Beach Boys Solo Albums Ranked
Your definitive guide to all the Mike Love and Bruce Johnston albums you never needed to hear. (Not going to rank the BW-Van Dyke Parks collabs, haven't heard them enough to really comment and at any rate neither are particularly worthwhile from what I have heard.) |
| 1 |  | Dennis Wilson
Pacific Ocean Blue
Not quite enough to surpass Pet Sounds for "best Beach Boys' related project ever", but it's certainly bringing up a sweat if nothing else. |
| 2 |  | Brian Wilson
Smile
A rehashing of old material that tries its damnedest to stay true to the original and by and large is successful. |
| 3 |  | Brian Wilson
No Pier Pressure
A solo Brian Wilson album where he sounds like he's having fun and is experimenting in a way he hasn't done since the 70's. Count me in. |
| 4 |  | Dennis Wilson
Bambu
When a compilation of your unreleased material is better than most of the other band members' released projects... |
| 5 |  | Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin
Not definitive interpretations of these tunes by any means, but a poignant tribute from one musical genius to another. |
| 6 |  | Brian Wilson
Imagination
Listen to She Says She Needs Me", "Cry" and "Lay Down Burden". That's about all you need from this "BW does adult contemporary" record. |
| 7 |  | Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson
Why the hell is this considered the definitive BW solo record when the production sounds like if the worst traits of the 1980's had too much to drink and vomited all over the place. "Love and Mercy" is nice tho. |
| 8 |  | Al Jardine
A Postcard from California
It's about as interesting as it sounds. |
| 9 |  | Carl Wilson
Youngblood
Elite vocals, shit songwriting. |
| 10 |  | Carl Wilson
Carl Wilson
Elite vocals, even shittier songwriting. |
| 11 |  | Brian Wilson
Gettin' In Over My Head
Lots of big name celebrity cameos, very little in the way of interesting songwriting. |
| 12 |  | Brian Wilson
In the Key of Disney
This was so attention-gathering and full of effort on Brian's part I forgot to like it. |
| 13 |  | Bruce Johnston
Surfin' Round the World
There's a song on here called "Hot Pastrami, Mashed Potatoes, Come on to Rincon-Yeah!!". |
| 14 |  | Bruce Johnston
Going Public
Contains the only historically accurate rendition of "I Write the Songs". Also contains a disco remix of "Deirdre". |
| 15 |  | Mike Love
Unleash the Love
Kill me now. |
| 16 |  | Mike Love
Looking Back With Love
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha no |
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