Endless Summer Ends
		The temperature drops, the days grow shorter with darkness framing our days, and I feel a need to hibernate - cover my head and make it all go away. The leaves have now fallen and been burned - soon snow will be everywhere and driving, walking and even leaving the curmudgeon cabin will be difficult. Week after week of weather induced imprisonment looms on the horizon. At least the imposed incarceration lends itself well to one of my favorite hobbies - listening to music. I have found myself daydreaming these days of a golden sun over a broad blue sea - miles of sand and palm trees - and the music of choice to accompany these visions is that group who produced what Jimi Hendrix called "psychedelic barber shop quartet" music: the Beach Boys. The Beach Boys have a reputation for being goofy and old-fashioned and for the most part this is deserved, but at the same time they were one of the most innovative pop groups of the '60s and at their best created some of the most glorious vocal harmonies in modern music. Taking the intricate harmonies of '50s vocal groups like The Four Freshmen and the Hi-Los and combining this with Chuck Berry rock and roll was the original inspiration from enigmatic group leader Brian Wilson, and resulted in a number of good time hits from "Surfer Girl", "Surfin USA", "I Get Around," "California Girls,"and "Help Me Rhonda." But it is the glimmer of darkness that shines through the happiness and bright sunshine in the songs that attracts the curmudgeon in me. My first exposure to the boys was when my good friend, the Heretic - now a well respected recording engineer in California - insisted I listen to selected cuts from the infamous abandoned masterpiece "Smile" and Brian Wilson's "teenage symphony to God" 1966's "Pet Sounds." My initial reaction was one of horror - "Not the 'Little Old Lady From Pasadena', " I prayed, but instead he opened with the mysterious tapestry of voices of "Windchimes," followed by "I Guess I Just Wasn't Made for These Times," and in short order, "God Only Knows," "Wouldn't it Be Nice," "Heroes and Villains," "Surfs Up," and I was hooked. Surprisingly so - I was into experimental, heavy and radical (or so I thought) music, but this was - shockingly - radical!? Through the years I delved deeper into the canon, often running into roadblocks like the early goofy stuff or the later garbage (after Brian's nervous breakdown in 1967), but sometimes finding gems like "A Day in the Life of a Tree," "Long Promised Road," "Sloop John B," "Feel Flows," the incredibly innovative "Good Vibrations," and one of the first pop songs of internal reflection - the beautiful "In My Room." Even the pop standard "All Summer Long" (which closes the soundtrack of the great "American Graffiti") reveals a treasure trove of unresolved teen angst in the harmonic undercurrent - a note of sadness at summer's end in the celebration of life that is indicative of Brian Wilson's genius. Many elements contributed to the partial eclipse of the sun in the Beach Boy's world: the deaths of two of the Wilson brothers, the fury of their bitterly unsuccessful songwriter father Murray and his abuse of his sons, the money-grubbing, bullying antics of cousin Mike Love, the unhappiness of the band with much of Brian's serious material, and the heavy drug use and subsequent madness of Brian himself. Brian - who challenged the Beatles (successfully) until collapsing during the "Smile" sessions - unable to sustain the task of besting "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart's Club Band." Brian who flew too high into the California sky and with burning wings fell into the pacific blue. Has anyone ever written a more meaningful and gorgeous song about the smallness of mankind against the immensity of the universe than "Till I Die" where he cries out to the heavens? "I'm a cork on the ocean Floating over the raging sea How deep is the ocean? How deep is the ocean? I lost my way Hey hey hey I'm a rock in a landslide Rolling over the mountainside How deep is the valley? How deep is the valley? It kills my soul Hey hey hey I'm a leaf on a windy day Pretty soon I'll be blown away How long will the wind blow? How long will the wind blow? Ohhhh Until I die Until I die These things I'll be until I die These things I'll be until I die Don't allow yourself to miss out on the greatness of this group, especially in the coming days of winter, when we could all stand a little sunshine, maybe because of preconceived notions regarding some of their lesser material. There was more to the Beach Boys then "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena" (by all means enjoy the fun stuff too if you dig it). But to dismiss Brian and the Boys as old-fashioned and goofy - I only have one thing to say: "Oh Caroline, no."

Past, present & future
misguided ramblings of the MusiCurmudgeon
Stroll through the vaults of a diseased mind!