MaxxVolume
Lunatic Member
Having been a music fan since the late `50s, I think that Bob Dylan and The Beatles likely had the most influence on music since around 1962 or so....
The Beatles vs. The Beach Boys
- Thread starter jdsalinger
- Start date
The last band of any note that was influenced by The Beatles was Badfinger. Dylan (and to a lesser degree Cohen) have some lingering influence. But once you get away from pop (a hybrid of disco and rap influences) the only influence that might be attributed to The Beatles would be psychedelia. The other influences have little to do with The Beatles - everybody wants to be Nirvana, Velvet Underground, Dick Dale (or, if you please - Beach Boys), misc girls groups, and let's not forget who took over from The Beatles - The Rolling Stones. Creatively and influentially The Beatles basically imploded.
bobsvinyl
Painfully Aware
"Before he founded Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl was the drummer of Nirvana, the grunge rock band led by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain, who died in 1994. Grohl joined Sir Paul McCartney and the surviving members of Nirvana to perform as “Sirvana” at the 12.12.12 Concert for Sandy Relief. Grohl told Access Hollywood that McCartney and the Beatles inspired him at an early age. “When I was young, that’s how I learned how to play music – I had a guitar and a Beatles songbook. I would listen to the records and play along. Of course, it didn’t sound like the Beatles, but it got me to understand song structure and melody and harmony and arrangement. So, I never had a teacher – I just had these Beatles records.” Even the late Cobain admired the Beatles, said Grohl. “Even in Nirvana – the Beatles [were] such a huge influence. Kurt loved the Beatles because it was just so simple. Well, it seemed simple… they sound easy to play, but you know what? They’re hard!”
The Beatles and the Beach Boys are about as far apart as you can get. Comparing the two in the same breath is fruitless. Beach Boys are fun in the sun surf music, Beatles are early Brit Pop
The influence here seems to be more related to career choice than to music style.
I vote for The Beatles! I do like the Beach Boys, especially "Good Vibrations"!
I'm with you. It's like comparing Tiny Tim to Marvin Gaye.
Maybe if it was the Beach Boys vs. Jan and Dean...Beatles and The Stones.
Sorry for wasting everyone's time. 
KeninDC
Hazy Cosmic Jive
Lately, I'd go with the Beach Boys because of Pet Sounds and singles like "In My Room" and "Surf's Up." For me, the Beach Boys mystical highs absolutely floor me. But the Beatles one-two punch of Rubber Soul and Revolver is phenomenal.
The Beach Boys speak to me on a more personal - and likely West Coast American level - so I give them the nod. Barely.
The Beach Boys speak to me on a more personal - and likely West Coast American level - so I give them the nod. Barely.
Sorry for wasting everyone's time.
Get out of town. Great thread!
spoofer
Active Member
I always felt that the Kinks were better than the Beach Boys and YES, the Beatles. They put out quality records into the late 70's, and were always cutting edge. Sorry for the hi-jack. I think I'll go play Something Else by the Kinks now. Waterloo Sunset. Shel Talmy's production was superb!
bonzo4ever!
Active Member
i mean Wilson had a meltdown trying to keep up with them,, but there was two of them,, you gotta ask yourself if " lennon mcartney" coulda wrote something on the line of pet sounds solo at that time,, and i'm pretty sure they could have.. so my nods on the beatles
Probably this one. Great display of obviously genuine mutual admiration between these two monster talents.
Brian is amazing. In the Beach Boys he essentially filled the roles of Lennon/McCartney and Martin rolled into one overworked genius. The Beatles could turn on a dime and reinvent themselves at will. Brian, it seems, had to pound hard at the walls to reshape the Beach Boys.
I usually regard music as a journey, whether frolic or epic adventure. I always enjoy paths the Beach Boys lead me along, which often offer multiple depths of engagement. Though I feel the body of works from the Beatles show me more and take me further.
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I would go with the Beatles, I believe their body of work was better, but not by lot. Having Martin was a real plus, although I think he gets a bit too much credit. As Stuart P said Brain Wilson was the one in the Beach Boys, when he imploded that was it, too much resistance not enough support. I've always loved Wild Honey & Holland, one of the B.B. lp's that I thought was real interesting & really good was Surf's Up.
BobbyBluz
Super Member
I like both bands for various reasons. The Beatles changed modern music as we know it today, the Beach Boys contributed to the changes as well but not nearly to the degree of what The Beatles accomplished. Both bands used studio musicians without crediting them but the Beach Boys had the Wrecking Crew doing the heavy lifting for them and the WC were the best of the best studio musicians anywhere. In a real battle of the bands live on stage with no extra backing musicians I'd say The Beatles would win. I also wonder what the Beatles could have done with the backing of the Wrecking Crew or the Beach Boys under George Martin?
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xbart
Super Member
Not sure if it has been mentioned yet, There was a very good movie about Brian Wilson that came out a couple years ago "Love & Mercy" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903657/
Wasn't a huge fan of the Beach Boys, but I came away with a new appreciation for Brian Wilson. I recommend the movie for anyone interested, I thought it was well done.
Wasn't a huge fan of the Beach Boys, but I came away with a new appreciation for Brian Wilson. I recommend the movie for anyone interested, I thought it was well done.
