The Beach Boys lowdown with ‘Elvis Music FAQ’ wordsmith Mike Eder

Drummer-singer-songwriter Dennis Wilson, frontman-lyricist Mike Love, lead guitarist-singer-songwriter Carl Wilson, rhythm guitarist-singer-songwriter Al Jardine, and keyboardist-singer-songwriter Bruce Johnston are the casually-dressed Beach Boys in September 1968. Gratitude goes to Ian Rusten of for narrowing down the timeline. Band architect Brian Wilson relinquished much of the production for their upcoming “20/20” album to Dennis and Carl but still had a hand in the retro-flavored “Do It Again,” the autobiographical “I Went to Sleep,” “Time to Get Alone,” and outtakes such as “We’re Together Again,” “Walk on By,” “Ol’ Man River,” “Loop de Loop,” “Walkin’”, and the mesmerizing tour de force “Can’t Wait Too Long.” Image Credit: Capitol Photo Archives / Pictorial Press / Alamy

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“What makes the Beach Boys special for me is that I can relate to their lives and their music as being a real reflection of American life,” says Mike Eder. “Eccentric perhaps, but deep down most of us are.” The America’s Band chronicler spends a long-form interview convincingly arguing why each member not named Brian Wilson deserves accolades, whether Wilson killed SMiLE, the reclusive genius’ mental state and unheeded studio activity post-SMiLE, Mike Love’s massive ego and enviable determination to never stop touring, drummer Dennis Wilson’s emotion-wallowing compositions, younger brother Carl Wilson’s bandleading and record production, the artistic credibility that was lost when South African musicians Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar departed just prior to Endless Summer, the underrated L.A. [Light Album], the extraordinary love felt among Beach Boys audiences, and eons more. Eder is also an authority on Kenny Rogers and the First Edition and has published .

The Mike Eder / Beach Boys Interview

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