THE BEACH BOYS

A Beatles Vs. Beach Boys Debate Is Taking Over Twitter, So Questlove And Justin Vernon Have Weighed In

by
Paul McCartney Brian Wilson Beatles Beach Boys Coachella 2009
Getty Image

While The Beatles are widely considered to be the best and/or most important band of the ’60s, there are plenty of folks out there who would instead pledge their allegiance to The Beach Boys. Well, it was argued on Twitter that the former is a better group than the latter, which has prompted both bands to trend due to the discussion surrounding that claim.

Last night, journalist Emily Brooks tweeted, “My husband is out with a hot take: The Beach Boys are better than The Beatles. Immediately upon hearing this I was shook. He told me, ‘Put it out in the Twitterverse, I bet I get love.’”

That got a reply from beloved The Roots drummer Questlove, who wrote, “Welp: if it weren’t for Pet Sounds we woulda never had Sgt Peppers [shrugging emoji].” Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon responded to that tweet with an emoji of a hand pointing to the left, indicating support for Questlove’s view.

Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson has addressed that Pet Sounds/Sgt. Pepper’s point before. In a recent interview, for example, he was asked what his favorite album is, and he said, “I’d have to say Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Obviously, I love The Beatles and we have always had a mutual love and respect for each other. They say that it was birthed from hearing Pet Sounds… I don’t know… but I just love that album.”

Meanwhile, while it would be fair for Paul McCartney to choose The Beatles in this debate, he has nothing but love for the Beach Boys. In fact, in a 2007 interview, McCartney said of a Pet Sounds highlight, “‘God Only Knows’ is one of the few songs that reduces me to tears every time I hear it. It’s really just a love song, but it’s brilliantly done. It shows the genius of Brian. I’ve actually performed it with him and I’m afraid to say that during the sound check, I broke down. It was just too much to stand there singing this song that does my head in, and to stand there singing it with Brian.”

On a related note, in an interview with Uproxx earlier this month, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia‘s Glenn Howerton said, “I don’t like the f*cking Beatles, man. […] I got a bit of a chip on my shoulder about The Beatles because I feel like they made a lot of really cool music, and they were obviously incredibly innovative and all that. But I think there were a lot of bands that were around that same time that just don’t get enough play. And I’m just f*cking sick of hearing about The Beatles. Like, Jesus Christ, just shut the f*ck up.”

Check out some more Beatles vs. Beach Boys tweets below.

The Best Vinyl Releases Of August 2021

by
Uproxx

Anybody who thought the vinyl resurgence was just a fad was mistaken: The industry has experienced a legitimate revival. As a result, music fans are interested in physical media in ways they may not have if the decades-old medium hasn’t made a comeback. That doesn’t mean everybody is listening to just their parents’ old music, though. That’s part of it, sure, thanks to rereleases that present classic albums in new ways. A vital part of the renewed vinyl wave, though, is new projects being released as records, of which there are plenty.

Whatever you might be into, each August brings a new slew of vinyl releases that has something for everybody. Some stand out above the rest, naturally, so check out some of our favorite vinyl releases of August below.

Billie Eilish — Happier Than Ever

Interscope

Billie Eilish had a lot riding on her second album, and so far, she has delivered. It has spent multiple weeks at No. 1, spawned hit singles like “Therefore I Am” and “My Future,” and has otherwise kept Eilish in the conversation as one of music’s finest. The vinyl edition of the album is one you can feel environmentally good about owning, too, as it’s pressed on 100-percent recycled vinyl.

Get it here.

The Beach Boys — Feel Flows: The Sunflower And Surf’s Up Sessions 1969-1971

Capitol/UMG

The Beach Boys’ defining output came in the mid-’60s, but now they’re honoring a pair of their also-excellent early-’70s albums, Sunflower and Surf’s Up, with a giant new box set. There are 135 tracks in total, with 108 of them being previously unreleased tracks, live recordings, demos, alternate versions/mixes, instrumentals, and a capella tracks.

Get it here.

Foxing — Draw Down The Moon

Grand Paradise

Draw Down The Moon marked a change in direction for Foxing, who embrace genres like pop and rock like they never really have before in their mostly emo-leaning discography. Now, one of the year’s finer rock albums is available pressed on lovely yellow, blue, and green vinyl, which also comes with a 24-inch by 36-inch poster.

Get it here.

The Knife — Deep Cuts (20th Anniversary Reissue)

Mute

The Knife enjoyed a tremendous run as a beloved electronic act in the 200)s, and while they broke up in 2014, they’re celebrating their 2001 sophomore album Deep Cuts. As the record turns 20 years old, it has gotten a limited edition reissue pressed on magenta vinyl, which pairs gorgeously with the colorful album art.

Get it here.

Olivia Rodrigo — Sour

Geffen Records

Earlier this month, Rodrigo shared a video of herself in awe as she examined the vinyl edition of Sour for the first time. It turns out that’s an experience a lot of her fans replicated, as Sour had not just the biggest vinyl sales week of 2021 so far, but the second-largest of the past 30 years. So, if you don’t already have this one, the market has shown that it’s worth picking up.

Get it here.

Various Artists — Another Side Of John Coltrane

Craft Recordings

John Coltrane is a headlining act without question, but throughout his career, he also played a supporting role on works by fellow jazz greats like Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, and Sonny Rollins. Now some of those collaborations have been compiled on Another Side Of John Coltrane, which is available digitally. The 2-LP set, though, has the whole package, as it includes two vinyl-exclusive songs: “Nutty” (from Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane) and “Birks’ Works” (from Soul Junction by the Red Garland Quintet featuring Coltrane and Donald Byrd).

Get it here.

LCD Soundsystem — The Long Goodbye: LCD Soundsystem Live At Madison Square Garden (10th Anniversary Reissue)

DFA Records

It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years since LCD Soundsystem’s “farewell” show (which of course preceded the band’s reunion). Now the soundtrack album is back in print as an expansive vinyl edition, made up of five LPs, a print of the original concert poster, and a 10.5-inch by 7-inch full-bleed risograph photo print by longtime band photographer Ruvan Wijesooriya.

Get it here.

Wu-Tang Clan — Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (Reissue)

Vinyl Me, Please

Enter The Wu-Tang has gone down as one of hip-hop’s most important and influential albums, and now it has gotten a shiny new reissue via the fine record purveyors at Vinyl Me, Please. Pressed on “gold galaxy”-colored vinyl, this edition comes accompanied by an art print as well as a listening notes booklet.

Get it here.

Public Enemy — Fear Of A Black Planet (Reissue)

Vinyl Me, Please

Vinyl Me, Please was on fire this month, especially in the hip-hop department. They’ve also dropped a new edition of the Public Enemy classic Fear Of A Black Planet, and this version of the group’s biggest release comes pressed on sharp-looking blue and brown vinyl — or “Us and the Damned”-colored, as VMP puts it.

Get it here.

Big Red Machine — How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?

37d03d

Big Red Machine is built on collaboration, as the core of the project is the coming together of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and The National’s Aaron Dessner. On top of that, the duo’s latest album also brings into the fold Taylor Swift, Fleet Foxes, Sharon Van Etten, and a host of others, and now they’re all available together on vinyl.

Get it here.

Spice Girls — Wannabe25

UMC/EMI

Spice Girls know what you want (what you really, really want): They’re celebrating the 25th anniversary of their hit single “Wannabe” with a new limited-edition EP, Wannabe25. Aside from the original 1996 single, this vinyl release also includes a remix of the song by Junior Vasquez (which was originally a bonus track on the 1996 “2 Become 1” CD single), the original demo of the song, and a demo of a previously unreleased track called “Feed Your Love.”

Get it here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.