticism Music Celebrity

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All stars
Most relevant  
Dillon is full of love for these songs and expands each one, using the artists, collaborators and writers involved ,beyond the music into the context of the song.

Made with love( and mercy)

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Love the Beach Boys and like the author spent many years listening to snippets of Smile. I liked this book and as I was listening, stopped to hear the tracks as I went along. There are some very good stories here and a lot of things I didn't know about.

However it's really only for the fan and you'll be disappointed if you purchase this expecting anything other than the stories behind 50 songs.

Only for the true fan

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I enjoy much Beach Boys music and looked forward to finding out more about some of the songs. Unfortunately I had to stop listening after half a dozen songs.
Hardly any info about the songs - how written, how and where recorded, who plays what etc. Instead we get recollections from mostly peripheral figures of what they were doing when they heard the songs - I'm not that interested.
There is no useful index so you can't choose which song's entry to hear.
The narration is a series of harsh syllables delivered in staccato style.
Sorry, I hoped for more but was really disappointed.

Really Disappointing

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