Top 10 best song Brian wrote post- 1980

[monkee knutz]

San Francisco (With VDP)

Agreed! That one never fails to floor me!

[matt-zeus]

In no order:
Some Sweet day
Gettin' in over my head (Paley version)
I sleep alone
You've touched me
She says that she needs me

and for the rest of the top 10:
Melt away
This isn't love
Rio Grande
Too much sugar
It's not easy being me

My Mary Anne deserves a mention too

Now imagine all those on a Brian Wilson album - Amazing!

[Swamp Pirate]

Love and Mercy
South American
She Says That She Needs Me
City Blues
Gettin' In Over My Head

[donald]

That does it.  I'm going to make a compilation. 

Got to include Palm Tree and Moon and Sail Away, my two favorites from OCA.

Warmth of the Sun from IJWMFTT, alternate Caroline No from the PS box, Desert Drive live, South American, Imagination, Melt Away, Love and Mercy, Lets Put Our Hearts Together, Back Home live, and a couple of choice SMiLE cuts.

Sorry, but I'm just no damn good at top 5 or top 10 lists

[no]

"Caroline No" -- I'll follow suit.
"Walkin' The Line" (demo) -- foda that guitar-damaged mess, a.k.a. released version.
"It's Over Now" (demo)/"Still I Dream Of It" (demo)/"Stevie" (demo) -- yeah, this is not completely fair.
"Thank You"/"Rainbow Eyes" (Sweet Insanity or Hotel Tape versions)
"You're Still A Mystery"

Excellent call, Ian, on "Being With The One You Love."

[Sir Rob]

It's Not Easy Being Me
Melt Away
Saturday Morning In The City
Happy Days
Desert Drive

[TV Forces]

1. What I Really Want for Christmas (outstanding!!)
2. Love and Mercy
3. Lay Down Burden
4. Dream Angel
5. She Says that She Needs Me

[Swamp Pirate]

IMHO...

10.  South American- from the Imagination CD.  Jimmy Buffett co-wrote.  Buffett deserves some credit for helping Brian's renaissance for giving him a three song slot at a few of his dates the summer Imagination came out.

9.  Melt Away- BW88.  One of my favorites.  The version on IJWMFTT has a much warmer feel to it than the BW88 one.

8.  Cry- Another one from Imagination.  Simple but powerful lyrics.

7.  Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight- BW88  Brian/Andy Paley/Andy Dean.  Very car radio friendly song.  My favorite on BW88.

6.  Gettin' In Over My Head- Wilson/Paley song with a cool Righteous Brothers feel.  I prefer the piano intro on the Wilson/Paley tapes but I like the version on GIOMH too.

5.  City Blues- Perfect for Brian's post 1980 voice.  Nice little rocking tune with Eric Clapton's guitar providing a good counterpoint.

4.  This Song Wants to Sleep With You Tonight- Wilson/Paley.  The music is exquisite.  The lyrics evoke the perfect mood.  I love this song.  Very
underrated in Brian's catalog.

3.  It's Not Easy Being Me- Wilson/Paley- why hasn't this song hasn't been formally released.  The best song of the Wilson/Paley collaboration. 

2.  Love and Mercy- Brian's anthem song.  BW88.  Simple lyrics, heartfelt message.  The best version is on the Live at the Roxy CD.

1.  The Spirit of Rock and Roll- Brian and Gary Usher.  it's a crime this song has never been given a proper release.  Another song just right for Brian's post 1980 voice.   

[I. Spaceman]

1.Stevie
2.Melt Away
3.Still A Mystery
4.Love And Mercy
5.Water Builds Up
6.Being With The One You Love
7.Your Imagination
8.Spirit of Rock And Roll
9.Black Widow
10.Fantasy is Reality/Bells Of Madness

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Amen on Fantasy is Reality. Carnie's voice on that is so beautiful...

[Chris Brown]

1. L&M
2. Melt Away
3. Water Builds Up
4. Cry
5. There's So Many

[Rocker]

No special order:
Fairytale
GIOMH
City Blues
Melt Away
Cry
Lay Down Burden
Love & Mercy
This song wants to sleep with you tonight
You're still a mystery
Rainbow Eyes (I like the SI-version better in a way)

Do I really have to stop here....?

[Fantastico!]

The one that really kicks my ass is the one that goes:

"Have you ever seen/ Blonde hair and eyes of blue/Poetry in motion, the dream of every guy/A Little Bit of Heaven Just wen't walking by"

That one is what SHOULD have happened after "Love You"--cool synths, with more of a soul feel.  I love it absolutely.

"Must be A Miracle?"-- is that from Gary Usher or Andy Paley?
------------------

"Gettin in Over My Head" I can't take seriously.  Why should Brian pastiche Pet Sounds in that regard?  Its almost suggests that he should return to that direction, which he shouldn't, IMO.  That bridge "I just might not ever come back from here" is 90% identical to "I guess I just wasn't made for these times"

Now "You Touched Me"  "How Could We Still Be Dancing?" or even "Dont Let Her Know She's An Angel" --those work for me better.

[Jason]

No special order...

Love and Mercy
Melt Away
Rio Grande
The Spirit Of Rock and Roll
Someone To Love
Stevie
River Deep Mountain High
Gettin' In Over My Head
It's Not Easy Being Me
God Did It

[JRauch]

without order:

Love And Mercy
Christmasey
Gettin In Over My Head
Fairy Tale
Lay Down Burden
Soul Searchin
Your Imagination
Rio Grande
What I Really Want For Christmas
The Waltz

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

1.   The Waltz
2.   Cry
3.   Marketplace
4.   Spirit of Rock and Roll
5.   Love and Mercy
6.   Melt Away
7.   Your Imagination (especially live)
8.   Still A Mystery
9.   Lay Down Burdon
10.   Christmasy
11.           It’s Not Easy Being Me

[Jardine Power!]

"Melt Away" is my fave. I prefer the BW88 version too.

[Joel5001]

Very tough, and not in order:

1.  In the Nighttime (demo version, not Roxy version)
2.  Stevie
3. Love and Mercy
4. Don't Let Her Know She's an Angel
5. Lay Down Burden
6. There's So Many
7. Meet Me in My Dreams Tonight
8. On Christmas Day
9. City Blues
10. Happy Days

[Jason Penick]

Night Blooming Jasmine
Stevie
Melt Away
Your Imagination
Rio Grande
Cry
Where Has Love Gone
It's Just a Matter of Time
She's Still a Mystery
Black Widow
Being with the One You Love
Lay Down Burden
Love & Mercy
Some of Your Love (was this actually demoed in the 70s?)
Rainbow Eyes
Turning Point
Magnetic Attraction
Don't Let Her Know...
Happy Days
Fantasy Is Reality
Heavenly Bodies
Heavenly Lovers

[Rocker]

Have seen that many picked "She say that she needs me", which is also one of my favs, but asn't that one already written in the 60s, though with different lyrics ?

[Evenreven]

Faves written post-1980:

You're Still a Mystery
Chain Reaction of Love
Gettin' in over My Head (preferably from the Paley sessions)
Rio Grande
Love and Mercy

almost there:
Melt Away
Happy Days
Christmasey
Desert Drive (from GIOMH)

[Jim McShane]

"Melt Away" is my fave. I prefer the BW88 version too.

I was lucky enough to be at the Chicago House of Blues for a show in 2003 and BW and the band played it live. Wow! It sure is a great song.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

The one that really kicks my ass is the one that goes:

"Have you ever seen/ Blonde hair and eyes of blue/Poetry in motion, the dream of every guy/A Little Bit of Heaven Just wen't walking by"

That one is what SHOULD have happened after "Love You"--cool synths, with more of a soul feel.  I love it absolutely.

"Must be A Miracle?"-- is that from Gary Usher or Andy Paley?
------------------

"Gettin in Over My Head" I can't take seriously.  Why should Brian pastiche Pet Sounds in that regard?  Its almost suggests that he should return to that direction, which he shouldn't, IMO.  That bridge "I just might not ever come back from here" is 90% identical to "I guess I just wasn't made for these times"

Now "You Touched Me"  "How Could We Still Be Dancing?" or even "Dont Let Her Know She's An Angel" --those work for me better.

It is indeed Mr. Paley

[Mark H.]

Melt Away
Rio Grande
South American
The Waltz
Baby Let You Hair Grow Long

No particular order...clearly the finishing touches to Smile trump every thing else IMO.

[RobtheNobleSurfer]

In no order

GIOMH (give me Andy's track anyday)
Melt Away
Rio Grande
L & M
Still I Dream Of It
On Christmas Day
Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight
This Song Wants To Sleep With You
Night Time
Saturday Morning In The City

Honorable mention:

I'm Broke (yep you read that correctly!)