Customer Reviews

The Beach Boys - An American Band: 25th Anniversary Edition [VHS]

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This video is one of the most amazing videos I've ever seen, probably because I'm a huge beach boys fan, this video shows clips from their legendary performances with one of my favourites Sloop John B, and other hits that change alot of music such as Good Vibrations etc.. I've never seen the Beach Boys look so good, and powerful.

This video is perfect for any real beach boys fan. It's 100 minutes of all music/live performances and some interview clips. Lots of pet sounds and smile material was included. Buy this now!

I cannot begin to say how pleased I am with this video. I actually ordered two. One being the original 103 minute version and the other the 25th aniversary, very edited, edition. I highly recommend the original. I watched it first then watched the edited and couldn't believe all the stuff that was left out. I have to say it was some very crucial parts for me. The "Please Let Me Wonder" performance was incredible and I could not believe it was edited out. I've been a huge fan of the Beach Boys since I was in diapers and every minute I can spend listening to or watching them perform counts. The Endless Harmony video has a little more serious tone and was more informative but this video was so much fun to watch. Both videos are an absolute must have for a true Beach Boy fan.

This is a good video but it is worth the extra effort to search out the original version-Beach Boys, An American Band. This version leaves out Brian singing 'Surfs Up'as well as other key scenes. Best bet, get Beach Boys, Endless Harmony.

This video starts off really great with lots of clips and, best of all, live music from their early days. The scenes of Brian Wilson being interviewed in his bed are a little strange. I wanted to give my young daughter this video as a Christmas present. She really likes the Beach Boys music. Parents be warned, there is a scene in the beginning where one of the Beach Boys is wearing a T-shirt that says "I'm a F------ Genius". As the video progresses it outlines their fall from popularity in the early 70's, the drug use, then Dennis Wilson's death. The scenes of Dennis Wilson singing "You Are So Beautiful" are depressing and troubling. Shortly afterward, he drowned in a boating accident. Still, there are some really great scenes of the band in the early days. If you are a hard-core Beach Boys fan, and I am (saw them twice in concert), I would recommend watch the first hour and forget the rest.

This is edited from the original earlier 80's movie release they did right after Dennis drowned, but it also has some new stuff included in place... so I am not sure if they should have left well enough alone or included ALL research material and make a 2 hour movie? Sad for me personally, as I saw them in concert just weeks before Dennis died, and what to this day still haunts me is this image: After the 1983 concert was done (Firefall opened for them in fact) and all band members left stage, the packed audience was standing and clapping still shouting for more and the stage had just cream colored instruments standing quiet there; then, all of a sudden Dennis Wilson came out to front edge of stage with soaked towel around his neck and walked back and forth to both ends of the stage, looked at everyone and blew kisses to the audience and thanking them deeply for coming to the show, and then waved as he turned around acting as if to say "goodbye for the last time"..... and then days later I see the news he drowned in a freak diving accident off his boat. It still haunts me to this day how he came out unexpectedly, nobody else around, and his actions you had to see then seemed to speak loudly of what was to be. Just weirded me out then and to this day thinking about it.

But it is a great historic perspective of my favorite band and should give others who know little about the Beach Boys, a better understanding how they persevered for decades regardless of popular attitudes and the sheer amount of detailed & complex music writing abilities they had and a sound nobody can ever match. They truly were in a league of their own.

If you want to learn to play the trademark guitar licks and riffs of the Beach Boys music, then you should definitely buy this book. It has authentic note-for-note transcriptions to many of the Beach Boys Greatest Hits including Fun, Fun, Fun, Surfin U.S.A., California Girls, Surfin Safari, and many others! This book is very accurate and it is alot of fun to learn how to play guitar in the style of the Beach Boys!!!

This video shows off the Beach Boys in b/w,and Color.If you can find it,get it today!Great music,and video clips!