![Foto dell'autore](https://pics.cdn.librarything.com//picsizes/82/5d/825dc294c46be8765494c7441514330414c5141_v5.jpg)
James B. Murphy (3)Recensioni
Autore di Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963
Per altri autori con il nome James B. Murphy, vedi la pagina di disambiguazione.
1 opera 28 membri 18 recensioni
Recensioni
![](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/P/0786473657.01._SX100_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg)
Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963 di James B. Murphy
![](https://image.librarything.com/pics/er_tiny_logo2_20h.png)
Segnalato
sausage_mahoney | 17 altre recensioni | Apr 24, 2017 | ![](https://image.librarything.com/pics/er_tiny_logo2_20h.png)
Segnalato
EuroMutt | 17 altre recensioni | Nov 25, 2016 | ![](https://image.librarything.com/pics/er_tiny_logo2_20h.png)
Mr. Murphy seems to know a lot and have an extensive collection of Beach Boys memorabilia many of which are photographed in the book.
This book is almost too much information, it kind of bogs down with details and is a little confusing with all the different recordings and versions of the same songs. It got to be hard to follow in places and seemed repetitive in others.
I would recommend it for the die-hard fan or a historian looking for information, but for the casual fan it is a bit too much. Although it did make me want to go back and listen to music that I hadn't listened to since I was a teen myself.½
Segnalato
hredwards | 17 altre recensioni | Oct 27, 2016 | ![](https://image.librarything.com/pics/er_tiny_logo2_20h.png)
Becoming the Beach Boys doesn't read like a novel, and it isn't supposed to. Recounting events fifty years in the past, there are often alternative reminiscences from the participants, sometimes self-serving, sometimes simply forgetfulness. Murphy did a good job of using quotes from the participants to state their case, steering away from taking sides.
This is as good an example as I have seen of applying scholarship to a modern musical group, without having biases show and without gushing.
Segnalato
wdwilson3 | 17 altre recensioni | Jul 28, 2016 | ![](https://image.librarything.com/pics/er_tiny_logo2_20h.png)
Still, this is more a story of the music than the personalities. The author has done an enormous amount of research, and none of it seems to be unused. After more than 50 years, it is hard to sift through the varying accounts participants have given over the years, but this book does about as good a job of sorting it all out as could be done. As I said, it is a labor of love, and I hope the author has enough energy to continue the chronicle.
Segnalato
datrappert | 17 altre recensioni | Jul 17, 2016 | ![](https://image.librarything.com/pics/er_tiny_logo2_20h.png)
1 ![1 utente ha trovato utile questa recensione vota](https://image.librarything.com/pics/voteup-y.gif)
![1 utente ha trovato utile questa recensione vota](https://image.librarything.com/pics/voteup-y.gif)
Segnalato
SoschaF | 17 altre recensioni | Jun 20, 2016 | ![](https://image.librarything.com/pics/er_tiny_logo2_20h.png)
I like biographies that aren't just a telling of the story of the main subject but are also snap shots of the times and places that the subject inhabited. I enjoyed the book because it let me know how the families got to L.A., it gave me insight into the record industry in the 50s and 60s and showed me some glimpses of a world long gone (ex. The promotion of the railroad engine building industry).
So for me all the details work giving me a picture of the times as well as the formation of the Beach Boys.
1 ![1 utente ha trovato utile questa recensione vota](https://image.librarything.com/pics/voteup-y.gif)
![1 utente ha trovato utile questa recensione vota](https://image.librarything.com/pics/voteup-y.gif)
Segnalato
twolfe360 | 17 altre recensioni | Jun 15, 2016 | ![](https://image.librarything.com/pics/er_tiny_logo2_20h.png)
As I read Becoming the Beach Boys, a book that goes into detail about the three years that represent the Beach Boys’ beginning, I now understand what others have to put up with when I get going about Disneyland.
This book has to be a Beach Boys’ fan’s delight. It is written by a real fan, and goes into unbelievable detail. Just one example of that detail: a discussion of the numbering systems used by record companies in the making of 45s – the number that is engraved on the disc itself.
Don’t get me wrong. These details are important for what the author is trying to do – untangle the threads of information to try and build some coherence to the Beach Boys’ origin story. (For example, understanding the numbering system is instrumental in trying to determine the origins of the first hits.) But for some of us, such detail can get mind-numbing. (And, again, I think of that poor individual travelling with me in Disneyland.)
This book is most likely a treasure trove of information for the extremely avid fan. The author has deeply researched the material including extensive interviews and deep-dives into available documentation (some from the author’s own collection.) However, for the person with a more casual interest (that would be me), many of these deep dives are easily skimmed over.
And that detail leads me to one of the main complaints I have about this book, a complaint that builds on a complaint I have with most biographies. In telling the history of a person, authors will often go back in history to tell their ancestors’ stories. This can get a bit much. In the case of this book, the history of the boys’ parents is vital. However, the author tells the deep backgrounds (including the parentage) of way too many of the players. The members of the band? Fine. Anyone else? It is hard to really care.
And one more thing I will note. This is a complete picture of those three years. And yet, I cannot help but feel that some people still sugar coat their memories because of the subjects involved. I further guess that the author does not want to tread too far down roads that have already been heavily travelled. That leaves someone like me – someone who barely knows the subject – a bit in the lurch with a lot of unanswered questions. But I will not fault the book for this last bit. If the author were to try and keep everyone happy, he would be rewriting what has been said before and producing a book that would be unwieldly.
The book does what it sets out to do, even it is not exactly what I need from a book on The Beach Boys. That is to say, this is book that will provide the details the rabid fan desires. And for those of us who are casual observers, we will learn some interesting things. But it is probably not where we should start our voyage
1 ![1 utente ha trovato utile questa recensione vota](https://image.librarything.com/pics/voteup-y.gif)
![1 utente ha trovato utile questa recensione vota](https://image.librarything.com/pics/voteup-y.gif)
Segnalato
figre | 17 altre recensioni | Jun 13, 2016 | ![](https://image.librarything.com/pics/er_tiny_logo2_20h.png)
Segnalato
JohnChic | 17 altre recensioni | Jun 2, 2016 | ![](https://image.librarything.com/pics/er_tiny_logo2_20h.png)
The text is well-researched and dense with information – for me, not a quick read. And there are certain parts of the book that are not meant to be read straight through. For example, there are several appendices. Appendix 1 lists all the appearances of the group, listing each individual date, venue, and various details of the performance. This is information that might be of little interest to some readers, but I rather liked how I was able to find the two shows during that time frame that I attended -- and let my own memories flood back.
I so enjoyed the images that are included throughout the text. Some are photographs of the group, as one might expect. Others are advertising for performances. How much fun to read! Stomp and Twist, with Bob Eubanks from KRLA as M.C., at Pickwick in Burbank …. whoa, just reading that triggers such memories. I liked it!
1 ![1 utente ha trovato utile questa recensione vota](https://image.librarything.com/pics/voteup-y.gif)
![1 utente ha trovato utile questa recensione vota](https://image.librarything.com/pics/voteup-y.gif)
Segnalato
RaucousRain | 17 altre recensioni | May 29, 2016 | ![](https://image.librarything.com/pics/er_tiny_logo2_20h.png)
Segnalato
PropLady67 | 17 altre recensioni | May 3, 2016 | ![](https://image.librarything.com/pics/er_tiny_logo2_20h.png)
I read a particularly harsh criticism from someone who did not read the whole book but had a background of living in Redondo Beach and was quibbling with some of the facts as presented in the book. To this I would say that the author mentions straight up from the very beginning of the book that he did his best to get the details correct however there was a lot of confusion and quarrels even among the people involved about what happened on what date and where.
Look, we are talking about events that are now over 50 years ago. Two of the three Wilson brothers as well as their parents are deceased and due to Brian Wilson's mental health issues, it's possible that the details will be forever lost. I was not particularly cut up at the name of a wrong high school or auditorium name being used incorrectly but if that is the kind of detail that drives you mad, then simply don't read the book.
However, if you are a serious audiophile, this author has gone to a great deal of time and trouble to locate acetates, original recordings and pressings from obscure labels in order to identify some of the earliest recordings and songs written by Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys in its earliest formation. There is a level of detail that true record collectors will appreciate if they want to find these obscure 45's for their collections.
There is biographical information about the parents of the Wilson's, The Love's and The Jardine's that give a little insight into how the members of the group came to have a love and appreciation for music. The biographical detail is not in depth reporting on family dynamics, psychological or social settings. It is focused solely on music and its place in the life of each member and how that evolved into the formation of the group.
I was expecting more of a biography but I stuck with the book to see where it was headed and found myself drawn into some of the details that are meaningful to the collector. But make no mistake, this book is very long on detail and presents conflicting accounts as they were given to the author by the players involved. With that in mind, there are times when the reader simply has to “pick a side” and decide to go with that version of events or reject an alternate version in favor of information they may have read from another source.
The indexing and end notes are expansive for those wanting to dig further or cross reference for their own work. For the average reader, three stars but for the serious record collector and audiophile, this is probably a five star effort.
1 ![1 utente ha trovato utile questa recensione vota](https://image.librarything.com/pics/voteup-y.gif)
![1 utente ha trovato utile questa recensione vota](https://image.librarything.com/pics/voteup-y.gif)
Segnalato
ozzieslim | 17 altre recensioni | Apr 30, 2016 | ![](https://image.librarything.com/pics/er_tiny_logo2_20h.png)
However, for the record collector on an endless search for surf singles, Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963 might be invaluable.
The author admits his biography is a working theory of how the Boys got together, but his theory relies on too much trivial information of the various record companies, producers and promoters involved. It’s difficult to keep track of all the comprehensive anecdotes, causing the book to read better as an intricate list of information, but not as an idyllic narrative for the California Sound.
The author’s deep research does pay off when he describes the Beach Boys’ early singles. He identifies their releases from each label by explaining their numbering system and what identification marks to look for. The appendix is very thorough as well, and lists the Beach Boys’ personal appearances from 1961-1963 and the chart position history of their “Surfin’” single.
I would add this to your Beach Boys book collection if you’re looking for a nice, detailed reference guide of the group’s early releases and appearances, but not as a relaxing, summer beach read.
Segnalato
jazznoir | 17 altre recensioni | Apr 5, 2016 | ![](https://image.librarything.com/pics/er_tiny_logo2_20h.png)
Segnalato
lucybrown | 17 altre recensioni | Apr 1, 2016 | ![](https://image.librarything.com/pics/er_tiny_logo2_20h.png)
Segnalato
gothamajp | 17 altre recensioni | Mar 22, 2016 | ![](https://image.librarything.com/pics/er_tiny_logo2_20h.png)
Segnalato
mrsfiskeandco | 17 altre recensioni | Mar 17, 2016 | ![](https://image.librarything.com/pics/er_tiny_logo2_20h.png)
Segnalato
beachbaby1124 | 17 altre recensioni | Mar 13, 2016 | ![](https://image.librarything.com/pics/er_tiny_logo2_20h.png)
The book is simply much too detailed. I somehow get the feeling that the author may have become a slave to the incredible wealth of research material gathered and felt the need to include it all. This book likely relates everything there is to know regarding the each song’s composition, each 45RPM single, each album, each appearance, each recording session, each lawsuit, etc. But this is a case where less would have been more. Some selectivity in what to include would have made for a much more flowing narrative. Now I am sure that hard-core Beach Boys aficionados will absolutely enjoy every morsel, but casual fans like myself likely will not have the need or the patience. I found it impossible to read straight through; I needed to skim much of the way to make it to the end.
Sifting through, however, there are indeed many interesting nuggets about the band, the music, the records, the genius of Brian Wilson, and the early 1960’s music industry. And it is nicely illustrated with some very cool photos, artifacts, and memorabilia from the author’s personal collection. The story of the Beach Boys’ formation and early success should have made for a very good read, but the excess ultimately derails it. What should have been a breezy narrative unfortunately stagnates instead.
Segnalato
ghr4 | 17 altre recensioni | Mar 8, 2016 | ![](https://image.librarything.com/pics/er_tiny_logo2_20h.png)
When Brian Wilson was about twenty years old and dining out with his first serious girlfriend, his salad dressing of choice was Thousand Island. The question is, do you care? If so, you may appreciate the painstaking research and attention to detail that are evident in this book. If not, you may find this book excruciatingly dull and bogged down by extraneous trivia (as I did). I love the music of the Beach Boys and find the band's history, which in most accounts is loaded with human drama, fascinating, but even I couldn't get through this book without a lot of skimming and slogging.
Recommended only for the most fanatical of fans.
Segnalato
akblanchard | 17 altre recensioni | Mar 5, 2016 | Recensori in anteprima
![](https://image.librarything.com/pics/er_page_banner9f_noLT_75w.png)
Offerte passate
- Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961–1963 (March 2016)
- Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961–1963 (January 2016)
Collegamenti
Questo sito utilizza i cookies per fornire i nostri servizi, per migliorare le prestazioni, per analisi, e (per gli utenti che accedono senza fare login) per la pubblicità. Usando LibraryThing confermi di aver letto e capito le nostre condizioni di servizio e la politica sulla privacy. Il tuo uso del sito e dei servizi è soggetto a tali politiche e condizioni.