Hollywood Bowl Show, Two Songs Proshot

[joe_blow]

Amazing performance by Bruce at the beginning of WIBN.

[Dave Modny]

TWGMTR has been faked-up on all of the post-produced concerts that we've had so far...Sirius, NPR, Front Row Center...and now this.

Seriously, if they attempt to do this on a commercially-released DVD, they're going to be laughed off the planet. I expect some sweetening with just about any mass-released live recording these days, and the Beach Boys have a history of that as well, but this is so blatant it isn't even funny. I know the song is difficult for them to perform live -- as evidenced by the *real* live Leno, Fallon and QVC performances of it -- but they're going to have to attempt something better than this to be convincing.

Again...here's the original audience recording. And the pro video is indeed sourced from the same show (notice Brian's scratch before the second verse).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33Qug0r2h_8

[EgoHanger1966]

TWGMTR has been faked-up on all of the post-produced concerts that we've had so far...Sirius, NPR, Front Row Center...and now this.

Seriously, if they attempt to do this on a commercially-released DVD, they're going to be laughed off the planet. I expect some sweetening with just about any mass-released live recording these days, and the Beach Boys have a history of that as well, but this is so blatant it isn't even funny. I know the song is difficult for them to perform live -- as evidenced by the *real* live Leno, Fallon and QVC performances of it -- but they're going to have to attempt something better than this to be convincing.

Again...here's the original audience recording. And the pro video is indeed sourced from the same show (notice Brian's scratch before the second verse).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33Qug0r2h_8

Thanks. I know it's only an audience recording, and a real soundboard mix would reveal a lot more...but that doesn't sound bad at all. Certainly better than the "pro" video with all the fly ins and overdubs.

[the professor]

I agree that these Japanese videos are strange and mostly unsatisfying, but I will not condemn the BB until I purchase and watch in my own home the official DVDs and live albums, etc. and see what is the real, official, sanctioned releases by the group and the label. Who knows the exact provenance of Japanese these videos?

[adamghost]

Sorry if I sound like a broken record, but nobody seems to know how to deal with live sound anymore. They just replace everything.

Not that that wasn't always done, but the technology is such now that you can basically replace and fine tune every part of it, and it no longer SOUNDS live anymore.  It's basically a lip sync.  So what's the point?  Though the lighting is nice.

[Roger Ryan]

The coda to WIBN is completely missing Mike's "Good night now, baby; sleep tight now, baby" vocal part. Did he simply not sing it at this show? From the video, it looks like he might be singing it, but the part is not in the mix.

Have to agree that this is far from "pro". TWGMTR sounded better when I heard it live, off-key vocals and all.

[Justin]

All of it looks to me like the clips were accidentally leaked.  It seems like they were right in the middle of mixing/dubbing the audio and someone took a copy of the clips way before the finished, polished product was completed.  The sound is uneven, the editing is all over the place, so obviously still a "work in progress."  With that in mind, I'm not in the least worried that this will in any way represent any possible live material we might recieve in the future.

[Roger Ryan]

All of it looks to me like the clips were accidentally leaked.  It seems like they were right in the middle of mixing/dubbing the audio and someone took a copy of the clips way before the finished, polished product was completed.  The sound is uneven, the editing is all over the place, so obviously still a "work in progress."  With that in mind, I'm not in the least worried that this will in any way represent any possible live material we might recieve in the future.

The audio might be a work-in-progress, but there's no way to improve the completely pedestrian camerawork. This has all the earmarks of a live in-house feed helmed by a technical director unfamiliar with the Beach Boys catalog or their current tour staging.

I, too, am not worried that this represents any official product we may see in the future.

[tpesky]

This makes me wish Al had never stopped singing WIBN to begin with!! One good thing they did in the mixing on that is turn Al up and Jeff down...not a slam against Jeff I would just rather hear Al's voice on this particular song louder.

[Cabinessenceking]

Amazing performance by Bruce at the beginning of WIBN.

he had to do something apart from singing DG(1957) so he became their monkey as well. A monkey with trousers mind you.

[Ziggy Stardust]

Amazing performance by Bruce at the beginning of WIBN.

he had to do something apart from singing DG(1957) so he became their monkey as well. A monkey with trousers mind you.

It's a shame, he could do much more with his talent as a songwritter, i love mellow songs/ballads, and Bruce is pretty good at that! he writes it all naturally, but now he just doesn't bother anymore, only wants the money and all.

[HeyJude]

Obviously this is a rough item, whether it's a "work in progress" or just a tap from a feed that was never intended to be fully edited for any kind of release.

While the editing is indeed rough to say the least, I prefer the restrained camera angles compared to many pro-shot concert videos of recent years. If they would just tighten up the editing without doing too much quick cutting (ala most McCartney concert videos for instance), this wouldn't be too bad if it was released.

There's no indication this is going to be released, though.

And yeah, as someone else pointed out, any live performance of TWGMTR that hasn't gone out live or nearly live has been doctored, and for some reason they are choosing to just mix in the studio recording to varying degrees. It makes everything sound off-kilter and muddy. Seriously, we have enough exposure to the song. If the BB's still can't pull this one together live, it's okay! There are 50 or so other songs in the setlist they perform well.

One of the reasons the new album stuff is maybe slightly difficult to pull off live is that some of the songs on the album have very hodgepodge-ish lead vocals. By that I simply mean that you have two or three voices singing in unison, then harmony, weaving in and out, then solo for a few lines, then two voices mixed together to sound like one, to the point where it's hard to pinpoint one person as the "lead vocalist" on a song. "Radio" seems to give them trouble because nobody will just take the lead alone. They need to just let one guy sing each line. If Brian won't, let Foskett or Jardine or Totten sing it. Then they can all come in on the choruses and whatnot.

[HeyJude]

This makes me wish Al had never stopped singing WIBN to begin with!! One good thing they did in the mixing on that is turn Al up and Jeff down...not a slam against Jeff I would just rather hear Al's voice on this particular song louder.

Yeah, it's amazing to hear Al sing the song in the original live key (meaning going back to the 70's or 80's they played it close to the original key, but I think it's dropped a half step or something; whereas when Brian has done it solo in recent years, they dropped the key quite a bit more).

Al amazingly seems to be able to handle that range still, so I agree, just mix Foskett out and let's hear Al. Granted, at some shows, it seems like Al knows Jeff is also singing and sometimes backs down from the main lead to some degree.

[tpesky]

I always liked Al on WIBN, besides Brian I always feel like he's the only one that could get the phrasings to sound great. That lead can be a mouthful.
Speaking of Al's range, while watching the youtube of God Only Knows from Spain with Brian singing lead, Al is singing the part in the tag he always sang live prior to the late 80's ( Brian's part on the studio recording) with Jeff helping on the "without you" falsetto. He's singing things on this tour he hasn't sung in 25 years and that's pretty cool.

[acedecade75]

Boy, gotta love Alan for his vocal on WIB.

One question: how did you find that?

 It's great to hear this without Al being overshadowed by jeff.  This is how the lead should sound at the shows.

[the professor]

I wonder if this, along with the revisions of IIT, bespeak a tendency to now want to de-Foscketize some of the recordings and performances, now that it's clear that the BB can stand by themselves without a crutch (though JF does play a valued role, as I have often averred) on stage in the live shows.

I am at a loss in finding the correct thread for critical reviews, so I am plopping down this very good review of the album here where I stand: http://www.hollywoodsoapbox.com/?p=9040

thank you

[SIP.FLAC]

Is it just me or is Jeff mixed lower than usual in TWGMDR?

[SIP.FLAC]

Also is that Brian piping in during the "never ending" on WIBN? And yeah I've got nothing against Jeff but Al absolutely owns WIBN.