"Heroes And Villains" although good was not the right choice for a follow up to "Good Vibrations" as a single.
So what would have been the right choice?
I wonder if the opinion that "Barbara Ann" sucks really
is popular, even among the members of this board...
"Heroes & Villains" sounds like an epic album track, not a single made for dancing. I bet "Look"/"Song For Children" with lyrics and vocals would have made a good single. Either way, some of the band members expressed regret on putting out H&V as a single in the form that it was when it was "finished". It's a record made to stop and listen to. Bottom line: where is the catchy chorus like in every BB hit? There isn't even a chorus. I still want to make it clear that I love H&V, it's just I don't think it was a good choice for a follow up single. To answer your question, Micha, I don't think they had anything from those sessions worth making a single out of. If you think otherwise, I'd love to hear your ideas.
Now, "Barbara Fucking Ann" is one of their most famous songs and one they play every night whether you're seeing the M & B band or Brian Wilson or any other incarnation. I think most of us here would have loved it if the big hit was one of their own compositions like "Little Girl I Once Knew" instead, but....
.....there is one good thing about "Barbara Fucking Ann". It caught the ears of Britain who fell in love with the BB after that. Take a look at Andrew's excellent site concerning UK release dates and you'll see what I mean (
http://www.esquarterly.com/bellagio/UKcharts.html). And that got them all ready for Pet Sounds.
But I think it is safe to think that there are a lot of bad feelings about this song.
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