Track Talk #1: Add Some Music

[buddhahat]

Anybody up for starting a track talk feature, where we just discuss a specific track, the egg heads & honoured guests can chime in with some choice facts and we all might learn a bit more about our fave songs? I guess there's a risk that the board will be littered with threads on every recording within a day or so but maybe, if we wait for one thread to peter off before starting another, it might work. Anyway here goes:

The Guardian have started a regular blog feature on their favourite 'old music' and Add Some Music kicks the series off!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/sep/22/old-music-beach-boys?newsfeed=true

Thought it might be a good excuse to discuss the track. It's one of my favourites. The clumsy lyrics, the blissed out feel, and the incredible middle 8 (or whatever you'd call it) - "Music, when you're alone, is like a companion to your lonely soul". That should be the corniest line, but backed up with the lush chord changes and incredible harmonies it reinforces the truth behind the sentiment.

There's a great vocals only version which really highlights the beauty of the harmonies. Mike's backing vocals on that middle 8 are outstanding. And then the "When Day Is Over" part - wow!

[shelter]

I used to dislike this song and skip it most of the time, but it kind of grew on me. It's not a great work of art by any means, but it's enjoyable. A song that combines a Friends-ish "vibe" with a Sunflower-arrangement.

[shelter]

Great idea by the way! If it catches on, maybe the moderates could consider creating a subforum (in the review section perhaps) for this?

[phirnis]

Finding out that Alan Jardine sang the "And on every day of the summertime" part instead of Brian Wilson kind of ruined this song for me.

Great to see Sunflower getting some much-deserved mainstream press attention these days!

[The Shift]

Agree, it's a terrific track with some of the best group harmonies committed to tape. When you hear the vox-only track, you realise how Brian Wilson (I'm assuming he largely produced this even though the band bore the credit for the whole album) never really needed all that instrumentation on his work. The fact that he could exert such utter control over both, and produce such beauty in either discipline, makes you understand why his genius was recognised as such.

[JK]

Finding out that Alan Jardine sang the "And on every day of the summertime" part instead of Brian Wilson kind of ruined this song for me.

Just when I was beginning to enjoy this topic. What's the point of a remark like that? That's a rhetorical question, by the way.

[phirnis]

Finding out that Alan Jardine sang the "And on every day of the summertime" part instead of Brian Wilson kind of ruined this song for me.

Just when I was beginning to enjoy this topic. What's the point of a remark like that? That's a rhetorical question, by the way.

Sorry, I didn't mean to offend anyone. In all seriousness, I had always pictured BW singing this part and I thought it sounded amazingly youthful and bright for someone who was supposedly feeling all down and depressed by that point. I had probably just read the "Wouldn't It Be Nice" pseudo-biography when I first bought Sunflower/Surf's Up. That's all. To this day, however, I still wish there were more BW lead vocals on Sunflower. One of the record's very, very few real flaws.

[drbeachboy]

Finding out that Alan Jardine sang the "And on every day of the summertime" part instead of Brian Wilson kind of ruined this song for me.

Just when I was beginning to enjoy this topic. What's the point of a remark like that? That's a rhetorical question, by the way.

Sorry, I didn't mean to offend anyone. In all seriousness, I had always pictured BW singing this part and I thought it sounded amazingly youthful and bright for someone who was supposedly feeling all down and depressed by that point. I had probably just read the "Wouldn't It Be Nice" pseudo-biography when I first bought Sunflower/Surf's Up. That's all. To this day, however, I still wish there were more BW lead vocals on Sunflower. One of the record's very, very few real flaws.

Hey, it's your mind. If you want it to be Brian instead of Al, then by all means- go for it. Don't let that one little thing ruin it for you.

[William Bowe]

I remember being nonplussed the first time I heard it. It grew on me, but only so much - perhaps coming after This Whole World on Sunflower makes it suffer by comparison. The Guardian article hits the nail on the head: "What makes the song, of course, is the singing: for all the facility of the instrumental arrangement, there's barely a song at the heart of this – it's a custom-built vehicle for the voices." Which is probably why I prefer the a capella version.

[pixletwin]

Love the part Brian sings "When day is over I close my tired eyes".

[buddhahat]

I remember being nonplussed the first time I heard it. It grew on me, but only so much - perhaps coming after This Whole World on Sunflower makes it suffer by comparison. The Guardian article hits the nail on the head: "What makes the song, of course, is the singing: for all the facility of the instrumental arrangement, there's barely a song at the heart of this – it's a custom-built vehicle for the voices." Which is probably why I prefer the a capella version.

I do find it a prefect companion song to This Whole World though. Obviously not as complex, but it shares the same starry eyed sentimentality, and as I already mention, the middle 8 is a knockout. I almost wish that section was repeated again in the song, but there's something about it only appearing once that makes it special. A bit like the "Break my heart ..." part of Caroline No.

[rab2591]

Finding out that Alan Jardine sang the "And on every day of the summertime" part instead of Brian Wilson kind of ruined this song for me.

Great to see Sunflower getting some much-deserved mainstream press attention these days!

I can relate - the same thing happened to me only with the song 'Meant For You' - for ages I thought that that was Brian singing, then I found out it was Mike - call it stupid, but I was really let down when I heard that (there is something about the story behind Brian that makes his singing seem so much more sincere and beautiful). I got over it, and 'Meant For You' is still one of my favorite BB songs.
_____

As for this thread itself, what a fantastic idea! My favorite moments on this board are when guitarfool2000, aeijtzsche, or Jon Stebbins chime in with either recording equipment factoids or anecdotes about a recording session. Can't wait to hear where this goes!

[Ram4]

This song really grew on me too.  I read how the record label loved the song when they released it as a single and were shocked that it bombed, so I was expecting it to be a great song from the first listen.  It wasn't.  I though it rambled with them saying Add Some Music over and over.  But I kept giving it a chance and I started to really like it.  It would have made a great album opener (not that Slip On Through isn't great too) and I agree that it didn't feel quite right coming after This Whole World.  I was happy to see Brian perform it on tour this year, though I wish he'd introduce it as a Beach Boys track because I had the feeling most of the audience weren't familiar with it (though a handful of people gave it a standing ovation at the end).  I've always been a fan of how the Beach Boys would share lead vocals with each other and on this one, you get everyone involved, though it's still primarily Mike singing. 

This song to me sums up the spirit of the Sunflower era and how everyone was contributing as a true band.  It's criminal that the album failed so badly in America when it came out. 

[oldsurferdude]

I remember hearing it on radio for the first time-it was pleasant enough, but I immediately knew this wasn't going jump start their recording career by any stretch of the imagination. The whole concept of adding music to one's day was way too juvenile in 1970. The lyrics were sappy and yes it did drag on for a single. But, as a dutiful fan, I bought the single with SC on the flip(Alan Jardino! yes, JardinO). SC , ASM, IAT, CCW did generate a decent amount of airplay, though. I think the jocks liked and appreciated it as did I.

[JK]

I would describe this song----and most of Sunflower----as childlike. Childish is an accusation I'd level at later things of theirs ("Happy Endings", anyone?) but "Add Some Music" is childlike and most endearing.

I always expect not to like it and still it gets to me every time. "A companion for your lonely soul". I'll buy that.

[donald]

This album has to be heard on a good sound system to best be appreciated.  It is very nicely recorded and the clarity and seperation afforded by a good system and/or good headphones really brings it out.  Looking back it really captured some of the musical trends of the day.

[Jimmie_R]

Love the part Brian sings "When day is over I close my tired eyes".

So do I. It´s an awsome song from my favourite BB album! Brian and his band performed this one last time he played in sweden.. And I cried.... So good!

[runnersdialzero]

i liked the time when brian, despite having written the basis of it, didn't know what the song was and wouldn't participate in recording it because he was too busy playing the "shortenin' bread" riff.

[gxios]

In DC at the time we had an AM "underground" station called WHMC hosted in the evenings by Barry Richards (who has a new DVD out of some of his local 60's-70's TV shows).  He played "Add Some Music" steady for about a week and even pushed it a little by talking about it (Fred Vail hype?), but it never caught on and after a week it wasn't played anymore.  It really wasn't in tune with the heavier stuff played on that station, but it did get a good airing- I could sing all the lyrics by the time they stopped playing it. The single was available in all the record shops- wasn't hard to find at all, unlike every other single they put out until R&R Music.  I liked the song a lot but thought some of the lyrics were corny-  my 13 year old sister thought the "dentist chair" line was funny.

[buddhahat]

In DC at the time we had an AM "underground" station called WHMC hosted in the evenings by Barry Richards (who has a new DVD out of some of his local 60's-70's TV shows).  He played "Add Some Music" steady for about a week and even pushed it a little by talking about it (Fred Vail hype?), but it never caught on and after a week it wasn't played anymore.  It really wasn't in tune with the heavier stuff played on that station, but it did get a good airing- I could sing all the lyrics by the time they stopped playing it. The single was available in all the record shops- wasn't hard to find at all, unlike every other single they put out until R&R Music.  I liked the song a lot but thought some of the lyrics were corny-  my 13 year old sister thought the "dentist chair" line was funny.

Thanks for this. It's fascinating to hear the reactions of fans who were there as this stuff was coming out.

[The Heartical Don]

Love the part Brian sings "When day is over I close my tired eyes".

So do I. It´s an awsome song from my favourite BB album! Brian and his band performed this one last time he played in sweden.. And I cried.... So good!

Add some music me to the list of admirers of that Brian part.

[Lookit]

Love the part Brian sings "When day is over I close my tired eyes".

I'd always assumed that was Dennis, for some reason. Didn't cotton on until I read your post!

[Ron]

Yeah, I think that's Brian in that part, with Mike echoing him in the background. 

I like how somebody said the 'lazy' lyrics.  Or lazy lead vocals, in a good way.  Brian had a really cool way, on some songs like this one, of making things like melody, structure, etc. not have to be rigid.  So for instance you have that one really cool part, (I'm trying to remember off the top of my head) it's just after the Movie part.

So before that you've got the "dum dum dum, dum dee dooooo" answer to the phrasing of the lead vocals... but then for whatever reason, you've got the lead go

"At a Movie; you can feel it!  Touching your heart......"

Then instead of doing the response "dum dum dum, dum dee doooo"... for whatever reason, he lets a couple beats go by, THEN the band does it... then Al rushes in, over the backup vocals with the "And On Everyday! Of the Summertime! You'll hear Children Chasing Ice Cream Carts!".... so the next time they do it, it's pushed back similarly after Al's line.  So for whatever reason, he shifted when the backup vocals come in, for the last verse. 

I don't know why, but that part's always fascinated me.  Why did he choose to do it like that?  It's off.  It sounds great!  Maybe it's just to make Al's line stand out. 




Another great part.  If you listen REALLY close, on headphones or something, there's the most beautiful melody behind the "Music... when you're alone, it's like a companion" part.  Kind of mid-high, somebody (possibly Carl, behind himself singing lead!) is singing really beautifully, it goes "Ahhh, ohh ohh ohh.... Ahhhh, ohhh ohhh ohhh"  Just twice.  Once you hear it, you'll never miss it again. 

Brian always had a way of sticking out of the harmony like a sore thumb.  In a good way.  His 'crazy' sound.  The thing that proves he's still the same person.  If you listen closely to the background vocal 'pads', you can hear crazy Brian singing a little shrill sticking out all over the place.  Beautiful.

[buddhahat]

Amid all the Smile madness, anyone care to continue this thread idea and nominate a song for Track Talk #2?

[John Stivaktas]

Well, this has definitely grown on me over the years. At first I dismissed it, but later on I too likewise enjoy the Friends vibe with the Sunflower production. Track Talk 2? What about This Whole World, now that song blew me away from day one!