Now available on Disney+, The Beach Boys Documentary takes fans back to where it all started for an interesting look at how they rose to become one of America’s most iconic bands.
The Beach Boys Documentary Review
With nearly 30 albums, loads of hit singles, and highs and lows that stretch back to more than 60 years ago, The Beach Boys are more than just the band that sings Surfin' USA. Frank Marshall and Thom Zimny’s new documentary packs that history into 113 minutes to recount the rise, peak, and breakup of the iconic band. It might skim the surface of many of the lows that plagued them but it still offers an interesting look at how The Beach Boys' machine worked.
Growing up The Beach Boys were just records my parents had that I never paid too close attention to. In fact my first memory of them, much like my knowledge of The Beatles, came from a TV show– Full House. That's when I heard them and learned who it was. It wasn't until much later that I realized their impact on pop music (and that they were “a thing” during the same time as The Beatles). So this documentary revealed quite a lot. The drama alone is enough to make some reality TV housewives jealous. This rock doc bares it all, even if it seems to pull its punches at certain points, in order to give viewers a new appreciation for their music and unique sound.
In the beginning there were three brothers, one cousin, and a good friend who played music together in their garage. After some help from their families, they ended up in a studio and the rest is history. The Beach Boys were a hit, their voices blending together in beautiful ways, as they sang songs about surfing. Instantly becoming a soundtrack for summers, cookouts, and beach vacations. But the road to success wasn't always the smoothest. They had to deal with an overbearing and abusive father-turned-manager, anxiety (which wasn't allowed during those days), and creative differences between Brian Wilson and the others…namely Mike Love.
However, the strife between Love and the others seems behind them as he is heavily featured in the interview portion of the film. Sure there are still moments where he practically claims he saved the band but there are other, quieter ones where he reflects on his regret on how things went down between him and Brian. He says, “We've been counted out as a group a half-dozen times.” Which is true and The Beach Boys does get into those various times, mostly as passing mentions. However Marshall and Zimny do delve into the group's massive decline in the late 1960s which was caused by Brian Wilson's increasing drug use and mental issues.
Before it examines Brian's issues (before landing on a happier note), The Beach Boys spends a lot of time praising his genius, and rightfully so. He was the driving force behind the band and their unique style. Although the film never goes too in-depth about the creation of any of the albums, something that I personally found fascinating when watching The Beatles Get Back or even the more recent biopic One Love.
Despite the lack of examination there, we do get to hear from the bandmates themselves what influenced them as artists (Chuck Berry) and even listen to them laugh about the irony of their earlier hits. Ironically only one of them actually surfed, drummer Dennis Wilson. Through archival footage, Brian recounts having a nervous breakdown in 1964 that prevented him from going on tour for many, many years. Other featured talking heads include Lindsey Buckingham, Janelle Monae, Don Was, and OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder. Monae and Tedder share how The Beach Boys' work influenced their music. Whereas Buckingham and Was' input reveals the impact the band had across the world.
As mentioned, Marshall and Zimny gloss over some of the more contentious aspects of the band including Dennis Wilson’s interactions with Charles Manson, Brian and Love’s legal battles, Dennis and Carl Wilson’s deaths, and the music that flopped. The first two thirds of the documentary do much to explain and explore the The Beach Boys but the ending speeds through events to end on the high note that was their No. 1 album Endless Summer and the Beach Boys' No. 1 1988 hit “Kokomo.” The band was saved and forever cemented in greatness.
VERDICT
Ultimately, The Beach Boys lives up to the tagline promise of being “The Definitive Look at America’s Band.” Through interview and archival footage, fans are taken through the history of the band to learn more about the founding members, Brian, Mike, Carl, Dennis, Al, and what made them tick. For hardcore fans there might not be a lot of new information here but for casual ones, there is a trove of interesting facts to discover. Either way, it's a celebration of this unique group of men and the music that lives on to this day.
The Beach Boys is now streaming on Disney+.
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