When I heard the news that the Beach Boys were reuniting for a new album and world-wide tour, I wasn’t as excited as I thought I would be. Of course, there are those out there who wonder why a 38-year-old man would be pumped up to see the Beach Boys. If you’ve seen them perform over the last twenty or so years, then you know perhaps it’s best to curb your enthusiasm. But now to explain why I have any enthusiasm at all.

My father raised on the Beach Boys’s music. The house wasn’t filled with Beach Boys tracks all the time; there were breaks for Blue Öyster Cult, the Doors, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Steely Dan, and many more than should fit in this blog. Still, one of my most potent musical memories is my father harmonizing with Brian Wilson and company on…oh, let’s just pick one. “Heroes and Villains?” “Vega-Tables?” “Sail On, Sailor?”  Beach Boys’ music got into my brain and re-wired it. Along with that, I know about the drama surrounding the Smile sessions and the acrimony between Brian Wilson and Mike Love, but not in this post.

Brian Wilson said last year in an interview last year that he was open to a reunion, but I didn’t think it would happen. I thought it might have been too painful for all involved. Dennis and Carl are dead, for one thing, and the Beach Boys without Carl is just sad. Sad, sad, sad.

Tickets are already on sale for a lot of venues on the tour, and I’m curious to hear what comes of the current line-ups’ (Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, and David Marks) new album. If nothing more, I see future blogs about the Beach Boys coming up, so steel youselves. I’ve also tinkered with the idea of a short story collection based on Smiley Smile, and the news of this reunion might just be the thing to start me off.