FROM ENDLESS SUMMER QUARTERLY – THE BEACH BOYS PUBLICATION OF RECORD

By Lane Lannan

May 24, 2024. An unassuming date for some, but for The Beach Boys fans, this was an exciting day.

It was the day that The Beach Boys, directed by Frank Marshall, was released on Disney+. Given the recent trend of streaming platforms producing documentaries highlighting the success of popular musicians, such as The Beatles, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Billie Eilish, and Taylor Swift, it was inevitable that a similar work would be made about America’s Band.

The documentary initially aired around the same time the book, The Beach Boys by The Beach Boys, was released through Genesis Publications. Both worked to turn 2024 into a true celebration of the band and their sixty-year unparalleled musical legacy.

Both had a heavy task at hand. Specifically with the documentary, there was the mission of introducing The Beach Boys to a newer audience through Disney+, while also offering enough content to satisfy longtime fans. This is something that will be touched on later, but generally, it was handled well.

As a fan of the band, I was excited for the release of the documentary, but there are some sticking points that hold me back from proclaiming it the ‘definitive look at America’s Band,’ as Disney+ advertised. In my mind, that honor still belongs to 1998’s Endless Harmony: The Beach Boys Story.

The Hits

The documentary gets off to a very strong start with archival footage of The Beach Boys’ 1976 performance in Anaheim. It is here that the first true hit of the documentary becomes apparent, the archival footage. Whether it is the band on stage, or home video from the studio, everything is implemented in a way that gives the viewer a brief window into the world that The Beach Boys operated in, primarily in the early 1960s.

But that is not where the aesthetic of the documentary ends.

There are various segments where interesting graphics are used. Whether it is extending album art beyond its normal layout, title cards for the ‘main’ lineup of Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, and Dennis Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine, or depicting members that joined and left as pieces of paper being ripped off and taped back on, it is clear the production value of the documentary was very high.

Though the point of the documentary isn’t to be captivated by the fun graphics and footage, it’s to hear the story of The Beach Boys, and there are elements that are handled very well.

There is a great deal of depth given to the founding of the band, with each of the members having ample time to speak to the origin. Even David Marks has plenty of screen time in this section, not only showing his importance in the history of the band but giving him a mention when he is typically not remembered in the founding of the band. There is a focus on family, and the blend that their voices had.

I found that Mike Love was the most interesting to hear from in regard to the harmonies. He is the one that mentioned their vocal blend, specifically Al’s pitch, whereas other documentaries simply focus strictly on the harmonies.

The documentary played heavily on the influences and importance of various figures in The Beach Boys story, but what I found the most interesting was the importance placed on the Wilson parents, particularly Murry Wilson.

It is known among fans that he was abusive and controlling, but where the documentary shines is showing that, despite of the negative, he put a lot of time and energy into ensuring the band was successful. This also included Brian’s ex-wife, Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford stating that The Beach Boys would not be what they are today without Murry’s work.

Additionally, the mention of the influence of The Beatles and of the artistic value of the other members was greatly appreciated, especially for a Carl fan like me. It was nice to hear the other members get praised while still hailing Brian for the genius that he was in the studio.

The best part of the documentary, for me personally, came towards the end, when an emotional Mike Love wishes the best for Brian, and simply wants to tell him how much he loves him. Couple that with the Paradise Cove reunion shot, and you have the perfect ending to the story. But that is not where this particular story should have ended.

The Misses:

As with everything, the documentary is not perfect. In fact, it is relatively far from it.

My main issue with the documentary comes in the form of the pacing and what was included. When watching, you somehow transition from the debut of “Surfin’”on the radio to the creation of Pet Sounds very quickly. In reality, a lot of time progressed between those releases, but that is not clearly shown in the documentary.

I believe that this project should have been given the same treatment as Get Back, the Peter Jackson led Beatles series. That was an episodic release, with its three episodes spanning over six hours of footage. Had this been given the same treatment, a lot more time could have been spent on the albums the band was releasing, rather than skimming through or outright not mentioning some, especially some of their most creative releases like Sunflower, Holland, and Love You.

Additionally, despite mentions of lawsuits and Charles Manson, both dark chapters in The Beach Boys history, there was no mention at all of Dr. Eugene Landy and his times with Brian, something that plagued the band for years. Ignoring Landy made some of the mentions of other darker chapters fall flat knowing that one of the darkest was left out.

Throughout the documentary, there are various testimonies, including those who worked with Brian, and the more recent artists. I have no issue with people like Janelle Monáe and One Republic’s Ryan Tedder speaking to the influence of The Beach Boys, but I would have liked more interviews with their contemporaries of the time.

Had the documentary been episodic, testimonies from artists like Billy Joel or Elton John could have entered the mix. I would have also liked to see other recent artists like Clairo or Stephen Sanchez give their thoughts, with the former praising Smiley Smile as an influence for her recent album, Charm. As for Sanchez, his inclusion in the documentary would have made his song “Baby Blue Bathing Suit” a more reasonable inclusion on the soundtrack for the documentary, rather than being tacked on to the end like it is now.

The final miss, and it was one of the biggest in terms of content, was the cutoff. The documentary abruptly ends, without mentioning the years spanning from the late 1970s to the 2012 reunion. While the era is not exactly the most celebrated of their discography, it did spawn “Kokomo,” and whether you like the song or not, I would argue that in a ‘definitive look,’ their first number one song since “Good Vibrations” should have been included. [Note: “Kokomo” appears over the closing credits.]

The cutoff also meant that adequate time for the passing of Dennis in 1983 and Carl in 1998 was not given. This was something that Endless Harmony made room for, and I think the story was much better for it.

With all that said, I do still believe that The Beach Boys is worth the watch. There is a lot that it handles very well, and its focus on the joy of the band in the face of their struggles is arguably very inspiring, and it’s the kind of messaging the world needs in the modern era.

“The Beach Boys are a family story, not without its ups and downs,” Mike says at the end of the documentary. “But the positivity far outweighs the negativity.”

That is a sentiment that I believe perfectly encapsulates what you are getting with The Beach Boys.

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