My list of demands regarding the next Beach Boys album

[Wirestone]

My list of demands...

1 - the fans STFU and stop issuing lists of demands to people who know what they're doing.

2 - once the album is out the fans stop bitching about how wrong this or that is and why isn't (your song of choice here) on it.

3 - the fans also STFU about how their suggested track listing is easily 1000% better than what was released. It's not, really it's not.

AMEN!

And seconded. (Or is that thirded?)

I never understand why people think Brian and [insert producer of the month or legendary producer who would almost certainly not be available or interested] would inevitably be better than whoever actually turns out the albums. The last time the Brian and superstar producers route was tried was on BW88, the album -- out of all the BB and BW albums -- that has aged the worst, and has the stiffest performances from BW.

[Mendota Heights]

I am not afraid to say out loud Benny Andersson is a lot better producer than Wilson/Thomas combined.

If you truly believe that, then you, sir, are a complete idiot.

OK, I stand corrected. Not.

Benny Andersson has sold at least 4 times as many records as Brian Wilson. Brian was a genius -  Benny still is. He keeps writing and producing marvelous songs without the need of a "best friend" (like BW:s Usher, Norberg, Asher, VDP, Love, Paley, Thomas and Bennett). Sure, Björn Ulvaeus is providing him lyrics, but that's it.

Benny's latest album (Spotify link: http://open.spotify.com/album/4MiR2wGXLHwWYgQBQ9fJKv) is as good as anything he has written. The production is stellar and the vocals are not butchered by different digital effects. Please, let him produce the next BB album.

This song would have been the perfect TWGMTR intro: http://open.spotify.com/track/4zufbmQieeU18yQpAQ1k86.

Don't you agree?

[clarification]Please note I do not resort to name calling[/clarification]

[Mendota Heights]

Who is frickin Benny Andersson? There is no way in hell he is better than BW.

Guy from ABBA.  No slouch on the production front, and clearly fond of doing the odd Beach Boys pastiche.  But anyone who thinks he's a good match for the actual Boys should probably listen to Mike Love's cover of Bjorn and Benny's "On And On And On" from "Looking Back With Love" -- that'll cure you fairly quick...

Cheers,
Jon Blum

Logical fallacy 101.

If you want to determine if Benny's a good producer, then why not listen to songs he has produced. Not to songs he has not produced.

This is how I want a BB chorus and tag to sound like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkokZH00lfs&feature=related. This is a recent masterpiece. Masterpiece.

Someone even mentions Brian Wilson in the Youtube comments section. There is a musical connection between these two guys.

[The Shift]

My list of demands...

1 - the fans STFU and stop issuing lists of demands to people who know what they're doing.

2 - once the album is out the fans stop bitching about how wrong this or that is and why isn't (your song of choice here) on it.

3 - the fans also STFU about how their suggested track listing is easily 1000% better than what was released. It's not, really it's not.

1. No.

2. No.

3. No.

Your post is ridiculous, I do not know why I even reply to it, must be due to my level of intoxication. Of course everyone is entitled to:

1) ...their own opinions on any matter (Beach Boys albums included)
2) ...expressing their own opinions in public

Because:

1) ...this is not 1984

Let's say you buy a car. Should you as a customer STFU just because you bought it? What if it is not as good as you wanted (expected) it to be, would it be wrong of you to criticize certain aspects of the car? Sure, you did not make the car, but does that fact take away your right to criticize how the car is made and/or how it performs?

The production of TWGMTR is not as good as it could have been. I am not afraid to say out loud Benny Andersson is a lot better producer than Wilson/Thomas combined. Why? Because I want to enjoy this (and the next) album as much as possible. The better it is, the more I enjoy it.

Why is this important? Goods and services we enjoy make our lives better. A good BB album makes our lives better, a bad BB album does not.

It's a no brainer.

You can't compare a tin can on wheels – a car, a consumer good – to a collection of music – artistic statements/products/etc.

One's a functional lump built by blue collar Joes; the other's an individual statement of expression, written & produced by composers/lyricists etc … it's art man, even if it's entertainment for the masses.

If my car breaks down, I complain because it's not successfully fulfilling the role for which it was built and for which I bought it.

If I think the production of TWGMTR isn't up to scratch, I can state my opinion to that end but I can hardly claim it's broke, cos I can't argue with the artist(s) about its intended end-purpose. Only he/she/they know what that is.

To that end, you need to qualify your statement "Benny Andersson is a lot better producer than Wilson/Thomas combined" by adding "in my opinion". Benny might well have shifted more units than Brian, but then so has Kraft Dairylea.

[MBE]

My list of demands...

1 - the fans STFU and stop issuing lists of demands to people who know what they're doing.

2 - once the album is out the fans stop bitching about how wrong this or that is and why isn't (your song of choice here) on it.

3 - the fans also STFU about how their suggested track listing is easily 1000% better than what was released. It's not, really it's not.

AMEN!

And seconded. (Or is that thirded?)

I never understand why people think Brian and [insert producer of the month or legendary producer who would almost certainly not be available or interested] would inevitably be better than whoever actually turns out the albums. The last time the Brian and superstar producers route was tried was on BW88, the album -- out of all the BB and BW albums -- that has aged the worst, and has the stiffest performances from BW.

The Beach Boys have always been their own best producers. Unless you are counting some of the early Hite Morgan or Nik Venet material (all of which Brian had a large say in) very very little of their work with other producers has lasted. Getcha Back maybe, Somewhere Near Japan, I can't really think of anything else. 

[Mendota Heights]

You can't compare a tin can on wheels – a car, a consumer good – to a collection of music – artistic statements/products/etc.

Of course you can, a product is as product. There are different types of products out there, they come in all forms and shapes. When it all comes down to dust products are produced to appeal to us and we buy them to make our lives better. A car can make your life better and so can a BB album. If we feel the product was not worth the money we spent on it we complain.

To me it's not about money though, I just want to enjoy great BB songs. The better the production, the better the song. That's why I want BB to hire a better producer.

To that end, you need to qualify your statement "Benny Andersson is a lot better producer than Wilson/Thomas combined" by adding "in my opinion". Benny might well have shifted more units than Brian, but then so has Kraft Dairylea.

I have posted 5-6 links to show people what I mean.

[The Shift]

To me it's not about money though, I just want to enjoy great BB songs. The better the production, the better the song. That's why I want BB to hire a better producer.

Taking that argument to its logical extension, should they also hire better musicians, songwriters and singers?

Would you like it better if they substituted Agnetha, Benny, Björn and Anni-Frid for Brian, Mike, Al, Bruce and Dave?

How about "This hamburger would sure taste better if it was made of rabbit"?

[Mendota Heights]

To me it's not about money though, I just want to enjoy great BB songs. The better the production, the better the song. That's why I want BB to hire a better producer.

Taking that argument to its logical extension, should they also hire better musicians, songwriters and singers?

Would you like it better if they substituted Agnetha, Benny, Björn and Anni-Frid for Brian, Mike, Al, Bruce and Dave?

How about "This hamburger would sure taste better if it was made of rabbit"?

1) I'd love to see ABBA reunite.
2) I'd love to see Benny produce the Beach Boys' (Brian, Mike, Al, Bruce and David) next album.

[Jonathan Blum]

Guy from ABBA.  No slouch on the production front, and clearly fond of doing the odd Beach Boys pastiche.  But anyone who thinks he's a good match for the actual Boys should probably listen to Mike Love's cover of Bjorn and Benny's "On And On And On" from "Looking Back With Love" -- that'll cure you fairly quick...

Logical fallacy 101.

If you want to determine if Benny's a good producer, then why not listen to songs he has produced. Not to songs he has not produced.

The "logical fallacy" is thinking that I need to determine if Benny's a good producer.  I know he's a good producer.  But not necessarily for the Beach Boys, whose record with celebrity producers is poor, and whose previous intersection with this producer's material can best be described as lowest-common-denominator.

If you like chocolate ice cream, and fettuccine alfredo, do you think that logically they'll taste great together?

Regards,
Jon Blum

[Andrew G. Doe]

Benny Andersson has sold at least 4 times as many records as Brian Wilson.

Katy Perry has sold a helluva lot of records - does that make her a genius ? According to your terminally flawed logic, it does.

In the UK, The Sun outsells The Times by a factor of four or five, ergo it's a much, much better newspaper. Not.

Benny's production/writing style is grounded - and stuck - firmly in the Euro-pop tradition. Brian's extends from ballads to musique concrete.

BTW, according to the best available figures, ABBA have sold 370 million world-wide while the BB have sold about 340 mill. Not "at least 4 times as many", then.

[Autotune]

It makes no sense demanding that Brian be given free reign and then proceeding to dictate ten other demands for the album.

[Ziggy Stardust]

1. Waves Of Love

[lance]

I love Abba. I can get on board with saying Benny's a genius, although I still don't know what genius means. I'm not sure if he would be any better at producing the BBs than anyone else.

[SMiLE Brian]

After looking up Benny, he is great in his own right, but he is no genius like Brian Wilson is. Brian made an album, SMiLE, that is so different musically from anything since.

[Ziggy Stardust]

After looking up Benny, he is great in his own right, but he is no genius like Brian Wilson is.

Joe Thomas is?

[Danimalist]

Hey Ziggy, it takes talent to make an artist's music comfort people in an elevator.

[Ziggy Stardust]

 

[PhilCohen]

Sorry that reality has to intrude on all of your fantasies. "Rolling Stone" magazine has reported that The Beach Boys recorded 28 songs at their recent sessions, so with 16 leftover tracks, the next album is already in the bag.  However, it has been claimed on the Steve Hoffman forums that the reunited group has signed a 3-album deal with Capitol.

[Jonathan Blum]

Sorry that reality has to intrude on all of your fantasies.

*rimshot*

"Rolling Stone" magazine has reported that The Beach Boys recorded 28 songs at their recent sessions, so with 16 leftover tracks, the next album is already in the bag.  However, it has been claimed on the Steve Hoffman forums that the reunited group has signed a 3-album deal with Capitol.

Sorry, Phil -- they're all earmarked for the next rarities collection Capitol is never going to release.

Cheers,
Jon Blum

[Jonathan Blum]

After looking up Benny, he is great in his own right, but he is no genius like Brian Wilson is.

Joe Thomas is?
[/quote]

Joe Thomas isn't a producer on this one.  Do you think Benny would be willing to settle for a "Recorded by" role?

Cheers,
Jon Blum

[PhilCohen]

By the way, it may be due to band politics that Joe Thomas isn't listed as producer, because Thomas's sonic trademarks are very present in the reunion album's instrumental tracks & in much of the composing(compare to the "Brian Wilson-Imagination" album). The album is good, but it's almost a Joe Thomas album with vocals by The Beach Boys.

[Autotune]

Benny should be banned from the music community for his version of "Hawaii".

[cablegeddon]

I hate internet. The idea that any BB-fan is even discussing the next album at this point is so beyond ridiculous.

[ontor pertawst]

I hate internet. The idea that any BB-fan is even discussing the next album at this point is so beyond ridiculous.

Are you kidding? These are BB-fans who recently learned Brian Wilson had a long suite planned whose fragments are beyond gorgeous.... and have just read that 28 tracks were laid down during the "Radio" sessions. When would it be appropriate to drool over that information the way fans do?

[cablegeddon]

I hate internet. The idea that any BB-fan is even discussing the next album at this point is so beyond ridiculous.

Are you kidding? These are BB-fans who recently learned Brian Wilson had a long suite planned whose fragments are beyond gorgeous.... and have just read that 28 tracks were laid down during the "Radio" sessions. When would it be appropriate to drool over that information the way fans do?

I'm not drinking the kool-aid brother!