"That's Why God Made the Radio" lyric video (full official song on Youtube)

[EgoHanger1966]

Ok, I've listened to this song about 8 times in a row now (I just got up and saw it was out). Right now it isn't quiet as bad as it was the first time I heard it but only about 3% less sucky. If and I assume this is the best song on the album the rest is going to be so so bad. I like others can hardly hear anyone on this thing save for Brian and Bruce's lines. I don't hear Mike or Al at all and there are voices I don't recognise which irks me.  I do like that Bruce still sounds like he did all those years back.

Overall this is about what I expected. I see myself listening to the album once just out of morbid curiosity and probably to have a laugh at with my fellow BB fanatics. Oh well.

Al is quite clear. The "In My Car" parts are his. Mike is audible too, and David (!) can be clearly heard when listening to the song title beig sung in the chorus. One of the strengths of this single is the fact that you can hear all the Beach Boys on it.

[debonbon]

Give me any of the old albums and I can pick the voices easily, I can't on this.  A few lines here and there isn't what I was expecting. I still can't hear Mike at all.

[Autotune]

Give me any of the old albums and I can pick the voices easily, I can't on this.  A few lines here and there isn't what I was expecting. I still can't hear Mike at all.

Listen to the last chorus, dammit! 

[runnersdialzero]

Give me any of the old albums and I can pick the voices easily, I can't on this.  A few lines here and there isn't what I was expecting. I still can't hear Mike at all.

Listen to the last chorus, dammit! 

Unless he's doing the fantastic "For falling in love" Bruce impression or the "bloated, hoarse man shouting in an echo chamber" "GAHH-AHHHD!!!!" that's about 20dB louder than the rest of the track and vocals, I'm still not hearing him. If you're talking about 2:23, I can hear Jeff clearly, don't know who the other voice is - is that Mike? Doesn't sound like him.

[Autotune]

Give me any of the old albums and I can pick the voices easily, I can't on this.  A few lines here and there isn't what I was expecting. I still can't hear Mike at all.

Listen to the last chorus, dammit! 

Unless he's doing the fantastic "For falling in love" Bruce impression or the "bloated, hoarse man shouting in an echo chamber" "GAHH-AHHHD!!!!" that's about 20dB louder than the rest of the track and vocals, I'm still not hearing him. If you're talking about 2:23, I can hear Jeff clearly, don't know who the other voice is - is that Mike? Doesn't sound like him.

In the last chorus he sings the main "that's why god made" line, mid- range. Listen, listen, listen... You can also hear him singin a unison line after the bridge

[Autotune]

But anyway... When did it become mandatory that people have to listen to each distinctive voice in order to validate  song?  People still have trouble recognizing the voices in some of the classic songs they've been hearing for decades, let alone the newer stuff.

I mean: can you single out Al on Don't Worry Baby? Or Carl on WIBN?

[runnersdialzero]

It becomes an issue when you have Jeff doubling Brian and seemingly Mike on all parts, because they're obviously both so decrepit that they just aren't capable of singing anymore. That they're even trying to sing anymore is pathetic, really.

[urbanite]

I like it, but it is heavy on the Jeff Foskett at times.  I can't hear Al.  As to the lyrics, okay, a bit on the light side.

[endofposts]

I like it, but it is heavy on the Jeff Foskett at times.  I can't hear Al.  As to the lyrics, okay, a bit on the light side.

I don't think Jeff is even featured on the video, yet his voice is clearly there.  I suspect other Brian band members are on there, too.  I finally did manage to pick out Mike at the end.  Barely.

[Wirestone]

Al is quite audible during the "in my car" and "like a prayer" lines that lead into the first two choruses. You can't miss him.

[Autotune]

I think this "I can only hear Jeff and not the BBs" thing is reaching its nadir. People need to calm down, stop whining, quit their bitterness, and listen. And make sure they're hearing things right before pointing at people with their accusing finger.

[Autotune]

Al is quite audible during the "in my car" and "like a prayer" lines that lead into the first two choruses. You can't miss him.

Nevermind. People can't hear him so they blame Foskett and the weak BB voices. This is absurd.

[Summertime Blooz]

But anyway... When did it become mandatory that people have to listen to each distinctive voice in order to validate  song?  People still have trouble recognizing the voices in some of the classic songs they've been hearing for decades, let alone the newer stuff.

I mean: can you single out Al on Don't Worry Baby? Or Carl on WIBN?

I've been wondering this same thing myself while reading all these posts today. I guess it simply boils down to some people on this board being so obsessive about the BBs that this is how they derive their enjoyment from their records. Different strokes. I really don't give a flying fig who sang what line, phrase, harmony, or syllable. If I enjoy what it sounds like that's good enough for me.

[endofposts]

I think this "I can only hear Jeff and not the BBs" thing is reaching its nadir. People need to calm down, stop whining, quit their bitterness, and listen. And make sure they're hearing things right before pointing at people with their accusing finger.

People are hearing things right.  Jeff is on it, and he sounds okay. It's just that it's not old school Beach Boys.  It's hard to have that without Carl in particular.  Maybe it's better to compare the vocal sound to the Brian Wilson Band or "Kokomo" minus Carl, where you have non-Beach Boys blending with actual Beach Boys, but the missing parts mean you can never have the real old Beach Boys sound.

[runnersdialzero]

I think this "I can only hear Jeff and not the BBs" thing is reaching its nadir. People need to calm down, stop whining, quit their bitterness, and listen. And make sure they're hearing things right before pointing at people with their accusing finger.

What are you talking about? I hear Al in several spots. I hear Bruce quite a few times. I can hear Brian in the verses, albeit doubled. No one is being unrealistic, here. Jeff's voice, again, dominates much of the recording and he's doubling people. I'm describing the recording as I'd describe the sky as blue, nothing more.

[hypehat]

I am liking this now. Yeah, the bridge is a bit SIP, but it's not ALL SIP, you dig? Hasn't set my world on fire, but it's a lovely little ear worm.

[Dunderhead]

This is basically what I feared for the reunion album. Or I guess I should say, what I expected. I thought that the best they could do would be sort of a cross section of the type of sounds on Postcard and TLOS. I'm not a huge fan TLOS, but it stands up, there are some good moments on it, but this is just bland.

Really the reunion effort was put into an impossible position. If they actually did something adventurous, or worked with a current "cool" producer like Panda Bear the album could have been really awesome and been a late blooming of the "real" Beach Boys that we all love and admire. But that would have alienated the general public. They could have captured the more attentive and musically critical segment of young listeners but the album would have had no appeal to the people just looking for something bland.
But they couldn't do something really heinous and boring like SIP again because they knew the hardcore fans would have been really critical. So they just whitewashed the whole thing and tried to make a song that would offend as few people as possible. Something that would sell in the excitement of the early marketing push and then be forgotten as basically harmless.

It honestly upsets me. In the ramp up I commented a few times that I wish they would have just not recorded anything if they couldn't put their hearts into it all the way. It doesn't blow me away just to have a new Beach Boys album. I would have been happy enough with just a tour and an archival release.

This project feels destined to be filed away with the other albums I don't really care about or listen to. It may end up better than KTSA, but I never ever listen to that album, and a year from now I'll probably never go back to this one either.

[Runaways]

christ guys, let the album come out before you judge it.  we haven't even heard any of the songs written by the band.  Unless do you wanna dance is how we judge Today!

[runnersdialzero]

If they actually did something adventurous, or worked with a current "cool" producer like Panda Bear

If they would have worked with Panda Bear, I probably would have set myself on fire out of spite.

[endofposts]

Joe Thomas was likely the most comfortable person they could all agree on, since he did "Stars and Stripes."  If they actually decide they can stand each other and ever do more touring or another record, maybe they'd be willing to try out a new producer, who knows.  I wouldn't mind an "unplugged" type recording, like those campfire songs they did on that TV series they did years ago.  Al sounded pretty good at that record store appearance last week, Brian has done acoustic at the Bridge shows, why not.  They could even re-do old stuff in that setting, like a "Beach Boys Sing at a Party" revisited.

[Runaways]

i don't hear Thomas' influence as much as some people here.  This seems pretty inline with Brian's recent albums.  I don't think anyone would be mentioning Thomas if he wasn't there.

k i was just listening to "nothing but love" then halfway through i clicked to TWGMTR and the sound is like identical

[debonbon]

The production really does bug me the most, I knew it would sound like that but still. If The Explorers Club can get a great vintage sound why couldn't the real band try for it??

[Runaways]

how does brian have instruments record now anyway.  is it one at a time?  we just need the bleed

[Ron]

But anyway... When did it become mandatory that people have to listen to each distinctive voice in order to validate  song?  People still have trouble recognizing the voices in some of the classic songs they've been hearing for decades, let alone the newer stuff.

I mean: can you single out Al on Don't Worry Baby? Or Carl on WIBN?

They're just being pedantic because they don't want to come across as fanboys.  Except for the chick, I don't know what her problem is.  LOL

Personally; I'm a fanboy.  That's why I'm on a Beach Boys message board.  I'm a big fan.  I like all their sh*t.  This new song is great, to me.  Others may not like it, but that's because they're not comfortable with their own inner dork. 

Embrace the cheeze.  It'll change your life. 

[debonbon]

Hey man, I love some good cheese and I am a huge BB fan. I don't like this song and haven't liked much of Brian's output for a bit. I really enjoyed Imagination when it was released but now I go back and listen and I can't get past things like I could when I was younger. It doesn't have to do with anything, it's just the way it is. I still LOVE the old Paley sessions and would kill for perfect quality copies.