My fantasy Brian Wilson Set List

If Brian was doing a solo tour where he was only playing songs from solo albums or other material on non-Beach Boys recordings, what would be the best set?

Here's mine in order:

Can't Wait Too Long

Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl

Live and Let Live

Melt Away

Walkin' The Line

Good Kind of Love

She Says That She Needs Me

Rainbow Eyes

South American

Let's Go to Heaven in My Car

Lay Down Burden

Southern California

Desert Drive

Rhapsody In Blue

I Love You Porgy

Rio Grande

Encore

After the Game

Your Imagination

Encore

Love and Mercy

The World According to the Beach Boys Part II

Here is part two of the list of every place mentioned in Beach Boys albums. This time, the solo albums.

Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue (1977)

River Song

L.A.

Pacific Ocean Blues

Pacific Ocean


Mike Love - Looking Back With Love (1981)

Looking Back With Love

Woodstock (New York)
Motor City (Detroit, Michigan)
California
Liverpool

Runnin' Around the World

Saint-Troepz (France)


Brian Wilson (1988)

Rio Grande

Rio Grande (River)
Cherokee Trail


Van Dyke Parks & Brian Wilson - Orange Crate Art (1995)

Orange Crate Art

Sonoma (California)

Sail Away

Caribbean

Palm Tree and Moon

China
Sacramento (California)

Summer in Monterey

Monterey (California)
Ocean View Cafe

San Francisco

San Francisco (California)
Golden Gate (San Francisco)
Reno (Nevada)
El Dorado
California

My Jeanine

Appalachians
North Carolina

Movies is Magic

Sacramento River


Brian Wilson - Imagination (1998)

South American

Argentina


Brian Wilson - Gettin' In Over My Head (2004)

Desert Drive

5 (Highway in California)
109 (Highway in California)
Needles (California)
Twentynine Palms (California)
Caesar's (Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada)
Nugget (Golden Nugget, Las Vegas, Nevada)

Rainbow Eyes

Park Avenue (Not specified)

The Waltz

Topanga (Topanga Canyon, California)
Tarzana (California)


Brian Wilson - SMiLE (2004)

Roll Plymouth Rock

Plymouth Rock (Massachusetts)
Sandwich Isles
Hawaii

On A Holiday

Waikiki (Hawaii)
Plymouth Rock (Massachusetts)

In Blue Hawaii

Hawaii


Brian Wilson - What I Really Want For Christmas (2005)

God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman

Bethlehem

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Bethlehem

It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

Babel

The First Noel

Israel
Bethlehem


Brian Wilson - That Lucky Old Sun (2008)

Morning Beat

L.A.
City of Angels (Los Angeles, California)
Hollywood Hills (California)
Santa Monica Pier (Santa Monica, California)

Narrative: Room With A View

L.A.

Narrative: Venice Beach

Venice Beach (California)
Carousel on Venice Beach (California)
L.A.

Live Let Live/That Lucky Old Sun (Reprise)

Pacific Ocean


Mexican Girl

Los Feliz (California)

Narrative: Cinco De Mayo

Olvera Street (Los Angeles, California)
City of Angeles (Los Angeles, California)
L.A.

California Role/That Lucky Old Sun (Reprise)

California
Hollywood (California)
Capitol Tower (Los Angeles, California)
Hollywood Bowl (Hollywood, California)
L.A.

Narrative: Between Pictures

L.A.X. (Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, California)
L.A.

Oxygen To the Brain

California

Southern California

Pacific Coast
Southern California


Brian Wilson - Reimagines Gershwin (2010)

Our Love is Here to Stay

Rockies (Rocky Mountains)
Gibraltar (Portugal)

Coming soon: Al Jardine's A Postcard From California

Uhhh

What, Sumahama and Kokomo aren't real places?? No!!!!!!

The World According to the Beach Boys

A comprehensive list of every place mentioned in Beach Boys and solo songs. This includes all original compositions and covers.

Part I: Released Beach Boys albums:

Surfin' Safari (1962)

Surfin' Safari

Huntington (California)
Malibu (California)
Rincon (California surfing spot)
Laguna (California)
Cerro Azul (Peru)
Doheny (California)

Surfin' USA (1963)

Surfin' USA

California
Del Mar (California)
Ventura (California)
Santa Cruz (California)
Trestle (California)
Narrabean (Australia)
Manhattan (beach) (California)
Doheny Way (California)
Haggertys (California)
Swamis (California)
Pacifc Palisades (California)
San Onofre (California)
Sunset (California)
Redondo Beach (California)
La Jolla (California)
Waimea Bay (Hawaii)

Surfer Girl (1963)

South Bay Surfer

California
Chicago (Illinois)
New York City (New York)
Detroit (Michigan)
Miami (Florida)
Philadelphia (Pennsylvania)
Alabama

Hawaii

Honolulu (Hawaii)
Waikiki (Hawaii

Little Deuce Coupe (1963)

Ballad of Ole' Betsy

Detroit (Michigan)

Spirit of America

Bonneville Salt Flats (Utah)

Concert (1964)

The Little Old Lady From Pasadena

Pasadena (California)
Colorado Boulevard (Pasadena, California)

Long Tall Texan

Texas

Johnny B. Goode

New Orleans (Lousiana)

Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) (1965)

The Girl From New York City

New York City (New York)

Amusement Parks U.S.A.

Palisades Park (Cliffside Park, New Jersey)
Salisbury park (Massachusetts)
Euclid Beach Park (Cleveland, Ohio)
Riverview Park (Chicago, Illinois)
Disneyland (Anaheim, California)
P.O.P (Pacific Ocean Park) (Santa Monica, California)
Los Angeles
Steel Pier (New Jersey)

Salt Lake City

Utah
The Lagoon (Salt Lake City, Utah)

California Girls

East Coast (United States)
Southern (United States)
Mid-West (United States)
Northern (United States)
California
West (United States)
Hawaii

Pet Sounds (1966)

Sloop John B

Nassau (Bahamas)

SMiLE (1967)

Do You Like Worms (Roll Plymouth Rock)

Plymouth Rock (Massachusetts)

Smiley Smile (1967)

Little Pad

Hawaii

I Was Made To Love Her

Little Rock (Arkansas)

Friends (1968)

Anna Lee, The Healer

Himalaya Mountains
Rishikesh (India)

20/20

Cotton Fields (The Cotton Song)

Lousiana
Texarkana (Texas)
California

Sunflower (1970)

Tears in the Morning

Europe

Surf's Up (1971)

Disney Girls (1957)

Cape Cod (Massachusetts)

Student Demonstration Time

Berkeley (California)
People's Park (Berkeley, California)
Isla Vista (California)
L.A. County (California)
Jackson State (Mississippi)
Kent State University (Kent, Ohio)

Holland (1973)

California Saga (Big Sur)

Big Sur (California)

California Saga (The Beaks of Eagles)

Ventana Creek (Big Sur, California)
Monterey (California)

California Saga (California)

California
Monterey (California)
Morro Bay (California)
Salinas (California)
Big Sur (California)

Funky Pretty
Copenhagee (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Amsterdamme (Amsterdam, Holland)
Parisee (Paris, France)
U Say Asee (USA)
Great Britainyee (Great Britain)
Los Angees (Los Angeles, California)
Tokyosee (Tokyo, Japan)
Manhattohsee (Manhattan, New York)

15 Big Ones (1976)

Talk to Me

Tallahassee (Florida)

Palisades Park

Palisades Park (Cliffside Park, New Jersey)

Susie Cincinnati

Cincinnati (Ohio)

Back Home

Ohio


Love You (1977)

Solar System

Saturn
Milky Way
Pluto
Mars
Mercury

MIU Album (1978)

Kona Coast

Kona Coast (Hawaii)
Pacific Ocean
Lahaina (Hawaii)
Honolulu (Hawaii)
Waikiki (Hawaii)
Waimea (Hawaii)
Hanalai (Hawaii)

Belles of Paris

France
Paris (France)
Seine River (France)
Eiffel Tower (Paris, France)
Sacre-Coeur (Paris, France)
Montmarte (Paris, France)
Notre Dame (Paris, France)
Arc De Trimphe (Paris, France)
Champs-Elysees (Paris, France)
Deauville (France)
Mont Saint Michel (Normandy, France)
Chartres (France)
Montparnasse (Paris, France)

L.A. (Light Album) (1979)

Full Sail

San Francisco Bay (California)

Sumahama

Japan

Goin' South

Florida
Mexico
San Juan Capistrano (California)


Keepin' The Summer Alive (1980)

Santa Ana Winds

San Gabriel Mountains (California)
Santa Ana (California)

Endless Harmony

West Coast (USA)


The Beach Boys (1985)

California Calling

USA
California
San Francisco Bay (California)
Malibu (California)


Still Cruisin' 1989

Somewhere Near Japan

Japan
China Sea (China)

Island Girl

Trinidad
Caribbean

Kokomo

Aruba
Jamaica
Bermuda
Bahamas
Key Largo (Florida)
Montego (Jamaica)
Florida Keys (USA)
Martinique
Montserrat
Port Au Prince

Wipeout

California

Make It Big

Hollywood


Summer in Paradie (1992)

Summer of Love

California
Malibu (California)

Still Surfin'

Mexico

Strange Things Happen

Rio (Brazil)
Copacabana (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

Lahaina Aloha

Lahaina (Hawaii)

Summer In Paradise

California


That's Why God Made the Radio (2012)

The Private Life of Bill and Sue

California
Mexico
Dallas (Texas)
Monterey (probably California)
Santa Barbara (California)
Jersey Shore (New Jersey)
Catalina Island (California)

Strange World

Santa Monica Pier (Santa Monica, California)

From There to Back Again

Pacific Coast Highway (California)

Pacific Coast Highway

Pacific Coast Highway (California)


Other songs not released on studio albums

San Miguel

San Miguel (Mexico)

H.E.L.P. Is on the Way

Fairfax and 3rd (Los Angeles, California)
Radiant Radish (Health food store in Los Angeles, Calfornia)

On Broadway

Broadway (New York)

California Feeling

San Onofre (California)
Los Angeles (California)
Laguna (California)
New York City (New York)

Brian's Back

Salt Lake City (Utah)

Looking Down the Coast

Partington Cove (Big Sur, California)
Portugal
California
Monterey (California)
Little Sur (River in California)
Huricane Point (California)
Lighthouse Flats

California Dreaming

Los Angeles (California)

Throbbing Wilsons -The Beach Boys and Electronic Music

Besides the obvious songwriting, harmonies and studio work, the Beach Boy's influence stops there. But one underrated factor in their history are the brief flirtations with electronic music. I'm not talking about Steve Levine's 1985 self titled album for the Boys or 1989's Still Cruisin'. Electronic music was everywhere then!

Oh Steve Desper, the sound engineer who worked with them for a little bit! Let's look at the drums in "Do It Again." It has this muffled electronic beat throughout the entire song.
According to Desper on how the sound was created, "[He] moved four of the Philips PB heads very close together so that one drum strike was repeated four times about 10 milliseconds apart, and blended it with the original to give the effect you hear."

To me the one of the best production moments comes on 1970's "All I Wanna Do." Another one by Desper, this sonic masterpiece invented both Shoegaze and Chillwave respectively 20-40 years prior! The intro appears to have a very altered Fender Rhodes playing with a echoed out as fuck guitar line. The research is hard to find on this track but bear in mind, this is the most hip BB song of all time. 






Steve Desper mixed an early version of Brian's "'Til I Die." It has a very quiet electronic drum in there. Listen for it!

How about Dennis? In 1970 he released a single under the name Dennis and Rumbo (aka Daryl Dragon aka the Captain). This song "Lady" has a very weird drum machine beat that I can't seem to find out how it was produced. Clearly not of its time! The drum machine sounds a bit like the Cocteau Twins would use it. Obviously because both Shoegazers Lush and the Vaseline's Eugene Kelly have covered it.

Another cool Dennis track is "Steamboat" from 1973's Holland. It has this very cool bass pedal sound and percussion effects. With the song being about a steamboat as well, this is very proto-
industrial.

Other notable electronic moments: The steady bass/bass pedal in "Cabinessence." Though not electronic the sound sums up the heavy bass sound in modern electronic music. The Beach Boys Love You released in 1977 has Brian's synth noodles all over it!