If the Reverbation and Add Some Music albums were released instead of Sunflower

[hypehat]

Don't worry, I. Spaceman is harmless. Like a dog that barks at you from behind a neighbourhood fence, or the mild rush of terror when you think you have run out of loo roll but, no, turns out someone bought more.

[Myk Luhv]

the up-beat but low flying San Miguel and Celebrate The News which should remain a single only.

This is possibly the worst post I've ever read on this forum. "Celebrate the News" is one of the group's very best songs -- the single should've been flipped! -- and even among fans seems to be criminally, grotesquely underrated. It deserves a far wider release than it has received -- I hope it's on the box set! ("San Miguel" is cool too, though obviously not on the same level.)   

[Cabinessenceking]

the up-beat but low flying San Miguel and Celebrate The News which should remain a single only.

This is possibly the worst post I've ever read on this forum. "Celebrate the News" is one of the group's very best songs -- the single should've been flipped! -- and even among fans seems to be criminally, grotesquely underrated. It deserves a far wider release than it has received -- I hope it's on the box set! ("San Miguel" is cool too, though obviously not on the same level.)   

maybe I didn't come across accurately. I dig 'Celebrate The News' and I've got it on my BB playlist. But it is not suitable for Sunflower. For 20/20 it coulda done that album service if it got rid of Bruce's syrupy Nearest Faraway Place. But I heard it was recorded after that album was released. That was what I meant.

[EthanJames]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7EMa06EA78
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbbDMdEwT7I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzoWaPdwTyg

Well i decided to make a video of the Add Some Music album, to see how it sounds, sounds like it could've been a  pretty good album, I'm also doing on on Reverbation.

[Myk Luhv]

the up-beat but low flying San Miguel and Celebrate The News which should remain a single only.

This is possibly the worst post I've ever read on this forum. "Celebrate the News" is one of the group's very best songs -- the single should've been flipped! -- and even among fans seems to be criminally, grotesquely underrated. It deserves a far wider release than it has received -- I hope it's on the box set! ("San Miguel" is cool too, though obviously not on the same level.)   

maybe I didn't come across accurately. I dig 'Celebrate The News' and I've got it on my BB playlist. But it is not suitable for Sunflower. For 20/20 it coulda done that album service if it got rid of Bruce's syrupy Nearest Faraway Place. But I heard it was recorded after that album was released. That was what I meant.

Ah, yeah, sorry for admonishing you then! I really wish Dennis had written more songs like that, it's truly a psychedelic freakout! It stands uniquely in their catalogue for just such a reason, I think. Though I'm not sure it would've been any more out of place on Sunflower than "It's About Time" was and is still.

[EgoHanger1966]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7EMa06EA78
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbbDMdEwT7I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzoWaPdwTyg

Well i decided to make a video of the Add Some Music album, to see how it comes and i say it would sound like a pretty good album, I'm also doing on on Reverbation.

Nice idea to do a playlist. I would say (based on this tracklist) that it's a meh album with a few really great highlights.

[Sheriff John Stone]

To me, Sunflower was always the album where the guys were spreading their wings and really taking off as songwriters (other than Brian who reached that point years ago). Even Al got some credits on Sunflower. They dipped their feet into the water on Friends and 20/20, and were perched to express themselves.

So, yeah, the album is all over the place, but Stephen Desper was able to pull it together sound-wise to avoid a hodge-podge feeling. However, the sequencing on Sunflower might be the worst of any BB album. The sequence didn't affect sales, but, a different song sequence coulda made it a much better listen, a better flow.

[EthanJames]

Here's Reverberation would've sounded like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cSUbrAcCRM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJTe_RKrSh0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYUg82JdmIY

[Aegir]

"This video contains content from EMI, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds."

[EthanJames]

"This video contains content from EMI, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds."

Yea it's been blocked in some countries lol

[Disney Boy (1985)]

the up-beat but low flying San Miguel and Celebrate The News which should remain a single only.

This is possibly the worst post I've ever read on this forum. "Celebrate the News" is one of the group's very best songs -- the single should've been flipped! -- and even among fans seems to be criminally, grotesquely underrated. It deserves a far wider release than it has received -- I hope it's on the box set! ("San Miguel" is cool too, though obviously not on the same level.)   

Agreed - Celebrate the News is an awesome record! To me, it's the best BB fade ever - even better than Surf's Up, A Day In The Life... and Funky Pretty, all of which i adore, but CTN beats 'em all! And yes, it should've been the A-side with Breakaway on the reverse.

Personally, i think it's for the best the record company forced the boys to rethink the album line-up - whatever Sunflowers' supposed faults, there is nothing on it that comes close to the lameness of When Girls Get Together or Take A Load Off Your Feet. However, as always the group seemed entirely incapable of telling the good from the bad and dropped several exceptional songs along with the trash, namely Dennis' San Miguel and the beautiful Lady. Sunflower is excellent but replace Tears In The Morning and At My Window (both of which i can happily stomach, especially the latter, but they're most certainly the album low points) with these two Denny songs and the album goes from a great record to an almost perfect one!

1. Slip On Through
2. This Whole World
3. Add Some Music...
4. Got To Know The Woman (screw the haters - this is an awesome track! A few more songs like this and maybe the guys wouldn't have been considered such squares at the time!)
5. Deirdre
6. It's About Time

7. Lady
8. All I Wanna Do
9. Forever
10. Our Sweet Love
11. San Miguel
12. Cool Cool Water

[runnersdialzero]

the less-than-interesting Cotton Fields (which would probably be in mono, screwing up everything, and had already appeared on 20/20)

Because my ears invert inward, grow teeth (and scary eyes), and start eating at my brains when one song is on mono and the next is in stereo. Those three or four Beach Boys albums that feature mixed mono and stereo are the worst things I've heard in my entire life and I set myself on fire when made aware that I'm in the same room as one of those albums.

[Dunderhead]

Does anyone have the big group shot of the band in costume? I think the whole "Add Some Music" concept was just one of those BB 'things', sort of corny and sentimental, but very earnest and uplifting at the same time.
I think that period is underrated, and I've gradually come around to a less fractured idea of the group during 1969. The Sunflower "album offering" is one of the band's highest peaks, and the only song I'd probably really want to add to the album is Breakaway.

[I. Spaceman]

Don't worry, I. Spaceman is harmless. Like a dog that barks at you from behind a neighbourhood fence, or the mild rush of terror when you think you have run out of loo roll but, no, turns out someone bought more.

That is Ethan J. Clark under a new name. No need to coddle the psycho.

[Generation42]

They were right to rework the lineup.  

A rare disagreement. I'd rather the album have more closely mirrored the true, splintered musical directions of the group, and particularly Brian, more than the slick and deceptively "together", Vaseline-on-the-lens sheen of the final product. But I feel the same way about The Beatles' Abbey Road.

Okay, I know this isn't a Beatles board, but I have to admit, I'm curious.  What does your Abbey Road look like?

[I. Spaceman]

They were right to rework the lineup.  

A rare disagreement. I'd rather the album have more closely mirrored the true, splintered musical directions of the group, and particularly Brian, more than the slick and deceptively "together", Vaseline-on-the-lens sheen of the final product. But I feel the same way about The Beatles' Abbey Road.

Okay, I know this isn't a Beatles board, but I have to admit, I'm curious.  What does your Abbey Road look like?

I love a lot of the album, but it is just too slick for me overall. And the idea behind the album was too make a self-conscious "Beatles" record, in the mode of Sgt. Pepper etc., a production LP. At that stage, certain members of the band let Paul and George Martin run away with their idea of a Beatles album. Except for the beginning and ending of it, the medley has never done much for me, it was a place to drop off half-finished, substandard songs, for John at least.
But I must say, a good percentage of my favorite music of the 70's (Raspberries, Big Star-Chris Bell, Badfinger, etc.) was inspired directly by the sound and feel of that album. And Booker T. And The MG's heard the album and were moved to cover the whole damn thing. So what the heck do I know? I'm just kicking a skyscraper and stubbing my toe.

[hypehat]

Don't worry, I. Spaceman is harmless. Like a dog that barks at you from behind a neighbourhood fence, or the mild rush of terror when you think you have run out of loo roll but, no, turns out someone bought more.

That is Ethan J. Clark under a new name. No need to coddle the psycho.

I thought Ethan J Clark (AKA the consternator) had already rejoined under his own name sans numbers? Suppose I'm just out of the loop.

[Generation42]

They were right to rework the lineup.  

A rare disagreement. I'd rather the album have more closely mirrored the true, splintered musical directions of the group, and particularly Brian, more than the slick and deceptively "together", Vaseline-on-the-lens sheen of the final product. But I feel the same way about The Beatles' Abbey Road.

Okay, I know this isn't a Beatles board, but I have to admit, I'm curious.  What does your Abbey Road look like?

I love a lot of the album, but it is just too slick for me overall. And the idea behind the album was too make a self-conscious "Beatles" record, in the mode of Sgt. Pepper etc., a production LP. At that stage, certain members of the band let Paul and George Martin run away with their idea of a Beatles album. Except for the beginning and ending of it, the medley has never done much for me, it was a place to drop off half-finished, substandard songs, for John at least.
But I must say, a good percentage of my favorite music of the 70's (Raspberries, Big Star-Chris Bell, Badfinger, etc.) was inspired directly by the sound and feel of that album. And Booker T. And The MG's heard the album and were moved to cover the whole damn thing. So what the heck do I know? I'm just kicking a skyscraper and stubbing my toe.

Interesting, and I’m picking up a lot of what you’re putting down.  Still, I’d argue the LP is more “polished” than “slick.”  It’s certainly a professional-sounding album (much more so than what the group had just recorded in January), but to say “slick” conjures too many negative connotations for me.

It’s well documented that the group wanted to finish things off in what they (probably mostly Paul and G. Martin, yes) considered a proper manner, and I can’t fault them for that.  Truth be told, though, I tend to agree with you concerning the imperfect nature of the medley.  It has its glorious moments, to be sure (and that ending is wondrous), but Lennon was only the first of many to come to feel less than enthused with the idea, or its results (with its almost forced-in feel of some of the material).  That said, I really dig almost all of the medley’s songs themselves, even if I would have preferred complete renditions of ‘Mustard’ or ‘Pam,’ etc.

You know, I've heard George Martin say that his idea for any futher Beatles albums would have been to explore the medley idea to an even greater extent.  Boy, while this could have been great (and I honestly wouldn't put anything past the abilities of the group when they were unified), I think that a lot of work would need to be done in order to make something like this really shine, and I have my doubts.

I’d also agree with you that the overarching intent in finishing things properly was to produce a true “Beatles album,” with all that entailed, but I disagree that this was ever meant to be in the vein of Pepper specifically, as the spirit of experimentation which lay at the heart of that production was, by and large, much more toned down for this effort.

If John hadn’t missed so much of the beginning of the sessions recovering from his car crash, maybe things would have played out differently.  But with his heart on things like leaving the group, playing with the POB, and Yoko, and with his mind on things like smack, who knows?

Still, I can’t argue with “Come Together,” “Something,” “Oh! Darling,” “I Want You,” “Here Comes the Sun,” “Because,” and much of that imperfect medley.  Hell, I even find the much-derided “Octopus’s Garden” charming.

And I promise not to hijack this thread again.

[I. Spaceman]

I agree with all that, definitely, you're just glass half full, and I'm glass half empty.

[BergenWhitesMoustache]

Still, I can’t argue with “Come Together,” “Something,” “Oh! Darling,” “I Want You,” “Here Comes the Sun,” “Because,” and much of that imperfect medley.  Hell, I even find the much-derided “Octopus’s Garden” charming.

There is a notable absence in this list... My least favourite song of all time

RE: Sunflower... it's simply perfect, the only reason it'd be fun to play with the tracklisting is to imagine what  some of the other tracks floating around at the time might have sounded like with the same level of mix finesse. It's got the best sound of any album I've ever heard.

[I. Spaceman]

When folks talk about Sunflower, they always talk about the sound and mix. Interesting to note.

[Sam_BFC]

Nude photos of Marilyn Rovell surface after 40 years

Wat

[BergenWhitesMoustache]

When folks talk about Sunflower, they always talk about the sound and mix. Interesting to note.

I think it goes without saying that the songs are great...I habitually spit whatever I'm drinking at the computer screen when I see people knocking 'got to know the woman', 'tears in the morning', 'deidre' etc, and no, 'our sweet love' isn't a rewrite of GOK! 

The sound is incredible though...

Considering lots of the tracks were in progress during 20/20 and before, I think it's notable that a special effort was made with the mixing- like I said, that's the only way I can contemplate changing tracklistings is if I fantasise about hearing a decent mix of 'Lady' or something...

[EthanJames]

Don't worry, I. Spaceman is harmless. Like a dog that barks at you from behind a neighbourhood fence, or the mild rush of terror when you think you have run out of loo roll but, no, turns out someone bought more.

That is Ethan J. Clark under a new name. No need to coddle the psycho.

I thought Ethan J Clark (AKA the consternator) had already rejoined under his own name sans numbers? Suppose I'm just out of the loop.

Yep, its just a new name (and thanks for the many more of your hurtful comments I.Spaceman)
Anyhow I think that the Sunflower mix is pretty good, it's a perfect album and it just sounds so lovely, it has that Pop feeling to it, and Abbey Road is the same way, well that's to me anyway.

[I. Spaceman]

Don't worry, I. Spaceman is harmless. Like a dog that barks at you from behind a neighbourhood fence, or the mild rush of terror when you think you have run out of loo roll but, no, turns out someone bought more.

That is Ethan J. Clark under a new name. No need to coddle the psycho.

I thought Ethan J Clark (AKA the consternator) had already rejoined under his own name sans numbers? Suppose I'm just out of the loop.

Yep, its just a new name (and thanks for the many more of your hurtful comments I.Spaceman)

Yes, nowhere near as hurtful as saying someone should stomp on your head and kill you, as you have said to me before.