Was Love You the only Beach Boys album not represented on the C50 tour?

[AndrewHickey]

In an interview last year with a Swedish newspaper, Brian explained that they didn't perform any songs from Love You because Mike thinks it's too weird.

That bodes well for this summer.  In the Mojo interview of a few years ago, Al enthused about how great an album Love You is.

I also predict at least "Vegetables"  and probably another try at Our Prayer.

He's the best guy for the bottom of the stack of vocals, but all in all, they are better off without Mike.

Given Brian's sets for the last few years, I predict *maybe* Our Prayer before H&V, but other than that an absolute bog-standard run through the hits without anything interesting.

I really, really wish that whoever is in charge of Brian's setlists now would look at the audience reaction to the shows he did up to about 2002, and start putting all those songs back in, but I don't think it's ever going to happen.

[Nicko1234]

Though it's a polarizing album, the impression I've gotten is that the people who don't like it (and anyone who doesn't like it, feel free to correct me here) dislike the production rather than the songwriting.  "Honkin' Down the Highway" would have been a safe bet, even if it's not the most interesting thing on the album, but I imagine they could have done a good version of "The Night Was So Young" or "I Bet He's Nice" without offending non-Love You fans.  But it is unfortunate that Love You was placed with Keepin' the Summer Alive and Summer in Paradise.

I can't speak for people who don't like the album but can only speak as a person who likes some songs and dislikes others. If they were to perform the songs that you mentioned then that would be cool. If Brian were to attempt bilge like Love is a Woman or I Wanna Pick You Up then it could be painful.

[Nicko1234]

Given Brian's sets for the last few years, I predict *maybe* Our Prayer before H&V, but other than that an absolute bog-standard run through the hits without anything interesting.

I really, really wish that whoever is in charge of Brian's setlists now would look at the audience reaction to the shows he did up to about 2002, and start putting all those songs back in, but I don't think it's ever going to happen.

If they do play the hits then I hope they are sensible and let Al sing as many of them as possible. In his solo shows Al has sung California Girls, I Get Around, the car songs etc. and, let's face it, he can sing them a million times better than Brian can.

[AndrewHickey]

Given Brian's sets for the last few years, I predict *maybe* Our Prayer before H&V, but other than that an absolute bog-standard run through the hits without anything interesting.

I really, really wish that whoever is in charge of Brian's setlists now would look at the audience reaction to the shows he did up to about 2002, and start putting all those songs back in, but I don't think it's ever going to happen.

If they do play the hits then I hope they are sensible and let Al sing as many of them as possible. In his solo shows Al has sung California Girls, I Get Around, the car songs etc. and, let's face it, he can sing them a million times better than Brian can.

I definitely agree there.

[Micha]

Incidentally, at the concert I attended, they played no songs from Wild Honey, Friends, Love You, Light Album, Keepin' the Summer Alive, or Summer in Paradise.  It struck me as odd that three of the albums they left out were three of the best albums in their catalogue.

Light Album, Keepin' the Summer Alive, or Summer in Paradise three of the best albums ín their catalogue? Come on...

I'd like to have heard Busy Doin' Nothin' live, thinking about it...

[Cabinessenceking]

Though it's a polarizing album, the impression I've gotten is that the people who don't like it (and anyone who doesn't like it, feel free to correct me here) dislike the production rather than the songwriting.  "Honkin' Down the Highway" would have been a safe bet, even if it's not the most interesting thing on the album, but I imagine they could have done a good version of "The Night Was So Young" or "I Bet He's Nice" without offending non-Love You fans.  But it is unfortunate that Love You was placed with Keepin' the Summer Alive and Summer in Paradise.

Incidentally, at the concert I attended, they played no songs from Wild Honey, Friends, Love You, Light Album, Keepin' the Summer Alive, or Summer in Paradise.  It struck me as odd that three of the albums they left out were three of the best albums in their catalogue.

I think 'Ill Be He's Nice' would suit perfectly to Brian's present vocal capabilities and with such a backing band and with all those backing vocals it could've been quite the treat for fans and casual listeners alike!

[Cabinessenceking]

Though it's a polarizing album, the impression I've gotten is that the people who don't like it (and anyone who doesn't like it, feel free to correct me here) dislike the production rather than the songwriting.  "Honkin' Down the Highway" would have been a safe bet, even if it's not the most interesting thing on the album, but I imagine they could have done a good version of "The Night Was So Young" or "I Bet He's Nice" without offending non-Love You fans.  But it is unfortunate that Love You was placed with Keepin' the Summer Alive and Summer in Paradise.

I can't speak for people who don't like the album but can only speak as a person who likes some songs and dislikes others. If they were to perform the songs that you mentioned then that would be cool. If Brian were to attempt bilge like Love is a Woman or I Wanna Pick You Up then it could be painful.

His band needs more synths and organs. I felt the backing band lacked something during H&V, DIA and others. The Beach Boys were huge in their use of synths, strings and organs, but it seems this sound is something they wish to distance themselves from. I think their sound was more interesting with these instruments/sounds.

[Micha]

His band needs more synths and organs. I felt the backing band lacked something during H&V, DIA and others. The Beach Boys were huge in their use of synths, strings and organs, but it seems this sound is something they wish to distance themselves from. I think their sound was more interesting with these instruments/sounds.

I think quite the opposite...

[wantsomecorn]

I feel like Brian's backing band tries to hard to emulate the studio recordings instead of putting on a slightly different live version of the songs that still maintain the spirit of the original, if not all of the musical bits and sounds. Like Heroes and Villains on the 50th Tour sounded a little too much like an attempt to duplicate the sound of the single instead of just doing it as a rocker like on "In Concert".

[runnersdialzero]

In Concert has one too many rockers IF Y'ASK ME.

I AM THE HANDSOME ONE
I'M THE GORGEOUS ONE
LOOKING GOOD IS LOTS OF FUN
WE GET SOME THINGS WRONG, BUT WE KEEP ROLLING ALONG

[AndrewHickey]

I feel like Brian's backing band tries to hard to emulate the studio recordings instead of putting on a slightly different live version of the songs that still maintain the spirit of the original, if not all of the musical bits and sounds. Like Heroes and Villains on the 50th Tour sounded a little too much like an attempt to duplicate the sound of the single instead of just doing it as a rocker like on "In Concert".

"Just doing it as a rocker" is boring as hell though. If you want to hear loud guitars and moronic arrangements, there are a million other bands out there. This is the Beach Boys, a band who made intricate, complex music, arranged by one of the three or four best arrangers of the twentieth century.
Simplifying the arrangements because they were literally impossible to replicate on stage was fine for the 70s band, as far as it goes, but with the technology and money available now, since it's *possible* to get that sound, why on earth wouldn't you? One of the great things over the last decade or so is the way that all the bands -- Brian's especially, but even Mike's -- have been performing the music as accurately as possible.

Plenty of people here try to put Brian's music on the level of great art, and compare it to the great composers of the past. If I paid to see a performance of the Brandenburg Concertos and got there to see four blokes with electric guitars and drums strumming through a simplified version of them with any difficult passages brutally excised, I'd want my money back at the very least...

[Nicko1234]

"Just doing it as a rocker" is boring as hell though. If you want to hear loud guitars and moronic arrangements, there are a million other bands out there. This is the Beach Boys, a band who made intricate, complex music, arranged by one of the three or four best arrangers of the twentieth century.
Simplifying the arrangements because they were literally impossible to replicate on stage was fine for the 70s band, as far as it goes, but with the technology and money available now, since it's *possible* to get that sound, why on earth wouldn't you? One of the great things over the last decade or so is the way that all the bands -- Brian's especially, but even Mike's -- have been performing the music as accurately as possible.

Plenty of people here try to put Brian's music on the level of great art, and compare it to the great composers of the past. If I paid to see a performance of the Brandenburg Concertos and got there to see four blokes with electric guitars and drums strumming through a simplified version of them with any difficult passages brutally excised, I'd want my money back at the very least...

The Beach Boys are a rock and roll band though and I don't think there is anything wrong with doing different arrangements of the songs sometimes. Rock doesn't have to mean boring pub rock and I would take that band from the early 70s over the current touring backing bands. Maybe if the current vocalists were better I might think differently though...

[AndrewHickey]

The Beach Boys are a rock and roll band though and I don't think there is anything wrong with doing different arrangements of the songs sometimes. Rock doesn't have to mean boring pub rock and I would take that band from the early 70s over the current touring backing bands. Maybe if the current vocalists were better I might think differently though...

Personally, I'm rather bored of rock and roll -- and most of the stuff I really like by the Beach Boys has fairly little to do with rock anyway. Surf's Up, Til I Die, Friends, Forever, All This Is That, In My Room, Johnny Carson, Little Pad... none of that's rock and roll in any real sense.

And other than the lack of Carl, Dennis and Al, two of whom obviously can't be replaced, I'd take either Mike's band or Brian's over the 70s band, if we're just going on how the bands sound (on setlist is another matter -- I'd take a 2002 Brian setlist over a 2008 Mike one over a 1972 one over a 2010 Brian one...). Brian's band is simply the best I've ever heard, bar none.

[hypehat]

"Just doing it as a rocker" is boring as hell though. If you want to hear loud guitars and moronic arrangements, there are a million other bands out there. This is the Beach Boys, a band who made intricate, complex music, arranged by one of the three or four best arrangers of the twentieth century.
Simplifying the arrangements because they were literally impossible to replicate on stage was fine for the 70s band, as far as it goes, but with the technology and money available now, since it's *possible* to get that sound, why on earth wouldn't you? One of the great things over the last decade or so is the way that all the bands -- Brian's especially, but even Mike's -- have been performing the music as accurately as possible.

Plenty of people here try to put Brian's music on the level of great art, and compare it to the great composers of the past. If I paid to see a performance of the Brandenburg Concertos and got there to see four blokes with electric guitars and drums strumming through a simplified version of them with any difficult passages brutally excised, I'd want my money back at the very least...

The Beach Boys are a rock and roll band though and I don't think there is anything wrong with doing different arrangements of the songs sometimes. Rock doesn't have to mean boring pub rock and I would take that band from the early 70s over the current touring backing bands. Maybe if the current vocalists were better I might think differently though...

The current vocalists = The Beach Boys?


Anything after Shut Down Volume 2 (may be getting my chronology screwed)  is rock music with a small 'r'. The Beach Boys didn't rock much after that point, if your idea of rock is two guitars, drum and bass! So you're saying Brian's arrangement should be ignored even if you can do them? It's kinda cool to see dudes play that music on stage, like seeing I Just Wasn't Made For These Times was very cool for me because it sounded so wonderful and dense.

[Nicko1234]

The current vocalists = The Beach Boys?


Anything after Shut Down Volume 2 (may be getting my chronology screwed)  is rock music with a small 'r'. The Beach Boys didn't rock much after that point, if your idea of rock is two guitars, drum and bass! So you're saying Brian's arrangement should be ignored even if you can do them? It's kinda cool to see dudes play that music on stage, like seeing I Just Wasn't Made For These Times was very cool for me because it sounded so wonderful and dense.

The current (2012) vocalists aren't just the Beach Boys (who were much better singers in the early 70s anyway). There's also Jeff et al. The blend of voices in the early 70s was a hundred times stronger imo.

And no I didn't say that Brian's arrangement should be ignored. I said that you could do different arrangements sometimes as bands do across the world. The arrangement of Love and Mercy that Brian's band performed live doesn't sound an awful lot like the single arrangement after all.

[AndrewHickey]

The arrangement of Love and Mercy that Brian's band performed live doesn't sound an awful lot like the single arrangement after all.

But nor is it "just doing it as a rocker". It's a properly thought-out arrangement.

[Micha]

I'm into many of Brian's arrangement and wouldn't like, say, Kiss Me Baby as a rocker. In the case of H&V though I'm always surprised when I stumble over a rocking live version how strong the song sounds with that kind of arrangement. I even believe that with such an arrangement for the verses in 1967 instead the original SMiLE one the single would have been (even more) successful. You couldn't do the chorus in rock mode, though, and shouldn't either.

[Nicko1234]

But nor is it "just doing it as a rocker". It's a properly thought-out arrangement.

Sorry but I think there are two different debates going on here. 

My comment was a reply to Hypehat's question about, 'So you're saying Brian's arrangement should be ignored even if you can do them?' I think that the arrangements to any songs could be changed if the band leaders thought it improved the songs or gave them a new interesting take. That applies whether it may be a rockier arrangement or a more subtle arrangement.

I think that rocking up some ( I reiterate some) songs in concert can and has worked well. Rock doesn't have to mean leaden pub rock and Heroes and Villains certainly has sounded great in some of its earlier alternate arrangements.

However, I should make clear that I think both touring bands do a fine job with the material anyway.

[Alex]

I think they should do all of Pet Sounds Ramones-style!!!

[halblaineisgood]

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