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

[Wirestone]

Wait a minute .......  No, still can't hear him! Maybe I'm listening for the classic bassy Mike vocal. I just can't pick him out. To be honest, besides Brian the only Beach Boy I can really hear is Bruce.

Maybe altering the bit rate will magically reveal Mike!

He's not singing any bass vocals. He's singing mid range "That's why god made" towards the end.

Exactly. He's singing in the range of his lead on "Kokomo," and he sounds a little hoarse.

Also, Al sings really prominently on the "in my car" bits right before the first two choruses kick in.

[JohnMill]

Ok lets all give AGD his propers for being able to decipher the lyrics correctly from the sizzle reel earlier in the week.  Dog ears yes?

As for the video itself?  Yellow Submarine-ish?  So good or no good?

[Fro]

IMHO, best single they've released since "Sail on Sailor" (and this is a catchier, more well-developed tune in some ways).

I like "Kokomo" as well, but that's total 80s cheese in some ways.  "Getcha Back" and "Good Timin" aren't quite as well developed either.

Now, this isn't going to be as big of a hit as any of those four since times have changed, but I think objectively it's a better pop song than 3 of those.

[pixletwin]

Not sure what the difference is between a video and a lyric video (aside from the obvious). But I would say it was a whole lot closer to Karaoke in feel than any where even near Yellow Submarine-ish.  

[CarlTheVoice]

Time for us to spread the word to all we know so this can be a hit!

[JohnMill]

I'm just glad that in 2012 they're back. 

[Les Chan]

I just listened to it for the first time through.   Hearing the tune gave me CHILLS(good).  Glad they've back and can't wait for the album on June 5, 2012!!! 

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

I can't compare this to any Brian Solo work, or anything.

This is amazing after 50 years, they've written a song i'd say is one of my new favorites.

Honestly, kill me if you want, this is light years better then I expected, and tons better then anything since the Love You or maybe even Surf's Up Era, IMO.

[buddhahat]

Wait a minute .......  No, still can't hear him! Maybe I'm listening for the classic bassy Mike vocal. I just can't pick him out. To be honest, besides Brian the only Beach Boy I can really hear is Bruce.

Maybe altering the bit rate will magically reveal Mike!

He's not singing any bass vocals. He's singing mid range "That's why god made" towards the end.

Exactly. He's singing in the range of his lead on "Kokomo," and he sounds a little hoarse.

Also, Al sings really prominently on the "in my car" bits right before the first two choruses kick in.

Hey Sheriff - good to see you back again!

Yeah, I meant I was listening for his bass vocal which is maybe why I couldn't hear him. I have to say, even knowing where to listen I still can't distinguish his voice. I think maybe what I'm hearing as Bruce in places is actually Mike.

I can hear Al ok!

[Wirestone]

Not sure what the difference is between a video and a lyric video (aside from the obvious). But I would say it was a whole lot closer to Karaoke in feel than any where even near Yellow Submarine-ish.  

Lyric videos are produced quickly and cheaply by record companies to see if there's interest enough to commission a full-budget video. Brian had one made for "You've Got a Friend in Me." The best ever, perhaps, was the one done for Cee Lo's "f*** You." An awesome clip.

This one, to put it charitably, is wretched.

[Paulos]

I can't compare this to any Brian Solo work, or anything.

This is amazing after 50 years, they've written a song i'd say is one of my new favorites.

Honestly, kill me if you want, this is light years better then I expected, and tons better then anything since the Love You or maybe even Surf's Up Era, IMO.

No killing dude, I freaking love it too - it's been making my ears happy ever since I heard it on the promo video.

[Loaf]

Some of the lyrics are wonderful - "receiving your signal like a prayer" sounds like something 1966 Brian and Van Dyke would have come up with.

...and then rejected. The lyrics are a bland, songwriter-for-hire kind of job.

Actually, they are much more clever than I expected.

I'm genuinely curious...how so? Maybe i'm missing something.

[Loaf]

There are parts I don't quite like - Cavernous 80's drum breaks, a LOT of Foskett in the mid-range, a lot of the BB's themselves aren't clear due to doubling with others (if that fakedup recording session is any indication, Dave and Mike sing low parts together, which as my dog-ears aren't attuned to David is confusing), but there's a lot here which is cool! The song is lovely (not sure about that middle eight), Brian sounds amazing, as do Al, and Bruce! I might warm up to it. But it's too slick a production. Curse you, Joe Thomas.

Except that it looks like Joe Thomas didn't produce it. According to the new Capitol press release, that is.

It damn well sounds like it, though.

I'll disagree with that, it doesn't sound like imagination at aaaaall

Exactly. Thomas is clearly involved in the reunion in some way, shape or form (certainly as a co-writer of material, at the very least), but it doesn't sound much like Imagination.

It sounds quite a bit like recent BW solo records, though. (But with more vocal processing.)

The drum thwack at 2:35 sounds like a 2012 version of the drum thwack JT used on Your Imagination, if you know what i mean. The processing, the dynamic. I doubt Brian Wilson sat in the studio saying "You know what this beat needs right before everything comes back in? Some 80s-ish processed drum hit. You can feel the love in it."

And I like the whole Imagination album.

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

The "Whole New Generation" to "TWGM..." Transition is fu*king amazing, the muted guitars are SO 60's.

[Custom Machine]

Just spent over 20 driving around town listening repeatedly while blasting this song on my car stereo.  The fact that I kept playing it over and over again at full volume is perfect validation to me that I love this song.  (And hopefully they'll come up with an improved video, similar to the clips on the single sizzle promo.)

[Wirestone]

Some of the lyrics are wonderful - "receiving your signal like a prayer" sounds like something 1966 Brian and Van Dyke would have come up with.

...and then rejected. The lyrics are a bland, songwriter-for-hire kind of job.

Actually, they are much more clever than I expected.

I'm genuinely curious...how so? Maybe i'm missing something.

I really love these lines:

It's paradise when I
Lift up my antennae
Receiving your signal
Like a prayer
Like a prayer

The whole merging of the God and radio idea, along with the silly off-rhyme of when I and antennae -- it's pretty sublime.

It's no VDP, of course, but neither is latter-day VDP!

[Loaf]

Some of the lyrics are wonderful - "receiving your signal like a prayer" sounds like something 1966 Brian and Van Dyke would have come up with.

...and then rejected. The lyrics are a bland, songwriter-for-hire kind of job.

Actually, they are much more clever than I expected.

I'm genuinely curious...how so? Maybe i'm missing something.

I really love these lines:

It's paradise when I
Lift up my antennae
Receiving your signal
Like a prayer
Like a prayer

The whole merging of the God and radio idea, along with the silly off-rhyme of when I and antennae -- it's pretty sublime.

It's no VDP, of course, but neither is latter-day VDP!

Fair enough, the first two lines (and off-rhyme) are pretty BW-esque but i'm still not a fan of the rest.

[stack-o-tracks]

RE: the video

This is NOT the music video. Lots of record labels are doing "lyric videos" now so they can have an official version of the song on YouTube.

[Justin]

I kinda wish that'd they'd wait to put it up on YouTube until they have the official music video all set.  That way the total view count can be concentrated to just one video...not two or three.  It's no big deal in the end but I think a little consistency would help here.

[Pretty Funky]

One word.

Yes!

[Wirestone]

I kinda wish that'd they'd wait to put it up on YouTube until they have the official music video all set.  That way the total view count can be concentrated to just one video...not two or three.  It's no big deal in the end but I think a little consistency would help here.

There won't be an official video -- or plans for one -- unless the lyric one gets enough hits. That's the way it works now.

[Iron Horse-Apples]

I kinda wish that'd they'd wait to put it up on YouTube until they have the official music video all set.  That way the total view count can be concentrated to just one video...not two or three.  It's no big deal in the end but I think a little consistency would help here.

There won't be an official video -- or plans for one -- unless the lyric one gets enough hits. That's the way it works now.

Really? I'm so out of touch. And this is true for all acts? Or just when they're not sure?

[Wirestone]

I kinda wish that'd they'd wait to put it up on YouTube until they have the official music video all set.  That way the total view count can be concentrated to just one video...not two or three.  It's no big deal in the end but I think a little consistency would help here.

There won't be an official video -- or plans for one -- unless the lyric one gets enough hits. That's the way it works now.

Really? I'm so out of touch. And this is true for all acts? Or just when they're not sure?

Pretty sure it's the latter. The thing is, music videos aren't even played on TV anymore. They only really exist for web traffic. So unless you're OK Go, or some act that depends on making awesome videos and driving huge YouTube traffic, there's no real reason to make a big production anymore. So you make something cheap, throw it up, and see what the interest is.

[The Real Barnyard]

For non-english spoken listeners like me, the Lyric video is a great idea.
Also I love TWGMTR, can't get out of my head!!

[endofposts]

The song sounds like it's from the early '90s, both the tune and the production.