Jokermen Podcast: The Beach Boys – BEST OF THE 80s

October 20, 2025
Hosts: Evan and Ian

Episode Overview

In this special "Looking Back With Love" episode, Jokermen tackles the formidable task of identifying and celebrating the best music the Beach Boys, and their extended universe, released throughout the 1980s. This decade was a turbulent, transitional period for the band; the hosts reflect with humor, candor, and surprising affection on a body of work often maligned or overlooked—even by diehard fans. Through witty banter and deep-cut knowledge, Evan and Ian piece together a “best of” playlist, drawing from both group albums and solo records by Brian, Carl, and Mike, as well as collaborations and rarities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Challenge of the 80s Beach Boys

• The Decade in Context:
  The hosts acknowledge upfront that the Beach Boys’ 80s era is seen as a creative low point—making this retrospective more daunting than previous “Looking Back” episodes.

  “Even if, you know, as in this case, maybe there isn't a whole lot to look back with love upon.” (01:28 – Ian)

• Expanding the Net:
  Evan points out that the "Best Of" playlist is only possible by combining group tracks with solo output and side projects:

  “If it was just the Beach Boys, we'd be in some hot water. But I think, you know, expanding the aperture out a little bit… I think we can get 20 songs. That's doable.” (01:51 – Evan)

• The AI Playlist Gag:
  Ian jokes about using Spotify to build the playlist, only to get the same two Carl Wilson suggestions repeatedly, highlighting the scarcity of praised 80s tracks:

  “It only had two suggestions, just. Heaven and the Passing Lane, presumably.” (03:05 – Evan)

2. Reevaluating and Contextualizing Maligned Tracks

• Still Cruisin’ Revisited:
  Ian confesses that after editing the previous episode, songs from “Still Cruisin’” became stuck in his head—he begrudgingly finds them memorable and contextually charming (05:28).

  “I kind of have a space in my mind that just been along. The Island Girl for the last week in my car.” (05:25 – Ian)

• Film Connections Add Charm:
  Discovering “Make It Big” was used in the film Troop Beverly Hills with animation by John K. (of Ren & Stimpy), rescues the song from the trash heap, adding appreciation through pop culture context (06:05).

• “Somewhere Near Japan” – A Dark Origin:
  The hosts share Patreon listener info: the story behind this song is darker than they knew, recounting Mackenzie Phillips’ real-life plea to her father from “somewhere near Japan” (08:00).

3. Celebrating Unexpected Highlights

• “Kokomo” – A Divisive Classic:
  Universally panned by critics, “Kokomo” is staunchly defended as a legitimate highlight. Birdesing the gap between fans and haters, they argue that animosity is often rooted in its association with Mike Love, not the song’s actual quality.

  “If you had Brian's name on this, people would be jumping over themselves to say, like… you don't think there was any good Beach Boys music in the 80s?” (11:14 – Ian)

• Solo Albums: Mike Love vs. Carl Wilson:
  Looking Back With Love, Mike's 1981 solo record, is surprisingly praised for being more lively and memorable than Carl’s solo albums, which Ian calls “boring, dry, like eating dry chicken” (13:59).

• Brian Wilson’s 1988 Comeback:
  Brian Wilson is hailed as the decade’s saving grace, providing several genuinely excellent pop songs—a recurring well for their playlist picks.

4. Associative Acts and Lost Gems

• Lindsey Buckingham Collaboration:
  Brian’s collaboration with Lindsey is declared a top-tier moment for its inventive pop sensibility (39:03).

  “He's just got like a really sharp ear for hooky, like non boring stuff. Lindsay Buckingham is like the exact opposite of Carl Wilson…” (40:42 – Ian)

• Bruce Johnston’s “Endless Harmony”:
  Recognized as a weird, but touching tribute to the band’s legacy, and another outlier that earns a spot on their list (46:13).

• Honorable Mentions & Streaming Gaps:
  Van Dyke Parks’s Tokyo Rose would have featured heavily if available; the hosts lament its absence from streaming and praise its inventive arrangements and lyrics (57:16).

5. Reflection on Legacy and the Power of Music

• Brian Wilson’s Solo Legacy:
  “Love and Mercy” stands as a rare example of a solo song by a band leader that becomes an artist-defining classic.

  “Make no mistake… everyone who's ever stepped away from a band to make a solo record [dreams of this]… and he did it.” (44:02 – Ian)

• The Drive of Mike Love & the Nature of Legacy:
  A philosophical discussion on Mike’s compulsion to continue touring:

  “There is something that does make him have to do this… music is good for you… part of the thing that has kept this person going is just the fact that music is good for you.” (49:50 – Ian)

• Brian on the Source:
  The episode closes with Brian Wilson’s spoken-word reflection on art, love, and spiritual connection—a rare and moving coda to the playlist (54:03/59:19).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Struggles of AI to Find Good 80s Beach Boys:

  “Even all of the Nvidia graphics chips, all the data centers across the world, the processing power is still not there to tell you anything other than Heaven.”
  — Evan (03:36)

• On “Still Cruisin’” and Emotional Labor:

  “It reminded me that you've got to bring some extra emotional imaginative work to the task… to really find there are ways in which these things can be maybe less depressing to encounter.”
  — Ian (06:14)

• “Kokomo” Defense:

  “If you had Brian's name on this, people would be jumping over themselves to say… 'You don't think there was any good Beach Boys music in the 80s?' Come on.”
  — Ian (11:14)

• On “Melt Away” and Brian’s Genius:

  “You can hear doo-wop and Motown stuff in there. You can hear Phil Spector in there … but you can also hear that he takes that and runs with it in a way that is … more indebted to classical music… the essence of Brian Wilson, musically, is that he's able to bring those two things together.”
  — Ian (25:58)

• On Mike Love’s Relentlessness:

  “He doesn't have to do it economically speaking … There is something that does make him have to do this.”
  — Evan (48:48)

• Brian Wilson on Music and Art (Closing):

  “People are being loved under the disguise of a record … art is intangible … So we wanted somebody, somewhere, to understand what we'd gone through. And at the same time, they could say, well, I do too.”
  — Brian Wilson (59:19)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:34–04:11: Context — Why the 80s Beach Boys is a challenge for a “Best Of”
• 04:50–07:21: Revisiting “Still Cruisin’” and context improving appreciation
• 08:00–08:59: “Somewhere Near Japan” and real-life troubled inspiration
• 10:30–12:13: The Case for “Kokomo”
• 13:37–15:11: Mike Love’s Looking Back With Love, and “Paradise Found”
• 16:33–18:00: “Meet Me in My Dreams Tonight”—Brian’s solo peak
• 24:55–26:57: “Melt Away” and how Brian bridges pop and classical
• 39:03–41:20: Lindsay Buckingham and Brian Wilson—unexpected synergy
• 43:19–45:19: “Love and Mercy” as solo mission accomplished
• 46:13–47:42: “Endless Harmony”—Bruce Johnston and enduring legacy
• 54:03–54:43, 59:19–59:51: “Brian on the Source”—Brian’s spoken-word outro

The Beach Boys: BEST of the 1980s — Final Playlist

(Not all may be available on streaming, as lamented by the hosts)

1. Somewhere Near Japan
2. Still Cruisin'
3. Kokomo
4. Looking Back With Love
5. Paradise Found
6. Meet Me in My Dreams Tonight
7. Santa Ana Winds
8. Melt Away
9. Giving You Up
10. One for the Boys
11. Male Ego
12. Keeping the Summer Alive
13. I’m So Lonely
14. He Couldn't Get His Poor Old Body to Move
15. Time
16. Love and Mercy
17. Endless Harmony
18. Rio Grande
19. Let's Go to Heaven in My Car
20. Brian on the Source (spoken word)

Closing Reflection

The episode closes with an acknowledgment that, thanks to Brian’s solo work and a few overlooked gems, it’s possible to assemble a rewarding and representative playlist from this difficult decade. The hosts’ good-natured ribbing, personal anecdotes, and musicological insights make this rundown essential for Beach Boys completists and curious listeners alike. While the 1990s may prove an even greater challenge, here the spirit of "looking back with love" triumphs—even if it’s love found in unexpected, sometimes bizarre places.

For more playlists and in-depth dives, follow the Jokermen Podcast on Patreon and social media @jokermenpodcast.